Tour News for July 22

Stage 14 - Full results & report
Stage 14 - Live coverage

Post-stage comments

Roberto Laiseka (Euskaltel, 1st stage)

Roberto Laiseka
Photo: © Sirotti

"It is a great dream I achieved today in front of all the Basque public. I thank them for coming in such numbers."

"I know these climbs well. I often came to see stages of the Tour with my family. The year that Indurain won, I came with friends. I saw several today by the roadside."

"We suffered from the beginning of the Tour. The results started to come starting in the Alps. To win here, in front of all the 'aficionados', it is grand."

"It is my fourth professional victory; it is certainly the best."

On the col d'Aspin, I did not show myself so they would forget me. And, nobody was scared of me on Saturday in Pla d' Adet, when I was having a bad day."

Lance Armstrong (US Postal Service, 1st GC)

"It is a relief. The biggest difficulties are behind us. Still one week to go, it is necessary to stay in control. I am very proud of my team. In the last kilometres, there were still three of us. This morning, I had good legs and I was especially good in my head."

Jan Ullrich (3rd stage, 2nd overall)

Armstrong and Ullrich
Photo: © AFP

"Today I tried very hard again. And in spite of that, Armstrong did not show any sign of weakness. I am nevertheless content because I dropped all my other adversaries."

David Moncoutié (Cofidis, 15th stage)

"I was right on the attack of Belli. But, because Kivilev was behind, I preferred to keep some strength to help him."

Sven Montgomery (Francaise des Jeux, 19th, first across the Tourmalet)

"I am satisfied with my day because I did not think I would pass it out in front. I have a bad cold and I fell on the descent of the Tourmalet because of a coughing fit that changed my trajectory."

"I love the mountains and it was not conceivable to finish in the grupetto".

Mario Aerts (Lotto, 21st stage)

"I did not know that there was a prize at the top of Tourmalet (Souvenir Jacques Goddet). I wondered why the others pushed the sprint. My only chance to do something was to go on the offensive because I knew very well that at the foot of the last climb, the top riders were going to explode everything."

Bradley McGee (Francaise des Jeux, 41st stage)

"It was beautiful. When you see these girls on the bends wearing next to nothing, you forget the pain in your legs. It wasn't too bad."

"I found a good rhythm. But, it was a test for the future, where I hope to acquit myself well in stage races."

Laurent Jalabert (CSC, 88th stage, KOM jersey)

"It was very hard after my escape on Saturday...I stayed in the Maillot Pois, but as far as I'm concerned, you can't speak about good climbing. I hope to carry it to Paris. I adore the mountains but they are not my cup of tea."

"My race today confirms the good decisions I made at the beginning [of the Tour]: It is better to go for stages than the overall. There remain four more, I will choose one of them."

Roberto Laiseka

Today's winner, Roberto Laiseka, was the first from the Euskaltel-Euskadi team to ever win a stage in the Tour de France. This is not so much of a surprise, as the team is in its first participation in the Tour. Laiseka has ridden with the all-Basque outfit (including staff) since 1994, and today's win was his fifth as a professional, if you count the Omnium Basauri in 1996. His other wins include two stages in the Vuelta a España (1999 and 2000) and the Subida a Txitxarro (1999). He also finished 6th in the Vuelta in 2000.

Laiseka was born in Guernica 32 years ago, and now lives in Algorta with his wife, who is a TV journalist. He is considered to be of a "discreet and contemplative temperament" as well as being very religious. He crossed himself several times today, both at the finish and on the podium.

Today's victory was a rare occasion for the gaunt rider from Guernica to ride into the limelight.

De Groot back home

Bram de Groot
Photo: © NOS TV

Despite looking like he fell into a ravine in the Pyrenees (which strangely enough he did), Rabobank's Bram de Groot is on the improve, being released from the hospital in Perpignan today in order to fly home to the Netherlands.

According to Dutch NOS TV, he is required to have ten days complete rest, but should be back racing in a few weeks. He doesn't remember anything about the crash.

Official communiqués

Medical
Xavier Jan (BigMat): Following his fall on Saturday, he was transferred to the hospital in Lannemezan, where his elbow wound was operated on under general anaesthetic on Sunday morning.
Davide Bramati (Mapei) and Enrico Cassani (Domo): Superficial contusions and wounds

Commissaires decisions
Vicente Garcia Acosta (iBanesto) and Romans Vainsteins (Domo): 20 seconds penalty for following in the slipstream of a vehicle
Daniel Schnider (FdJ): 10 seconds penalty for assistance given by his directeur sportif

Rominger Reminds

We saw Eurosport commentator Tony Rominger in the TDF press room today and the '93 TDF runner-up, who was at his best in the salad days of Big Mig reminded us that "Ullrich has not given up yet. He really battled yesterday and has shown me a lot."

Romi also reminded us that "When I was riding (against Indurain), the Tour weather was always hot - I'm no good in the heat and would have probably gone a lot better if the wet and cold had been there like Lance had at the beginning of the Tour."

Forza Garzelli

Stefano Garzelli
Photo: © Sirotti

"It was hard to prepare for the Tour in 20 days - but so far I am satisfied," Stefano Garzelli (Mapei-Quick Step) told Cyclingnews after Stage 13 yesterday.

Garzelli retired from the Giro with a chest cold and his solid ride yesterday for 5th on the stage moved the 2000 Giro champ into the top 10. Look for Garzelli to continue to improve as his form is "en crescita" (improving every day).

Ben & Thierry

Ben & Thierry
Photo: © Cyclingnews

The Tour De France has another Postal Service besides Lance and his boys. Dynapost is a service that the French Postal Service have available at the Tour De France where fans can address mail to their favorite rider and it will be delivered, plus one can receive packages and letters "post restante".

Ably managed by two friendly Frenchmen Ben Alcosta and Thierry Rabedeau, Dynapost has been present on Le Tour for nine years, with Thierry and Ben on board since 1998. To write to your fave TdF bike guy, the address is (for example):

Name: Lance Armstrong
Team: US Postal Service
Tour De France / Dynapost
Ville / Etape: Paris
France

TdF USA

Tourists
Photo: © Sirotti

As compared to the last two years, 2001 has a huge influx of English speakers among both the press corps and spectators. American flags and "Go Lance" signs abound along the Tour de France route. Bicycle touring companies have attacked the Tour with gusto, offering a wide variety of tours from deluxe to de pits.

Cyclingnews met a young American cycletourist from Portland, Oregon who summed up how he spent his summer vacation. "It's been a real adventure in France - and I came to see Lance win."

He won't leave France disappointed.

The Glamourous life of a Tour De France journalist

By Tim Maloney, cyclingnews.com correspondent

Gendarmes, always gendarmes..
Photo: © Cyclingnews

Just in case Cyclingnews readers were wondering, here is an inside peek into what a typical day is like as a Tour De France journalist. Our day starts in a 4 star hotel, provided by the Sociètè du Tour De France, that is adjacent to the Village Depart in the stage start finish. After a leisurely breakfast, we saunter over to Le Village, where the teams have already assembled and are looking forward to giving us great quotes, scoops and the inside skinny on Le Tour.

About 10 minutes before the stage start, we are escorted to our waiting press vehicle, a chauffeured Alfa Romeo 166, once again provided by the Sociètè du Tour De France. We can either go directly to the air-conditioned deluxe press centre, right next to the finish with a gratis gourmet buffet, back rubs, instant DSL connection, TV monitor and Radio Tour from each private reserved work station.

Brilliant photos
Photo: © Cyclingnews

Or else, our chauffeur drives us along the race route to the finish, with each journo-mobile provided with a police escort that whisks us to the finish and drops us right in front of the aforementioned press centre.

After the stage, we file our pithy, insightful blow-by-blow account of the day's stage and our brilliant photos. Then our TdF chauffeur comes back to pick us up and whisk us to our hotel for the night, as always right next to the next day's stage start. Or in case of those dreaded mountaintop finish stages, special media helicopter shuttles are called in to ensure no inconvenience disturbs the working press corps at Le Tour.

What's wrong with this picture? As the strains of Napoleon the 13th's landmark tune rise in the background, I see those nice young men in their clean white coats and remember there is only a week to go until Paris...

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