2008 Official Tour de France thread ***here be spoilers*

[Staredge]

Anyone playing the game on versus that lets you pick your "fantasy team" for the tour?

I am now. I want some of the Garmin/Chipotle gear. He!!, half of my team is Garmin!!!!

[Staredge]

Samuel Doumoulin beats Will Frischkorn by, oh, 6 inches at the line after a breakaway succeeds. Frischkorn left after 3 km and managed to stay out, with Roman Feillu, Dumoulin, and a Barloword rider bridging the gap shortly after. The peleton showed little interest in the break, which got as for out as 13 minutes before being brought back a little closer.

Jerseys
Yellow: Feillu (Agritubel)
Green: Kirchen (Columbia)
KOM: Voeckler (Bouyges Telecom)
White: Feillu (Agritubel) *worn by Andy Schleck (CSC)*

Most Aggressive: Frischkorn (Garmin)

Lanterne Rouge: Wim Van Sevenant (Silence-Lotto)

[Staredge]

Stefan Schumacher throws down and stomps on everyone, turning in an incredible performance. Alejandro Valverde must have decided to smell the flowers along the way, losing 1:34. Kim Kirchen and David Millar come in 18 seconds behind, with Cadel Evans 9 seconds behind them.

Jerseys
Yellow: Schumacher (Gerolsteiner)
Green: Kirchen (Columbia)
KOM: Voeckler (Bouyges Telecom)
White: Lovkvist (Columbia)

Team: Garmin-Chipotle

Lanterne Rouge: Wim Van Sevenant (Silence-Lotto)

[Staredge]

Mark Cavendish gets an incredible leadout by Team Columbia, winning the first real bunch sprint of Le Tour. Juan Mauricio Soler (Barloworld), last year's KOM, finally withdraws from the Tour after crashing a few days ago.


Jerseys
Yellow: Schumacher (Gerolsteiner)
Green: Hushovd (Credit Agricole)
KOM: Voeckler (Bouyges Telecom)
White: Lovkvist (Columbia)

Team:

Lanterne Rouge: Wim Van Sevenant (Silence-Lotto)[/quote]

[East Texas Parrothead]

I've been "watching" live from work on VeloNews and then catching up in the evening ...

Am loving the action ... can't wait for the mountains.

[INeverGoAnywhere]

Whoops.... Lance fell again.....

[Staredge]

I've been "watching" live from work on VeloNews and then catching up in the evening ...

Am loving the action ... can't wait for the mountains.

Tape the live show during the day (DVR) then watch when I get home. Part of the reason I post so late. Gotta have my Phil & Paul. Love Bob Roll, but racing just isn't the same without them.

Mountains should be fun. It's been a good tour so far. I like the 'no time bonuses' deal. Seems like it's made for some good racing.

[East Texas Parrothead]

Whoops.... Lance fell again.....

Oh, just hush!

Star ... we have a DVR, but I don't know how to use it ... I'm off Sat-Monday, so I'll get my Phil/Paul fix then!

I'm liking the way Columbia's looking. Loved Big George leading them out at the end today ... I love George.

[East Texas Parrothead]

Loved the finish today ... great attack at the line ... I'm liking this race.

[diverg]

Looks like EPO doping is still in the Tour this year.

http://sports.yahoo.com/sc/news;_ylt=Ah ... &type=lgns

[East Texas Parrothead]

Looks like EPO doping is still in the Tour this year.

http://sports.yahoo.com/sc/news;_ylt=Ah ... &type=lgns

I hate this ... Tricky rode with Lance and was a workhorse ...

Loved the finish today ... love a good run in like that ... Am not liking Craig Hummer as a replacement for Trautwig ... blech. Bobke just looks at him when they're on camera, as if to say, "Idiot." Not that I was a huge Trautwig fan, but Hummer's just awful.

[Staredge]

Three words: Dee Vee Rrr

Something's just not right. I understand that dopers think they can get away with it. But, really??? Do you REALLY do this going into the Tour, KNOWING that the microscopes are out. There are no guilty men in prison, but I'm beginning to question how many guilty men are in the Tour. Just seems too convenient....20 guys with "abnormal results"!?!?!?!?!?!?

[Staredge]

An AWESOME stage!!!!!! 1st real mountain stage enters the Pyrenees with the Col de Tourmalet and a finish on the Hautacam. Saunier Duval takes a 1-2 finish, with Frank Schleck finishing third to be 1 second off of the maillot jaune. Cadel Evans, after crashing yesterday, takes the yellow. Christian Vandevelde rides an incredible stage, staying in 3rd on the GC :38 back.....opining that he made a bad choice staying with the Evans group on the Hautacam. The group was throwing attacks at each other, and VDV realized he would have been better off going it alone.

Rest day tomorrow.

Jerseys
Yellow: Evans (Silence-Lotto)
Green: Freire (Rabobank)
KOM: Ricco (Saunier)
White: Ricco (Saunier) (Worn by Niboli-Liquigas)

Team: Saunier-Duval
Lanterne Rouge: Van Sevenant (Silence-Lotto)

[diverg]

Unfortunately another doping bust today.

http://sports.yahoo.com/sc/news;_ylt=Ah ... &type=lgns

Shhessh you would think these guys would have know better by now.

[diverg]

Unfortunately another doping bust today.

http://sports.yahoo.com/sc/news;_ylt=Ah ... &type=lgns

Shhessh you would think these guys would have know better by now.

and another bust today. Thats three for this years Tour so far.

http://sports.yahoo.com/sc/news;_ylt=Ag ... &type=lgns

[Lightning Bolt]

It's frustrating that top-tier cycling has become a Tour de Farce

“It’s just amazing. It’s irresponsible,” said David Millar, a British rider with the Garmin-Chipotle team. “This guy does not have any love or care for the sport.”
Millar, who rode with Saunier Duval last year, has become a leading critic of drug use AFTER serving a two-year doping ban.

..it's hard to guess if this sport can ever rid itself of doping..