News from the world of professional cycling. Let's start it off Crédit Agricole set to close its doors
Bernard Kohl becomes the latest name to get popped for CERA. http://www.velonews.com/article/84274 This brings the current tally to four with Ricardo Ricco, Stephan Shumacher and Leonardo Piepoli. Who else can we expect to see join these shamed riders?
Mabye this will finally convince riders that they can not dope and expect to avoid detection. I doubt it, but this is a step in that direction. On a more positive note, I think that it is simply a matter of time before Tyler Farrar wins a major classic.
Maybe the current economic crisis will finally convince large banks that they can not get make large profits from exotic security exchanges and not have a risk of loss.
Sucks about Kohl, but hardly surprising. I can hardly wait to see who else is going to get busted. Edit: Apparently, according to L'Equipe, Kohl is the last one from this year's tour to get busted.
USA Cycling released the NRC and there are some notable absentees. The former Rochester Twilight/Rochester Omnimum/ Tour of New York is missing. http://www.usacycling.org/news/user/story.php?id=3895
First, the Tour of Stuttgart and now the 2009 Tour of Germany. http://www.velonews.com/article/84351/german-tour-canceled-over-doping-furor
Maybe this is what cycling needs to do to get the message across to the riders. The more races that get cancelled means less advertising money which in turn impacts purse money. Take away their earning potential and see how they respond then.
I don't really see the connection here. Sure, there were some more positive tests, but how would that detract from the Tour of Germany? Were the organizers really concerned about a loss of sponsorship revenue? That's the only thing I can think of.
They couldn't find sponsor or a TV station to show the tour in Germany so far. Currently cycling is only slightly more popular than kicking puppies in Germany, I guess. See, DF - I don't even own a bike and I still came here .
Hey Alex. I also saw on another forum that ARD will not be doing live coverage of the TDF or any other bike race as well. Alex, correct me if I am wrong on that.
I think this goes back to T Mobile and maybe before that. I think the Germans are, as well as we all should be, really tired of the doping.
Yes, that's right. Team Gerolsteiner also folded this week (they would have next year anyway, but they decided to cancel the last few races of this year as well).
Well, I'm not really an expert, but as it seems Milram and a few "minor league" teams I have never ever heard about before.
That should be a very interesting route. The next to last day up Le Ventoux! The ride from Pontaliar to Verbier should be very interesting.
OK, so what's the opinion of this august group on the hardest climbs of the tour. I had always thought it was L'Huez, but I heard Chris Vandevelde say that L'Huez is not the hardest climb - it just has a big reputation. Although those days when they do Galibier, Croix de Fer and Huez have to be among the toughest on Tour. I've also heard that Ventoux might be the toughest because of its isolation from the rest of the mountains and the weird weather it draws. Any thoughts?
Stages for the 2009 Tour de France Stage 1 - July 4 - Monaco - Monaco, 15km (individual time-trial) Stage 2 - July 5 - Monaco - Brignoles, 182km Stage 3 - July 6 - Marseille - La Grande-Motte, 196km Stage 4 - July 7 - Montpellier, 38km (team time-trial) Stage 5 - July 8 - Le Cap d'Agde - Perpignan, 197km Stage 6 - July 9 - Girona (Spain) - Barcelona (Spain), 175km Stage 7 - July 10 - Barcelona - Andorra 224km Stage 8 - July 11 - Andorra-la-Vieille - Saint-Girons, 176km Stage 9 - July 12 - Saint Gaudens - Tarbes, 160km ● - July 13 - Rest day at Limoges Stage 10 - July 14 - Limoges - Issoudun, 193km Stage 11 - July 15 - Vatan – Saint Fargeau, 192km Stage 12 - July 16 - Tonnerre - Vittel, 200km Stage 13 - July 17 - Vittel - Colmar, 200km Stage 14 - July 18 - Colmar - Besanon, 199km Stage 15 - July 19 - Pontarlier - Verbier (Suisse), 207km ● - July 20 - Rest day at Verbier Stage 16 - July 21 - Martigny (Switzerland) - Bourg-Saint Maurice, 160km Stage 17 - July 22 - Bourg-Saint Maurice - Le Grand Bornand, 169km Stage 18 - July 23 - Annecy - Annecy, 40km (individual time-trial) Stage 19 - July 24 - Bourgoin-Jallieu - Aubenas, 195km Stage 20 - July 25 - Montélimar - Mont Ventoux, 167km Stage 21 - July 26 - Montereau-Fault-Yonne - Paris Champs Elysées, 160km