Title: Tour De France Post by: Tonji on July 05, 2007, 10:39:23 AM Despite all the drug taking, & the sport's inability to rid its self of scandal, I'm still looking forward to this "Greatest" of all sporting events!
I'm hoping to get to London to watch the opening Time Trial. Ideally I'd love to spend a week in the Alps when the Tour passes through :) Favourite this year seems to be Alexander Vinokourov, my outside bets would be with Cadel Evans or Michael Rogers, one day an Aussie will win this. Any other Tour fans out there? Title: Re: Tour De France Post by: Sheriff Fatman on July 05, 2007, 10:49:17 AM I loved watching this on Channel 4 in the days of Indurain, etc. Nowadays I tend to miss most of the highlights shows but I'll watch it if I catch it.
The drugs thing slightly taints everything but I work on the assumption nowadays that they're all using them - some are just better at not being caught than others. The mountain stages are always the highlights for me, especially Alpe d'Huez. Having been up that road in a coach on a skiing trip I'd have to say you need to be on mind-bending drugs to want to attempt it! Title: Re: Tour De France Post by: Ironside on July 05, 2007, 02:43:17 PM i will be sat watching the tour live on eurosport as i have done for years
valverde is my tip for winning it although he is a little inexperianced i think he has the abilty to control the tour for the next 4 or 5 years Title: Re: Tour De France Post by: Delboy on July 05, 2007, 06:55:35 PM The mountain stages are always the highlights for me, especially Alpe d'Huez. Having been up that road in a coach on a skiing trip I'd have to say you need to be on mind-bending drugs to want to attempt it! Me too. Went up that road this year and the coach takes about 5mins longer than a TDF competitor. Id still rather ride up it than down though. very scary......... Title: Re: Tour De France Post by: Ironside on July 05, 2007, 07:01:24 PM BTW anyone fancy a blonde trip over to watch the alps next year
my brother went and saw the final stage a couple of years back that would be impressive but the alps would be unreal not to far up though as i hear you have to park at the bottom and walk up and i might need a push Title: Re: Tour De France Post by: Tonji on July 07, 2007, 12:50:18 PM BTW anyone fancy a blonde trip over to watch the alps next year my brother went and saw the final stage a couple of years back that would be impressive but the alps would be unreal not to far up though as i hear you have to park at the bottom and walk up and i might need a push coming down would be fun! I can't get down to London, my kids need taxi-ing around this weekend :( I think theirs coverage on ITV4. I used to enjoy the old CH4 highlights programmes, with Phil Ligget & Paul Sherwin. Lumped a bit of cash on the two Aussies for the win. Title: Re: Tour De France Post by: Tonji on July 08, 2007, 06:45:03 PM How tough is Robbie McEwen, crashed 20K from the finish, & reappears from nowhere to take the sprint win, awsome.
Title: Re: Tour De France Post by: Sark79 on July 08, 2007, 07:44:13 PM How tough is Robbie McEwen, crashed 20K from the finish, & reappears from nowhere to take the sprint win, awsome. Yep, awesome stuff. I would like to see Andreas Kloden win overall, but it will be tough Title: Re: Tour De France Post by: Ironside on July 14, 2007, 08:33:53 PM moreau but it depends if he goes for it or not
Title: Re: Tour De France Post by: Ironside on July 15, 2007, 04:37:10 PM i think valaverde could put enought time on vino today to make it very difficult for him
Title: Re: Tour De France Post by: Tonji on July 16, 2007, 08:58:37 AM Rasmussen now 2nd favourite, Pyrennes are really tough this year, he's riding well enough to gain a lot of time over the other main contenders, & his team seems to be pretty strong enough to control the race.
Title: Re: Tour De France Post by: Ironside on July 16, 2007, 09:12:28 AM i quote like the look of mayo and moreau
mayo was tipped as the next induran about 6 years back but hasnt delivered always falling back one stage and reluctant to attack the leaders he isnt a bad time trialist moreau showed a little bit off aggression today but didnt seem to want to go full out i think he has plenty in reserve the problem with rasmussen is that he wont get the full team support as his team has a good time trialist not too far back and although he will have freedom to take mountain points i think he will be kept back to work for his team leader but if he hasa good TT next week and his leader doesnt over take him i think he might get the nod to go for yellow Title: Re: Tour De France Post by: gnasher on July 18, 2007, 08:50:20 AM The 66-1 i took for rasmussen is looking good!
Title: Re: Tour De France Post by: Ironside on July 18, 2007, 09:41:11 AM nice one snasher but to be safe i would lay it off before saturday to ensure you get your stake back and let the rest ride
Title: Re: Tour De France Post by: kinboshi on July 19, 2007, 05:49:34 PM Cyclists shouldn't do drugs
http://www.cyclinglogue.com/about-cycling/robert-millar-is-no-longer-a-man.html Title: Re: Tour De France Post by: Tonji on July 23, 2007, 09:38:18 PM Vinokourov ;hattip; that guy is one of the toughest riders ever.
Really needs someone to beat the cheating Rassmussen, looks like Contador is the only one likely now. Title: Re: Tour De France Post by: boldie on July 23, 2007, 10:19:50 PM Vinokourov ;hattip; that guy is one of the toughest riders ever. Really needs someone to beat the cheating Rassmussen, looks like Contador is the only one likely now. that would be some result is Contador could manage an upset here. Rasmussen isn't very good at time trials so I wouldn't back him at the moment. Title: Re: Tour De France Post by: Longy on July 23, 2007, 11:24:14 PM I don't think Contador is much of a time trialist either, he is natural climber though reminds a bit of Pantani with those sudden bursts of speed on the mountains. I think Rasmussen has enough time to hold off Evans, Cloden and Leipheimer in the final time trial now. Also we still have one big mountain stage left on Wednesday, where Contador will no doubt attack again and Rasmussen seems to be the only one capable of following.
I have enjoyed this years tour and to be honest doping or no doping its great sporting event. Its alot more interesting now we don't have Lance dominating every tour. Title: Re: Tour De France Post by: AndrewT on July 24, 2007, 05:57:08 PM Vinokourov ;hattip; that guy is one of the toughest riders ever. Really needs someone to beat the cheating Rassmussen, looks like Contador is the only one likely now. Yeah, good on Vinokourov - he'll show that cheat Rasmussen who's boss!! Ooops. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/cycling/6914301.stm (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/cycling/6914301.stm) Title: Re: Tour De France Post by: Longy on July 24, 2007, 06:02:30 PM Vinokourov ;hattip; that guy is one of the toughest riders ever. Really needs someone to beat the cheating Rassmussen, looks like Contador is the only one likely now. Yeah, good on Vinokourov - he'll show that cheat Rasmussen who's boss!! Ooops. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/cycling/6914301.stm (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/cycling/6914301.stm) Oh dear it neverends. Lets face it just about all of them are on something or the other and accusing each other of cheating is hypocrisy at its best. Title: Re: Tour De France Post by: Wardonkey on July 24, 2007, 06:03:03 PM It's a farce. They all cheat. It's as much a matter as who can avoid being caught as it is about cycling.
Title: Re: Tour De France Post by: Tonji on July 24, 2007, 06:29:31 PM Vinokourov ;hattip; that guy is one of the toughest riders ever. Really needs someone to beat the cheating Rassmussen, looks like Contador is the only one likely now. Yeah, good on Vinokourov - he'll show that cheat Rasmussen who's boss!! Ooops. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/cycling/6914301.stm (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/cycling/6914301.stm) Damn, my hopes for a clean & uncontroversial race were never going to happen :( Title: Re: Tour De France Post by: Newportlad on July 24, 2007, 06:37:17 PM It's such a shame.
It's a really good event that is spoiled by cheating. Difficult to see how they will ever stop this. Vinikourov was in his last Tour, had a crash and then thought that they only way to compete at the top level was to take drugs (if he wasn't taking them already) Title: Re: Tour De France Post by: Bazzaboy on July 24, 2007, 06:57:46 PM It's a farce. They all cheat. It's as much a matter as who can avoid being caught as it is about cycling. Agreed. The sport is riddled with cheats and has no credibility left. Title: Re: Tour De France Post by: Rooky9 on July 25, 2007, 10:29:30 PM They shoudl just let them take absoulutely anything, then they could be on a level playing field and we'd get to see the whole of the tour in about a week!
Title: Re: Tour De France Post by: boldie on July 25, 2007, 10:32:06 PM It's a farce. They all cheat. It's as much a matter as who can avoid being caught as it is about cycling. Agreed. The sport is riddled with cheats and has no credibility left. It's amazingly sad really. Years ago I watched guys like Joop Zoetemelk, Bernard Hinault and the likes riding fantastic races and the tour was an event I could spend my entire summer holiday watching. These days I can't be botherede with it anymore because of crap like this. Title: Re: Tour De France Post by: Bazzaboy on July 25, 2007, 10:44:56 PM Rasmussen out as well now. Total farce of a sport.
Title: Re: Tour De France Post by: TheChipPrince on July 25, 2007, 11:04:25 PM Tour De Drugs - RIP Cycling Title: Re: Tour De France Post by: AndrewT on July 25, 2007, 11:13:43 PM If I'd turned up to the Prologue in London with my BMX I might have been able to hold on for a podium finish at this rate.
Title: Re: Tour De France Post by: Tonji on July 25, 2007, 11:20:39 PM It seems he was never in Mexico, as he claimed, but in Italy. I cant believe the team has JUST found this out. I suspect the team has kicked him out after pressure from the cycling authorities, who never wanted him in the Tour at the start.
The doctors (I assume they are doctors) who provide the riders with the drugs & the medical knowledge to try & mask doping need to be caught, & locked up. I guess its still a few generations away before the sport can be considered to be clean. Title: Re: Tour De France Post by: Bongo on July 25, 2007, 11:25:29 PM It's not necessarily drugs though, I was reading about that Spanish doctor and it seems what he would do is take blood from the riders, separate the red blood cells from the plasma and then the week before the race would put the red blood cells back in the rider (does that sound like a 5 year old has written it?) which would give them a performance boost.
I believe this is what Vinokourov got caught on - the fact there were 2 types of red blood cells meant he'd been given extra (of someone elses) to boost his performance. Title: Re: Tour De France Post by: Longy on July 26, 2007, 01:48:13 AM This IMO the lowest moment of a great sport, I honest feel very down about all this as to watch the big mountain stages on the tour and other races is one of the geniune sporting moments of any year.
I hope cycling sorts itself out as it really is a great sport, time for total re shake of the way sport is run top to bottom. I think there is an arguement that cycling does more to deter cheating, i doubt anyone who makes the next 100m mens final at the next olympics will do it legally Title: Re: Tour De France Post by: AndrewT on July 26, 2007, 10:08:51 AM It's not necessarily drugs though, I was reading about that Spanish doctor and it seems what he would do is take blood from the riders, separate the red blood cells from the plasma and then the week before the race would put the red blood cells back in the rider (does that sound like a 5 year old has written it?) which would give them a performance boost. I believe this is what Vinokourov got caught on - the fact there were 2 types of red blood cells meant he'd been given extra (of someone elses) to boost his performance. This started back in the 1970s in athletics. The theory is that when you take a load of blood out of the athlete, the body then replaces the lost red blood cells (which carry oxygen round the body). Then, just before the race, you put the old red blood cells back and the athlete can get more oxygen to his muscules than he could previously. For many years this was undetectable. I think the fact that Vinokourov was caught with someone else's red blood cells means it was a last-minute panic measure after he dropped back after the first week - using your own blood needs a few weeks preparation. Title: Re: Tour De France Post by: gnasher on July 30, 2007, 08:08:41 AM Back to Rasmussen, lets just remember he hasn't given a positive test...... yet he is guilty?
I think sacking him before the end of the tour was a bad mistake, negative publicity for the team sponsers and not mention another nail in the coffin of this once great sport....... If he won the tour (still with no positive test) everyone could celebrate, the team could get the publicity and the tour ends with a real winner. Then if the team still want to sack him, leave it till a month or 2 later and do it. Would this not have been a better way to handle it? and of course I had an interest in Rasmussen at 66-1! Title: Re: Tour De France Post by: AndrewT on July 30, 2007, 09:35:28 AM If he won the tour (still with no positive test) everyone could celebrate, the team could get the publicity and the tour ends with a real winner. Then if the team still want to sack him, leave it till a month or 2 later and do it. But then the sport risks another Floyd Landis. Title: Re: Tour De France Post by: gnasher on July 30, 2007, 01:36:59 PM But as i said there is no positive test result so you can't compare to landis who had a positive result.
Title: Re: Tour De France Post by: AndrewT on July 30, 2007, 03:00:37 PM But as i said there is no positive test result so you can't compare to landis who had a positive result. Landis crossed the finish line in Paris with no positive test result, just like Rasmussen may have done. That was my point. Title: Re: Tour De France Post by: Ironside on July 30, 2007, 03:42:36 PM Ramussen broke the team and the doping rules my missing tests and lying about there whearabouts when they missed the test
good riddence to bad rubbish now i wish david miller would shut up i think all drug cheats should be banned for life Title: Re: Tour De France Post by: Ironside on July 31, 2007, 08:37:28 PM iban mayo now failed a drug test after the events finished
i do hope they can sort something out over the next 11 months i really didnt enjoy this years tour Title: Re: Tour De France Post by: gnasher on August 01, 2007, 08:39:24 AM Lets be honest, the way it is probably 40% of the field could fail a test at any time......
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