http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/othe...ng/5132320.stm
Tour de France starting soon...No Armstrong and no Ullrich either! Ivan Basso the early favourite so. any sign of Mark Scanlon this year?
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http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/othe...ng/5132320.stm
Tour de France starting soon...No Armstrong and no Ullrich either! Ivan Basso the early favourite so. any sign of Mark Scanlon this year?
To answer my own question, he's in AG2R's squad.... best of luck, hope he pulls off a stage win or two....
http://www.tdfblog.com/2004/06/more_tour_squad.html
ITV3 have live coverage of the prologue and 1st stage, and then have the highlights 7pm each night on ITV4. Classic combination of Liggett/ Sherwen/ Imlach as well. (both Free to air on Satellite)
TG4 looks like highlights only this year, but I could be wrong. :o
I had fancied Vinokourov with team backing this year, but still doubts about whether his team will be let race. Ullrich suspended from T-Mobile this morning over the Spanish doping investigation, and Basso apparently implicated too. Turning a bit into 1998 all over again, before a pedal turned.
Thats the 2004 squad Pauro. Check the date
http://www.letour.fr/2006/TDF/RIDERS/us/engages.html
Click above for Provisional squads. None of th Irish lads on them. Scanlon's had another poxy year for injuries
Live when Wimbledon finishes and live streaming on the internet too for all us work shy public servants :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Macy
Vinokourov's team won case in CAS so they'll definitely be in but Liberty Seguros pulled sponsorship so working on a budget that’s 25% of what it was. If basso rides he should win by 10+ minutes. Small e/w bet on Avezado (best team, can TT ok, brilliant in mountains and now doesn't have to look after Lance)Quote:
I had fancied Vinokourov with team backing this year, but still doubts about whether his team will be let race. Ullrich suspended from T-Mobile this morning over the Spanish doping investigation, and Basso apparently implicated too. Turning a bit into 1998 all over again, before a pedal turned.
oops... another tour without Scanlon. This years tour seems a bit odd without Armstrong...Quote:
Originally Posted by Dodge
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?...n06/jun30news3
Basso out now too...
Really makes the race wide open. Interesting the teams pulling people out, without substitutes - normally they deny until found guilty.
It wouldn't be a Tour De France without all the scandal. Can't believe that Basso and Ulrich are out. I know see Vinikourov, Rasmussen and Avazedo as the main contenders.
Paddy Power have suspended betting anyway - no suprise.
I'm reading Paul Kimmage's Rough Ride at the moment - great read if you've any interest in cycling.
Kimmage is a ******. 5 of Vinikourov's team suspended. Ruins any chance he had IMO. Azevado or Floyd Landis for me
Sligo man Scanlon was plauged with injuries agian this year and wont be taking part.
He was on standby for some tour a few months back,got called into it but coulnt finish the last 2 stages as he wasnt fit enough as he was only back from injury.
Anyones race this year after the news of Ullrich and Basso.
Fancied Basso to win it aswell.
Sure he did alright last year when he was racing against his own team!Assuming his team make it has a chance now.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dodge
Leiphiemer(sp?) may come into the reckoning after winning the Dauphine, as well as Landis. Discovery obviously strengthened by others being weakened...
I'm lazy. What happened to Ullrich?
I'm presuming Mario Cippolini is out too or is he still having great starts and then pulling out?
:rolleyes:Quote:
Originally Posted by Risteard
Be nice...Quote:
Originally Posted by Seagull
Cippolini's job was to win the sprint stages at the start of the race. Whn he did that, he was allowed leave the race having won enough prize money for the team and exposure for the sponsors. he was far too big to make it over the mountains so rather than kill himself trying, he put his feet up and watch the madmen do it on TV
Vino's out as his tema hadn't 5 riders. Mancebo gone now. No replacements allowed for any of the banned lot so Telekom down to 7 and a couple down to 8.
Great read if into sports. No surprise that Kimmage has made a living writing as he has an easy style. Recommended reading to all.Quote:
Originally Posted by finlma
Has cycling finally killed itself? Years of neglect on drugs issues exploding again. I suppose nothing will really be done until sponsors walk away? I'm sure sponsors not happy having their logos plastered all over supected drug cheats?
But if cycling has less than a quarter of the people on that list (football rumoured to have over half) why is cycling the only one trying to clean it up?
Is this not the EPO World Championships?
As Dodge says, the latest scandal involves far more than cycling. Footballers and athletes make up most of the list.
I don't think cyclings clean, but I honestly don't think it's any more riddled with drugs than any other sport. Most tested, sport people are most cynical about yes (hence all the headlines around this time of the year), but there's nothing that cyclists have been found doing that wouldn't be of "benefit" to other sports, who simply choose not to test for them.
Football has a very poor record in enforcing and punishing drugs offenders. However in cycling i think its probably has been that virtually run by the teams themselves.
Note really sure what you mean but the teams definitely DO NOT run cycling nor ever have. It would've been easier for the tour to sweep this under the carpet than ban 3 very high profile stars on the eve of the showpiece eventQuote:
Originally Posted by pete
I know nothing about this (doing some work on it today and really don’t know what I am doing). However, I’m working with plenty of experts here who know what they are talking about, and I have asked the one I trust the most to have a look at the odds and he says the value lies with the Discovery Channel riders Popovych (@ 15.0) and Azevedo (@ 40.0). He is not a gambler but has been doing preparation work for the Tour for weeks so his tips are good enough for a couple of small interest bets for me
My tip on Azevado not good enough for you :)
Your tip sealed the deal
Your man's ( he has had the yellow jersey twice so far) arm injury the other day... how did that happen?
Hushovd? One of the plastic coated cardboard PMU (sponsors of the sprints!) hands. It was held out over the barrier by a spectator. He was hit by a camera just before it as well.Quote:
Originally Posted by CollegeTillIDie
Casar was taken out the day before yesterday by a spectator trying to take a photo on a phone (who his Director then tried to smack). Seems like camera phones are the big risk in the tour so far.
Fairly common thing actually. Remember one horror crash when Abdujaparov (phonetic spelling maybe?) nearly lost his career a few years ago when a policeman stepped out to take a head ono photo
Was it not Jalabert that hit the copper? I thought the Terror of Tashkent ran into the barries of his own accord...
Yeah you're right. Disgusted I got that wrong as I was a fan of Jalabert, particularly after that crash when he stopped sprinting and decided to attack on the mountains.
Googled Jalabert Crash after, and got a link to a DVD of racing crashes - bit grim if you ask me watching Abdu's and Jaja's crashes over and over for entertainment... :eek:
He probably could've challenged if he'd focussed purely on the Tour - maybe a regret he shares with Kelly (who I've heard defend Armstrong et al to the charge of racing once a year - he said he would've if he could've).
Just watching it now. Extraordinary news item. Stage 17 - the day he "recovered". A shame if it's true, I really liked Landis'approach to the race despite originally not wanting another US winner.
confirmed here
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?...l06/jul27news3
Oh dear, and after his epic performance on Stage 17 too.Quote:
Originally Posted by totalfootball
KOH
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/othe...ng/5221122.stm
Tour de France winner Floyd Landis has given a positive drugs test, according to his Phonak team.
The American, who claimed victory in the Tour de France on Sunday, has tested positive for the male sex hormone testosterone.
The positive test came after stage 17 of the Tour, which saw Landis record an epic victory after collapsing on the final climb the day before.
Landis has been suspended pending results of his B sample analysis.
The International Cycling Union (UCI) announced on Wednesday that a rider had failed a doping test but would not reveal his name.
"The Phonak Cycling Team was notified on Wednesday by the UCI of an unusual level of testosterone/epitestosterone ratio in the test made on Floyd Landis after stage 17 of the Tour de France," said a team statement.
"The team management and the rider were both totally surprised of this physiological result.
"The rider will ask in the upcoming days for the counter analysis (B sample) to prove either that this result has come from a natural process or that this is the result of a mistake."
Phonak have also said that if the second sample confirms the positive test, Landis will be sacked.
Is it that surprising after he hit the wall after stage 16 that the next day he gains almost 6 minutes by winning a brutal stage?
After his implosion he had a beer that night with his manager. Guess it was spiked?:rolleyes:
KOH
Related to the cortezone he takes for his hip?
Hardly a suprise. To hit the wall completely 1 day and then put in the best ever performace in the Tour De France the following day - it stinks of drugs.
The majority of riders in the tour are up to their eyes in drugs.
Source? :confused:Quote:
Originally Posted by finlma
Landis "bonked" on stage 16 and recovered for 17. Not strange at all and not any indicator of drug-use. Not a huge Landis fan but it seems this may not be as cut and dried as the anti-cycling lobby will no doubt tell us it is.
KOH
Did anybody else notice that this got hardly any media coverage now that Armstrong has retired? I didn't even know that it had began when I heard the winner being announced on Sunday.
well it was on Eurosport and Tg4 everyday...plus highlights programmes in the evening.
Read Paul Kimmage's Rough Ride. I know there are people on here that dislike him but he is certain of that fact and continues to say it.Quote:
Originally Posted by WeAreRovers