montoya 0 Posted July 16, 2004 Share Posted July 16, 2004 Anyone else following it? Looks like the big guns are waiting around, watching each other till the mountain-top finishes. Friday/Saturday look to be full of fireworks.. Lance Armstrong/Postal look very strong, riding with very smart tactics. Can't say the same about Mayo and the Euskaltel boys. Link to post Share on other sites
KlingKlang 1 Posted July 16, 2004 Share Posted July 16, 2004 Like it! http://www.kraftwerk.com/ Link to post Share on other sites
NoFakie 45 Posted July 16, 2004 Share Posted July 16, 2004 It's a great event and you get to see great scenery watching it. They should drop the team time trial though, or at least make it independent of the individual times. It's enough of an advantage being a strong team without giving individual riders a time boost. It just reinforces the hierarchy and you end up with something approaching F1. Link to post Share on other sites
montoya 0 Posted July 16, 2004 Author Share Posted July 16, 2004 While not perfect, I actually prefer the TTT in the race. It's been around in one form or another since 1927. While it's not perfect and I can understand how it can reinforce the hierarchy, I think luck plays a much bigger role than in F1 (eg crashes, weather, etc). Right now, most GC-contending teams tend to have a split between strong flat-land riders and the mountain climbers. W/o the TTT, it's easy to imagine Postal or T-Mobile just stocking up on the later and sticking with even more negative tactical riding till the mountains. *interesting historical-trivia site http://homepage.ntlworld.com/veloarchive/races/tour/ Link to post Share on other sites
Error404 0 Posted July 16, 2004 Share Posted July 16, 2004 Is it fun to watch that? On the tv here? Link to post Share on other sites
slow 0 Posted July 16, 2004 Share Posted July 16, 2004 Lance Armstrong, what a great guy!! I love strong man. Link to post Share on other sites
montoya 0 Posted July 16, 2004 Author Share Posted July 16, 2004 Sure! Because of the time-zone difference between France and Japan, it makes for perfect live prime-time viewing on tv here. Most races run from 9pm-midnight on SkyPerfect. Link to post Share on other sites
Karnidge 2 Posted July 21, 2004 Share Posted July 21, 2004 Nice info there montoya., cheers. Anyone been there? Link to post Share on other sites
pie-eater 207 Posted July 22, 2004 Share Posted July 22, 2004 Dope champ! Tour de France: 'I became world champion on dope,' Millar tells French police By Alasdair Fotheringham in Villard-de-Lans 21 July 2004 The British cyclist David Millar has confessed to French police about his regular use of the banned drug erythropoietin (EPO), admitting he had "become world champion on dope". The French newspaper L'Equipe yesterday published extensive extracts of the statements the Scottish rider made to the police when he was taken into custody at the beginning of this month. They revealed that Millar had made crucial use of EPO - a drug which raises the level of red blood cell production, increasing the body's oxygen-carrying capacity - in 2001 and 2003 as part of his preparation for those years' key autumn events. It was the discovery by French police of two syringes containing EPO, which Millar had used in the run-up to last year's world championship, that led to his period in custody and subsequent confession. "I had taken the syringes back home as an aide-mémoire, a way of reminding myself that I had become world champion on dope," Millar told police. "You take drugs because you are trapped by yourself, by glory, by money. I believe that those two syringes were the witnesses of how ashamed I felt to have used drugs. I wasn't proud of doing it, I wasn't happy. I was the prisoner of the person I had become." Millar had begun using EPO, he claimed, because of the pressure to produce results following a near-disastrous Tour de France in 2001 when he crashed in the prologue. "I knew I wasn't at a good level, but that I had a chance to get a good result by taking risks," he said. "I ended up hitting the barriers, and I went through 10 days of atrocious suffering physically and psychologically before abandoning." That proved the turning point, Millar claimed, and he decided to start taking illegal drugs. It was during that Tour, and seeing that he was going so badly, that another rider in the peloton - an individual whom Millar named in his statement - told him that he should prepare really well for the Tour of Spain. Millar said: "I understood what he meant." The Scot made a trip to Italy with the same person to try to stage a comeback, "buying EPO from different suppliers. I would wait in the car for him and then pay 400 francs for each syringe I took." Millar blamed his decision to use EPO on the pressure of achieving in the sport, particularly after being made Cofidis team leader in 1999. He said: "In 1999 I was very tired and I did not feel like cycling anymore. I started partying all the time during the summer and that's when I broke my heel and was forced out for four months until the start of 2000. "I had a lot of problems resuming training and I was not happy in my professional life. "There was also the pressure from Cofidis. I felt as the leader I knew I had to participate in the Tour de France. I resumed training, won the prologue (at the Poitiers Futuroscope) and I had three great weeks. "I took EPO because I knew that the Cofidis team was going to Spain for La Vuelta on the condition that I would do it and get a result. I could feel the pressure. "As I was not happy in my personal life I had based everything on my sporting career. I felt people only saw me as a cyclist. "After taking EPO for the 2001 Vuelta I was not well. I was a cheater. I had crossed the line and I did not feel good about it. I drugged myself up because my job was to be well ranked. There were the magazines in England, the sports papers, the television, who were expecting my good results, and I did not want to be criticised." Britain's most successful male cyclist of his generation, Millar took a silver medal in the World Championships time trial event, held in October, in 2001, and a gold in 2003. He also won the prologue and a stage of the Tour of Spain in September 2001. The statements, which for the first time give specific dates for the Cofidis professional's drug consumption, are set to cost Millar his world titles. According to the regulations of cycling's governing body, the UCI, the 27-year-old Scot's statements to police can be treated as a positive dope test if confirmed as accurate. "Normally, one cannot use declarations of a penal instruction which are confidential", a UCI member said yesterday. "But if Millar recognises what he has said, either publicly or before a disciplinary committee, then it's not necessary to wait for the end of the penal procedure." Millar is on the point of becoming team-less as well as medal-less. A Cofidis official has said that a letter confirming his expulsion from the squad is in the post to the Scot. Millar's sister and agent, Fran, confirmed the veracity of the declarations published in L'Equipe. "What it says is a word-for-word account of what David told police," she said. Miller has also admitted taking EPO on his personal website. Her statement will further increase the likelihood of the UCI awarding the 2003 World Championships time trial event to the Australian Michael Rogers, second behind Millar last year. Millar then regularised his supply of EPO by, he claimed, working with the Spanish doctor Jesus Losa, the team medic for leading Tour squad Euskaltel-Euskadi. Following Millar's detention, Losa did not come to France with his squad and he was then suspended by Euskaltel after a limited form of Millar's declarations was leaked to the press three weeks ago. The latest version of Millar's statements will increase the pressure on Losa with Millar alleging bluntly: "I put my life and career in his hands, and I paid him 12,000 euros a year. It was me that asked Losa to give me EPO, I took two doses in May and August of 2003." Losa is not available for comment. Part of the attraction, to judge from Millar's confession, was undoubtedly financial: "I was earning 250,000 euros a year as a fixed salary, and that year I would make 800,000." Yesterday Millar had a face-to-face confrontation with former Cofidis rider Phillipe Gaumont in Paris as part of the ongoing investigation into the Scot's team. Gaumont had already accused Millar of doping during the 2003 Tour in his own declarations to French police, something the Scot has categorically denied up until now. In the meeting, neither side changed their version. Millar is not due to have another meeting with the French authorities though he remains under formal investigation for the possession of banned substances, which is a criminal offence in France. Millar also faces a disciplinary hearing with the British Cycling Federation in Manchester, where he will be given a penalty of anything up to a life suspension. Dave Brailsford, a British Cycling official, said: "A decision will be made in due course after the hearing has taken place in the very near future, probably within the next 10 days." Whatever happens the sporting career of a rider who in late June was considered major Olympic contender and well en route to take the yellow jersey in the early part of the Tour de France appears to be over. In just five weeks, his world has collapsed completely. Link to post Share on other sites
Thunderpants 0 Posted July 23, 2004 Share Posted July 23, 2004 The Tour riders are surely great sportsmen I lost respect for most prof. sport a few years ago. Sumo is the execption atb Thunderpants Link to post Share on other sites
klingon 10 Posted July 27, 2004 Share Posted July 27, 2004 They are brilliant aren't they. Best athletes in the world I reckon. Link to post Share on other sites
IceEiji 0 Posted July 28, 2004 Share Posted July 28, 2004 Where do you watching this? I almost never hear about it on Japanese emedia. Link to post Share on other sites
montoya 0 Posted July 28, 2004 Author Share Posted July 28, 2004 Quote: Originally posted by IceEiji: Where do you watching this? I almost never hear about it on Japanese emedia. On J-Sports (if you have SkyPerfect) http://www.jsports.co.jp/ Link to post Share on other sites
2pints-mate 0 Posted July 31, 2004 Share Posted July 31, 2004 Not related to the france race, but my dads mate cycles 3 times a week, 25 miles a pop - and he's getting on for 70. I'm ppretty impressed. Link to post Share on other sites
Plucky 0 Posted August 1, 2004 Share Posted August 1, 2004 Quote: Originally posted by klingon: They are brilliant aren't they. Best athletes in the world I reckon. I'd have to agree with you on this. I've seen a lot of arguments spurred on by Lance's win. Is he the best athlete ever? a lot of the arguments said he only focuses on the tour and no other races so it doesn't count I disagree. Besides, didn't Lance just win another road race in Belgium 2 days ago? One of the only other athletes I can think of that may have been overall better would be Jim Thorpe. He dominated his field in both the decathalon and pentathalon. Nobody has come close to achieving that again. Lance is the man in my book though. Something to always remember. Link to post Share on other sites
oo 1 Posted August 4, 2004 Share Posted August 4, 2004 I think they're amazing these cyclists and don't get enough recognition. Well done Lance. Go and give Sheryl a hug. Link to post Share on other sites
slow 0 Posted July 24, 2005 Share Posted July 24, 2005 It's Lance's final victory tomorrow. I just feel like I can't miss it and going to HUB to watch it. Link to post Share on other sites
nzlegend 1 Posted July 24, 2005 Share Posted July 24, 2005 Yeah the tour is perfectly timed to watch on TV in Japan. I love the french subchannel because they hardly speak, just background noise - its very theraputic and relaxing. Heaven forbid I listen to the Japanese audio commentary and hear 1000 so desu nes! Those cyclist are machines, truly how they do it day in day out for 3 weeks is madness. I went for a 3 hour ride this morning and nearly died! p.s. slow how is your new road bike? Link to post Share on other sites
indosnm 0 Posted July 24, 2005 Share Posted July 24, 2005 Watching the tour depresses me because I want to be able to ride again but around here it's not really a good place for riding. Especially now that a few of the lads from our SASI/AIS jr. team are now riding in the tour. I really enjoy Phil Liggit's commentary of the tour.. Link to post Share on other sites
montoya 0 Posted July 24, 2005 Author Share Posted July 24, 2005 We've been following the Tour almost every day on Jsports. Yeah, sometimes I also switch to the French subchannel! Anyway, will be sad to see Lance for the last time. Hope to get some mtn.bikes and start exploring the dirt trails next month. Link to post Share on other sites
frannyo 2 Posted July 25, 2005 Share Posted July 25, 2005 Did he win then? I saw the beginning. How many times did he put those 7 fingers up?? Link to post Share on other sites
wakaran 1 Posted July 25, 2005 Share Posted July 25, 2005 Yep he won. Link to post Share on other sites
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