Thursday, July 20, 2006
More Alps, more abandonments
Stage 17: More riders who have turned their last pedal-stroke in support of their team leaders in the 2006 Tour de France:
Jose Rujano, a Venezuelan rider for Quickstep-Innergetic, did not start. He was 13th in the young rider competition.
Martin Perdiguero, a Spanish rider on the Phonak team, was the first of their team to abandon. He was in 145th position in the General Classification. He didn't quit, however, until he successfully launched his team leader Floyd Landis off the front of the peleton in the first climb.
Juan Miguel Mercado, the Agritubel rider and winner of the tenth stage which finished in Pau, standing 50th in the General Classification, withdrew on the road today.
Jose Angel Gomez Marchante, a Spanish rider on Saunier Duval, 60th overall in the general classification, also abandoned on the road.
We are down to 143 riders.
I'd like to tell the tale of every one of these abandonments - each one tells a story - but with all the other action up front in the Tour this year, the details of the other riders haven't been covered much in the international press. I'll keep working on digging up the details and adding them as I learn anything.
Jose Rujano, a Venezuelan rider for Quickstep-Innergetic, did not start. He was 13th in the young rider competition.
Martin Perdiguero, a Spanish rider on the Phonak team, was the first of their team to abandon. He was in 145th position in the General Classification. He didn't quit, however, until he successfully launched his team leader Floyd Landis off the front of the peleton in the first climb.
Juan Miguel Mercado, the Agritubel rider and winner of the tenth stage which finished in Pau, standing 50th in the General Classification, withdrew on the road today.
Jose Angel Gomez Marchante, a Spanish rider on Saunier Duval, 60th overall in the general classification, also abandoned on the road.
We are down to 143 riders.
I'd like to tell the tale of every one of these abandonments - each one tells a story - but with all the other action up front in the Tour this year, the details of the other riders haven't been covered much in the international press. I'll keep working on digging up the details and adding them as I learn anything.
