Tour "the best in years"

Twenty-four hours is a long time in the Tour de France, no more so than during the thrilling 2006 edition. On Wednesday night, a downcast Phonak team leader Floyd Landis conveyed his disappointment to the press after his Tour hopes had seemingly imploded along with his legs upon the final ascent of the day to La Toussuire.

A loss of over ten minutes had seen the 30-year-old race favourite plummet from 1st to 11th place in the overall standings, over eight minutes adrift of returning yellow jersey Oscar Pereiro.

When Landis attacked on Thursday's opening climb, the Col de Saisies, with over 120 kilometres left to race, his principal challengers all let the American go. Surely he couldn't last the distance, especially after Wednesday's breakdown? His cavalier actions were seen as the last-ditch hope of a desperate man on the ropes. How wrong.

Landis defied the odds and arrived at Morzine 5'42" ahead of CSC's Carlos Sastre after an astonishing display of brute stength, gritted determination and psychological expertise. The top three are now separated by just 30 seconds with Saturday's time-trial looking to be the race decider.

"That was unscripted," said a weary Michael Rogers of Landis' win on the finish line. "You can't plan for attacks like that. Congratulations. Wow... that was a super ride." The Australian's team-mate Andreas Klöden had been in line for a podium finish, but Landis' extraordinary resurrection has seen the German slip to fourth, over two minutes back.

Had Rogers ever taken part in such an exciting race in his career? "It wasn't very exciting for me today," he replied with a wry laugh, before adding: "No, it was exciting. Who expected Floyd to do that today? The race has been turned on its side. It was a good race for the viewers but not for the riders."

Ludwig concurred with Rogers, saying that the race had kept audiences gripped for the whole duration, despite taking its toll on the participants.

He said: "I think the riders don't like it that much because it's so fast and open. Obviously, the audience love it because it's such an exciting race. Sporting wise, it's been the best Tour in years."

Given the constant changes of script in this year's race, Ludwig was perhaps correct when he refused to agree that Landis had now wrapped up the race. The American is a superior time trialer than Pereiro and Sastre - both of whom he bettered by over a minute on the opening ITT in Rennes - while fourth-placed Klöden lost over 40 seconds to the renewed Tour favourite.

Making reference to the Tour's unpredictable nature, Ludwig said: "From what I see Klöden's over two minutes back but nothing is impossible on the Tour, especially this Tour. I don't think there is any logic between the first time trial and the second time trial of a Tour. So many strange things happen."

CSC directeur sportifs Bjarne Riis and Alain Gallopin praised Landis for his "sensational" ride on Wednesday, both mirroring the thoughts emanating from the T-Mobile camp by stating that the early attack was "unexpected".

The only rider for whom the turn of events came as no surprise was perhaps Landis himself, who told reporters after his first ever stage win on the Tour: "I don't think it was that much of a surprise. I told lots of people I was going to do it. I gave them a warning!"

What is certain is that the American has written himself into Tour lore as author of one of the most incredible come-backs in the history of the race.

After years of predictability during the Lance Armstrong era (with the exception of the gripping 2003 Centenary Tour), the protagonists of the 2006 edition have combined to make it a superb, unconventional and meandering spectacle.

From the fallout of Spanish doping scandal Operacion Puerto, to Oscar Pereiro's bizarre comeback in Montélimar, to the constant ups-and-downs of the Alps - the 2006 race, as Rogers says, could not have been scripted better. Difficult for the riders, mais bien sûr , but a real treat for the expectant public.

Fans have not seen the yellow jersey-wearing favourite crack in such dramatic fashion as Landis did on Wednesday since Miguel Indurain failed to follow Riis in the Pyrenees in the 1996 race.

Landis' subsequent comeback the next day was as unpredictable as it was astonishing, and the rider will be a deserved winner of the 2006 race. Provided he does not falter on Saturday, of course.