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News :: June 2005

16 June 2005

Why Lance Armstrong Will Win the Tour de France

Armstrong and the Press, photo: Christine Grein, Capture-The-Peloton.com

In case you haven't heard, Lance Armstrong is on the verge of doing the unthinkable: achieving seven straight victories in the Tour de France. Armstrong has already made history by being the only cyclist to have earned 6 consecutive Tour victories, a record which will stand for many years. Being a six-time Tour de France champion is a monumental achievement in itself, and should he succeed to win a 7th straight victory, the glory will be all the sweeter. His record will be all the more difficult to beat as he wraps up his phenomenal career with an icing on the cake victory. ... Read the entire news special: Why Lance Armstrong Will Win the Tour de France
- Paco

Albasini Scores His First

Albasini Wins, photo: Christine Grein, Capture-The- Peloton.com

Break-aways sometimes do work, staying clear from the vicious peloton. In stage 5 of the Tour de Suisse the break succeeded and young Michael Albasini got his first professional win. The Liquigas-Bianchi rider out sprinted his six companions to take the win in Altdorf. The group held off the peloton, led by Davitamon-Lotto and Quick-Step. The Swiss, Albasini, was on form and it showed. He was there to chase down the moves and also to win the sprint. It was almost too early of a jump for Albasini, he noted, "I started a little early with my sprint and thought I might not win, but I managed to hold on." Albasini will now consider this Tour de Suisse a successful tour. Tucked in the peloton, keeping his leader's jersey, was Jan Ullrich (T-Mobile).

Of course, just like Ullrich, Albasini looks to the 2005 Tour de France start in Fromentine. However, unlike the German rider, the Swiss rider's spot is not guaranteed. "I'd love to ride the Tour but I don't know if my win will get me a place in the Liquigas team," said a realistic Albasini. The Tifosi and BiciRace.com know that there are more races than just the Tour. As the Swiss points out, "If I don't get a spot, I'll focus on the end of season races, especially the one-day Championship of Zurich in October."

Today the riders face a hard day. Stages 6 will rid the peloton of any tag-a-longs and put Ullrich to the test. Oberalp pass features early on in the stage and will weaken the legs for the stage finish in Arosa. The Hors Category and Cat 1 climbs should sort out the favorites for the tifosi.

Tour de Suisse: Overall Map, Startlist, Main Page

Merckx: An Unbeatable Armstrong

In an interview with Last Heure/Les Sports, celebrating it's 16th birthday, Eddy Merckx gave his opinion on the 92nd Tour de France. According to Merckx "only an accident in the race" could cause Lance Armstrong to lose. According to cycling's king, Merckx, "Lance is very motivated and wants to conquer the seventh Tour victory." The five time Tour and Giro champion added, "if before the illness he lived like an American, drinking beer before the race, now he behaves like a true pro, programming everything with extreme precision."

Merckx knows cycling and has an eye for its inner workings. Just like when he raced, Merckx can read the contender's faces and bodies. There are some serious contenders for July: Ullrich, Vino, Basso, Landis, etc. But Merckx adds, "I do not see who can stop Lance Armstrong from achieving his last victory in the Tour de France and the umpteenth yellow jersey."

No Zabel at the 92nd Tour de France

BiciRace.com thought it was a little strange when Erik Zabel was added to the Giro d'Italia startlist. See news item Zabel Added to T-Mobile. It has now been confirmed, fast-man Zabel will not take part in this year's Tour de France. This leaves the door open for others to contend for the Green Jersey. For years Zabel controlled the sprint competition. T-Mobile have decided to put all of their efforts behind Jan Ullrich (or Vino or Klöden). We wish T-Mobile the best of luck, and we hope to see Zabel back in the autumn.

T-Mobile for UCI ProTour Eindhoven Team Time Trial

T-Mobile has announced their line-up for the upcoming UCI ProTour Eindhoven Team Time Trial. The team is fielding home riders, Bas Giling and Bram Schmitz. Schmitz will save on transportation cost, he noted, "I live only five kilometers away from the course in Aalst-Waalre. There will surely be many friends coming to cheer us on."

The Eindhoven TTT team will be managed by Valerio Piva. They will look for success, but really this is not T-Mobile's A-team. The A-Team will be in the Tour de Suisse, which finishes on the same day as the Eindhoven TTT. Nevertheless, it is a threatening team: Marcus Burghardt, Torsten Hiekmann, André Korff, Olaf Pollack, Bas Giling and Bram Schmitz

Check out the course map, startlist and complete preview for more race details. Stay tuned for complete race coverage on June 19th at BiciRace.com.

15 June News ...