Another American in the Yellow Jersey

Back a few weeks ago, I posted about the doping scandal that had knocked a number of the main players out of the Tour de France. There was a lot of speculation that this would be a pretty dull Tour without the big names.

Not so!

In an outstanding Tour, American rider Floyd Landis (and ex-teammate of Lance Armstrong) has taken the win after a spectacular blowup on one stage, followed by an epic ride the next day to recover nearly all the time he'd lost.
The final time-trial put him a minute up on the second-place rider, and assured his victory.

This was actually one of the more exciting Tours in recent memory. Usually, after the first of the big mountain stages, the leader is well-established. However, in this race, the fabled Yellow Jersey traded back and forth several times, and perhaps half-a-dozen riders were in position for a possible victory just a few days from the finish of the three-week race.

Landis had done well on the first mountain stages, displaying the strength that had served Armstrong so well as he swarmed up alp after alp. However, on the horrendously difficult next-to-the-last mountain stage, Floyd "bonked" on the last climb, and allowed his rivals to gain long minutes on him. At the end of the stage, the second place man, Oscar Periero, had seven minutes in hand.
This was considered the end for Landis; overcoming such a deficit in just a couple of days nearly impossible. Phil Liggett, long-time Tour commentator, said flatly that it was over for Landis.
However, on Thursday, Landis had recovered, and launched a spectacular attack that left the other contenders flat-footed. Attacking the mountain passes with amazing energy, Landis soon had over seven minutes on the shocked peloton.
Though the contenders organized themselves to some degree, by the end of the stage Periero had lost 6 1/2 minutes of his seven minute lead.
The next day's final time trial told the tale. Landis is a fine time-trial rider, and he easily beat the leader, gaining almost a full minute to take the clear lead.
All that remained was to stay safe through Saturday's flat "sprinter's" stage, and ride the victory lap that is the final leg of the Tour, finishing on the Champs d' Elysee in Paris.
This makes the 8th consecutive year that an American has stood on the podium in Paris!