Tour de Lance?

Posted by: Mat Cork on 05 July 2009

Anybody following this years race?

A stunning ride by Cancellara yesterday - and looking extremely lean...I wonder if he could be an outsider?

I fancy Andy Schleck for it. Contador will be right there as well I guess (and probably a justifiable favourite). I just wonder if the dynamics of Astana may lead to him having 'no team' rather than an army of talent? I hope Lance rides will, but he just looks too chunky in the upper body these days...I'm not a huge Lance fan, but not a knocker either. I'd love to see him in the fray.

Hoping for a green shirt for Cav...my only worry if he's not had a fall in a sprint for a while. Hope he stays upright and at the front.

Here's to a clean tour - I see Thomas Dekker was recently caught with his fingers in the pot belge...good riddance.
Posted on: 05 July 2009 by Mike Dudley
Feh! Anal roadie nonsense...

Roll Eyes Winker
Posted on: 05 July 2009 by AS332
Really looking forward to this years race .
I don't think Lance will win but he has certainly stirred up a great deal of interest .
It was nice to see such a tricky start to the race in Monaco rather than your bog standard time trial .
As you say , Astana are looking strong but maybe too strong . There are four riders in the team who fancy their chances in the race rather than doing Domestique duties for Contadour .
As for doping scandals , fingers crossed it's clean .
Posted on: 05 July 2009 by SC
Cav got it ! Smile
Posted on: 05 July 2009 by nap-ster
I think this thread needs retitling.

"Tour de Cav"

A great start to the tour for Cav. And on Tynwald Day too.
Posted on: 05 July 2009 by Mat Cork
Good call N.

Great win by Cav today...easy to take it for granted, but he looked awesome today!

Be great to see him in Naim green in Paris (giving Adam a backer up the Champs a wotsit).
Posted on: 05 July 2009 by fatcat
quote:
Originally posted by Mat Cork:
Be great to see him in Naim green in Paris (giving Adam a backer up the Champs a wotsit).


It would have been great to see him in ciclamino in Rome.

Even if he makes it to the third week, stage 17 will probably see him climb into the broom wagon.
Posted on: 05 July 2009 by Mat Cork
He seems to be a bit lighter this year Fatcat...maybe Paris is doable for him.
Posted on: 06 July 2009 by Jono 13
Cav for green, Contador for yellow, Schleck for KoM.

Do you hear that Vini wants team Astana back after his doping ban? Ha Ha! That will ensure that they dont get in next year.

Jono
Posted on: 06 July 2009 by Mat Cork
Great stage today...not often you see the faves get stung like that.

I'm going for:
Yellow - Andy Schleck
KoM - Gesink
White - Gesink
Green - Cav

Borat coming back for Astana! ...just what we need.
Posted on: 07 July 2009 by Jono 13
Good to see Columbia-Highroad getting in their practice for the team TT.

Wise old man Armstrong can still read the race better than the rest of his team mates, bar one.

I read that one Alan Peiper is a DS with Columbia which is great to see a non-PC Aussie giving directions, along with Zabel scoping out the finish for Cav.

Jono
Posted on: 07 July 2009 by AS332
Yesterday was very good wasn't it .
A breakaway with contenders in the first week !
I would like to be a fly on the wall for the Astana team meeting last night . Smile
Posted on: 07 July 2009 by Jono 13
You can imagine the following conversation:

JB "Right Alberto as a reward for not being awake yesterday you can help push or pull Lance as and when he needs your help."

AC "arse"

LA "Woo Hoo!"

Jono
Posted on: 07 July 2009 by JAB
Today's stage 4 was a fantastic clash!
Posted on: 07 July 2009 by AS332
quote:
Originally posted by JAB:
Today's stage 4 was a fantastic clash!


Shhh ! I'm recording it to watch tonight ! Big Grin
Posted on: 07 July 2009 by Mat Cork
Amazing TTT - less than a second in it!

Flat stage today...come on Cav. Don't know if anybody saw Cav's run in with the guy from Skil Shimano? Fair enough having a bit of argy bargy on the bike, but the run in with him on the start line just looked like ugly bullying...sort it out Cav!
Posted on: 08 July 2009 by nap-ster
quote:
Originally posted by Mat Cork:
Amazing TTT - less than a second in it!

Flat stage today...come on Cav. Don't know if anybody saw Cav's run in with the guy from Skil Shimano? Fair enough having a bit of argy bargy on the bike, but the run in with him on the start line just looked like ugly bullying...sort it out Cav!

Sounds like a typical night out in Laxey. Cav should be used to that.
If anyone uses Twitter there's some good postings from Armstrong, Hincapie, Wiggins and Renshaw that are interesting at the moment.
Posted on: 08 July 2009 by Jono 13
twitter blocked damn.

do you think a deal will be done with Columbia to put Lance in yellow? I would expect so.

Jono
Posted on: 08 July 2009 by Howlinhounddog
If Armstrong can keep up his old standard in the hills...
After a two year lay off...
I want his old samples re-tested Winker
Posted on: 08 July 2009 by Reginald Halliday
quote:
Originally posted by Howlinhounddog:
If Armstrong can keep up his old standard in the hills...
After a two year lay off...
I want his old samples re-tested Winker

They already did. 6 x +tive for EPO in 1999. Inadmissible, but that doesn't make him innocent, just 'not proven'.
Posted on: 08 July 2009 by nap-ster
Anything that is banded about by L'Equipe has no more integrity than a claim made here in Viz.

L'Equipe won't be happy until they can get something on Armstrong.

So far this year Armstrong has done well over 30 drug tests which have all proved negative.
Posted on: 08 July 2009 by fatcat
Great win for Thomas Voeckler, well deserved. Hard to believe this was his first tour stage victory.
Posted on: 09 July 2009 by Howlinhounddog
quote:
They already did. 6 x +tive for EPO in 1999. Inadmissible, but that doesn't make him innocent, just 'not proven'.


Really... I believed that he had somehow managed to tie up the testers in legalities and avoided retests ?
Posted on: 09 July 2009 by Reginald Halliday
quote:
Originally posted by Howlinhounddog:
quote:
They already did. 6 x +tive for EPO in 1999. Inadmissible, but that doesn't make him innocent, just 'not proven'.


Really... I believed that he had somehow managed to tie up the testers in legalities and avoided retests ?

Correct, he will face no sanction. That doesn't stop the samples being a) his and b) positive. One feels that had he been L Armstrong, domestique on a French 2nd string team rather than L Armstrong multi-millionaire things may have turned out rather differently.
Posted on: 09 July 2009 by Exiled Highlander
He will face no sanction as he has never tested positive in any offical testing - L'Equipe's testing was unofficial and I'm not sure that testing carried out by a magazine that is out to sell copy would be unbiased.......but of course all journalists are neutral aren't they, especially French cycling journalists.... Smile

Jim
Posted on: 09 July 2009 by Reginald Halliday
The testing was not carried out by a magazine but by the official anti-doping lab at Chatenay-Malabry. They were properly-collected samples. Via an insider L'Equipe got hold of the sample numbers and matched them to Armstrong.
In strictly legal terms Armstrong did not test positive, but then Al Capone was not a gangster, merely a bit naughty with his tax returns Big Grin

BTW, Armstrong has officially tested positive. It was for testosterone, but the TdF officials gave him a retrospective TUE. ('We know Lance, you just forgot - we all do it')