It's a TOUR DE FRANCE 2006 thread

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Two days to go until the start of the first Lance-free Tour in yonks. Haven't had much time to follow the build-up so I really don't know who the favourites are. Predictions anyone? Is Jan Ullrich fit or fat? What the heck's going on with Vino? How's Cadel Evans going to go? Or Basso? Is our lad Bradley Wiggins going to start the Tour proper in yellow? Guide me through the wheels of confusion...

― NickB (NickB), Thursday, 29 June 2006 09:11 (nineteen years ago)

And anyone here figured out when it's on on British telly yet?

― NickB (NickB), Thursday, 29 June 2006 09:12 (nineteen years ago)

Not yet, no. Basso seems to be favourite but his decision to do the Giro as well might work against him. Obviously I'd like a wop to win for a change.

― Earwig oh! (Mark C), Thursday, 29 June 2006 09:51 (nineteen years ago)

It would be nice for a cyclist who does more than one race a year to win for a change. I'll be rooting for Basso and as ever the Euskadi in Yellow.

― Ed (dali), Thursday, 29 June 2006 09:58 (nineteen years ago)

By yellow I mean Orange, they're never much in contention but I do like the shirt.

― Ed (dali), Thursday, 29 June 2006 09:59 (nineteen years ago)

Letour.fr says ITV3 and ITV4, which i actually have now.

― Ed (dali), Thursday, 29 June 2006 10:30 (nineteen years ago)

Ullrich? Fat as ever, because that's the way we like 'im.

I'm not a Basso fan and I'm not sold on his "favourite" tag.

Since it's up to the Court of Arbritation, Vino will probably ride and ASO will whinge all tour.

And watch out for Cadel...

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ is a GE Money Genie (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Thursday, 29 June 2006 10:40 (nineteen years ago)

Oh, and anyone fancy Floyd Landis' chances (based on his early season form)?

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ is a GE Money Genie (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Thursday, 29 June 2006 10:44 (nineteen years ago)

Oh, AND don't forget the Green Jersey. McEwen vs Boonen!

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ is a GE Money Genie (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Thursday, 29 June 2006 10:45 (nineteen years ago)

Is Millar back from his drugs ban yet?

― Teh littlest HoBBo (the pirate king), Thursday, 29 June 2006 11:00 (nineteen years ago)

His ban ends tomorrow, so yes, dodgy Dave is back. Wiggins should kick his arse in the Prologue though.

Yeah Esteban, the green jersey battle should be pretty hot again, as ever.

― NickB (NickB), Thursday, 29 June 2006 11:17 (nineteen years ago)

yeh Millars back & riding for spanish team Saunier Duval. i bet he's going to go all out to win the prologue & then retire when they hit the mountains. this is the first tour in ages that i've been excited about, although i'm sure ITVs probable lack of coverage will dampen that somewhat. COME ON FATTEY!!!!

x-post

― zappi (joni), Thursday, 29 June 2006 11:20 (nineteen years ago)

Highlights are every night at 19:00 on ITV4

― Ed (dali), Thursday, 29 June 2006 11:28 (nineteen years ago)

Oh, good stuff - thanks Ed. It's Liggett & Sherwen I take it? I quite like them personally. Did you know that Paul Sherwen owns a diamond mine IRL?

― NickB (NickB), Thursday, 29 June 2006 11:35 (nineteen years ago)

Paul Sherwen owns a diamond mine...in darkest Africa! I bet he uses slave labour (which he'd know about from *his* Le Tour exploits)!

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ is a GE Money Genie (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Thursday, 29 June 2006 11:40 (nineteen years ago)

I bet Jackie Durand is down the shaft right now with all the other six dwarves.

Coverage on Saturday is 13.30 - 15.30 (phew no clash w/ the footy).

― NickB (NickB), Thursday, 29 June 2006 11:51 (nineteen years ago)

Basso rode the Giro and the Tour last year and looked great in both, so I don't see any reason why that would work against him this year. He crushed the field in the 2006 Giro and probably would have won by a similar margin in 2005 if not for a freak 48-hour flu bug.

― NoTimeBeforeTime (Barry Bruner), Thursday, 29 June 2006 12:00 (nineteen years ago)

No Ullrich this year: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/cycling/5132320.stm

― Daniel Giraffe (Daniel Giraffe), Friday, 30 June 2006 07:12 (nineteen years ago)

Holy fuck! More here.

Basso has been implicated in all this since the beginning, but I guess his team didn't see the "evidence" in time to pull him from the race. And somehow, Vino's team (where the scandal started to begin with) is back in the Tour. This is gonna be 1998 Redux.

― NoTimeBeforeTime (Barry Bruner), Friday, 30 June 2006 08:49 (nineteen years ago)

fuck. no fattey. :(
i suspect this is going to get a lot worse :((((((

― zappi (joni), Friday, 30 June 2006 08:51 (nineteen years ago)

Basso, Mancebo and Beloki out too.
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2006/jun06/jun30news3

― NickB (NickB), Friday, 30 June 2006 10:02 (nineteen years ago)

FUUUUUUUUCK. My DSL connection dies for 48 hours and I miss all this.

This has totally upset the applecart but I don't think it'll be like 1998.

However, it's made this the most interesting tour in decades. I don't think we've had a tour in a long long time where we have no idea who the contenders are.

As for the bans themselves. Well, I'm in favour of them even if they haven't been found guilty or not. If Ullrich or Basso is found to be innocent and have missed out on a tour win, that's going to be bad - but shortcake biscuits compared to if a drug cheat wins (Hello Pedro Delgaro).

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ is a GE Money Genie (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Saturday, 1 July 2006 16:10 (nineteen years ago)

And THOR HUSHOVD wins the Prologue? OK, he's on drugs...unless the Norwegian Time Trial Championships are more competitive then I'm lead to believe.

It's a dame shame that George Hincapie just missed out on yellow, that would have been great.

Adelaide's Stuart O'Grady...sixth? OK, Stuey is an Olympic Pursuit medallist but I'd never would have bet him beating Michael Rogers, even over 7kms.

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ is a GE Money Genie (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Saturday, 1 July 2006 16:16 (nineteen years ago)

Stage 1

THE PMU GREEN HANDS STRIKE AGAIN

Jimmy Casper is on DRUGS!!! (OK, Boonen fucked up and McEwen was boxed in. And Zabel is old.)

George Hincapie gets that yellow after all and good on him.

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ is a GE Money Genie (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Monday, 3 July 2006 06:03 (nineteen years ago)

I don't think its too unusual for a sprinter to win the prologue. I still have very little handle on how this race is going to pan out.

― Ed (dali), Monday, 3 July 2006 06:54 (nineteen years ago)

Oh, now they're saying Thor was an under-23 TT world champ.

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ is a GE Money Genie (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Monday, 3 July 2006 11:41 (nineteen years ago)

Robbbbbbbie McEwen win stage et malliot vert!

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ is a GE Money Genie (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Monday, 3 July 2006 14:43 (nineteen years ago)

I think Hushovd woulda come round McEwen but for the McEwen drift to the left (which was legal IMO, but typical McEwen). A more confident Hushovd might simply have put his shoulder down and tried to go round anyway--McEwen probly gives up close to 40lbs to Hushovd.

http://img482.imageshack.us/img482/6673/normalmcewenwheelie8mp.jpg

― Hunter (Hunter), Monday, 3 July 2006 16:16 (nineteen years ago)

Typical McEwen is pushing the fuckers off the bike and that's why he's AWESOME.

I think Hushovd was happy enough just to get the yellow back today.

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ is a GE Money Genie (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Monday, 3 July 2006 16:19 (nineteen years ago)

I think Hushovd woulda come round McEwen but for the McEwen drift to the left (which was legal IMO, but typical McEwen).

Every time McEwen wins a race, Liggett and Sherwin are incredulous on commentary -- "Wow! You never see Robbie McEwen in the sprint until just short of the finish line! Amazing!!!" -- uh, yeah, because he always elbows his way through other riders/leans into them/drifts into their wheels/etc.! It's hardly a mystery!

I love McEwen though.

― NoTimeBeforeTime (Barry Bruner), Monday, 3 July 2006 18:45 (nineteen years ago)

Does anyone know how to get the France 2 netstream to work (spoofing a french ip or something?)

http://tour-de-france.france2.fr/videos/territoires.php3

― Ed (dali), Tuesday, 4 July 2006 14:13 (nineteen years ago)

My dad and sister allegedly were burning up the phone lines when the scandal/ejection broke. Getting both of them in the same room again and asking idly 'So, the Tour de France...' will be interesting.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 4 July 2006 14:15 (nineteen years ago)

Boonen in yellow? Pah. Especially after Michael Rogers had a cheeky go this afternoon to get within a second. But good on that Matthias Kessler lad for giving it the ol' college try.

Things...don't look good for Modbury's Stuey O'Grady :-(

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ is a GE Money Genie (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Tuesday, 4 July 2006 14:25 (nineteen years ago)

Have any of you read Paul Kimmage's book about the Tour De France. I haven't a huge interest in cycling but after reading it would definitely have a much bigger interest. Best book about sport I've ever read perhaps.

― Ronan (Ronan), Tuesday, 4 July 2006 14:27 (nineteen years ago)

I think O'Grady was involved in the Valverde crash. xpost

― NoTimeBeforeTime (Barry Bruner), Tuesday, 4 July 2006 14:41 (nineteen years ago)

Ronan: Rough Ride? Yeah, that's quite the classic that one, albeit somewhat of a depressing one.

McEwen's quite the bike handler isn't he? Think I remember him last year bunnyhopping onto a traffic island running alongside him and then off the other side, right in the middle of the peloton moving almost at full tilt.

― NickB (NickB), Tuesday, 4 July 2006 14:42 (nineteen years ago)

Yeah Rough Ride

I must actually watch some Tour this year having just read it.

― Ronan (Ronan), Tuesday, 4 July 2006 14:44 (nineteen years ago)

In that case, one of the choice stages to watch will be the L’Alpe d’Huez one that I think is in about two weeks time. Um, what are the other big ones folks?

― NickB (NickB), Tuesday, 4 July 2006 14:55 (nineteen years ago)

I think there are three mountain top finishes in the Tour this year (incl. L'Alpe d'Huez), watch those if you choose to watch nothing else.

― NoTimeBeforeTime (Barry Bruner), Tuesday, 4 July 2006 14:59 (nineteen years ago)

Watch the mountain stages, that's when the real action happens. They're going to be very interesting since nobody knows who is going to win Le Tour this year.

L'Alpe-d'Huez (Stage 15) is always the choice stage to watch (unless you have Mont Ventoux...imho). Stage 11 should be one to watch with one HC and several Cat. 1 climbs to the finish at atop Pla-de-Beret in Spain.

But the real showdown will be Stage 16 with two HC climbs and a final climb of 18.4km!

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ is a GE Money Genie (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Tuesday, 4 July 2006 15:28 (nineteen years ago)

Rough Ride is great. Read Kimmage's latest from the Sunday Times. What a bitter little narcissist:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/newspaper/0,,176-2252601,00.html

At one point, David Millar claims that the peloton has cleaned up a lot even in the past two years. I have sympathy for Kimmage, but when alleges to have asked Millar "David, why should we treat anything you say with any credibility," I pretty much gagged. Yes, the question is not inappropriate; the assumed air of moral superiority is a bit much coming from a doper.

He also spends time looking for the 2006 rider who most closely mirrors his own experience as a TdF newbie in terms of background. Some pure as the driven snow Tour virgin, no doubt. But he can't really find anyone as innocent as once he was.

― Hunter, Age 3 (Hunter), Tuesday, 4 July 2006 18:07 (nineteen years ago)

Poor Erik!

http://img350.imageshack.us/img350/4954/dekker4xk.jpg

― Hunter (Hunter), Tuesday, 4 July 2006 18:52 (nineteen years ago)

go go robbie mc! you never see him until the last 150 metres, then he took that peloton thing down DAAAAAAAAMN.

― hella somethin' Gwen Stefani pantwork (haitch), Thursday, 6 July 2006 01:28 (nineteen years ago)

Shaun o'Grady is riding with a fractured vertebrae, that's got to hurt.

― Ed (dali), Thursday, 6 July 2006 04:34 (nineteen years ago)

7 minute break already today

― Ed (dali), Thursday, 6 July 2006 10:19 (nineteen years ago)

I don't know about Shaun O'Grady but Modbury's Stuart O'Grady is doing it tough.

Robbie Mac is totally on fire this year.

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ is a GE Money Genie (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Thursday, 6 July 2006 11:16 (nineteen years ago)

Cyclingnews.com sez the two man break is 12 and a half minutes right now. SBS coverage starts in ten minutes!

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ is a GE Money Genie (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Thursday, 6 July 2006 11:19 (nineteen years ago)

does SBS stream?

― Ed (dali), Thursday, 6 July 2006 11:20 (nineteen years ago)

Nah.

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ is a GE Money Genie (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Thursday, 6 July 2006 11:36 (nineteen years ago)

It's a "bit" "wet" on the road right now The peleton are still hanging around the feeding station.

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ is a GE Money Genie (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Thursday, 6 July 2006 11:51 (nineteen years ago)

This just in: it's AMAZING that the opening days of le Tour were hot and now it's wet. This weather is AMAZING, Paul.

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ is a GE Money Genie (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Thursday, 6 July 2006 11:54 (nineteen years ago)

Gap at 7 and a half minutes right now.

Paul's found himself a Chateau to talk about.

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ is a GE Money Genie (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Thursday, 6 July 2006 12:20 (nineteen years ago)

chateau ver d'floor, I'll bet

― hella somethin' Gwen Stefani pantwork (haitch), Thursday, 6 July 2006 13:15 (nineteen years ago)

About a minute gap with 10kms to go. They're done.

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ is a GE Money Genie (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Thursday, 6 July 2006 14:00 (nineteen years ago)

yup

― Ed (dali), Thursday, 6 July 2006 14:02 (nineteen years ago)

Sorry kids!

Crash!

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ is a GE Money Genie (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Thursday, 6 July 2006 14:08 (nineteen years ago)

Well, Robbie Mac fucked that up.

Good sprint from Friere there! Not least for denying Boo-nen.

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ is a GE Money Genie (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Thursday, 6 July 2006 14:13 (nineteen years ago)

What channel (if any) is this on in Britain?

― Teh littlest HoBBo (the pirate king), Thursday, 6 July 2006 15:50 (nineteen years ago)

One hour of highlights every night at 7.00-ish on ITV4 or full live coverage on Eurosport.

― NickB (NickB), Thursday, 6 July 2006 15:58 (nineteen years ago)

Ed! Ed! ED!

My mistake...turns out SBS is streaming live after all - sbs.com.au/tdf/

Also: FIRST SIGHTING OF THE DEVIL

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ is a GE Money Genie (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Friday, 7 July 2006 13:39 (nineteen years ago)

Fantastic sprint outta nowhere from Fightin' Harry Potter today.

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ is a GE Money Genie (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Friday, 7 July 2006 15:53 (nineteen years ago)

Erik Dekker sez he's retired after that nasty crash on Stage 3. Rabobank to pay for new teeth, hopefully.

And now a word from Eddy Merckx...

"What annoys me each time I watch Roland-Garros or Wimbledon when the women make a right meal of everything. Every two games they need to sit down, wipe their brows and have a drink, and as soon as they feel the faintest suspicion of discomfort they call for their trainer. Can you imagine the riders of the peloton sitting down on the verge after 20 kilometres of racing to ask for a massage? The stage would never finish."

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ is a GE Money Genie (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Friday, 7 July 2006 15:58 (nineteen years ago)

Time Trial Day!

SBS feed has started up now.

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ is a GE Money Genie (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Saturday, 8 July 2006 11:37 (nineteen years ago)

everyone who's gone quick through the first checkpoint has blown up. pace yourselves, morans!

― hella somethin' Gwen Stefani pantwork (haitch), Saturday, 8 July 2006 13:40 (nineteen years ago)

TOO SLOW, ROGERS

Oh god, Floyd Landis is going to win Le Tour unless Caaaaadel can best him in the mountains.

Apart from Landis, that wasn't exactly the stuff of legends for the Yanks in the TT with Jeans going missing and poor old Bobby J crashing out.

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ is a GE Money Genie (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Sunday, 9 July 2006 11:13 (nineteen years ago)

TODAY: It's raining in Brittany!

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ is a GE Money Genie (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Sunday, 9 July 2006 11:13 (nineteen years ago)

And now a word from Eddy Merckx...

our favourite drug guzzler. ;-)

― Nathalie (stevie nixed), Monday, 10 July 2006 10:45 (nineteen years ago)

WTF. Oh shit, I wanted to add that I heart McEwen (because he speaks Dutch very well but very funnily).

Boonen is apparently depressed and wants to quit sprinting. :-(

― Nathalie (stevie nixed), Monday, 10 July 2006 11:02 (nineteen years ago)

Poor Tom Boonen. He's only had a yellow jersey. Must be tough for him.

REST DAY TODAY. Really flat stage tomorrow (another win for Robbie "Belgian Ninja Harry Potter" McEwen?) and mountains at bloody last on Wednesday.

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ is a GE Money Genie (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Monday, 10 July 2006 11:13 (nineteen years ago)

google earth have a plugin for the tour route, great fun swooping over the mountain stages http://www.letour.fr/2006/TDF/LIVE/us/800/r2_google_earth.html

― zappi (joni), Monday, 10 July 2006 11:43 (nineteen years ago)

Poor Tom Boonen. He's only had a yellow jersey. Must be tough for him.

Actually I think he had two flat tyres or something. Ah hell, I love the guy. He's great. I must dig up that picture of him with a boner during a race.

― Nathalie (stevie nixed), Monday, 10 July 2006 11:46 (nineteen years ago)

Woah, that Google Earth thing is way cool.

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ is a GE Money Genie (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Monday, 10 July 2006 11:48 (nineteen years ago)

I must dig up that picture of him with a boner during a race.

Arrgghh, no!

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ is a GE Money Genie (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Monday, 10 July 2006 11:50 (nineteen years ago)

maybe it was his banana guard

― Ed (dali), Monday, 10 July 2006 12:07 (nineteen years ago)

Sheesh. Pack finishes. Stragglers approaching 30 seconds back. Hey, that's Leipheimer? Camera lingers on him, lingers on him, lingers on him. Can't be, but I'm pretty sure! PHIL! PHIL! PHIL! There's nothing else going on and the homers watching OLN want confirmation! PHIL! Oh Phil, just like always, you get it wrong or miss the story.

― Hunter (Hunter), Tuesday, 11 July 2006 17:15 (nineteen years ago)

McEwen is so dialed in right now it's scary.

Leipheimer completely blew the time trial and I think he's headed toward an Iban Mayo 2004 Edition meltdown in the mountains.

Landis nearly won the TT and is currently second despite NEEDING A HIP REPLACEMENT, WTF???

― NoTimeBeforeTime (Barry Bruner), Tuesday, 11 July 2006 22:28 (nineteen years ago)

Landis--how lucky is he that he didn't crash after the commissaires fucked up his bike?

The good thing about this Tour is that I really have no idea how things will look on Thursday night. TMob are set to mack, tho.

― Hunter (Hunter), Tuesday, 11 July 2006 23:32 (nineteen years ago)

Great stage today, and I think there will be a few more like it before the tour is done. There are 7-8 guys who could either win or crack at any time.

For now, it looks like I was wrong with my predictioin upthread ... the part of Iban Mayo 2004 will be played by Iban Mayo 2006.

― NoTimeBeforeTime (Barry Bruner), Friday, 14 July 2006 04:18 (nineteen years ago)

two classic mountain stages. I'm starting to think that a climber might be able to come out of the mountains and win in Paris.

― Ed (dali), Friday, 14 July 2006 05:01 (nineteen years ago)

Does anyone else play Kraftwerk's Tour De France while watching Le Tour with the sound down? Thought not.

― mentalist (mentalist), Friday, 14 July 2006 05:36 (nineteen years ago)

Soooo...after the Pyrenees and only one "proper" stage, on the surface it looks like Hipless Floyd Landis will ride into Paris in yellow.

But those "in the know" reckon, Floyd will struggle on the steeper slopes of the Alps such as L'Alpe D'Huez and Caaaaadel will beat him on mountains like that. Yes, the same Caaaaaadel that was dropped at Pla de Beret (OK, with 1km to go but...). Still I'd love for Cadel to beat Landis (who's a cool dude in all senses) in the Alps or at least challenge him.

BUT NOW IT'S FUCKING FLAT AND BOILING

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ is a GE Money Genie (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Saturday, 15 July 2006 11:24 (nineteen years ago)

So I hear Liquigas has given our old friend Mario Cipollini a job in "mentoring" their younger riders.

Expect a return of dodgy Italian haircuts and shorts, en masse.

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ is a GE Money Genie (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Saturday, 15 July 2006 11:27 (nineteen years ago)

18'53 gap for the breakaway today! It's bloody hot!

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ is a GE Money Genie (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Saturday, 15 July 2006 11:41 (nineteen years ago)

peloton more like pwnedoton amirite?

― so hongro, so angry (haitch), Saturday, 15 July 2006 12:16 (nineteen years ago)

NOT REALLY

TEH TACTICS

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ is a GE Money Genie (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Saturday, 15 July 2006 12:42 (nineteen years ago)

Pereiro is now three minutes back of Landis! (virtual standings at the moment)

― NoTimeBeforeTime (Barry Bruner), Saturday, 15 July 2006 12:50 (nineteen years ago)

OK, 27 minutes ahead? I don't think I've ever seen such a breakaway in Le Tour ever!

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ is a GE Money Genie (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Saturday, 15 July 2006 13:24 (nineteen years ago)

got out to 28 and a bit. think they're starting to reel them back now.

― so hongro, so angry (haitch), Saturday, 15 July 2006 13:37 (nineteen years ago)

phwoar what a finish!

― so hongro, so angry (haitch), Saturday, 15 July 2006 14:10 (nineteen years ago)

"AUSSIE" JENS VOIGHT IS A WIN

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ is a GE Money Genie (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Saturday, 15 July 2006 14:20 (nineteen years ago)

Better get back on the Zoloft, Tom.

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ is a GE Money Genie (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Saturday, 15 July 2006 14:40 (nineteen years ago)

I don't think I've ever seen such a breakaway in Le Tour ever!

In 2001, I think it was a 13-man breakaway that won by 35 minutes. It was a windy, drizzly day and nobody got around to organizing a chase. This was before the mountains too, so Armstrong et al had to make up all of that 35 minutes.

― NoTimeBeforeTime (Barry Bruner), Saturday, 15 July 2006 15:27 (nineteen years ago)

Landis has lost yellow to the break.

― Teh littlest HoBBo (the pirate king), Saturday, 15 July 2006 15:31 (nineteen years ago)

Oh, of course, I forgot about THAT one. Erik Dekker won that one didn't he and it put Modbury's Stuey O'Grady in yellow. Which he promptly lost on L'Alpe d'Huez but Armstrong didn't grab the yellow from some other bloke I've forgotten about in the Pyrenees.

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ is a GE Money Genie (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Saturday, 15 July 2006 16:07 (nineteen years ago)

Jens is fanatastic.

Boonen got beat by Bernie Eisel. Things I thought I would never see.

I think tomorrow's pre-alpine stage could be one of the best. If Popo does a Vino, he could climb back into the podium hunt. If T Mob or Rabo want to catch out Phonak, that last climb might be a place to do it.

― Hunter (Hunter), Saturday, 15 July 2006 16:19 (nineteen years ago)

Waaaugh, that was one of the more nasty crashes I've ever seen.

At least Kessler could always try diving.

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ is a GE Money Genie (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Monday, 17 July 2006 07:40 (nineteen years ago)

Ok, Gerolsteiner, it's on you. You have three good riders outside the top 10, and really only a white jersey to show for it.

It's still wide open, against all appearances--we've had one serious mountain test til now.

― Hunter (Hunter), Monday, 17 July 2006 19:53 (nineteen years ago)

Sunday's stage looked like some cat 4 free for all.

― Rotgutt (Rotgutt), Monday, 17 July 2006 23:48 (nineteen years ago)

It's L'Alpe D'Huez Day! Things won't get interesting in the climb (unless you're really interesting in the Tricky Dick Memorial KOM contest).

Tom Boonen has abandoned because it's goth disco night in Belgium.

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ is a GE Money Genie (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Tuesday, 18 July 2006 12:11 (nineteen years ago)

Erm, I mean interesting UNTIL the climb...

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ is a GE Money Genie (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Tuesday, 18 July 2006 12:30 (nineteen years ago)

It's RAINING, folks!

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ is a GE Money Genie (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Tuesday, 18 July 2006 12:40 (nineteen years ago)

"There's the Pisse waterfall!"

"Heh, careful when you say that, Phil!"

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ is a GE Money Genie (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Tuesday, 18 July 2006 12:46 (nineteen years ago)

Oh damn it, Cadel's cracked it on L'Alpe. Denny Menchov is gone too. I think Landis is going to win this tour now...

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ is a GE Money Genie (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Tuesday, 18 July 2006 13:21 (nineteen years ago)

Frank Schleck wins the stage! He's the new Charly Gaul, kids!

Landis fourth. Give him the Tour already! Yep, he's back in Yellow by about 10 seconds.

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ is a GE Money Genie (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Tuesday, 18 July 2006 13:47 (nineteen years ago)

(And so much for Cadel winning the tour unless he has the biggest breakaway ever tomorrow. Or unless Landis is taking drugs and gets busted.)

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ is a GE Money Genie (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Tuesday, 18 July 2006 13:48 (nineteen years ago)

Some bloke on SBS says that Charly Gaul will be raising a glass to Schleck tonight.

...Charly Gaul is still dead, isn't he?

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ is a GE Money Genie (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Tuesday, 18 July 2006 13:58 (nineteen years ago)

OK who's most likely to crack for 4 minutes or more tomorrow, out of the serious GC guys?

I'm saying Evans.

I wonder if Menchov was blown up generally today, or just on a hunger knock? He seemed to recover quite a bit in the middle there today.

Maybe I missed something, but Sastre should demand payment from Leipheimer for pulling him around like a toy. THAT'S the Leipheimer we remember: on the limit, sucking wheels. He's rather good at it tho.

― Hunter (Hunter), Tuesday, 18 July 2006 16:01 (nineteen years ago)

In Leipheimer's defense, I now recall that he was the one to try to bridge back to Kloden/Landis at 4k, and after he blew up, Sastre countered and made it back to the duo.

― Hunter (Hunter), Tuesday, 18 July 2006 16:28 (nineteen years ago)

Michael "Not Exactly A Time-Trial Expert" Rasmussen has buggered off to win the Tricky Dicky Memorial KOM contest...and Levi Jeans has attacked?

Floyd looks good but he's got no team mates in the yellow jersey group.

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ is a GE Money Genie (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 12:21 (nineteen years ago)

HOLY SHIT.

Landis has CRACKED in a massive way on the final climb.

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ is a GE Money Genie (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 14:09 (nineteen years ago)

Wow, just wow. I haven't seen a stage like that ever. I haven't seen a guy who was sure to win Le Tour crack in such a huge way. I certainly haven't seen a guy who came out of one mountain range about 30 minutes down regain yellow in another mountain range. I haven't seen such a great ride like Rasmussen in a long time.

So with four stages left...the Tour starts all over again. Pereiro in the lead with almost two minutes over Sastre and with Kloden and Evans lurking behind.

We'll be talking about this stage for fucking YEARS.

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ is a GE Money Genie (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 14:39 (nineteen years ago)

Somewhere between tragic and pathetic. That was dogbutt ugly for Flandis. Will he start tomorrow? Because he might just want to go hide. Man, did you skip dinner and breakfast??? Was it jealous Monsieur Armstrong in the team van avec le bidon d'eau mal?

I reeeeaaaallly hope T-Mobile doesn't win, because they are just the biggest bunch of bike racing morons ever. HC legs, Cat 5 tactics.

Chicken--I hope that felt real good, because Menchov was left with Zubeldia to drag two T Mobiles to the line 2 minutes behind the likely podium guys. (Yes, maillot pois is arguably more valuable than 3rd GC, but I don't think you can yet take anything for granted in terms of going for the overall GC).

― Hunter (Hunter), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 15:26 (nineteen years ago)

Terribly tragic stuff...but when you have AXEL MERCKX dragging you up a mountain, it's in the realms of pathetic. Then again, the guy is riding the Tour de France without a hip for heaven's sake.

T-Mobile really enjoy shooting themselves in the foot, don't they? Maybe Team Vino (or whatever they're called now) should give Michael Rogers a call.

Wellllllll...Rabobank had to let Rasmussen off the leash sometime and even if he was back in the pack, I don't think Denny had the legs to do much today. And it was a bloody good ride by ver Rasmussen.

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ is a GE Money Genie (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 15:38 (nineteen years ago)

Yeah, 'courage' and all that, but I'm just a believer that you don't sell out your GC man unless you know he's out. And Menchov's NOT out.

The fact that Chicken is such a crappy bike rider really affects my respect for him, too. He's not just a specialist climber, he's a SUPERspecialist. Also, this is why I'd like to see the TdF take advantage of the technology of the transponders on the bikes and simply take the aggregate time from the bottoms to the tops of the climbs. Then we'll see who climbed the fastest. Everyone says that will take away the impetus for the long break, but really, winning the stage is its own reward eh?

― Hunter (Hunter), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 15:45 (nineteen years ago)

Hindsight is 20/20, etc., but seriously, how could you put so much stock in Landis once he regained yellow ... he almost never attacks, his whole strategy is based around being consistent as possible and waiting for other riders to crack. Going into this tour, it looked like any one of the top GC contenders could crack at any time and lose 10 minutes, and that's basically what's been happening. All of these guys have had one or two really bad days.

I think O'Grady lost it to one Francois Simon (I forget how), who went into Alpe D'Huez leading Armstrong by 30 minutes and lost about 22 of those minutes on that day (that being the famous stage when Armstrong looked back at Ullrich, gave him a stare that said "follow me if you can, BITCH", and went on to win the stage).

― NoTimeBeforeTime (Barry Bruner), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 15:55 (nineteen years ago)

Maybe Rabobank had other plans, like get a big queen stage win and the malliot pois, I don't know. Chicken did help Denny greatly in the Pyrenees and could do so again tomorrow. In any case, I think "crappy" is a bit of an extreme statement...

I guess you could argue that Chicken could have waited for Menchov on the last climb to pace him up, but I don't think he would have done much help.

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ is a GE Money Genie (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 15:59 (nineteen years ago)

BTW I'm back with a reconsidered opinion that maybe they should keep the maillot pois the same, but I still think they somehow should recognize the speediest climber, even if without an actual jersey. Maybe like a daily cash prize and optic orange number placard, similar to most aggressive rider.

xpost--well crappy is relative, but for a pro bike racer, let alone an ex mtn bike pro, he seriously can not drive a bike. That TT last year(?) was the most unintentionally funny thing since Riis threw his Pinarello Espada in 97.

― Hunter (Hunter), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 16:03 (nineteen years ago)

I think the fact that Landis looked so consistent in what is a very strange and topsy-turvy tour made everyone (including myself) think he was going to ride all the way to Paris in yellow. But yeah, when you look back he hasn't attacked during the tour and if you're going to win Le Tour, that's what you have to do.

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ is a GE Money Genie (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 16:04 (nineteen years ago)

Chicken lost about six minutes to Sastre on the final climb, so no, he couldn't have helped Menchov toward the end. And Menchov's problems today had nothing to do with not having someone to pace him up, and everything to do with trying to attack and drop the other GC contenders, failing, and cracking once he the counter-attacks started.

xxpost

― NoTimeBeforeTime (Barry Bruner), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 16:10 (nineteen years ago)

I think you're right about people not being able to gauge Flandis' stress levels previously. However, when he was gurgling behind Rogers in second wheel today, he looked terrible. For him, moving to the front was actually the sign of his desperation.

I guess you could argue that Chicken could have waited for Menchov on the last climb to pace him up, but I don't think he would have done much help.

Yeah, I wouldn't argue for him to have waited on ~~La Tous~~ ~~La Tus~~ that last climb, he woulda been blown up anyway. I just wouldna cut him loose at the outset.

xxxpost

― Hunter (Hunter), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 16:16 (nineteen years ago)

Esteban OTM, Rasmussen wouldn't have been much help for Menchov on the last climb. Denny had Boogerd with him for as long as Boogerd could drag him up, then he had to do it alone, which is reasonable in the finale of a stage where only the very best are up front: each man on their own. Rasmussen en Boogerd helped Menchov enormously in the Pyrenees, where Menchov won the stage, but that wasn't what was at stake today. Menchov had to finish Landis, get seconds/minutes. Which he did, except Landis finished himself off.

Giving Rasmussen the go-ahead has been a good tactic I think. Not only is it a 'reference point' for Menchov, but this stage had his name written all over it. It'd be foolish not to give him one day to attack, last year he already showed he's capable of winning stages like this.

I for one am truely glad that Landis is out of the yellow, the jersey he earlier in the tour didn't even want. I don't think that is the mentality of a winner, of a Great Cyclist.

― Gerard (Gerard), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 16:16 (nineteen years ago)

xpost NoTime OTM

― Gerard (Gerard), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 16:16 (nineteen years ago)

Yeah well some people love panache. However, remember that TMob made Gonchar go back and get water bottles in the maillot jaune. DISHONOR! THEY ARE NOT WORTHY.
xpost

― Hunter (Hunter), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 16:18 (nineteen years ago)

I just noticed that Rujano finished last today, not last in the final rider to cross the line as part of the trailing group, but LAST last. wtf?

― NoTimeBeforeTime (Barry Bruner), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 16:22 (nineteen years ago)

He's aiming to get a new contract, obv heh heh.

― Hunter (Hunter), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 16:25 (nineteen years ago)

Tomorrow should be good too. Pereiro is just going to get attacked relentlessly.

― Teh littlest HoBBo (the pirate king), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 19:11 (nineteen years ago)

Well, this is how you deal, you hold an impromptu presser in the door of your rental against everyone's advice:

Floyd Landis: First of all, I want you to now believe me when I say I respect you guys, because this is the last thing in the world I want to do. Anyway, what are the questions? I think I can guess, but let's hear it.

Q: What happened today?

FL: I had a very bad day on the wrong day. My team did a good job in the beginning. I suffered from the beginning, and tried to hide it, but at the end I couldn't. I couldn't go. That was the best I could do.

Q: What do you think of Pereiro being in the yellow jersey now after you gave him 30 minutes?

FL: I'm happy for him. He's a friend of mine. That's the way the Tour went. I've said several times that it doesn't matter what the other guys do, I'm focused on what I do, but seeing Oscar in the yellow jersey doesn't disappoint me in any way. He's a good person and he was a good teammate.

Q: How do you deal with this from a mental standpoint?

FL: I don't know. Drink some beer? That's what I'm thinking about now. I don't know ... it's not so bad. I never assumed the Tour was won at any point. I said many times that at any time you can have a bad day, and that's why I was trying to race conservatively every day that I did feel good. And yeah, a bad day came at the wrong time.

Q: It had absolutely nothing to do with your hip?

FL: No, that was not a factor.

Q: Would you tell us if it was?

FL: No.

― Hunter (Hunter), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 19:47 (nineteen years ago)

he hasn't attacked during the tour and if you're going to win Le Tour, that's what you have to do

unless you're Indurain then you can just win it in the time trials

― Teh littlest HoBBo (the pirate king), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 19:49 (nineteen years ago)

Danish hearsay from the interwebs:

Rasmusen claims that he could easily have bridged to Landis and that he actually had to ride with the brakes on while dragging Menchov. Yesterday he was really pissed with Breukink & co, and basically told them to go fuck themselves, and that they could pull him out of the
race - or let him do it his way.

― Hunter (Hunter), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 20:34 (nineteen years ago)

He looked pretty good at the end of today. I reckon he can do the same again tomorrow. He won't leave the mountains in Yellow but hindsight says he'd have been a better be than Menchov in this very open tour.

― Ed (dali), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 20:58 (nineteen years ago)

unless you're Indurain then you can just win it in the time trials

Fair play to Big Mig, he did attack sometimes...

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ is a GE Money Genie (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Thursday, 20 July 2006 02:08 (nineteen years ago)

It's happening now. Landis has ATTACKED and is in a breakaway group about four minutes ahead of the peleton which has the yellow jersey and the contenders.

Even more amazingly, Modbury's Stuey O'Grady is in the breakaway too.

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ is a GE Money Genie (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Thursday, 20 July 2006 11:36 (nineteen years ago)

This tour is not big on dull moments

― Ed (dali), Thursday, 20 July 2006 11:51 (nineteen years ago)

Indeed, finally he's attacking. But is it going to blow up in his face at the end of the stage?

― Gerard (Gerard), Thursday, 20 July 2006 11:53 (nineteen years ago)

Probably. The Col de Joux-Plane surely will break him after 100kms away...right?

Anyway, he's five minutes ahead of the malliot jeune and everyone now.

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ is a GE Money Genie (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Thursday, 20 July 2006 11:58 (nineteen years ago)

Landis is yellow jersey on the road. Phil and Paul are jumping to conclusions (no surprise there then) and are saying everyone's fucked now.

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ is a GE Money Genie (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Thursday, 20 July 2006 12:23 (nineteen years ago)

You'd think he'll break, but there's no sign of it at moment. Virtually he's got the yellow jersey now, with 8:15 ahead of Perrero Sio. If he can keep this up I will have to admit it's a great comeback. But they're not there yet...

― Gerard (Gerard), Thursday, 20 July 2006 12:36 (nineteen years ago)

Surely the peleton will get their arse into gear on the valley road...and the HC mountain coming up is a very tough one.

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ is a GE Money Genie (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Thursday, 20 July 2006 12:39 (nineteen years ago)

I think they will, I'm just very surprised they haven't already. Landis is nine (9!) minutes ahead! They'd *better* get their arse into gear now...

― Gerard (Gerard), Thursday, 20 July 2006 12:41 (nineteen years ago)

Oh god, Landis is now "The New Bernard Hinault".

Thankfully, Jens Voight and CSC have started moving.

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ is a GE Money Genie (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Thursday, 20 July 2006 12:45 (nineteen years ago)

Pretty cool, even though I still think he sucked (his boring tactics, I mean) in the first 2.5 weeks. Too bad I'm nowhere near a tv at the moment...

― willem -- (willem), Thursday, 20 July 2006 12:50 (nineteen years ago)

Me neither Willem, but thank God for Jacques Chapel et al at Radio1 ;)

― Gerard (Gerard), Thursday, 20 July 2006 12:54 (nineteen years ago)

Hi Gerard! No radio either, just Le Tour's auto-reload Live page...

― willem -- (willem), Thursday, 20 July 2006 12:57 (nineteen years ago)

Ohhhh, now T-Mobile is FINALLY working

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ is a GE Money Genie (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Thursday, 20 July 2006 13:09 (nineteen years ago)

(Hey Willem! I've got that running in the background also. Some strange messages appear there now and then. Landis trading in his yellow jersey for a sixpack of beer, wtf?)

Yes, T-Mobile is working, but with Sinkewitz ahead, he's the favorite to win this if he and Landis stay ahead. So T-Mobile will want to get 4, 5 minutes back on Landis, but no more I think, 'cause they've got Sinkewitz. Then it's up to Sastre/Menchov/Leipheimer to get into action.

― Gerard (Gerard), Thursday, 20 July 2006 13:14 (nineteen years ago)

As if T-Mobile really gives a shit about Sinkewitz...

Wait, he's German? OK, they might do that to let him win.

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ is a GE Money Genie (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Thursday, 20 July 2006 13:17 (nineteen years ago)

"As if T-Mobile really gives a shit about Sinkewitz..."

Uhm, but Sinkewitz is from T-Mobile.

― Gerard (Gerard), Thursday, 20 July 2006 13:20 (nineteen years ago)

Landis losing time fast now, he's 7.22 ahead.

― Gerard (Gerard), Thursday, 20 July 2006 13:22 (nineteen years ago)

Since when has T-Mobile cared about their team members?

In any case, he's cracked already.

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ is a GE Money Genie (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Thursday, 20 July 2006 13:23 (nineteen years ago)

Sastre has jumped off the front of the yellow jersey group, which has promptly imploded.

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ is a GE Money Genie (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Thursday, 20 July 2006 13:30 (nineteen years ago)

Is Rasmussen under team orders to pull Menchov? He must be fuming.

― Ed (dali), Thursday, 20 July 2006 13:33 (nineteen years ago)

He had his turn yesterday so I guess he's working for Menchov. The tour site says Boogerd's with Menchov, is Rasmussen with them as well?

― willem -- (willem), Thursday, 20 July 2006 13:38 (nineteen years ago)

I can't see what's going on from the site. Anyone watching on TV care to shed any light (Landis crapping out though)

― Ed (dali), Thursday, 20 July 2006 13:40 (nineteen years ago)

Chicken isn't with Denny, he's behind him. I'm not surprised after what he did yesterday.

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ is a GE Money Genie (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Thursday, 20 July 2006 13:43 (nineteen years ago)

Landis was looking tired but I don't think he's losing time.

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ is a GE Money Genie (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Thursday, 20 July 2006 13:44 (nineteen years ago)

On the road:

Landis...Sastre...Moreau/Cunego...Denny/Boogeyman/Cadel...Yellow Jersey/T-Mobile/Chicken

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ is a GE Money Genie (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Thursday, 20 July 2006 13:45 (nineteen years ago)

NevermindaboutT-Mobile, Kloden has totally cracked today.

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ is a GE Money Genie (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Thursday, 20 July 2006 13:46 (nineteen years ago)

Yeah, Klöden is off. Which is good news for Menchov, who - with Boogerd - seems to do quite okay. A very fine finale again, just like yesterday. I'm thoroughly enjoying this.

― Gerard (Gerard), Thursday, 20 July 2006 13:49 (nineteen years ago)

I think I just saw a bloke wearing a T-Mobile top and no pants/

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ is a GE Money Genie (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Thursday, 20 July 2006 13:49 (nineteen years ago)

Was it 'Der Jan'?

― Gerard (Gerard), Thursday, 20 July 2006 13:51 (nineteen years ago)

Menchov again can't cope, and Klöden has found his rhythm again.

― Gerard (Gerard), Thursday, 20 July 2006 13:52 (nineteen years ago)

I also saw a guy with no shirt on with what seems to be boobs. That probably was our old friend Jan.

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ is a GE Money Genie (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Thursday, 20 July 2006 13:53 (nineteen years ago)

ONLY IN FRANCE

― Gerard (Gerard), Thursday, 20 July 2006 13:55 (nineteen years ago)

Landis over the top and it's 12km dooooown...

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ is a GE Money Genie (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Thursday, 20 July 2006 13:57 (nineteen years ago)

Pererio, Chicken and Kloden have just ridden past Denny & The Boogeyman.

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ is a GE Money Genie (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Thursday, 20 July 2006 13:58 (nineteen years ago)

Landis second in KoM as well after that.

― Ed (dali), Thursday, 20 July 2006 14:00 (nineteen years ago)

Cadel has completely cracked, with Pererio and Kloden passing him.

Chicken has dropped down to pace Denny and he looks THRILLED.

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ is a GE Money Genie (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Thursday, 20 July 2006 14:01 (nineteen years ago)

Sastre comes in at the top, 5'06 behind Landis.

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ is a GE Money Genie (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Thursday, 20 July 2006 14:02 (nineteen years ago)

Pereiro goes over the top...at 6'52

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ is a GE Money Genie (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Thursday, 20 July 2006 14:03 (nineteen years ago)

Rasmussen now with Menchov, Boogerd has been given the go-ahead.

― Gerard (Gerard), Thursday, 20 July 2006 14:04 (nineteen years ago)

So that's Sastre virtually in yellow then...

(xpost - go Boogerd! not sure what for, but hey, I like the guy :)

― willem -- (willem), Thursday, 20 July 2006 14:06 (nineteen years ago)

:-) Exactly Willem, he can't win anything, but his legs today were good, better then Menchov's.

― Gerard (Gerard), Thursday, 20 July 2006 14:09 (nineteen years ago)

Landis over the line and THE COUNTDOWN BEGINS

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ is a GE Money Genie (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Thursday, 20 July 2006 14:10 (nineteen years ago)

Whatever happens we're coming out of the mountains with 4 maybe 5 able to win the tour over a moderate mountain stage, time trial and flat stage.

― Ed (dali), Thursday, 20 July 2006 14:12 (nineteen years ago)

Dessel has a huge stack into the gravel!

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ is a GE Money Genie (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Thursday, 20 July 2006 14:14 (nineteen years ago)

Yeah, maybe even that final flat stage will be more exciting than usual

― willem -- (willem), Thursday, 20 July 2006 14:14 (nineteen years ago)

Sastre in at 5'41

Tomorrow is more of an undulating stage...we've got a Cat.2 climb and a couple of smaller ones but that's about it. It's going to be all about the TT unless someone tries something cheeky.

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ is a GE Money Genie (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Thursday, 20 July 2006 14:15 (nineteen years ago)

Perrero Sio stays in the yellow!

― Gerard (Gerard), Thursday, 20 July 2006 14:17 (nineteen years ago)

Pereiro is in at 7'07 and saves yellow (sez Phil).

Cadel and Denny in now and they got no chance...

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ is a GE Money Genie (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Thursday, 20 July 2006 14:18 (nineteen years ago)

New Overall Classification:
1. Pererio
2. Sastre at 0:12
3. Landis at 0:30

Well, I thought yesterday was strange...but now...

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ is a GE Money Genie (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Thursday, 20 July 2006 14:20 (nineteen years ago)

Is Landis the best time trialler of those three?

― Teh littlest HoBBo (the pirate king), Thursday, 20 July 2006 14:21 (nineteen years ago)

Cool! In the previous TT Sastre was 30 sec. faster then Perrero Sio...

xpost: yes, he was 1'10" ahead of Sastre

― willem -- (willem), Thursday, 20 July 2006 14:22 (nineteen years ago)

With some heroics I reckon there are 8 people who could still win this!

― Ed (dali), Thursday, 20 July 2006 14:24 (nineteen years ago)

Landis looks a little chippier now. Funny that.

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ is a GE Money Genie (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Thursday, 20 July 2006 14:24 (nineteen years ago)

When will he show us some panache tho? We want our panache.

That reminded me of Doper Hamilton's great escape of, 2003?

― Hunter (Hunter), Thursday, 20 July 2006 14:33 (nineteen years ago)

Tomorrow's L'Equipe Headline: STUPID AMERICANE STILL DOESNT HAVE THE PANACHE OF TRICKY DICKY

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ is a GE Money Genie (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Thursday, 20 July 2006 14:35 (nineteen years ago)

That reminded me of Doper Hamilton's great escape of, 2003?

Yep, but there weren't nearly as many climbs on that stage, IIRC. I take back all the bad things I ever said about Landis.

― NoTimeBeforeTime (Barry Bruner), Thursday, 20 July 2006 14:42 (nineteen years ago)

Gracious and calm in apparent defeat, resolute and brave in response. Not bad.

I woulda guessed Flandis going over the top of JouxPlane with about 4 minutes on the yellow jersey group at most. That. Was. Amazing. Even the descent to Morzine was amazing (and nerve wracking).

Homer Bob Roll said afterwords--"you've just seen the greatest one day performance of the modern era of the TdF." I think he may be right.

But Roll's best comment was "when Christophe Moreau is considered to have panache, this race has lost its luster." Well, really, take that back, Moreau was fantastic today.

― Hunter (Hunter), Thursday, 20 July 2006 14:57 (nineteen years ago)

Should be exciting tomorrow!

― Steve Shasta (Steve Shasta), Friday, 21 July 2006 14:29 (nineteen years ago)

My dad must just be going NUTS. This is probably everything he wanted for the first post-Armstrong Tour.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 21 July 2006 14:39 (nineteen years ago)

Well, T-Mobile have sacked our old friend "Der Fattenkaiser" Jan Ullrich. Hey, remember when he was going to be the next Indurian? Anyone? Anyone?

Oh, there was a stage in Le Tour yesterday. OK, so it was between two of the great stages and the deciding TT...

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ is a GE Money Genie (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Saturday, 22 July 2006 01:44 (nineteen years ago)

My prediction for the TT: NINJAS EVERYWHERE!

― Hunter (Hunter), Saturday, 22 July 2006 03:42 (nineteen years ago)

THEY DONT SHAVE ON TIME TRIAL DAY

(Just in case you haven't heard that a thousand fucking times this tour...)

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ is a GE Money Genie (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Saturday, 22 July 2006 13:20 (nineteen years ago)

Everyone is on course. Alca Jacta Est and all that.

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ is a GE Money Genie (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Saturday, 22 July 2006 13:21 (nineteen years ago)

Hey, remember when he was going to be the next Indurian? Anyone? Anyone?

He probably would have been in a Lance-less world!

― NoTimeBeforeTime (Barry Bruner), Saturday, 22 July 2006 13:26 (nineteen years ago)

So if the GC standings get flipped around after today, let's say Landis in yellow, with both Pereiro and Sastre less than 30 seconds back, will we see a bunch of attacks tomorrow? Or in other words, when was the last time the final (non-TT) stage of the Tour was actually contested instead of being a victory parade for the winner?

― NoTimeBeforeTime (Barry Bruner), Saturday, 22 July 2006 13:34 (nineteen years ago)

First Checkpoint:

Periero is still holding onto yellow by 20 seconds from Landis, Sastre is a minute off.

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ is a GE Money Genie (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Saturday, 22 July 2006 13:37 (nineteen years ago)

I don't see why not...I know the culture of the peleton dictates it as a victory parade but there has been precedent with Delgaro attacking in 1987 and most famously, "The Miracle of Bonsecours" in 1947.

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ is a GE Money Genie (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Saturday, 22 July 2006 13:41 (nineteen years ago)

He probably would have been in a Lance-less world!

Erm, maybe! If we take away Lance from those tours, Der Lardenkiser would have won in '00, '01 and '03. Zulle would have won in '99, Beloki in '02 and Kloden last year.

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ is a GE Money Genie (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Saturday, 22 July 2006 13:44 (nineteen years ago)

Landis is just about virtual yellow now...

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ is a GE Money Genie (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Saturday, 22 July 2006 13:45 (nineteen years ago)

Landis is virtual yellow over Pereiro by about 15-20 seconds about now.

You can forget Sastre today.

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ is a GE Money Genie (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Saturday, 22 July 2006 13:56 (nineteen years ago)

Periro might have cracked now, he's down a minute on Landis at Checkpoint 2.

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ is a GE Money Genie (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Saturday, 22 July 2006 13:58 (nineteen years ago)

Zulle would have won in '99

He might have won anyway had he not been caught behind a crash in Stage 2(?) and ended up in the half of the peloton that lost eight minutes (he eventually finished six back of Armstrong).

It's looking like Landis-Pereiro-Kloden this year, barring a calamity.

― NoTimeBeforeTime (Barry Bruner), Saturday, 22 July 2006 14:10 (nineteen years ago)

There's no OLN where I am this morning, ESPN is doing news, ESPN2 is doing fishing (!), and between this thread and this blog, this is a really frustrating way to watch sports.

― Tab Hunter loves to take his shirt off (kenan), Saturday, 22 July 2006 14:11 (nineteen years ago)

I missed out on most of Le Tour '99 since I was stuck in various locations in Britain.

Kloden is FLYING today. He's going to pass Cadel at the finish!

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ is a GE Money Genie (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Saturday, 22 July 2006 14:14 (nineteen years ago)

What an incredible tour. Landis is back in yellow and looks like he's won the tour...

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ is a GE Money Genie (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Saturday, 22 July 2006 14:25 (nineteen years ago)

Landis is 59 seconds over Pereiro. TRY TO BREAK TOMORROW, OSCAR!

Kloden pinched third, the bastard.

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ is a GE Money Genie (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Saturday, 22 July 2006 14:30 (nineteen years ago)

What a comeback for Landis, just unbelievable.

There will be a million "what if"s surrounding this tour.

― NoTimeBeforeTime (Barry Bruner), Saturday, 22 July 2006 14:33 (nineteen years ago)

definitely the most enjoyable tour in years.
i've just realised there was no team time trial this year. boo.

― zappi (joni), Saturday, 22 July 2006 14:50 (nineteen years ago)

I hope that he puts his necrotic hip joint in a jar after replacement, so we can all see.

If there had been a TTT, is there any doubt Kloden is waving from the podium? None. To me, it was like they put in two long ITTs as a gift to Ullrich, and no 7 hour Alpine stages too. But just so it wasn't too obvious, they took out the TTT. It did allow a guy with a weak team to win the yellow tho.

Cadel, what happened?

Also, CSC get a little karmic payback:

"I think CSC did a little dirty trick there," Evans said at the finish [of Friday's stage]. "They put Sastre in the front then sat up behind to try and make a gap in the group … very unprofessional. I don't know if they made a split but when everyone is sitting up behind you can't even get through. The provisional results did indeed show a gap, with Sastre the last in the front part of the group and those from Andreas Kloden (T-Mobile) backwards losing time. However the race organisers later eliminated this time difference.

― Hunter (Hunter), Saturday, 22 July 2006 15:18 (nineteen years ago)

I don't know about Cadel. I think he's been low on form during these three weeks and he really needs to get out of Lotto if he wants a decent chance of winning a Grand Tour. They know that McEwen is their bread and butter, so I reckon Cadel would be well advised to jump ship. And to take poor old Michael Rogers with him...

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ the Unstoppable Troll Machine (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Saturday, 22 July 2006 16:30 (nineteen years ago)

Just in case you missed him...

http://www.pezcyclingnews.com/photos/races06/tdf06/tdf06st19-jh-DidiDevil.jpg

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ the Unstoppable Troll Machine (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Sunday, 23 July 2006 10:57 (nineteen years ago)

lol @ rasmussen's polka dot helmet!

― HPSTRKRFT (haitch), Sunday, 23 July 2006 12:17 (nineteen years ago)

That helmet has got more panache than Landis!

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ the Unstoppable Troll Machine (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Sunday, 23 July 2006 12:32 (nineteen years ago)

Oh my gawd, Chicken is wearing polka dot GLOVES too.

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ the Unstoppable Troll Machine (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Sunday, 23 July 2006 12:51 (nineteen years ago)

big breakaway on here!

― HPSTRKRFT (haitch), Sunday, 23 July 2006 14:18 (nineteen years ago)

Not any more!

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ the Unstoppable Troll Machine (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Sunday, 23 July 2006 14:44 (nineteen years ago)

Thooooooor The Muggle beats out Harry Potter In Green 'cause the boy wizard sprints too easy. Oh well, he's the green jersey for a third time.

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ the Unstoppable Troll Machine (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Sunday, 23 July 2006 14:53 (nineteen years ago)

(By easy, I mean early...)

Hey look, Floyd Landis is your winner of the 2006 Tour de France!

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ the Unstoppable Troll Machine (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Sunday, 23 July 2006 14:55 (nineteen years ago)

AND FLOYD LANDIS CELEBRATES BY CHUGGING DOWN AN ICE COLD RED BULL

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ the Unstoppable Troll Machine (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Sunday, 23 July 2006 14:56 (nineteen years ago)

"And Thor turns on the big turbo and goes trrrrrrrrrhhhh..."

I cannot do justice to what I just heard from Paul Sherwen there.

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ the Unstoppable Troll Machine (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Sunday, 23 July 2006 15:01 (nineteen years ago)

AND FLOYD LANDIS CELEBRATES BY CHUGGING DOWN AN ICE COLD RED BULL

Oh, great.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 23 July 2006 15:04 (nineteen years ago)

I don't think his Mennonite parents will approve of such a modern drink, through. Should have done it like the Indy 500 and had an ice cold milk.

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ the Unstoppable Troll Machine (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Sunday, 23 July 2006 15:06 (nineteen years ago)

Ha! Robbie Mac has got his kid dressed in one of his green shirts...and Chicken upstages him by dressing his baby in a custom polka dot outfit!

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ the Unstoppable Troll Machine (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Sunday, 23 July 2006 15:12 (nineteen years ago)

FLOOOOOYD! There he is, in the yellow. With a moderate amount of panache. But didn't dress his kid in yellow. Disappointing, that.

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ the Unstoppable Troll Machine (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Sunday, 23 July 2006 15:17 (nineteen years ago)

There's yer podium. Landis, Pereiro and Kloden. Pereiro hasn't even bothered to dress his baby!

The Stars and Stripes play yet again on the Champs Elysees and look at all the thrilled Frenchmen!

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ the Unstoppable Troll Machine (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Sunday, 23 July 2006 15:20 (nineteen years ago)

THEY DIDNT GIVE HIM A MIC?

THEY GAVE LANCE A MIC LAST YEAR!

GIVE LANDIS A MIC!

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ the Unstoppable Troll Machine (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Sunday, 23 July 2006 15:21 (nineteen years ago)

Oh, they gave him a mic after all.

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ the Unstoppable Troll Machine (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Sunday, 23 July 2006 15:23 (nineteen years ago)

Hey, who let T-Mobile on the podium? Best Team more leik WORST TEAM TACTICS AHAHAHAHA!!1!

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ the Unstoppable Troll Machine (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Sunday, 23 July 2006 15:25 (nineteen years ago)

Goodbyeeeee Jean Marie Leblanc! Possibly one of the most surreal moments in cycling history occured when you washed up on Aldinga Beach during one Tour Down Under.

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ the Unstoppable Troll Machine (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Sunday, 23 July 2006 15:29 (nineteen years ago)

what an awesome Tour it was this year. One of the great stories in all of sports.

― don weiner (don weiner), Sunday, 23 July 2006 22:31 (nineteen years ago)

Oh, too rich:

Lance Armstrong says the Discovery Channel team has been so impressed by Floyd Landis that they want to sign him. "We would take Floyd back. We've pursued him for some time now." Really? Would you? That would be so big of you.

Like how when Landis decided he wanted a chance to race for himself, you added him to your shit list? Like how when you and Danielson finally cracked Landis in Georgia in 05 you turned around as Danielson finished and pointed up the road just to taunt him?

Lots of recent evidence to back up assertions that Armstrong is a classless twunt (in addition to being an amazing individual and bike racer). I hope that Landis does what is best for him, but I also hope that includes telling Armstrong "no."

Armchair psychoanalysis is annoying and pointless, so let's do some.
Armstrong: Must win, but also must dominate you and humiliate you to prove himself.
Landis: Must win, must do it his way, doesn't really care so much what you think.

― Hunter (Hunter), Monday, 24 July 2006 03:45 (nineteen years ago)

i read the Landis article in Outside today, and could have sworn that Discovery has extended the offer before.

― gbx (skowly), Monday, 24 July 2006 03:51 (nineteen years ago)

i am bad at grammar, apparently.

― gbx (skowly), Monday, 24 July 2006 03:52 (nineteen years ago)

so floyd landis, what's on your ipod?

'he cracked', modern lovers
'hip op hooray', naughty by nature

― HPSTRKRFT (haitch), Monday, 24 July 2006 03:57 (nineteen years ago)

Like how when Landis decided he wanted a chance to race for himself, you added him to your shit list?

AKA "The Year of No Gifts ... uh, except I was going to give Landis a gift but he couldn't hold it together so I changed my mind a few minutes later and said fuck it and took the win for myself"?

― NoTimeBeforeTime (Barry Bruner), Monday, 24 July 2006 07:07 (nineteen years ago)

Landis found to be too manly

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/cycling/5221122.stm

― Merrini (Mezza), Thursday, 27 July 2006 13:38 (nineteen years ago)

Oh, so that's how he did it then?

― Sploshette Moxy (Dada), Thursday, 27 July 2006 13:40 (nineteen years ago)

Just perfect. You couldn't have written a better screenplay.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 27 July 2006 13:40 (nineteen years ago)

Are there gonna be any drug free riders left?

― Brigadier Lethbridge-Pfunkboy (Kerr), Thursday, 27 July 2006 13:41 (nineteen years ago)

Lance Armstrong! Allegedly!

― Sploshette Moxy (Dada), Thursday, 27 July 2006 13:41 (nineteen years ago)

Ha, that was short lived glory! Gotta say, that seems a strange positive. Testosterone is considered risky as v. easily detectible as I understand it. Seems also like test would be a better preparation tool than recovery tool.

― Hunter (Hunter), Thursday, 27 July 2006 13:59 (nineteen years ago)

Holy god, fuckety fuck.

― NickB (NickB), Thursday, 27 July 2006 14:03 (nineteen years ago)

So Landis is MIA presumably undergoing a full-body transfusion and taking every masking-agent possible?

― Steve Shasta (Steve Shasta), Thursday, 27 July 2006 14:17 (nineteen years ago)

Landis, tomorrow:

http://chicago.metblogs.com/photos/robocop.jpg

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 27 July 2006 14:20 (nineteen years ago)

ned, how will he paddle?

Lance Armstrong! Allegedly!

hahahahahahaha funniest comment on this thread

― Nathalie (stevie nixed), Thursday, 27 July 2006 14:21 (nineteen years ago)

xxpost

That won't matter now, they already have a B sample.

Are there gonna be any drug free riders left?

Greg Lemond! Didn't he bitch out Armstrong a couple of years back and basically accuse the entire peloton of doping? Sure, he nearly shot his foot off and came back to win two Tours, but he didn't need drugs, it was SHEER WILLPOWER.

― NoTimeBeforeTime (Barry Bruner), Thursday, 27 July 2006 14:25 (nineteen years ago)

jeez :-(

― toby (tsg20), Thursday, 27 July 2006 14:41 (nineteen years ago)

If that really is a positive positive, that would be a pathetically silly and desperate way to get busted, cos like Hunter says, anomolous testosterone levels are fairly straightforward to test for, and any fool knows that the stage winner gets tested. Oh well, it was an amazing illusion of a great bike race while it lasted.

― NickB (NickB), Thursday, 27 July 2006 14:55 (nineteen years ago)

isn't testerone a masking agent for clomonid?

― Steve Shasta (Steve Shasta), Thursday, 27 July 2006 19:09 (nineteen years ago)

from the new york times article:

...the test to discover high levels of testosterone is two-pronged and labor-intensive. The first part, to see if there is a high t/e ratio, can take anywhere from 8 to 12 hours, he said. The second part, to see whether that high ratio comes naturally or from an external source, is also lengthy.

“This is not a slam-dunk case,” he said of Landis’s case. “There is work to do, and if there’s ever a test that won’t repeat a positive, it will be a really complex analysis, and this is one of them.”

He also said that if Landis had a naturally high level of testosterone, someone would already know it or someone would be “running around finding the past results and plotting them on graph paper” to prove his innocence.

“These data are saved and someone can look them up,” he said.

Though Landis was granted a waiver by the U.C.I. to receive cortisone shots before the Tour began, cortisone use would not result in a higher t/e level, Catlin said. (Cortisone is otherwise banned.)

damn. i would like to think it's a false positive, but it doesn't sound good.

― Juulia (julesbdules), Thursday, 27 July 2006 20:46 (nineteen years ago)

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i191/fluxion23/landis_never_forget.jpg

― Tab Hunter loves to take his shirt off (kenan), Thursday, 27 July 2006 23:17 (nineteen years ago)

Landis also bailed on his scheduled Tonight Show appearance this evening.

How many masking agent binges, blood tranfusions, dialysis treatments do you think he's gone through so far?

― Steve Shasta (Steve Shasta), Friday, 28 July 2006 01:12 (nineteen years ago)

Whoops! There goes the tour!

From what I've been reading, I think Landis is probably innocent. Well, as innocent as you can get in pro cycling. We'll know if he's guilty if he refuses a DNA test, right Jan? Jan? Jan?

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ The Unstoppable Troll Machine (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Friday, 28 July 2006 05:13 (nineteen years ago)

Very American:

Asked directly by American magazine Sports Illustrated if he had cheated, Landis replied: "No, c'mon man."

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 28 July 2006 16:15 (nineteen years ago)

German TV news from ARD says his testosteron/epitestosteron quotient (maximum allowed value 4:1) was 11:1, almost 3 times the limit. They also say that this can't possibly be natural.

(still doesn't mean it's doping though. he/his doctor can't possibly be this stupid, right?)

― StanM (StanM), Saturday, 29 July 2006 09:03 (nineteen years ago)

If his testosterone levels are naturally high, then why has he never tested positive for it before? He's been a pro cyclist for over a decade.

― NoTimeBeforeTime (Barry Bruner), Saturday, 29 July 2006 18:53 (nineteen years ago)

Its not just cycling
World and Olympic 100 metres champion Justin Gatlin has admitted failing a drugs test in April.

― Brigadier Lethbridge-Pfunkboy (Kerr), Saturday, 29 July 2006 19:25 (nineteen years ago)

xpost to myself, here's Lemond, right on cue:

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/29072006/2/sports-ex-tour-de-france-winner-lemond-urges-landis-speak.html

― NoTimeBeforeTime (Barry Bruner), Saturday, 29 July 2006 19:41 (nineteen years ago)

He's getting the support of Lance Armstrong, apparently. The test was done at the lab of Châtenay-Malabry that also accused Armstrong of foul play, so it's all the lab's fault, evidently.

― StanM (StanM), Saturday, 29 July 2006 19:45 (nineteen years ago)

Landis' B-sample has returned positive.

So it looks like your NEW winner of the 2006 Tour de France is going to be...Oscar Pereiro!

― Domenico Buttez (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Saturday, 5 August 2006 10:02 (nineteen years ago)

Phonak has just sacked Landis, who still claims to be innocent.

I bet Axel Merckx must be THRILLED by all this!

― Domenico Buttez (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Saturday, 5 August 2006 10:12 (nineteen years ago)

I thought he's just been suspended, not sacked?

― NoTimeBeforeTime (Barry Bruner), Saturday, 5 August 2006 12:26 (nineteen years ago)

Hell, would YOU keep him around at this point?

Dude has a lot to answer for.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 5 August 2006 12:50 (nineteen years ago)

i've seen the theory bandied that he was habitually doping, and something went awry that day, perhaps a "new drug." or a miscalculation. testosterone alone would not explain this effort, one which is obv the very opposite of a sprinter's on a track. and there is no way, if he did dope, that he only did so on that day. just no way.
BUT on the other hand you have this, to me, ultra-strange statement from a scientist at a *cough* french lab, "It's foolproof. This analysis tells the difference between endogenous and exogenous." also: "No error is possible in isotopic readings" what scientist would say that?! now that attitude positively wreaks of something as well.
i don't think we will ever know, but a read of the attitudes, his and theirs, makes me believe landis. sorry y'all.
& apparently most testosterone accusation appeals fall in favor of athletes too? hmmmm

― noizem duke (noize duke), Sunday, 6 August 2006 02:44 (nineteen years ago)

theory held by my cycling fan buddy: he (like everyone else) is a habitual doper, and for whatever reason is "masking system" fell down that day. tough cookies.

― gbx (skowly), Sunday, 6 August 2006 03:13 (nineteen years ago)

i am no scientist, but is it possible a masking system could've fouled up due to some extraordinary effort he otherwise "naturally" made? now THAT would be weird

― noizem duke (noize duke), Sunday, 6 August 2006 03:31 (nineteen years ago)

let's face it, everyone who rides in the tour de france takes illegal drugs. the answer is simply to allow ALL drugs just to see how freaky looking everyone gets. cuz that would be funny and very entertaining.

― scott seward (scott seward), Sunday, 6 August 2006 03:46 (nineteen years ago)

they are already freaks, but its not apparent to the naked eye, like it is in a lot of other sports. the objective is to get as skinny yet strong as possible. these guys have body fat "only in th' earlobes" as the joke goes, but also the ones with too much muscle mass, i.e. sprinters, just fall away in the mountains.
ullrich is the one i always wondered about, as he looked too big to me to be pulling off what he would usually pull off, in the mountains.
its a shame because what these guys start with, before any doping, really is incredible natural stuff. its so far from what some dude off the street could do that its unbelievable. which is not how i feel about, say, american football. no offense (haha)

― noizem duke (noize duke), Sunday, 6 August 2006 04:09 (nineteen years ago)

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/14222191/ Blah, blah, blah. The media knew before he did, so he wasn't able to defend himself. DEFEND HIMSELF HOW?

― StanM (StanM), Monday, 7 August 2006 19:44 (nineteen years ago)

He's fucked.

― Steve Shasta (Steve Shasta), Monday, 7 August 2006 20:00 (nineteen years ago)

His month just got worse.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 17 August 2006 18:30 (nineteen years ago)

one month passes...

Floyd Landis still sez he didn't do it...and has a POWERPOINT SLIDE SHOW to prove it!

You can't argue with that!

Oh, and they still haven't got around to stripping him of the win.

― The Real Esteban Buttez (EstieButtez1), Friday, 13 October 2006 14:38 (nineteen years ago)

four months pass...

Hmmm.

― Ned Raggett, Friday, 23 February 2007 07:30 (nineteen years ago)

Oh come on, just admit they're allowed to use it, FFS:

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070219/SPORTS/702190339/1004/SPORTS

Tour of California didn't test for EPO because one of the sponsors was the company that MAKES the drug.

― StanM, Friday, 23 February 2007 07:39 (nineteen years ago)

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