Le Tour de France [R]

Well folks, it's that time of year again.

Thought I'd kick this one off as it starts tomorrow.

News story is that Ullrich has been withdrawn by his team.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/cycling/5132320.stm

Given that information - who else is among the favourites this year?
Will Basso do it?
Darkhorses?
Who'll get the green jersey?
King of the mountains?

Also is it my imagination or is the Tour only going one other country (Belgium)? Usually there's a few more but looking at the map seems to suggest they're keeping it mainly French this year.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/cycling/5032946.stm

Main 'Le Tour' site

Re: Le Tour de France

It`s so damn sh**, sry, but this is so *******

I am absolutly angry and a bit sad cause Ullrich, Ulle like we in Germany call him, entertain us every year.

Ulle won`t be at the Tour, Schumi(Michael Schumacher) has only a very little chance to win the woldchampionchip and now all our hopes in sports are on the shoulders of our national team this afternoon. Press all your thumbs for us.

Re: Le Tour de France

I won't be pressing any thumbs for the Germans although I am a little miffed that Ullrich has been withdrawn.
There can't be too many years left in those legs.

Re: Le Tour de France

[someone should put a R in the title of the thread]

Yeeepie ! The Tour starts in Strasbourg this year ! I'm glad that the entire world will see the nice place I live in (even if, more precisely, I live in the valley).

Today, I saw two teams at training : Quickstep and Discovery channel. Right here ! For real ! Right on the road near my home ! I know this sounds like boyish enthousiasm but, well, it is boyish enthousiasm.

When I say "I saw two teams at training", in fact, it happened more like that :

- I saw a growing dot in the distance.
- I heard something like "swoooooooosh".
- I saw a fading dot in the distance.

Here is my rationale : everything is in the bike. Buy me that kind of bike, and I'll be zipping through landscape the way they do.

By the way, where are SueB and RobtheAggie ? I wanted to gloat at them : I'm in the right place, I'm in the right place, I'm in the right place !

Tour de France doping scandal, v2.006

HOLY KRONK!

This makes the Festina scandal look like a trip to the local CVS.

Thing is, what is really going on here?

* Has the International Cycling Union adopted World Anti-Doping Association regulations?

* Was this "ban" solely based upon the Spain investigation? Or is there some other evidence?

* Is simply associating with Dr. Eufemiano Fuentes enough to get one banned? What about retroactive bans, and for people named Victor Conte, Greg Anderson, or Brian Goldman?

* Are doping sleuths ultimately chasing shadows?

* What due-process rights are available under European Union laws? "Innocent until proven guilty" and all that rot?

Discuss.

Re: Tour de France doping scandal, v2.006

Ehhhh....get out and ride your bike. That's what I'm gonna do.

Re: Le Tour de France

Everyone get on your bikes! Watching the TdF is fun and all, but it's alot more fun to be on your road bike feeling the rush of wind and trying to emulate the riders. They are great inspiration to us recreational roadies.

Re: Le Tour de France

So, who's the favorite now? I guess the Americans and Vino, if he continues. Too bad about Basso, I thought this was his year.

Re: Le Tour de France

SHOCKED. SHOCKED, I SAY!

Doping scandal hits Tour

And in other breaking news, the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. Le Tour de Farce is more like it.

Re: Le Tour de France

I'll watch a bit, I like the scenery. I'm guessing that everyone is on dope - the races are now too long and the riders must all be doing it.

sucks, but I'll watch, then I'll ride, or vice versa

Re: Tour de France doping scandal, v2.006

This race is toast before one millimeter is pedaled, and confirms cycling is the dirtiest sport currently practiced on an organized level anywhere in the world.

Re: Le Tour de France

Well, perhaps it's a little too soon to judge all the riders who have been bumped from the tour...

I know Ivan Basso was removed from the tour by his Danish team CSC because of suspicions that he could be implicated and not because it by evidence has been proven to be a fact. (They seem to belive the name of his dog has been used as a cover-name in a suspicious phone call between doctors from outside the CSC team). Ofcause it's impossible for the riders to defend themself with so short notice and hardly even knowing any of the facts of this case themself.

As for the Tour, then ther are still plenty of very good riders left. Remember Danish Michael Rasmussen (the 'Chicken from Tollose' ) who last year won the Mountain classification in Tour de France (the Polka dot jersey) as the tour's best mountain climber ?. He also won Stage 9 and finished 7th in Tour.


Read the Tour news at his website at:
http://www.feltet.dk/michaelrasmussen/news.php
.

Re: Tour de France doping scandal, v2.006

OTOH...cycling is hella fun! Give it a try Paul.

Re: Tour de France doping scandal, v2.006

Cyclists just get caught
I believe that a whole lot of "OlympicWintergames-sports" are full of dopeys too. and athletics !

Re: Tour de France doping scandal, v2.006

Do you ppl actually understand how hard it is to participate in the Tour de France ??... I'm 110% sure it's the toughest sporting event on the planet...

Infact it's so inhuman physically demanding that it's impossible to finish the Tour without using some kind of drugs and getting special treatments both before and throughout the Tour. The difference being that some riders only use legal drugs, while other riders step over the line and use the illegal stuff.

It's however easy to understand that when you cant prepare for this kind of event without having to push your limits further than actual humanly possible and therfore need the use of some kind of drugs then the difference between legal and illegal perhaps become a bit blurry and a rider may find it very tempting or even ok to also use a few illegal drugs as well..
.

Re: Tour de France doping scandal, v2.006

I wonder how this will make people think of all the rumors/accusations surrounding Armstrong.

If Ullrich and Basso and Hamilton and Mancebo and (oh f-ck it...EVERYONE ELSE) was cheating, is it really plausible to think that he could have dominated them all for 7 years by being CLEAN?

That's even without all the many accusations by former assistants, teammates' wives, etc.

Ok. Let's talk about sports. Yesterday was the prologue : a 7.1 km individual time trial, urban setting, with a narrow track and many difficult curves.

1) Thor HUSHVOD (NOR-team Crédit Agricole) won the race in 8' 17'' (51.4 kph)

2) Georges Hincapie (USA-team Discovery channel) finished second (same time)

3) David Zabriskie (USA-team CSC) finished third (at 07'')

Just a few corrections ...

The name of the Norwegian is Thor Hushovd... and it's George Hincapie.

Jimmy Casper of France wins Stage 1 in a sprint. George Hincapie takes yellow. The stage is a bit overshadowed by a bizarre injury suffered by previous yellow jersey Thor Hushovd, apparently when hitting a spectator's big styrofoam hand. Here's hoping he can continue, but it doesn't look too good right now.

Yes, I've seen this. Stupid crowds are a major nuisance every year on the tour. Officials keep repeating : stay away from the riders, stay away from the riders, don't do anything that could distract or even injure them....

And every year it's the same : damn bloody morons who wave flags or their arms just in front of the riders, incredibly lobotomized idiots who throw cold water on them, terminaly dimwitted fools who run alongside the riders and sometimes even try to push them...

The police should have the right to shot at these people.