Tour De France 2006

[whyohwhy]

I fooking love watching the Tour, generally have no interest in cycling at all (did work as a bike mechanic for a few summers tho), never watch the Giro or Vuelta, might watch it at the olympics. But I love watching the Tour, nothing better than the Mountain stages. I'm sure everyone was fascinated by the Tour when Roche, Kelly, Earley and Kimmage were in it. My fascination has lived on, even through the drug years.

Tg4 have it again this year(along with Wimbledon), brilliant.

Its Basso's to lose, but Ullrich has just had a good Giro and is looking sharp, expect him to peak in the last 2 weeks. Basso claimed that he expects to lose about 4 minutes to Ullirch in the longer (than usual) time trials, but gain it back in the mountains.

Vinokourov could be the dark horse this year, but may have to play second fiddle to Ullrich.

The horrendous Alpe d'huez is again a stage finsh this year on the 15th.

I'm sure drugs will be a factor again this year, but i hope it wont be bad, if there is a good open race i'll be happy.

Tour De France - Love It

[therock67]

Have the same opinions as yourself on le Tour. I went off it for a couple of years around the time of the Festina scandal but it's such compelling viewing that I've become addicted again.

Basso is a raging hot favourite alright. Ullrich is supposed to be in cracking form but how often have we seen that in the past? I'm certainly not backing him again after letting me down so many times. Vino might be one to watch but I read somewhere that his participation is in doubt. Are the teams confirmed?

I'll be supporting Mayo, though I don't expect him to challenge overall - I'd love to see him get a stage win on a Basque stage.

[bandage]

I used to love it as a kid. Even as a teen when the lads would be outside hurling I'd always come inside to watch the conclusion of the stage on Eurosport with David Duckinfield (?) manically commentating and chattering away crazily to himself. Also the highlights on Channel 4 with Phil Liggott, another legend. As Rock said to me the other day, the fact they all appear to be on drugs makes it a fair race! And it's still a fascinating spectacle - those mountain stages are immense. Who will ever forget Roche closing the gap on Delgado and practically passing out after the finish line. I was only 6 but I remember watching it - great memories.

As for this year - I don't have a clue! Must research it this avo as I've not watched it in a few years. I presume Virenque will set out to be King of the Mountains as usual though!

[whyohwhy]

Forgot about Mayo, good call there, he'll nick a few stages alright.

There's a delay in the official team announcements due to a drugs scandal in one team at the moment (backers after pulling out or someting) or something like that.

Ulrich was unlucky to have to deal with Armstrong for the past 6 years.

As regards betting, I dont think paddypower do individual stage bets, do you know who does? I can only acess PP here due to a technicality. I'd be looking to back Ullrich heavily in the time trials and in the team time trials too. Since you mention it, Basso in the Pyrenees too.

[therock67]

Should your last sentence read "Mayo in the Pyrenees"? Of course it could be either but from the context I'm guessing you meant Mayo?

[whyohwhy]

admin said:

Should your last sentence read "Mayo in the Pyrenees"? Of course it could be either but from the context I'm guessing you meant Mayo?

yeah, sorry it should

[timofte]

Def a fan of the tour de france. Was out supporting it in 1998 when it passed through Ireland. Pity that one was shaded with controversy. Like Bandage said I they are all at then its not really a factor. All on a level playing field.

I think the tour de france is probably the greatest endurance race of any sport. Trying to rack my brain and think of another. Maybe the volvo ocean race or the Sahara marathons. I'm sure there are a few iron man comps that are tough going but of the high profile endurance contest this one is top imo.

Have read all of Armstrong books and remember him saying how he broke his neck in an accident and went on to win the tour the france only a couple of months later. Unbelievable! Not to mention the cancer he had before he won his first title.

Did anyone read the extract from Marco Pantani's biography in Saturdays magazine in the Irish Times? Looks like a cracking read. Prob go out and buy that one soon. Poor guy could have and should have been a great competitor to Armstrong over the years.

[whyohwhy]

Teams announced (provisional until tomorrow)

DISCOVERY CHANNEL TEAM
* GUSEV Vladimir RUS
* DEVOLDER Stijn BEL
* BARRY Michaël CAN
SAVOLDELLI Paolo ITA
RUBIERA José Luis ESP
POPOVYCH Yaroslav UKR
PADRNOS Pavel CZE
NOVAL GONZALEZ Benjamin ESP
MARTINEZ Egoi ESP
HINCAPIE George USA
EKIMOV Viatceslav RUS
AZEVEDO José POR
TEAM CSC
* CUESTA Inigo ESP
* CANCELLARA Fabian SUI
* ARVESEN Kurt-Asle NOR
ZABRISKIE David USA
VOIGT Jens GER
VANDEVELDE Christian USA
SCHLECK Frank LUX
SASTRE Carlos ESP
O’GRADY Stuart AUS
LOMBARDI Giovanni ITA
JULICH Bobby USA
BASSO Ivan ITA
T-MOBILE TEAM
* NARDELLO Daniele ITA
* IVANOV Serguei RUS
* BERNUCCI Lorenzo ITA
SINKEWITZ Patrik GER
SEVILLA Oscar ESP
ROGERS Michael AUS
MAZZOLENI Eddy ITA
KLÖDEN Andréas GER
KESSLER Matthias GER
HONCHAR Serhiy UKR
GUERINI Giuseppe ITA
ULLRICH Jan GER
AG2R PREVOYANCE
* NAZON Jean-Patrick FRA
* KRIVTSOV Yuriy UKR
* CALZATI Sylvain FRA
USOV Alexandre BLR
MOREAU Christophe FRA
GOUBERT Stephane FRA
GERRANS Simon AUS
DUMOULIN Samuel FRA
DESSEL Cyril FRA
ASTARLOZA Mikel ESP
ARRIETA Jose Luis ESP
MANCEBO Francisco ESP
WÜRTH TEAM
* OSA Aitor ESP
* BARREDO Carlos ESP
* BARANOWSKI Dariusz POL
SANCHEZ Luis ESP
NOZAL Isidro ESP
KASHECHKIN Andrey KAZ
JAKSCHE Jorg GER
DAVIS Allan AUS
CONTADOR Alberto ESP
BELOKI Joseba ESP
BAZAYEV Assan KAZ
VINOKOUROV Alexandre KAZ
GEROLSTEINER
* ZBERG Beat SUI
* SCHUMACHER Stefan GER
* HASELBACHER Rene AUT
WROLICH Peter AUT
WEGMANN Fabian GER
TOTSCHNIG Georg AUT
SCHOLZ Ronny GER
LANG Sebastian GER
KOPP David GER
FOTHEN Marcus GER
FÖRSTER Robert GER
LEIPHEIMER Levi USA
RABOBANK
* ELTINK Theo NED
* DE GROOT Bram NED
* ARDILA Mauricio COL
WEENING Pieter NED
RASMUSSEN Mickael DEN
POSTHUMA Joost NED
FREIRE Oscar ESP
FLECHA Juan Antonio ESP
DEKKER Thomas NED
DEKKER Erik NED
BOOGERD Michael NED
MENCHOV Denis RUS
DAVITAMON - LOTTO
* ROESEMS Bert BEL
* MERTENS Pieter BEL
* DOCKX Bart BEL
VANSUMMEREN Johan BEL
VAN BON Leon NED
STEEGMANS Gert BEL
RODRIGUEZ Fred USA
MC EWEN Robbie AUS
HORNER Christopher USA
BRANDT Christophe BEL
AERTS Mario BEL
EVANS Cadel AUS
PHONAK HEARING SYSTEMS
* ELMIGER Martin SUI
PENA Victor Hugo COL
MOOS Alexandre SUI
MOERENHOUT Koos NED
MERCKX Axel BEL
MARTIN PERDIGUERO M.Angel ESP
JALABERT Nicolas FRA
HUNTER Robert RSA
GRABSCH Bert GER
LANDIS Floyd USA
LAMPRE-FONDITAL
* FIGUERAS Giuliano ITA
* CORIONI Claudio ITA
VILA ERRANDONEA Patxi ESP
VALJAVEC Tadej SLO
TIRALONGO Paolo ITA
RIGHI Daniele ITA
COMMESSO Salvatore ITA
BRUSEGHIN Marzio ITA
BENNATI Daniele ITA
BALLAN Alessandro ITA
CUNEGO Damiano ITA
* CARRARA Matteo ITA
CAISSE D’EPARGNE-ILLES BALEARS
* PRADERA Mikel ESP
* PEREZ ARRIETA Aitor ESP
* JULIA CEGARRA José Cayetano ESP
ZANDIO Xabier ESP
PORTAL Nicolas FRA
PEREIRO SIO Oscar ESP
KARPETS Vladimir RUS
GARCIA ACOSTA Vicente ESP
GALVEZ Isaac ESP
BRARD Florent FRA
ARROYO David ESP
VALVERDE Alejandro ESP
QUICK STEP - INNERGETIC
* TRENTI Guido USA
* NUYENS Nick BEL
* CRETSKENS Wilfried BEL
VERHEYEN Geert BEL
VASSEUR Cédric FRA
TOSATTO Matteo ITA
TANKINK Bram NED
RUJANO José VEN
POZZATO Filippo ITA
GARATE Juan Manuel ESP
DE JONGH Steven NED
BOONEN Tom BEL
CREDIT AGRICOLE
* VOGONDY Nicolas FRA
* FOFONOV Dmitriy KAZ
* BOTCHAROV Alexandre RUS
LE MEVEL Christophe FRA
HUSHOVD Thor NOR
HINAULT Sébastien FRA
HALGAND Patrice FRA
ENGOULVENT Jimmy FRA
DEAN Julian NZL
CHARTEAU Anthony FRA
CAUCCHIOLI Pietro ITA
BODROGI Laszlo HUN
EUSKALTEL - EUSKADI
* PENA Aketza ESP
* ANTON Igor ESP
* ALBIZU Joseba ESP
ZUBELDIA Haimar ESP
VERDUGO Gorka ESP
LOPEZ GARCIA David ESP
LANDALUZE Inigo ESP
ISASI Inaki ESP
HERNANDEZ Aitor ESP
ETXEBARRIA Unai VEN
CAMANO Iker ESP
MAYO Iban ESP
COFIDIS CREDIT PAR TELEPHONE
* FERNANDEZ Bingen ESP
* BESSY Frédéric FRA
* AUGE Stéphane FRA
WIGGINS Bradley GBR
VERBRUGGHE Rik BEL
PARRA Ivan Ramiro COL
MORENI Cristian ITA
COYOT Arnaud FRA
CHAVANEL Sylvain FRA
CASPER Jimmy FRA
BERTAGNOLLI Leonardo ITA
MONCOUTIE David FRA
SAUNIER DUVAL - PRODIR
* GIL PEREZ Koldo ESP
* DE LA FUENTE David ESP
* COBO ACEBO Juan Jose ESP
VENTOSO Francisco ESP
SIMONI Gilberto ITA
RINERO Christophe FRA
RICCO Riccardo ITA
MILLAR David GBR
LOBATO Ruben ESP
GOMEZ Jose Angel ESP
FRITSCH Nicolas FRA
CANADA David ESP
FRANCAISE DES JEUX
* LARSSON Gustav SWE
* GUESDON Frédéric FRA
* FINOT Frédéric FRA
VAUGRENARD Benoît FRA
MOUREY Francis FRA
MENGIN Christophe FRA
LÖVKVIST Thomas SWE
JOLY Sébastien FRA
GILBERT Philippe BEL
EISEL Bernhard AUT
DA CRUZ Carlos FRA
CASAR Sandy FRA
LIQUIGAS
* SPEZIALETTI Alessandro ITA
* FAILLI Francesco ITA
* ANDRIOTTO Dario ITA
QUINZIATO Manuel ITA
PAOLINI Luca ITA
MUGERLI Matej SLO
GARZELLI Stefano ITA
DI LUCA Danilo ITA
CARLSTRÖM Kjell FIN
CALCAGNI Patrick SUI
BACKSTEDT Magnus SWE
ALBASINI Michael SUI
BOUYGUES TELECOM
* MARTIAS Rony FRA
* KERN Christophe FRA
* FLICKINGER Andy FRA
VOECKLER Thomas FRA
SPRICK Matthieu FRA
ROUS Didier FRA
PINEAU Jérôme FRA
LEFEVRE Laurent FRA
GESLIN Anthony FRA
FEDRIGO Pierrick FRA
BROCHARD Laurent FRA
BENETEAU Walter FRA
TEAM MILRAM
* DEN BAKKER Maarten NED
* CADAMURO Simone ITA
* BECKE Daniel GER
ZABEL Erik GER
VELO Marco ITA
SCHRÖDER Björn GER
SACCHI Fabio ITA
POITSCHKE Enrico GER
ONGARATO Alberto ITA
KNEES Christian GER
GRIVKO Andriy UKR
CELESTINO Mirko ITA
AGRITUBEL
* CANOUET Gilles FRA
* BUFFAZ Mickaël FRA
* BERGES Stéphane FRA
SALMON Benoit FRA
PLOUHINEC Samuel FRA
MERCADO Juan Miguel ESP
MARTINEZ José Alberto ESP
LAURENT Christophe FRA
GONZALO RAMIREZ Eduardo ESP
DUENAS NEVADO Moises ESP
COUTOULY Cédric FRA
CALVENTE Manuel ESP

* denotes subs (until tomorrow i assume)

Wurth look the strongest team on paper with Vinokourov (who I wrongly thought was still with T-Mobile), Beloki and Bazayev.

Followed by T-Mobile, with Ullirch, Koden and Honchar.

Love it, fooking love it

[whyohwhy]

Here is Tg4's schedule for Le Tour:


01/07/2006 - Highlights @ 22:35
02/07/2006 Strasbourg - Strasbourg Highlights @ 23:00
03/07/2006 - Highlights @ 23:25
04/07/2006 - Highlights @ 23:05
05/07/2006 - Highlights @ 23:00
06/07/2006 - Highlights @ 23:00
07/07/2006 - Highlights @ 22:55
08/07/2006 - Highlights @ 22:30
09/07/2006 - Highlights @ 22:35
10/07/2006 Weekly Review Highlights @ 23:55
11/07/2006 Bordeaux - Dax Highlights @ 23:00
12/07/2006 Cambo-les-Bains - Pau Highlights @ 23:00
13/07/2006 Tarbes - Val d'Aran/Pla-de-Beret Highlights @ 23:00
14/07/2006 Luchon - Carcassonne Highlights @ 23:00
15/07/2006 Béziers Méditerranée - Montélimar Highlights @ 23:00
16/07/2006 Montélimar - Gap Highlights @ 23:00
17/07/2006 Weekly Review Highlights @ 23:00
18/07/2006 Gap - L'Alpe d'Huez Highlights @ 23:00
19/07/2006 Bourg d'Oisans - La Toussuire Les Sybelles Highlights @ 23:00
20/07/2006 Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne - Moezine-Avoriaz Highlights @ 23:00
21/07/2006 Moezine-Avoriaz - Mâcon Highlights @ 23:00
22/07/2006 Le Creusot - Montceau-les-Mines Highlights @ 23:00
23/07/2006 Antony-Parc de Sceaus - Champs-Élyées Highlights @ 23:00
24/07/2006 Tour de France Review -

If the start and finish town names aren't shown then no live coverage.

Their not showing any of week 1, which is generally the flat stages for the sprinters. Fuck all happens for 4 hours, a sprint in the last 100m, few fallers and thats it.

[whyohwhy]

Ullrich free to race in Le Tour

Ullrich won the race in 1997
Jan Ullrich has been cleared to compete in the Tour de France after organisers dismissed newspaper doping allegations against the 32-year-old German rider.

El Pais reported that Ullrich could be implicated in a widening investigation into blood doping in Spain, but the T-Mobile star denies any wrong-doing.

"For the Tour de France, for now, there is no problem with Ullrich," said Tour spokesman Philippe Sudres on Tuesday.

The Tour de France, cycling's most prestigious race, starts on Saturday.

Officials say they may reconsider their decision to allow Ullrich to compete if harder evidence emerges.

Ullrich has high hopes of winning this year's event following he retirement of seven-time champion Lance Armstrong.

The German won in 1997 and has been runner-up five times. Last year, he was third.

From Le Beeb

[cully]

WOW, exalt for some cracking posts on everything tour de france. you all have sparked up my interest in it and i'll be making a point to try and get into it this year after never really feeling the buzz post roche and kelly

[therock67]

The doubt about Vino's participation rumbles on:

Astana-Wurth team ready to race

The Astana-Wurth team have defied Tour de France officials by arriving in Strasbourg in preparation for Saturday's opening prologue time trial.
Organisers asked them not to compete after former team manager Manolo Saiz was implicated in a blood-doping probe.

But the team say they have every right to race after referring their case to the Court for Arbitration (CAS).

CAS will decide on Friday whether the former Liberty Seguros team can take part in this year's Tour de France.

Saiz and doctor Eufemiano Fuentes were questioned by police as part of what the Spanish media called the country's biggest anti-doping probe.

Police said they had raided a number of addresses and found a large quantity of medical supplies, such as anabolic steroids, and more than 100 frozen packs of blood.

Saiz has since resigned while team had to find new sponsor afters Liberty Seguros withdrew their backing.

Kazakh sponsors Astana stepped in and the team were allowed to retain their Pro Tour licence, which guarantees Tour participation.

However, Tour organisers felt it would send out the wrong signals if the team competed and asked them to pull out.

Now CAS will decide whether the Astana-Wurth team can race, although Alexander Vinokourov says is determined to start on Saturday.

I hope the Court of Arbitration for Sport makes the right decision and we can be at the start on Saturday

"There is no evidence against our team," said the 32-year-old Kazakh star, who has been tipped as a potential winner of the 93rd Tour.

"I hope the Court of Arbitration for Sport makes the right decision and we can be at the start on Saturday."

Vinokourov said doping allegations were levelled against seven-times champion Lance Armstrong during his career.

"Armstrong was sometimes cited in the press but that didn't stop him competing in the Tour de France," said Vinokourov, who was fifth in last year's race and third in 2003.

Tour organisers had suggested Astana riders would not be allowed to attend a public reception with the other 20 professional teams on Thursday evening.

But they issued a statement on Wednesday saying that Astana would be able to be present at the ceremony, although they did not give a reason for the change.

Meanwhile, in the absence of Armstrong, who has retired, Portugal's Jose Azevedo will wear the number one jersey that is normally reserved for the current champion.

The 32-year-old Azevedo finished fifth on the Tour in 2004 despite working as a domestique for Armstrong.

[bandage]

Ullrich's been thrown out of Le Tour by his own team in a doping scandal!

[therock67]

That's ruined the race already nearly. Basso v Ullrich was shaping up well.

[therock67]

I think Basso is out too now. The problem is that they are under Spanish police investigation and as one of the stages ends in Spain, they can be arrested at the end of that stage.

[cully]

basso and ullrich are both out. whom to follow now?

[therock67]

Part 1 of Paul Kimmage's diary of Le Tour in the Sunday Times. Looks like it will be a cracking read:

Cycling: Cycle of ambition
PAUL KIMMAGE

In 1986 I rode the Tour de France as a wide-eyed 24-year-old. Is there anybody like me in this year's peloton?


For a long time now I’ve had this love/hate relationship with the Tour de France. I love the event but I hate the people who have destroyed it. And every summer a recurring battle rages in my head . . .
“I’m really looking forward to The Open.” “You should go back to the Tour.” “I went to the Tour last year.” “Yeah, you stayed for three days and wrote a story about drugs. Why not cover the race from start to finish?” “Three weeks?” “Yeah.” “That’s a lot of drugs stories.” “You don’t have to write exclusively about drugs; you’ve competed in this race three times. Why not write a diary about how it feels to go back?” “Because I’d rather write a diary about The Open.” “You never played in The Open.” “No, but I’m working on my handicap.” “Think about it.” “No.”



But, four weeks ago, a funny thing happened. I had been planning this bike ride in the Alps with my brothers and some friends for months. We caught a flight to Geneva, hired a mini-bus and drove south to Grenoble towards Gap. Grenoble used to be home during my time as a professional racer and as we drove through the suburbs and up the Côte de Laffrey, my mind started flooding with memories of what seems another life.

“You know,” I announced, “when I rode the Tour I was still with the leaders when we came up here in 1987.”

“You know,” I said, “when I rode the Tour the stage was a little bit different to the one we’re going to ride tomorrow.”

“You know,” I said, “when I rode the Tour the race was 400 kilometres longer and we had only one rest day.”

“You know,” I said, “when I rode the Tour we were given just five pairs of shorts and five jerseys to get us through the three weeks and I had to hand-wash my kit after every second stage.”

It didn’t take long before a white flag was raised. “Listen mate, no offence,” my friend Harry announced. “But I think we’ll have to restrict you to the number of times you can say ‘When I rode the Tour’ tomorrow.”

“Fair enough,” I conceded. “How does a hundred sound?” Next morning everybody was buzzing as we pedalled out of Gap on a truly glorious day. Three hours later, sweating and exhausted, we crested the summit of the Col d’Izoard (2,360m), one of the Tour’s most fabled climbs, and it was time for a break. Harry was once an amateur international but had never experienced anything like the Col d’Izoard.

“Christ,” he said, “that was brutal.” And then he put his arm on my shoulder: “Listen, you can say ‘When I rode the Tour’ as much as you like from now on. Respect.” The rest of the group nodded in approval: “Yeah, respect mate.”

I laughed and tried to brush it off but suddenly there was a lump in my throat and I felt deeply moved. It was the nicest thing anybody had ever said about my life as a professional cyclist; I had always been dismissed as a journeyman who was never any good.

Suddenly, I was reminded that there is much more to the Tour than the race for the yellow jersey. And, at that moment, I knew I had to return.


Monday, June 26: The search for the new me

I blew the dust off an old diary from 1986 this morning and tried to find myself in the cuttings and jottings: 24 years old; eight grand a year; narrow minded (I hadn’t a clue about the ’86 World Cup); determined (I was sure I could win a stage of my first Tour); and incredibly excited.

Is there a rider in this year’s Tour who fits my profile? Is there a kid out there as wide-eyed as I was before I discovered the sport’s dark secret? What if I were to follow him for the race and explore the comparisons? But how do I find this guy? Where do I look? Bradley Wiggins is an obvious candidate but he is two years older than I was in 1986 and a lot more talented. Stick a pin in the starting list of riders? Yes, but how do you avoid the dopers? Go with the rider who draws the number you wore in 1986? Same problem. No, the chosen one must be 24 years old, riding his first Tour and adamant that he will never resort to drugs. The mission for the week is to identify him.



Tuesday, June 27: Educating Richard

It is 1993 since I last covered the race in its entirety when I spent a memorable three weeks in the company of my friend David Walsh and the great Irish photographer Billy Stickland. They were collaborating on a book about the Tour and though we argued incessantly for the month our friendship survived.

My travelling companion this time is a gifted young photographer called Richard Stanton. We all have some burden to carry in this life and within 20 minutes of our departure for Dover I’m convinced that Richard is mine. He is a cycling anorak. He goes for long rides to a tea-room in Wales with his girlfriend Juliet and has travelled to the last seven Tours with his camera as an enthusiast.

A mate of his called Rhodri has been texting him non-stop since we left Milton Keynes. “Hey up, please text Tour updates and inside stories.” And then he commits the cardinal sin of asking me who I think is going to win.

“Listen Richard, I reply, trying not to crash our splendid new chariot for the month, a Volkswagen Touareg. “There are a couple of things you need to understand about me if we’re going to get along. I have no interest at all in who’s going to win this race. It’s a condition I’ve had since the early 1990s. Now, you will probably hate the sight of me by the time we get to Paris, but if we’re to survive to at least Calais please don’t ask that question again.”

For the next 10 minutes, I pound him with a string of shocking doping stories about a couple of his heroes and fling him a copy of The Guardian in disgust. “Here! I think this is what you’re looking for.” Stunned, he opens an interview with the Tour favourite, Ivan Basso, and starts reading. “Well, what do you think?” I snap. He’s unsure how to reply; “What do you mean?” “What do you think of the interview?” “He says nothing,” he replies, cagily. “No, you don’t get it,” I fume, “you just don’t get it!” “Get what?” “It’s not that he says nothing it’s that he is asked nothing! The sport has just been hit with another massive doping scandal. How can you interview the favourite to win the Tour and not ask him about it?” The journey to Dover is completed in silence. I think I’ve probably been too hard on his first day at school.



Wednesday, June 28: Real cycling

We arrived in Strasbourg after a long drive from Calais and had only set foot in the press room when rumours began to circulate about the doping scandal in Spain and some interesting names that have been caught in the net. But if the sport is ever to be saved there is another list that should be compiled: a list of the spineless, lazy, morally bankrupt wasters in the press room here.

In an excellent interview this morning with the French daily Le Monde, Daniel Baal, a former joint-director of the Tour and president of the French Cycling Federation, explained why he would not be visiting the race in his native city. “The Tour has no sporting credibility,” he said. “Those who believed in cycling these last few years have been betrayed.

“Another thing that has shocked me is the manner in which a number of journalists continue to sing the praises of certain sportsmen (we know to be cheats). Eight years after the Festina affair and despite all the work, the situation is catastrophic.”

I gazed around the press room this afternoon remembering some of the great journalists who used to work in these seats. There are still a few left but it is mostly frauds with typewriters or microphones now. They love the game. They keep reminding us all the time: “Don’t mind any of that nonsense going on in Spain,” one was heard to chirp recently. “This is real cycling.”



Thursday, June 29: The return

David Millar paid a flying visit to the interview room this morning to announce his return after a two-year suspension for EPO use. Now there’s an argument that says that the 29-year-old Scot has served his time and should be allowed to resume his career, but you won’t find that argument here.

Two years ago, in May 2004, I requested an interview with Millar during another doping storm that enveloped his team. He wouldn’t speak to me.

The following afternoon a letter arrived from Millar’s solicitor threatening the paper with legal action if I wrote about his client. I wrote about his client. A couple of outraged readers (one a cycling journalist) wrote to complain. And a month later, after a visit from the French police, Millar confessed he was, indeed, a cheat.

Now, there’s an argument to be made that he has learnt the error of his ways. But for seven months now, I’ve been listening to his rhetoric and he is still using the same language as the drug cheats.

Take his extraordinary interview with the official Tour programme. This morning, I quoted him selected excerpts. On the issue of drugs in cycling he says: “There has been a huge change in the sport in the last couple of years.”

On the poor performance of the French in recent years he says: “The problem with French teams is that they blame it all on drugs when the bottom line is that the success of all the Americans and Anglophones is down to hard work.”

“David, why should we treat anything you say with any credibility?” I asked.

“Maybe I was wrong,” he said.

The press conference continued. He started lecturing again. “The sport was moving in the right direction,” he insisted. “What’s happened in Spain was fantastic,” he said. “The organised schematic doping is being eradicated,” he said. “We need to get rid of the doctors,” he said. And, finally, my favourite: “We have a responsibility as professional cyclists to convince the young guys coming through that it’s possible to win without drugs.”

Nobody challenged him. There wasn’t a single writer in the room who asked: “How would you know?” Furious, I raised my arm again. “David, you say that the Spanish (doping) affair is fantastic for the sport and for the future of the young kids coming into it . . . But that’s exactly what was said in 1998 (after the Festina affair). And you were the young kid then . . .

“Why should we believe anything you say? You have no credibility?” “At the moment I have no credibility . . . I’ve said it . . . You can’t believe anything I say.” “Thanks,” I said. I just wanted to clarify that.

Friday, June 30: The Muppet Show

Due to a series of unfortunate events in Spain, a number of the sport’s biggest stars — Ivan Basso, Jan Ullrich, Francisco Mancebo, Alexander Vinokourov, Oscar Sevilla — have been forced to withdraw from the race. There’s mayhem in the press room; headless muppets huddled in groups everywhere you turn. And how will they explain it on radio and television? “Never mind that nonsense in Spain, this is real bike racing.” Decided to stay away from it for the day and concentrate instead on finding my double. It wasn’t easy. There are no first-year professionals on the starting list this year and of the dozen or so riders who are making debuts in the race, only one is the same age as I was in ’86. I drove to his team hotel on the outskirts of Strasbourg this afternoon to meet him. He’s taller than I was, shyer, better paid (about £35,000 a year) but fulfils much the same role on the team. He’s French. A Breton. I like him. His name is Benoit Vaugrenard.

[therock67]

The Times July 03, 2006

Tour de France: Other stars now at risk as the drug net widens
From Jeremy Whittle, in Strasburg


THE sky was a pristine blue over the Tour de France peloton yesterday but storm clouds are looming large again, as sources in Spain indicated that the now infamous Operación Puerto anti-doping investigation may reveal further high-profile names from other sports.
Pat McQuaid, the president of the International Cycling Union (UCI), confirmed that the Spanish Civil Guard-led investigation into a doping ring centred on the Madrid sports doctor, Eufemiano Fuentes, was likely to expand into other areas. “Only riders have been named so far,” he said. “But many footballers, tennis players and athletes are on the list. Two years ago, Hein Verbruggen [the former UCI president] had warned the Spanish authorities because the UCI knew that blood doping was a common practice in the country.”



The UCI is expected to receive the Spanish Civil Guard report, which runs to 500 pages, from the Spanish authorities today. On Thursday last week, the Tour de France organisation took possession of a truncated version of the report that allowed it to enforce its ethical code, and that of the ProTour, which excludes any riders involved in police investigations.

As a result, Iván Basso and Jan Ullrich, pre-race favourites, together with a clutch of lesser-known riders, were withdrawn from the race. Both Basso and Ullrich protest their innocence of any wrongdoing.

In Ullrich’s case, the statements emanating from his sponsor, T-Mobile, have been less than supportive. A team spokesman struggled to conceal T-Mobile’s anger with both Ullrich, winner of the 1997 Tour de France, and his coach and mentor, Rudy Pevenage.

“Last Monday we asked all the riders in the team to sign a statement confirming that they had no involvement with Fuentes, and they all did, including Ullrich. We asked Pevenage, too, if he had any contact with Fuentes, but he lied to our face,” he said.

According to T-Mobile, Ullrich had shown reluctance when asked by his sponsor to undergo a DNA test, saying that he would have to talk to his advisers. In Italy, Basso said: “I’ve done nothing but I feel like a thief. Two years ago I rode the Tour knowing that my mother was dying of cancer. This is nothing compared to that. I will come out of this with my head held high. I will be back racing and winning again soon, I can assure you of that.”

However, further reports in Denmark alleged yesterday that Basso was due to have a blood transfusion on May 12, two days before a spectacular win in the Giro d’Italia enabled him to take the race lead, which he held until the finish in Milan.

McQuaid also indicated that Tyler Hamilton, the Olympic gold medal-winner in the elite time-trial event at the Athens Olympics, would be subject to a lifetime ban, if allegations against the American contained within the Operación Puerto dossier proved correct.

“With the evidence which we seem to see in this dossier, he’s gone for life,” McQuaid said. “The implications for the riders in the case are two years from the WADA [World Anti- Doping Agency] code and two years from the ProTour. That’s four years. And Hamilton — a ban for life. That would be a second offence.”

Hamilton, already serving a two-year ban for blood doping offences in the 2004 Tour of Spain, is continuing to protest his innocence. “I have not been treated by Dr Fuentes,” he said. “I have not done what the article alleges. I have never been contacted by authorities in Spain regarding these allegations. Therefore, it is also impossible to comment on a situation I have no knowledge of.”

Within the peloton, Fuentes’s reputation is said to have reached near-legendary proportions, as his involvement with the sport extends back as far as the late 1980s. However, the prospect of the Madrid-based doctor’s influence now extending even further, into other leading sports, appears very real.

[iamthelaw]

Despite all the doping scandals, it's still an incredible test, & the determination of the racers is amazing. Was watching the stage on Sunday on TG4, and Hushovdt lost so much blood in a freak injury (his arm was sliced open by a cardboard hand being held out over the barrier near the finish line) I was worried for his general well-being. And yet he was taken off to hospital & came back out the next day to reclaim the yellow jersey; I can't think of many sports where you'd see that kind of bravery.

[thepiedpiper]

so how the race going so far? Haven't watched any of it so far but intend to watch a good lot of it. when do the mountain stages start?

[bandage]

Paul Kimmage had another cracking article yesterday. Don't have access to the Times here though so someone else might post it up. No idea how the race is going, don't think they've hit the mountains yet.

[therock67]

Mountains from Wednesday - it's all about the sprinters so far with only one successful breakaway really. There was a time trial on Saturday which should have some impact on overall standings. Honchar won it by a minute so he's in yellow. Don't know him.

Landis (American dude, Lance's henchman) had a decent prologue and finished second in that time trial so I presume he's favourite to win the whole thing now.

Cycling: Chain reaction
PAUL KIMMAGE

I just can’t help it. Show me the Tour de France and all my journalistic faculties go out the window. Well, almost...


One of the hallmarks of the great reporter is the ability to remain cool and detached under pressure and not be affected by anything he sees. Nobody has ever accused me of being a great reporter. Emotional detachment has never been my style. In 17 years as a sports writer there have been times — at World Cups and world title fights and some golf Majors — when I have felt so overwhelmed I have been almost unable to write.
But nothing stirs my emotions like a Tour de France.



Tuesday was a classic example; I watched the last 40 kilometres of the third stage to Valkenburg on a television monitor close to the finishing line and felt completely riveted to the screen. Now, at the great schools of journalism they teach you to observe these things dispassionately and report with an unwavering, even hand. I never attended a great school for journalism.

Before becoming a writer I earned my living as a professional cyclist and, as I studied the speeding racers last week, I began to react like Pavlov’s dogs when the bell chimes at tea time. My heart started pounding; my legs started aching; a bead of sweat started forming on my brow. Suddenly I was back in the heart of peloton, cursing and hurting and counting down each mile to the end of the stage.

The temperature is a sweltering 34 degrees; almost four hours have passed since you pedalled out of Luxembourg and there’s still another hour to race. Five riders have been in front since the start of the race but the order has been given to reel them back. Everybody is trying to get to the front; tempers are starting to fray; melting Tarmac is glueing your tyres to the road.

Two riders fight for the same inch of space, touch wheels and collide; the screech of metal scraping on road is followed by the stench of smoking rubber as you brake frantically and try to avoid the crash. If this were football, the ball would immediately be kicked out of play. If this was tennis, a physio would be summoned to massage the aching legs. But this is cycling, and when you are stretchered off here, there is no running back when you reach the touchline — your collarbone is broken or your face is smashed.

The battle rages until the final kilometre and the foot of the Cauberg climb when Matthias Kessler bursts from the pack to claim the stage. I study the pained expressions of the defeated and those who have survived the many crashes; the blood trickling from raw, gaping wounds; the shredded lycra of their shirts and shorts; the grated arms and buttocks that look like they have been scorched with a blow torch.

Three days down, 17 to go.

Is there a more beautiful or demanding event in sport? How could anybody fail to admire their toughness and courage? I reach for my notebook and begin to scribble. And suddenly I feel rage.



Saturday, July 1: How was it for you?

Benoit Vaugrenard is a third-year professional with the Francaise des Jeux team. He is a 24-year-old Breton from just outside Vannes. I’ve decided to follow his progress in the race because he is the same age as I was when I made my Tour debut in 1986. The opening stage this afternoon was a 7.1km time trial in Strasbourg and tonight I compared his first impressions of the race with some notes I made in ’86 when the Tour opened with a 4.6km time trial in Paris.

How was it for him? “Today was the ‘grand depart’ of my first Tour de France. The crowds were amazing. I was nervous and couldn’t concentrate and couldn’t hurt myself for the first 3km. It was bizarre. I have never felt that way in a prologue before — my head was all over the place — so to finish 31st wasn’t bad.

“I’m rooming with Sebastien Joly which is fine because he has ridden the Tour before and has been giving me good advice. And we’ve got plenty of kit: 10 jerseys, 10 pairs of shorts, five pairs of gloves, 10 pairs of socks, a rain jacket, flip flops, a sleeveless vest, three sets of arm warmers, five pairs of leg warmers and 10 t-shirts.”

How it was for me? “Today was special. The crowds, the atmosphere, the size of the race all hit me for the first time. I rode a lousy prologue — I was far too nervous; nearly fell off the ramp as I was cycling down it and I couldn’t feel my legs. I’m rooming with Vincent Barteau, which is a bit of a pain because nobody in the team wants to room with him. Oh well, I suppose somebody had to draw the short straw.

“He’s a bit of a mouth and still living off his 1984 Tour, when he held the maillot jaune for 13 stages. Yesterday we were given five new jerseys, five new pairs of shorts and five new pairs of gloves for the race. The hotel waiter asked me if I could get him a pair of gloves as a souvenir. These fellows have no idea.”

First impressions? Benoit’s probably a better rider than I was but I think I’m showing more potential as a journalist.



Sunday, July 2: Gentlemen prefer blondes

The first stage of the race was a 184km loop around Strasbourg this afternoon. Don’t ask me who won. Don’t ask me who is leading. Don’t ask me about Benoit. Don’t ask me about the dopers. Don’t ask me. I wasn’t watching. This morning I drove south to the vineyards of Ribeauville and spent seven glorious hours alone on my bike.

I’m in training for L’Etape du Tour, a 110-mile ride across three mountain passes from Gap to L’Alpe D’Heuz. It is the bike riding equivalent of the London marathon (there are 8,500 entries) and I have eight more days to hone my saggy ass into shape. Not sure I’m going to make it. I struggled today on the lesser gradients of the Vosges and I reckon I’m about eight weeks short of condition. Or a dart of EPO.

My wife is worried I will finish the event in an ambulance. “You’re 44,” she says. “You’ll be buying a Porsche next and running off with some blonde bimbo.” The notion, quite frankly, is ridiculous. The blonde is a definite possibility, but how on earth would I fit my bike in the back of a Porsche?


Monday, July 3: Russian roulette

I was walking through the team cars to the tented village at the start this morning and spotted a former teammate I hadn’t seen for years. Should have kept going; should have pretended I hadn’t seen him and kept walking to the start. But I used to really love this guy and it was only when we were standing opposite that I remembered why we weren’t shaking hands.

He works for a team of dopers I wouldn’t spit on. I work for a newspaper he wouldn’t use to wipe. We stood and exchanged some awkward banter for a moment until an opening came to get away. I wanted to say: “What happened mate? You used to be one of the good guys?” He probably felt the same.

Retirement is never easy for most professional sportsman but for cyclists it can be absolute hell. Some get lucky and find a niche in commerce or journalism, but for many it is a huge struggle. Some find solace at the end of a rope or a gun to the side of the head. And some, like my old teammate this morning, remain faithful to the only life they know.

A few years ago, after Marco Pantani died, I remember being asked one night how such a brilliantly gifted rider could end his life in such a lonely and miserable way (Pantani died in a hotel room from an overdose of cocaine). I reminded him of the part played by Christopher Walken in The Deer Hunter. “If you want to understand professional cycling,” I said, “watch what happens to Nick in The Deer Hunter.”

Nick is an ordinary steelworker from a small industrial town who is sent with his friends, Michael and Steve, to fight in Vietnam. During the war, after being captured and forced to play Russian roulette the three become changed men and their lives are never the same. Nick gets totally hooked on the buzz and starts playing for money.

For Russian roulette read doping in cycling. For Nick read Marco Pantani.



Tuesday, July 4: Rage

Woke up in Luxembourg this morning to a fax shoved under the door of my room. It was sent by my brother in Dublin and included the following covering note: “Have you read about the man who has saved professional cycling?’ The second page was a copy of an Irish Sunday newspaper and a first-person piece written by the president of the UCI, cycling’s world governing body, Pat McQuaid.

The subject was the big-name exclusions from the Tour in the wake of the Spanish doping controversy. The tone was self-congratulatory. “That’s the risk we take to protect our sport,’ the headline announced. “When I came into this job I wanted to clean up cycling and I will clean up cycling,” the president insisted. I nearly choked.

McQuaid and I have some previous on this issue. In 1990, when Pat was a mere foot soldier in the corridors of power, I wrote a book called Rough Ride about the doping culture in cycling and the changes needed to address it. The UCI ignored me. The book was dismissed as a loser’s whinge. And almost every time I was extended a microphone, I’d find “Big Pat” in the opposite corner, batting against me.

McQuaid was a key player when the 1998 Tour started in Dublin and after eight years of being treated as a pariah, it came as no real surprise when I wasn’t invited to the pre-race functions. But not everyone had forgotten me.

A few days before the race, a Dutch journalist called and requested an interview. He had raised the issue of my “low profile” with McQuaid and had been informed that I was “bad for cycling”.

Amazingly, that’s still a perception in certain quarters but this much I know. There was a time, not so long ago in France, when Tour riders were revered as “giants of the road”; today they are, rightly or wrongly, dismissed as “tous dopés” (all doped).

McQuaid will probably argue that it is my fault but now that he has finally sorted it out, it would be small of me not to extend my congratulations.

Well done Pat. It takes a rare genius indeed to solve a problem that has never really existed.



Wednesday, July 5: The Rules of the Game

Two questions from the day.

We have driven to the finish of the stage at St Quentin and I’ve climbed onto the statue at the Place du 8 Octobre to observe the final sprint. Paul, from England, and Jerry, from the US, have chosen the same vantage point. We get chatting for a moment about what attracts them to the race and watch the arrival of the publicity caravan.

Jerry descends from the statue immediately and we watch in amazement as he joins the kids chasing the gifts thrown from the floats. Twenty minutes later he returns with his booty — a key ring, a mobile-phone chord, a small packet of jellies and several plastic bags — and settles down until the end of the stage.

The riders charge into view and are led up the long finishing straight by the Australian Robbie McEwen. Jerry and Paul climb down from the statue and exchange business cards before going separate ways. Paul has hired a Volkswagen Golf and has taken a sabbatical from work to follow the race for three weeks. Jerry has a private jet with its engines running at Beauvais and is returning to his job at one of America’s largest banks.

Question: can somebody please explain this? The stage has ended and I’ve returned to the press room to an angry reception from one of my French colleagues. He has taken grave exception to my observation last week that the sport has been very badly served by some of the muppets covering the race. I do my best to explain that I didn’t mean everybody covering the race, but he won’t be appeased. “When you were a cyclist,” he says, “you respected the rules of the peloton but there are rules in the press room as well, and one of those rules is that you don’t criticise your colleagues.” I thank him for voicing his displeasure but tell him that I don’t agree. There was indeed a rule in the peloton when I was racing but it was a rule I didn’t respect. It was called omerta, the rule of silence. He is obviously as unfamiliar with my work as I am with his. Five minutes later, an equally red-faced English colleague decides to vent his spleen. He is not happy with me. He has taken a lot of stick from friends these last few days who thought I was referring to him. He’s enraged. He can’t sue. “Look me in the eye and explain yourself,” he fumes. But he’s right. I can’t. I’m afraid I’m going to wet myself. Question: since when was it a journalist’s job to be popular with his friends?

Thursday, July 6: An Apology to Richard Stanton

Last week on these pages, a reference was made to my travelling companion for the Tour, the photographer Richard Stanton. I described him as a cycling anorak; I ridiculed his cycling anorak friends; I warned him that our relationship would never survive the week. I was wrong. He’s one of the finest human beings I’ve ever met.

Friday, July 7: Dreams

I had this recurring dream as a boy. I would break clear of the pack in a stage of the Tour de France and feel the thrill of imminent victory as I sprinted for the line. But I would never get there. The dream always finished with my mother pulling my arm: “Get up Paul, it’s time for school.” Or the sound of the alarm clock. It was infuriating. I could never get across that line. The dream stopped when I became a professional when the reality of cycling as a job never measured up to my boyhood expectation — except for once. It happened a week into my first Tour, 20 years ago tomorrow, on a long, rolling stage from Cherbourg to St- Hilaire-du-Harcouet when I latched onto an attack by Miguel Indurain and forged a winning lead with 10 other riders. As we raced through the Normandie towns of Ducey, Virey and St-Martin-de-Landelles, I was suddenly returned to the magic of my dream. The helicopter buzzing over my head; the cameras zooming me into millions of homes; the curious regard of the race’s legendary directors, Jacques Goddet and Felix Levitan. “Who’s this little Irishman, Jacques?” “I don’t know, Felix, but he’s obviously a bon.” Tonight, driving south to Rennes on the A84, we passed a sign for St-Hilaire-du-Harcouet. “What’s that town famous for?” I asked Richard. He thought about it for a moment but couldn’t respond. There is a plaque on the wall of the Avenue Maréchal Leclerc that says “In 1986, a 24-year-old Dubliner raced to this point thinking he was about to win a stage of the Tour de France. He finished ninth.”

[therock67]

Oscar Freire claimed victory on stage nine of the Tour de France, winning a sprint finish by the narrowest of margins ahead of Robbie McEwen and Erik Zabel.

Freire suffered a big drop in the standings – going from ourth to 74th - after finishing 134th in Saturday’s individual time trial, but bounced back today by emerging first following a massive scramble for the line in Dax.

The stage was dominated by Stephane Auge, Walter Beneteau and Christian Knees who broke away from the start in Bordeaux and led by seven minutes 56 seconds at the 60 kilometres mark.

But they could not hold on and were caught with three and a half kilometres left on this 169.5km stage.

Ukrainian Serhiy Honchar retained the yellow jersey after finishing 32nd in Tuesday’s stage.

[therock67]

Mountains start tomorrow. As myself and WOW hinted at above it might be worth a punt on Mayo for a stage win in the Pyrenees - particularly if the stage ends in the Basque Country.

Ladbrokes do individual stage bets by the way - not sure about others.

[thepiedpiper]

any other bets to highten my interest? would like to go for overall general classification and don't want to back an american. seems to be a very open race this year