036. Armstrong Lindsay Ĺlub w Australii
edw 2003 02 s13
Pratchett_Terry_ _Dywan
Guy N Smith Sabat 3 Cannibal Cult
Asimov Isaac 3. Fundacja Nieznany
Captive in the Dark Roberts
Gabrielle Evans Moonlight Breed 2 By the Light of the Moon
Augustyn_Józef_SJ_ _W
Blackmailed Sister in law
Roszel Renee Czar jemioly
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
At the start line you could feel other riders in the peloton dreading the day. They dreaded the pain, and
you could feel the fear beat some of them before they ever pushed off. They murmured and hung their
heads in the rain and frowned at the weather. I felt ready. I announced to my teammates, This is a day at
the beach. Bring it on.
But that didn t mean it was easy. The terrible rainstorms didn t relent, and a tough Spanish rider named
Javier Otxoa surprised the field with a breakaway just 50 kilometers into the ride. He built a huge lead
that would last all day. None of us chased him, conserving our energy for the big climbs.
The long day wore on our legs, and my teammates dropped away, one by one. Up to that point they d
served almost like booster rockets, propelling me to the front. Now they were gone, and I was alone,
except for a handful of riders from other teams.
As we approached Hautacam, we d been on the bike for four hours, ridden 119 miles, and climbed two
mountain passes. Ahead was the last steep, monstrous climb, of eight and a half miles. It rose at a 7.9
percent gradient an average of 7.9 feet up for every 100 feet traveled.
I rode with Ullrich, Pantani, and Alex Zulle ofSwitzerland, who had been the Tour runner-up in 99 and
who might have beaten me, some said, if not for an unlucky crash early in the race. Also just ahead of us
were Richard Virenque of France, a wildly popular rider to his countrymen, and Fernando Escartin of
Spain. All of us were chasing Otxoa.
We reached the foot of Hautacam and Pantani stood up on his pedals and attacked. He swung to the
inside of the road and accelerated. Zulle immediately reacted and went with him . . . and so did I. For a
moment I struggled to keep up and thought,Oh no, I m toast . But Zulle tailed off, and I moved in front
of him. I settled into a tempo, fast enough to hurt anyone who wanted to keep up.
I checked over my shoulder, and Zulle was gone. Now it was me and Pantani. I had to be careful; it was
important to pace myself, because efforts on a mountainside were like gaskets, as Zulle had just proven.
We reached a slope I knew well, Pantani just ahead of me. I thought,All right, baby, I m gonna light
your ass up right here . I stood up and drove my feet down on the pedals. My bike leaped ahead of
Pantani s. Johan came on the radio and said, He s hurting. He s coming off your wheel. I glanced back
and saw him sliding away behind me. Another moment, and he lost contact with my bike altogether.
I swept up the hill. I hadn t just trained my legs for this push upHautacam, I d also trained my
expressions. I wanted the other riders to see strength in my attitude on the bike, because there was
something dispiriting about watching another rider move past effortlessly while you suffered. The only
giveaway to how hard I was working was the flaring of my nostrils.
By the time I crossed the line, I was the leader of the Tour de France. I d started the day in 16th place,
more than six minutes behind, and now I was in first.
Ullrich, Pantani, Virenque, Zulle, and Escartin were all at least seven minutes behind me at the finish.
Pantani, down by10:34, went to his trailer wordlessly and slammed the door. Virenque shook his head
and said, Armstrong came on us like an airplane.
There was one rider faster than me that day though: Otxoa. He had hung on to finish 42 seconds ahead,
and was the stage winner. I d managed to wipe out more than ten minutes of road between us, but I
couldn t close the final gap. I wasn t sorry; it was a great, courageous ride by Otxoa, one I applauded. I
had what I wanted, the overall lead and the yellow jersey.
It was a good day, a big day, and a day that had perhaps demoralized the other riders. Some said I had
blown the race apart. Walter Goodefrot, Ullrich s team manager, said, If Armstrong has no weak days
then he will win inParis. No one can fight him.
But the racewasn t over. Any of the big mountain stages could crack you, and the others wouldn t give
up until we sawParis. I d learned not to count on anything, and that night at dinner, I balked when Johan
asked if the team wanted some champagne. If we win inParisthere will be champagne, I said. Parisis a
long way off.
The truth was,I didn t know if I had another solo ride like that in me. Those efforts burned you up inside,
and you simply couldn t do too many of them. The other riders knew as much, and they would try to
isolate me and wear me out. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
