TDF Update: Stage 15 - Jan puts Armstrong into Yellow
Category: Sports (Pro/College/HS)...
Posted Tuesday, July 20, 2004 at 10:13 AM [GMT-6]

It was fitting that Lance Armstrong would assume the overall lead of the Tour de France by winning stage 15, edging out his strongest overall rivals, Ivan Basso and Jan Ullrich, who finished second and third, respectively. Basso now sits in second place overall, 1 min. 25 sec. behind Lance. Ullrich is in fifth place, still almost 7 minutes behind the yellow jersey.

Ironically, it was an Ullrich-led breakaway early in the stage that split the field and allowed Lance & Co. to bury Thomas Voeckler, who had worn the yellow jersey for the previous 10 stages. Was Ullrich's move an act of desperation, or a sign that he's not giving up so easily? Regardless of his motive, the result was simply to put an exclamation point on Armstrong's claim of a sixth overall victory.

It's now very simple, in my opinion. There is no rider-related factor* that will keep Lance from winning this race. Period. He has the legs, the team and the strategy, and everyone else is riding for second place. To paraphrase a great philosopher of our day, I pity the fool who tries to outride Lance for the overall victory.

An interesting footnote is that the actor Robin Williams was in the USPS team car during today's stage. Williams is an avid bike rider and big supporter of the Posties. As Lance pointed out, Williams' presence must have been a bit distracting to USPS team director Johan Bruyneel. I can just hear him yelling out the window, "gooooood morning, Valréas!!!!"

*Obligatory weasel words: This being the Tour de France, it's dangerously foolish to discount the possibility of equipment failure, illness or spectator interference affecting the race's outcome.