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Tour de France, France

Stage 14, Agde - Ax-3 Domaines, 220.5K

16 July

The Dust Devil's Daily Wrap
"My Prediction? ...PAIN!!!"

Stages and Maps, The Dust Devil's Daily Wrap

Seeing Georg Totschnig on the podium in stage 14 receiving his victory bouquet, with tears in eyes, is really something special for the DD. It shows very clearly how much victory means to these guys. And not only victory, but how special this sport is. You don't see it often in the other big sports. That is one of the million reasons that cycling is my sport. In cycling there is a lot more heart required than in any other sport. But, that's just my opinion.

Yesterday I said they needed to attack Armstrong. And even before I turned out the light last night, I said a little prayer asking for some attacks on Armstrong. And my prayers werer answered! They attacked him alright. Straight they put Armstrong on the rivet with no DC boys anywhere to be found.

Now, I think (at least up to this point) that plain and simple: Armstrong is the strongest and smartest man out there. I would love nothing better than to see one of Basso's attacks stick and see Armstrong drop like a stone. Or see Ullrich put it in his 41x17 and ride away on the 8.1% gradient. Or Landis or Leipheimer, or anybody else, attack Armstrong and put him in some honest difficulty!!!!

But, I do not believe that anybody has 1) the fitness to drop the Texan. Armstrong looks as strong as he ever has. And 2) they all lack the mental competitive edge to turn the screw and deliver the death blow. Basso's attacks, though valiant, need a lot of tweaking before he is going to able to win the Tour. But, who knows? Maybe next year with no Armstrong, attacks like the ones Basso dealt out today would work?

Tomorrow is going to be difficult. And I think we are going to see a victory by the Cowboy. Why? Because although he has been rather dominating thus far, he has yet to win a stage (not counting the TTT). I know that his own personal code of ethics demands that the winner of the Tour should win at least a stage. He's not going to want to win his final Tour without taking out a mountain stage, to show that the Maillot Jaune is a dominant force in the mountains. I think tomorrow is going to be ugly for the riders in the 2nd to 10th GC positions. Or, as Clubber Lang (Mr. T) put it in Rocky III, "My Prediction? ...PAIN!!!"
- The Dust Devil