Go Floyd!

[gridlore]

Landis Regains Yellow Jersey at Tour

American Floyd Landis regained the overall lead in the Tour de France on Saturday, likely assuring him the title Sunday in Paris.

The race against the clock, won by Ukraine's Serhiy Honchar, shaped up as the decisive stage in one of the most topsy-turvy Tours in years.

"I am very lucky," said Landis, who's poised to become the third American to win the Tour barring a disaster Sunday.

Landis reclaimed the leader's yellow jersey from Spain's Oscar Pereiro, who started Saturday's individual time trial with a thin 30-second lead over the Phonak team leader, who moved up from third place overall.

Pereiro, fourth in the stage, is now second overall, 59 seconds behind Landis.

Honchar, like he did in the seventh stage time trial, dominated the 35.4-mile course from Le Creusot to Montceau-les-Mines, finishing in 1 hour, 7 minutes, 46 seconds. German rider Andreas Kloeden was second, 41 seconds back. Landis placed third, 1:11 off the Honchar's pace. Pereiro was 2:40 behind.

Kloeden's strong ride Saturday moved him from fourth overall to third, dropping Spain's Carlos Sastre to fourth. Sastre crossed the line 4:41 behind Honchar.

Coming into the stage, Honchar was more than 1 hour, 51 minutes off Pereiro's pace and presented little threat for the overall race contenders.

This is amazing. Americans are becoming the dominant force in tour riding; especially in those events that feature mountains. Slowly, quietly, we've taken over what was a European sport. And Floyd Landis? Unbelievable. Here is a guy who is going to get hip-replacement surgery after the Tour ends. Friends report he cannot walk three blocks without pain. He is literally riding on dead bone. But that's not all! After a disastrous stage that saw him drop from the overall lead to an 11 minute deficit (which is death in these events) Landis decided to gamble and took the last mountain climb as a solo breakaway. This simply is not done! Breaking away from the peleton to ride the entire course as a sprint? Inconceivable! Yet it worked, he moved up to 3rd, and today took a lead that barring an accident, will see him riding down the Champs-Élysées with a glass of champagne.

The French will of course scream bloody murder and claim that there is no way that Floyd could have won without cheating. Perhaps Zidane will run out and head-butt Landis as he reaches the finish line...