tour 96

Originally Posted by nonameboy

could ullrich had won it, i didn´t saw this tour the france but i was reading about this tour,and he only finished 1:43 i think behind riis and it said that he worked alot for riis.
what do you guys think

Originally Posted by sopas

Well maybe. But keep in mind that Riis had a lead of over 3-4 minutes to Ulrich, and only in the final TT did Ulrich manage to reduce the difference to 1:43 due to a bad day of Riis. But that was at the end of the Tour. In my opinion Riis was the strongest man in 96 and deserved his win. He was impressive, especially climbing Hautacam with the big 52 teeth plate!!

Originally Posted by ed073

They didn't call him "Mr 60%" for nothing.....

but that mini-etape he won in the snow was un-farking-believable. I thought when Berzin took yellow the Tour was over. Nup.

Originally Posted by sopas

Yes I remember that mini-etape, it was half suspended due to the snow and only the last 2 climbs were done. However Riis got only a few seconds over the others that day. The fate of the 96 Tour was sealed on Hautacam.

Originally Posted by ed073

true.

Indurain cracking on Les Arcs.....another incredible spectacle from 96.

Originally Posted by Miguel_garcia83

ohhh please dont remember us

Originally Posted by limerickman

Les Arc was the decisive stage for me - Luc LeBlanc winning the stage.
The start with pouring rain.
Stephane Heulot (FDJ) was having a terrible time in the Yellow and had to
abandon with tendonitis.
Bruyneel, if memory serves me well, went off the side of a ravine but got back up and cycled on.
Zulle had crashed.
Jalabert was feeling dreadful.
Indurain, who had been going well - bonked in the last 10 kms and lost
nearly 4 mins.

Ullrich was very strong for Riis throughout that TDF.
But Bolts, Zabel and Aldag also went very very well.
Telekom literally destroyed the field winning Yellow, Green jerseys and the overall team award too.
Riis was the stronger cyclist that year -

I watched Indurain slowly make his way up the Pyrennees that year.
The stage in to Pamplona was meant to be Indurains coronation.

Originally Posted by limerickman

Les Arc was the decisive stage for me - Luc LeBlanc winning the stage.
The start with pouring rain.
Stephane Heulot (FDJ) was having a terrible time in the Yellow and had to
abandon with tendonitis.
Bruyneel, if memory serves me well, went off the side of a ravine but got back up and cycled on.
Zulle had crashed.
Jalabert was feeling dreadful.
Indurain, who had been going well - bonked in the last 10 kms and lost
nearly 4 mins.

Ullrich was very strong for Riis throughout that TDF.
But Bolts, Zabel and Aldag also went very very well.
Telekom literally destroyed the field winning Yellow, Green jerseys and the overall team award too.
Riis was the stronger cyclist that year -

I watched Indurain slowly make his way up the Pyrennees that year.
The stage in to Pamplona was meant to be Indurains coronation.

Originally Posted by sopas

Actually Indurain got dropped on the last 4 kms. Until then he was as always in front on the previous climbs. Only after the Stage Indurain said he did not feel very good at the start of the last climb and still tried to hide his weekness by riding on front. He resisted sometime but 4 kms to go he cracked. I also remember before he cracked, Zulle ofered Indurain some water and Miguel refused, then he cracked and started to ask for water at the car. I guess he wished he had taken that drink.

Originally Posted by limerickman

Reading Samual Abt's "Pedalling for Glory" : Indurain told him that he bonked so hard that he could not remember cycling the last fours kms !

Indurain was in fact fined 10 secs for taking a drink in the final 10kms from a
car.

Originally Posted by Miguel_garcia83

indurain always said that his intention was attacking that day, and his weakness in les arcs was due to was too wrapped up in the first part of the stage, he sweated too much and he got dehydrated in the final climb in les arcs
he had this same problem in the giro 94, well that was what he said, in the stage in aprica, too much wrapped up climbing the passo de stelvio and got dehydrated and lost 3 or 4 minutes with pantani in the last 4 kms of the valico de santa cristina