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Tour De France starts next week

The Tour starts next week. Anyone follow? Anyone got any oppinions on who'll win?

It starts in Monaco a dopers paradise. So Contador and Armstrong should be nicely supercharged. Basso who finished well in the Giro's at about 200/1, as he's the best 'attempted doper' out there I might put a fiver on him. Otherwise it's Cervelo to win the team award, bit of an outsider, and Contador to win; maybe an outside for Andy Schleck.
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Comments

  • Are they still all drugged up to the eyeballs ?
  • Hard to tell, undoubtebly there is less drugs around with many of the main dodgy Doctor's having been through years of legal problems. I don't think teams operate wholesale doping programmes that started in the early 90's to only a few years ago. Having said that I'd be surprised a majority doped peloton has now turned into a minority doped peloton in just a few years. Some teams like Garmin Chipotle and Team Columbia appear to be the cleanest sports teams in the world; it's very difficult to avoid rumours in cycling and Garmin Chipotle appear pretty damn water tight.

    I'd think that doping is now less of a problem than at major level football clubs. But we'll know for sure in a few years, no doubt fourth generation EPO or something else is around the corner!
  • [cite]Posted By: ColinTat[/cite]Hard to tell, undoubtebly there is less drugs around with many of the main dodgy Doctor's having been through years of legal problems. I don't think teams operate wholesale doping programmes that started in the early 90's to only a few years ago. Having said that I'd be surprised a majority doped peloton has now turned into a minority doped peloton in just a few years. Some teams like Garmin Chipotle and Team Columbia appear to be the cleanest sports teams in the world; it's very difficult to avoid rumours in cycling and Garmin Chipotle appear pretty damn water tight.

    I'd think that doping is now less of a problem than at major level football clubs. But we'll know for sure in a few years, no doubt fourth generation EPO or something else is around the corner!

    And once more in english please ;0)
  • Comes past my house some years.

    True story.
  • [cite]Posted By: ShootersHillGuru[/cite]
    [cite]Posted By: ColinTat[/cite]Hard to tell, undoubtebly there is less drugs around with many of the main dodgy Doctor's having been through years of legal problems. I don't think teams operate wholesale doping programmes that started in the early 90's to only a few years ago. Having said that I'd be surprised a majority doped peloton has now turned into a minority doped peloton in just a few years. Some teams like Garmin Chipotle and Team Columbia appear to be the cleanest sports teams in the world; it's very difficult to avoid rumours in cycling and Garmin Chipotle appear pretty damn water tight.

    I'd think that doping is now less of a problem than at major level football clubs. But we'll know for sure in a few years, no doubt fourth generation EPO or something else is around the corner!

    And once more in english please ;0)

    Yes off there rockers
  • Less pumped full of drugs than La Liga players and probably a fair few prem players. Is that clear enough?

    Totally my personal opinion but based on football's lamentable testing programme, Blatter's hilariously idiotic understanding of doping issues and Operation Puerto that occurred in Spain. There's enough drugs and blood for everyone and every sport. Wish they'd give me some extra blood after a working lunch.
  • I'm meant to be going out there for the Mont Ventoux stage. Got a cheap flight to Nimes then driving over.

    Have a driving ban coming up so not 100% if im going yet.
  • Now I'm going to be a bit unkind here (maybe)....as a general rule I love just about all sports but there 'are' one or two that I simply don't have the time for in any way shape or form...rally cycling as a spectator sport is utter crap...you stand or sit there for hours on end to watch a few guys flash past you on bicycles in fancy coloured kit for a few fleeting moments and well....basicly that's more or less it.
    No doubt they are superb athletes and at the top of their game and it's all quite incredible what they do....but as a spectaor sport it must rank as one of the most ridiculous things you could dream up....rubbish.I wouldn't go if you paid me.
    I know the French have a day off and make a day out of it i.e. picnic and wine etc at the road side........but only they could do that quite frankly!
  • [cite]Posted By: SoundAsa£[/cite]
    I know the French have a day off and make a day out of it i.e. picnic and wine etc at the road side........but only they could do that quite frankly!

    The english just have packets of Monster Munch and cheap cider and throw things at them!
  • [cite]Posted By: SE10Addick[/cite]
    [cite]Posted By: SoundAsa£[/cite]
    I know the French have a day off and make a day out of it i.e. picnic and wine etc at the road side........but only they could do that quite frankly!

    The english just have packets of Monster Munch and cheap cider and throw things at them!

    And rightly so!
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  • I never used to follow it until about 7 years ago when I was off work for a few weeks with a bad back. I started watching it live on Eurosport each afternoon and I found it strangely addictive. I loved looking at the scenery in the different regions of France and the people who commentate on it on Eurosport are very entertaining and knowledgeable. The studio man was the bloke who use to introduce Italian football on channel 4.

    Armstrong won it that year and I was prompted to buy a couple of his books telling the story of how he survived cancer.

    What has always amazed me is that in the non mountain stages you would watch it for a couple of hours and you would hear the commentators go through all the different names of the riders near the front and then about 100 yards from the finish you would hear, every single time, the commentator say ' ...Robie McEwen is getting into position and Robie McWen wins...' and yet his name would not have been mentioned once in the previous two hours! Mark Cavendish does the same thing now.

    I find the time trial sections realy boring.
  • One of the few sports in the world where watching the coverage on TV is more exciting than watching it in the flesh....so to speak.
    I saw a group of cyclists in a pub in Upnor a few months back and one of them...funny little fella with a bald head and a moustach) was dressed in a lime green and yellow lycra kit....put me off brussel sprouts for life.
  • I can't see anyone beating Contador this year. Astana have assembled propably the strongest Grand Tour team ever seen.
  • i enjoyed watching all the TV coverage of cycling stuff during the olympics. Outdoor in particular.
  • Tr

    [quote][cite]Posted By: ShootersHillGuru[/cite]Are they still all drugged up to the eyeballs ?[/quote]

    Probably not all but there are some who still try to cheat themselves to winning which is a shame as it does the sport no credit at all.
  • [cite]Posted By: SoundAsa£[/cite]One of the few sports in the world where watching the coverage on TV is more exciting than watching it in the flesh....so to speak.

    Very true Soundas. Along with Golf and Motor Racing. I went to a team time trial stage on Armstrongs last tour (before he got bored with retirement) and it was one of those events that I'm glad I went to but wouldn't rush back. Bit like going to Wimbledon for the Tennis which I done once.

    The evening C4 coverage used to be top drawer. 30 mins was spot on for joe public.
  • will they be tearing it up Plumstead High Street again? will pop down to me ma and pa's if so just to see the living legend and star of dodgeball Lance Armstrong.



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  • Undoubtebly true that it's much more exciting to watch most of it on TV. I like listening to the Eurosport feed at work too.

    The other big plus is picking the stage of interest and then riding the local area when all the others have sodded off. I hope to go out to one of the big Italian mountain stages next year. What a bugger falconwood, it's about the right time to get out of our muggy summer.
  • Great to see a few cycling fans on the site. I used to race with a guy called john clarey and he rode the tour, got a fourth place on one stage and was a charlton fan to. mind you i am going back forty years.
  • I knew their was an English guy who finished lanterne rouge in the tour. John Clarey was one of them. God I wish I could finish last on the Tour that'd make me a happy man.
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  • I'm going as I want to visit the memorial to Tom Simpson and watch the race at the same time.
  • Hugely exicted, being a keen cyclist myself I cannot wait for this year's TDF. Obviously the favourite is Contador although I can see Levi Leipheimer putting in a good challenge. Also last year's champ Sastre will also be fighting for the yellow jersey. IMHO I can only see Lance at best finishing in the top 10, maybe 1 stage win. For all those interested Lance got his first win of the season today at the Nevada Classic.

    For all those who don't like the sport because of drugs, watch Cavendish's interview on BBC. People must see that cycling is always in the news for drugs simply because it is a sport where athlete's are tested more than once a week. And now they are not getting away with it. How much do you want a bet sports like football and rugby would be the same if athelete's were tested, Cavendish himself was tested 64 times last year. I bet 64 players weren't even tested in the Prem, CC, L1 and L2 last year altogether.
  • edited June 2009
    What road bikes do the cycling fans on here have? After a couple of years watching the tour I decided to buy a road bike. I bought a yellow bianchi SL3 carbon/aluminium reparto course. I had a road bike as a kid and over the previous 15 years I owned a couple of mountain bikes. The experience of riding a modern light weight road bike is totally different. It seems like every ounce of effort is transmitted to the wheels. I must get out on it again soon!
  • SE7SE7
    edited June 2009
    I have a Cervelo R3 SL and for the winter months a Pinarello Angrilu which my mate has just crashed so is in a bit of a state :(
  • Tour de France...pah....on yer bike the lotta ya!
  • Titanium, it feels great beneath you. ?
  • [cite]Posted By: weasel[/cite]Titanium, it feels great beneath you. ?

    Weirdo!
  • Got a cannondale synapse. Ally frame with carbon forks.
    Just got into this road bike malarky and did the London to Brighton ride yesterday.
  • I have a Specialized Tarmac expert, which I managed to crash last week going over an unseen Tractor made groove in the road. And a a Bianchi SL3 ALu which I've turned into a single speed for my winter bike.

    I'd like to get a Colnago Extreme C frame and build up mu own bike but hey I don't have a spare 3,000, I have to put it all towards a new car.
  • Great to see a few cyclists among you lot ! Thought I was the only one,As a North stand season ticket holder and owner of probably the best bike shop in the south east.Will give 10% discount to any fans instore or online mentioning CAFC.Check out http://www.in-gearonline.co.uk/
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