good god I love this mountain!!

Alpe Du Huez is out of control!  The race absolutely is exploding: Frank Schleck just destroyed Damiano Cunego, Floyd and Andreas are cooking up the slopes, Rasmussen came out of nowhere to help Menchov, and Evans has been dropped.  The crowd makes this stage insane.

Schleck just won the stage, a first for a Luxembourger!  I guess that Charlie Gaul didn't get the chance to fly in his day.
Frank made a very strange face for his victory salute...
Cunego is only 25, already has a Giro overall win under his belt, and nothing but a strong future to look forward to.
Landis is sprinting, but Garzelli takes it in front of Floyd.
Not bad for Garzelli considering he was alone several hours ago after the first mountain pass.
Now we wait for Oscar Pereiro to show.
Levi just peeked around the corner.
Frank is starting to weep as the sweet realization of an epic Tour win floods into his thoughts!
Floyd is back in yellow as the Spaniard comes in a few seconds shy of keeping the jersey.
Dessel had a great ride after dropping his chain at the beginning of the climb.
Here comes big George and Popo w/ the champion of Holland, Michael Boogard.
Popo looks a little shattered after that ride.

This is why the Tour is as grand as it is.  When the stage ramps up at the start of the climb I start to get chills.  It more than makes up for the ridiculous amount of sprint stages at the beginning.  That was nearly as fun as when Lance gave Jan "the look".  I love it when the stage feels completely out of control, when everything is in flux every moment of every switchback of the climb.  Add the amped, drunken crowds from all over the world and it feels like a World Cup final win from the bottom to the top!