Are you ready for Cyclisme? (Le Tour 2010)

[GirlySports]

With the world cup in full swing the Tour is going to start off a bit quieter than normal. However we are looking at an outstanding tour with Lance and Contador on different teams this year and each fully and solely supported by his team. Plus the Schlek brothers are almost hitting their prime for SAXO Bank. It will also be fun to see Sky race as the British team has some strong riders led by Bradley Wiggins..

Race starts Saturday in Rotterdam

[J epworth]

I always love waking up and watching some tour de france in the morning. Great way to start the day in the summer. Have been doing it ever since OLN started broadcasting it live.

[Resolute 14]

The worlds most celebrated doping competition....

Drugged up or not, it is impressive the endurance these riders have.

[habernac]

if every sport tested as much as cycling does, you'd be calling all of them "celebrated doping competitions".

[troutman]

Reims - Epernay is Champagne country. Oh, to be there!

[Julio]

Two Canadians in the Tour this year...including, finally, Michael Barry.

[Nandric]

I have a feeling this will be one of the better tours in recent years, with a very close sprint competition, the spring-look a like stages at the beginning, and the large amount of mountains. I just hope contador is dethroned this year.

Viva Le Tour

[GirlySports]

Wheeeeee!

Doping case #1 of the tour...Cervelo TestTeam suspends one of its cyclists for using a drug without notification. Apparently ephedrian for a sore ass.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/...jNN1QD9GNHUVG1

[Table 5]

Originally Posted by habernac

if every sport tested as much as cycling does, you'd be calling all of them "celebrated doping competitions".

Accurate or not, that still doesn't make it an excuse.

[GirlySports]

Prologue results. (winner and contenders listed)

1. CANCELLARA Fabian TEAM SAXO BANK 10' 00"
4. ARMSTRONG Lance TEAM RADIOSHACK 10' 22" + 00' 22"
6. CONTADOR Alberto ASTANA 10' 27" + 00' 27"
22. EVANS Cadel BMC RACING TEAM 10' 39" + 00' 39"
70. SASTRE Carlos CERVELO TEST TEAM 10' 54" + 00' 54"
72. BASSO Ivan LIQUIGAS-DOIMO 10' 55" + 00' 55"
74. MENCHOV Denis RABOBANK 10' 56" + 00' 56"
75. SANCHEZ Samuel EUSKALTEL - EUSKADI 10' 56" + 00' 56"
77. WIGGINS Bradley SKY PRO CYCLING 10' 56" + 00' 56"
79. SCHLECK Frank TEAM SAXO BANK 10' 57" + 00' 57"

Does Armstrong beating Contador in a time-trail give him a psycological advantage.

And it's early but these other guys being nearly 1 minute behind Armstrong/Contador already can't be a good sign.

[Nandric]

I dont think any of the contenders will be to worried about losing time in the prologue. With Wiggins, he gambled on starting early and hoped the weather would be better for his race but it was the exact opposite and it poured, so only losing a minute is actually pretty impressive in those conditions. As well the Schlecks arent time trial specialists so it doesnt suprise me that they lost time today.

I actually think the GC contenders will be more worried about the next two stages which in my opinion will be 2 of the most exciting stages of the whole tour. With an ardennes like stage tomorrow followed by a cobbled classic stage the next. I would put my money on Hushovd or Cancellara for stage 3 and contador/cadel or the schlecks for stage 2.

[J epworth]

You forgot about Andy Schleck, who came it at 122 (OUCH!) (+1.09)
plus we have to try and track our best Canadian, Ryder Hesjedal who got 37th (+00.47) and our other Canadian, first timer after many years on the professional tour, Michael Barry (120th, +1.09)

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by J epworth kendal

You forgot about Andy Schleck, who came it at 122 (OUCH!) (+1.09)
plus we have to try and track our best Canadian, Ryder Hesjedal who got 37th (+00.47) and our other Canadian, first timer after many years on the professional tour, Michael Barry (120th, +1.09)

I'll be sure to add the Canadians next time!
I'm not going to track Andy Schleck much cause his brother is the team leader.

[Nandric]

You probably should include Andy as he has been top 3 at multiple grand tours and saxobank is running a 1a/1b kinda deal with them.

[GirlySports]

No changes to the overall standings but it was a crazy crash-filled Stage 1 including a crash cause by a stray DOG!

[GirlySports]

After another crazy stage New leader in the Tour De France is Sylvain Chavanel as he broke away from the pack and beat everyone by 3'56". He was able to win cause the peleton was slowed to allow some of the favourites to catch up after a crash.

http://velonews.competitor.com/2010/...led-day_125850

A rainy day in Belgium led to another day of crashes at the Tour, as riders tumbled on the hilly 201-kilometer race from Brussels to Spa. Frenchman Sylvain Chavanel (Quick Step) worked a day-long break ahead of the chaos, ultimately taking the stage win and the overall lead.
Fabian Cancellara (Saxo Bank) sacrificed the yellow jersey he has worn since after Saturday’s prologue, slowing his group to allow teammates Frank and Andy Schleck — along with most of the other GC favorites — to rejoin the front pack following a crash.
A crash on a slippery descent about 165km into the race delayed many of the GC favorites; most rejoined the Cancellara group before the finish.
Americans Christian Vande Velde, Dave Zabriskie (both Garmin-Transitions) and George Hincapie (BMC), however, did not rejoin and finished about four minutes behind the Cancellara group. Garmin’s Tyler Farrar was almost 20 minutes back at the finish.

[J epworth]

It's been a great start to the tour. I usually get bored of the early flats, but the timing of some of the crashes have made the sprints so much more enjoyable.

[Nandric]

What a crazy stage for sure, I dont approve of some of the rider's decision to neutralize the finish of the stage though. Thor Hushovd puts it best:



"What happened is not normal," Hushovd said on the phone. "I'm very sorry for the riders who crashed. It was a big mess. But yet, this is still a bike race. Crashes happen all the time. It's been a really big mistake from ASO and the UCI commissaires to agree to neutralise the end of the stage. The Tour de France is a big, big race. Things like that shouldn't happen."

"Why should Cancellara decide?," the Norwegian questioned. "He's a rider like us." Hushovd and the Cervélo team were one of the few to not accept the decision of the yellow jersey to wait for some injured riders and then to prevent the sprint for second place from being contested. Jeremy Hunt chased behind Chavanel for a while.

"I've been riding all day for the stage win and the green jersey and I end up with nothing," Hushovd continued. "This is not fair. Will the same thing happen tomorrow? Will the times for GC be taken before the pavés sections? If Alberto Contador or another big rider crashes tomorrow on the cobblestones, he's entitled to ask for the race to be neutralised too! So when will we race, really?"

[habernac]

Total carnage stage again today. Love the cobbles, adds some suspense to the early stages. Andy Schleck is unfortunately done. Lance lost a ton of time today. Contador limped in on a flat tire. The climbers were near or at the front, very unexpected today.

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by habernac

Total carnage stage again today. Love the cobbles, adds some suspense to the early stages. Andy Schleck is unfortunately done. Lance lost a ton of time today. Contador limped in on a flat tire. The climbers were near or at the front, very unexpected today.

Totally forgot about the tour today. Thanks for updating!
It's actually Frank Schleck that is out.

Cancellara got the yellow jersey back.

1. CANCELLARA Fabian 13 TEAM SAXO BANK 14h 54' 00"
2. THOMAS Geraint 39 SKY PRO CYCLING 14h 54' 23" + 00' 23"
3. EVANS Cadel 121 BMC RACING TEAM 14h 54' 39" + 00' 39"
4. HESJEDAL Ryder 54 GARMIN - TRANSITIONS 14h 54' 46" + 00' 46"
5. CHAVANEL Sylvain 131 QUICK STEP 14h 55' 01" + 01' 01"
6. SCHLECK Andy 11 TEAM SAXO BANK 14h 55' 09" + 01' 09"
7. HUSHOVD Thor 95 CERVELO TEST TEAM 14h 55' 19" + 01' 19"
8. VINOKOUROV Alexandre 9 ASTANA 14h 55' 31" + 01' 31"
9. CONTADOR Alberto 1 ASTANA 14h 55' 40" + 01' 40"
10. VAN DEN BROECK Jurgen 101 OMEGA PHARMA - LOTTO 14h 55' 42" + 01' 42"
11. ROCHE Nicolas 81 AG2R LA MONDIALE 14h 55' 42" + 01' 42"
12. VAN SUMMEREN Johan 58 GARMIN - TRANSITIONS 14h 55' 47" + 01' 47"
13. MENCHOV Denis 191 RABOBANK 14h 55' 49" + 01' 49"
14. WIGGINS Bradley 31 SKY PRO CYCLING 14h 55' 49" + 01' 49"
15. MILLAR David 57 GARMIN - TRANSITIONS 14h 56' 06" + 02' 06"
16. KREUZIGER Roman 44 LIQUIGAS-DOIMO 14h 56' 24" + 02' 24"
17. SANCHEZ Luis-Leon 161 CAISSE D’EPARGNE 14h 56' 25" + 02' 25"
18. ARMSTRONG Lance 21 TEAM RADIOSHACK 14h 56' 30" + 02' 30"