Le tour

scribe · Posted: Fri Jul 27, 2007 2:39 am Post subject: Le tour

Any tour fans out there? Usually this time of year I am hovering around a television whereever we are working if not at home to catch each stage live. Then I follow the happenings online and watch the rebroadcast at night. duh

But all the doping has just made it impossible to invest myself too much in it this year. I was getting texts of Landis' monster stage last year....that is how bad it was for me. But gosh, it took the wind out me when he failed his drug test. Here I thought another American wouldn't win the tour for another 10-20 years and Landis stepped up big time. But alas, the roller coaster ride from Lance to Landis just ended at the bottom of the hill for me.
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tfm · Posted: Fri Jul 27, 2007 3:07 am Post subject:

I've satisfied myself that most of the big-money sporting events are fixed, at least here in the states. I haven't watched a Superbowl in years. Players who play well all year suddenly throwing interceptions? It's the sucker play. Actually, most things are fixed, but we won't talk about that.
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"This is cool."

Mars · Posted: Fri Jul 27, 2007 3:24 am Post subject:

I hadn't watched too much this year but I did watch the time trial a few days ago and thought it was pretty good. Then I heard about some doping today and found out there was a couple of related incidents that last couple of days. With the events of the last few years, I think the sport needs a major reorganization to bring some legitimacy back to the sport.

scribe · Posted: Fri Jul 27, 2007 11:51 am Post subject:

I agree. The big problem as of last season was they would only test the stage winner, the yellow jersey wearer (not sure), and two cyclists at random. With this situation there are guys that could ride for years and not get tested during the tour. Remember when Lance would let someone win the stage when there was only two of them? Some complained it was patronizing. I wondered if it wasn't about the testing. And I would HATE to believe Lance was doping.

It would be expensive, but I think they have to increase the testing to at least 20 percent of the riders each stage AND the top 10 during each stage AND the top 10 of the overall gc.
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Glgnfz · Posted: Sat Jul 28, 2007 6:07 pm Post subject:

yeah! i'm interested - i have written about 26000 posts in the biggest german forum and i ride about 7000-9000 km a year myself.

due to the doping problems (that i have known for 20 years, but who seem to be the main focus in today's professional cycling) my passion has a bit cooled down.

still i watch every race that's broadcasted on eurosport or on the other german channels.

so the big question is - will tomorrow's stage be a "tour d'honneur" or will evans' lotto team try to attack contador's discovery channel guys???

scribe · Posted: Mon Jul 30, 2007 3:54 am Post subject:

What a mess! I finally bothered to read up on this years tour in memoriam. Rasmussen was kicked out and Vino was kicked out as well! Rasmussen was in position to win it as well. What a mountain machine that guy is!

This year's race would have been perfectly interesting for me under normal circumstances. The Discovery team had two riders in contention finishing 1 and 3. I thought Discovery was folding after this tour? Levi seems to be progressing very well and should be a solid contender amongst the favorites next year. Finally, what is up with Cadel Evans? I didn't realize he was any good in the mountains. I figured he was purely sprinter.

What happened to Oscar Pereiro this year?
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scribe · Posted: Sun Jul 27, 2008 7:02 pm Post subject:

Anyone else watch this year? I really enjoyed this one.
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scribe · Posted: Wed Jul 08, 2009 12:29 am Post subject:

What an absolute treat this year! I feel like I am watching an archived Lance Armstrong run at the yellow, that I had previously missed.
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tfm · Posted: Wed Jul 08, 2009 4:39 am Post subject:

Sorry dude! I don't follow sports, let alone cycling. It's probably been twenty years since I watched a Superbowl.
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"This is cool."

Mars · Posted: Wed Jul 08, 2009 2:25 pm Post subject:

I've been watching some of the tour as well but I'm still mixed about Lance. I'm sure his return has only helped the popularity of the sport and the tour but I don't know that it has regained anymore credibility.

scribe · Posted: Wed Jul 08, 2009 11:14 pm Post subject:

He makes a lot of interviews and is generally pretty good at them. But any gaffe he might make sure does get a lot of press.

Unless you mean credibility in terms of doping? They are really hard pressing the doping controls this year. It used to be, a contender could nearly make it through the entire tour without being tested, if lucky.

My prediction this tour. Lance hangs tough and gets the yellow jersey on Friday. The team protects him with the jersey until the individual time trial on the final week. Contador takes it away at that time if he is truly the strongest rider. What a fantastic year!
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Mars · Posted: Sat Jul 11, 2009 1:27 am Post subject:

That was a pretty good stage today. I hope we get to see Contador and Lance battle it out on some mountain stage.

scribe · Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2009 2:12 am Post subject:

He just mowed by GC contenders in his own team who were working for him leading the pace. Kloden paid for that acceleration with at least a half a minute. If I were Contador's teammates, I'd make him fetch his own water bottles!
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scribe · Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2009 2:53 pm Post subject:

What coverage is providing the tour to you, Mark? Versus here, what used to be Outdoor Life Network. Phil Ligget and Paul Sherwin do most of the in-race commentary.
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Mars · Posted: Tue Jul 14, 2009 8:27 pm Post subject:

That sounds like the same coverage I get. We still have the Outdoor Life Network but there is the Versus logo on the bottom right of the screen( and OLN logo in the top right and then sometimes that granola bar sponsor in the top left).

scribe · Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2009 8:52 pm Post subject:

Armstrong is a mega-mental tactician in the media. He is daring his
other-team GC opponents to attack in the final week. He knows he needs them to follow Contador across attacks. Check out this quote to the other riders....

scribe · Posted: Fri Jul 17, 2009 11:08 pm Post subject:

Leipheimer is out. That is a big blow to Lance's chances as he would have been the most likely lieutenant for Lance on Mont Ventoux.
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