Pantani wins at l'Alpe d'Huez; Ullrich shines in yellow as field fades
By Andrew Hood
Outside Online correspondent

Marco Pantani also won this stage in 1995 (331k avi)

Ullrich left rivals gasping for air on the final climb to L’Alpe d’Huez high in the Alps and finished 47 seconds behind Pantani’s record time up the 21 steeply graded switchbacks on the Tour’s most storied climb.

Ullrich gained even more time during the 203-kilometer (122-mile) 13th stage and the 23-year-old German is turning the remaining eight days of the three-week Tour into a race for second.

"I took time on the main competitors and that’s the most important thing today,” said Ullrich, who moves more than six minutes ahead of second-place Richard Virenque (Festina). "Pantani was strongest today and I am happy that I didn’t lose too much time to him."

A day after blowing away the field in the Tour’s first time trial, Ullrich dropped French rival Virenque and defending champion Bjarne Riis (Telekom) when he followed Pantani up grades averaging 8 percent over 9 miles of climbing.

Virenque, who had designs on attacking Ullrich today, finished third at 1’27” back. Riis crossed the line one minute later in fifth place when the 33-year-old Dane couldn’t match the grueling pace. He remains in fourth place more than nine minutes back.

"Pantani set a rhythm very hot and I tried to follow, but I preferred not to go so hard," Virenque said. "At the end, it wasn’t such a bad day because I gained time on Riis and Olano, but Pantani gained 1’27” on me."

Tens of thousands of fans clogged the course, cheering on the racers as they hammered up the climb. When the peloton hit the climb, Pantani, Ullrich, Riis, Virenque, and Saeco’s Francesco Casagrande quickly moved to the front. Spain’s Abraham Olano finished 12th, more than three minutes back when the Banesto captain quickly dropped off the pace early in the climb. He falls to fifth overall more than 10 minutes behind Ullrich.

Casagrande and Riis were the first to drop back, and then Virenque faded when Pantani upped the tempo. Pantani pulled away from Ullrich for good with 5 kilometers to go and rode away to win the stage for the second time of his career.

Pantani also set a record for the climb, covering the 14.5km ascent in 37 minutes and 35 seconds.

America’s top climbers had another good stage, with two finishing in the top 25. Cofidis’s Bobby Julich finished 21st at 4’27” and teammate Kevin Livingston was 24th at 5’09”.

"I’ve been feeling really good, so I hope the form continues into the Alps," Livingston said Friday. "I’ve been training really hard and it’s important to make an impression during the Tour. I’m going to keep pushing and see what happens."

Julich and Livingston, both riding in their first Tours, were profiled in France’s L’Equipe sports daily Friday. Six Americans are in the field this year and all remain in the race.

Cédric Vasseur had some fan contact during his climb (362k avi)

Gan’s Chris Boardman abandoned early in the stage. Boardman, who won the opening prologue and wore the yellow jersey for one day, went down hard in a crash early in the Tour, injuring his neck and back.

Pantani’s win was an emotional one for the popular Italian nicknamed "The Pirate." Pantani won here in 1995 but missed the 1996 Tour when he broke his left leg during a horrible spill at the Milan-Turin race in late 1995. Pantani crashed again at this year’s Giro d’Italia and the 1994 Tour third-place finisher was in questionable form coming into this year’s race.

"This victory is even more beautiful than the last one because I worked so hard to come back," said Pantani, who moves into third overall at 8’24” back. "It’s very difficult to get back to the top level. What’s most important is that Pantani is the best again at l’Alpe d’Huez."

Sunday’s 14th stage is the shortest of the Tour, 148 kms (89 miles) from Le Bourg D’Oisans to Courchevel. There are two tough climbs before another climbing finish at Courchevel, a popular ski resort high in the Alps.

Stage 13 results

Andrew Hood is Outside Online's European cycling correspondent.