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17 July 2006

18 July News ...

Riis Thinks of Tour's Last Week

The 2006 Tour de France is two-thirds finished, and what a different race it has been. The yellow jersey keeps changing hands and is guaranteed to do so again before the race hits the Champs-Élysées in Paris.

"It is a strange tour, the route and the tactics are making things interesting," said CSC Team Manager, Bjarne Riis, Monday, the second rest day of the Tour de France. "I can imagine how tough it is for these [CSC] guys."

The race will hit the Alpine stages with a strong blow for three days, starting Tuesday with a stage that finishes on l'Alpe d'Huez. The legs of the riders can do strange things after a rest day and this is bound to add to the excitement of the gathered tifosi. Following l'Alpe stage there are two more Alpine stages that will help decide the Tour's final outcome.

The race lacks the control that was had from Lance Armstrong's team over the past seven years. Not only is retired Armstrong not racing but two other big guns did not start the race: Jan Ullrich and Ivan Basso. Had they been in the race then we could have been guaranteed that their team, T-Mobile and CSC, would have controlled the race.

Would it have been the same strange race with Basso and Ullrich here? "Yes, in way," continued the 1996 Tour de France winner, Riis. "But there would have been two teams taking control. All the tactics in the Pyrenees would have been diverse."

"Having a group of riders away for 30 minutes makes for a strange race," continued Riis, implying that maybe Phonak is not up to the task of delivering Landis to yellow success in Paris. "Landis is strong but does not have a team. Rabobank seems a lot stronger. Look at them on the last mountain stage, they did a good effort in taking control for Menchov. Guys like Rasmussen, Boogerd and Menchov are riding very well. Landis is not that strong to just drop everyone tomorrow [in the stage to l'Alpe]."

Voigt Goes the Distance

Jens Voigt (CSC) won the longest stage of this year's Tour and also has the energy to talk with the gathered journalist in Gap, on the Tour de France's second rest day. Voigt was overly-happy to give his thoughts on everything from Landis to retirement.

"Everyone wants to continue the success of Lance Armstrong," started Voigt. It seemed clear and simple with his team; the team took control and there was a confident Lance. That is not what is happening now. No one feels secure to have their team ride on the front all day. No one really knows how well they can ride."

Who will take charge to try to break Floyd Landis? There will have to be a rider to go out and attack, like Leipheimer tried to Pla-de-Beret, to gain enough time to hold on in the final crono. Riis, CSC Team Manager, believes Rabobank will captain the attacks but Voigt knows what the journalists will write... "You guys would kill someone like Menchov or Sastre if they took a chance to go up the road and then they blew."

Jens on race radios: "Radios are useful but are the reason you always see the breakaways caught in the final meters of a race. There are times when they are good and times when they are bad. I would prefer the radios not to be there if I am in the escapes. Guys hear that I am in the escape and then it is all over for me."

Maybe Voigt feels so free to talk his mind because retirement is coming soon. He has one more year on his CSC contract and after that he does not know if he will continue racing. After the German does stop racing, he wants to give cycling a rest...

"After my career, if I can choose then I would not want to be a director sportif," said Voigt while relaxing at his team's hotel in Gap. "There is too much traveling and I also need a break from the cycling scene."

"Look at my career. I started at nine years-old and if I retire at the end of next year, then that would be three-quarters of my life devoted to cycling. Maybe I would come back later, after two years at least, but first I need a rest, and you won't catch me doing marathons or triathlons."

"In cycling you can't go out on the weekends to the movies and drink beers. OK, maybe you can have one beer on the night before the rest day but that is it. You have to make so many sacrifices to be a cyclist and I want enjoy myself after I retire."

"If I could I would want to open a bookshop with a coffee bar inside," Voigt continues enthusiastically. "I don't know if the store would be a success but I would be my best customer; drinking caffè and cappuccinos all day. That would be great."

The bookshop lifestyle would seem so different for the man we saw win on the blazing hot day in Montélimar. Voigt has a strong character and he always admired those similar riders before he turned professional. "I always liked the dead-hard men like Laurent Jalabert, Sean Kelly and Erik Zabel; guys that would race all-out from January to December."

Vande Velde Gives All

"I would rather kill myself working for Carlos [Sastre] than fighting to keep our Team GC position," said American Christian Vande Velde (Team CSC) Monday on the Tour de France's second rest day in Gap.

The American is part of the CSC formation, currently leading the team GC and hoping to put Carlos Sastre on the top step of the Paris podium in one week. Is Riis telling you to ride more for the Team GC than for Sastre? "No, right now we are just seeing how it goes with the team and Sastre; let the chips fall where they may."

Vande Velde put the American tifosi on the edge of their seats when he almost caught the escape duo in the closing meters of Sunday's stage to Gap. VDV attacked from the chasing gruppo, attempting to try to close the gap on Fédrigo and Commesso but could only manage third. The chase and solid first two weeks of the Tour prove that Vande Velde is ready for the Alps.

"There was a lull in the group and I gave it a go," said VDV. "The descent into gap was a little sticky with the hot tar and so we could not go all-out to chase down the two guys. Not only because of yesterday [stage 14] but I feel I have the legs to ride well through the Alps."

Fränk Schleck is another riding going strong and will be by the side of Vande Velde to help protect their team leader, Carlo Sastre. VDV sees what many are seeing, a strong young Luxemburger who looks destined for success. This is the first Tour de France for the winner of the Amstel Gold and he is showing his capabilities to remain with the favorites.

"I think Fränk will surprise a lot of people in the Alps," VDV continued. "It is his first Tour de France and he does not realize how good he is. He looks around him in the finale of a race and sees only the big favorites."

Is Vande Velde pulling for his compatriot to win the Tour? "I think that Floyd is the great favorite and that Carlos is considered a strong underdog. Carlos still has a great chance at winning the Tour. ... A Phonak alliance with Caisse d'Epargne? I think there is no alliance between them and Phonak. Anyway, they are not such a strong team in the mountains. Pereiro is now in yellow and I don't think he will be by the end of tomorrow [stage to l'Alpe]."

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

17 July News ...