Stage 13 - Albi, Individual time trial (54km)
COURSE: Similar to the first long time trial of 2003, when Lance Armstrong suffered from dehydration at Cap’Découverte, this long, hilly time trial on the edge of the Massif Central is likely to be contested in burning heat. The course leaves Albi to the east on long, straight roads that climb gradually to the first time check at Villefranche d’Albigeois (18km).
There it follows a sharp descent to the town of Ambialet (29km), where the riders turn left along the Tarn River valley before tackling the main climb (560 vertical feet in 3km) to the second time split on the Côte de la Bauzié (38.5km). The fi nal 15km is mainly downhill on a highway back into Albi.
HISTORY: Albi has hosted eight Tour stage finishes, the most recent in 1999, when Salvatore Commesso won from fellow Italian Marco Serpellini after a long breakaway.
The nearby Cap’Découverte time trial of 2003 went to Jan Ullrich ahead of Armstrong and Vinokourov. Albi is famed for its medieval, redbrick cathedral and is the birthplace of painter Toulouse-Lautrec. FAVORITES: Four years after his third place, Vinokourov injuries from a stage 5 crash have put him out of yellow jersey contention, but the Kazakh’s Astana teammate Andreas Klöden is now the favorite to win this 54km time trial. His most likely challengers are Discovery’s Levi Leipheimer and Predictor-Lotto’s Cadel Evans. Also expect some fast times from CSC’s TT specialists Fabian Cancellara and Dave Zabriskie.
