Cycling: James Raia Reports from the Tour de France - Stage IX

Publisher's Greeting

After 10 race days, one rest day and plenty of anticipation, the general classification riders will "begin" their Tour de France on Wednesday with the 237- kilometer 10th stage from Limoges to Saint Flour.

The stage will feature nine categorized climbs, beginning about 40km into the day. The race profile shows virtually no flat sections and the first severe climb of the 91st Tour will occur after about 108 miles. It's a 3 1/2-mile ascent with an average 8 percent grade.

Tour News, Notes And Quotes

Australian Robbie McKwen, who held the leader's jersey after stage 3, won the ninth stage after long breakaway riders Inigo Landaluze and Filippo Simeoni were caught with 75 meters remaining. It was the first stage of the Tour without rain . . .

Italian Thomas Voeckler, who has held the Yellow Jersey since the end of the fifth stage, finished 29th in the same time as the winner and will take a 2:53 advantage over Stuart O'Grady into Wednesday's first mountain stage . . .

The top general classification riders, including Lance Armstrong, Tyler Hamilton, Jan Ullrich, Iban Mayo and Oscar Sevilla, all maintained their positions Tuesday . . .

The ninth stage finished with 172 riders remaining from the starting field of 188. Among the departures was Jaan Kirispuu, the Estonian rider for the French team AG2R. Kirispuu has now participated in the Tour de France 11 times but has never finished . . .

It's no coincidence George Hincapie usually finishes just ahead or behind Lance Armstrong in flat Tour stages. It's part of the Hincapie's job to protect his team leader as the two riders approach the finish line. The scenario occurred again Tuesday. Hincapie, who has seven race finishes in his eight Tour participations, placed 43rd, with Armstrong nearby in 44th.

Tyler Hamilton and his wife Haven do not have children, but they do have Tugboat, their omnipresent golden retriever. The Hamiltons have been upset and Tyler said he was "praying each day" for the family pet. Earlier in the race, Tugboat was seriously ill, but the beast is now recovering.

Postcard From Le Tour

Like many former cyclists, John Trevorrow remained in the sport following his competitive retirement. Nearly a quarter century since he rode as a Australian pro, Trevorrow now serves a guide for other Australians who wish to experience the Tour de France.

The former three-time Australian national road champion is attending this year's race with seven other compatriots -- some journalists, some age-group riders, some racing fans.

The Aussies watch the races and general carry on the unwritten quest of every Australian -- celebrate life, tell tales and have a few beers along the way.

Trevorrow likes to tell stories of his time as a pro. In 1981, for example, he received a call from his team director a few weeks before the start of the Tour of Italy. He wasn't in particularly good condition, and he also had a bad habit -- he smoked.

But his team needed him, so Trevorrow trained frantically for three weeks and began the Tour of Italy with no aspirations and without the ability to stop smoking.

One day early in the race, Trevorrow's assistant director visited the cyclist in his hotel room and caught him smoking. The assistant team director told the director and Treverrow thought he was in serious trouble.

Instead, the team director saw an opportunity. A day a so later, he had a meeting with Treverrow and told the rider he had good news. He had acquired a tobacco sponsor.

From the beginning of the next day's stage until the end of the race, Trevorrow posed at the start of each stage with a buring cigarette in his mouth. Race photographers couldn't get enough pictures of Trevorrow, and the sponsorship was an unqualified success.

"I was smoking a pack a day at the time, so it wasn't a problem," said Trevorrow.

Now age 55, Trevorrow no longer smokes cigarettes. But in his year as the "Marlboro Man" of the Tour of Italy, he finished the race.

Americans In The Tour De France

 
Individual Stage Results
Stage 9, St. Leonard de-Noblat to Gueret 160.5 kilometers
43. George Hincapie, Greenville, S.C., (USPS) same time as winner.
44. Lance Armstrong, Austin, Texas, (USPS) same time.
49. Levi Leipheimer, Santa Rosa, Calif., (Rabobank), s.t.
61. Tyler Hamilton, Marblehead, Mass., (Phonak), s.t.
73. Bobby Julich, Reno, Nev., (CSC), s.t.
82. Floyd Landis, San Diego, Calif., (USPS), s.t.
110. Christian Vande Velde, Lemont, Ill., (Liberty Seguros), s.t.
General Classification
6. Armstrong @ 9:35
7. Hincapie @ 9:45
11. Hamilton @ 10:11
12. Landis @ 10:12
22. Julich @ 10:35
23. Leipheimer @ 10:43
87. Vande Velde @ 15:03

For complete results, visit the web sites:

CyclingNews.com
LeTour.fr
ProCycling.com
VeloNewws.com
More TDF Links

Previous reports:
Cycling: James Raia Reports from the Tour de France - Stage VIII
Cycling: James Raia Reports from the Tour de France - Stage VII
Cycling: James Raia Reports from the Tour de France - Stage VI
Cycling: James Raia Reports from the Tour de France - Stage V
Cycling: James Raia Reports from the Tour de France - Stage IV
Cycling: James Raia Reports from the Tour de France - Stage III
Cycling: James Raia Reports from the Tour de France - Stage II
Cycling: James Raia Reports from the Tour de France - Stage I

© Copyright 2004, James Raia

Posted with the permission of James Raia.

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