The 2004 Tour de France’s route was announced this morning in Paris. Very, very interesting. No individual time trial until Stage 16 and it is going to be incredible – an uphill time trial on Alpe d’Huez. The day after Mount Ventoux. And three days later a 56 KM individual time trial over rolling roads. I am farklempt!
The Route:
Prologue - July 3: Prologue Liege
Stage 1 - July 4: Liège-Charleroi
Stage 2 - July 5: Charleroi-Namur
Stage 3 - July 6: Waterloo - Wasquehal
Stage 4 - July 7: Arras - Cambrai
Stage 5 - July 8: Amiens - Chartre
Stage 6 - July 9: Bonneval - Angers
Stage 7 - July 10: Chateaubriand - Saint Brieuc
Stage 8 - July 11: Lamballe - Quimper
July 12: Rest Day: Transfer to Limoges
Stage 9 - July 13: St Leonard de Noblat - Guéret
Stage 10 - July 14: Limoges - St Flour
Stage 11 - July 15: St Flour - Figeac
Stage 12 - July 16: Castelsarrasin - La Mongie
Stage 13 - July 17: Saint Gaudens/Lannemezan - Plateau de Beille
Stage 14 - July 18: Carcassonne - Nimes
July 19 - Rest Day: Transfer to Nimes
Stage 15 - July 20: Nimes - Mt Ventoux
Stage 16 - July 21: Bourg d'Oisans - Alpe d'Huez ITT
Stage 17 - July 22: Courchevel - La Plagne or Le Grand Bornand
Stage 18 - July 23: Annemasse - Lons le Saulnier
Stage 19 - July 24: Besancon - Besancon ITT
Stage 20 - July 25: Melun - Paris
2004 Tour de France
Cyclingnews.com had Stage 15 incorrect. It does not end on Mt. Ventoux, rather its goes from Valréas - Villard-de-Lans with 7 major climbs, but no HC ones.
Farklempt??
..or just not denoted as such?
"Que veut dire en anglais le mot ""farklempt""?"
Farklempt: Yiddish - Too emotional to talk; Ready to cry.
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If Vinokourov rides with him next year, he won’t have the excuse of being on an inferior team. Jan seems to be getting comfortable finishing second; it will be interesting to see if he’ll have what it takes next year. Time and the opportunity to beat LA are running out.
The short list of ‘reasons’-
-Knee injury one year
-Morphs into 'El Gordo' during the off season
-Testing positive for Happy meds
-Wet roads for the final ITT this year
-Sandra Bullock doesn’t fancy him
-Bianchi won’t give him his Euros
LA – ""Seven is not out of the question if I wins next year""- Translation- ""Bring It On!""
""You like apples?"" –How’s about them Carbon fiber ball(s)!
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