Comment: Is It Really Over?

So the Tour is over. Lance in yellow, Jaja in polka dots, Robbie McEwan scoring his first green jersey in style with a stage win on yesterday’s final stage to Paris.

If you’re like me, you’re probably a feeling a bit empty and wondering “what to do now…?” It’s the high point of the year, it’s what we wait for, it adds extra flavor to the early season races to see who is building up and on track for July. Even if the racing ends up as a foregone conclusion, it’s still the best racers in the world meeting to do battle.

Then it’s over in a flash – if 3 weeks can flash by …
– the prologue, who looks good?
– the seemingly endless flat stages of the first week when nothing really happens, – bam, the high mountains, Pyrenees, Alps, 6 hours in the saddle on scorching hot days and high alpine passes, the real battle takes shape,
– staying sharp and focused to survive the fatigue of week three,
– daily drama on the roads, stage winners and losers, triumph and tragedy,
– all the while edging closer to Paris and the finish,
– finally the joy and relief and sadness that it’s all done for another year…

It’s exhausting for te racers and it’s exhausting for the fans… an event that’s unscripted and evolves each day, like a play that gets written by the players on the stage as they go… don’t tell me you don’t feel the highs and lows and each day plays out.
It’s beautiful, it doesn’t get any better. And then it’s over.

At the same time, it’s right that it ends, it’s time to move on – get back to real life, cutting the lawn, washing the car, loving the wife, enjoy the rest of my life again.
And being thankful that someone invented bicycles and bike racing…and the Tour.

Overall Results: Final
1 001 ARMSTRONG Lance USA USP en 82h 05′ 12″
2 021 BELOKI Joseba ESP ONE а 07′ 17″
3 158 RUMSAS Raimondas LTU LAM а 08′ 17″
4 032 BOTERO Santiago COL KEL а 13′ 10″
5 024 GONZALEZ GALDEANO Igor ESP ONE а 13′ 54″
6 022 AZEVEDO Josй POR ONE а 15′ 44″
7 137 MANCEBO Francisco ESP BAN а 16′ 05″
8 101 LEIPHEIMER Levy USA RAB а 17′ 11″
9 003 HERAS Roberto ESP USP а 17′ 12″
10 057 SASTRE Carlos ESP CST а 19′ 05″
11 081 BASSO Ivan ITA FAS а 19′ 18″
12 102 BOOGERD Michaлl NED RAB а 20′ 33″
13 048 MONCOUTIE David FRA COF а 21′ 08″
14 045 LELLI Massimiliano ITA COF а 27′ 51″
15 052 HAMILTON Tyler USA CST а 28′ 36″
16 071 VIRENQUE Richard FRA DFF а 28′ 42″
17 207 GOUBERT Stephane FRA DEL а 29′ 51″
18 138 OSA Unai ESP BAN а 30′ 17″
19 091 VOGONDY Nicolas FRA FDJ а 32′ 44″
20 058 SORENSEN Nicki DEN CST а 32′ 56″
21 041 KIVILEV Andrei KAZ COF а 33′ 41″
22 009 RUBIERA Josй Luis ESP USP а 36′ 43″
23 195 GOTTI Ivan ITA ALS а 40′ 16″
24 132 BARANOWSKI Dariusz POL BAN а 43′ 04″
25 171 FRIGO Dario ITA TAC а 43′ 15″
26 204 BROCHARD Laurent FRA DEL а 44′ 02″
27 109 ZBERG Beat SUI RAB а 44′ 29″
28 076 MERCKX Axel BEL DFF а 45′ 39″
29 035 GUTIERREZ Josй Enrique ESP KEL а 50′ 59″
30 181 BOTCHAROV Alexandre RUS A2R а 51′ 52″
31 025 JAKSCHE Jorg GER ONE а 56′ 05″
32 099 ROBIN Jean-Cyril FRA FDJ а 57′ 35″
33 029 SERRANO Marcos ESP ONE а 1h 00′ 52″
34 208 LEFEVRE Laurent FRA DEL а 1h 07′ 00″
35 144 BRANDT Christophe BEL LOT а 1h 07′ 50″
36 114 CHAVANEL Sylvain FRA BJR а 1h 09′ 26″
37 017 JULICH Bobby USA TEL а 1h 13′ 11″
38 026 NOZAL Isidro ESP ONE а 1h 13′ 27″
39 169 ZUBELDIA Haimar ESP EUS а 1h 15′ 39″
40 084 GUSTOV Volodomir UKR FAS а 1h 17′ 26″
41 184 CHAURREAU Inigo ESP A2R а 1h 17′ 37″
42 051 JALABERT Laurent FRA CST а 1h 17′ 48″
43 079 WADECKI Piotr POL DFF а 1h 18′ 12″
44 126 MARTINEZ Miguel FRA MAP а 1h 18′ 42″
45 083 BELLI Wladimir ITA FAS а 1h 19′ 41″
46 166 LAISEKA Roberto ESP EUS а 1h 20′ 08″
47 134 BRUSEGHIN Marzio ITA BAN а 1h 26′ 57″
48 013 BOLTS Udo GER TEL а 1h 29′ 32″
49 043 CUESTA Inigo ESP COF а 1h 29′ 59″
50 142 AERTS Mario BEL LOT а 1h 31′ 17″
51 107 NIERMANN Grischa GER RAB а 1h 33′ 03″
52 201 HALGAND Patrice FRA DEL а 1h 35′ 38″
53 053 PERON Andrea ITA CST а 1h 39′ 42″
54 089 VELO Marco ITA FAS а 1h 39′ 46″
55 049 VASSEUR Cйdric FRA COF а 1h 40′ 52″
56 018 LIVINGSTON Kevin USA TEL а 1h 44′ 51″
57 133 BLANCO Santiago ESP BAN а 1h 45′ 09″
58 002 EKIMOV Vjatceslav RUS USP а 1h 45′ 51″
59 004 HINCAPIE George USA USP а 1h 47′ 35″
60 161 ETXEBARRIA David ESP EUS а 1h 48′ 19″
61 006 LANDIS Floyd USA USP а 1h 48′ 31″
62 122 BODROGI Laszlo HUN MAP а 1h 50′ 05″
63 129 TRAMPUSCH Gerhard AUT MAP а 1h 51′ 30″
64 085 HONCHAR Serhiy UKR FAS а 1h 52′ 59″
65 075 KONECNY Tomas CZE DFF а 1h 53′ 26″
66 198 MORENI Cristian ITA ALS а 1h 54′ 17″
67 062 BESSY Frйdйric FRA C.A а 1h 58′ 58″
68 047 MILLAR David GBR COF а 1h 59′ 51″
69 007 PADRNOS Pavel CZE USP а 2h 03′ 10″
70 178 MAZZOLENI Eddy ITA TAC а 2h 03′ 46″
71 189 TURPIN Ludovic FRA A2R а 2h 04′ 50″
72 012 ALDAG Rolf GER TEL а 2h 04′ 56″
73 008 PENA Victor Hugo COL USP а 2h 05′ 24″
74 151 SERPELLINI Marco ITA LAM а 2h 05′ 55″
75 173 BORTOLAMI Gianluca ITA TAC а 2h 06′ 57″
76 028 PRADERA Mikel ESP ONE а 2h 07′ 00″
77 067 O’GRADY Stuart AUS C.A а 2h 07′ 02″
78 027 OLANO Abraham ESP ONE а 2h 08′ 25″
79 044 FERNANDEZ Bingen ESP COF а 2h 08′ 29″
80 015 GUERINI Giuseppe ITA TEL а 2h 09′ 26″
81 086 IVANOV Serguei RUS FAS а 2h 10′ 07″
82 011 ZABEL Erik GER TEL а 2h 10′ 33″
83 092 CASAR Sandy FRA FDJ а 2h 12′ 22″
84 136 LATASA David ESP BAN а 2h 13′ 01″
85 118 RENIER Franck FRA BJR а 2h 15′ 08″
86 098 MENGIN Christophe FRA FDJ а 2h 16′ 47″
87 117 PINEAU Jйrфme FRA BJR а 2h 18′ 24″
88 167 MAYO Iban ESP EUS а 2h 18′ 27″
89 005 JOACHIM Benoit LUX USP а 2h 19′ 27″
90 066 MORIN Anthony FRA C.A а 2h 19′ 55″
91 108 WAUTERS Marc BEL RAB а 2h 20′ 30″
92 148 MIKHAILOV Guennadi RUS LOT а 2h 20′ 39″
93 131 MENCHOV Denis RUS BAN а 2h 21′ 31″
94 105 ENGELS Addy NED RAB а 2h 21′ 37″
95 139 PASCUAL Javier ESP BAN а 2h 22′ 11″
96 115 MAGNIEN Emmanuel FRA BJR а 2h 22′ 39″
97 125 HUNTER Robert RSA MAP а 2h 25′ 32″
98 187 LODER Thierry FRA A2R а 2h 25′ 35″
99 019 WESEMANN Steffen GER TEL а 2h 30′ 21″
100 206 EDALEINE Christophe FRA DEL а 2h 31′ 03″
101 014 FAGNINI Gian Matteo ITA TEL а 2h 32′ 00″
102 203 BERNARD Jйrome FRA DEL а 2h 32′ 19″
103 185 FLICKINGER Andy FRA A2R а 2h 33′ 13″
104 016 HONDO Danilo GER TEL а 2h 34′ 21″
105 143 BAGUET Serge BEL LOT а 2h 34′ 24″
106 128 TAFI Andrea ITA MAP а 2h 34′ 34″
107 124 HORILLO Pedro ESP MAP а 2h 35′ 32″
108 155 DIERCKXSENS Ludo BEL LAM а 2h 38′ 44″
109 097 MC GEE Bradley AUS FDJ а 2h 39′ 02″
110 069 VOIGT Jens GER C.A а 2h 39′ 35″
111 033 CABELLO Francisco ESP KEL а 2h 40′ 13″
112 064 HUSHOVD Thor NOR C.A а 2h 40′ 43″
113 205 DESSEL Cyril FRA DEL а 2h 41′ 24″
114 113 BOUYER Franck FRA BJR а 2h 41′ 42″
115 202 AUGE Stйphane FRA DEL а 2h 43′ 14″
116 039 ZABALLA Constantino ESP KEL а 2h 44′ 30″
117 112 BENETEAU Walter FRA BJR а 2h 45′ 15″
118 152 BELOHVOSCIKS Raivis LAT LAM а 2h 46′ 30″
119 192 BROGNARA Andrea ITA ALS а 2h 47′ 10″
120 059 VAN HYFTE Paul BEL CST а 2h 49′ 20″
121 087 LODA Nicola ITA FAS а 2h 49′ 22″
122 135 GARCIA ACOSTA Vicente ESP BAN а 2h 52′ 44″
123 046 MATTAN Nico BEL COF а 2h 55′ 10″
124 073 CASSANI Enrico ITA DFF а 2h 55′ 24″
125 054 PIIL Jakob DEN CST а 2h 55′ 32″
126 146 MARICHAL Thierry BEL LOT а 3h 00′ 01″
127 094 COOKE Baden AUS FDJ а 3h 00′ 22″
128 196 HVASTIJA Martin SLO ALS а 3h 00′ 38″
129 078 VAN BON Leon NED DFF а 3h 02′ 46″
130 147 MC EWEN Robbie AUS LOT а 3h 03′ 30″
131 159 SVORADA Jan SLO LAM а 3h 03′ 30″
132 082 BALDATO Fabio ITA FAS а 3h 04′ 07″
133 103 DE GROOT Bram NED RAB а 3h 04′ 44″
134 038 VIDAL Josй Angel ESP KEL а 3h 06′ 37″
135 179 RADAELLI Mauro ITA TAC а 3h 06′ 43″
136 104 DEKKER Erik NED RAB а 3h 07′ 56″
137 074 KNAVEN Servais NED DFF а 3h 09′ 57″
138 153 BERTOGLIATI Rubens SUI LAM а 3h 10′ 10″
139 172 APOLLONIO Massimo ITA TAC а 3h 10′ 11″
140 154 CORTINOVIS Alessandro ITA LAM а 3h 11′ 10″
141 163 ETXEBARRIA Unai VEN EUS а 3h 11′ 18″
142 162 ARRIZABALAGA Gorka ESP EUS а 3h 12′ 45″
143 209 SEIGNEUR Eddy FRA DEL а 3h 12′ 49″
144 182 AGNOLUTTO Christophe FRA A2R а 3h 13′ 15″
145 145 DE CLERCQ Hans BEL LOT а 3h 14′ 14″
146 106 KROON Karsten NED RAB а 3h 14′ 51″
147 063 HINAULT Sйbastien FRA C.A а 3h 15′ 10″
148 065 LANGELLA Anthony FRA C.A а 3h 16′ 54″
149 194 CASAROTTO Davide ITA ALS а 3h 16′ 56″
150 183 BERGES Stйphane FRA A2R а 3h 20′ 44″
151 116 NAZON Damien FRA BJR а 3h 22′ 25″
152 055 PIZIKS Arvis LTU CST а 3h 34′ 57″
153 164 FLORES Igor ESP EUS а 3h 35′ 52″
Source: www.letour.com

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