tonym Posted July 6, 2004 Report Posted July 6, 2004 So is Armstrong gonna get his sixth or will he be blitzed by Ullrich? Who will break a clavicle on today's cobbles? How many stages (if any?) will Pettachi win? A bit of opinion into the drama, controversy and spectacle that is the Tour de France would be great. I've watched many over the years and my enthusiasm for the event has waned, not because of the high profile doping debacles but I just enjow watching the one day events more. Plus, watching someone who obviously 'recovers' better than everyone else just hang in there day to day doesn't grab me anymore. I hope this year there will be some great 'exploit' or drama; like when Fignon attacked on a daily basis (in Yellow!) during the 1989 event. Delgado turning up late for his prologue start the same year. Riis riding '8 miles high'. Ullrich's enthusiasm in '97 which brought back memories of Fignon's (agin) first win. Here's hoping. Quote
brownie Posted July 6, 2004 Report Posted July 6, 2004 (edited) Haven't worked an interest in the 2004 Tour yet. I am tired of those Lance Armstrong victories. I will be mean and hope he does not make it. But Ullrich was not really impressive in the time lap. I have been invited to join colleagues and will be insinuating myself in the caravane for Thursday's stage to Chartres. Weather permitting (there's talk of rain in northern France that day) I will at least have fun with that hard-working crew. They work and I have a good time! That's my plan anyway! Edited July 6, 2004 by brownie Quote
David Ayers Posted July 6, 2004 Report Posted July 6, 2004 I will be following the Tour, if not watching too much as on the TV channels I have there is only one hour a week of coverage. The changes to the race since last year (no first week TT, limit to time loss in TTT, mountain TT) seem designed purely to make it harder for Armstrong to win. I have doubts about the L'Alpe d'Huez TT because I fear that the crowd might not be properly penned back. I am hoping for a good showing from Jan Ullrich. Quote
Clunky Posted July 6, 2004 Report Posted July 6, 2004 Is there anywhere you can see the route planned, I'm off shortly to the Mount Ventoux region of Provence ( not a good spot for a certain british cyclist- I gather). I wondered if it might be passing close by? Quote
Claude Posted July 6, 2004 Report Posted July 6, 2004 (edited) http://www.letour.fr/2004/presentationfr/parcours.html http://www.letour.fr/2004/us/index.html For detailed schedule of every stage, select the stage on the left pulldown box and then "Route" on the right side Edited July 6, 2004 by Claude Quote
brownie Posted July 6, 2004 Report Posted July 6, 2004 Is there anywhere you can see the route planned, I'm off shortly to the Mount Ventoux region of Provence ( not a good spot for a certain british cyclist- I gather). I wondered if it might be passing close by? The Tour de France avoids the Mont Ventoux this year. Valreas at the start of lap 15 on Tuesday July 20 is not too far. But if you care to watch the Tour and are in the Alps area, suggest you try and go to L'Alpe d'Huez on the following day. That should be the decisive stage of this year's Tour. Quote
brownie Posted July 15, 2004 Report Posted July 15, 2004 Lemond in Le Monde today. Lemond accuses Armstrong PARIS (AFP) - Triple winner Greg LeMond has queried whether five-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong is as clean as he claims. LeMond, the first American to win the Tour, says just because Armstrong has never tested positive for banned substances does not necessarily prove he is not using drugs. "Everybody says that. But neither had David Millar tested positive and he now admits he took EPO," LeMond told Le Monde daily. World time-trial champion Millar admitted to a French judge two weeks ago he had used the banned blood-booster erythropoietin (EPO). As world time-trial champion and a three-time stage winner in the Tour de France, Millar is cycling's most high-profile casualty of a police drugs investigation since the Festina scandal of 1998. The 27-year-old was the ninth Cofidis team member to be placed under investigation in a police inquiry, which began in January after the arrest of a young Polish professional, Marek Rutkiewicz, at Charles de Gaulle airport. "The problem with Lance is that you're either a liar or you're out to destroy cycling," said LeMond who won in 1986, 1989 and 1990. "Lance is ready to do anything to keep his secret but I don't know how long he can convince everybody of his innocence." Last week Armstrong lost an appeal against a ruling denying him the right to insert a denial against accusations of doping published in a book released last month. The book "L.A. Confidential: The Secrets of Lance Armstrong" by award-winning Sunday Times journalist David Walsh and Pierre Ballester, a cycling specialist formerly with French sports daily L'Equipe, alleges he used banned drugs. The book focuses on statements attributed to Emma O'Reilly, a physiotherapist who worked with Armstrong from 1998-2000. O'Reilly claims Armstrong used the banned blood booster erythropoietin (EPO). Armstrong has never tested positive for banned substances and has always strenuously denied taking any such products. With French champion Thomas Voeckler still in the lead after the 11th stage, Armstrong is expected to strike in the next two stages through the Pyrenees mountains. Quote
Hardbopjazz Posted July 16, 2004 Report Posted July 16, 2004 Is the tour now at the point where the riders will start climbing? I think the standings will change very soon. How many stages are climbing the mountains? Does anyone know? Quote
brownie Posted July 16, 2004 Report Posted July 16, 2004 Today is the 12th stage. The 197-kilometer ride includes the ride up the Col d'Aspin and the ride up to the finish line at La Mongie. Tomorrow will be the second pyrenean mountain stage. Then from the 15th to the 18th stage (July 20 to July 23) there will be the Alps stages. Final stage to Paris is Sunday July 25. If you can watch the Tour live on TV, they will hit the climb up to Col d'Aspin within the next hour. Should be a great show! Quote
tonym Posted July 16, 2004 Author Report Posted July 16, 2004 Voeckler did a sterling ride today to keep the jersey. Unfortunately the action on the last climb seemed unbearably routine. Quote
brownie Posted July 16, 2004 Report Posted July 16, 2004 And Lance Armstrong has no worthy opposition! He probably will win the Tour once more. But that won't be a glorious victory! Quote
BERIGAN Posted July 16, 2004 Report Posted July 16, 2004 And Lance Armstrong has no worthy opposition! He probably will win the Tour once more. But that won't be a glorious victory! Brownie, I REALLY have wanted to believe that Armstrong was too smart after nearly dying of Cancer to risk drugs, but I have to admit it looks bad for him...you have posted story after story, and where theres smoke, there's fire even Lemond has been badmouthing him...Now, that doesn't mean that if the press is breaking into his hotel rooms, that is right... take a look at this photo(don't know how long it will last) does this look like a "healthy" person to anyone??? Quote
brownie Posted July 16, 2004 Report Posted July 16, 2004 Brownie, I REALLY have wanted to believe that Armstrong was too smart after nearly dying of Cancer to risk drugs, but I have to admit it looks bad for him...you have posted story after story, and where theres smoke, there's fire even Lemond has been badmouthing him...Now, that doesn't mean that if the press is breaking into his hotel rooms, that is right... take a look at this photo(don't know how long it will last) does this look like a "healthy" person to anyone??? Berigan, I have posted often enough about what I thought of Lance Armstrong and what he wants to remain his secret world BUT the photo you joined just shows how unhealthy it is to try to beat the competition in a mountain stage. I would not take it as proof of anything. It just shows a competitor in action during one of the very most physically demanding experience. Drugs or not, my hat is off to anyone who makes it to the finish line. Even his next Tour win is not a glorious victory, Armstrong is an impressive rider. Wish he had stronger competition. Wish there was an Eddy Merckx or a Jacques Anquetil or a Luis Ocana around to enliven the race... But I'll be watching tomorrow's next mountain stage and hope the weather will be better than today so that the helicopters will be allowed to fly over the riders and show how beautiful the French countryside can be! Quote
tonym Posted July 16, 2004 Author Report Posted July 16, 2004 I think people would just have a bit more time for him if he could at least bookend his Tour wins with a Leige - Bastogne - Leige and a late season win for example. Most classic rides in Tours over the years have come from riders who've also added some other palmares to their season. Quote
clifford_thornton Posted July 16, 2004 Report Posted July 16, 2004 The thing is that riders in the back of the pack use EPO, etc. just to hang on in the race. It's not a drug that makes you 'win', but helps you survive a stage race. I had friends in cycling who used to race in Europe, and even the single-day events one felt the need to use stuff just to stay in the pack. Lance is using shit, as is the peloton -- it's one of the not-so-secrets of the cycling world. I hope JU wins it this time around. Armstrong needs to go back to the ranch with Sheryl Crow and chill out for a while! Quote
couw Posted July 17, 2004 Report Posted July 17, 2004 I think people would just have a bit more time for him if he could at least bookend his Tour wins with a Leige - Bastogne - Leige and a late season win for example. Most classic rides in Tours over the years have come from riders who've also added some other palmares to their season. true Quote
brownie Posted July 17, 2004 Report Posted July 17, 2004 It's the 13th stage today, the second Pyrenean mountain stage. The weather is glorious. French rider Thomas Voelcker who has been the Tour leader for eight stage will lose the yellow jersey today. Lance Armstrong will take overall leadership in the next few hours. Not much of a surprise.Doubt that the Tour will be very exciting after this! Quote
Soulstation1 Posted July 22, 2004 Report Posted July 22, 2004 armstrong is kickin' some serious ass.... i don't follow cycling at all, but seen him kick some booty the past few nights on sportscenter. ss1 Quote
brownie Posted July 22, 2004 Report Posted July 22, 2004 The only surprise in this year's Tour de France is that Thomas Voelcker managed to maintain a 22-second lead on Lance Armstrong before the Alpine stages. Now Armstrong is wearing the yellow jersey with no serious opposition in sight. Heard on the radio that some German 'fans' spit on him during the timetrack ride up to l'Alpe d'Huez. Totally disgracious! No matter what one may think about some aspects of Armstrong's achievements (and I have voiced enough) the man is at the top of this sport. Now that he is on his way to clinch his sixth Tour de Franced victory, hope he will notice that the TdF is not the only cycling competition worth winning! Quote
Stefan Wood Posted July 22, 2004 Report Posted July 22, 2004 Is the Olympics the next big race? Or is there a World Championship race later in the year -- I'm pretty clueless about this. LeMond is my favorite US rider. Has been, always will be. Unfortunate comments about Armstrong, though. Got to back them up with proof, and no one has. Quote
catesta Posted July 22, 2004 Report Posted July 22, 2004 Heard on the radio that some German 'fans' spit on him during the timetrack ride up to l'Alpe d'Huez. Totally disgracious! No matter what one may think about some aspects of Armstrong's achievements (and I have voiced enough) the man is at the top of this sport. Agree. I was just reading about the spitting incident. Tour de France director Jean Marie-Leblanc admitted Wednesday that he saw fans spit at Lance Armstrong during the first-ever time trial to historic L'Alpe d'Huez. "There were lots of aggressive fans surrounding the riders and I even saw two idiots spit at Lance Armstrong," Leblanc told Reuters. "Unfortunately I doubt you can put barriers on the 14 kilometers of the climb. "Until this morning, everybody thought this time trial was a good idea and now we realized it was not so." Quote
tonym Posted July 22, 2004 Author Report Posted July 22, 2004 This is indeed grossly disrespectful. Regardless of how you feel about someones motives or whatever, these guys are really bareing their souls out there. Would have been nice for Lance to plant an 'oyster' on one of these idiots. You never have a problem mustering one of these up when you're on the rivet. Quote
tonym Posted July 22, 2004 Author Report Posted July 22, 2004 BTW what the hell was Kloden doing this afternoon? Quote
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