‘In the (Time) Zone'
David Olle, France, +33 66 16 909 87

Tour de France, July 3 - 25, 2010, Report Stage 16
Stage 16    Tuesday, July 20    196 km     Bagneres-de-Luchon → Pau
Results    
1      Pierrick Fedrigo (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom      5:31:43      
2     Sandy Casar (Fra) Française des Jeux           
3     Ruben Plaza Molina (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne

General classification after stage 16    
1      Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Astana      78:29:10      
2     Andy Schleck (Lux) Team Saxo Bank     0:00:08     
3     Samuel Sánchez Gonzalez (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi     0:02:00

General report
Today's eight man break, that organized itself over the Tourmalet,  achieved success for the French, but not for the man who drove it along, hunting for a final win in the final week of his final tour.  All Lance had to do was check with me, though, as last night I drew Radioshack in our sweep.  He could have saved himself for another day, when I would be riding on some other lower order squad.  Note well, this is France's sixth win in this tour, not a record of course, as they have dominated Le Tour before,( just not won it for a quarter of a century).    
photos:  http://www.twitpic.com/26zugb, http://www.twitpic.com/271iyd , http://twitpic.com/271mxx

Skippy report:  a twit from Robbie McEwen yesterday ‘Majority of bunch wanted 2b in break tday.absolute attack fest!survived again. Tmoros stg will be the decider of reaching Paris I think.'  

I have no idea if he made the time cut, as I write this, keep your fingers crossed.

Tomorrow:  Restday 2, Pau

‘In the (Time) Zone'
David Olle, France, +33 66 16 909 87  
Apologies for being in a dead spot (re phone reception) over the weekend, shouldn't happen again.  

Tour de France, July 3 - 25, 2010, Report stage 15
Stage 15    Monday, July 19,    187 km     Pamiers → Bagneres-de-Luchon

Results
1      Thomas Voeckler (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom      4:44:52      
2     Alessandro Ballan (Ita) BMC Racing Team     0:01:20     
3     Aitor Perez Arrieta (Spa) Footon-Servetto

General classification after stage 15    
1      Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Astana      72:50:42      
2     Andy Schleck (Lux) Team Saxo Bank     0:00:08     
3     Samuel Sánchez Gonzalez (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi     0:02:00     

Photos:  http://www.twitpic.com/26u0eo The hitters, about to hit it.  http://www.twitpic.com/26u9fa Today's stage winner starts.

Contador report:  On today's final climb, Schleck dropped his chain shortly after attacking the group of overall contenders near the top of the Porte de Balès, and Alberto Contador ignored one of the unwritten rules of cycling etiquette by immediately attacking the yellow jersey in his moment of difficulty.  Very poor form.  

Skippy report:  Adam Hansen - out stage 1, Simon Gerrans didn't start stage 9, Mark Renshaw DQ'd stage 11.  Stuart O'Grady, Wesley Sulzberger, Robbie McEwen, Brett Lancaster, Matthew Lloyd, Mick Rogers, Cadel Evans & Luke Roberts still in the bike race.  Our host in St Girons very proud to tell us Cadel slept in our room during TdF reconnaissance, one week after this year's Giro.

Cuisine report:  Had dinner with our ‘snout' from HTC Colombia last night, when asked what their team chef does when he arrives at a hotel, the reply was ‘he goes in the kitchen and makes enemies!'.    Kitchens are the same, all over the world.

Tomorrow:  Picking up where it left off, the Tour departs Bagnères-de-Luchon for a four-climb romp to Pau.  It's another descending finish, and the final summit lies nearly 60 kilometers from Pau.  That's not to say that there is anything easy about this stage which connects the Col de Peyresourde, Col d'Aspin, Col de Tourmalet, and Col d'Aubisque, by way of the Col du Soulor.  The riders climb the Tourmalet from Sainte-Marie-de-Campan by way of La Mongie, a 17.1 kilometer ascent with an average gradient of 7.4%.  The first rider to reach the summit of the Tourmalet receives a special prize, the Souvenir Jacques Goddet.  This stage marks the first of two visits by the 2010 Tour to the iconic climb, whose unforgiving gradients forced the riders of the Tour's 1910 edition to carry their derailleur-less bikes on their backs as they trudged the unpaved road on foot.  (from steephill.tv)

‘In the (Time) Zone'
David Olle, France, +33 66 16 909 87

Tour de France, July 3 - 25, 2010, Report stage 14
Stage 14    Sunday, July 18    184 km     Revel → Ax-3 Domaines

Results
1      Christophe Riblon (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale      4:52:42      
2     Denis Menchov (Rus) Rabobank     0:00:54     
3     Samuel Sánchez Gonzalez (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi

General classification after stage 14
1     Andy Schleck (Lux) Team Saxo Bank     68:02:30     
2     Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Astana     0:00:31     
3     Samuel Sánchez Gonzalez (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi     0:02:31

General report
Ah, the Pyrenees, at last, it's cool and green.  Schelck and Contador went toe to toe today, and the time gap remained the same.  The next two mountain stages have valley finishes with Thursday's hilltop finish a grand finale and ultimate decider.  3 more stages here (and a rest day) in the Pyrenees to witness the Schelck - Contador face off that will decide the winner of this year's tour.  Schleck will need to improve on his 31 second lead at some time, before next Saturday's Individual Time Trial, as it is unlikely he can keep close to Alberto over the long, flat 50k parcourse around Bordeaux.  

Lance report:  Lance Armstrong, among the first to fall off the back of the bunch, with 35km to go.  Will he get ‘gifted' a stage win in the final week?  Unlikely, due to the rivalries he has in the pro-peloton.

Skippy report:   It's a tough year for the Aussies at Le Tour.  Remember the GIRO!

Cuisine report: Duck, again, 3rd time at TdF, and there's still a week to go...  Michelin rated restaurant here in the Pyrenees  http://www.twitpic.com/26if7z  http://www.twitpic.com/25ts4h Chateau de Camon.

Ride report:  http://www.twitpic.com/26icif Karen Benoit (Gympie) Morning ride, just south of Revel, midi Pyrenees, France

Tomorrow:  Stage 15    Monday, July 19    187 km     Pamiers → Bagneres-de-Luchon
The second Pyrénéen stage mixes the old and the new with a course running between the new stage city of Pamiers and Bagnères-de-Luchon, which has hosted the Tour on 50 occasions.  Two of the Originals from the 1910 Tour appear in the this stage: Col du Portet d'Aspet and Col des Ares.  The Porte de Balès, first added to the Tour in 2007, rises to 1755 meters over 19.2 kilometers and provides the final climb of the day before the course drops precipitously to the finish in Bagnères-de-Luchon.  (from steephill.tv)