So its that time of year again.
Lets hear your views on it
Lets hear your views on it
Tour De France 08
It's a shame Contador isn't in it. The selection of potential winners really isn't that great this year in my opinion. Cadel Evans got demolished last year by Contador,Rasmussen & Co yet this year he is a faverouite.
I'm shouting for Cunego, i've allways liked the Lampre team, it's a shame that they lost Bennati though as their other sprinter doesn't look quite as quick as Bennati was!
Should be a pretty good tour though, a few stage wins for Cavendish would be nice too!
I'm shouting for Cunego, i've allways liked the Lampre team, it's a shame that they lost Bennati though as their other sprinter doesn't look quite as quick as Bennati was!
Should be a pretty good tour though, a few stage wins for Cavendish would be nice too!
I pick Menchov as tour winner as he is always better riding his second GT in a year. Somehow i have the feeling Evans will drop out with a broken collarbone after a crash in a descent. Unfortunately he is alway good for these sort of things 
Personally i want to see Cadel in first because i know...informative guess that his in shape and ready to take it. Though his performance in the final sprint was below par but his up there.
Valverde what can i say about him, riders for my favorite team won the stage in commanding fashion his my pick even though id be crusified infront of die hard Evan fans but his a chance aswell as Menchov wouldnt mind seeing him win either his a good rider
Sprinting id like to see a Robbie whether it be Hunter or McEwen going to be tough this year but good fun.
Valverde what can i say about him, riders for my favorite team won the stage in commanding fashion his my pick even though id be crusified infront of die hard Evan fans but his a chance aswell as Menchov wouldnt mind seeing him win either his a good rider
Sprinting id like to see a Robbie whether it be Hunter or McEwen going to be tough this year but good fun.
the best thing about this year's tour is the fact it is covered on ITV4, which I can get - woohoo!!!!!!!!
http://www.justin.tv/giac2007
Not the greatest quality, and the feed can be a bit patchy, but at least we can see each stage live.
Wow, disappointed with Cunego, was really struggling to keep up with the likes of Valverde and Schumacher (until he fell) Cunego was many peoples faverouite to win as well!
Kirchen is looking good, maybe a one to watch although he will suffer in the mountains. Bring on the Pyrenees! (is that how you spell it?)
Kirchen is looking good, maybe a one to watch although he will suffer in the mountains. Bring on the Pyrenees! (is that how you spell it?)
/\ Yeah, i've been a fan of cycling since the days of Fignon-Lemond-Hinault etc, but the fiasco of the doping scandals of the last few years have really put me off a bit. Hopefully they're getting to the bottom of it now, but it's always gonna be a question hanging around whoever does well.
Anyway, lets not dwell on that and say, Kirchen has done well so far, but i think he's gonna struggle in the big mountains (and there seems to be lots of big mountains in this years Tour, more than usual) Valverde has been looking really strong since the start, but he's gonna have to get some big time gaps over Cadel Evens in the mountains, coz he's gonna loose it all in the time trials. Was kinda hoping Millar had learned how to climb a mountain properly, but by todays effort it looks like he's not quite there yet.
All in all it's shaping up to be an interesting Tour this year. If i was a betting man i'd put my money on Evens for the win. But he's such a boring rider, just sits on someone else's wheel and gets towed around all day and never ever attacks. So i'm hoping Valverde wins the GC, really like his spirit.
Anyway, lets not dwell on that and say, Kirchen has done well so far, but i think he's gonna struggle in the big mountains (and there seems to be lots of big mountains in this years Tour, more than usual) Valverde has been looking really strong since the start, but he's gonna have to get some big time gaps over Cadel Evens in the mountains, coz he's gonna loose it all in the time trials. Was kinda hoping Millar had learned how to climb a mountain properly, but by todays effort it looks like he's not quite there yet.
All in all it's shaping up to be an interesting Tour this year. If i was a betting man i'd put my money on Evens for the win. But he's such a boring rider, just sits on someone else's wheel and gets towed around all day and never ever attacks. So i'm hoping Valverde wins the GC, really like his spirit.
True Cadel doesnt attack because his thinking of the end result but unlike two years ago he did attack and ended up coming 5thish in that stage in the mountians was impressive to watch.
But its still eairly days alot can happen still and hopefully Cadel will excel in the mountians thats where my money is at.
But a boring rider what about the bike incident yesterday when he was drafting the car and the motorbike when infront of the car causing it to hit the brakes then cadel went and belted the motorbike rider on the arm telling him to look.
But its still eairly days alot can happen still and hopefully Cadel will excel in the mountians thats where my money is at.
But a boring rider what about the bike incident yesterday when he was drafting the car and the motorbike when infront of the car causing it to hit the brakes then cadel went and belted the motorbike rider on the arm telling him to look.
Amen. What hit me worse was when that crap started going around local clubs and athletes here. Even those who were not technically pros - and even for events that were not races (doping up for a brevet has to be the most ridiculous thing ever). That put me off of watching almost any professional sports really - it seems pointless and really empty.
I was talking to someone about this subject just a couple of days ago, and we came to the conclusion that it may be best to have a worldwide amnesty with just about every sport you can think of. Set a date whereby anyone who has being using performance enhancing drugs can come forward (privately) confess their sins, and not have to face any punishment whatsoever (including those who've had previous bans). Then from that date forward, anyone caught using them gets an instant lifetime ban. Any medals, trophy's, records, prizes (including money) have to be returned or seized. Basically scaring the crap outta them with the threat of losing just about everything they've gained from the sport should make people think twice.
The biggest problem i had with cycling over the last few years is how the authorities handled the situation. It just made the sport look a complete farce, as different federations each had their own way of dealing with the problem. If i remember correctly that Danish rider (name escapes me) had already tested positive and was already under investigation before the start of the Tour, so why the hell was he allowed to race ?
And that's part of the problem with trying to police these doping issues within sport. All these two-bit councils and organising bodies within each individual sport seem to have their own agenda, criteria and levels of punishment for wrongdoing. Some hand out 2yr bans, some 4yr bans, some give a slap on the wrist and say don't do it again and some give lifetime bans with no exceptions. And if the wrongdoer is a megastar of the sport then, well he/she can get carteblanche. Won't mention any names here, but quite a few of the top sporting names where known to be using drugs, but nothing was done. And as you say, how does this reflect on the grass roots levels of sport.
It's a sad thing to admit, but cheating seems to be very much a part of human nature. And i'm not sure anything can be done about that, short of a frontal-lobotomy.
The biggest problem i had with cycling over the last few years is how the authorities handled the situation. It just made the sport look a complete farce, as different federations each had their own way of dealing with the problem. If i remember correctly that Danish rider (name escapes me) had already tested positive and was already under investigation before the start of the Tour, so why the hell was he allowed to race ?
And that's part of the problem with trying to police these doping issues within sport. All these two-bit councils and organising bodies within each individual sport seem to have their own agenda, criteria and levels of punishment for wrongdoing. Some hand out 2yr bans, some 4yr bans, some give a slap on the wrist and say don't do it again and some give lifetime bans with no exceptions. And if the wrongdoer is a megastar of the sport then, well he/she can get carteblanche. Won't mention any names here, but quite a few of the top sporting names where known to be using drugs, but nothing was done. And as you say, how does this reflect on the grass roots levels of sport.
It's a sad thing to admit, but cheating seems to be very much a part of human nature. And i'm not sure anything can be done about that, short of a frontal-lobotomy.
That Danish idiot was Michael Rasmussen. But he wasn`t tested positiv, he had just forgot to tell where he had been up to the Tour De France, its the so called "where abouts" he lied about. He said he was in Mexico without a telephone and so on, but a lot of people had seen him in Italy on a two wheeled ironhorse. His family in Mexico ( his wifes family) told everybody that he had been there..but he had been in Italy! So the doping control couldn`t find him.. He later told that he lied about it because he had family troubles with his wife..
Im sure he had been sitting with e needle in his arm somewhere in Italy..Oh no,
Ricco has tested positive with EPO. Come on guys, you are killing the sport!!
Ricco has tested positive with EPO. Come on guys, you are killing the sport!!
Holy shit, not Ricco!
Well despite some doping this year its gone rather smoothly and is shaping up pretty well. Just 1 second seperating Cadel and Schleck.
Bah, the complete Saunier Duval team didn't start this stage
I noticed that im shatterd to think they had the team competition from the efforts a few days ago, and that effort a few days ago that was incrediable its sad to see them gone
Sorry but IMO you were fooling yourselves if you didn't expect something like that.
I think that at least 50 % of the riders (probably a lot more) use doping in some way. Most of them just don't get caught.
I think that at least 50 % of the riders (probably a lot more) use doping in some way. Most of them just don't get caught.
Do you guys really think that it it possible (for all riders) to do the tour without taking something? To Cycle around 200km each day and 150km through the alps with the speed they (the whole field) do?
get real.
get real.
Most of the riders are clean, it's a question of getting the cheaters out, so it's good that Ricco has been caught. I was a tad doubtfull at the speed he went up the mountains in the pyrenees!
Ugh, what a pillock. Thought Ricco might have had a chance at the GC after his performance the other day, but....
There's no way to tell how many riders are racing clean to be honest. But with the punishments being so lean i guess you can understand why they'd take the risk.
Sad news though and doesn't do the sport much good, but, "better out than in" as they say.
There's no way to tell how many riders are racing clean to be honest. But with the punishments being so lean i guess you can understand why they'd take the risk.
Sad news though and doesn't do the sport much good, but, "better out than in" as they say.
How do you know/assume that?
There are several riders caught every year during the Tour and I bet there is a lot of stuff that they can take that can't be found via tests yet.
I think it's sad, too. I watched almost every mountain stage from start to finish in the late 90s with Ullrich, Armstrong, etc. but unfortunately the sport is (probably already was then) ruined by doping. I don't think it will become "clean" ever again.
I doubt that it ever was.
Hey wooo, Cavendish get his 3rd stage win.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/h ... ports/cycling/7512297.stm
Something to cheer about for a change!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/h ... ports/cycling/7512297.stm
Something to cheer about for a change!
"The test are working" Cadel Evans
FFS boys keep your skeptical drug talk else where.
Also its not impossible to cycle 200km everyday thats the reason they are proffesionals they are conditiond to do such feats I could do it if i had enough reason to do it but i dont have a pro contract or amature contract so i dont.
Seriously atleast try and keep the thread clean of drug talk you can bitch ur head off after the tours end but not during it.
But Cavendish damn he can sprint i was watching McEwen but he always manages to get himself boxed in, i dont think we've seen the best of some sprinters yet it hasnt really been a tour for the sprinters this year yet.
FFS boys keep your skeptical drug talk else where.
Also its not impossible to cycle 200km everyday thats the reason they are proffesionals they are conditiond to do such feats I could do it if i had enough reason to do it but i dont have a pro contract or amature contract so i dont.
Seriously atleast try and keep the thread clean of drug talk you can bitch ur head off after the tours end but not during it.
But Cavendish damn he can sprint i was watching McEwen but he always manages to get himself boxed in, i dont think we've seen the best of some sprinters yet it hasnt really been a tour for the sprinters this year yet.
1
2
Tour De France 08
(33 posts, started )
FGED GREDG RDFGDR GSFDG