More rain is expected Wednesday. Fifteen kilometers later, the race goes up the Col de Portet d'Aspet, where the tour suffered one of the worst experiences in its history when former team pursuit Olympic champion Fabio Casartelli of Italy crashed in 1995 while descending and hit his head on a wall. Casartelli was taken to hospital but died becoming the fourth fatality on the tour. Some 45 kilometers from the finish lies the Col de Port where in 1929 Victor Fontan who held the overall leaders yellow jersey crashed and lost the tour. The tour has never gone up to the Plateau de la Beille before.
Some riders probably think it is just as well.
Sports Illustrated and CNN have combined to form a 24 hour sports news and information channel. Reuters contributed to this report. A Time Warner Company. All Rights Reserved. Terms under which this service is provided to you.