If I get up in time, I'm going to dash into SOmerville, MA to join the regional Mountain Biking group (NEMBA) to watch Stage 16 at a barbecue restaurant (Redbones) with other cycling fanatics.
The gathering begins at 9AM and you get a full breakfast while watching the first of a bunch of Alps' stages.
So, before I put out the trash and hop on the scooter, here is what I think will take place today in the Tour.
The riders leave Italy and tackle two Hors Category climbs. The mountain in France features the highest mountain pass in all of that country - a staggering 2802 meters!
The stage goes from Cuneo Italy to Jausiers France...a distance of 157KM.
There are no more rest days, and today WILL solidify either Cadel Evans' fall from grace or the dominance and eventual win of Christian Vandevelde.
Today's winner will be a climber, but it might also feature a jump by Kim Kirchen and you KNOW I'm always hoping that George Hincapie will slam the peloton with a massive effort and get himself close to the podium.
I'll do a post-race bunch of entries after lunch today.
Showing posts with label France. Show all posts
Showing posts with label France. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Monday, July 14, 2008
Happy Bastille Day
In France, today is Bastille Day and past Tours de France have seen Frenchmen destroy the field to win stages on this national holiday.
Right now (or really as I'm reading dispatches and watching Tivo) there are eight French riders in a breakaway group of 24.
This group is only a minute ahead of the peloton, but it's the largest breakaway group of this year's race and includes some big names that could stay away. EVEN over the hors category climbs and brutal layout of the stage.
I'll keep you informed.
Yes, yes, yes. I know. No spoilers. If there's something that is considered too revealing, it will get a SPOILER tag and will be scheduled for release after 9PM. Settle down.
Right now (or really as I'm reading dispatches and watching Tivo) there are eight French riders in a breakaway group of 24.
This group is only a minute ahead of the peloton, but it's the largest breakaway group of this year's race and includes some big names that could stay away. EVEN over the hors category climbs and brutal layout of the stage.
I'll keep you informed.
Yes, yes, yes. I know. No spoilers. If there's something that is considered too revealing, it will get a SPOILER tag and will be scheduled for release after 9PM. Settle down.
Monday, July 7, 2008
SPOILER - Winner of Stage 3
Samuel Dumoulin wins the third stage of the 2008 Tour de France.
The breakaway group did blast the peloton away.
So, the stage was won by a Frenchman and the Garmin Chipotle team got second place in the stage.
Details on the standings coming up.
The breakaway group did blast the peloton away.
So, the stage was won by a Frenchman and the Garmin Chipotle team got second place in the stage.
Details on the standings coming up.
Saturday, July 5, 2008
10KM TO GO
Gap of 11 seconds and Cadel Evans is screaming up toward the breakaway with the peleton in tow.
SPOILER ALERTS ------ NO INFO HERE, but future posts will include the word "SPOILER" in the title if it gives info about stage winners on the day of that stage.
Will post in about 15 minutes about the winner and the standings after stage 1 of the 2008 Tour de France.
SPOILER ALERTS ------ NO INFO HERE, but future posts will include the word "SPOILER" in the title if it gives info about stage winners on the day of that stage.
Will post in about 15 minutes about the winner and the standings after stage 1 of the 2008 Tour de France.
2008 Introspection
If I might comment on this year's Tour de France, I think it's being run in an effort to bring the title back to France.
Fewer international riders are represented (40 of the 180 are from France with by far the largest majority), only four Americans are in the race, and one entire squad has been left off the entry list. This being the team that had the winner in it last year.
The thing that makes me worry a little is what will 2009 look like if a Frenchman fails to win the Tour this year? Will it be a crit around the city of Paris with obstacles for anyone who's not a native?
Just thinking as I wait for the dispatches to update.
Gimme your thoughts...
Fewer international riders are represented (40 of the 180 are from France with by far the largest majority), only four Americans are in the race, and one entire squad has been left off the entry list. This being the team that had the winner in it last year.
The thing that makes me worry a little is what will 2009 look like if a Frenchman fails to win the Tour this year? Will it be a crit around the city of Paris with obstacles for anyone who's not a native?
Just thinking as I wait for the dispatches to update.
Gimme your thoughts...
From the Netherlands
In a recent Radio Netherlands' news report, they said...
I disagree about the way the drug charges comment was presented. Contador and his team are not in the race because of drug use (alleged) by some of his TEAM's riders. Contador was clean, otherwise the UCI et al would be hounding him like they did Floyd Landis.
Further, the Tour seems not to touch another country this year. I'm saying this without taking a closer look at the map, but it seems that everything stays within France for the 95th Tour de France.
"The 95th edition of the Tour de France starts in Brest later this afternoon. For the first time since 1967 there is no prologue. The opening stage is a 197.5 kilometre race from Brest to Plumelec. The sprinters are expected to make a good showing as the first stage is fairly flat.
A number of cyclists including Denmark's Michael Rasmussen and last year's winner Alberto Contador, have been excluded from this year's tour due to drugs charges. This year's favourites are Australia's Cadel Evans, Spain's Alejandro Valverde and Russia's Denis Menchov."
I disagree about the way the drug charges comment was presented. Contador and his team are not in the race because of drug use (alleged) by some of his TEAM's riders. Contador was clean, otherwise the UCI et al would be hounding him like they did Floyd Landis.
Further, the Tour seems not to touch another country this year. I'm saying this without taking a closer look at the map, but it seems that everything stays within France for the 95th Tour de France.
Race Map
Just a screen shot of the map. It's a very similar route to 2004 and hits many of the same towns. This includes Alpe d'Huez, Nimes and more. The only thing missing is a 21st team and Lance Armstrong.
Oh, and I was in France just prior to the 2004 Tour.
Oh, and I was in France just prior to the 2004 Tour.
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