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| | Sunday, July 16 Pantani gains little ground on Armstrong | ||||||
| By Andrew Hood ABC Sports Online COURCHEVEL, France -- Monday is a rest day in the three-week, 2,250-mile Tour de France and most riders will be spending the afternoon off the bike scratching their heads, wondering what they can do to derail Lance Armstrong. Armstrong, however, will spend the rest day trying not to get too excited. The defending Tour champion is one climbing stage away from cementing his hold on the yellow jersey. Although Armstrong couldn't match Marco Pantani's attack late in Sunday's tough 107-mile, three-climb 15th stage from Briancon to Courchevel high in the French Alps, the bald-headed Italian couldn't take minutes out of the fiery Texan, only seconds.
The 8,728-foot Col du Galibier is the highest point in this year's Tour de France. It's one of the hardest, highest cols used during the Tour, and Sunday's passage was the 50th time the race has taken the peloton up and over its "beyond category" steeps. Galibier is the third-highest point used in Tour history. Only the Col d'Izeren at 2,770 meters and the massive Col de Restefond at 2,802 meters are higher. Briancon is Europe's highest major-sized city and riders woke up to a brisk morning. It was even colder up on Galibier, where a light dusting of fresh snow covered the rocky crag. The Galibier from the Briancon side is easier than coming up north to south, where riders face double the vertical. Action started early in the stage with several ONCE riders, including Laurent Jalabert, launching an unsuccessful attack. Stephano Zanini and Christophe Agnolutto also tried in vain to shake the peloton on the approach to Galibier. On the early part of the climb, Javier Oxtoa (Kelme) and Jose-Maria Jimenez (Banesto) attacked. They were quickly joined by Javier Pascual-Llorente (Kelme), Daniele Nardello (Mapei) and Agnolutto (AG2R). Pascal Herve (Polti) and Salvatore Commesso (Saeco) bridged up as well. On the steep switchbacks to Galibier, several other riders bridged up to the break, including yesterday's winner Santiage Botero (Kelme). They popped over Galibier about 30 seconds ahead of the main bunch. Commesso attacks on the long 30-km descent off Galibier, opening up about 40-second lead on the breakaway riders. At the bottom of the climb, seven riders led the peloton, including three Italians, Commesso, Nardello and Massimiliano Lelli (Cofidis), and five Spanish riders, Vicente Garcia-Acosta (Banesto), Jimenez, Jose Angel Vidal (Kelme), Jose Luis Arrieta (Banesto) and Oxtoa. None pose a threat to Armstrong's lead, but U.S. Postal was at the front of the main group keeping a wary eye on the action. Up and over Madeleine Things started popping up the Col de la Madeleine, a treeless windy summit at 6,600 feet. Four riders remained off the front: Nardello, Jimenez, Lelli and Oxtoa. They led the race over the Madeleine, with Lelli popping for the mountain points, 1'25" ahead of the lead group. Behind the break, the remnants of the attacking riders are falling back while the steep, narrow climb up Madeleine starts to weed out the lead Armstrong group. Armstrong is there with U.S. Postal teammate Kevin Livingston and Tyler Hamilton in a group of about 23 riders. All the favorites were there: Jan Ullrich, Marco Pantani and Fernando Escartin, each with at least one teammate. Ullrich made a tepid attack and Escartin followed, but Livingston accelerated and easily checked the move. Botero made a solo attack off the lead group and no one followed. About half-way up the climb, Pascal Herve of the Polti team made a strong acceleration which splintered the lead group. Teammate Richard Virenque was on his wheel, but Livingston and Hamilton got dropped. Only nine riders matched the move. Following Virenque and Herve were Armstrong, Christophe Moreau and Joseba Beloki, both of Festina, as well as Ullrich, Pantani, Escartin and Roberto Heras of Kelme. Botero topped out 49 seconds behind the leading four and the Armstrong-Virenque group topped out at 1'25" back. Racers covered the nervous narrow downhill to the foot of the climb to Courchevel without mishap. On the descent, Botero caught the lead four and several riders bridge up to the Armstrong group, including Hamilton and Livingston. A group of at least 25 lead riders hit the base of the 14-mile, category-one climb to Courchevel. Up Courchevel The attacking group dissolved on the steep final climb when Oxtoa accelerated. Only Nardello and Jimenez could follow. Jimenez then dropped the pair and had a two-minute lead on the Armstrong-Pantani group. Behind Jimenez, Pantani was brewing. He's attacked in every mountain stage only to have Armstrong foil his efforts. This time, Pantani attacked with a vengeance and even the light-footed Armstrong couldn't match the Italian's rhythm. Pantani laid down one of his trademark attacks halfway up the steep, 14-mile climb to this posh ski resort. He slipped away from Armstrong and then reeled in a half-dozen attacking riders to win his second stage of this year's Tour. "I really wanted to win a solo victory. I gave everything I had to today. It was very hard to drop Armstrong. He is super strong," said Pantani, a Tour winner in 1998 who moves to sixth overall, now 9'03" behind Armstrong. "A solo victory has a different flavor than finishing with other riders. It tastes better." Pantani caught Jimenez in the final two kilometers and crossed the line 41" seconds ahead. While Pantani roared alone up the twisting narrow road, Armstrong climbed in Pantani's wake, dropping key rivals to move one step closer to victory in Paris. Armstrong admitted he is feeling the effects of hard racing following difficult back-to-back climbing stages in the Alps. "I felt better today than I did yesterday. Yesterday was a long, hard stage," Armstrong said, speaking briefly with reporters. "My form is not getting better. It's similar to last year when I was suffering in the final mountain stages. At least I am maintaining my lead." Sunday's mountain stage was harder on second-place Ullrich, who struggled across in 15th, losing nearly two minutes to the 28-year-old Texan. The German fell back to 7 minutes, 26 seconds in the overall. Ullrich struggled when Pantani punched the accelerator and the 1997 Tour champion admitted the only real race left is for second-place. "I felt good early in the stage, but when Pantani attacked I had nothing left," Ullrich said, now just two seconds ahead of third-place Joseba Beloki of Spain. "I had to ride my own rhythm on the final climb and I am very lucky I've saved second place. I will have to fight hard to keep it." Tuesday's final climbing stage is the last major hurdle for Armstrong. The final week of racing is over flat, rolling stages as the Tour loops into Switzerland and Germany Wednesday and Thursday. | ALSO SEE Notes from Courchevel Insurmountable? Amstrong's lead grows at Tour Stage Fifteen results AUDIO/VIDEO   Marco Pantani powers his way to win Stage 15.avi: 1238 k RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1 Stage 15 course mapRealVideo: 28.8 | ||||||
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