Tour De France 2006

The friendliest place on the web for anyone that follows U2.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

drumkeeran

War Child
Joined
Mar 18, 2001
Messages
959
Location
Upstate NY, USA - own personal Bono pleaser
And I was so looking forward to cheering Ivan Basso:drool: at the ceremonial Paris finale on 23 July :sad:!

From the tdfblog:

Who's out: Which riders won't start?

There are only 7 riders from the provisional Tour start list on the list of names under investigation in Spain, including 1 reserve. All will be withdrawn from the Tour.

* Astaná-Würth: Isidro Nozal
* Jorg Jaksche
* Joseba Beloki
* Reserve: Aitor Osa

* CSC: Ivan Basso

* AG2R: Francisco Mancebo

* T-Mobile: Jan Ullrich
* Oscar Sevilla
 
The list is very long and quite sad to read. Some riders that were on the list aren't surprising, as they had already been suspended previously (Heras, Hamilton), but still, to see Basso and Ullrich involved is disappointing.

What I find most ironic out of all of this is the one person who isn't on there:

Lance Armstrong
 
Vinokourov is out now, too, because his team doesn't have enough participants anymore.

There is a very strong possibility now, with all these new developments, that an American might win this again. Here's your new favorites:

Floyd Landis (USA)
Levi Leipheimer (USA)
George Hincapie (USA)
Bobby Julich (USA)
Alejandro Valverde (Spain)
Denis Menchov (Russia)
Gilberto Simoni (Italy)

This is going to be a very interesting race now...
 
phanan said:
Vinokourov is out now, too, because his team doesn't have enough participants anymore.

There is a very strong possibility now, with all these new developments, that an American might win this again. Here's your new favorites:

Floyd Landis (USA)
Levi Leipheimer (USA)
George Hincapie (USA)
Bobby Julich (USA)
Alejandro Valverde (Spain)
Denis Menchov (Russia)
Gilberto Simoni (Italy)

This is going to be a very interesting race now...

it will be interesting for the americans now for sure...
 
phanan said:
There is a very strong possibility now, with all these new developments, that an American might win this again. Here's your new favorites:

Floyd Landis (USA)
Levi Leipheimer (USA)
George Hincapie (USA)
Bobby Julich (USA)
Alejandro Valverde (Spain)
Denis Menchov (Russia)
Gilberto Simoni (Italy)

Cross Valverde off the list now, thanks to a broken collarbone.

Wouldn't it be hilarious if, after how the French press were so happy to see Armstrong go, another American ends up winning this thing...

It sure is starting to look that way.
 
We can't beat the world in any other sport (baseball, soccer, basketball) so I guess cycling will have to do.
 
There have been 6 different riders in the yellow jersey now.
The highest number of different riders in the yellow is 8.
This tour could very well have more than 8
It will be interesting to see what happens in the Alps.
 
This has been a fabulous tour so far. Nothing against Armstrong, but you knew what you were getting the last few years. Not this time. Still wide open, although Landis seems to have the edge.
 
Agreed.

The thing I like most about this tour is that anyone, on any given day, is a contender to win at least a stage, if not the Tour by this point. Who would have guessed that Oscar Pereiro Sio, a full 28 and a half minutes back in the GC before this morning, would be wearing yellow tomorrow?

It's a sharp contrast to the Armstrong days, when it felt almost inevitable that Lance would come up with it in the end, because he controlled the peloton with an iron grip. I don't care what anyone says, if you were in the Tour in the last seven years, you didn't do anything Lance Armstrong didn't want you to do, like it or not.

I'm predicting that the Tour will be won by someone other than Floyd Landis. For some reason, OLN is making out to look like he's already won, and they haven't even gotten to the Alps yet. Keep your eyes on Andreas Kloden.

And I can't wait for L'Alpe d'Huez on Tuesday...:drool:
 
Kloden is a wild card, definitely, and he usually performs better in the Alps, too.

But Landis already has a couple of minutes on him, and I really can't see him losing time to Kloden. And after this morning's events, Landis must be very confident in his abilities and how he feels. He seemed quite unfazed by the Pyrenees, too. I expect him to attack on L'Alpe d'Huez and put a stranglehold on the Tour...
 
Okay, after today I rescind my prediction. The Top 5 is just far too strong for a wildcard to pull it out. Look out for Cadel Evans.
 
A collapse of epic proportions this morning for Landis. I can't believe how much he got blown out. There's no way he can make that time up between tomorrow and the time trial. One person ahead of him could have a bad day, but certainly not all of them.

Kloden, Evans, and Menchov are still up there, but now Sastre is in a good position.

But wouldn't it be something if Pereiro wins this after being down by 30 minutes? Insane Tour.
 
Sya what you will, but there was something about watching armstrong race that was remarkable.


The moment that always sticks out was that Time Trail an Alpe de Huez where he passed Ivan Basso.


Granted his time has come and gone, but I do miss having Lance in the race at some level
 
phanan said:
A collapse of epic proportions this morning for Landis. I can't believe how much he got blown out. There's no way he can make that time up between tomorrow and the time trial. One person ahead of him could have a bad day, but certainly not all of them.


Care for a mulligan? :wink:
 
Great tour. Well done to Floyd Landis for that unbelievable ride in the Alps, and especially with a bum hip!!

Can't wait for next year! :drool:
 
how long until Le Monde's first hack piece claiming Landis was doping ?
 
was in Paris anyway so saw them whooshing over the Champs Elyssee and I must say that even though it is still a crap sport to go watch this was one hell of a magnificent Tour :D
 
Back
Top Bottom