Thursday, July 24: Live updates from Stage 18
MONTBELIARD, France

175.5km

1:12 p.m. (local time):
After a slow start, several riders pop ahead on the cat-2 climb at 21 kms. Jalabert, Virenque, Casagrande top first. The peloton comes together again on the descent.

1:31 p.m. (local time):
At the lower sections of the cat-2 Grand Ballon at 61 kms, Laurent Jalabet (ONCE) pulls out. Several riders give chase and the peloton splits into two groups, with Telekom and Ullrich in the second group.

1:47 p.m. (local time):
Seven riders pull out of the main group, including Pantani and Virenque, with Ullrich and Telekom still in the back.

2:06 p.m. (local time):
Virenque attacks at 47 kms, while Telekom's Totsching works hard to pull back Ullrich.

2:15 p.m. (local time):
At 54 kms, Virenque, Pantani drop back to front group, with Telekom pulling up Ullrich 13 seconds back.

2:41 p.m. (local time):
At the top of the climb, it's Casagrande over first, followed by Jalabert, Virenque, Escartin, Jimenez, Boogerd, Roux, Pantani, Buenahora, Conti, and Vandenbroucke. Ullrich is with Telekom less than 30 seconds back.

2:53 p.m. (local time):
On the descent at 66 kms, five men pull ahead: Herve, Roux, Rodrigues, Vandenbroucke, and Guerini. Ullrich, Virenque, Pantani, and Bolts follow the attack as the peloton comes together on the descent.

3:01 p.m. (local time):
The situation is fluid in a very strange stage when all the big guns are attacking on a day when most expected them hold back. At the Col de Hundstruck at 85 kms, Virenque's group tops over first with Ullrich 31 seconds in arears.

3:17 p.m. (local time):
Bolts pulls Ullrich up to the Virenque group, with 10 riders out front 10 seconds, including American Bobby Julich (Cofidis).

3:22 p.m. (local time):
Didier Rous (Festina) peels off the front group as it splinters, with Julich, Guerini, and Madous chasing and the others falling back to the Virenque/Ullrich group.

3:26 p.m. (local time):
At 102 kms, Rous is 48 seconds ahead of the Julich group, 1'10" ahead of the first chase group and 1'17" ahead of the Ullrich/Virenque group.

3:49 p.m. (local time):
The peloton is midway up the day’s final climb — in fact, the last serious climb of the 1997 Tour de France — the cat-2 Ballon d’Alsace. Rous is 3'05" ahead of the Julich group of nine riders, including U.S. Postal's Jean-Cyril Robin. The Ullrich/Virenque/Pantani group is 1'15" behind Julich's group.

4:07 p.m. (local time):
Rous tops out on the col first, followed by the Julich/Robin group at 3'37".

Dufaux and Herve rode shoulder-to-shoulder over the col, another strong show of strength for the Festina team.

Bolts powered the Ullrich/Virenque/Pantani group at 4'40", 1'03" behind the Julich group.

It’s all downhill to the finish at 55 kms to go.

4:30 p.m. (local time):
Coming off the col, Rous is widening his lead to four minutes over the Julich group, and 5'40" ahead of the Ullrich group.

4:31 p.m. (local time):
At 40 kms to go, Rous is 4'05" ahead of the Julich/Robin chase group, while the Ullrich group is 6'05" back. In the lead chase group are: Dufaux, Herve, Madous, Robin, Nardello, Julich, Casero, Beltran, and Roux. With Ullrich are all the top riders, Pantani, Olano, Virenque and their supporting teams.

4:40 p.m. (local time):
Rous is still out 4'10" on the Julich group, and the peloton is at 6'40". With just over 30 kms to go, he could be gone and Festina could get yet another stage win.

4:46 p.m. (local time):
At 25 kms to go, Rous is 4'20" out on the Julich group, and 7'35" on the peloton. Barring disaster, Rous looks like he’s gone.

5:15 p.m. (local time):
At 20 kilometers to go, Rous is out 4'15" ahead of the Julich/Robin group. A group of four riders tried to peel off the front of the peloton, but fell back.

5:19 p.m. (local time):
Didier Rous of Festina won today's stage, followed by teammate Herve.