Landis becomes third American to win Tour de France

[Fosco33]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/more/specials/tour_de_france/2006/07/23/final.stage.ap/index.html?cnn=yes

I'm not a huge cycling fan but will follow the Tour. Pretty impressive race and another proud day to be an American.

[woodbuck27]

Just saw that on the Local TV's Sports. A difficult task to win that event.

Great news for Tiger as well. An emotional win.

[KYPack]

On the evening news thay interviewed a British cycling analyst.

They asked how the French were taking it that a Yank won the tour.

The guy laughed and said "I hope it bothers the hell out of 'em"!

[Scott Campbell]

This was an incredible win, with more plot twists than the last 5 tours combined. Landis' win will go down in history as one of the most incredible comebacks in tour history.

ESPN

"Landis had tried to apply Armstrong's meticulous strategy for winning, but that went awry when he flat out cracked in the final climb of Stage 16 on Wednesday, giving up a lead and falling 8 minutes, 8 seconds behind Spain's Oscar Pereiro.

All but written off, he managed a stunning rebound the very next day in the last mountain stage, pedaling like a madman and closing the gap to 30 seconds.

So astounding was the turnaround that race director Jean-Marie Leblanc, who has overseen this event 18 years, called it "the best performance in the modern history of the Tour."

The comeback was read by many as a master stroke, instantly enshrining Landis in cycling's pantheon alongside greats like five-time Tour champion Eddy Merckx of Belgium for his show of both human frailty and superhuman courage in the span of 24 hours.

The 30 seconds put Landis, who hails from eastern Pennsylvania's Dutch country, in position to win by outpacing Pereiro in the final time trial Saturday.

And by the time he was done, the race was reborn -- injected with the drama and swashbuckling flavor of years past, something that was lacking for nearly all of Armstrong's seven victories."

[Noodle]

SC was right. I followed the tour this year, and let me tell you, there was nothing more gut wrenchingly sad than the OLN guy yelling "The Yellow Jersey has cracked!" as everyone motored out of sight, leaving Landis in the dirt. After the stage on Thursday, in which he lost the yellow jersey, 8 minutes of time, and all of his pride, Landis admitted that he had lost the tour that day.

That Landis had the sack to wake up the next day and tear the crap out of the stage, leading all alone for almost 60 miles and gaining back 7:30, was astounding. I'm no cycling junky, but I'm a sports guy, and this really was a feat for the ages.

And no one will notice because Tiger got number 11.

[the_idle_threat]

With a story like this, I think (or perhaps I hope) people will notice ...

I'm no TDF fan, but this guy is something else ... I was very glad to hear he won.

Among other sub-plots, he was battling an arthritic hip that will require hip replacement surgery in the off-season. From what they were saying on the radio, the Tour's anti-doping rules prevented him from using much in the way of pain medication, so the entire thing had to be that much more grueling ...

[Tony Oday]

TAKE THAT FRENCHIES!!!!!!!!!!!! hehe we dominate again I love it!

[Fosco33]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/more/specials/tour_de_france/2006/07/27/landis.doping/index.html?cnn=yes

[BallHawk]

Can't say I'm surprised.

[Deputy Nutz]

He was a dirty bird.

[MJZiggy]

He played for the Orioles???

[Deputy Nutz]

I think this might be dirty all away around. The rest of the cycling world might be out to get the Americans.

[Fosco33]

I think this might be dirty all away around. The rest of the cycling world might be out to get the Americans.

The ESPN analyst said that the 'B' test was still pending and that all high testosterone tests have been successfully disputed in the past. In short, he'll probably keep it and be questioned for eternity.

Too bad, really. I mean, if he doped, the title should be stripped; if he didn't, the Euros need to lay off.

[the_idle_threat]

Maybe he just has really big balls. Did they test for that?

[Deputy Nutz]

Landis is a Minonite. thats like almost being amish.