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16 July 2006

17 July News ...

Vande Velde on Heat and Disco-Rabo

Christian Vande Velde is one to give thoughts on the possible Disco and Rabo alliance because he spent many years in the US Postal regime before transferring to Liberty and now CSC. We caught up with the American on the blazing hot morning in Béziers, before the start of stage 13.

What do you think of the possible Discovery and Rabobank alliance? "I don't know, they were not the best of friends in the past," said the Chicago kid who now lives full-time in Girona, Spain.

But maybe the two teams have interest in beating Floyd Landis of Phonak. "I think you hit the nail on the head."

Yesterday was hot and today feels even hotter. Are you ready for another "transition stage?" "I am not looking forward to this stage today. It is so hot out here."

Temperatures easily touched the 40s (°C) in Saturday's stage; many French tifosi were out to watch the stage pass by under the flaming sun, Vande Velde finished 29'57" back with the main peloton.

Honchar Remembers Yellow

Serhiy Honchar is very proud of his three days in yellow, resulting from his time trial win in Rennes, Tour de France stage 7. The Ukrainian has not lost focus in his team responsibilities and is prepared to work for his mates in the coming Alpine mountains.

"We have three possible classification leaders," explained Honchar. Combined with Honchar's win, the team controlled the top of the general classification after an impressive first week that did a lot to erase the pain of losing Ullrich under cloudy circumstances.

"I would like to have another stage but I am content and happy with the time in yellow and the crono stage win. It would be hard to go in an escape but maybe I will have a chance in the final crono; we will see."

Ballan's View on Team Disco-Rabo

"It looked to me like they were working together," said Alessandro Ballan regarding stage 12. In the stage finale Oscar Freire of Rabobank seemed to just let Discovery Channel's Yaroslav Popovych slid away for a stage win.

"I saw them talking before the finale," Ballan continued. "It was strange to see Freire not react because he needs the points for the green jersey. I could not arrive at the finish with Freire because he would be certain to beat me in the sprint."

Ballan did not let on, but it was a strong day for Lampre-Fondital: First they had Bennati in an escape, and when that escape got caught it was Benna's roommate, Ballan, to have a go. He lasted until the end, being toppled by the tactics.

De La Fuente Recalls Passes

David De La Fuente of Saunier Duval-Prodir is back in the Maillot Blanc à Pois Rouges thanks to his efforts stage 11. The young Spaniard has a great engine and just this year is realizing his full potential, as evident by him spending the day away over such climbs as the Col du Tourmalet and Col d'Aspin.

"It was a beautiful day to be in an escape, all those passes are so famous," said De La Fuente Saturday morning in Béziers. "Now I will be taking the jersey from day to day. I am not so sure on how to defend the jersey."

The Alps are looming and De La Fuente will have to be active if he wants to keep his dotted jersey. "Maybe I will have to go in the escapes in the Alps to keep the jersey," finished the Spaniard.

Horner's Double Duty

Chris Horner (Davitamon-Lotto) is at the Tour de France for two reasons: to protect teammate McEwen leading up to the sprints and to help his other teammate, Evans, over the mountains. The first week has gone well for the team and Horner, with three sprint wins by Robbie McEwen. Now the race has entered the high mountains and Horner has started his second phase, helping Cadel Evans to a good overall finish.

"I felt great before these last three days," said American Horner before Tour de France stage 13 on Saturday. "These have been hard days and now I don't know."

Does it make it any easier knowing that you just have to focus on Evans, taking some pressure off of yourself? "Yes, but we also have McEwen and that makes for some hard days."

Voigt Does His Thing for CSC

Jens Voigt did his thing by powering away in an escape to win Tour de France stage 13. The win helped ease CSC's Tour pains, including losing Ivan Basso right before the Tour de France and then battling through crashes involving most of their riders.

Were you desperate for the win more for yourself or the team? "Well, for myself, I am now able to say that this is why I decided to finish last in the crono," said Voigt after the longest stage of the Tour, 231K. "And also for the team, it will take a lot of pressure off of us. We only have six riders left in the Tour, two who have not crashed, and this win does a lot for the team's morale."

The 231 kilometer stage was run over steamy hot conditions and the strong man rose to the top. Voigt out-gunned his companions, leaving only Oscar Pereiro, who he was able to over-power in the sprint.

Was the stage won by the man with the best legs? "Maybe not the best legs. I got on the break with the very last drop of energy I had. And then, arriving at the final, I think it was just that I wanted the win more than the others. [Earlier] when I caught the break I was thinking, 'oh no, not this again.' I did not know about working all day in a break, but then I started to believe in my chances. 10K to go I really started to believe this. I said to Pereiro in the final that 'you are going for the yellow jersey, so work with me a little on this.'"

Phonak let the escape build am enormous lead, ensuring the jersey would trade hands by the end of the stage; Landis conceded his Maillot Jaune to Pereiro after rolling in almost a half-hour later.

What do you think of Phonak's tactics today? "It is exciting, the jersey is changing every day," Voigt continued in his normal energetic style. "You guys have a lot to write about. Phonak letting the jersey go makes sense because otherwise they would have ride really hard today [stage 13] and then tomorrow, following that is the mountains. Floyd will be able to take the jersey back, he was thinking 'OK, I will give it to him [Pereiro] on the flat days and then I will take it back in the mountains.' It makes perfect sense to me. Floyd is strong."

Voigt's win did wonders for Team CSC who has been battling for a win after losing focus on the Tour before it even begun. The Danish squadra has climbing ace Carlos Sastre who, after the first mountain test, will attempt to improve his performance in the Alps.

"Well, of course you can imagine that I am really happy and relieved it worked out today. I did not have a good first week, finding my rhythm. Now it is a big weight off my shoulders. I was getting a lot of criticism about my last place in the time trial and now I can say, 'You see.' It is a big weight off my shoulders and puts a smile on all of the riders of the team."

"Not everyone wants to win a stage like this, so hot and so long. I said 'I need to make it happen and I want to make it happen.' It is a question of character, to make the luck happen. But I believe now I will have 10 official rest days before the Tour ends."

Yellow Pereiro

The 2006 Tour de France is full of many surprising twists and turns, and in stage 13 Oscar Pereiro added another. The Spaniard of Caisse d'Epargne-Illes Balears went with an all-day escape that was allowed to gain almost a half-hour on the peloton. Pereiro, being the best placed rider in the escape, benefited from the day's long effort by taking the coveted Maillot Jaune.

You must be really surprised to be sitting here in the yellow jersey. "Yes of course," said the 28 year-old Spaniard. "This morning I had intentions to go with the break but I never thought of the yellow jersey. I thought it would be impossible... It was a dream but then it became a reality."

Many fans watching the stage might have figured that Pereiro gave Voigt the stage but this is not the case. The gap to the peloton was not exact and the Spaniard did not want to come up empty-handed.

"There was no agreement for the stage win with Voigt. There was an agreement with all the other riders [when it was a five-man escape] and I said that if we ride together and I have time for the yellow jersey then I won't contest the stage. But it did not go that way. I was with Jens and I said to him that I have to try because I may end up with nothing."

By letting the move with Pereiro gain so much time, Phonak gained a needed ally for the coming Alp stages. Caisse is sure to stand by the side of Landis when he needs help defending off attacks; a good decision on Phonak's behalf.

"I think what Phonak did was smart, they can't chase everyday and they have to dose their efforts. I am happy for them. I was in the team last year and remain friends with many of the members, including the boss. On the other side they did not give me the jersey as a present. It was advantage for them, to allow them not to have to work for the next days. I won a stage before, but to be on the podium with the yellow jersey is something completely different."

With the gained time, Pereiro will once again focus on the general classification. "The Alps will be different. I had really a bad day in the Pyrenees and now I think I can do well in the classification. I should be able to finish the Tour in the top-end of the GC."

Bravo for Oscar. How exciting for the tifosi, another day and a different rider in the Maillot Jaune. Viva il Tour.

93rd Tour de France - presented by , 1 - 23 July
Main, Startlist, Classifications, Tour Favorites, Team CSC versus T-Mobile
Stages and Maps, Key Stages, Overall Map
Photos, The Dust Devil's Daily Wrap
Simoni and Saunier Duval-Prodir Updates
2005 Results

15 July News ...