2006 Tour de France

[Tequila Revenge]

Do ya'll want me to keep doing these daily updates?

I enjoy them, unless they're becoming a pain in the neck for you.

WJS

I look forward to your updates, especially on
the days when I have to work and can't watch

Page one, third post

Thank you

[East Texas Parrothead]

It was a rest day for the boys.

Velo News broke a story on American Floyd Landis . . . here's the link. Incredible is the only word I can think of to describe Floyd's grit.

http://www.velonews.com/tour2006/news/a ... 326.0.html

To be sitting 2nd in the Overall General Classification (GC) with a 'ruined' hip is in-ph*cking-credible.

Rumors are rampant about T-Mobile and doping. They have 4 riders in the Top Ten GC after Saturday's massacre in the Individual Time Trials (I think it's 4 . . . it's late and I've been beat all to sh!t today). Be watching for a breaking story. Everyone's a'buzz. The bike boards are really humming about it and a lot of bloggers who are in France following the race are feeding the fire. We'll see.

Tomorrow is another flat stage . . . maybe the Disco boys can recover some of what they lost on the road Saturday.

I'm trying to remain positive . . . and hold that Bruneeyl knows what he's doing, but I saw an interview with him after Saturday's blood letting and he's either (1) a very good actor who can sandbag with the likes of DeNiro or (2) he was as shocked as the rest of us.

FYI: The director of the leading team gets to drive right behind the official TdF car . . . right up front. Lance said in an interview last week that Bruneeyl has gotten used to riding up there and would *not* like to be relegated to the back of the pack. Well . . . he's WAY back now. Would like to be a fly on the windshield to hear him cussing in Flemish!

Hold good thoughts for the Americans tomorrow.

[East Texas Parrothead]

Oscar Freire (Rabobank) nipped Robbie McEwen at the line in a pretty wild sprint today. It's really the grand hurrah of the sprinters, as tomorrow they move into the mountains.

T-Mobile continues to dominate the top ten . . . but look for a fruit basket turnover in the overall general classification at the end of the day tomorrow.

The biking world is still buzzing about Landis. If he finishes well in Paris, this will be "the" story of the tour.

Vive le tour.

[East Texas Parrothead]

Well. To most of us who follow these things, the TdF really begins today. As everyone predicted, the peleton blew up today. Two riders of not much consequence in the flats have broken away. 9:00+ minutes ahead. T-Mobile is dragging a group up behind them. Two more groups behind T-Mobile, et al.

From what I can see, the Disco boys have good cadence and are all together in the T-Mobile group, but the camera keeps breaking up. Good night! Ekimov is in the first chase group....that 40 year old Russian who rides for Discovery never ceases to amaze me. He looks cool, calm and collected. HIncapie's up there with Eki. This is good. Lots of Disco boys in the hunt. Looks like Martinez is up there, too.

Levi has pulled himself out of the funk he's felt in the flats. He's with the T-Mobie group.

Iban Mayo, considered by most as a real contender, as he's usually a great climber, is dying on the Col du Soudet....he's had to call three of his buddies back to stead him up.

Soudet is not the end of the story . . . there's another mountain to go.

And, so it begins!

[East Texas Parrothead]

Mancebo took the stage....French rider (AG2R) in yellow.

T-Mobile took a hit today as the breakaway blew up the peleton in the mountains. They didn't "control" the damage like they should have. Mabye they're waiting for tomorrow.

Disco boys were up there in the peleton. My guess is that they're waiting for tomorrow, too, which is supposed to be a killer. OLN starts coverage here at 5:30 a.m. Pray that my alarm clock works.

Side note: It was hot in the mountains today. Lots of jerseys completely unzipped and several flats, which are telling signs of the heat.

I'm still hoping Bruneeyl is sandbagging a bit and holding the Disco boys back. Tomorrow, the Pryrenees again and then back to the flats for a bit before the Alps, which should be the mountains of truth. From what I could see of them in the pack, they're riding well. Chechu (Rubiera) got dropped, but that's okay. They rest of them looked calm and smooth and in no distress. Hincapie had his jersey open, but it was really hot and his legs were ticking right along.

Sprinters had a great finish . . . 7:00 + back, but still a lot of fun to watch. Bennati won the sprint. Zabel right behind.

Fruit basket turnover yet again in the overall general classification. It's a bike race now.

If you have a chance to catch the "enhanced" version of the race on OLN tonight, this is a good one to watch. Especially to see who blew up and to see the lack of leadership in the peleton.

Enjoy!

[Capt.Flock]

Thanks ETP for the updates

[RinglingRingling]

they are appreciated. If only I spoke Tour.

[East Texas Parrothead]

they are appreciated. If only I spoke Tour.

You're welcome, Flock!

R2 . . . I'm sorry about the language barrier . . . I try to keep them non-cyclist friendly, but I know a lot of the technical stuff bleeds into the posts.

Am still trying to digest the past few days. In the last 7 years, it's been pretty much about the Postal Team and the Disco boys. Lance wanted to put his stamp on the race early on . . . and could usually do it with the time trials . . . but since the Disco boys got whipped in the time trial Saturday and since there is no team time trial this year, it's a wide open race.

I remain very suspicious about the T-Mobile wins Saturday. The biking boards continue to buzz about the possibility of doping . . . or worse. They were just way too strong. And their performance (or lack thereof) today really raises a lot of red flags.

There's so much more to racing (at this level, anyway) than just climbing on the bike and pedaling fast. I've been following this sport for some 20 years and I still get a schooling every day of the TdF.

Enjoy!

[East Texas Parrothead]

Oh, man. What a day in the Pyrenees. Brutal. Bloodly. Ugly.

Discovery blew up. Only one man left in the top twenty overall . . . and it's NOT Hincapie. It's Jose Azevedo (ACE). He's sitting in 18th, some 7:27 behind the yellow jersey. Popovych (POPO) is in 23rd, 9:00 behind. Hincapie is 40th overall . . . no chance to get a podium in Paris . . . 23:01 behind. Finished 46th today. Can't imagine how disappointed he is.

American Floyd Landis (Phonak) is in yellow. Crazy Floyd must be one tough SOB, with that dead hip and all. He's got an 8 second lead. I think he's going to turn out to the this year's STORY.

American Levi Lepheimer (Gerolsteiner) is in 2nd overall . . . what a comeback story he is. He was eating dust most of last week. Said he couldn't get enough fuel. Bonked a lot. But, not today.

Iban Mayo, touted by some as a contender, abandonded the race. It was ugly. A French cameraman kept riding alongside him on a motorcycle. Mayo made some gestures with his hands for the guy to leave him be. He wanted to suffer alone. Cameraman wouldn't back off. Sad, really.

It woulda been one thing to shoot Mayo getting off the cycle and having his numbers taken off (the ultimate humiliation - like they did when Hamilton abandonded), but to have the camera in your face the whole time you're agonizing up the mountain is pretty brutal. IMO.

These guys are warriors. They deserve to go out with a little dignity.

Can't wait to read what the cycling boards are saying and to watch the finish again tonight.

And...more sad news . . . . Kentucky Derby Winner Barbaro's chances of surviving laminitis, even after drastic surgery today are "poor". His vet says its as bad a case of laminitis (floundering) as he's ever seen. Laminitis is what caused them to put Secretariat down.

Man.

[SchoolGirlHeart]

Aw, man, ETP.............. what a tough day all around...........

[East Texas Parrothead]

Noval has abandonded.

Salvodelli had a crash *after* the race yesterday. 15 stitches. He started today, but abandonded at 45km.

Discovery is down to 7.

Popovych is in the breakaway. It's 4:00 + out and might hold. Only good news in a while for the Disco boys.

Bruneeyl has thrown in the towel for an overall GC finish.

Sad, sad times for the Disco boys.

Landis, however, looks good. And so does Levi! Ride on, boys.

It's Bastille Day in France.

More to come.

[East Texas Parrothead]

Popovych takes the stage! Good for him! Good for Discovery!

Complete results tonight.

[Capt.Flock]

Go Landis go

[Tequila Revenge]

Listened to an interview with Lance yesterday on the radio.

Hold on Disco's, Lance is on his way to France

[East Texas Parrothead]

Go Landis go

Check out the replay tonight. Landis has some hot new wheels! Way kewl!

Couldn't happen to a nicer guy. Floyd will be there in Paris.

[East Texas Parrothead]

Listened to an interview with Lance yesterday on the radio.

Hold on Disco's, Lance is on his way to France

Heard some interesting comments on Lance's hosting the ESPY awards. They say there are quite a few "blue" remarks . . . taped Wednesday. To play Sunday. Can't wait to see.

Having Lance there would surely be a boost to the boys, who have really blown apart this last week.

News: Seems Ullrich has a longer history with the dirty Spanish doctor than originally thought. Dadgum. Dadgum. Dadgum.

[Capt.Flock]

Go Landis go

Check out the replay tonight. Landis has some hot new wheels! Way kewl!

Couldn't happen to a nicer guy. Floyd will be there in Paris.

I get to watch the ending during lunch

[East Texas Parrothead]

Go Landis go

Check out the replay tonight. Landis has some hot new wheels! Way kewl!

Couldn't happen to a nicer guy. Floyd will be there in Paris.

I get to watch the ending during lunch

It was a surprise. He looked like a kid at Christmas!

[Tequila Revenge]

Listened to an interview with Lance yesterday on the radio.

Hold on Disco's, Lance is on his way to France

Heard some interesting comments on Lance's hosting the ESPY awards. They say there are quite a few "blue" remarks . . . taped Wednesday. To play Sunday. Can't wait to see.

Having Lance there would surely be a boost to the boys, who have really blown apart this last week.

News: Seems Ullrich has a longer history with the dirty Spanish doctor than originally thought. Dadgum. Dadgum. Dadgum.

Pretty cool listening to Lance's comments. He feels bad about the riders that had to drop out this year and overall the Tour is down. In the midst of all the crap thrown at him, he want to go to France to support the Tour and his old team. He does not have to go, but he wants to. Very admirable in today's sports world.

[East Texas Parrothead]

TR: I know having Lance there will help the Disco boys.

I've enjoyed the Tour this year. It's been refreshing to see new faces ride out.

And Landis! What a story.

Levi's coming back from the back of the pack is a good one, too.

I'm not familiar with a lot of the new riders, but they look good and have made for some interesting breakaways. I've never really appreciated the sprinters until this year. I've had a schooling on the strategies of the sprint, thanks to McEwen, et al.

One comment and I won't mention it again: I think it was a mistake to leave Tom Danielson at home. He's the only pure climber Disco has . . . and while he's young, I saw him scale Brass Town Bald two years ago and the fire in his eyes was quite reminiscent of Armstrong in full attack. He just hurled himself up that climb. Left everyone, including Lance, in his wake.

Okay. I'm done. Prolly have no bidness second guessing Bruneeyl anyway.