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Stage 17 Review

By Phil Liggett
This last day of the Tour de France in the Alps forced the leaders to cross swords and deliver their best effort on the road to the Grand Bornand, near Switzerland on the 17th
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Stage 17 Preview

By Phil Liggett
After an Alpine journey through three countries, the 17th stage of the Tour is completely in France...and in the Alps....all day. It is the most difficult day of the race this year and it is
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About Stage 17: Bourg-Saint-Maurice > Le Grand-Bornand

BOURG-SAINT-MAURICE
After Indurain lost the lead, the 1996 Tour continued with a time-trial that started in Bourg-Saint-Maurice. Russia’s Yevgeni Berzin, who had just won the Yellow Jersey, made the best time of the day on the 30.5 km stretch to Val d’Isère.

LE GRAND-BORNAND
This Haute-Savoie ski resort has already been the setting for two stage starts. In 1995 it is where Alex Zülle pumped himself up with energy to win the stage in La Plagne. In 1999 Lance Armstrong, who had just taken control of the Tour in the Metz time-trial, made a dash for Grand-Bornand, winning his second stage in a row in Sestrières. Five years later he won the stage that started in Bourg-d’Oisans.

Bourg-Saint-Maurice - Le Grand-Bornand, 169km

By Frankie Andreu
The mountains seem to be never ending and Stage 17 just continues to test the riders. Today’s stage has a jagged profile through the high mountains of the Haute-Savoie area. With five classified climbs the stage starts with a hard climb and ends with a harder one.
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City Facts
BOURG-SAINT-MAURICE
• 2-time stage-town
• Population 8,000
• County town of Savoie canton (73)
LE GRAND-BORNAND
• 4-time stage-town
• Population 2,202
• Town of Haute-Savoie (74)
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Lightning Lance

By Bob Roll
One of the most exciting days we have seen in a long time transpired today on the roads of the TDF provided by the attacking Schleck brothers and, of course, the terrain. 5 big
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Map My Ride Challenge

Confluence of Experiences

By Connie Carpenter
The climbing stage from Bourg Saint-Maurice to Le Grand-Bornand passes over 5 climbs of note before the descent and frenetic finish into the ski station of Le Grand Bornand.
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Newsflashes - Stage 17

17:24:10 - The New Top On General Classification

There has been a reshuffle of the top order of the battle for the yellow jersey. The new top five is:

1. Alberto Contador

2. Andy Schleck - at 2'26"

3. Frank Schleck - at 3'25"

4. Lance Armstrong - at 3'55"

5. Andreas Kloden - at 4'44"

17:21:40 - The Top Six In Stage 17

He's won at Alpe d'Huez and now Frank Schleck has celebrated another stage victory in the Tour de France. The top six in the 17th stage is:

1. Frank Schleck (LUX) SAX - 169.5km in 4h53'54" (34.603km/h)

2. Alberto Contador (ESP) AST at same time

3. Andy Schleck (LUX) SAX at same time

4. Vincenzo Nibali (ITA) LIQ at 2'18"

5. Lance Armstrong (USA) AST at 2'18"

6. Andreas Kloden (GER) AST at 2'27"

17:20:39 - Armstrong & Nibali With Kloden...

Armstrong and Nibali have caught Kloden just before the 'Flamme Rouge'... they are racing for fourth place in the stage but more important is the time differences for the "GC Guys...".

17:18:48 - Frank, Alberto, Andy...

Frank Schleck has won his second stage of the Tour de France. He beat Contador to the line in Grand Bornand.

17:17:51 - A Premier Stage Win For Andy...?

Of the three in the lead, Andy is the only one not to have previously won a stage of the Tour. Contador has won two and Frank one... they are now less than 1km from the finish...

17:16:32 - Andy Leading For Frank

Andy has been leading the front group for most of the descent. They are less than 2km from the finish. The brother of Alberto Contador - Francisco - told LeTour.fr over an hour ago that he thought the winner of the stage would be Andy Schleck but that he wouldn't take time on the yellow jersey...

17:14:59 - Kloden 2'00" Behind At 3km To Go

The fourth rider in the stage is 2'00" behind with 3km to go. Armstrong and Nibali are at 2'15".

17:13:16 - 5km To Go

Schleck, Schleck and Contador are inside the final five kilometers of the stage. One of this trio will win the stage unless something drastic happens. They are over a minute ahead of Kloden and Andy Schleck is likely to move up to second in the general classification.