Stage 17: Alpe d’Huez

 

Alpe d’Huez is always exciting.  I drove up last night, through hordes of drunk partying fans.  It’s great not to have to spend 5 or more hours in traffic trying to get down the mountain after this stage.

 

Everything changed again in the race today.  Carlos Sastre from CSC attacked on Alpe d’Huez and managed to stay away the whole mountain, win the stage and the yellow jersey.  He’s enough ahead of his nearest rivals that if he has a good time trial on Saturday will win the Tour.  Frank Schleck is 1’24” behind, Bernard Kohl 1’33” and Cadel Evans 1’34”.  It will be exciting to see if any of them can make up that much time.  Christian Vandevelde was with the chase group up the mountain but has dropped back to 6^th place and is now 4’41” behind and unlikely to make the podium in Paris.