Tour de France

**Dodge** · 03/07/2006, 1:21 PM

Originally Posted by pete

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 event

**TheOwl** · 03/07/2006, 1:28 PM

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

**Dodge** · 03/07/2006, 1:57 PM

My tip on Azevado not good enough for you

**TheOwl** · 03/07/2006, 2:19 PM

Your tip sealed the deal

**CollegeTillIDie** · 05/07/2006, 9:01 PM

Your man's ( he has had the yellow jersey twice so far) arm injury the other day... how did that happen?

**Macy** · 06/07/2006, 8:17 AM

Originally Posted by CollegeTillIDie

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.

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.

**Dodge** · 06/07/2006, 9:39 AM

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

**Macy** · 06/07/2006, 11:00 AM

Was it not Jalabert that hit the copper? I thought the Terror of Tashkent ran into the barries of his own accord...

**Dodge** · 06/07/2006, 12:18 PM

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.

**Macy** · 06/07/2006, 12:37 PM

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...

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).

**Stuttgart88** · 27/07/2006, 2:36 PM

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.

**Danny** · 27/07/2006, 2:36 PM

confirmed here

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?...l06/jul27news3

**WeAreRovers** · 27/07/2006, 2:36 PM

Originally Posted by totalfootball

More scandal. According to the BBC website, Landis has tested positive for testosterone.

Oh dear, and after his epic performance on Stage 17 too.

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.

**NY Hoop** · 27/07/2006, 2:46 PM

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?

KOH

**Stuttgart88** · 27/07/2006, 3:18 PM

Related to the cortezone he takes for his hip?

**finlma** · 27/07/2006, 3:25 PM

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.

**WeAreRovers** · 27/07/2006, 3:46 PM

Originally Posted by finlma

The majority of riders in the tour are up to their eyes in drugs.

Source?

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

**DmanDmythDledge** · 27/07/2006, 4:01 PM

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.