Alessandro Petacchi of Milram Out Of Giro With Bronchitis, Focus Is Now The Tour de France
BERLIN, May 3, 2008 (AFP) - Italian sprint specialist with the Milram team, Alessandro Petacchi, will miss the Tour of Italy with bronchitis, the German outfit said Saturday.
“I’m very sorry that I won’t be able to start in the Giro d’Italia,” said Petacchi in a statement.
“Yesterday [...]
Previous Stories
- France Toughens Anti-Doping Law Ahead Of The Tour de France
April 30th, 2008PARIS, April 30, 2008 (AFP) - The French government on Wednesday moved to toughen anti-doping legislation ahead of this summer’s Tour de France.
Members of Parliament adopted a new law which penalizes the possession and trafficking of doping products in sport with prison sentences and fines.
Under the [...] - Alejandro Valverde Gives Us A Glimpse of His Tour de France Yellow Jersey Potential
April 28th, 2008by Justin Davis
PARIS, April 29, 2008 (AFP) - Spanish rider Alejandro Valverde gave his future Tour de France rivals an early reminder of his explosive climbing talents by winning his second Liege-Bastogne-Liege classic Sunday.
At ‘only’ 261 km in length, this year’s ‘Doyenne’ - known as such [...] - Cadel Evans of Silence-Lotto Loses His Legs In Liege, But His Tour de France Goals Remain Intact
April 27th, 2008by Justin Davis
ANS, Belgium, April 28, 2008 (AFP) - Cadel Evans’ plans to go one better than his runner-up place at last year’s Tour de France remain intact after what has proved to be an ultimately confidence-boosting week of bike racing.
Yet on Sunday the 30-year-old Australian [...] - Falling Rocks Threaten Tour de France Stage Change
April 9th, 2008PARIS, April 9, 2008 (AFP) - The threat of falling rocks has forced Tour de France organizers into changing the route of one of the stages on the 2008 edition of the cycling blue riband.
Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO) announced Wednesday that the 15th stage would now start from Embrun [...] - Italy’s Eddy Mazzoleni ‘Oil for Drug’ Affair BAN - Two Years
April 8th, 2008Join the forum discussion on this post ROME, April 8, 2008 (AFP) - Eddy Mazzoleni, third in last year’s Tour of Italy (Giro d’Italia), has been handed a two-year ban by the Italian Cycling Federation (FCI) for his involvement in the “Oil for Drug” affair, the FCI said on Tuesday.
[...] - Danilo Di Luca Set To Race At Settimana Lombardia
March 30th, 2008ROME, March 30, 2008 (AFP) - Giro d’Italia champion Danilo Di Luca will ride in the Settimana Lombardia on April 6, his LPR team said on Sunday.
Di Luca is currently embroiled in an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to have a three-month suspension he served [...] - Former Champ Damiano Cunego of Lampre Set To Skip Giro
March 30th, 2008Former Champ Damiano Cunego of Lampre Set To Skip Giro
CHARLEVILLE-MEZIERES, France, March 30, 2008 (AFP) - Former Tour of Italy winner Damiano Cunego looks set to skip this year’s Giro in order to focus on his preparations for the Tour de France, his Lampre team revealed Sunday.
The 2004 Tour [...] - Rolling thunder, A CYCLING TALE, “finis”
March 30th, 2008Following is the end of “rolling thunder” — a cycling novel
Subject to copyright.
ROLLING THUNDER (cont’d)
Chapter 25
Raleigh Spriggs was the seventy six year old Chairman of the Board of Continental Tire, which was a fifty four year old company with annual revenues of over twenty billion Euros. When Shamus scanned further articles Google suggested best [...] - Rolling thunder, A CYCLING TALE, part onze
March 25th, 2008Following is Part 11 of “rolling thunder”
Subject to copyright. Friends don’t let friends edit-copy-edit-paste.
ROLLING THUNDER (cont’d)
Chapter 23
Saturday rolled around, and the already star-crossed Tour got underway.
In the rider’s village, an area carved out by plastic tape signified that the public need come no closer, riders’ strained faces seemed to relax. After months of build-up, [...] - Slipstream Invited to Tour de France!
March 20th, 2008Team Slipstream Sports is going to the Tour de France! The Amaury Sport Organization (ASO) has announced the wild-card invitations to the 2008 Tour and included the American team in its short list.
Team director Jonathan Vaughters says, “I feel relieved after all the work we put in. We proved we are one of the better [...] - Landis Begins Making His Case To Court of Last Resort
March 20th, 2008NEW YORK, March 19, 2008 (AFP) - US cyclist Floyd Landis, stripped of his 2006 Tour de France victory for doping, began making his appeal to a three-man panel from the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) here on Wednesday.
The private hearing is expected to continue through Monday with no comments from any [...] - Tour de France To Announce Teams Next Week
March 16th, 2008NICE, France, March 16, 2008 (AFP) - Tour de France organizer ASO said Sunday it would reveal next week which teams it has selected for this year’s race.
Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO) made the announcement after holding “constructive” talks with teams ahead of the final stage of the Paris-Nice event which [...] - Rolling thunder, A CYCLING TALE, part dice
March 15th, 2008Following is Part 10 of “rolling thunder”
Subject to copyright. Please enjoy responsibly.
ROLLING THUNDER (cont’d)
Chapter 20
Shamus lost focus on assisting the investigation once the Classics kicked off. It wasn’t possible to race well with your mind on other things. He felt he was losing ground with Eve, as well, since she was completely engulfed in [...] - UCI Boss Pat McQuaid Urges Contador to Attack Over Tour de France Exclusion
March 14th, 2008MADRID, March 14, 2008 (AFP) - Cycling boss Pat McQuaid on Friday promised to back reigning Tour de France champion Alberto Contador should he decide to take legal action over his exclusion with the Astana team from this year’s race.
The tour’s organizers, Amaury Sport Organization (ASO), ruled on February
13 that Contador’s Astana [...] - Rolling thunder, A CYCLING TALE, part neuf
March 6th, 2008Following is Part 9 of “rolling thunder”
Amazingly still subject to copyright. Some things never change. Please enjoy responsibly.
ROLLING THUNDER (cont’d)
Chapter 17
Petre Patrovski rumbled about the luxurious hotel suite he often called home atop the Kempinski Vier Jahren, or Four Seasons, on Westendstrasse in downtown Munich, surrounded by boxes and envelopes he used to package [...] - World Wants Tour de France Despite Doping Scandals, So Says Prudhomme
March 5th, 2008LONDON, March 5, 2008 (AFP) - Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme said here Wednesday the global interest in hosting a stage was proof of the race’s enduring appeal despite a succession of doping scandals.
Prudhomme said the success of the ‘Grand Depart’ in London last year had led nations as far afield as Japan [...] - Rolling thunder, A CYCLING TALE, part huit
February 29th, 2008Following is Part 8 of “rolling thunder.”
Blah, blah, blah, this story is copyrighted. Comprend? By the way, thank you for leaving your thoughtful comments along the way…we live on that stuff!
ROLLING THUNDER (cont’d)
Chapter 15
“Go ahead and tell me then.”
He’d been lying in bed when she’d called, so there was no need to sit down. [...] - Plaza makes Benfica work as Mirco wins fourth stage
February 29th, 2008MADRID, Feb 29, 2008 (AFP) - Former Tour de France winner Oscar Pereiro fell victim to a determined chasing peloton Friday before Italian Lorenzetto Mirco took out a well-deserved sprint win at the Tour of the Valencia Community. Mirco, of Lampre, held off fellow Spaniard Xavier Florencio, of Bouygues Telecom, and Italian Filippo Pozzato of [...]
- Tom Boonen opts for Italian stage race over Paris-Nice
February 29th, 2008BRUSSELS, Feb 29, 2008 (AFP) - Belgium’s former world champion Tom Boonen has opted to race at the Tirreno-Adriatico stage race instead of Paris-Nice, his Quick Step team said Friday.
Boonen, a one-day specialist who would use either race as preparation for the upcoming classics season, says the profile of the French ‘Race to the [...] - Rolling thunder, A CYCLING TALE, part sept
February 25th, 2008Hope you had a great weekend.
Following is Part 7 of “rolling thunder.”
In case it hasn’t crossed your mind, this story was written by someone for their therapy and for your enjoyment, but not likely for their enrichment and certainly not for yours. If you’re scheming about how to make a buck off this story, be [...] - Rolling thunder, A CYCLING TALE, part six
February 20th, 2008Following is Part 6 of “rolling thunder.” Thanks for being patient.
As we may have mentioned ad nauseum, this story is subject to copyright by the author. Not that we think you want your name on it, but someone may stoop that low. You never know. Anyway, please don’t use it other than as a pleasant [...] - Breaking News: Saunier Duval 1 hour ahead of the Peleton - Tour of California
February 20th, 2008Is California the new training ground for the classics? Our reporter is riding about one hour ahead of the peleton today on stage three of the Tour of California when what does he discover? Saunier Duval riders training on the course. The non racing riders of the Saunier Duval team are [...]
- Exclusive: Daily Podcast from the Tour of California - Preview Edition
February 17th, 2008Bicycle.net this year is thrilled to bring you fantastic exclusive interviews and podcasts. Here are some thoughts on what this year’s Tour of California is going to bring you.
For more great audio, check out our host David Bernstein at The FredCast cycling podcast (The Fredcast.com). - Fabian Cancellara Is The Big Man On The Stanford Campus
February 17th, 2008Today was the start of the Amgen Tour of California with some of the world’s best bicycle riders coming to compete in Palo Alto, California. The morning started with bitter cold, but warmed up nicely by the time the riders took to the starting ramp. The crowds were lined up over 10 deep, in [...]
- Rolling thunder, A CYCLING TALE, part cinq
February 17th, 2008Following is Part 5 of a manuscript titled “rolling thunder.” Coincidentally, it picks up amid the Tour of California and it’s being posted on the eve of the start of its 2008 launch. It’s like we planned it that way.
As a note to those persevering the saga, we’ll be traveling for a couple of days [...] - Operation Puerto affair reopened
February 14th, 2008MADRID, Feb 14, 2008 (AFP) - The Operation Puerto blood-doping affair
involving about 60 cyclists and which erupted in May 2006, has been reopened,
Madrid prosecutors’ said on Thursday.
A raid on the Madrid laboratory of Dr Eufemiano Fuentes uncovered doping products, bags of blood and codenames which appeared to link top athletes to a highly-organised system of [...] - How Do You Say “Cycling Apartheid” in French? (SATIRE)
February 13th, 2008Apartheid is an Afrikaans word meaning “separation” or “being apart”.
[SATIRE... sort of]
Is it now accurate to use apartheid to describe a policy that exists in France in the latter 20th and early 21st centuries? This system is used to mistreat and deny opportunity to superior non-French cyclists. The ASO allowed the French minority to [...] - rolling thunder, a cycling tale, part quatre
February 13th, 2008Following is Part 4 of an excerpt from a manuscript titled “rolling thunder.”
Parts 1-3 of the story are also posted at bicycle.net in the “Hub” under the page for System6. Altogether, parts 1-4 comprise about one third of the total story, so there is still a long way to the end of the road.
Coincidentally, there [...] - Tour de France Winner Alberto Contador May Not Be Guaranteed 2008 Start
February 1st, 2008Tour de France winner Alberto Contador not guaranteed 2008 place
Feb 1, 2008 (AFP) - Reigning Tour de France champion Alberto Contador, who has signed for the disgraced Astana team, will not be a guaranteed a starting place in the 2008 race.
Patrice Clerc, the president of Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO) [...] - Scotland open talks for tartan Tour de France
December 19th, 2007Richard Moore
Thursday December 20, 2007
The Guardian
Scotland has emerged as a candidate to host the Grand Départ of the Tour de France after the success of London last summer. EventScotland, the Scottish government-funded agency, travelled to Paris in September for discussions with the Tour director, Christian Prudhomme, on taking the race north of the border, [...] - 2009 Tour de France - stages in Monaco confirmed
December 16th, 2007The 2009 Tour de France will kick off from the tiny Mediterranean Principality of Monaco, the race’s organizer officially announced the Grand Tour’s first few stages Friday. The Grand Départ will start with a 15-kilometer time trial that will take place partly on the world-renowned Monaco Grand Prix circuit, July 4, making 2009 the fifth [...]
- Tour De France Revamps Race for 2008
October 25th, 2007After getting todays first look at the 2008 Tour de France, it seems like Le Tour is really trying to increase the suspense. I for one am looking forward to seeing how they plan to bring back the glory days of the Tour.
Tour De France Revamps Race for 2008
By JOHN LEICESTER – 10 hours ago
PARIS [...] - Tour de France 2008 to start in Brest and visit Italy
October 24th, 2007No spectacular announcement is expected at the launch of the 2008 Tour de France at lunch time on Thursday in Paris. The organizing company ASO has already given the UCI credit for working together with WADA on the new concept of the biological passport that should ensure that no cyclist will be able to undergo [...]
- Spain’s Pereiro Receives Yellow Jersey From the 2006 Tour de France
October 17th, 2007Spain’s Pereiro Receives Yellow Jersey From the 2006 Tour de France
Tuesday, October 16, 2007; Washington Post
Oscar Pereiro finally got his hands on the winner’s yellow jersey from the 2006 Tour de France yesterday.
“Finally, we have a winner and it’s Oscar,” Tour director Christian Prudhomme said at the handover ceremony in Madrid. “Oscar, you have won [...] - Pereiro wants official confirmation
September 21st, 2007Upon the announcement that Floyd Landis had lost his arbitration and received a two year suspension for testing positive for exogenous testosterone in the 2006 Tour de France, the soon to be declared winner of that Tour, Oscar Pereiro told Radio Marca that he hoped to get official documentation of his victory.
Pereiro said he hoped [...] - Landis: Almost Naked, Sent Up the River Without a Pedal
September 21st, 2007Floyd Landis: Up the River Without a Pedal.
Space for rent? - USADA - Landis Arbitration Documents
September 20th, 2007CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL DOCUMENT
- Floyd Landis’ Baggage - HUMOR
September 20th, 2007Gotta hand it to Floyd for plugging along…
- LANDIS IS GUILTY - must forfeit 2006 Tour title - 2 year suspension
September 20th, 2007By EDDIE PELLS, AP National Writer
September 20, 2007
PARIS (AP) — Floyd Landis lost his expensive and explosive doping case Thursday when arbitrators upheld the results of a test that showed the 2006 Tour de France champion used synthetic testosterone to fuel his spectacular comeback victory, The Associated Press has learned.
The decision means Landis, who repeatedly [...] - Floyd Landis Tour de France verdict expected within week
September 17th, 2007Tour de France - Landis verdict expected within week
Eurosport - Mon, 17 Sep 11:38:00 2007
Floyd Landis’ doping verdict has been decided and will be handed down within seven days according to a lawyer for the embattled 2006 Tour de France winner.
“The arbitration panel has reached a verdict three days ago. They have 10 days to [...] - Tour de France cyclists’ hearts bigger than normal
September 4th, 2007VIENNA, Austria (AP) — Riding the grueling Tour de France bike race takes strength, stamina — and perhaps a heart nearly 40 percent bigger than normal.
Researchers who examined the hearts of former Tour bikers found that the athletes’ hearts were from 20 to 40 percent larger than average, said Dr. Francois Carre of [...]
- Contador to hold press conference on Friday - Puerto Strikes Again?
August 8th, 2007Freshly crowned Tour de France winner Alberto Contador is scheduled to issue a public statement Friday along with Discovery Channel Team director Johan Bruyneel at the offices of Spain’s Superior Council for Sports according to the International Herald Tribune.
The rider has been tied to Operación Puerto, the Spanish doping investigation. He is expected to make [...] - Contador says Rasmussen mistreated
August 2nd, 2007Contador says Rasmussen mistreated
By Agence France Presse
Tour de France winner Alberto Contador said Thursday that the forced exit of Danish cyclist Michael Rasmussen, which paved the way for his own victory, was fundamentally unfair and set a bad precedent for the sport.
“I don’t know what is really behind it, but I do know that what [...] - News Flash: Mayo Tests Positive For EPO - Say it aint so
July 30th, 2007News Flash: Mayo tests positive
Filed: July 30, 2007
Spanish climbing specialist Iban Mayo became the latest rider to fail a drugs test after it was revealed he had tested positive for EPO during the Tour de France, it was announced by his Saunier Duval team on Monday.
The 29-year-old, who finished 16th in the Tour, which finished [...] - Dismayed Rasmussen speaks
July 30th, 2007In addition to his nickname ‘Chicken’, Danish rider Michael Rasmussen will forever be known as the man who didn’t win the 2007 Tour de France. Right or wrong, the Rabobank rider was ousted from his team under questionable circumstances and Rasmussen is now seeking answers, reports Cyclingnews’ Greg Johnson.
The tale played out like something from [...] - Tour de France Stage 20 Review - Marcoussis to Paris Champs-Élysées
July 29th, 2007Contador wins Tour as Bennati takes finale
By Jason Sumner @ VeloNews.com
America’s lone ProTour team capped its best-ever Tour de France on Sunday, locking down the yellow jersey, the white jersey, two places on the final podium and the overall team classification. Discovery Channel’s impressive quartet of achievements - highlighted by Alberto Contador’s GC victory - [...] - Tour de France Stage 19 Review and Highlights - Cognac to Angoulême - Individual Time Trial (55km)
July 28th, 2007Leipheimer wins final TT; Contador narrowly holds yellow
By Jason Sumner @ VeloNews.com
Throw in the two rest days, and Alberto Contador’s winning margin at the 2007 Tour de France is destined to equal one tick of the watch per day. Those 23 seconds will represent the second smallest final time difference in the race’s 94 renditions, [...] - Tour de France Stage 19 Preview - Cognac to Angoulême - Individual Time Trial (55km)
July 27th, 2007Tour de France Stage 19 Preview
Individual Time Trial - 55km
Cognac to Angoulême
First rider departs at 10:43 a.m. (4:43 a.m. EST/U.S)
Final rider expected to finish at 4:20 p.m. (10:20 a.m. EST/U.S.)LIVE TOUR TEXT by Cycling News
STAGE 19 MAPCOURSE: This closing time trial, on up-and-down country roads through the vineyards, could see another showdown to determine the [...]
- Tour de France Stage 18 Review and Highlights - Cahors to Angoulême - (211km)
July 27th, 2007Casar wins Stage 18; Contador in yellow
In a battle among two Frenchmen and a pair of soon-to-be retirees, Française des Jeux’s Sandy Casar was fastest of the four, taking victory in stage 18 of the 2007 Tour de France.
Casar, who crashed into an unleashed dog early in the day, launched a cunning attack late in [...] - Tour de France Stage 18 Preview - Cahors to Angoulême - (211km)
July 26th, 2007Tour de France Stage 18 Preview
Cahors to Angoulême
211km
Start Time: 12:15 p.m. (6:15 a.m. U.S. EST)
Estimated Finish Time: 5:18 p.m. (11:18 a.m. U.S. EST)
LIVE TOUR TEXT by Cycling NewsSTAGE 18 MAP
COURSE: The beautiful roads through the Dordogne area give this stage a similar feel to the one in which Armstrong took his famous solo stage victory [...]
- Le Farce de France - Doping Excuses
July 26th, 2007Time to look back at our Top 5 Doping Excuses in Cycling
- SURVIVOR: Tour de France Edition [humor]
July 26th, 2007With the elimination of contenders coming fast and furious, I was inspired:
- Tour de France Stage 17 Review and Highlights - Pau to Castelsarrasin (188.5km)
July 26th, 2007Tour de France Stage 17 Review and Highlights:
After all the turmoil in the Tour the last few days, you can be sure that the riders were just looking forward to a “normal” day on the bike. You have to feel for the Rabobank riders that had to withdraw do to the lies of Michael Rasmussen. [...] - Tom Boonen calls for lifetime suspension for Vinokourov
July 25th, 2007Tom Boonen does not mince his words, with the Quick.Step sprinter calling for Alexandre Vinokourov to receive a lifetime suspension after testing positive for a homologous blood transfusion at the Tour de France. “Vino is a dirty cheat who they ought to suspend for his lifetime,” Boonen told HLN.be. “He is causing immense damage to [...]
- Predictor-Lotto to sue Vino and Astana
July 25th, 2007Predictor-Lotto to sue Vino and Astana
By Paul Verkuylen (Cycling News)
The Predictor-Lotto ProTour team is planning on filing a claim against Alexandre Vinokourov and his Astana team for loss of publicity. The Kazakh rider won the Stage 13 time trial before testing positive for blood doping, taking away victory from Predictor-Lotto’s Cadel Evans who finished second [...] - Tour de France Stage 17 Preview - Pau to Castelsarrasin (188.5km)
July 25th, 2007Tour de France Stage 17 Preview
Pau to Castelsarrasin
188.5km
Start Time (baring any protests): 12:45 p.m. (6:45 a.m. U.S. EST)
Estimated Finish Time: 5:17 p.m. (11:17 a.m. U.S. EST)
STAGE 17 MAPCOURSE: The rolling terrain of the Armagnac region is perfect for breakaways, especially when a weary peloton is reluctant to chase. There are six climbs on this medium-length [...]
- Tour de France Stage 16 Review and Highlights - Orthez to Gourette (Aubisque) - 218.5km
July 25th, 2007So where do we start. With a stage review, with the latest doping scandal, with “The Chicken” living up to his nickname?
As Velonews reported,
Wednesday’s stage start was delayed by a protest () from the Tour’s six French teams and two German outfits, who failed to show up at the designated 10:40 roll-out time. Amid [...] - Tour de France Stage 16 Preview - Orthez to Gourette (Aubisque) - 218.5km
July 24th, 2007Tour de France Stage 16 (July 25, 2007)
Orthez to Gourette (Aubisque)
218km
Start Time: 10:40 a.m. (4:40 a.m. U.S. EST)
Estimated Finish Time: 5:11 p.m. (11:11 a.m. U.S. EST)
LIVE TOUR TEXT by Cycling News
STAGE 16 MAPCOURSE: Only four days from the Tour finish, this final stage with a summit finish could see a spectacular showdown. It includes the [...]
- Vinokourov Tests Positive - Astana Withdrawls From The TOUR
July 24th, 2007I think that David Millar said it best. “Jesus Christ - there you go, that’s my quote,” he blurted out. “What timing, huh? This is just f…ing great.” Millar broke down into tears when he was asked by British journalist Jeremy Whittle if he was all right, saying, “I just feel like crying right now.”
Just [...] - Tour de France - July 24, 2007 - REST DAY in Pau
July 23rd, 2007On July 24, 2007 the Tour de France will take a rest day:
Results
1 Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz) Astana [...] - Tour de France Stage 15 Review and Highlights - Foix to Loudenvielle - 196km
July 23rd, 2007Today the Tour came alive with excitement, and Vino made a return from the grave. I have always been a Vino fan, but today he was able to become every bike racing fans hero. Just when you thought Vino was no longer a story worth paying attention to in the 2007 Tour de [...]
- Tour de France Stage 15 Preview - Foix to Loudenvielle - 196km
July 22nd, 2007Tour de France Stage 15 Preview
Foix to Loudenvielle
196km - Mountain Stage
Start time: 11:15 a.m. (5:15 a.m. U.S. EST)
Estimated Finish time: 5:11 p.m. (11:11 a.m. U.S. EST)
LIVE TOUR TEXT by Cycling News
STAGE 15 MAPCOURSE: Not a mountaintop finish, but this stage features five difficult Pyrenean climbs, including one new to the Tour, the frightening hors categorie [...]
- Tour de France Stage 14 Review and Highlights - Mazamet to Plateau-de-Beille - 197km
July 22nd, 2007As Alberto Contador and “The Chicken” Michael Rasmussen continue to impress, the rest of the field seems to be unable to compete. Alberto Contador (Discovery Channel) was able to drop Michael Rasmussen (Rabobank) and the very end of Stage 14, the first in the Pyrenees, and take thesprint to the line. Todays stage [...]
- Tour de France Stage 14 Preview - Mazamet to Plateau-de-Beille - 197km
July 21st, 2007Tour de France Stage 14 Preview
Mazamet to Plateau-de-Beille
197km
Start time: 11:40 a.m. (5:40 a.m. U.S. EST)
Estimated Finish time: 4:56 p.m. (10:56 a.m. U.S. EST)
LIVE TOUR TEXT by Cycling News
STAGE 14 MAPCOURSE: Following right after the time trial, this is the first of three demanding stages in the Pyrénées. It opens with an immediate 9km climb over [...]
- Tour de France Stage 13 Review and Highlights - Albi, Individual time trial (54km)
July 21st, 2007I, like most of us watching the 2007 version of the Tour de France completely underestimated the ITT (individual time trial) skills of Michael Rasmussen. Rasmussen has never been known as a great time trialer, but today he proved that he deserves to be in yellow. Instead of cracking under the weight of ongoing [...]
- PeLOGOton - the Tour de France’s Prominent Endorsement Parade
July 21st, 2007“As much as cycling is about sport, it is also about advertising”. For those who don’t have a NY Times online subscription, read why:
For Sponsors, Tour Is Nearly a Monthlong Bonanza of Exposure
By EDWARD WYATT
MARSEILLE, France, July 18 — When Cédric Vasseur crossed the finish line here to win the 10th stage of the [...] - Tour de France Stage 13 Preview - Albi, Individual time trial (54km)
July 20th, 2007Tour de France Stage 13 Individual Time Trail
Albi, France
54km
First rider departs at 12:40 p.m. (6:40 a.m. EST/U.S)
Final rider expected to finish at 5:10 p.m. (11:10 a.m. EST/U.S.)
LIVE TOUR TEXT by Cycling News
STAGE 13 MAPCOURSE: Similar to the first long time trial of 2003, when Lance Armstrong suffered from dehydration at Cap’Découverte, this long, hilly time [...]
- Tour de France Stage 12 Review and Highlights - Montpellier to Castres - 178.5km
July 20th, 2007The two man breakaway consisting of Pierrick Fédrigo (Bouygues Telecom) and Amets Txurruka (Euskaltel-Euskadi) had an advantage of 5:21 when they creasted the big (and lone significant) mountain climb of the day with 50k’s to the finish, it looked as though they very well might have succeeded, except for the headwind and chasing peloton [...]
- Tour de France Stage 12 Preview - Montpellier to Castres - 178.5km
July 19th, 2007Tour de France Stage 12
Montpellier to Castres
178.5km
Start time: 12:40 p.m. (6:40 a.m. U.S. EST)
Estimated Finish time: 5:10 p.m. (11:10 a.m. U.S. EST)
LIVE TOUR TEXT by Cycling News
STAGE 12 MAPCOURSE: This stage is similar to the one from Narbonne to Toulouse in 2003 that went to the Spanish racer Juan Antonio Flecha, who made a late [...]
- Tour de France Stage 11 Review and Highlights - Marseille to Montpellier - 182.5km
July 19th, 2007The 11th stage of the 2007 Tour de France dealt a cruel blow to one GC contender and welcomed a new country into its hall of champions on Thursday. The newcomer was South Africa and top sprinting star Robbie Hunter (Barloworld), who won a mad dash to the line that concluded the pan-flat, 182.5km ride [...]
- Tour de France Stage 11 Preview - Marseille to Montpellier - 182.5km
July 18th, 2007Tour de France Stage 11
Marseille to Montpellier
182.5km
Start time: 12:45 p.m. (6:45 a.m. U.S. EST)
Estimated Finish: 5:08 p.m. (11:08 a.m. U.S. EST)
Terrain: Flat
LIVE TOUR TEXT by Cycling News
STAGE 11 MAPCOURSE: This is one of the flattest courses of the entire Tour, skirting the Camargue marshes of the Rhône delta, just north of the Mediterranean coast.
This stage [...] - Tour de France Stage 10 Results and Highlights - Tallard to Marseille - 229km
July 18th, 2007Cedric Vasseur, the 36 year old Frenchman of Quick Step-Innergetic, took a decade to repeat his first Tour de France stage win. In front of his French fans he delighted with the Stage 10 win that went 229km rolling from Tallard to Marseille.
Cedric Vasseur (Quick Step-Innergetic) broke away on the right side of the five-man [...] - Tour de France Stage 10 Preview - Tallard to Marseille (229km)
July 17th, 2007Tour de France Stage 10
Tallard to Marseille
229km
Start Time: 12:00 p.m. (6:00 a.m. U.S. EST)
Estimated Finish Time: 5:18 p.m. (11:18 a.m. U.S. EST)
Bob and Al’s preview for Stage 10 — Versus
LIVE TOUR TEXT by Cycling News
STAGE 10 MAPCOURSE: With a start from just south of Gap, and heading through Provence to the Mediterranean coast, this long [...]
- Tour de France Stage 9 Results and Highlights - Val-d’Isère to Briançon - 159.5km
July 17th, 2007The last wild-card team picked for the 2007 Tour de France showed Tuesday that the Tour organizers made the right choice, after Barloworld’s the unknown Colombian climber Juan Soler earned an impressive solo win in the 159.5km stage 9 mountain stage from Val-d’Isère to Briançon.
Soler attacked out of the peleton halfway up the 12km Cat. [...] - Tour de France Stage 9 Review - Val-d’Isère to Briançon (159.5km)
July 16th, 2007Tour de France Stage 9
159.5km
Val-d’Isère to Briançon
Start time: 12:30 p.m. (6:30 a.m. U.S. EST)
Estimated Finish time: 5:01 p.m. (11:01 a.m. U.S. EST)
I had the opportunity to spend some time with Levi Leipheimer’s brother Rob at the Amgen Tour of California and I came away a huge fan of Levi. I truly believed that he was [...] - Rest Day For The Tour de France in Tignes on Monday 7/16/2007
July 15th, 2007Tour de France
Rest Day in Tignes
“I will write my about my observations and opinions on the Tour so far on Monday 7/16/07″
Stay Tuned. - Tour de France Stage 8 Results and Highlights - Le Grand Bornand to Tignes - 165km
July 15th, 2007”
Todays Stage 8 was more like a circus than a race, with the numbers of riders being shelled, you needed an Elephant to clean up the mess”.
This was the kind of stage that Micheal Rasmussen could have only dreamed about. It suited his style perfect, and the GC guys are either hurt (Vino) [...] - Tour de France Stage 8 Preview - Le Grand Bornand to Tignes (165km)
July 14th, 2007Tour de France Stage 8
Le Grand Bornand to Tignes
165km
Start Time: 12:45 p.m. (6:45 a.m. U.S. EST)
Estimated Finish Time: 5:30 p.m. (11:30 a.m. U.S. EST)
STAGE 8 MAPCOURSE: This second alpine stage has an unusual, and tough, ending with three long climbs: one 20km (the two-part Cormet de Roselend, one 15km (up to Hauteville on the Petit [...]
- Tour de France Stage 7 Results and Highlights
July 14th, 2007In the Tour de France’s first entry into the mountains, it was a Tour newcomer named Linus Gerdemann (T-mobile) stealing all the headlines. The German wunderkind escaped a 15-rider breakaway late in stage 7, and then rode solo to the finish in Le Grand Bornand, taking the stage win and possession of the yellow and [...]
- Tour de France Stage 7 Preview - Bourg-en-Bresse to Le-Grand-Bornand (197km)
July 13th, 2007Tour de France Stage 7
Bourg-en-Bresse to Le-Grand-Bornand
197km
Start Time: 12:10 p.m. (6:10 a.m. U.S. EST)
Estimated Finish Time: 4:52 p.m. (10:52 a.m. U.S. EST)
STAGE 7 MAPCOURSE: Only a week into the race, much earlier than usual, this first mountain stage will give an indication of who is going to challenge for the yellow jersey.
The stage finale includes [...] - Tour de France Stage 6 Results and Highlights
July 13th, 2007Tom Boonen (Quick Step-Innergetic) sprints to another stage win, and regains the Green Jersey; Fabian Cancellara (CSC) holds lead and the Yellow Jersey. As the pack caught the solo breakaway of Bradley Wiggins (Cofidis) and with 3.4km to go the speed picked up, with Quick Step taking control. Although there was really no team that [...]
- Tour de France Stage 6 - Semur-en-Auxois to Bourg-en-Bresse - (199.5km)
July 13th, 2007Tour de France Stage 6
Semur-en-Auxois to Bourg-en-Bresse
199.5km
Start: 12:40 p.m. (6:40 a.m. U.S. EST)
Estimated Finish: 5:16 p.m. (11:16 a.m. U.S. EST)COURSE: Despite some early hills through the Burgundy and Côte d’Or wine country, this transitional stage closes with 45km of long, flat roads into the center of Bourg-en-Bresse - where a mass sprint seems certain. Bourg [...]
- Tour de France Stage 5 Results and Highlights
July 12th, 2007While the Italian rider from Team Liquigas Filippo Pozzato earned a hard-fought sprint win in stage 5 of the Tour de France, the bigger news was at the back of the pack, where one of the GC pre-race favorites Alexandre Vinokourov lost 1:20 to his fellow GC contenders after crashing hard on the [...]
- Tour de France Stage 5 Preview - Chablis to Autun, 182.5km
July 11th, 2007Tour de France Stage 5
Chablis to Autun
182.5km
Start: 12:50 p.m. (6:50 a.m. U.S. EST)
Estimated Finish: 5:14 p.m. (11:14 a.m. U.S. EST)COURSE: This should be the most decisive stage of the opening week on a course that traverses the Chablis wine region and Morvan hills on its way through Burgundy. It resembles a race like Liège-Bastogne-Liège and [...]
- Tour de France Stage 4 Results and Highlights
July 11th, 2007Two days after Thor Hushvod was caught behind the mass pileup on the run into Ghent, Thor Hushovd had a much better view of the finish line on Wednesday. Helped by the lighting fast leadout from Crédit Agricole teammate Julian Dean, Norway’s No. 1 cycling star was first across the line in Joigny to take [...]
- Tour de France Stage 4 Preview - Villers-Cotterêts to Joigny, 193km
July 10th, 2007Tour de France Stage 4
Villers-Cotterêts to Joigny
193km
Start: 12:50 p.m. (6:50 a.m. U.S. EST)
Estimated Finish: 5:17 p.m. (11:17 a.m. U.S. EST)COURSE: This rolling stage through the Champagne and Brie regions to the east of Paris could be similar to an early stage of Paris-Nice - without the freezing temperatures! Until the final 18km, the stage will [...]
- Tour de France Stage 3 Results (July 10, 2007)
July 10th, 2007Tour de France Stage 3 Results and Highlights:
What a great sight it was to see Cancellara take the Stage 3 sprint while wearing the Yellow Jersey. He takes the win while it appeared that the other sprinters were to busy worrying about each other that Cancellara just slipped by. Todays stage was fairly relaxed [...] - Tour de France Stage 3 Preview - Waregem, Belgium to Compiègne, France, 236k (flat)
July 9th, 2007Tour de France Stage 3:
Waregem, Belgium to Compiegne, France
236km of fast and flat
Start time: 11:45 a.m. (5:45 a.m. U.S. EST)
Estimated Finish: 5:10 p.m. (11:10 a.m. U.S. EST)COURSE: The rumored inclusion of some Hell of the North pavé on this stage that heads south from Belgium to the French city of Compiègne, where Paris-Roubaix starts, was [...]
- Tour de France Stage 2 Results: Steegmans and Boonen Win Giving Quickstep And Belgium A One-Two Finish
July 9th, 2007July 9th, 2007 Race Update: With two days of amazing weather in Good Old Britain, the Tour de France must be very pleased with their decision. So far the Tour de France has not delivered much in the way of doping scandals, but has delighted fans with good old racing. The Prologue was hotly [...]
- Do These Polka Dots Clash? Britain’s Vanished Tour de France Cyclist Reappears - as a Woman
July 9th, 2007By NEIL SEARS of the Daily Mail
Known as “King of the Mountains”, cyclist Robert Millar was Britain’s best performer in the Tour de France and an inspiration to a generation of fans.
He was named BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 1984 and became an elder statesman of cycling once his racing days were [...] - Tour de France Stage 2 - Dunkirk to Ghent
July 8th, 2007Tour de France Stage 2:
* Dunkirk to Ghent
* 168.5km
* Start time: 1:10pm (local time) 7:10am (US Est)
* Finish Time: 5:05pm (local time) 11:05am (US Est)
*COURSE: Stage 2 will take the riders into Belgium and make a giant “S” across the flat plains of Flanders passing through the hometowns of past champions Freddy Maertens, Johan [...] - Tour de France Stage 1 Recap
July 8th, 2007Results - Stage 1
1. Robbie McEwen (Aus), Predictor-Lotto, 203km in 4:39:01
2. Thor Hushovd (N), Credit Agricole, same time
3. Tom Boonen (B), Quick Step-Innergetic, s.t.
4. Sébastien Chavanel (F), Francise des Jeux, s.t.
5. Romain Feillu (F), Agributel, s.t.
6. Robert Förster (G), Gerolsteiner, s.t.
7. Oscar Freire (Sp), Rabobank, s.t.
8. Marcus Burghardt (G), T-Mobile, s.t.
9. Francisco Ventoso (Sp), Saunier [...] - Tour de France - Prologue - London 7.9km - Saturday, July 7
July 6th, 2007COURSE: The prologue starts in the heart of London, goes past Downing Street (residence of Britain’s Prime Minister), the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace (residence of Queen Elizabeth II).
The course then climbs Constitution Hill, passes through Wellington Arch and loops around The Serpentine, a lake in Hyde Park, before heading back [...]
- Tour de France Team Rosters
July 6th, 2007Ag2r
*Christophe Moreau (F)
*Cyril Dessel (F)
*John Gadret (F)
*José Luis Arrieta (Sp)
*Stéphane Goubert (F)
*Martin Elmiger (Swi)
*Ludovic Turpin (F)
*Sylvain Calzati (F)
*Simon Gerrans (Aus)
Agritubel
*Freddy Bichot (F)
* Moise Dueñas (Sp)
* Romain Feillu (F)
* Eduardo Gonzálo (Sp)
* Cedric Hervé (F)
* Nicolas Jalabert (F)
* Juan Miguel Mercado (Sp)
* Benoit Salmon (F)
* [...] - 189 Tour de France Riders Sign The UCI Anti-Doping Agreement
July 6th, 2007LONDON: All 189 Tour de France riders signed the UCI’s anti-doping charter in time for Saturday’s opening prologue stage.
The International Cycling Union requested that all cyclists sign a charter saying they are not involved in doping and promising to submit DNA samples to Spanish authorities for the Operation Puerto probe. Cyclists also had to agree [...] - McEwen Feels Sorry For Petacchi, But Still Sick Of Doping Stories - He Going To Feel Ill For A While
July 6th, 2007By Agence France Presse
This report filed July 6, 2007
Sympathy is not something Predictor-Lotto’s Robbie McEwen is usually known to offer his rivals. But on Thursday the Australian sprinter admitted he felt sorry for one of his main rivals, Italian sprinter Alessandro Petacchi.
But in almost the same breath McEwen called for glorious sporting achievements at this [...] - Tour de France Team Profiles And Stats
July 6th, 2007
- Riis (CSC) Opts Out Of Tour de France
July 6th, 2007By Agence France Presse
This report filed July 5, 2007
CSC director Bjarne Riis announced on Thursday he will not be present to follow his riders during this year’s Tour.
In May the 43-year-old Dane admitted to doping during his career, notably during his 1996 Tour de France victory. He was subsequently stripped of the title last month [...] - Commentary From Bjarne Riis
July 5th, 2007In connection with the debate, which has taken place over the last few days, Bjarne Riis would like to make the following comment:
”First of all I would like to say that I strongly object to the accusations made in the interview with Jörg Jaksche by the German magazine, Der Spiegel.
I have not had any [...] - Masterseek New Co-Sponsor for Team CSC
July 5th, 2007The Internet company Masterseek has signed a contract as the new co-sponsor for Team CSC starting with the 2007 edition of Tour de France. Masterseek will get a prominent spot on the new clothes worn by the riders for the first time, when the Tour kicks off on Saturday in Central London.
Masterseek is the biggest [...] - Team CSC Ready For Tour de France With New Cervelo Bikes
July 4th, 2007When Tour de France starts in London on July 7., Team CSC’s riders should be off to a good start as the entire team has brand new Cervélo Soloist Carbon Super Light (better known as SLC-SL), all except for Carlos Sastre of course, who prefers the R3 frame – and he will of course [...]
- Parlez Vous Tour de France? - French Words Useful for Understanding the Tour de France
July 3rd, 2007French Vocabulary Related to Cycling and the Tour de France
Whether you love cycling or just watching competitions like the Tour de France, you’ll want to learn some French vocabulary related to cycling.
le cyclisme - cycling, biking
People and Ridersun commissaire - referee who travels by car
un coureur - rider, cyclist
un cycliste - rider, cyclist
un [...] - Team CSC Announces Line-Up for Tour de France 2007
June 29th, 2007Team CSC Announces Line-Up for Tour de France 2007
The nine riders selected by Team CSC for this year’s Tour de France are:
Carlos Sastre, Fränk Schleck, Jens Voigt, Stuart O’Grady, Fabian Cancellara, Inigo Cuesta, Kurt-Asle Arvesen, Christian Vande Velde and David Zabriskie.
”As always, it’s been a very difficult decision. It may sound like a [...] - Tour de France Jerseys In Yellow, Polka Dot and Green… What Does It All Mean?
June 28th, 2007One of the most often asked question is what is the YELLOW jersey, or what is the POLKA DOT jersey. And the second question I get asked often is how much money do they win. Well I am going to answer both of these questions, so read below for my primer;
General Classification (GC) Winner
YELLOW JERSEY: [...] - Discovery Unveils Tour de France Lineup
June 27th, 2007Discovery Channel unveiled the nine-rider cast that will try to rekindle the Lance Armstrong glory years when it heads to London for the start of the 2007 Tour de France. As expected, Levi Leipheimer got a full vote of confidence from Discovery sport director Johan Bruyneel on Wednesday, and will lead America’s lone ProTour team [...]
- Agritubel, Barloworld and Astana get wild cards for Tour - But Where Is UniBet
May 31st, 2007“Come on guys. It is time to give the UniBet team the road time they deserve. Either keep all gambling out of the Tour (ie: Lotto, etc.), or let them all in. This looks a lot like a school yard game of dodge ball. You can’t make up the rules as you go along. [...]
- Tour de France Winner Willing to Return Yellow Jersey
May 25th, 2007According to ESPN, 1996 Tour de France winner Bjarne Riis admits taking EPO and says he’s willing to give back his yellow jersey.
“I have taken doping. I have taken EPO,” Riis said during a televised news conference. “I have made errors and I would like to apologize.”
Riis said he used the substances from 1993 [...]
- Basso Admits Only To ‘Attempted’ Doping” - Huh????
May 8th, 2007VeloGuy here, Is Basso crazy? I can not believe that he actually said that he wanted to dope, he prepared to dope, he took steps to dope, but did not dope. Sounds more like since he did not get tested and confirmed a doper he will admit to just enough to get a lighter sentence. [...]
- Basso & Puerto - Is It A Scandal Made In Cycling Heaven
May 8th, 2007NEWS FLASH: Basso admits involvement in Puerto scandal
By Agence France Presse
This report filed May 7, 2007
Italian cycling star Ivan Basso admitted to the anti-doping prosecutor of the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) on Monday that he was involved in the Operation Puerto blood-doping scandal.CONI said the 29-year-old rider came to their offices of his own [...]
- Monday Cycling Movie - You Can Lead a Horse to the Peloton…
May 7th, 2007… but you can’t make it downshift without a jockey pulley.
Apparently from the Tour de France.
- McQuaid says new Puerto documents pose a big task
May 3rd, 2007At what point do the powers that be at UCI have to either press charges or stop harassing the riders? Are you anything like me and are you just getting fed up with all the accusations? By just leaking a name (whether the rider is involved or not) they can ruin a riders [...]
- BREAKING: Synthetic testosterone found in Landis’ “B” samples
April 23rd, 2007The LA Times reports an hour ago:
Synthetic testosterone found in Landis’ “B” samples
by Philip Hersh, Special to The Times
9:45 AM PDT, April 23, 2007
Evidence of synthetic testosterone has been found in “several” of the other urine samples Floyd Landis gave while winning the 2006 Tour de France, the French newspaper L’Equipe reported on its website [...] - Rumor Mill: Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team to be???????
April 23rd, 2007In the never ending quest to be the first to break major cycling news we at Bicycle .net are going to start a rumor.
Who is going to take over from Discovery Channel as sponsor?
It is based on nothing but gut instinct. It sure could be true. Just think about it…… What company could drop [...] - Landis Raising Funds in Houston to Fight Doping Charge
April 18th, 2007Tons of typos in this news blurb which misses that it took place in Houston, Texas:
Cyclist Landis raises more money for doping fight as tests go on
Emabattled 2006 Tour de France winner Floyd Landis made a fundraising appearance at a suburban bicycle store here Tuesday even as retests of his doping samples were being done [...] - BREAKING: Floyd Landis Wants Retests at UCLA
April 13th, 2007BREAKING HEADLINE:
American cyclist Landis wants new tests at UCLA
NEW YORK (Apr 13, 2007)
The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency will test backup urine samples from Tour de France champion Floyd Landis over the cyclist’s protests about the need for the tests and the credentials of the French lab where they’ll be analyzed.
Landis, who tested positive at last year’s [...] - Floyd Landis Urine to be Retested — Arbitrators
April 13th, 2007Um, once evidence is demonstrably mishandled, exactly how can a subsequent test be trusted?
Thursday’s LA Times (reprinted here because it’s a subscribers-only article) writes:
Arbitrators rule against Landis
Panel gives U.S. anti-doping officials permission to retest urine samples
April 12, 2007
An arbitration panel has ruled against Tour de France champion Floyd Landis on two procedural issues, complicating his [...] - BREAKING: French Lab Errors Admitted in Cyclist Floyd Landis Case
February 23rd, 2007From Breitbart.Com via The Drudge Report and Little Green Footballs:
Embattled Tour de France winner Floyd Landis received a boost in his fight against a positive doping test after French lab records showed a protocol violation.
The Los Angeles Times reported that the French laboratory which found the positive results against Landis had two technicians involved in [...] - Floyd Landis Racing in France in 2007 — Non!
February 11th, 2007BIKINGBIS reports:
Floyd Landis promised French anti-doping authorities on Thursday that he won’t race in the upcoming Tour de France, or any French bike race, this year.
In return, the French anti-doping agency said it would postpone its case against Landis until after the US Anti-Doping Agency rules on the charges.
This should be a surprise [...] - Pounding the French to Delay Landis Inquiry
January 26th, 2007Agence France Presse reports :
World Anti-Doping Agency chief Richard “Dick” Pound (pictured, right) said Wednesday that he has asked the French anti-doping agency (AFLD) to postpone its investigation into Floyd Landis (pictured below, left) until the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency ends its inquiry.
Landis tested positive for a skewed testosterone-epitestosterone ration following Stage 17 of the 2006 [...] - Teams request changes to Paris-Nice contract
November 30th, 1999PARIS, Feb 29, 2008 (AFP) - Cyclists due to compete in the Paris-Nice stage race have asked organisers to make amendments to a proposed teams’ contract, which in midweek prompted anger from the sport’s world ruling body.
The first major European stage race of the season will be held under a cloud after organisers controversially [...]



























