The 2003 Tour de France in the French Alps
Tour de France Stage 9 - Monday 14th July : Bourg d'Oisans - Gap ( 184,5 km )
Profile : The riders warmed up on the Col du Lautaret before the Col d'Izoard and an undulating route to Gap.
Stage Detail : July 14th was Bastille Day in France, a national holiday and a day when any French rider would have been particularly motivated to win. The stage starts in Bourg d'Oisans, a small town at the foot of Alpe d'Huez before they climb back to the Col du Lautaret. The climb is never steep but 1,300 metres of vertical climbing was enough to split the peleton and leave some riders behind.
From the Lautaret, the riders descended through Serre Chevallier and Briancon and started to climb to the Col d'Izoard. A 1000 metre vertical climb to 2,360 metres with the steepest part of the climb over the last half. The scenery around the Col is unlike any other that you will see in the Alps with eroded cliffs, rocks formations that have been carved out by the elements. The most famous section is called the Casse Desert and this can be found two kilometres from the summit on the southern side of the Col d'Izoard.
Once the road leaves the trees, ten kilometres after the Col, the descent is one of fastest in the Alps with long and open straights and often a strong tailwind. The riders then descended for 60 kilometres, passing though Embrun and past the pretty Lac du Serre Poncon before the Côte de Saint-Appolinaire, and then the Côte de la Rochette just outside Gap.
| Climb Name | Distance into Stage | Details |
| Col du Lautaret | 38 km | 25 km climb at 4% |
| Col de l'Izoard | 86 km | 19.5 km climb at 5.9% |
| Côte de Saint-Appolinaire | 156 km | 6.7 km climb at 7.4% |
| Côte de la Rochette | 176 km | 4 km climb at 6.7% |
Best view points : The top of the Col d'Izoard and the finish in Gap
|
1
|
Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz) | Team Telekom | 5.02.00 (36.65 km/h) |
|
2
|
Paolo Bettini (Ita) | Quick.Step-Davitamon | @0.36 |
|
3
|
Iban Mayo (Spa) | Euskaltel-Euskadi | @0.36 |
|
4
|
Lance Armstrong (USA) | US Postal-Berry Floor | @0.36 |
|
5
|
Jan Ullrich (Ger) | Team Bianchi | @0.36 |
|
6
|
Ivan Basso (Ita) | Fassa Bortolo | @0.36 |
|
7
|
Georg Totschnig (Aut) | Gerolsteiner | @0.36 |
|
8
|
Francisco Mancebo (Spa) | iBanesto.com | @0.36 |
|
9
|
Haimar Zubeldia (Spa) | Euskaltel-Euskadi | @0.36 |
|
10
|
Tyler Hamilton (USA) | Team CSC | @0.36 |
General classification
after stage 9
|
1
|
Lance Armstrong (USA) | US Postal-Berry Floor | 40.15.26 |
|
2
|
Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz) | Team Telekom | @0.21 |
|
3
|
Iban Mayo (Spa) | Euskaltel-Euskadi | @1.02 |
|
4
|
Francisco Mancebo (Spa) | iBanesto.com | @1.37 |
|
5
|
Tyler Hamilton (USA) | Team CSC | @1.52 |
|
6
|
Jan Ullrich (Ger) | Team Bianchi | @2.10 |
|
7
|
Ivan Basso (Ita) | Fassa Bortolo | @2.25 |
|
8
|
Roberto Heras (Spa) | US Postal-Berry Floor | @2.28 |
|
9
|
Haimar Zubeldia (Spa) | Euskaltel-Euskadi | @3.25 |
|
10
|
Denis Menchov (Rus) | iBanesto.com | @3.45 |
The Photos - taken on Col d'Izoard
;) |
The break climb the Col d'Izoard, led by the Italian Danilo Di Luca. The other riders were Ivan Parra (Kelme), Alberto Lopez Munain (Euskaltel-Euskadi ), Aitor Garmendia (Team Bianchi ), Angel Casero (Team Bianchi ), Franco Pellizotti (Alessio) and Jorg Jaksche (ONCE-Eroski ). |
;) |
The Spanish iBanesto.com rider, Juan Miguel Mercado, on the Col d'Izoard. Mercado would be eighth over the Col and finish 49th on the stage. |
;) |
The Yellow Jersey, Lance Armstrong, is surrounded by his US Postal-Berry Floor team. |
;) |
The Australian Stuart O'Grady on the Col d'Izoard. |
;) |
The Green Jersey, Australian FDJeux.com rider Baden Cooke on the Col d'Izoard. |
;) |
The Australian riding for the Lotto Domo, Robbie McEwen on the Col d'Izoard. |
Stage Seven of the 2003 Tour de France - Stage Eight of the 2003 Tour de France
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