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cartmanoz
07-28-03, 04:57 AM
Lance Armstrong held off a strong race-long challenge from German Jan Ullrich to capture a fifth consecutive Tour de France and equal the record set by the great Spaniard Miguel Indurain as the only riders to win five straight Tours. Lance said this years Tour was his toughest as he had to resist challenge after challenge from Ullrich, plus the aggressive riding of Kazak Alexandre Vinokourov, to just hold onto the yellow jersey for day after day, and it was only after the 19th stage individual time trial that Armstrong could feel at ease and claim victory.

Celebrating it's centenary year (although it will be another 10 years for the Tour to celebrate 100 races) this years tour was one of the toughest, most exciting and closest in history, with Armstrong holding off Ullrich by only 61 seconds, and at times Ullrich was as close as 10-15 seconds, particularly over the Pyrenees. But Ullrich handed the Tour to Armstrong on a plate after crashing in atrocious conditions during Stage 19, Ullrich knowing he had to push as hard as possible to push Armstrong to the final day. But those who wrote off Ullrich before the Tour are now eating their words, as Ullrich proved time and again that he is back to his best, and will be even eager to beat Armstrong next year, who will likely be back to contest a record-shattering sixth consecutive victory.

Of the others, Baden Cooke and Robbie McEwen also had a race long battle for the Green sprinters jersey, Cooke beating his compatriot on the final sprint of the Tour to take the jersey. Three-time winner Erik Zabel claimed third overall in that competition.

Frenchman Richard Virenque won the King of the Mountains competition for the sixth time and he dominated it, well over one hundred points clear of his closest competitor.

Russian Denis Menchov claimed the White Jersey for riders under 26 years of age. He finished almost 43 minutes ahead of his nearest competitor in that competition.

In the teams competition, the Dutch Team CSC beat Ibanesto.com as the top team of the 2003 Tour de France. Third was the Spanish Euskaltel-Euskadi team, with US Postal and Team Bianchi next up.

STAGE VICTORIES AND RESULTS
Prologue of 6.5km: Saturday July 5
1. Bradley McGee (AUS - FDJEUX.COM)
2. David Millar (GBR - COFIDIS CREDIT PAR TELEPHONE)
3. Haimar Zubeldia (ESP - EUSKALTEL-EUSKADI)

Stage 1: Saint-Denis to Meaux (168km) - Sunday July 6
1. Alessandro Petacchi (ITA - FASSA BORTOLO)
2. Robbie McEwen (AUS - LOTTO-DOMO)
3. Erik Zabel (GER - TEAM TELEKOM)
Yellow: Bradley McGee (AUS - FDJEUX.COM)
Green: Robbie McEwen (AUS - LOTTO-DOMO)
Polka Dot: Christophe Mengin (FRA - FDJEUX.COM)
White: Andy Flickinger (FRA - AG2R PREVOYANCE)

Stage 2: La Ferté-sous-Jouarre to Sedan (204.5km) - Monday July 7
1. Baden Cooke (AUS - FDJEUX.COM)
2. Jean-Patrik Nazon (FRA - JEAN DELATOUR)
3. Jaan Kirsipuu (EST - AG2R PREVOYANCE)
Yellow: Bradley McGee (AUS - FDJEUX.COM)
Green: Robbie McEwen (AUS - LOTTO-DOMO)
Polka: Christophe Mengin (FRA - FDJEUX.COM)
White: Baden Cooke (AUS - FDJEUX.COM)

Stage 3: Charleville-Mézières to Saint-Dizier (167.5km) - Tuesday July 8
1. Alessandro Petacchi (FRA - FASSA BORTOLO)
2. Romans Vainsteins (LAT - CALDIROLA-SO.DI)
3. Oscar Freire (ESP - RABOBANK)
Yellow: Jean-Patrik Nazon (FRA - JEAN DELATOUR)
Green: Robbie McEwen (AUS - LOTTO-DOMO)
Polka: Christophe Mengin (FRA - FDJEUX.COM)
White: Baden Cookie (AUS - FDJEUX.COM)

Stage 4: Joinville to Saint-Dizier (69km) - Wednesday July 9
TEAM TIME TRIAL
1. US POSTAL (Lance Armstrong, Roberto Heras, Manuel Beltran, Vjatceslav Ekimov, George Hincapie, Floyd Lanis, Pavel Padrnos, Victor Hugo Pena, Jose Luis Rubiera)
2. ONCE-EROSKI (Joseba Beloki, Jose Azevedo, Jorg Jaksche, Isidro Nozal, Mikel Pradera, Marcos Serrano, Angel Vicioso)
3. TEAM BIANCHI (Jan Ullrich, Daniel Becke, Angel Casero, Felix Garcia Casas, Thomas Liese, David Plaza, Tobias Steinhauser)
Yellow: Victor Hugo Pena (COL - US POSTAL)
Green: Robbie McEwen (AUS - LOTTO-DOMO)
Polka: Christophe Mengin (FRA - FDJEUX.COM)
White: Vladmir Karpets (RUS - IBANESTO.COM)

Stage 5: Troyes to Nevers (196.5km) - Thursday July 10
1. Alessandro Petacchi (ITA - FASSA BORTOLO)
2. Jaan Kirsipuu (EST - AG2R PREVOYANCE)
3. Baden Cooke (AUS - FDJEUX.COM)
Yellow: Victor Hugo Pena (COL - US POSTAL)
Green: Robbie McEwen (AUS - LOTTO-DOMO)
Polka: Frederic Finot (FRA - JEAN DELATOUR)
White: Vladmir Karpets (RUS - IBANESTO.COM)

Stage 6: Nevers to Lyon (230km) - Friday July 11
1. Alessandro Petacchi (ITA - FASSA BORTOLO)
2. Baden Cooke (AUS - FDJEUX.COM)
3. Fabrizio Guidi (ITA - TEAM BIANCHI)
Yellow: Victor Hugo Pena (COL - US POSTAL)
Green: Alessandro Petacchi (ITA - FASSA BORTOLO)
Polka: Christophe Mengin (FRA - FDJEUX.COM)
White: Vladmir Karpets (RUS - IBANESTO.COM)

Stage 7: Lyon to Morzine-Avoriaz (230.5km) - Saturday July 12
1. Richard Virenque (FRA - QUICK STEP-DAVITAMON)
2. Rolf Aldag (GER - TEAM TELEKOM)
3. Sylvain Chavanel (FRA - BRIOCHES LA BOULANGERE)
Yellow: Richard Virenque (FRA - QUICK STEP-DAVITAMON)
Green: Baden Cooke (AUS - FDJEUX.COM)
Polka: Richard Virenque (won by Rolf Aldag)
White: Denis Menchov (RUS - IBANESTO.COM)

Stage 8: Sallanches to L'Alpe d'Huez (219km) - Sunday July 13
1. Iban Mayo (ESP - EUSKALTEL-EUSKADI)
2. Alexandre Vinokourov (KAZ - TEAM TELEKOM)
3. Lance Armstrong (USA - US POSTAL)
Yellow: Lance Armstrong (USA - US POSTAL)
Green: Baden Cooke (AUS - FDJEUX.COM)
Polka: Richard Virenque (FRA - QUICK STEP-DAVITAMON)
White: Denis Menchov (RUS - IBANESTO.COM)

Stage 9: Bourg d'Oisans to Gap (184.5km) - Monday July 14
1. Alexandre Vinokourov (KAZ - TEAM TELEKOM)
2. Paolo Bettini (ITA - QUICK STEP-DAVITAMON)
3. Iban Mayo (ESP - EUSKALTEL-EUSKADI)
Yellow, Green, Polka, White: SAME AS STAGE 8

Stage 10: Gap to Marseille (219.5km) - Tuesday July 15
1. Jakob Piil (DEN - TEAM CSC)
2. Fabio Sacchi (ITA - SAECO - MACCHINE PER CAFFE)
3. Bram de Groot (NED - RABOBANK)
Yellow, Green, Polka, White: SAME AS STAGE 8

REST DAY: WEDNESDAY JULY 16 - TRANSFER TO NARBONNE

Stage 11: Narbonne to Toulouse (153.5km) - Thursday July 17
1. Juan Antonio Flecha (ESP - IBANESTO.COM)
2. Bram de Groot (NED - RABOBANK)
3. Isidro Nozal (ESP - ONCE-EROSKI)
Yellow, Green, Polka, White: SAME AS STAGE 8

Stage 12: Gaillac - Cap' Découverte (47km) - Friday July 18
TIME TRIAL
1. Jan Ullrich (GER - TEAM BIANCHI)
2. Lance Armstrong (USA - USA POSTAL)
3. Alexandre Vinokourov (KAZ - TEAM TELEKOM)
Yellow, Green, Polka, White: SAME AS STAGE 8

Stage 13: Toulouse (Cité de l'Espace) to Ax-3 Domaines (197.5km) - Saturday July 19
1. Carlos Sastre (ESP - TEAM CSC)
2. Jan Ullrich (GER - TEAM BIANCHI)
3. Haimar Zubeldia (ESP - EUSKALTEL-EUSKADI)
Yellow, Green, Polka, White: SAME AS STAGE 8

Stage 14: Saint-Girons to Loudenvielle-Le Louron (191.5) - Sunday July 20
1. Gilberto Simoni (ITA - SAECO - MACCHINE PER CAFFE)
2. Laurent Dufaux (SUI - ALESSIO)
3. Richard Virenque (FRA - QUICK STEP-DAVITAMON)
Yellow, Green, Polka, White: SAME AS STAGE 8

Stage 15: Bagnères-de-Bigorre to Luz-Ardiden (159.5km) - Monday July 21
1. Lance Armstrong (USA - US POSTAL)
2. Iban Mayo (ESP - EUSKALTEL-EUSKADI)
3. Jan Ullrich (GER - TEAM BIANCHI)
Yellow, Green, Polka, White: SAME AS STAGE 8

REST DAY IN PAU - TUESDAY JULY 22

Stage 16: Pau to Bayonne (197.5km) - Wednesday July 23
1. Tyler Hamilton (USA - TEAM CSC)
2. Erik Zabel (GER - TEAM TELEKOM)
3. Yuriy Krivtsov (UKR - JEAN DELATOU)
Yellow, Green, Polka, White: SAME AS STAGE 8

Stage 17: Dax to Bordeaux (181km) - Thursday July 24
1. Servais Knaven (NED - QUICK STEP-DAVITAMON)
2. Paolo Bossini (ITA - CALDIROLA-SO.DI)
3. Christophe Mengin (FRA - FDJEUX.COM)
Yellow, Green, Polka, White: SAME AS STAGE 8

Stage 18: Bordeaux to Saint-Maixent-l'Ecole (203.5km) - Friday July 25
1. Pablo Lastras (ESP - IBANESTO.COM)
2. Carlos da Cruz (FRA - FDJEUX.COM)
3. Daniele Nardello (ITA - TEAM TELEKOM)
Yellow, Polka, White: SAME AS STAGE 8
Green: Robbie McEwen (AUS - LOTTO-DOMO)

Stage 19: Pornic to Nantes (49km) - Saturday July 26
TIME TRIAL
1. David Millar (GBR - COFIDIS CREDIT PAR TELEPHONE)
2. Tyler Hamilton (USA - TEAM CSC)
3. Lance Armstrong (USA - US POSTAL)
Yellow, Green, Polka, White: SAME AS STAGE 18

Stage 20: Ville d'Avray to Paris (Champs-Elysées) (152km) - Sunday July 27
1. Jean-Patrik Nazon (FRA - JEAN DELATOUR)
2. Baden Cooke (AUS - FDJEUX.COM)
3. Robbie McEwen (AUS - LOTTO-DOMO)
YELLOW JERSEY VICTOR: Lance Armstrong (USA - US POSTAL)
GREEN JERSEY VICTOR: Baden Cookie (AUS - FDJEUX.COM)
KING OF THE MOUNTAINS VICTOR: Richard Virenque (FRA - QUICK STEP-DAVITAMON)
WHITE JERSEY VICTOR: Denis Menchov (RUS - IBANESTO.COM)

RichK
07-28-03, 11:40 AM
Best Tour I've seen since LeMond beat Filet Mignon in '89.
OLN has the most amazing coverage, too.
I really hope Lance lands 6 Tours or more!

Ankf00
07-28-03, 05:28 PM
now get to see everyone in austin hop on his schlong... yay.