The Tour has finished on L'Alpe d'Huez 19 times. The last 10 winners have been: Bernard Hinault (1986), Frederico Echave (1987), Steven Rooks (1989), Gert-Jan Theunisse (1990), Gianni Bugno (1991 and 1993), Andy Hampsten (1992), Roberto Conti (1994) and Marco Pantani (1995 and 1997).
It has gone over the Col du Mont-Cenis which spans Italy and France 4 times in the past (1949, 1956, 1961 and 1992). The last winner in 1992 was Claudio Chiappucci. There are 19 KOM points for a Hors Cat climb.
Lance Armstrong's victory on the first mountain stage takes his Tour de France victories to 5. This is equal to the previous best American Greg LeMond, who also won the overall GC 3 times. LeMond is in France at present leading a tour group and they rode up to the Village at Le Grand Bornand prior to the start of the stage on Tuesday. He spoke generously about Armstrong and said he is the favourite for the race. He said Armstrong looks really fit and after his performances in the Dauphiné Libéré and the Route du Sud in June he thought he would have no trouble in the mountains. LeMond said the US Postal team was the strongest in the tour. Greg Lemond will be at l'Álpe d'Huez on Wednesday. After Lance's win LeMond was quoted as saying: " It is unbelievable what he is doing. A victory by Lance is good for the image of cycling sport. We need that after all these doping affairs. And after all it's great to see a man who had cancer can win the Tour."
The Tour has finished at Sestrières four times. In 1952, Fausto Coppi won. In 1992, Claudio Chiapucci took an inspirational victory and in 1996 Bjarne Riis wearing the Danish Champions jersey won. Coppi and Riis went on to win the overall in Paris.
The last American to win a mountain stage was in 1992 when Andy Hampsten won the stage to l'Alpe d'Huez.
Lance Armstrong told the press after his time trial victory that he was an attacking rider and that it would not change even though he was in yellow.
Zbigniew Spruch will not start the Tour on Wednesday. He fell during Stage 9 and finished more than 40 minutes behind Armstrong.
Willy Voet was at the Tour on Tuesday for a short time. The former soigneur for Festina was in the audience around the Col de Montgenèvre.
Lance Armstrong has signed for 2 years with US Postal/Trek. This also means that the two sponsors will remain in the sport for a further two years.
In March, after a controversial debate on Swiss TV between the Swiss' Federation's Technical Director, Kurt Bürgi, and Hein Verbruggen (President of International Cycling Federation), Kurt Bürgi, had been told by his President (Hugo Steinegger) that doping problems belonged to the "politics" of the sport and that the subject of doping should therefore not be addressed by the other staff members, except for the President himself.
Bürgi said that he holds proof that at least one positive doping case in Swiss cycling has been hidden from the media and public.
1. Franck Rénier (Fra) Vendée-U 3.30.42 2. Alexandre Botcharov (Blr) US Montauban 0.01 3. Martial Locatelli (Fra) CC Etupes 0.28 4. Cédric Jourdan (Fra) CM Aubervilliers 0.28 5. Christian Poos (Lux) CC Nogent 0.28 6. Stephan Ravaleu (Fra) Jean-Floc'h 0.28 7. Marek Lesniewski (Pol) CM Aubervilliers 2.27 8. Franck Faugeroux (Fra) UC Châteauroux 2.27 9. David Marié (Fra) 23-La Creuse 2.27 10. Stéphane Augé (Fra) VC Roubaix 2.35 Teams overall: 1. CC Etupes 320 2. Jean-Floc'h 250 3. Vendée-U 222 4. CM Aubervilliers 141 5. VC Rouen 118 6. 23-La Creuse 93 7. CC Nogent 91 8. VC Roubaix 91 9. UC Châteauroux 57 10. US Montauban 53Thanks to Nicolas Tavares, France
The team that will contest Panamerican Games is in Portugal, in races like GP Joaquim Agostinho/Torres Vedras, so, there were no favourites at the start. Foreign riders lived up to their promise of a good performance. The winner, though, was really unexpected - 19 year old Patrique Azevedo, born in Campos (Rio de Janeiro State). He attacked on the very first laps (a total of 12 in a 8 km circuit) and stayed with the first bunch until the end, beating Elivelton Pedro (reigning Under-23 Panamerican TT Champion) and the American Paul Collins (Colorado Cyclist).
Collins, fourth at the North American Championships, was delighted with the oportunity of race in Brazil and said he was impressed with the good level of our cyclists (something good to hear) and with the crowd in the streets (relatively uncommon in Brazil). The winner, the son of a former road cyclist, was also delighted but also surprised with his result: "I was ready to have a good performance, but it was a surprise for me to win. I hope this result can open the doors of a good European amateur squad. Racing in Europe is my dream". He would use his part of the prize to buy drugs for his father, who has a serious back injury.
Among the women, it was a clash between the two who will travel to Winnipeg. Janildes Silva beat Claudia Carceroni.
Elite: 1. Patrique Azevedo (Bra) Pirelli-Bianchi 84 kms in 1.28.48 2. Elivelton Pedro (Bra) Fundesport 3. Paul Collins (USA) Colorado Cyclist 4. Adrian Colla (Arg) Argentina National 5. Helder Fernandes (Bra) Kalu Imports-Boss Women: 1. Janildes Silva (Alfa-Persa) 44.12 2. Claudia Carceroni (Val d'Europe) 3. Carla Gardenal (Sabesp) 4. Rosane Minervino (Kalu Imports-Boss) 5. Sonia Regina (Vega) MTB: 1. Valter Castelacci (unattached) 48.04 2. Robenson Pacheco 3. Vagner Aguiar (Performance) 4. Ivandir de Souza (Caloi) 5. Mauricio Pereira (Performance)
Final GC: 1. Jonas Ljungblad (Swe) Team Crescent Tranemo 11.37.51 2. John Nilsson (Swe) Team Wirsbo 1.08 3. Martin Axelsson (Swe) Sollerön 2.15