Landis Regains Yellow Jersey, Victory Awaits in Paris
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10 Monday 24th July, 2006 Landis regains yellow jersey, victory awaits in Paris by Jamey Keaten off just last year, when Lance Sunday’s ride could be the Armstrong completed his sev- most anticlimactic moment of loyd Landis’ wild ride enth and final Tour triumph. this unpredictable Tour, marked through France should end ‘’I could not be happier,’’ by Landis’ bizarre performance Fin the sweetest way possi- Landis said. ‘’It’s one of the best swings _ from despair to elation ble Sunday on the Champs- days of my life.’’ _ and news that he’s been riding Elysees - barring a crazy finale The Phonak team leader, who with an arthritic hip. and as long as his hip holds out. trailed former teammate Oscar Landis and Pereiro have taken In this TourdeFrance any- Pereiro of Spain by 30 seconds turns wearing yellow four times thing can happen. before the penultimate Stage 19, since Landis first won it in the With yet another stunning outpaced the Spaniard by 1 Pyrenees after Stage 11. Seven comeback in the final time trial, minute, 29 seconds in the race riders have worn the jersey this Landis reclaimed the famed yel- against the clock. time _ one short of the record. low jersey of the TourdeFrance Overall, Pereiro fell to second, ‘’Hopefully, I won’t give it leader Saturday along with a 59- 59 seconds behind Landis, while away again,’’ Landis said. ‘’But I second lead that should land him German rider Andreas Kloeden, do think it’s over now.’’ atop the victory podium in Paris. 1:29 back, pushed Spaniard Landis became an instant leg- The American would be pick- Carlos Sastre off the podium end among many cycling fans ing up where another Yank left into fourth. with his rage-fueled comeback Floyd Landis of the U.S., wearing the yellow jersey following the podium ceremony, kisses his wife Amber, after the 19th stage of the 93rd TourdeFrance cycling race, a 57-kkilometer (35.4-mmile) individual time trial from Le Creusot to Montceau-lles-MMines, France Saturday, July 22, 2006. Landis regained the overall lead in the TourdeFrance on Saturday by placing third in the final time trial, won by Ukraine’s Serhiy Honchar. (AP Photo/Bas Czerwinski) Thursday, when he won the last an incredible 30 seconds. American. of three Alpine stages to move Saturday’s time-trial was the The Tour got its first jolt on from 11th to third in the overall finishing touch. the eve of the July 1 start, when standings. Landis, who finished second prerace favorites Ivan Basso and After a strong ride Tuesday on in the stage 7 time trial, had Jan Ullrich, plus seven other rid- the famed L’Alpe d’Huez ascent been expected to do well. Pereiro, ers, were sent home after they to take the leader’s jersey for the sensing his lead in danger, mus- were implicated in a Spanish second time in the Tour, Landis tered a strong ride of his own, doping investigation. planned a conservative, finishing fourth and 1:29 behind Asked about those riders, Armstrong-like strategy. Landis. Landis got a bit short-tempered. That didn’t work out. It wasn’t enough. ‘’It was an unfortunate situa- Instead, he was forced to ride ‘’When the yellow jersey is on tion for all of us,’’ Landis said, all-out after nearly crumbling in the line, people get inspired,’’ ‘’and none of us in any way got Wednesday’s uphill finish in La Landis said. ‘’I think we all any satisfaction out of the fact Toussuire _ where he lost the learned a lesson in persistence.’’ that they’re not here.’’ lead and fell 8:08 behind Pereiro. Ukraine’s Serhiy Honchar An acolyte of Armstrong for The performance left him feel- won the time-trial, by dominat- three years on the U.S. Postal ing ‘’humiliation and depres- ing the field just as he had in the Service squad, Landis said that sion,’’ Landis said. A pep talk first time trial two weeks ago. stint was vital in learning how from five-time Tour winner and Honchar finished the 57-kilo- to ride to win and focus on a sin- cycling icon Eddy Merckx, the meter (35.4-mile) course from Le gle leader. father of his Phonak teammate Creusot to Montceau-les-Mines Landis, unlike Armstrong, Axel Merckx, helped. in 1 hour, 7 minutes, 46 seconds. speaks little French. He says his A once-in-a-lifetime ride - ‘’the Germany’s Kloeden was second, vocabulary consists of the words best performance in the modern 41 seconds back. Landis placed for ‘’beer’’ and ‘’coffee.’’ Still, his history of the Tour’’ according third, 1:11 off the winner’s pace. performance has endeared him to race director Jean-Marie Sastre, the other title threat, to fans, and he has made it a Leblanc - revived Landis’ sag- entered Saturday’s stage in sec- point to master one phrase - Floyd Landis of the US drinks water after he crossed the finish line of the 19th stage of the 93rd Tour de France ging chances. In his first Tour ond place. But he crossed the ‘’Merci beaucoup.’’ cycling race, a 57-kkilometer (35.4-mmile) individual time trial from Le Creusot to Montceau-lles-MMines, France stage win, Landis closed the time line 4:41 back of Honchar to drop Saturday, July 22, 2006. Floyd Landis regained the overall lead in the Tour de France on Saturday by finishing third gap from 8 minutes, 8 seconds to to fourth overall, 3:13 back of the (AP) in the final time trial, won by Ukraine’s Serhiy Honchar.(AP Photo/Bas Czerwinski) Garcia sets up Open Training the Trainers in Embilipitiya showdown with Tiger by Simon Hart at Hoylake 11th major title. Accompanied by Els and thousands of Play was brought forward by an hour at spectators, Woods reached the turn at Hoylake on Saturday to avoid predicted level par for the day and presumably grate- thunder and lightning but it was a deluge of ful that the weather forecast, which by then a different kind that took the 135th Open had been toned down from thunderstorms Championship by storm. to winds gusting up to 20mph, had turned A torrent of birdies from the clubs of out to be unduly pessimistic. Sergio Garcia, who went from five under to But if Woods was making solid if 11 under in a breath-taking outward nine of unspectacular progress, Els was strug- 29, has put a different complexion on this gling to hold things together, and only the fascinating tournament, ensuring a strong unerring accuracy of his putter kept him in European interest in today’s final round. contention. Not since Scotland’s Paul Lawrie won At the par-four seventh, the South at Carnoustie in 1999 has a European held African’s challenge looked as if it might aloft the famous Claret Jug. The red half of implode when he paid the price for using A. G. Ratnayaka (L) hands over over a rugby ball to participant Kalum Liverpool is well used to cheering on his driver by finding a gorse bush from the Mrs. Sunila Edirisingha (L) hands over a rugby ball to G. H. Menike, M-ii-CC, Spaniards and there will be plenty of sup- tee and having to take a drop. His third Udayakumara (R) of Gangeyaya Maha Vidyalaya, Embilipitiya. Saman Pallebedde Maha Vidyalaya, Embilipitiya (R). port for the 25-year-old as the tournament shot then came to a halt in a hideous spot Kularatne, Coordinator and Mrs. Sunila Edirisinghe, Principal, reaches its climax this evening. in a pot bunker but a brilliant up-and-down Embilipitiya Central are also in the picture. On Saturday, the crowd’s noisy reac- limited the damage to a bogey. tion to his birdie rush was more akin to a Jim Furyk appeared to draw strength Ryder Cup than an Open, and Garcia from partnering Garcia and, from five admitted the reception had given him under overnight, almost matched the goose bumps. Spaniard’s antics by finishing 11 under par. “It was amazing,” he said. “The crowd Also on 11 under is Angel Cabrera, was really pumping out there and really who will at least have history on his side cheering hard. I was getting the chills today. The last man to win the Open at every time I walked on to a green. It was Hoylake was fellow Argentine Roberto De fun to play in front of these beautiful Vicenzo in 1967. crowds.” As the third round reached its final Unfortunately for Garcia, who stages, Chris DiMarco was also making a announced his intentions by holing his move, encouraged no doubt by the knowl- nine-iron approach to the par-four first for edge that Woods was struggling to put an eagle two, he was unable to sustain the clear daylight between himself and the pace after the turn, managing only a single chasing pack. A birdie at the 16th put birdie over the back nine at the par-five DiMarco on level terms with Garcia at 12 18th for a seven-under-par total of 65. under with Els joining them later. It left him sharing the lead with Tiger Meanwhile, at the par-four 14th, Woods on 13 under par as he trooped off Woods contrived to turn a birdie chance The trainees are instructed by Priyantha Gunaratna, Technical Officer the 18th green but by the time he had com- into a bogey when his putt caught the edge SLRFU (R) and Saman Kularatna, Coordinator (L).