Drama in store as Tour set to tackle first climbs

0 Comments | AFP, July, 2005

KARLSRUHE, Germany (AFP) — Lance Armstrong and his Discovery Channel team will be keeping a close eye on their main rivals for the Tour de France yellow jersey when the race heads over some potentially tricky terrain this weekend.

The race's eighth stage over 231.5 km - the longest in the race - is from Pforzheim in Germany to Gerardmer in France.

The next day, the real first climbs to feature on the race could give Armstrong's main challengers, Jan Ullrich and Alexandre Vinokourov, both of T-Mobile, the perfect opportunity to launch an attack.

While Saturday's stage is unlikely to keep Discovery Channel on their toes too much as it heads through the Black Forest towards the hilly Vosges region in France, Sunday's stage is much more treacherous.

It...