Floyd Landis and Col de Joux-Plane

[John VN]

Unbelievable

 

[swanmom]

Ok, let me be the first to post.................

 

[Miss Jasmine]

I know who they are, but what?

 

[maddiel]

It's a shame that viewership is down for the Tour this year when it's the most exciting cycling since Greg LeMond won in 1989 or even before that.

My husband listens to it all everyday at work on web radio and watches all three hours of coverage at night and is beside himself. He had to call me at lunchtime and tell me how this stage turned out.

Who'd have thought Landis would come back like that? The time trial Saturday should be very interesting.

M

 

[shoes99]

Unbelievable recovery... Good for him....

 

[ChrisnSteph]

Go Landis!! He's from Murrieta, CA - my neck of the woods!

 

[escape]

Good comeback! I hope he is able to go all the way now!

By the way - I just spoke to a friend that watched a leg of the tour in France a few days ago as a spectator. She said it felt like a mini Mardi Gras. The folks in the sponsor cars were throwing all kinds of goodies to the spectators - hats, backpacks, towels, keychains, etc. She also saw Lance Armstrong riding in the one of the Discovery cars. Lucky her!

 

[MAGICinMYHEART]

30 sec.

 

[lesroi]

WOOOO HOOOO!!! Finally about 7 other people to talk to about this. Trust me, the Tour is all we are focused on here at our house. My husband is a cycling FANATIC.

We actually just went to Belgium in May to see the start of the Giro d'Italia. I would have to say it was pretty awesome. And we got some VERY cool pics!
We go to San Francisco (well we USED to!) every year for the Grand Prix (pro tour race). Ivan Basso signed my Cervelo (in San Fran last year). Yes, we are cycling dorks...

Landis is doing wonderfully. We were so worried yesterday. I thought he looked like death warmed over coming across the line. But today, whoa! Nice comeback! He deserves this dancing banana!

Tracy

 

[Kycha]

What a comeback!! I love that OLN covers the Tour. Floyd Landis grew up in my neck of the woods. So, we have been following his career for years. Our local news interviewed his parents yesterday. They don't own a tv(they are Amish/Mennonite), so they have to watch race coverage at a neighbors house. They chose not to go to France this year, because they didn't want to be a distraction for their son. Seems like it is working.

 

[lovmy2girls]

WOW! This tour is really getting exciting. I thought it was all over for Floyd yesterday! He did great! Here I am cheering at the TV GO FLOYD, and in tears when he crossed the line. So happy for him. No longer a worker, but a leader! GO FLOYD!!!!!

 

[John VN]

Cycling dork?

Some of my most fun filled days were with shaved legs.

John

 

[lesroi]

Cycling dork?

Some of my most fun filled days were with shaved legs.

John

Well, as a true cycling wife, I am always reminding the hubby when it "looks like it's time to shave" again!
I mean "dork" in the nicest way!!!


Tracy

 

[sharbear]

It's has been the most exciting tour that I ever remember.

Did anyone watch the prime time coverage last night? At one point Al and Bob thought that they went to a commercial but they didn't. They were so excitied that they were giggling, it was so funny. Dessel fell off his bike on the descent and Bob says G-d D--n!

I thought that I would never see another day that was as exciting as when Lance was tripped by the musette (sp?) bag. But this was a 1000 times better.

Go Floyd!

 

[Miss Jasmine]

The officials from the Tour de France are sure to kill themselves if yet another American wins. I wonder what crap they'll try to drag up on him.

 

[tigerdragon]

What Floyd did was truly amazing and so exciting. My husband and I couldn't watch any coverage until the 11 pm broadcast on OLN and we had to stay up until 1:30 to see the finish. We are both very tired this morning but it was so worth it.

 

[John VN]

Todays stage went as it should have and tomorrow I will be watching the TT. Hoping the 30 seconds is made up and an additional 45 seconds for good measure. Although more would be nice.

 

[shoes99]

I know only a few of us are watching, but Floyd is amazing. He is in first place after today's time trial.

Quote:
"“I could not be happier,” Landis said, adding he had been nervous before the stage. “It’s one of the best days of my life.”

Quote:
The Phonak team leader reclaimed the yellow jersey from Spain’s Oscar Pereiro, who started the individual time trial with a thin 30-second lead over Landis. Saturday, Landis moved up from third to first, gaining 59 seconds on the now second-place Pereiro.

“I am very lucky,” said Landis, who’s riding with an arthritic right hip, an injury from a 2003 crash that he hopes to correct with surgery this fall. “I’m a person who works hard and never gives up. Otherwise, I’m just a human being.”

With such a lead, Landis is in prime position to take home the maillot jaune — barring disaster in Sunday’s ride into Paris — in the first Tour since fellow American Lance Armstrong won a record seven straight victories.

Honchar, like he did in the seventh stage time trial, dominated the 35.4-mile course from Le Creusot to Montceau-les-Mines, finishing in 1 hour, 7 minutes, 46 seconds. German rider Andreas Kloeden was second, 41 seconds back. Landis placed third, 1:11 off the Honchar’s pace. Pereiro was fourth, 2:40 behind.

Kloeden’s strong ride Saturday moved him from fourth overall to third at 1:29 back, dropping Spain’s Carlos Sastre to fourth. Sastre entered the stage second overall, but he crossed the line 4:41 back of Honchar, falling to 3:13 behind Landis.

Landis and Pereiro have traded the yellow jersey four times since the American first claimed it in Stage 11.

“Hopefully I won’t give it away again,” he said with a smile. “But I do think it’s over now.”

 

[escape]

This is great!!!! Thanks for sharing, shoes99. I can't wait to see him at the finish tomorrow.

 

[MAGICinMYHEART]

Great finish....now we all have to wait another year...Next year we are planning a trip to France to see a few legs.