[Le Tour 2003]Stage 13 - Another Brand of Mountains

[Tour Reporter]

Stage 13 - Toulouse - Ax-3 Domaines - 197 km	

The riders rest one day, blaze at top speed for an hour the next, and 
now today rumble up the valleys in the Pyrenees before attacking two 
monster climbs.  The first is Port de Pailheres (2001 meters), which 
only begins in the final 50 km of today's stage, followed by a steep 
drop almost down to the starting altitude and a mountaintop finish at 
the 1372 meter tall Ax-3 Domaines above the town of Ax les Thermes.

As they say, the Pyrenees on the border of Spain are different than the 
Alps.  Frankly, I find that to be a fine distinction that is lost on me 
- granted, there are less covering trees at the lower elevations - they 
all rise steeper and nastier than anything around these parts.

Another hot day today, in the 90's as the riders head almost due south 
from Toulouse over flat roads towards their date with ascending.

At the first two sprint points, a breakaway which had moved away leads 
the charge, as much as 8 minutes in front of the bunch.  Credit 
Agricole's intimidator, Thor Hushovd, nabs the first two sprint points, 
so no changes have occurred in the very tight push for the Green Jersey. 
  The bonus of the day is taht Chechu Rubiera from USPS has managed to 
sneak himself into the breakaway, totally taking pressure off of them to 
lead the charge.

With 94 km to go the gaps has been squished down to 6 and half minutes 
as Saeco drives the pace after these riders:

9 - Jose Luis Rubiera - USPS
14 - Jan Hruska - ONCE
44 - Oscar Freire - Rabobank
94 - Carlos Dacruz - FDJeux.com
125 - Thor Hushovd - Credit Agricole
149 - Rik Verbrugghe - Lotto
151 - Laurent Brochard - Ag2R
159 - Ludovic Turpin - Ag2R
199 - Markus Zberg - Gerolsteiner
203 - Alessandro Bertolini - Alessio

You seldom hear about riders being eliminated on time during a time 
trial stage, but neither Unai and Davide Extebarria (same team, same 
last names, different countries...)of Euskatel-Euskadi are not at the 
start, both were eliminated on time.  They had finished just within the 
time limited, but both received a number of penalties for drafting 
behind other riders, which pushed their finishing times beyond the 
limit.  Also heavily penalized, but not on the slow bus home was 
Seaeco's Gerrit Glomser, whom even the cameras found dawdling in the 
slipstream of other riders.

Pietro Caucchioli from Alessio did not toe the start today, so a least 
three climbers will not contest the Pyrenean stages.

Out on the road and fully struggling is Sanday Casar, who finished in 
the top 15 in this year's Giro D'Italia, then went on to contest the 
Tour of Switzerland.  Maybe a few too many hours ridden in anger this 
year...

==================
Today's Trivia Question -
By how much did Maurice Garin win the inaugural Tour deFrance 100 years ago?
==================

On the front remain the bike riders from Saeco, some of whom share their 
vexations with the cameras.  Perhaps the slumbering Simoni will reawaken 
today as the climbing begins again.  They are keeping the break in 
check, not drastically regaining time and steadily gaining back seconds, 
now down to 6:14.

164 riders left, 6 of 22 teams complete

Saeco's Danilo Diluca sat up at the feed zone, and has withdrawn. 
Slightly ironic that his teammates are the ones who have set the pace 
that has chopped him off the back.  Another rider with some discomfort 
today is none other than Jan Ullrich, who has been reported to have 
intestinal difficulties, perhaps caused by the copious amounts of water 
that all of the riders have been forced to ingest in the pervasive heat 
of the past few days.  The cameras have caught him coming back onto the 
tail of the group at least once, paced by a couple teammates.

It is Lance's 52nd day in yellow, which will move him past Jaques 
Anquetil if he retains it at the end of the day.

Rubiera keeps sitting quietly at the tail end of breakaway, his presence 
  taking the pressure off of the USPS team. He's actually the 
best-placed rider in the bunch, a bit more than 17 minutes behind Armstrong.

70 km to, 6:10 to the breakaway.

Unlike the summits of the Alps, the heat has made its way up to the top 
of the Pryenees, as the temperature has crept up to 85 at the finish - 
there will be no blessed thermatic relief as they climb today.

Robbie McEwen of Lotto nearly trades a moment's inattention for a 
lifetime of regret, sliding off the left hand side of the road and 
tumbling into the gutter, rolling back onto the roadway in a cloud of 
dust and weeds.  He looks to be ok, almost immediately back on the bike, 
but he's left a little skin on the tarmac.  He rejoins the group with 
little fanfare.

Nearing the base of the big climb, the gap has edged down to 5:15.  The 
road has been rising steadily toward the "measured" distance of the Port 
de Pailheres, which kicks up at an average 7.8%, but has extended 
pitches up at 10% in quite a few spots, growing steeper in the final 3 
kms.  The gap slides under the 5 minute mark for the first time since 
about kilometer 30 or so.

The climb begins to bite, even if it's not "official", and Pierrick 
Fredrigo of Credit Agricole drifts back into the team cars.  He will be 
joined by others quite soon.

Markus Zberg hits the pedals hard as they hit the "defined" bit of the 
climb.  Not known as a climber, nonetheless he manages to split the 
break into shards.  The big boys and helpers begin to drift back while 
the bird-boned men accellerate up to the Swiss rider.  Near the fron

The back of the main group boast such names as Telekom's Santiago Botero 
and Brioches la Boulangere's Sylvan Chavanal.  They will try to limit 
their losses for the next kilometers.

Ullrich and a teammate hit the front of the peleton, which suddenly 
wakes things up.  Armstrong is dancing lightly on the pedals while 
Ullrich just sits and brings his big diesel engine up to speed.  A 
number of USPS riders are slippingn away, and Armstrong seems fairly 
isolated behind the two celeste riders.  Vinokourov sits immediately in 
the shadows of Armstrong's yellow jersey.

Ullrich has throttled back a bit, after damaging the entire Kelme squad 
and a number of other pretenders, who now limp up the climb in scattered 
groups, knowing only that pain lies in the future.

A group has formed around Armstrong of about 20 or so riders.  12 km to 
go on this climb.

Ag2R's Laurent Brochard is representin' the mullet well in the front group.

Carlos Sastre from CSC and Juan Mercado of iBanesto have moved off the 
front.  They begin to nick back the memers of the brakaway, as the big 
man Thor Hushovd slides backwards.

Gonzalez de Galdeano surges to maintain the wheel of Rubiera at the very 
front.  He's been easily riding along as they hit the continually 
steepening bits.

In the Armstrong group, Manuel Beltran sets the pace as Zberg pays for 
his early efforts.  Behind him Zubeldia, Basso, Tyler are all within the 
select bunch. Heras sits at the back of the group.

Rubiera has left Gonzalez de Galdeano on the climb.  He doesn't seem to 
be surging, but the ONCE rider has been unable to stay in touch.

Sastre continues upping the pace with Mercado

A closeup of Armstrong's face shows deep-set eyes.  Anyone who has the 
gall to say that he doesn't have to make an effort to win this race 
needs to be corrected.  The sun moves back out of some clouds and 
continue to add heat to the riders. The Armstrong group seems to grow a 
bit, thinned by the loss of both of the Bianchi riders other than 
Ullrich and the addition of a couple of climbers who regain their 
valley-roads-deadened legs.

The Sastre/Mercado combo blitz past Brochard, and continue up the 
roadway towards the theory of Rubiera and Gonzalez de Galdeano, who are 
a couple of switchbacks above.

DaCruz is picked up by the Armstrong bunch.  Euskatel-Euskadi also has 
Iban Mayo tucked into the group and a slightly suffering Roberto 
Laisecka who may want a slightly larger cog on his rear wheel.

The roads continue to narrow - now no more than a single lane wide - and 
the crowds continue to thicken.  Armstrong has Heras and Beltran leading 
the way, while Ullrich continues rolling over his larger gear, rising 
out of the saddle to lessen pressure for a few minutes.

Mercado and Sastre trade pulls in their effort to grasp the cimbing 
Rubiera.

Heras finds himself on the back of the group with Mayo as the riders 
continue to drive upwards.  The hellish switchbacks continue, with the 
riders pulling a steep 180 about every 20-30 seconds or so as mountain 
goats complain about the pitch.

Laurent Dufaux moves strongly away.  The Alessio rider a bit back on the 
overall, so the Armstrong group lets him go, worrying only about overall 
victory.

Now Iban Mayo moves hard, full zip jersey flapping behind him. 
Armstrong immediately accellerates, drawing the gap closed instantly but 
bringing Ullrich, Vinokourov and a few other riders up with him.  Heras 
drifts away out the back of this group under the sharp change of effort.

Mayo goes again, Armstrong moves up the roadway with Ullrich matching 
his accelleration.  Ullrich, Vinokourov, Zubeldia and possibly Basso 
stay on his wheel as they retrieve the dynamic Basque climber. Armstrong 
looks to be using the accellerations to his advantage, not needing to 
instigate the atttacks himself, but still causing selections in the 
group.  Beltran has managed to stay in touch, though he has drifted a 
bit off the edge of the Armstrong bunch.

The pace has visibly slowed and Ullrich leads around a switchback.
Beltran makes a huge effort to move back up through the group and again 
takes over the pacemaking.

Polka-Boy Richard Virenque has appearred at the end of the bunch, 
knowing the need to continually nip KoM points if he expects to keep the 
jersey.  Credit Agricole's Christophe Moreau seems to be in the bunch as 
well and the quietly-in-pain Tyler Hamilton still in touch. Best young 
rider Denis Menchov of iBanesto has maintained contact.

Up at the front of the bike race, Sstre leads Mercado and the two have 
caught Rubiera.  Dufaux has seriously cut down the gap to the bunch.

The trio is together and begins worrying about whethr their jerseys are 
zipped for the harrowing descent.  They roll under the KoM banner and 
begin their way toward teh tecnical descent.

The Armstrong group of 14 riders is probably 40 or so seconds behind 
Dufaux, who crosses the KoM point about 50 seconds behind the leading trio.

Everyone seems to be negotiating the descent with a combination of 
control and care - except Dufaux, that is.  The leading trio course 
under the 15 km banner in aero tucks. Dufaux skims along the edge of 
stone retaining walls on the high side and low walls on the downhill 
side.  I cannot understand how they can even get two cars to pass one 
another on the roads the riders are descending, and the use every 
centimeter of road width to set up for and recover from the continuing 
switchbacks and bends.

In the town at the base of the climb, Dufaux is about 30 seconds behind 
the lead trio, while four or five riders immediately pop out the back.

Heras has gone to the front with a vicious turn of effort.  Beltran  has 
pitched his tent and now has just got to get up the final 9 km's or so.

Helmets fly as they hit the final climb - since it's less than 10 km, 
they can doff their caps.

Sastre has mvoed sharply away at thte 7 km to go mark, Mercado trying to 
bridge the gap while Rubiera just continues to steadily spin upwards, 
waiting for the arrival of his team leader.

Patric Halgand moves hard to get away, but his sharp accelleration fades 
as the Armstrong bunch - led by the incredible Roberto heras - rolls 
upward to grab him.

Dufaux has veins sticking out of veins, trying to cotinue his efforts, 
but still about 40 seconds or so off the front of the Armstrong group. 
He can see nothing but open road to the next switchback.

Rubiera has drited back to the Armstrong bunch, so Lance has two helpers 
  leading him uphill.  They set an incredibly hard pace as they shake 
off the pretenders in the bunch. Heras has suddenly cramped and 
literally stops on the roadway.  Virenque limps around him as he drifts 
backward.
Now Mancebo drifts backward, having put all of his efforts onto the 
climbs - an incredible level of work out of this talented climber.

Hamilton is just hanging onto the back of the Armstrong group, as he and 
Moreau strain to stay in touch.  A gap has formed as they hit the 5 km 
to go banner.

Now Mayo has paid for his early efforts, drifting away from the 
Armstrong group - only Armstrong, Heras, Ullrich, Zubeldia, Basso and 
Vinokourov left in the bunch.  Dufaux is now caught by the this group of 
the climbing elite.  His backwards movements box Ullrich for a minute or 
so as they continue to move up the hill.

The screaming inebiriated Basques are running alongside with increasing 
fervo, screaming into the ear of Zubeldia.

Up front, Sastre continues to draw clear, nowhere to hide, but 
everything to gain.

Rubiera sets pace past the 4 km banner, while the idiot viking in the 
football helmet runs alongside with the largest US flag this side of the 
Macy's parade.  Off the back of the leader group, Mercado is pedaling 
squares.

Zubeldia attacks the Armstrong group!  A sharp accelleration puts an 
immediate gap on the other five riders - now just four as Rubiera 
immiately falls away under the increased pace.  Armstrong and Ullrich 
eye one another to see who is most worried about this revelation from 
the Basque team.  Now Armstrong moves hard to close a gap which had 
appearred.

Mayo is out the back with this accelleration, having just reattached a 
few seconds earlier.

Zubeldia struggles a bit, and the big celeste figure of Ullrich appears 
to be at the controls at the front of this bunch.  20 or 30 meters 
behind, Mayo almost gets taken out by the veering photo moto bike - have 
I mentioned that there are always a large number of variables in this race?

Ullrich bangs out a high tempo, and looks around to see who is around. 
The first answer is Zubeldia! Zubeldia! Zubeldia!  The Basque rider 
blasts away again!  This time Vinokourov moves first, realizing he has 
the most to lose to the rising Basque star.  Ullrich moves hard onto the 
Khazakhstanian riders wheel - they have gapped Armstrong!  It's unclear 
if he was boxed or just not able to respond, but Rubiera pulls wide to 
the left to get out of his way - he has punched his ticket for the day - 
  and Armstrong looks at empty roadway between him and the fast 
accellerating trio.  He shuts down the gap with a strong effort and 
moves right back into the mix.

Now Vinokourov blasts away with the speed he showed on L'Alp d'Huez.  He 
gains a bigger gap than anyone has managed and may be cracking the big 
boys behind him.... But Ullrich is driving upwards with extreme power 
and now gaps Armstrong! Ullrich has closed the gap to Vinokourov and 
moves ahead of him.

Ullrich in the lead and Armstrong is in trouble.

No, that is not a typo.  Armstrong is in trouble.  He barely hangs on to 
Basso's wheel, and the young Italian is not in contact with anyone...

Ullrich has dropped Vinokourov and continues rolling up the roadway, 
probably under the 2 km to go range, as they are now protected from the 
zealots on the roadway by strong metal barriers.  On the wide roadway, 
Lance can see Ullrich away in the distance.  The pitch of this climb 
lessens as they near the finish, which favors the big meat power of the 
German.  Armstrong is out of the saddle and reaching deeper than can be 
imagined.

Oh yeah - there's another aspect to the stage today - Sastre hammers 
into the final 1 km as the roadway flattens somewhat.

Behind him 2nd place Mercado gets passed by a flying Ullrich - he stands 
to gain 12 seconds if he can get the 2nd place bonus time.

Sastre hammers into the final 200 meters - he will not get caught! 
Reaching into his rear jersey pocket, he pulls out... uummmmm, a 
pacifier? Yep! Maybe he's trying to outdo Vinokourov's "rocking the 
baby" move.  But, if you're winning a stage in the Tour, it's better 
than spiking your bike...

Ullrich moving up the roadway with knee-busting pressures on the pedals.

Recovering somehow behind him, Zubeldia flies up the roadway to try to 
pace him for the 2nd place time bonuses - but he will not catch the 
flying German who takes second at 1:01.  Immediately behind him appears 
the yellow jersey of Lance Armstrong, who seems only to be 7 or 8 
seconds behind.  He must have had an amazingly deep scare which lit 
fires he did not know could be burned.

Vinokourov now appears, also losing time as he rolls through the finish. 
  When the big dogs howled, his speed did not appear to be enough. 
Again with a decent interlude to reflect, Moreau leads Tyler to the line 
over at about 2 and a half minutes.  Zubeldia may have moved past him in 
the overall.

Dufaux gamely pushes over the pedals and comes in at around three minutes.

I don't know, but I think stages like this are bad for my heart...and 
there are still three more Pryenean stages to go.

Results - Stage 13
1 - Carlos Sastre - CSC - 5:16:08
2 - Jan Ullrich - Bianchi - @ 1:01
3 - Haimar Zubeldia - Euskatel-Euskadi - @ 1:02
4 - Lance Armstrong - USPS - @ 1:08
5 - Alexandre Vinokourov - Telekom - @ 1:18
6 - Ivan Basso - Fassa Bortolo - @ 1:18
7 - Juan Mercado - iBanesto.com - @ 1:24
8 - Iban Mayo - Euskatel-Euskadi - @ 1:59
9 - Christophe Moreau - Credit Agricole - @ 2:32
10 - Tyler Hamilton - CSC - @ 2:32


Overall Standings -
MJ - Lance Armstrong - 55:34:01
2 - Jan Ullrich - @ :15
3 - Alexandre Vinokourov - @ 1:01
4 - Haimar Zubeldia - @ 4:14
5 - Tyler Hamilton - @ 4:23
6 - Iban Mayo - @ 5:20
7 - Ivan Basso - @ 6:59
8 - Francisco Mancebo - @ 6:59
9 - Carlos Sastre - @ 8:47
10 - Christophe Moreau - @ 9:19

==================
Today's Trivia Answer -
2 hours, 49 miniutes
==================

Tomorrow's Stage -
St. Girons - Loudenville - 191 km
Six categorized climbs, including the Col eu Portet d'Aspet where in 
1995 Fabio Casartelli was killed on the descent.  Tactically, the 
repeated climbs should favor the strength of USPS, who's riders 
obviously had shut it down once they did their jobs today.  But, all 
bets are off as the wily German begins to demonstrate his phenomenal 
strength.

As another footnote, Armstrong is said to have lost somewhere in the 
neighborhood of 15 pounds during yesterday's time trial due to 
dehydration.  He clearly suffered on the base of the first climb (and 
admitted as much).  But, he feels he will continue to get better in days 
  ahead.

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