2005 Tour de France - Stage 10

Do you think today will determine the winner? If not, it will certainly weed out those that aren?t going to win. Today?s summit finish can benefit the true contenders. Only problem is that you miss out on all the fun descending at 100 mph! At least I think that?s fun. There are 174 starters today. Some may have decided that resting yesterday was more fun.

It really doesn?t matter who attacks during the flat portion today. They will nearly stop dead when the mountain slams into them. So, let them go and break wind for the climbers. Discovery gets to sit back and step on dropped riders like bugs. CSC will have to work but not for Jens. He?ll be out of yellow tonight.

Look at the list of those getting squished. Mayo, Chavanel, and Voigt. Wait a minute, Voigt is doing a Voeckler imitation and is refusing to give up! Maybe Basso told him he would share some prize money with him.

Hold on! There?s been an attack of a different kind. Bjarne Riis must have thrown the car into reverse and Popovych rams into him. I thought only a Frenchman would stoop so low to dismantle Team Discovery. Hey Bjarne, why don?t you just grab his bike and toss it in the ditch! Luckily, ?Popo? is back to support Lance but will more than likely be a bit nervous the remainder of the stage. But take a look at Team Discovery, still 7 riders together. Take that, Bjarne!

Discovery Channel has caught the leaders and the rush of them going by nearly knocks them over. Kinda like being passed by a semi truck when you?re out on your bike. Wait, what?s that noise I hear?oh, it?s just some nails being pounded into a coffin! I think some of those coffins belong to Heras, Moncoutie, and Menchov. Beloki can be added to the list. Rasmussen continues to work hard to keep his polka dots and earn more respect after his glorious stage win the other day (actually, I just had to say something nice about him to keep my editor happy).

Wow, look at Popo go! Being hit by a car can sure motivate a guy! As he goes, so do others but in the opposite direction. Unfortunately, super domestique Hincapie has bid farewell to Lance for now. Speaking of domestiques, Ullrich slides backwards and there goes Vino! Now Basso falls off. I can?t even keep track anymore, where?s TIVO when you need it! The pounding of the nails is getting louder.

Armstrong, Ramussen, Valverde, and Mancebo are stage win contenders now. Only problem is, Rasmussen won?t take his turn at pulling. I?m not going to say nice things about him anymore. Soon there is only Valverde and Lance and Valverde gets his first ever stage win. Congrats to him.

The only thing left to do now is plan Lance?s 7^th Tour victory party. Unless of course there is some ?accident? by rival team cars. Discovery Channel has shown they are a team with clear dedication to their leader. The best part about it, there is more to come!

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