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Riders face key test as Tour de France scales Alps
(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-07-12 09:17
To win, challengers must put Armstrong and his Discovery Channel squad under
pressure by riding hard in the Alps and in the Pyrenees, which follow at the end
of the week. Sitting back and hoping the American suddenly will collapse is
unlikely to be a winning formula: His bad days at previous Tours have been few
and far between.
Team CSC director
and former Tour de France winner Bjarne Riis of Denmark (L) trains with
Jens Voigt of Germany, currently leader of the Tour de France cycling
race, near Grenoble before tomorrow's 10th stage between Grenoble and
Courchevel in the 92nd Tour de France, July 11, 2005.
[Reuters] | "If you want to beat Lance, if you want to win this Tour, you have to attack,
not just follow," Team CSC manager Bjarne Riis said.
The 192.5-kilometer (119.6-mile) route to Courchevel includes two major
climbs, including a long uphill finish, that will likely show which of the main
riders are truly on top form and start separating out pretenders from genuine
contenders for the Tour crown.
Tuesday's 10th stage was meant to start in the Alpine city of Grenoble.
Instead, it will begin 11.5 kilometers (7.1 miles) away in the village of
Brignoud to allow a demonstration by farmers angry over wolf attacks on their
sheep and cows, Tour organizers announced Monday after meeting livestock
rearers.
Riders will be held up for a few minutes. Initially, farmers had planned to
block the race. The compromise means the stage will be raced over 181 kilometers
(112.5 miles), instead of the 192.5 kilometers (119.6-mile) planned originally.
Armstrong used the mountains in previous Tours to power away from rivals,
putting a grip on the race that he kept to Paris. An exception was 2003 - when
he struggled, but still found a way to win and match the then-record of five
Tour victories.
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