How the Tour de France is raced and won...

**Lycia** · July 26th, 2002, 10:26 AM

The Tour de France is a three-week race that's won by the smallest cumulative time. Easy enough, the fastest guy wins, right? Well, it's not that simple.

Cycling is much more confusing than meets the eye. It's incredibly tactical and it's often won in the trenches. The Tour de France is a race of teams, but only one rider wins.

For Armstrong to win the Tour de France, his eight teammates must sacrifice all their personal *****ions to work for Armstrong. Some riders can climb, but they can't time trial. Others can win sprints but aren't rugged enough to last for more than 2,000 miles of a major stage race.

Within Armstrong's U.S. Postal Service team, each rider has their own special duties. Each morning the team has a meeting to discuss the stage and decide who will do what that day.

Some are assigned to ride next to Armstrong to keep him shielded from the wind. Others will drive a hard pace to tire out their opponents. If it's steep, others will tow Armstrong up the steepest mountains to set up the Texan for one of his trademark attacks.

In flat stages, riders are told to be vigilant and to chase down breakaways to cover the move of dangerous opponents. When there's an Armstrong teammate in the break, the team won't have to chase as hard. If the break stays away, the team has a chance to win the stage.

One thing is sure, they sacrifice all for Armstrong.

"Our objective is to win the Tour de France with Lance. My personal objectives are secondary. I am not frustrated in this position. I know what I have to do," said Heras, a strong climber who won the 2000 Tour of Spain. "My work is the easiest of anyone on the team. I have to help Lance in the steep mountains. The hardest job is the rollers who have to work for 200 km. That's hard. What I do only lasts a few kilometers."

That's where Armstrong comes in. He has the mentality of a winner and the physique to go with the attitude.

"Armstrong's strength gives all of us confidence to win," said Jose Luis Rubiera, one of Armstrong's U.S. Postal Service teammates. "Lance lifts all of us. We know that Lance can win. That makes a big difference. I've been on teams where you work hard all day, then the leader doesn't feel good or doesn't want to suffer. Lance never does that. He always wants to win. He pays us back by winning."

Armstrong said his imminent victory was made easier by what he called his best team ever.

"The team made it easier for me this year. I'd like to have a team this strong every year. I can sleep at night knowing that I have the best team in the race," Armstrong said. "The team is better than ever. It's more complete, more consistent, much stronger."

Armstrong may get all the adulation, the fat contracts and his picture in the paper. He returns the favor, and then some.

Cycling tradition dictates that the team captain donates his first-place prize money -- about $340,000 for winning the Tour -- to be divided among the team. Even the drivers, massage therapists and mechanics get a share.

Last year, Armstrong fattened the pot by throwing in another $250,000 of his own money. That keeps everybody working just a little bit harder.

Andrew Hood is a freelance writer from Colorado who spends a lot of time chasing cyclists across Europe. This is his fifth Tour de France for ESPN.com

**Draggar** · July 26th, 2002, 10:46 AM

I was just thinking of that ESPN commercial that was out last year.

The exec is working late, and the lights / computer flicker a little.

He walks downstairs to the 'generator room' opens the door and you see Lance on a stationary bike in there...

"Lance, you OK? Need water or anything"

"No, I'm fine, sorry, there was a bug in here"...

WTG Lance.

But something troubles me with that articls, sure its great to see all the teamwork, but it seems like the whole team is based on Lance.

What if Lance dies before the next tour? If its the whole team who wins, then it seems like that if he isn't there, then they won't feel like they could win..

Just my opinion..

**Lycia** · July 26th, 2002, 10:59 AM

Originally posted by Draggar
I was just thinking of that ESPN commercial that was out last year.

The exec is working late, and the lights / computer flicker a little.

He walks downstairs to the 'generator room' opens the door and you see Lance on a stationary bike in there...

"Lance, you OK? Need water or anything"

"No, I'm fine, sorry, there was a bug in here"...

WTG Lance.

But something troubles me with that articls, sure its great to see all the teamwork, but it seems like the whole team is based on Lance.

What if Lance dies before the next tour? If its the whole team who wins, then it seems like that if he isn't there, then they won't feel like they could win..

Just my opinion..

I like that commercial too..My fav is still the one where he's riding when he looks behind and he sees a groupe of riders trying to stay on his wheel so he turns off into the trees and starts mt biking on his road bike and all the people following him eventually crash then he comes out of the trees and back onto the road..

If something happens to Lance where he is out of the race, the team leader would then be Roberto Heras. A good example of this is Team Telekom. Their Tour contender is Jan Ulrich who is out of the race. They have American Bobby Julich as their main guy but the team is built this year around German sprinter Erik Zabel and his winning the Green Points Jersey. Winning the tour is not even a factor for Telekom this year.

**ElBatcho** · July 26th, 2002, 11:49 AM

Last year, Armstrong fattened the pot by throwing in another $250,000 of his own money. That keeps everybody working just a little bit harder.

Ooooooopppps this post had the word fat in it,

Dieses tut Löschung es jetzt nicht unter der Richtlinie des Führers

**Lycia** · July 26th, 2002, 11:54 AM

Originally posted by ElBatcho
Ooooooopppps this post had the word fat in it,

Dieses tut Löschung es jetzt nicht unter der Richtlinie des Führers

Warum nicht übersteigen Sie das Küssen des Arsches des Cobras und des stfu?

**ElBatcho** · July 26th, 2002, 11:58 AM

Originally posted by Lycia

Warum nicht übersteigen Sie das Küssen des Arsches des Cobras und des stfu? translation:
Why you do not exceed a kissing of the *** of the Cobras and stfu

I don't know, I guess I'm not trying hard enough?

Was Teppichgeschmack, wie, Sie mögen es tun?

**ßracius** · July 26th, 2002, 12:04 PM

BBBbllllllllleeeeeeeeeaaaaaarrrruuuggghh

**Lycia** · July 26th, 2002, 12:20 PM

Originally posted by ElBatcho
I don't know, I guess I'm not trying hard enough?

Was Teppichgeschmack, wie, Sie mögen es tun?

That translation should be:

Why don't you stop kissing Cobra's arse and STFU?

Simple.

**ElBatcho** · July 26th, 2002, 12:35 PM

Originally posted by Lycia

That translation should be:

Why don't you stop kissing Cobra's arse and STFU?

Simple.

Funny, you got me good, HA HA HA-dee-HA ha. When you were made queen of Windrivers forums did you get a crown or just dust of yours from being daddie's little princess???

**ßracius** · July 26th, 2002, 12:43 PM

or

Take your pick

**ElBatcho** · July 26th, 2002, 12:47 PM

Originally posted by ßracius
or

Take your pick

ROLFLMAO

**Lycia** · July 26th, 2002, 01:03 PM

Originally posted by ElBatcho
Funny, you got me good, HA HA HA-dee-HA ha. When you were made queen of Windrivers forums did you get a crown or just dust of yours from being daddie's little princess???

Funny haha, must have got it from Scott cause my father was never around. Thanks.

I'm just not getting the refference to me being hte WD Queen. I am not telling you stop posting at WD. I am not saying you can't post at WD. All I am asking is that you respect my post. Why is that so hard for you to do? If I happen to believe the Nazis were correct in their Treatment of People during WWII, do I then have a right to spew my beliefs all over? What if everytime you had a post I suddenly came in with Nazi propganda? Or something else that you might find offensive? Is that ok then? shall I start posting in your topics things that are contrary to what you want to post?