Tour de France - 2007

[TexasTerror]

So, it's that time again...in just a few days, July 7th to be exact, the Tour de France will roll out from London as the top cyclists in the world will compete for the world of cycling's top prize.

Who are you favorites? Got any surprises? I've heard a lot of good things about Alberto Contandor. Team Discovery should be a pretty strong entry this year...

Team Discovery Channel Roster
Levi Leipheimer
Alberto Contador
Vladimir Gusev
George Hincapie
Egoi Martinez
Benjamin Noval
Sergio Paulinho
Yaroslav Popovych
Tomas Vaitkus

[Grizalltheway]

So, it's that time again...in just a few days, July 7th to be exact, the Tour de France will roll out from London as the top cyclists in the world will compete for the world of cycling's top prize.

Who are you favorites? Got any surprises? I've heard a lot of good things about Alberto Contandor. Team Discovery should be a pretty strong entry this year...

Team Discovery Channel Roster
Levi Leipheimer
Alberto Contador
Vladimir Gusev
George Hincapie
Egoi Martinez
Benjamin Noval
Sergio Paulinho
Yaroslav Popovych
Tomas Vaitkus


He's a native of Butte, Montana. There's a race in Missoula that goes up a winding canyon road for about 5 miles, he won it in about 12 minutes when he was 13, no one has matched his time since. I rode up it last year, it took me at least a half an hour and I nearly passed out at the end. I'll definitely be rooting for him this year. xnodx

[UNHWildCats]

Hincapie should be strong this year

[TexasTerror]

Hincapie should be strong this year

Johan has said that getting Levi on the podium, winning a stage and getting Alberto in the white jersey (top young rider) is the goal...

[poly51]

The French will have a fit if another American wins.

[Grizalltheway]

The French will have a fit if another American wins.

Even more reason to root for them. xnodx

[Tod]

He's a native of Butte, Montana. There's a race in Missoula that goes up a winding canyon road for about 5 miles, he won it in about 12 minutes when he was 13, no one has matched his time since. I rode up it last year, it took me at least a half an hour and I nearly passed out at the end. I'll definitely be rooting for him this year. xnodx

Levi Leipheimer and Evel Knievel. Butte's pretty good at producing two-wheeled wonders! xthumbsupx xthumbsupx xthumbsupx

[TexasTerror]

Cancellera reigned supreme today, but Hincapie is 23 seconds back and tied for 3rd...

1. CANCELLARA Fabian 33 TEAM CSC 00:08:50
2. KLÖDEN Andréas 196 ASTANA 00:09:03 + 00:00:13
3. HINCAPIE George 114 DISCOVERY CHANNEL TEAM 00:09:13 + 00:00:23
4. WIGGINS Bradley 149 COFIDIS CREDIT PAR TELEPHONE 00:09:13 + 00:00:23
5. GUSEV Vladimir 113 DISCOVERY CHANNEL TEAM 00:09:15 + 00:00:25

[ISUMatt]

Boy did London look beautiful from all of the above shots today

[TexasTerror]

Where'd McEwen come from? Surprised he came all the way from the back of the peleton to pull this stage off...

Seemed like he had rocket boosters out of nowhere (you'd think he'd be drained from weaving his way through the other riders)...

Through a stage...

1. CANCELLARA Fabian 33 TEAM CSC 04:47:51
2. KLÖDEN Andréas 196 ASTANA 04:48:04 + 00:00:13
3. MILLAR David 201 SAUNIER DUVAL - PRODIR 04:48:12 + 00:00:21
4. HINCAPIE George 114 DISCOVERY CHANNEL TEAM 04:48:14 + 00:00:23
5. WIGGINS Bradley 149 COFIDIS CREDIT PAR TELEPHONE 04:48:14 + 00:00:23
6. GUSEV Vladimir 113 DISCOVERY CHANNEL TEAM 04:48:16 + 00:00:25
7. KARPETS Vladimir 15 CAISSE D’EPARGNE 04:48:17 + 00:00:26
8. HUSHOVD Thor 101 CREDIT AGRICOLE 04:48:20 + 00:00:29
9. VINOKOUROV Alexandre 191 ASTANA 04:48:21 + 00:00:30
10. DEKKER Thomas 54 RABOBANK 04:48:22 + 00:00:31

[Ivytalk]

Who's doping, and who's not doping?xconfusedx

[ISUMatt]

That run today by McEwen was sometihng special, especially from a 34 yr old!!

[bisonguy]

Cancellera reigned supreme today, but Hincapie is 23 seconds back and tied for 3rd...

1. CANCELLARA Fabian 33 TEAM CSC 00:08:50
2. KLÖDEN Andréas 196 ASTANA 00:09:03 + 00:00:13
3. HINCAPIE George 114 DISCOVERY CHANNEL TEAM 00:09:13 + 00:00:23
4. WIGGINS Bradley 149 COFIDIS CREDIT PAR TELEPHONE 00:09:13 + 00:00:23
5. GUSEV Vladimir 113 DISCOVERY CHANNEL TEAM 00:09:15 + 00:00:25


I'm suprised nobody posted about Stage 2 or 3.

Cancellara won Stage 3, increasing his hold on the yellow jersey. Discovery's Thomas Vaitkus was forced to drop out due to a broken thumb in Stage 2.

Stage 4 will feature 4 category-4 climbs, which will put the sprinters on the backburner slightly.


Some of the stategies should be interesting in upcoming stages. Astana has enough depth that they could throw a couple riders out front, to make the others show their stategy, setting up Andréas or Vino for the Tour win.


Here's the current overall standings:

Overall Standings
1. Fabian Cancellara (Swi), CSC, 15:12:08
2. Klöden Andréas (G), Astana, 00:00:33
3. David Millar (GB), Saunier Duval-Prodir, 00:00:41
4. George Hincapie (USA), Discovery Channel, 00:00:43
5. Bradley Wiggins (GB), Cofidis, 00:00:43
6. Vladimir Gusev (Rus), Discovery Channel, 00:00:45
7. Tom Boonen (B), Quick Step-Innergetic, 00:00:46
8. Vladimir Karpets (Rus), Caisse d'Epargne, 00:00:46
9. Thor Hushovd (N), Credit Agricole, 00:00:49
10. Mikel Astarloza (Sp), Euskaltel-Euskadi, 00:00:49
11. Alexandre Vinokourov (Kz), Astana, 00:00:50
12. Thomas Dekker (Nl), Rabobank, 00:00:51
13. Manuel Quinziato (I), Liquigas, 00:00:52
14. Vaugrenard Benoît (F), Francaise Des Jeux, 00:00:52
15. Gutierrez José Ivan (Sp), Caisse d'Epargne, 00:00:53
16. Andriy Grivko (Ukr), Milram, 00:00:53
17. Filippo Pozzato (I), Liquigas, 00:00:55
18. Alberto Contador (Sp), Discovery Channel, 00:00:55
19. Andrey Kashechkin (Kz), Astana, 00:00:55
20. Cadel Evans (Aus), Predictor-Lotto, 00:00:56

[bisonguy]

Who's doping, and who's not doping?xconfusedx


Looks like the allegations have started for the yellow jersey:



VeloNews Exclusive: Ex-cyclist levels doping charges at Rasmussen (http://www.velonews.com/tour2007/news/articles/12851.0.html)

[T-Dog]

Well, we found out.

Vinokourov, pre-race favorite, it found out to have blood-doped for Stage 15 (the time trial in which he won)

I honestly suspected him because the days before, he cracked on the mountains because of his injuries from the crash. Then the day after the time trial, he cracked on the first climb. He destroyed the time trial (in the rain) so I thought "that's just too suspicious".

Also, the whole team (Astani, pre-race team favorite) is gone. They voluntarily dropped out at the request of the Tour.

Today's the last big moutain stage. If DC is going to make a big move, it has to be today. Other wise they'll have to fall back on the time trial in S19.

[TexasTerror]

Disco needs to take care of business today...

Levi, Poppy, Hincapie and Contador need to do what it takes to push Rasmussen to the side...they need to attack, they need to make the big move that Rasmussen can not respond to and do what it takes to get the podium...

Right now, Levi and Contador are in the yellow jersey peleton...

[bisonguy]

Looks like the allegations have started for the yellow jersey:



VeloNews Exclusive: Ex-cyclist levels doping charges at Rasmussen (http://www.velonews.com/tour2007/news/articles/12851.0.html)

And the yellow jersey is confirmed to be tainted xsmhx xsmhx xsmhx xsmhx

News Flash: Rasmussen pulled out of Tour, fired by Rabobank (http://www.velonews.com/tour2007/details/articles/12944.0.html)


Yellow jersey wearer Michael Rasmussen was sensationally kicked out of the Tour de France by his own Rabobank team, the Dutch outfit revealed on Wednesday.


photo: Agence France Presse - 2007

The Dane had seemingly weathered the storm over missing four out of competition dope tests in the past 18 months and had won Wednesday's stage to all but seal overall victroy.

However the team has learnt that Rasmussen lied to them over where and what he was up to during the month of June when he was in fact in Italy and not in Mexico as he had told them.

"He broke team rules," said a team spokesman, who said that the Dane has also been fired from the team............



Spaniard Alberto Contador will now wear the yellow jersey.

[UNHWildCats]

Tour leader Rasmussen (sp) has been sent home by his team. The move leaves a race that was a certain Rasmussen win wide open now.

[Grizalltheway]

Tour leader Rasmussen (sp) has been sent home by his team. The move leaves a race that was a certain Rasmussen win wide open now.

Let's go Leipheimer! xnodx

[TexasTerror]

This race is going to be won by Team Disco!

Could be a 1-2 finish on the podium!

Team title should go to Disco as well...

[SunCoastBlueHen]

Who's doping, and who's not doping?xconfusedx


I think they're all doping. A bunch of doped up dudes riding bikes - sport at its best. xthumbsupx :D

[OB55]

Doping should be a sport in it's own right. It could go Olympic, who has the most invisible drugs??

Then there could be a class for uninvisible drugs, our new national heroes could be Queech and Bong! xlolxxlolx

Here's a new idea on professional sports, since so many love the bad boys so much, Mike Tyson, Pacman Jones, Tank whats-his-name. Lets have a prison league in basketball, football, what ever. They would be so popular that folks would pay $70.00 bucks a pop to watch it on pay-per-view.

Heck, I think by moving all the sports dopers and gamblers, and other common sports criminals to a League Of Their Own, maybe a guy could afford a ticket to see common ordinary clean athletes perform.

We could have a puffed up synthetic home run title, and leave the old one stand by itself, as it should. xcoolx

[UNHWildCats]

Team Discovery Channel has a big lead in the team race.

I dont know where I saw it but someone somewhere today said, why dont they all just stop doping, cause when your all doing it now ones getting an advantage. lol

[TexasTerror]

Time trial in process right now, still about 30 riders that need to get on their way...

Around 9:20 AM, we'll see Contador get on his way...

[T-Dog]

Everyone who is reading this and has a TV nearby with cable, turn it on and watch NOW.

The yellow jersey is having a bad time trial and 2nd place Evans and 2rd place Levi are flying. Levi a bit more than Evans. It's going to be a dead heat to the finish. VERY close.

The 20th stage is usually the celabratory stage so this is it.

[TexasTerror]

I've been watching, wow...

Contador held them both off - Evans and Leipheimer.

Leipheimer had the race of his life and almost passed up Evans. Incredible!

Disco is going 1-3 in the individual, taking the white jersey (youth) and should take the team...

[bisonguy]

31 seconds between the top 3.

Will we actually see some racing tomorrow, instead of champagne sipping??

[SeattleGriz]

He's a native of Butte, Montana. There's a race in Missoula that goes up a winding canyon road for about 5 miles, he won it in about 12 minutes when he was 13, no one has matched his time since. I rode up it last year, it took me at least a half an hour and I nearly passed out at the end. I'll definitely be rooting for him this year. xnodx

That race you are talking about is Pattee Canyon and Joe Lemire from Bozeman still has the record (12:54). Levi has never won that event. Of course now he could probably do it in around the late 10's low 11's. SICK!

Levi was very young when he raced in Montana, therefore he didn't win any State championships or big races - just overpowered by guys much more mature than he was. He was overpowered because he used to compete with the Seniors (18-35) when he was in the Juniors (under 18) category.

I would know, because I used to race with Levi.

On a sidenote, one of our former teammates was over in Germany for the Army and he went to watch the Prologue and saw Levi warming up. He called his name and Levi came over and talked to him right before the start of the event. Can you imagine? Taking the time to talk to old friends right before the start of the event.

Levi from what I understand has remained a fantastic example to being humble and polite througout his career. He does Montana proud.

[aggie6thman]

The Tour de France has started again? I had no idea.

[SeattleGriz]

The Tour de France has started again? I had no idea.


Every July.

There are three big Tours everyyear.

1) Giro d'Italia (Tour of Italy) Mid May to June
2) Tour de France - Month of July
3) Vuelta Espana - Tour of Spain - Month of September

[aggie6thman]

Every July.

There are three big Tours everyyear.

1) Giro d'Italia (Tour of Italy) Mid May to June
2) Tour de France - Month of July
3) Vuelta Espana - Tour of Spain - Month of September

The start of the Tour de France is like the start of hockey season for me. It could come and go and I would have no idea.

[TexasTerror]

The Tour de France has started again? I had no idea.

Must not be following the news considering all the doping issues, including the tossing of the leader...

[Grizaholic17]

Well, being a montana native, I have to root for Levi Leipheimer