Now, the American rider with the Phonak team is ready to make
his move.
"The Tour starts now," he said Monday, during a
rest day in the world's premier cycling competition. "I'm
still in contention, so I have to be pleased with that."
Hamilton is one of the main threats to Lance Armstrong's bid
for a record sixth straight Tour victory. Hamilton is 11th
overall after the eighth of 20 stages, 36 seconds behind his
former U.S. Postal teammate.
Hamilton stole headlines last year while riding with Team CSC.
He finished fourth overall despite riding most of the race with
a double break of his collarbone after being caught in a massive
pileup.
Just a week into this year's race, Hamilton flew off his bike
again, hurting his back and shoulder in another big spill.
"I was involved in the crash three days ago and hurt my
back pretty badly," Hamilton said. He has been receiving
treatment since. "I just finished doing some acupuncture on
my back."
He also was busy on his bike, taking a "leisurely"
2½-hour ride." Tour competitors normally like to ride
during a day off in order to maintain momentum and rhythm.
Despite his bad luck, Hamilton remains upbeat.
"If I had to grade this past week, I'd grade it A-plus
for teamwork, and C for luck," he said. "In the team
time trial we had four flat tires and a broken handlebar.
Something like that almost never happens and to finish second is
almost incredible."
A fierce climber in the mountains and a competent time-trialist,
Hamilton believes he could come into his element as the Tour
enters its more difficult stages.
"Right now, the time differences are really close
between the contenders," he said. "I believe the
upcoming stages will really show who is here to win the Tour de
France."
Tuesday's ninth stage, a 100-mile ride from
St.Leonard-de-Noblat to Gueret in central France, featured
climbs of about 2,300 feet – the highest hills before the
grueling Pyrenees appear Friday.
"There are nine climbs and no flat after the 20th
kilometer (12th mile)," said Hamilton, adding he expected
the stage to be difficult.
Looking ahead, he hinted that an aggressive, all-out attack
by the Phonak team could be the key to unsettling Armstrong and
his Postal team in the mountains.
"I don't want to give away secrets, but we have a lot of
strong riders on this team," Hamilton said. "Certainly
one tactic is to attack. I'm the leader, but I have a guy to the
right of me, Oscar Sevilla, who is riding incredibly well right
now.
"He's dangerous for all the contenders. If he goes up
there (in the mountains) early it's going to force the other
teams to chase."
