| ESPN Network: ESPN | NBA.com | WNBA.com | NHL.com | ABC | Radio | EXPN | Page 2 | INSIDER | Shop | |
|
| | Wednesday, July 26 How Lance won the Tour | ||||||
| By Andrew Hood ABC Sports Online PARIS -- Despite one misstep, Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong dominated the race from the start to finish. In every key stage, Armstrong took time out on his rivals with the exception of the 15th stage when he "cracked" in a steep mountain climb and lost nearly two minutes to second-place Jan Ullrich. Here are the key stages in this year's Tour:
This year's first stage wasn't the typical short opening prologue course. Instead, at 10 miles, it was long enough to see who is really in form. Armstrong, the pre-race favorite, lost to Tour sensation David Millar by two seconds. Armstrong missed out on the yellow jersey, but finished ahead of all his main rivals, a good harbinger of things to come. Team trial: In the fourth stage, a team time trial, Armstrong's U.S. Postal Service team finished second behind the strong ONCE team. With the victory, ONCE rider Laurent Jalabert took the yellow jersey, but Armstrong gained more time on several key rivals, including Banesto's Alex Zülle, who was second overall last year. Hautacam: The "real" race began in the Pyrénées in the grueling, four-climb summit finish at Hautacam in stage 10. Armstrong proves to be incredibly strong, making a defiant attack at the base of the 12-mile climb to the top. As he climbed, Armstrong dropped Marco Pantani, Zülle and everyone else. Armstrong can't reel in Spain's Javier Oxtoa, but gets the yellow jersey. No one else would wear the yellow jersey in 2000. Mont Ventoux: Armstrong follows up with another dramatic summit finish at the wind-blasted summit of Mont Ventoux, the "Giant of Provence." Armstrong is super-strong again, but concedes the stage to Pantani and finishes second. The gesture would later come back to haunt Armstrong, but he gains even more time on Ullrich and the others. Courchevel: Pantani unleashes a brutal attack as the Tour hits the Alps and drops Armstrong for the first time in this year's Tour. Pantani, insulted over Armstrong's actions at Mont Ventoux, gains 50 seconds on Armstrong and wins the stage. Armstrong finishes strong and takes more time out of Ullrich and Co. Morzine: Armstrong dodges a bullet when crisis hits and Armstrong "bonks" on the final climb of the 2000 Tour and Ullrich gains nearly two minutes on Armstrong. Meanwhile, Pantani went on a futile solo attack and was forced to later abandon the race. Final time trial: With the final individual time trial starting near his hometown in Germany, Jan Ullrich hoped to make one final effort to win the Tour in Stage 19. But Armstrong removed the only blemish from his otherwise dominant Tour performance with a big stage win, beating Ullrich by 25 seconds in the "race of truth". Paris: It's all a formality by the time the Tour hit the City of Lights on July 23. With the start under the Eiffel Tower, Armstrong put his mark on the Tour with a resounding effort of defiance, dominance and explosiveness. | ALSO SEE Tour deux France: Armstrong stages repeat performance A magical day for Armstrong Austin awash in yellow after victory AUDIO/VIDEO   This year's victory is more emotional for Lance Armstrong.avi: 1637 k RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1 Stefano Zanini takes the final stage of the 2000 tour.avi: 1637 k RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1 | ||||||
|
|
