Posted on 07/22/2006 2:59:08 PM PDT by gopwinsin04
Floyd Landis' victory Thursday was a miracle ride, the most exciting Tour stage — hell, the most amazing bike race — I’ve ever witnessed.
Nothing like this has ever happened in the modern era. With up-to-the-second coverage on live television in the team directors’ cars, and radio communication with riders, big moves like this have never been allowed to develop. They're shut down the instant they’re threatening.
But on Thursday, Floyd made the most amazing solo ride of the modern Tour, eclipsing even Greg LeMond’s incredible final time trial in 1989, when he eked out an eight-second lead over Laurent Fignon, making up almost two minutes and setting the record for the closest Tour de France ever.
Floyd’s ride was epic, in every way. On the final climbing day, a harrowing course profile of five climbs and treacherous technical descents, he was simply unstoppable. He didn’t receive a lick of help from anyone in the field. To a man, they simply sat on his wheel and wilted as he left them behind, spent.
And Landis rode himself back onto the podium, from 11th place to third, only 30 seconds off the top step. This might not be a popular pronouncement, but Floyd’s ride Thursday was more impressive, more gutsy, than anything Lance Armstrong ever did at the Tour. Landis faced off against the very best riders in the world, absorbed every attack, and did it alone.
I’m eating serious crow, after my pronouncement Wednesday that America was going to miss the podium this year. That was after I had to eat crow from my column Tuesday that predicted Floyd would keep the yellow jersey for the rest of the Tour, all the way into Paris.
I hadn’t counted on Floyd to do what he did.
(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...
...we can threaten to send some healthy athletes over.
Ha! You type faster than I do!
Ha! You type faster than I do!
Question: Were they actually the best riders in the world? Or did the purported doping have something to do with it?
lol...and if we didn't ride, we'd both be hugh.
Well, one of them at least was not accused of doping, but he had lost enough team members that he was not allowed to enter into the race.
Lance broke up with her, so he isn't doing that anymore.
It was spectacular. That stage performance was as good of a performance as i've ever seen an athlete give.
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