Tour de France 2006

[Shakermaker]

Ah, le Grand Boucle. I am not a big cycling fan, but I always like the Tour de France. It's the first one without Lance Armstrong, so it promises to be a lot more exciting than the last 6 Tours (or 7? I lost count).

This year's route:

Altho the first stage is juli 2nd, the real race will start ten days later when the Pyrenees are reached. The runner wearing the yellow jersey after Alpe d'Huez will prolly be this year's winner, unless he isn't good at time trials; there's one the day before the finish in Paris.

There is also a good possibility that this Round of France will be a re-run of the dope-Tour of 1998. There is a big doping scandal in Spain atm so the French police might organise another witch hunt.

Anyone else looking forward to the Tour?

 

[Beerdude26]

Kind of. Will Tom Boonen join in?

 

[Adidajs]

this Tour will be much more open in terms of competition. it will definitely be interesting to see who comes out of top.

 

[Shakermaker]

This just in on Reuters:

Cycling-German rider Ullrich suspended by T-Mobile, says team
STRASBOURG, France, June 30 (Reuters) - German rider Jan
Ullrich, his Spanish team mate Oscar Sevilla and team manager
Rudy Pevenage have been suspended by T-Mobile, the cycling team
announced on Friday.
T-Mobile have been notified by the sport's governing body
UCI that the three were involved in an anti-doping probe in
Spain, said team spokesman Stefan Wegmann.
As a result, 1997 winner Ullrich and his colleague Sevilla
will not start the Tour de France on Saturday.

This is going to be a dope-Tour.

 

[Geogaddi]

this Tour will be much more open in terms of competition. it will definitely be interesting to see who comes out of top.

What's that? Do I hear the Road Rash theme playing?

 

[Shakermaker]

Ivan Basso just got kicked out of the Tour as well. Like Ullrich he was a big favorite to win it. And like Ullrich the reason for him being kicked out is the Spanish doping scandal.

EDIT And Mancebo and Beloki won't start either. This is a disaster for the cycling sport.

 

[Evo]

Bloody hell it's like Festina in 1998 all over again D:

le Tour..not looking to good right now

 

[Shakermaker]

Whoa, what a day. There is one thing I don't get tho. All the riders that have been suspended by their teams are still suspects in the Spanish doping case. Nobody has actually been found guilty. The international cycling union UCI made the teams do this. I think it's very harsh. Still, it means a lot of spectacle tomorrow and the rest of the Tour. This probably means some new talents will stand up. I wonder what Lance thinks about this ....

 

[Evo]

..Lance grr don't think he ever was involved in any of this crap, got massive respect for him, but dont like him

The teams can't exactly let riders suspected of doping be in the race can they? Cycling has a bad enough rep as it is

 

[Shakermaker]

The teams can't exactly let riders suspected of doping be in the race can they? Cycling has a bad enough rep as it is

True, but still. People are supposed to be innocent until proven guilty, right?

 

[Evo]

In some places, the UCI can't afford to have it's rep damaged further by allowing suspected dopers race

I was actually looking forward to Ullrich and Basso fighting tooth and nail for the Maillot Jaune

D:

 

[Adidajs]

it's going to be a complete unknown winning Le Tour now.

 

[Reginald]

Think I could get away with tricycling it?

 

[Evo]

Well Mr. Hushovd won the prologue, he races for Credit Agricole so he gets my support

 

[Shakermaker]

Hushovd is a sprinter and the first 10 or so stages are mostly good for sprinters. He'll be cycling for both the green and the yellow jersey.

 

[Evo]

Until they hit the mountains, with that Spanish team pulling out we have no Vinukorov another one tipped to be on form

Who now to go the distance?

 

[Evo]

Oh god, more f**king scandal!

Tour de France chiefs say they will be angry and sad if 2006 winner Floyd Landis' failed drugs test is confirmed.

Landis' Phonak team revealed that the American had tested positive for the male sex hormone testosterone.

As well as a two-year ban, Landis faces being stripped of his victory if his B sample matches the first test.

Can't believe this, if he tests positive in the B test then

 

[A True Canadian]

Well I'm out of the loop. I didn't even know the race was over yet. :O


And who would bother taking performance enhancing drugs these days, especially with all the testing that's going on? Sounds foolish.