Tour de France 2009

http://cyclocosm.com/2009/06/astanas-tour-selection-is-a-ticking-bomb/

thanx cutty

well, we're pretty much past the issue but:

But Armstrong hardly ever participated in a race he maybe could not win. He never rode a classic or a tour to help a teammate win. Which, to me, is an essential part of cycling: you ride a lot of races, even the ones where maybe you yourself can't win, but say, a teammate can.

this is like, waht, i dunno. cycling geir-ism? i am saying that it is not armstrong with whom you are at odds, it is modern pro racing. i am saying that you are factually mistaken that menchov or sastre race programs in which a support role is their primary objective in any particular race.

haha

http://www.bobkestrut.com/2009/03/25/same-as-it-ever-was-2/

Haha, that's gold!

vs schedule for first half

Stage 1: Saturday, July 4, 2009
Monaco
9:30am to 2:00pm: LIVE Daily Coverage
2:30pm to 4:30pm: Race Action Replay
5:00pm to 7:00pm: Race Action Replay
8:00pm to 11:00pm: Expanded Primetime Coverage
12:00am to 3:00am: Race Action Replay

Stage 2: Sunday, July 5, 2009
Monaco-Brignoles
8:30am to 11:30am: LIVE Daily Coverage
12:00pm to 2:00pm: Race Action Replay
2:30pm to 4:30pm: Race Action Replay
5:00pm to 7:00pm: Race Action Replay
8:00pm to 11:00pm: Expanded Primetime Coverage
12:00am to 3:00am: Race Action Replay

Stage 3: Monday, July 6 , 2009
Marseille - La Grande Motte
8:30am to 11:30am: LIVE Daily Coverage
12:00pm to 2:00pm: Race Action Replay
2:30pm to 4:30pm: Race Action Replay
5:00pm to 7:00pm: Race Action Replay
8:00pm to 11:00pm: Expanded Primetime Coverage
12:00am to 3:00am: Race Action Replay

Stage 4: Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Montpellier
8:30am to 12:00pm: LIVE Daily Coverage
12:00pm to 2:00pm: Race Action Replay
2:30pm to 4:30pm: Race Action Replay
5:00pm to 7:00pm: Race Action Replay
8:00pm to 11:00pm: Expanded Primetime Coverage
12:00am to 3:00am: Race Action Replay

Stage 5: Wednesday, July 8, 2009
La Cap d'Adge - Perpignan
8:30am to 11:30am: LIVE Daily Coverage
12:00pm to 2:00pm: Race Action Replay
2:30pm to 4:30pm: Race Action Replay
5:00pm to 7:00pm: Race Action Replay
8:00pm to 11:00pm: Expanded Primetime Coverage
12:00am to 3:00am: Race Action Replay

Stage 6: Thursday, July 9, 2009
Gerone - Barcelona
8:30am to 11:30am: LIVE Daily Coverage
12:00pm to 2:00pm: Race Action Replay
2:30pm to 4:30pm: Race Action Replay
5:00pm to 7:00pm: Race Action Replay
8:00pm to 11:00pm: Expanded Primetime Coverage
12:00am to 3:00am: Race Action Replay

Stage 7: Friday, July 10, 2009
Barcelona - Andorre Arcalis
8:00am to 11:30am: LIVE Daily Coverage
12:00pm to 2:00pm: Race Action Replay
2:30pm to 4:30pm: Race Action Replay
5:00pm to 7:00pm: Race Action Replay
8:00pm to 11:00pm: Expanded Primetime Coverage
12:00am to 3:00am: Race Action Replay

Stage 8: Saturday, July 11, 2009
Andorre - La Vielle - Saint Girons
7:30am to 11:30am: LIVE Daily Coverage
12:00pm to 2:00pm: Race Action Replay
2:30pm to 4:30pm: Race Action Replay
5:00pm to 7:00pm: Race Action Replay
8:00pm to 11:00pm: Expanded Primetime Coverage
12:00am to 3:00am: Race Action Replay

Stage 9: Sunday, July 12, 2009
Saint Gaudens - Tarbes
7:00am to 11:30am: LIVE Daily Coverage
12:00pm to 2:00pm: Race Action Replay
2:30pm to 4:30pm: Race Action Replay
5:00pm to 7:00pm: Race Action Replay
8:00pm to 11:00pm: Expanded Primetime Coverage
12:00am to 3:00am: Race Action Replay Stage 19: Friday, July 24, 2009
Bourgoin Jallieu - Aubenas
8:30am to 11:30am: LIVE Daily Coverage
12:00pm to 2:00pm: Race Action Replay
2:30pm to 4:30pm: Race Action Replay
5:00pm to 7:00pm: Race Action Replay
8:00pm to 11:00pm: Expanded Primetime Coverage
12:00am to 3:00am: Race Action Replay

Stage 10 Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Limoges - Issoudun
8:30am to 11:30am: LIVE Daily Coverage
12:00pm to 2:00pm: Race Action Replay
2:30pm to 4:30pm: Race Action Replay
5:00pm to 7:00pm: Race Action Replay
8:00pm to 11:00pm: Expanded Primetime Coverage
12:00am to 2:30am: Race Action Replay

Stage 11: Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Vatan - Saint Fargeau
8:30am to 11:30am: LIVE Daily Coverage
12:00pm to 2:00pm: Race Action Replay
2:30pm to 4:30pm: Race Action Replay
5:00pm to 7:00pm: Race Action Replay
8:00pm to 11:00pm: Expanded Primetime Coverage
12:00am to 3:00am: Race Action Replay

boy sucks having a job now. last summer I could watch the whole dang thing live every day, eat a big bowl of granola/fruit, then go for a ride in the beautiful berkeley hills.

I don't even have a tv now!

yeah right now i'm trying to decide between morning motivational viewing and evening drinkin a beer viewing

unemployed yalllllllllll

morning motivational! it's great!

^^^that coverage is lances fault too i think. was vs schedule that aggressive last year?

no alp d'huez stage for the first time since 1976 :(

But there's the Mont Ventoux Steve, on the day before the Champs Elysee!

itv4 are showing highlights for anyone in the uk without eurosport

think itv4 might be showing a few stages live too

no alp d'huez stage for the first time since 1976 :(

Apart from all the other years since 1976 that it wasn't used (2007, 2005, 2002, 2000, 1998, 1996, 1993, 1985, and 1980).

think itv4 might be showing a few stages live too

Yeah, they did last year. Also ITV4 > Eurosport because you get Liggett & Sherwen commentary plus Imlach & Boulting pulling no punches about doping.

Is it safe to say - though to say boldly - America wants Lance Armstrong to win this again, because Armstrong is a 'true American', and Europe vomits even thinking about another Lance win? I know most mainland European cyclist fans feel the latter. Where do the Brits stand in this?

The British cycling press basically seem to view his return as a negative development. They imply, without explicitly stating it, that it's bad news because cycling seemed to have been making a genuine effort to clean up since his retirement, and it seems to be assumed that he is part of the old guard of dopers that we could do without.

wait really

Who can I get streaming coverage of it from in the US?

versus website

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/kazakh-coup-to-oust-armstrong-and-bruyneel-from-team-astana

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/boonen-can-start-in-the-tour

but is not in the start list

http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/96th-tour-de-france-gt/start-list

I for one am very pleased Boonen can start.

Ed, maybe Quick-Step has to formally write him in again before the start list is updated?

The official site (letour.fr) has this under Riders list: "The starters are not yet known."

oh yes boonen can start. i for one dont really give a shit if he does or not heh

ITV4 appears to be doing the weekend stages live again, or the last couple of hours of them at least. Also a documentary on Sunday night about Chris Boardman's attempt on the world hour record, which I am well looking forward to cos Boardman is a fairly sizeable childhood hero of mine.

first episode of itv4 daily podcast w/ imlach up now btw.

Podcast, awesome!

Also, dunno why this occurred to me but I wouldve loved to read a dfw essay on the tour

So when does this thing start?

Partial Start Order and Times: (full times coming...)

Times listed are local. (Times in parentheses are U.S. Eastern)

16:00 (10:00am) Van Hummel
16:17 (10:17am) Armstrong
16:34 (10:34am) Farrar
16:35 (10:35am) Posthuma
16:36 (10:36am) Larsson
16:37 (10:37am) Leipheimer
16:52 (10:52am) Grabsch
16:54 (10:54am) Millar
16:55 (10:55am) Freire
17:38 (11:38am) Zubeldia
17:46 (11:46am) Bruseghin
17:52 (11:52am) Cavendish
17:55 (11:55am) Gesink
17:56 (11:56am) F. Schleck
18:04 (12:04pm) Devolder
18:08 (12:08pm) Pereiro
18:14 (12:14pm) Zabriskie
18:17 (12:17pm) Kloden
18:24 (12:24pm) Boonen
18:28 (12:28pm) Iván Gutiérrez
18:30 (12:30pm) Nibali
18:32 (12:32pm) Rogers
18:34 (12:34pm) Vande Velde
18:35 (12:35pm) Clement
18:36 (12:36pm) A. Schleck
18:39 (12:39pm) Hushovd
18:41:30 (12:41:30pm) Gerdemann
18:43 (12:43pm) Moreau
18:44:30 (12:44:30pm) Karpets
18:46 (12:46pm) Chavanel
18:52 (12:52pm) Luis León Sánchez
18:55 (12:55pm) Pellizotti
18:56:30 (12:56:30pm) Efimkin
18:58 (12:58pm) Kirchen
18:59:30 (12:59:30pm) Astarloza
19:01 (1:01pm) Wiggins
19:02:30 (1:02:30pm) Menchov
19:04 (1:04pm) Cancellara
19:05:30 (1:05:30pm) Contador
19:07 (1:07pm) Evans
19:08:30 (1:08:30pm) Sastre

I love how the news about Boonen got reported in the Australian media:

Australian cyclist Allan Davis has been dumped from the Tour de France so that a playboy rider with a cocaine habit can ride instead.

lol wasn't Allan Davis himself involved in a real doping scandal aka Fuentes..

Exactly!

Also, dunno why this occurred to me but I wouldve loved to read a dfw essay on the tour

― i want to marry a pizza (gbx), Friday, 3 July 2009 22:07 Bookmark

That would have been truly amazing, I think. Did he ever show any interest in cycling? I think what made his tennis stuff so compelling was that his obssession with the game shone through. Although tbh he could have written about paint drying and it would still have been awesome to read...

The Boardman documentary is great, they showed it last year too.

I am well excited about the Tour and am crossing my fingers for Lord Cavendish to make it to the Champs Elysees.

O_o

Any single chainring TT riders out there? Noticed LA never got out of the big ring even on this hilly course.

No sign of Millar yet on TV, but I think he's on the road now.

Tony Martin goes ahead of Armstrong.

Millar just started.

...with uber-tacky sponsor-tattoos.

haha, i got fooled, flesh covered shoulder panels on the onesie.

Here comes Millar. He looks to be climbing very slowly in a very low gear. Hopefully appearances are deceptive.

Leipheimer into the lead.

Millar is so awesome (but he's not winning this one unfortunately)

Alberto will kick Armstrong's ass with at least a minute.

man i hope so ^______________________^

that last hairpin is hairy

Millar did well to stay on his bike when he locked up the back wheel there. I'm pinning my hopes on Wiggins now.

And ITV4's coverage starts now! Imlach O'Clock!

Going for good ol' Fabian Cancellara. I have no idea if the circuit suits him, but what the hell. Cancellara rocks.

Imlach and St Boardman both suggesting that, due to the whacking great gradients at the start, this prologue will be throwing time gaps all over the place with a sizeable effect on the GC, so the major contenders are gonna go hard today. Which I'm guessing might not bode that well for Fabs.

Sherwen just said this course does, in fact, suit Cancellara, and he's the favourite for the stage. Fair enough. Go Fabs!

yeah i got that info from the Belgian tv text.. so no link.

still can't believe (even though it's been true for a 100 years) that cyclists are willing to take all these risks with medicine/drugs still in development.

Finally watched ventoux, then made E watch it from the tree line. Awesome stuff, contador never looked in trouble. Shame he didn't let the. Win do the talking and shut up about lance. Lance should have kept more gnomic as well. Looking forward to the vuelta now, although I presume Lance won't be there, I'd be surprised if he pulls on an astana jersey again.

Wondering what will happen to wiggins, will he lead for garmin or will they continue with Menchov? I'm really excited to see how Wiggins develops, I'm sure he can get better in another year, I'm also sure that the schlecks will as well and tony martin looked good on the ventoux and earlier in the race as well.

Glad cav and hushovd made up as well, that's going to be a great rivalry. Cav and columbia have either got to shut down hushovd on the breaks or get cav to be able to go out with him when he goes for intermediates.

See you all in a month for the vuelta.

good thing this risk taking cheating gene is isolated to cycling or wed be in heaps of trouble

xpost

lol.

Wondering what will happen to wiggins, will he lead for garmin or will they continue with Menchov?

Aren't you confusing Garmin and Rabobank here? Both orange jersey's though, so it's understandable :)

I think it's over between Menchov and Rabo though, he really blew it this Tour. I can see him heading back to Russia, there's lot's of rumours that Katusja want him.

If Cavendish put his mind to it, I reckon he could improve his climbing. Not to KotM standard, but good enough to rival Thor on those inter-col sprints.

I can't help feeling a teeny bit sorry for Menchov.

I am indeed, I blame it on being up at 3:30 am this morning.

I think it's over between Menchov and Rabo though, he really blew it this Tour. I can see him heading back to Russia, there's lot's of rumours that Katusja want him.

Ed got me thinking Menchov was making a very unexpected move. (also unexpected from Garmin, don't see what they need him) Katusja would be a wise choice.

Astarloza. EPO. 1 week before the start of the Tour.

http://www.watoday.com.au/breaking-news-sport/tour-stage-winner-suspended-over-doping-20090801-e4nz.html

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2009/aug/04/bradley-wiggins-interview-donald-mcrae

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/voigt-can-start-riding-again-in-two-weeks

Matt White has been directing us around southwest France for the last week. Allez allez allez!

Team Sky name six British riders but wait on Bradley Wiggins