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89th Tour de France - Grand Tour
France, July 6-28, 2002
2002 Tour de France journals
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Mike Tomalaris, SBS broadcaster
Nationality: Australian
Mike Tomalaris is the producer and sometimes presenter of SBS TV's Toyota World Sports, the only daily prime time sports show on Australian TV. Mike has covered the Tour de France for SBS Sport since 1996, and always brings a distinct Australian perspective to the network's coverage of the world's biggest annual sporting event.
Stage 9 - Monday July 15, 2002: Lanester - Lorient ITT, 52 km
Is Armstrong foxing?
There's a theory going around that Lance Armstrong is taking the "mickey" out of the entire field in the this Tour.
Some are saying he's "foxing" and will continue to do so when the Tour hits the Pyrenees in two days time. I can't say that I agree with the theorists or disagree - I simply don't know. I'd like to think he's doing it tough out there, but when you consider he's only really been tested in two time trials (Prologue and Stage 9), how can anyone make a judgement?
When Armstrong crossed the line in Lorient after yesterday's race-against-the-clock, he said he was disappointed at not claiming the stage win, and snaring the leader's yellow jersey. The real test comes on Friday when the Tour hits the heights of Plateau de Bielle.
If Lance blows the field away, as he accustomed to doing when the roads head skywards, then the theorists will be gloating.
But if he struggles, then we may be none the wiser.
Lance may continue to "fox" his way over the high country until the very last mountain climb in the French Alps. If anything, he may just be saving himself for Ventoux. It's a climb he desperatly wants to conquer after "giving away" the stage to Marco Pantani two years ago. Somehow, Lance and Ventoux have a certain mystical ring to it - don't you think?
