Tour De France....its all gone very quiet on here ?

[vegster]

It seems that all the Tour De France threads have dried up quicker than Uncle Spielburgs winning tips ?

Is this because that doping in cycling is de rigour and NSC'ers are finding it hard to defend a sport apparently riddled with cheats ?

if it is not happening already, would it be an idea to dope test every cyclist after each stage ... I know that may cost a lot of blood over the Tour but its the only way to be certain surely ?

 

[1234andcounting]

I think tour cycling (not just France, but Italy, Spain and all the smaller ones) are unlike any other sport. I can't remember the figures for the TdF this year, but the endurance and sheer physical and mental strength to complete just a mountain stage, never mind the whole damn thing, seems to me to be not comparable with football or cricket or tennis. It is not surprising that doping is rife in cycling and I don't think it will ever be eliminated. The riders know what they are up against (if you want a real insight read 'Rough Ride' by the Irish rider, Paul Kimmage.

I don't think that stops the TdF being a fantastic spectacle and this year's is no less exciting than usual and incredibly competitive (only 1s separating first and second place). It is lacking someone of the stature of Indurain, Armstrong or Merckx, but there are one or two potential new heroes emerging and Mark Cavendish has shown himself to be a top class sprinter.

 

[REDLAND]

I'm still watching as much as I can and still really enjoying it, as a mountain biker I just have to keep that kinda quiet !!!!

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

It's been fantastic. Did you read that Ricco has tested positive for EPO and been kicked off. The way he went up that mountain the other day leaving the other top climbers in his wake must have set all the alarm bells ringing.

 

[clippedgull]

Had a quick look yesterday.

Some of those spectators are manic!!

Anyway Eurosport is now showing in High Definition on SKY for anybody that has the service and it looks good

 

[1066familyman]

It's been fantastic. Did you read that Ricco has tested positive for EPO and been kicked off. The way he went up that mountain the other day leaving the other top climbers in his wake must have set all the alarm bells ringing.

The good news from this though is that his team has done the honourable thing and walked. I've been disappointed that the standard that ASO set last year with the Astana team after the Vinokorov nonsense has not been backed up this year. Barloworld and Confidis ( I think that was the other team who had a cheat caught ? ) should have been sent packing this year.

Very pleased for Cavendish. As I said on another thread earlier, he was always more likely to take something from this Tour than Millar. I never expected THREE stage wins though ! Well done Mark Cavendish

P.S. I'm still puzzling over why Contador chose to join Astana, given last years events and knowing they were banned from this years Tour. Was hoping Phil & Paul might enlighten us but I haven't heard anything. Anyone any ideas ?

 

[ATFC Seagull]

The good news from this though is that his team has done the honourable thing and walked. I've been disappointed that the standard that ASO set last year with the Astana team after the Vinokorov nonsense has not been backed up this year. Barloworld and Confidis ( I think that was the other team who had a cheat caught ? ) should have been sent packing this year.

Very pleased for Cavendish. As I said on another thread earlier, he was always more likely to take something from this Tour than Millar. I never expected THREE stage wins though ! Well done Mark Cavendish

P.S. I'm still puzzling over why Contador chose to join Astana, given last years events and knowing they were banned from this years Tour. Was hoping Phil & Paul might enlighten us but I haven't heard anything. Anyone any ideas ?

The fact Cofidis have a colourful drugs past, including the entire team being arrested at the mountain-top finish of a stage last year, is also interesting. But hey-ho, they're French.

 

[ATFC Seagull]

Oh and with the Contador-Astana thing, I believe they pay by far the best salaries, and most of the Discovery setup (riders and management) moved there en masse. Also, the Tour is only one event on the calendar - he won the Giro and may well have a bash at the Vuelta (his home race) in September.

 

[dougdeep]

At least the French never win it.

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

Anyway Eurosport is now showing in High Definition on SKY for anybody that has the service and it looks good

Channel 412 , the SD programmes are upscaled which still improves the picture (hint = womens volleyball) . The HD programmes have the Full HD logo in the bottom right of the screen and the coverage of the TDF is quite impressive. Helicopter shots of the local countryside even pick up individuals waving back from a distance. Crystal sharp pictures of the towns and villages as the cyclists ride through them make it even more enjoyable.

 

[vegster]

Sorry guys..... a little bit of magic just died for me now..............


Mark Cavendish has just tested positive...... for Kippers

 

[ATFC Seagull]

At least the French never win it.

Funnily enough I think thats just what the tour needs - a French winner and probably a good one who can put together a bit of a dynasty.

They struggled to acecpt Armstrong, Landis cheated, French media got Rasmussen thrown out last year, theres question marks over Contador's past, they wouldn't allow Astana to race (and probably win) whereas French teams with more sketchy bacgrounds are included.

 

[Muhammad - I’m hard - Bruce Lee]

bloody cyclists should stick to the cycle lanes

 

[Statto]

It seems that all the Tour De France threads have dried up quicker than Uncle Spielburgs winning tips ?

Is this because that doping in cycling is de rigour and NSC'ers are finding it hard to defend a sport apparently riddled with cheats ?

if it is not happening already, would it be an idea to dope test every cyclist after each stage ... I know that may cost a lot of blood over the Tour but its the only way to be certain surely ?

The thing about the doping scandals is I actually think that its a good thing when these riders get kicked out. Its A step towards what weve allways wanted. A drug free tour de france. I think the scandelous 1998 tour brought it all to a head.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

It seems that all the Tour De France threads have dried up quicker than Uncle Spielburgs winning tips ?

That's unfair. Uncle Spielberg's winning tips dried up FAR quicker

 

[1066familyman]

Oh and with the Contador-Astana thing, I believe they pay by far the best salaries, and most of the Discovery setup (riders and management) moved there en masse. Also, the Tour is only one event on the calendar - he won the Giro and may well have a bash at the Vuelta (his home race) in September.

Thanks for that, good point.

I never really pay much attention to the Italian & Spainish tours to be honest, though if they were on our tv I would. But I also quite like it that way, a bit like tennis 'fans' with Wimbledon I suppose.

I fell in love with Le Tour de France in the 80's when channel 4 used to have a half hour programme each night. Some of my best memories come from Robert Millar in polka dot and the epic time trial decider on the Champs Elysesse between Lauren Fignon and Greg Lemond. I also think the commentary pairing of Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwin is the best I've heard in any sport EVER. I stood near the bottom of Elm Grove 13 years ago when they had a stage finish in Brighton and went to both the Prologue in London last year and stood on Goudhurst Hill the next day. I keep promising myself a trip to France to take in a couple of mountain stages and the finish in Paris, but as yet have never managed to make it.

 

[vegster]

That's unfair. Uncle Spielberg's winning tips dried up FAR quicker

But, you have to admire U.S.'s belief..... unless of course he is puffing horse A to get the money on that while he slaps his fiver on horse B... it's a valid move.... get loads of suckers on to a horse to shift the odds for his horse out......

 

[Horton's halftime iceberg]

Loving it, Cavendish is a superstar.

Its fantastic that the doping tests are working, the strain used by Ricco, Beltran and the Barloworld guy were all believed to be untracable. Feel for Thomas, Froome and Cummings who are all on a team that is tainted.

Although its great to know Mark was the first to sign the UCI anti doping pledge, quote from 2007

The UCI has introduced a new anti-doping charter, it announced today in Geneva. Under it, all 600 ProTour riders must sign a statement before the Tour de France in which they agree to pay a year's salary if they are found to have used illegal doping products, in addition to the usual suspension they would face.

T-Mobile's Mark Cavendish and Française Des Jeux's Sandy Casar were on hand at the meeting to be the first to sign their statements. "It's cool to be clean," said the British rider on t-mobile-team.com.

 

[Brixtaan]

Thanks for that, good point.

I never really pay much attention to the Italian & Spainish tours to be honest, though if they were on our tv I would. But I also quite like it that way, a bit like tennis 'fans' with Wimbledon I suppose.

I fell in love with Le Tour de France in the 80's when channel 4 used to have a half hour programme each night. Some of my best memories come from Robert Millar in polka dot and the epic time trial decider on the Champs Elysesse between Lauren Fignon and Greg Lemond. I also think the commentary pairing of Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwin is the best I've heard in any sport EVER. I stood near the bottom of Elm Grove 13 years ago when they had a stage finish in Brighton and went to both the Prologue in London last year and stood on Goudhurst Hill the next day. .

In the 80s we had to make do with Miller,Kelly and Roche with only poor old Yates flying the flag for England.The terrible ANC Halfords team put in an effort once but all this could change next year if we submit a NATIONAL team with Cavendish,Millar,Wiggins et al .If only we had a climber as good as Robert Miller once was( he is now a woman and living in France btw) then we could make inroads into the overall classification.
The news that it's now HD is very exciting.Probably the best sport to enjoy it with.

 

[1066familyman]

In the 80s we had to make do with Miller,Kelly and Roche with only poor old Yates flying the flag for England.The terrible ANC Halfords team put in an effort once but all this could change next year if we submit a NATIONAL team with Cavendish,Millar,Wiggins et al .If only we had a climber as good as Robert Miller once was( he is now a woman and living in France btw) then we could make inroads into the overall classification.
The news that it's now HD is very exciting.Probably the best sport to enjoy it with.

Ah yes, that's a name from the past....Shaun Yates. Local lad for us Sussex folk. The peleton slowed down when the stage passed through his home town of Forest Row so he could get off his bike to greet his family. Nice tradition that that seems to have been lost now.


As for the legend that is Robert Millar. Have you read the book....In Search of Robert Millar...? Cracking read. I think the word as regards his gender is allegedly Personally I don't give a monkey's how he's living. So long as he's happy and doing no one no harm, then good luck to him.