"A modern-day Hannibal"

Lance who?

When Landis attacked, however, he did so in a way designed to slap his rivals in the face. As the racers started up the 9.2-mile climb, whose roads have an average slope of 6.4 percent, Landis got all of his team members to go to the front of the pack and begin riding as fast as they could.

One by one the teammates expended all their energy and then dropped off. Then, when the pack had exploded behind Landis and his biggest rivals were struggling to keep pace, Landis rode off on his own.

“I was pretty sure they weren’t coming along,” Landis said. “Everybody thought that move was crazy.”

To most of his rivals, Landis was never to be seen again. Only a small group of riders that had broken away earlier glimpsed Landis as he caught and, eventually, left them behind as well.