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23 July 2006

24 July News ...

Bruyneel Adjusting the Variables

The Disco has a new beat. Only one year after Lance Armstrong raced the Tour de France, his former Discovery Channel squadra has changed. Sure the members are mostly the same but the team lacks the same driving force pushing all other variables to their maximum.

Team DS, Johan Bruyneel, was there for seven years while Armstrong dominated and now the Belgian is trying to construct a new winning formula. This year he brought Hincapie, Popovych and Savoldelli to the Tour as possible challengers for victory, seeing the results he will rework the equation over the following year and try to do better, maybe mixing in American Danielson.

"We came here with high expectations but we always knew it would be hard to win," said Bruyneel Saturday morning before the stage 19 time trial. "It turned out worse than we expected and I don't know why. But we did have high points: George [Hincapie] almost winning the prologue and then wearing Maillot Jaune; and Popovych won a stage. The guys have certainly been trying."

The Disco squadra has talent but misses the punch of super-hero Armstrong. The American was a one-off that can't be replaced and the Disco boys are now in a period of adjustment. Taking the yellow jersey for a day and a stage win are great accomplishments but fall short of the past highs.

"We have to go through this period after being on top for seven years. This is not a crisis but a time for us to understand what needs to be worked on. It is both physical and mental I think We had five riders in the final the other day but no one rider like Lance to finish off the work; With Lance Armstrong we would have had control. They [the team] were there but the guy to go for the win was not."

"I was happy with Popovych," continued Bruyneel on his Ukrainian charge. "There is something in him that I see which makes me think he will be even better in the future. He was really upset the other day after the team failed and I liked that little spark. Then he went out and won a stage. Sure, he is not the next Lance but no one is."

One rider that many American fans will be happy to see on next year's Tour de France startlist is Tom Danielson. The rider from Colorado has been building himself slowly to compete for the Tour de France. Danielson has survived the hard moments of Euro-life, made his mark in the 2005 Vuelta and continued with his Grand Tour education in this year's Giro d'Italia. Bruyneel believes that Danielson will be ready for the 2007 Tour...

Yes, he will be on the team next year for the Tour," explained Bruyneel. "He rode a good Giro and he will race the Vuelta again this year, this time as the team's leader. ... He has made the adjustment to European cycling and his physical endurance. He is really talented in both climbing and time trialing. To bring Tom here this year would have been too early but next year he will be ready."

On everyone's mind was the two epic mountains in which Floyd Landis (Phonak) failed one day and then soared the next. Cycling has not seen such an epic ride by a general classification contender in a long time; Landis' romp over the mountains to the finish in Morzine was a defining moment gave him back the opportunity to win the Tour.

"We were amazed by Landis's ride. The other teams, CSC and Rabobank, lost the Tour on the Col de la Colombiere and not the Joux-Plane. They thought that Landis would crack on the Joux-Plane, but you can't think that way. You don't let a guy like Landis go up the road by nine minutes. Sastre and Klöden should have had their teams limiting the time to around four minutes."

Armstrong jetted into France for the last week to be with his former squadra, riding along side Bruyneel in the team car. It was a rare opportunity for Armstrong to look-in on the team from the outside.

"It was good with Lance here... We had fun. It was good for him to see the other side and know that it is not so easy. He really did not have any advice for me or the team. We were all surprised with Landis, both his collapse and then his comeback. ... The race is hard to control now and it makes me more appreciative of the strong structure we had over the last seven years."

This winter Bruyneel, and maybe Armstrong, will have a lot to think about in regards to how they will approach the 2007 Tour and once again maximize all of the variables.

A Crono Twofer for Honchar

Serhiy Honchar (T-Mobile) pulled off a Tour de France coup, going two-for-two, taking both time trials in this year's race. The ride by the 36 year-old Ukrainian helped ensure T-Mobile won the overall team classification and added another huge win to his palmarès.

You were feeling bad in the Alps. How were you able to come back around and win this crono? "It was a mystery for me," said Honchar. "In the Alps I felt bad and had to take some antibiotics. This morning my team manager told us that we all have to all go good and win the team classification. I started off slow and it was difficult but then I got going. ... The first stage was great because my objective was to get the Maillot jaune and it worked. I was really motivated to take the yellow jersey. Then today it was not quite the same but I knew it was important for the team classification. In the beginning I thought I was going badly and I didn't know why, but I won."

Honchar, who lives in Italy, is 2000 World TT Champion and does not see the 2006 race fitting into his program. "For now I will arrive in Paris and party. For the last two months I went really hard, I did a lot of racing to arrive here on form. Now I want a little calmness. Then maybe I will start to think if this jersey. I think Rogers has a tight grip on this rainbow jersey, maybe it is more for him than me."

Honchar, with two wins and the yellow jersey, and Kessler, with one win on the stage in Holland, salvaged the Tour de France for T-Mobile. The German squadra were forced to tell their team leader, Jan Ullrich, to go home only days before the start of the race. When many predicted nothingness the pink posse came through.

"Not just me and Kessler but the whole team," said Honchar. "The team over the Tour was always present. We have an all-around squadra that stayed regular and did well in this Tour. I am proud of our Tour."

Landis Secures Yellow

Floyd Landis (Phonak) secured a win one of the most thrilling Tour de Frances in history by winning stage 19 and taking back the Maillot Jaune. No-Fuss Floyd, baring any sort of mishap, will go on to be only the third American ever to win France's three week race.

The race was crazy; an explosion even before the race began with the dismissal of a handful of riders, including Ullrich and Basso. When the racing finally got underway, the yellow jersey was quick to change hands. Landis finally had a grip on the Maillot Jaune but a lot changed before from Pla-de-Beret to the final TT.

Il Americano took the yellow and then voluntarily let it go, only to win it back again on the first Alpine stage. The following day, to La Toussuire, Landis bonked hard and fell to 11th overall on the GC, effectively ending his Tour de France hopes, or so we thought.

The next day, an all up-and-down affair to Morzine, Landis did something that has not been seen since the days of Eddy Merckx. The American hit his rivals hard on the first climb of five for the day, going mostly solo to win the stage in Morzine and put himself back in sight of the yellow jersey. That left us with a thrilling finale, a 57K crono, where Landis handily whipped his old teammate, Pereiro, to win a thrilling Tour.

So when Landis reached the pressroom after winning back the Maillot Jaune, we were surprised not to see him in yellow. Where is the jersey? "I gave it away again," said a happy Landis, who apparently gifted his jersey to a lucky fan.

"The race is not over yet, I hope we can handle tomorrow [stage to Paris]. I think we can and then the reality will sink in later, but right now I am tired from the time trial."

Landis was pushed all the way over the 57K parcours by an inspired Oscar Pereiro (Caisse d'Epargne-Illes Balears). The Spaniard hung-tough and did not lose as much time as many predicted he would lose... as they say, "it is a magical Maillot."

"When the yellow jersey is on the line and people get inspired. Pereiro did an exceptional time trial. I was also concerned about the four hour time trial I did the other day. I was still beaten by a considerable amount of time by Honchar, which was impressive by him, but I got the yellow jersey."

Landis continues the winning streak; eight of the past editions of the Tour have been won by an American. Landis, happy to be a Tour champion, thinks his nationality has nothing to do with his winning.

"The winning streak is mostly thanks to Lance, he won seven in a row," continued Landis on his past teammate. "I just won once and I feel lucky. There are a lot of guys who want it just as bad and did a lot of work to be here to win. Overall, I don't think there is a characteristic in Americans that makes them any better than the other guys in the race."

"I hoped it would be me to someday win this race but I know it takes a lot of hard work and sacrifices," Landis recalled from his days with Lance Armstrong. "Then on top of that it takes a lot of luck, and I feel lucky."

"... At times I appear to take decisions based on emotion when on the bike but most of the time we make logical decision. The other day I had to get eight minutes back and I was forced to get angry. Most of time what motivates me is the dream of cycling and I keep that in my head no matter what happens, good or bad."

Landis had his dream fortified with a visit from the king, Eddy Merckx. On the day of rest in Gap, Merckx visited Phonak during the short training ride. Two days later, after losing chunks of time on La Toussiere, Eddy Merckx gave Landis a call to inspire the rider on to greatness. Merckx's words worked, an epic ride to Morzine meant Landis was back in the hunt for yellow.

Landis recalled: "Eddy Merckx rode with us on the rest day and then he was one of the few people who still believed that taking back the yellow jersey was possible after my loses to La Toussuire. We talked the night before Morzine and, well, I wish he would spend more of his free time with the team."

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

22 July News ...