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Friday, July 21
Notebook: ONCE's great disappearing act

By Andrew Hood
ABC Sports Online

MULHOUSE, France -- ONCE was Lance Armstrong's biggest worry at the start of the Tour three weeks ago. Now the Spanish team is an afterthought.


	The ONCE team has fallen on hard times in the Tour, as only four riders remain.

Loaded with talent, ONCE was stacked behind Laurent Jalabert, the former world No. 1 rider, who sacrificed his season to make a run at the Tour. Backing him up was Spain's Abraham Olano, another podium threat who finished fourth overall in 1997.

Jalabert got a taste of yellow fever early in the race when the ONCE team won the team time trial in Stage Four. Jalabert took the jersey and hoped to keep it all the way to the Pyr�n�es. Instead, ONCE missed a break when the team was taking care of "call of nature" early in the sixth stage and lost the jersey.

Since then, things have gone from bad to worse. Jalabert and Olano were both dropped in the first mountain stage and went backwards in the general classification. Only four riders remain on the team, as five riders have abandoned the Tour.

"I haven't had good legs since the mountains," said Olano, a winner of a Tour time trial in 1997. "If I can finish in the Top 10 in the time trial I will be happy."

ONCE's highest placed rider now is Peter Luttenberger in 23rd, 48:27 behind Armstrong.

Four yellow jerseys this year
Last year's Tour was all about Lance Armstrong. He won the opening prologue and took the yellow jersey. Sprinter Jaan Kirsipuu took it for a few days on time bonifications, but then Armstrong took it back in the first time trial and never let go.

This year, four men have worn cycling's most prized garment. Tour revelation David Millar edged Armstrong by two seconds in the opening stage and wore the yellow jersey for three days. Jalabert had it for two days thanks to his ONCE team's tour de force in the team time trial. Alberto Elli then took it over for four days when he dropped the lead bunch in a breakaway. Leon Van Bon of Rabobank won the day's stage, but Elli was the highest placed rider in the break.

Armstrong took the lead for good on the dramatic climb up Hautacam, when the 28-year-old Texan dropped all his rivals. Armstrong hasn't let go of the jersey since with the riders just one day from a train ride to Paris, where the Tour ends on July 23.

How they stand:
How the Tour favorites finished in Friday's stage and where they stand in the overall classification:
Lance Armstrong: Won in 1 hour, 5 minutes, 1 second ; 1st overall
Jan Ullrich: 2nd, 25 seconds behind; 2nd overall, 6:02 behind
Richard Virenque: 26th, 5:50 behind; 6th overall, 13:26 behind
Bobby Julich: 32nd, 6:35 behind; 49th overall, 1:44:15 behind
Laurent Jalabert: 6th, 3:47 behind; 55th overall, 1:56:04 behind
Marco Pantani and Alex Z�lle did not start stage 17. Chann McRae abandoned the Tour at stage 12.

The jerseys:
Lance Armstrong retained the overall leaders yellow jersey. Erik Zabel retained the green points jersey. Santiago Botero retained the polka-dot climbers jersey. Francisco Mancebo retained the under-25 white jersey. Kelme took the lead of the team competition Tuesday.

Tomorrow's stage:
Saturday's 157-mile 20th stage is a monster the peloton doesn't want to face this late in the Tour. The longest stage in the Tour on the penultimate day is not good for exciting racing. Long and flat, watch for stage-win hungry riders try to break away and the peloton to coast in their wake. With Sunday's finale in Paris, all Lance Armstrong needs to do is avoid a crash.

ALSO SEE
Stage Nineteen results

Armstrong wins time trial as Tour title draws near

Armstrong proves to be a true champion

Hincapie Diary No. 15

AUDIO/VIDEO
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Stage 19 course map
RealVideo: 28.8