Did anyone notice that Heras...

[Bruce K]

was a non-starter today (according to Phil Liggett's daily report).

How many team leaders does that now make who have abandoned?

With only 2 teams left intact (I believe it's just USPS and Rabobank), is this the toughest Tour in memory?

Does anyone know which Tour produced the most abandons (either by number or percentage)?

I am still finding this Tour riveting even though the top spot is pretty well locked. The rides of Voeckler, Basso, Ullrich, Verenque, and some of the others are still pretty interesting to watch.

Bk

[Dekonick]

Yep - I was wrong when I stated it was gonna be boring after L'alpe D'Huez - boy was I WRONG WRONG WRONG!

Is it just me or are the German fans a little hostile? (and the Basque fans...)

[geezohwiz]

If you saw Heras at the start gate yesterday, you had to know he wasn't going to finish. That was a look of pure surrender if I've ever seen one!

A couple of other observations:

1) Today, Bobke called the attempted attack by the Euskatel-Euskadi rider at the 40 km mark, just ahead of the 5 Postal riders the "knucklehead tactical strategy blunder of the day." (Never mind that tactics and strategy are two different things). I love Bobke!

2) How is it that an admitted doper like Virenque is a darling of the French while Armstrong still fights tooth and nail for acceptance and respect among them?

3) Has anyone noticed the very negative, anti-Lance road markings through the Alps? And OLN's concerted efforts to avoid showing them on TV?

[Tom Robison]

How is it that an admitted doper like Virenque is a darling of the French while Armstrong still fights tooth and nail for acceptance and respect among them?

He's French and to the French, he can do no wrong. And they have such selective memories. ;)

[CIII_bill]

>>3) Has anyone noticed the very negative, anti-Lance road markings >>through the Alps? And OLN's concerted efforts to avoid showing them on TV?

Did you see where 'Lance Rip their balls off' was painted on the road? That cracked me up.