tour de farce

[pyrat]

Despite the drug controversy where a lot of the big names are out for Drug residues founf in their blood, it is still highly entertaining to watch.

A T mobile team member almost held off the peleton last night until his legs broke with 500m to go! Crashes provide great entertainment also.

I found a nice live tour de france tracker which details where they are when the race starts using google maps. : http://www.ubilabs.net/tdf/

Its on TV on ITV4 (too druggy for real tv channels and the nation prefer hollyoaks nowadays) 1900-2000 daily.

RIP Pantani

[Adventure Racer]

To be strictly accurate, the big names are out because circumstantial evidence links them with a Spanish doctor who has been giving out drugs. There appears to be no direct eviedence as yet.

I'm really struggling to get excited by it this year with all the big names gone (particularly Ullrich, who I've been a fan of for ages). Given I have a dish on my house simply in order to get Eurosport which I got to watch cycling it seems rather sad that I've hardly seen any of this year yet.

[ifor]

I am watching with great interest. We have lost the great Ulrich, Baso battle which I was looking forward to but instead no one has the slightest idea how will win.

I was impresed with Hoshov yesterday still geting in 3rd in the sprint to get the Jersy back even with pulling his foot out 50 yards from the line and pedeling one legged to the line.

Ifor

[Kris Jones]

I was impresed with Hoshov yesterday still geting in 3rd in the sprint to get the Jersy back even with pulling his foot out 50 yards from the line and pedeling one legged to the line.

I dont think that Hincapie will be that bothered about losing the jersey. It would be too much of a pressure to carry it throughout the race and he doesnt need it.

[krocks]

A wide open race - that's the way to have it.
Its a pity that Ullrich & Vinokourov may well have lost their last chance, but if that's what it takes for riders to cop on, then so be it. Vino must be well pissed, as he was not mentioned in the list.
Legally they may well get off the hook, but when you read the phone transcripts that some papers have published it looks bad for Basso and co.
And they'll continue to deny all, like their legal people tell them ...

So who's going to win it now? - Hincapie? Landis? Evans? Cunego? Salvodelli? Simoni? Rasmussen? Mayo? A complete dark horse?
Valverde was my pick ... until collarbone snapped yesterday.

[FatBoy]

I reckon Hincapie. Good form in the time trial and the team as ever look the most organised in the peleton.

[Kitch]

The Tour is ace.
what with running being an aggravation at the moment I'm out on my bike(s) last night on my way home from work I found myself on top of the Pentlands in thick cloud. back home in time for dinner and Le Tour; the breaks, the climbs, the chase, the catch (tho not last night), the sprint.
Its brilliant
and its great not knowing who is going to win after 7 years.
Ulrich - never was going to win, unless T-mobile had managed to sort out thier abysmal team work after last year. It could well have been Basso as CSC are the team. Maybe Hincapie, He showed intent the other day, but if he is looking for the victory what was the point, why make himself a target ? Maybe

Tonight it looks like I'll be up there in blazing sunshine !

[Adventure Racer]

I just can't see it being Hincapie. He's never been a GC rider, and was losing time on all the mountain stages in the Dauphine. Much more a Jalabert than a Lance.

How about Leipheimer?

[andrew T]

have to say i would like it to be hincapie. Just because he workedall those years for lance when he could have left to lead another team.

Cant wait for the mountains thats where its at. Want to see if rasmussen can destroy them again, though they will have him marked this year last time he could get away with it becuase he was almost unknown.

[krocks]

That google maps link of yours is cool, pyrat. Handy while watching the mountain stage today, though its a pity they just show random cyclists, and not all the overall contenders.
A few big names are already out of contention after the time-trial, and today is weeding them out again - sounds like Hincapie, Cunego and Simoni are having a tough time staying with the front group.

[pyrat]

Aye the random riders thing is well odd. Maybe its for riders who are wearing a certain kind of transmitter..

Missed the mountain stage last night as I had to go and watch "the breakup" at the cinema.

Looking forward to tonight's show on ITV4. Oh and have you been listening to the ITV podcasts as well? They are pretty good. Just listened to an ace one by David Millar talking about drugs.

http://www.itv.com/page.asp?partid=6184

[krocks]

Must get a listen to that. The stage sounds very intersting at the moment, 6km from the finish. I'm listening to eurosport's live audio, then watch tv highlights later

[FatBoy]

I reckon Hincapie.

Not any more I don't...

[Adventure Racer]

Pleased to see that my tip is suddenly looking a lot better than after the time trial. I'm afraid Hincapie's performance was fairly predictable as to have had a chance he would have had to going well enough to demolish the rest in the TT.

[Ed]

impressive effort by Kessler to finish the stage yesterday after somersaulting over the crash barrier onto a gravel slope with ~30km to go.

I'm sure he's looking forward to l'Alpe d'Huez tomorrow!