How the Riders Fared

The 93rd Tour de France concluded Sunday on the Champs Elysées in one of the most colorful spectacles in sport.

Team CSC played an integral role in the three-week, 20-stage circle around France. The team animated the Tour as it always does, going on the attack, winning stages and pushing riders high in the overall standings.

Here’s a look at how Team CSC’s riders fared in the 2006 Tour:

Bobby Julich – DNF, abandoned Stage 6: The veteran American crashed out of the first long time trial after breaking his wrist when he went in too fast into a corner early on the course. It was a major disappointment for Julich, who finished third in the 1998 Tour. He promises to be back later in the season.

Giovanni Lombardi – DNF, abandoned Stage 8: The veteran Italian was forced to quit the Tour as the race turned onto the steep roads of the Pyrenees with a crook stomach. Lombardi provided key support to Sastre in the first week, steering him safely through the treacherous sprints that dominated the opening run from Strasbourg to the Pyrenees.

Stuart O’Grady – 91st overall: The veteran Australian was poised for a run at the yellow jersey after a strong opening prologue, but he crashed hard in Stage 3 to break a vertebra. O’Grady suffered through several painful stages and later snuck away in a few breakaways as his pain resided. His arrival to Paris is a testament in pain management and capped his grit with third in the final sprint on the Champs Elysées.

Carlos Sastre – 4th overall: Stepped boldly into the role of team leader and never had a bad day during the entire three-week Tour. A solid first time trial and two good days in the Pyrenees pushed him into contention. Steady up Alpe d’Huez, Sastre went on brave attacks at La Toussuire and Morzine to pull within 12 seconds of the yellow jersey. A somewhat disappointing final time trial pushed him just off what would have been a well-deserved Tour podium finish.

Fränk Schleck – 11th overall: The 26-year-old had a fantastic Tour debut. Working into the decisive breakaway in Stage 15, Schleck attacked 2004 Giro d’Italia champion Damiano Cunego with two kilometers to go to win up Alpe d’Huez. Schleck later provided excellent support to Sastre at Morzine, helping to tow him up the early, steep approaches of the Joux-Plane climb.

Christian Vande Velde – 24th overall: The last rider selected to join the nine-man Tour team, Vande Velde got stronger as the race unfolded. The 30-year-old American provided key support in the mountains and, along with Schleck, was one of Sastre’s best helpers in the grueling mountain stages. He punched out late in the stage into Gap and nearly caught two attacking riders to finish third, his best career Tour stage result.

Jens Voigt – 53rd overall: The eternal attacker snagged a well-deserved stage victory after launching one of his trademark attacks on a blistering hot stage to Montelimar. Given the green light to go on the march, Voigt seemed to figure in just about every attack in the Tour’s transition stages. The 34-year-old German won the distinction of having the most kilometers on the 2006 Tour, riding 672 kilometers out of the Tour’s 3,600 kilometers – about one-sixth of the race on the attack.

Dave Zabriskie – 74th overall: Zabriskie came close to repeating his opening day victory from 2005 in the opening prologue at Strasbourg. He fell flat in the first time trial at Rennes, finishing a disappointing 13th, but he was sixth in the final time trial. Zabriskie later worked into a few breakaways and helped drive the chase to the base of the Alpe d’Huez and the Joux-Plane climbs to spring Sastre free.