[Le Tour 2003]Stage 4 - Team Time Trial

Tour Reporter race-report@cyclofiend.com
Wed, 09 Jul 2003 09:16:28 -0700


Stage 4 - Team Time Trial - Joinville - Saint Dizier - 69 km

Despite what can happen on a regular road stage, it can easily be 
eclipsed by a difficult day in the Team Time Trial.  The speed of the 
riders on machines which are at best difficult to control, the proximity 
to the other riders, the impact of winds on a rear disk wheel, all of 
these can lead to disasterous outcomes in this race against the clock.

The course starts with a 3 km climb, levels and then heads gradually 
downhill to the finish over open roads.  The timing clock stops on the 
5th rider to cross the line, so it's important to keep everyone 
together.  From what little we've heard so far, the Team Time Trial is a 
strong component of the USPS Strategic Plan - with the lack of 
mountaintop finishes, Armstrong will need the time gained for an overall 
victory.

It's one of my pesonal favorites - the precision required combined with 
the effort necessary captures the essence of competitive cycling.

The main time check points come at 18.5 km and 44.5 km.

Telekom crosses the first check with the best first split by 3 or 4 
seconds. About 23 minutes of pain ahead, iBanesto.com comes out of a 7 
second deficit to put the best time at the 2nd check, 14 seconds ahead 
of earlier teams.  Credit Agricole comes in a bit far down at the 2nd 
check  - 51:32, 22 seconds slower than iBanesto - after being only 1 
second behind at the first time check.

Back at the start, Bianchi preps and checks their machines.  look 
frighteningly prepared. They measure Ullrich's bike, making sure that 
the nose of saddle is properly positioned behind the bottom bracket and 
the bars are no more than 80 cm in front of the saddle as required by 
UCI regulations. Their elongated aero helmets and jerseys have the 
classic celeste, which glisten in the dazzling sunlight as they roll 
onto the course - the next to last team to start.

Which of course leaves the boys in blue - USPS fire out from the line, 
Vlatchislav Ekimov immediately moving to the front to set the pace and 
tone for the first kilometer. You couldn't find a smoother rider.

David Millar's Cofidis looks as ragged as anyone on the course, hitting 
the 44 km time check in what could be described as the "rugby scrum" 
formation.  They cross in 52 minutes, with only the suprisingly poor 
showing of Saeco, Lotto and Jean Delatour to keep them out of the caboose.

ONCE notches the first sub 51 minute time at the 2nd checkpoint, coming 
in just a spoke width ahead of the time at 50:59.

Bianchi has trailed USPS at the first time check - they are about 2 
seconds in arrears.

Bianchi looks a little ragged in the narrow streets of the old french 
town - not slow - but they are managing to saw off a couple guys who 
repeatedly claw their way back to the tail end.  Ullrich certainly has 
the power, but ultimately, his team suffers through a lack of 
consistency and practice in this event.

Cameras follow USPS along a straight bit of the open roadway - Ekimov 
just reattaches to the end of the chain as he recovers from his pull. 
Up front they echelon slightly as the road hurtles underneath. 
Armstrong has been taking his pull and the entire team follows smartly 
behind. They look cool and collected, efficiently generating huge 
amounts of power.

Dead into a headwind on the mid part of the course, Bianchi's Ullrich 
seems to be suffering a bit more than Armstrong. A closeup shows the 
detail of his dry lips, and although he is not laboring, he's clearly 
working very hard.

USPS seems exceptionarlly well drilled, with tight positions and barely 
a tire-width gap between the riders.

Bianchi seems to have passed through the 2nd time check in about 2nd or 
third best time - 3rd best at 51:18.

ONCE blazes through the streets of Saint Dizier and looks extremely fast 
- appearances are correct as they notch in the first time under 1:19:00 
- 1:18:57!

Bianchi rumble along in their dynamic celeste skinsuits - the following 
moto actually has a sweat-covered lens as they follow the riders through 
the strong afternoon heat.

Euskatel-Euskadi roll over the line with 6 riders. Their team leaders 
will lose at least 3 minutes today. Too bad for Iban Mayo's chances of 
overall victory.

The last bits are decidedly against the wind, and the smart and strong 
teams had definitely held back a bit to compensate for the efforts 
needed. USPS hits the 44 km point at 51:06 - now the 2nd best time for 
the day.

At another checkpoint at the 59 km mark, they roll through at 1:07:27 - 
17 seconds ahead of ONCE's time!

A few minutes up the roadway, another Bianchi rider smacks against the 
virtual wall and drifts back to the 2nd team car as the squad moves ahead.

USPS screams past a solo Euskatel-Euskadi rider - yes, that's a team 
that started 15 minutes ahead of them. They'll be timing him with a 
sundial...

Bianchi goes under the 1 km to go banner - the remaining riders look 
strong, but they will not beat ONCE's time - they finish in 1:19:10.  A 
fine effort in an important stage.

Joined together by an invisible tether, the USPS roars toward the line 
in a stunningly textbook example of the modern Team Time Trial.  They 
look to be under the time of ONCE, as Ekimov, Armstrong, Hincapie pull 
and peel off, with Pavel Padrnos leading them in the final meters.

1:18:27 - winners by 30 seconds!

Crossing the line, despite the effort, slow-motion replay shows them 
actually smiling. Ekimov punches the air, knowing what kind of an effort 
they just completed.  In addition to putting Lance 30 seconds up on 
ONCE's Joseba Beloki and 43 seconds up on Bianchi's Jan Ullrich, they 
have placed the first Colombian cyclist ever into the yellow jersey - 
Victor Hugo Pena.  An excellent result from an extremely strong squad.
They have taken over the top _EIGHT_ positions on the leader board.

They nab Lance for a quick interview, and his satisfaction is clearly 
evident - quickly praising the pacemaking efforts of Ekimov and George 
Hincapie.

A very happy Victor Hugo Pena takes the podium and pulls on the yellow 
jersey.
Stage Results -
1 - US Postal Service - 1:18:27
2 - ONCE-Eroski - @ :30
3 - Team Bianchi -  @ :43
4 - iBanesto.com - @ 1:05
5 - QuickStep-Davitimon - @ 1:23
6 - Team Telekom - @ 1:30
7 - Vini-Caldirola Sidermec - @ 1:32
7 - Credit Agricole - @ 1:32
9 - Ag2R-Prevoyance - @ 1:38
10 - CSC-Tiscali - @ 1:45

Overall Standings -
M.J. - Victor Hugo Pena - USPS - 13:44:44
2 - Lance Armstrong - USPS - @ :01
3 - Vlatchislav Ekimov - USPS - @ :05
4 - George Hincapie - USPS - @ :05
5 - Jose Rubiera - USPS - @ :23
6 - Roberto Heras - USPS - @ :27
7 - Pavel Padrnos - USPS - @ :27
8 - Floyd Landis - USPS - @ :33
9 - Joseba Beloki - ONCE - @ :33
10 - Jorge Jaksche - ONCE - @ :38

Tomorrow's Stage - Stage 5 - Troyes - Nevers - 196 km
A rolling stage with three sprint points, the finish heads downhill to 
what could be a sprint finish.  The riders will certainly be a bit tired 
after the TTT efforts, and if the right combination gets off the front, 
it may be simpler to let the breakaway stay away.  Besides, the big guns 
are beginning to think about the serious climbing, which begins this 
year on stage 7 as the Tour heads into the Alps.


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