Floyd Landis became acquainted with that feeling Wednesday during the 16th stage of the Tour de France.

A late-stage breakdown may have doomed the Farmersville native's chances of winning professional cycling's most prestigious race.

"I think he bonked," said Mike Farrington, a longtime cyclist and owner of Ephrata's Green Mountain Cyclery. "In his final climb, he went from 80 RPMs to 40. It almost brought me to tears. You could tell he was hammered."

Ruoff said, "He looked like death. His face was pale gray."

After performing brilliantly during the Tour's first 15 racing days, Landis Wednesday slipped from first place to 11th. He is eight minutes and eight seconds off the lead with three days of serious racing left. Sunday's final stage is more like a casual ride to Paris.

"I don't expect to win the Tour at this point," Landis, a 1994 Conestoga Valley High School graduate, told the Associated Press after Wednesday's stage. "It's not easy to get back eight minutes."

A combination of malnutrition and basic fatigue can often lead to a "bonking," which is "like a turn-off switch," according to Farrington.

"In eight and a half kilometers (5.3 miles), he lost eight minutes," Farrington said.

Riders in the Tour de France can burn up to 10,000 calories per day, making their diets a major concern.

"That's one of the big challenges; you are constantly looking for calories," Ruoff said. "You eat whatever you can."

Landis started tiring at the worst possible place -- the base of a mammoth Alpine peak, La Toussuire.

Landis' lack of support from his team, Phonak, also led to the meltdown.

Pacing the captain (Landis), providing wind resistance and relaying refreshments are essential chores of a cycling team. When the going got tough Wednesday, Landis had none of those luxuries.

"He didn't have a whole lot of help from his team," Farrington said, "so he rode himself into the ground."

Landis was so worn out by the end of the stage that his teammate, Axel Merckx, caught up to him and provided guidance to the finish. Phonak's team captain was in serious discomfort as the pair crossed the finish line.

Landis' ruined hip didn't appear to be an issue. Several experts, including Landis' coach, Robbie Ventura, felt the injury played no part in Landis' collapse.

There is still a lot of racing left, but the time to mount a comeback is today. Friday and Saturday's stages are both relatively flat rides. Recovering substantial time then will be nearly impossible. Today's stage includes the event's final climbs and will likely identify the Tour winner.

Despite Landis' post-stage disappointment, his local supporters remain optimistic.

"If he's not totally burned out, he could come back strong," Ruoff said. "But he will have to come back super-strong."

Farrington said, "It's not going to be easy, but Floyd has never taken the easy way. He has to have the ride of his life."

The Associated Press contributed to this report. blog comments powered by Disqus