le Tour de France 2008

Duke · 07-13-2008, 12:42 PM

After years of doping scandals and subsequent negative press, this years Tour feels different. I have to admit that one still wonders whether or not an unbelievable sprint, time trial or mountain stage is more the work of drugs than athletic achievement but those thoughts seem further and far between in this years Tour.

As much as I hate TV I have to admit that it has been on pretty much the entire time since the Tour started and it hasn't disappointed at all. Team Columbia is pretty much dominating the Tour but it will be interesting to see if they can continue to control the Yellow Jersey as they climb the Pyrenees.

Yesterdays stage 8 was a nail biter as weather deteriorated so badly that simple road markings were taking riders down. Riccardo Ricco went down pretty hard and had to rally back making up to close 2 minutes deficit just to catch the Peleton.

I've done a little bike racing in my time but I have no idea how these guys do it. Looking into their faces as the Tour progresses you can see how much they struggle to break away, pull in the lead, sprint to the finish, etc. It really is a spectacle to watch these athletes take their bodies to the brink of exhaustion day in and day out and still have reserves to sprint to the finish.

Is anyone else watching this years Tour de France and if so what are your thoughts on it so far?

Vautrin · 07-13-2008, 01:22 PM

I am really not following the Tour. Too many scandals in the past.

Luba · 07-13-2008, 01:28 PM

I haven't watched it since Lance Armstrong. Let me know when it's on next time, I'll see what's going on! Too many other Sports at this time!

Duke · 07-13-2008, 01:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vautrin

I am really not following the Tour. Too many scandals in the past.

The scandals are really becoming a thing of the past for the Tour de France. No other sport on the planet has done the work that the Tour has to not only discourage doping but to police it aggressively.

You're now seeing corporate sponsorship that has their own doping programs to monitor their own athletes and blood footprints to monitor any small change in an athletes system.

It is really a new Tour.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Luba

I haven't watched it since Lance Armstrong. Let me know when it's on next time, I'll see what's going on! Too many other Sports at this time!

It's on every single day for the next few weeks mim, check your local listings. Right now I'm watching it on Versus which used to be OLN (Outdoor Life Network).

There's a special on CBS right now which is perfect for anyone who has questions about the Tour de France.

Luba · 07-13-2008, 02:36 PM

We have basic Cable so we don't get it; also missed the CBS show you mentioned.

Duke · 07-13-2008, 02:42 PM

Wow, Cadel Evens of Team Silence-Lotto went down today bad enough to shred the left leg of his shorts and the back of his team jersey. Even though he required some light medical attention and a bike change he seems to be riding well atm so hopefully his injuries aren't all that serious.

Vautrin · 07-13-2008, 02:43 PM

I hope you are right. But I am just weary. I am waiting for the next scandal to hit. We already had Beltran.

Duke · 07-13-2008, 02:55 PM

Ya Beltran testing positive on his A and B sample was a big hit but there has been a fair amount of talk surrounding it. First off, once his samples became public his team abandoned him immediately and rode out front for much of Stage 8. I wouldn't believe the news hype that his test cast a shadow over the Stage and the Tour because those words are completely unfounded.

The common perception these days is that if an athlete is dumb enough to dope he will be kicked out in short order. There simply is no room for blood irregularities of any type and all the testing means that if you are doping you will be caught quickly.

Vautrin · 07-13-2008, 03:07 PM

Shall we talk baseball? And to a lesser extent athletics?

Cycling and weight lifting have the most scandals, but at least the relevant sporting bodies have taken measures. Hope they will work.

Duke · 07-13-2008, 03:15 PM

Baseball bores me to tears, I'd much rather watch paint dry.

I love cycling and always have, it really is you vs the elements so your performance is pretty much in your own hands. I think this is the reason I love WRC as well simply because it's similar in that one driver error can turn catastrophic in nature.

While you can say this for many team sports I personally believe there is more pressure on the driver to not make a mistake unlike most other forms of racing.

Vautrin · 07-13-2008, 04:12 PM

I was actually referring to dope problems. The Americans have found a simple solution to it: don't ban steroids and such. Remember the whole controversy about Barry Bonds?

The world weightlifting association has even gone so far, to create very severe policies. If more than an 'x' number of athletes have been found to have used dope, the whole nation gets no invitation to the various championships, including those athletes that are 'clean'. It is drastic, but it seems to work.

Mondo · 07-14-2008, 04:06 AM

Been watching it here and there. Those althletes are something else.

Duke · 07-14-2008, 10:23 PM

Wow, all I can say is WOW, what a terrific Stage 10 today!

Kim Kirchen of Team Columbia finally lost the Yellow Jersey today as he was just over 4 minutes back of stage winners Leonardo Piepoli and JJ Coba of Team Saunier Duval. Regardless of the fact Kirchen lost Yellow today you had to give him credit because he really let it hang out on the mountain and did well to take 15th.

There were a number of surprises today such as noted climber Alejandro Valverde completely falling apart and perhaps seeing his hopes of winning the Tour slip by in the Hautacam. Adding insult to injury was an equipment problem (bike chain) in which a spectator jumped in to help with. Of course the chain wasn't the reason for Valverde's day and some speculate that he still hasn't fully recovered from his crash a few stages back.

The big surprise (at least for me) was Cadel Evens. Even after his somewhat gruesome crash in Stage 9 he came back to take the Yellow Jersey by one second over Frank Schleck. If you saw the end result of Cadel's crash, the ripped back of his jersey, ripped shorts, cuts, etc., you'd be in awe as well of his performance today as well.

It wasn't just the uphill battles that were exciting either because the treacherous downhills saw a few riders a little too close to a rather sizable drop down a sheer ledge.

Overall a nail biter of a finish because of the Yellow Jersey up in the air.

Tour de France Stage 10 Results:

1. Leonardo Piepoli, Saunier Duval, Italy, in 4:19:27
2. Juan Jose Cobo, Saunier Duval, Spain, same time
3. Frank Schleck, CSC-Saxo Bank, Luxembourg, @ :28
4. Bernhard Kohl, Gerolsteiner, Austria, @ 1:06
5. Vladimir Efimkin, AG2R-La Mondiale, @ 2:05
6. Riccardo Ricco, Saunier Duval, Italy, @ 2:17
7. Carlos Sastre, CSC-Saxo Bank, Spain, same time
8. Cadel Evans, Silence-Lotto, Australia, s.t.
9. Denis Menchov, Rabobank, Russia, s.t.
10. Christian Vande Velde, Garmin-Chipotle, USA, s.t.