Tuesday’s Stage 3 was billed as the first major challenge in this year’s Tour de France. A 213 kilometer ride from Wanze, Belgium to Arenberg Porte du Hainaut, France, the route featured 7 different cobblestone sections, 4 of which appeared in the last 30 kilometers.
Lance Armstrong expected the worst, tweeting: “Going.To.Be.Carnage” to his Twitter followers last week.
While Stage 3 featured its share of crashes, one of which forcing out contender Frank Schleck (Saxo Bank), it was arguably not as treacherous as the rain-soaked stage the day before. Monday’s Stage 2 resulted in several serious crashes on the route from Brussels to Spa, sending several riders to the hospital. Christian Vande Velde (Garmin-Transitions) sustained two broken ribs and was forced to exit the race.
Although Armstrong suffered a spill on Monday, he stayed upright through the cobbles in Stage 3. However, a humble flat tire during the 6th patch cost Armstrong time. As a result, he dropped from 5th in the General Classification (GC) to 18th, 2:08 off the mark. Rival Alberto Contador (Astana) finished 9th in the GC, down from 7th after Stage 2.
Armstrong recognized that his hopes for an 8th tour victory were now in jeopardy. “It was bad luck,” Armstrong acknowledged. “They’ve dropped, no doubt. We’ve lost significant time.”
However, Armstrong is far from defeated. “It’s the nature of the sport,” he said. “Sometimes you’re the hammer, sometimes you’re the nail. Today I was the nail. I have 20 days now to be the hammer.”
By Robert Myre, staff writer
A lot of time to make up and few alliances considering other gc favorites already ahead of AC. What teams if any will work with LA to go on the attack.
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Hope after losing Frank that Andy Schleck & The Sax Team work w LA & The Shack.
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Damn it Lance! You can do it, man!!! YOU CAN DO IT!!!! GO LAAANCEE!!!
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Hope that TRS finds a tire that won’t go flat for future stages like this. It seems like adding a little bit of weight would be better than getting flats.
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Just want to say that Lance you are going to be fine and the time will be made up I believe in you.
LIVESTRONG brother LIVESTRONG.
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Like I said in a other post. I have not lost faith in Lance.
If you belive he can do it. Give me a Heck Ya.
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Where was the strong team that Radio Shack is supposed to have? Where is the well-oiled support machine that is supposed to be there when it is needed? Lance was isolated today and it took several minutes of valuable time just to get a new front wheel on his bike. Lance got little help trying to bridge back to the lead group. Only through his own sheer strength did he remain on the edge of contention.
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It’s a long race. Rain, flats, misjudgements, hubris, all can happen. I wouldn’t count out a 7-time Tour winner just yet.
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where the hell was the rest of lances team, like leipheimer and kloden. with those 2 lance should be able to do just about anything
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what happen to staying up front as a group and driving hard. and yeah where was levi and the team when armstrong got isolated? you guys lost it at the beginning of the race by wandering off in a bunch of directions. But you still can do it! SO JUST GO DO IT!!!!!!!!!!
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YOU ARE THE BEST MAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GO LANCE!!!! WE BELIEVE!!!!
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It the teams pulls this one off, the moment won’t be remembered as Lance getting nailed, it’ll be remembered as Lance hammering the nails out. It just shows you can hammer anywhere!
And “Robert Myre, staff writer” please don’t put “Lance” and “Slow” in the same headline, or even the same sentence again. Don’t even imply it again.
Let’s go ride together. I wanna’ drop your @$$!
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its very frustrating. even more frustrating these next few stages are flat because nothing will give. armstrong has no choice other than to attack first on this weekend mountain stages and jani should lead him out and stay with him in case another follows. leave it all out on the line. nothing to lose.
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Good one JMS * I agree. Robert U should be more creative than that. Now go ride w JMS as yor penance. JMS, burn him up.
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NEVER GIVE UP!
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