welch79 Posted July 2, 2007 Share Posted July 2, 2007 i am finding it pretty difficult to get keyed up about this year's tour, and it's not because of all the doping scandals that have plagued the sport. for the first time in about a decade of following the event, i don't really have a "favorite" to pull for or to watch. all the big names are out: no ullrich, no basso, no really strong american rider (i guess leipheimer could be inserted here). all the pundits are throwing vino's name out there, but somehow i don't think it will be him in yellow in paris. i guess we'll see more in a week. as i've typed this up, i've realized that while i have no favorite, this year's race could be really exciting due to the fact that anyone could win. anybody have any thoughts? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Welsh Rich Posted July 2, 2007 Share Posted July 2, 2007 I'm not really that clued up on it, but I love watching it. I'm hoping, fingers crossed, to go down to London on Sat and watch some of the time trial... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Shack-man Posted July 2, 2007 Share Posted July 2, 2007 I am looking forward to this year's Tour. I am also wondering what is going to happen the final days leading up to the tour. I am not really sure who the man will be this year that comes out on top. I would like ot see Boonen win the Green though Robbi is fantastic to watch come out of no where to win the sprint. I would also like ot see Schleck and the CSC boys put on a strowing showing in the mountains and TTs. CSC has a man for every typr of stage this year. Really looking forward to seeing Andy Schleck in a few years after what he did this year in the Giro.Maybe Vino will be the one who proves people wrong and shows that he can win the Big one. It should be interesting to follow this year. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
welch79 Posted July 7, 2007 Author Share Posted July 7, 2007 looks like a pretty day over there across the pond! been a pretty good day of riding so far. tough break for o'grady. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Shack-man Posted July 8, 2007 Share Posted July 8, 2007 O'grady was drilling it today, tough break indeed.Fabian Cancellera was on form. Looking forward to the mountains! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
welch79 Posted July 8, 2007 Author Share Posted July 8, 2007 i thought dave z had it in the back pocket...for like a minute. oh well. good finishes for hincapie and vino as well. cancellara owned today. on to stage 1. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
morecowbelllplz Posted July 14, 2007 Share Posted July 14, 2007 i thought dave z had it in the back pocket...for like a minute. oh well. good finishes for hincapie and vino as well. cancellara owned today. on to stage 1.I wish I knew what was going on. My local newspaper hasn't been keeping up on it this year. Last year they had an article on it everyday and this year they barely have mentioned anything about it Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Marijn Posted July 14, 2007 Share Posted July 14, 2007 The NOS (Dutch Broadcast Co Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jenbobblehead Posted July 15, 2007 Share Posted July 15, 2007 not a great day for australia today--mick rogers and stuart o'grady had to abandon due to crashes. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
radiokills Posted July 15, 2007 Share Posted July 15, 2007 i just finished watching it. so fun to watch. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Marijn Posted July 15, 2007 Share Posted July 15, 2007 Go Rabobank! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
welch79 Posted July 16, 2007 Author Share Posted July 16, 2007 have to say a little surprised to find rasmusssen up there. too bad discovery rider contador had a flat so close to the end or he would have had a better finish. turning out to be pretty exiting. stage 9 on tuesday should be hellacious with 2 hors categorie climbs. i'd like to see discovery get a win here, but as leipheimer said today, he'll peak in the alps. i just hope he makes good on his word. congrats to rasmussen for the strong win. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lance Posted July 16, 2007 Share Posted July 16, 2007 Hopefully Rasmussen (a.k.a. Chicken Man) won't be in yellow when they get to the time trials. With that kind of pressure he might crash four times. At this point I'm going with Periero to win. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tongue-tied lightning Posted July 16, 2007 Share Posted July 16, 2007 what happened to Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lance Posted July 16, 2007 Share Posted July 16, 2007 The mountains Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tongue-tied lightning Posted July 16, 2007 Share Posted July 16, 2007 it gets the best of them Quote Link to post Share on other sites
welch79 Posted July 16, 2007 Author Share Posted July 16, 2007 it gets the best of themyeah...mcewen was eliminated sunday. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lance Posted July 17, 2007 Share Posted July 17, 2007 yeah...mcewen was eliminated sunday. Sunday was a bad day for the Aussie's. McEwen, O'Grady and Rodgers. But, the Kazak's were happy! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
welch79 Posted July 17, 2007 Author Share Posted July 17, 2007 that photo's funny...i don't care who you are. tomorrow's stage. can't wait to see what happens on another hefty climbing stage. maybe a favorite will emerge so that everybody else can just chill out and try to beat him... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jenbobblehead Posted July 18, 2007 Share Posted July 18, 2007 From Velonews.com T-Mobile rider Patrik Sinkewitz reacted in amazement on Wednesday after he was informed he had failed a doping test as he prepared for the tour de France last month. The German Cycling Federation (BDR) announced on Wednesday that the 26-year old's A sample, taken on June 8, had a raised testosterone level and he must now decide if his B sample will be tested. The up and coming rider has been suspended by his team who say that if the B sample confirms the first test then he will be sacked. Sinkewitz was forced to pull out of the Tour de France after suffering a broken nose and shoulder injury on Sunday after colliding with a spectator when occupying 50th place in the overall standings. Currently recovering in a Hamburg hospital, Sinkewitz reacted with bewilderment when he was told the news. "Me? Why me? I don't know anything about it. This can't be," was his reaction, reported in German on-line sports magazine Kicker. "I am due to have an operation and I can't think about it now." Sinkewitz, who won the 2004 Tour of Germany, now has five days to decide whether he wants his B sample to be tested. "If he has the B sample tested and that confirms the positive findings, the BDR will ban Patrik Sinkewitz from all teams," explained BRD in a press release. T-Mobile manager Bob Stapleton was taking a similarly tough line. Speaking ahead of the tour de France's 10th stage Stapleton said: "Patrik has been suspended and if the B sample confirms the first result his contract will be terminated." It has been a bad week for Sinkewitz who collided with a spectator on Sunday immediately after the end of the eighth stage in Tignes suffering a broken nose and a head injury. But the latest developement is more bad new for T-Mobile who have seen several former riders confess to taking banned blood-booster Erythropoietin in the last few months. Seven former Telekom cyclists, including 1996 Tour de France winner Bjarne Riis and top sprinter Erik Zabel, admitted they took EPO in the 1990s. And Sinkewitz's failed drugs test comes almost exactly one year after T-Mobile sacked 1997 Tour de France winner Jan Ullrich for being linked to a doping scandal in Spain. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lance Posted July 18, 2007 Share Posted July 18, 2007 It still amazes me how Messr. Armstrong could soundly whip all these guys who were/are taking performance enhancing drugs. They all had an illegal edge, yet he could beat them all, soudly, without any chemical assistance... Makes one wonder. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
SquashedFrog Posted July 19, 2007 Share Posted July 19, 2007 It still amazes me how Messr. Armstrong could soundly whip all these guys who were/are taking performance enhancing drugs. They all had an illegal edge, yet he could beat them all, soudly, without any chemical assistance... Makes one wonder. There are people that still believe Iraq had WMDs too. And that there is a Tooth Fairy. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Aeglos Posted July 20, 2007 Share Posted July 20, 2007 Been bloody rough on the aussies. McEwen out, Mick Rogers out, Stuart O'Grady in intensive care (5 fractured ribs, 2 broken collar bones, etc ... reminds me of Rick Disneck from the old 12th Man album if any aussies remember). All hopes with Cadel Evans now, sitting 4th or 5th in the GC. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
welch79 Posted July 22, 2007 Author Share Posted July 22, 2007 sorry bout evans today, aeglos rasmussen remains really strong and who is this contador cat? he's come out of nowhere! levi's looking good still as well. evans isn't out; he's a helluva rider. the pyranees will be a challenge for all...especially after today's barn burner. the real loser today is vino. tough break for the guy that blew the rest of the field away in yesterday's tt. this is great to watch. for anybody out there curious as to what is so enthralling about this century- old bike race, tune in to the versus channel sometime today and watch the last 15k of today's stage. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jenbobblehead Posted July 22, 2007 Share Posted July 22, 2007 Vino had to know that winning the TT yesterday would cost him dearly today. Did he even finish on time, i hope? The VS channel switched off to something dumb before everyone was in. Regardless of who is/was doing drugs and who isn't/wasn't i think the clear lack of a patron on this tour is showing. Certainly its anyone's race, but there was always something about the way Armstrong just ran the show, pulled back escapees, chased others down...I do miss him. But it doesn't make le tour any less fun to watch! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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