And today's TdF bombshell will BE??? . . .

[BumbleBeeDave]

Aw, c'mon . . . you just KNOW there's going to be one!

Who will be dumped? Who will be accused? Who will fall off their bike on their last training ride and not be able to ride? Surely Ale Jet sucking on an inhaler is not the worst that can happen!

Creativity, people! We need some creativity here!

BBD

[BumbleBeeDave]

From VeloNews today . . .

<<A decision in the Landis case could come as early as Friday, creating the unusual situation in which news of last year's Tour will dominate the news of this year's Tour.>>

Yee-HA!

BBD

[nick0137]

You can't talk about bombshells in the same sentence as London these days - "people" are reading this stuff you know. :)

The real, er, surprise here in ol' London Town is that the sun is forecast to be out. Haven't seen it in weeks......

[Russell]

I was expecting Valverde and Pereiro to be excluded, but since the Tour hasn't taken their DNA....

[Kevan]

this year's TdF waterbottle?

Hey, I need details!

[dbrk]

Can I add apocalyptic irony to the mix? After all, today is the birthday of the both G.W. Bush and HH the Dalai Lama of Tibet.

As far as Le Tour: Look for Spanish riders to get busted since they represent the critical mass of the current two-speeds peloton.

I had two invitations to visit the race this year and decided that staying home and riding in my own hills was the better choice. I will watch whatever is shown now in the post Only Lance Network coverage and the racing will be as interesting as it ever has been but it's just not alllll that interesting nowadays to me.

And how come these guys ride so much in the rain without fenders? Looks ridiculous to me.

dbrk

[BumbleBeeDave]

. . . what's up with THAT?!? It would make it so easy to carry all those extra water bottles and asthma inhalers . . . :rolleyes:

BBD

[fiamme red]

. . . what's up with THAT?!? It would make it so easy to carry all those extra water bottles and asthma inhalers . . . :rolleyes:

BBDWho needs a bag for those extra water bottles? ;)

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2006/may06/may24news

Water-carriers battle in the Giro

Cycling is traditionally divided into stars and water-carriers and while battle rages at the top of the Giro d'Italia rankings between stars such as Ivan Basso, José Gutierrez and Paolo Savoldelli, a literal contest among water-carriers has been going on further back.

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport Quick-Step's José Antonio Garrido recently set a new record by carrying 16 water bottles simultaneously from the team car to his team-mates. With one bottle in his mouth, two in the cages on the bike, two in his pockets, six under the front of his jersey, and five under the back, Garrido lugged over five litres of water to his team-mates.

In yesterday's stage, Fabio Sacchi (Milram) beat Garrido's record by carrying 18 water bottles simultaneously, but Garrido thinks he can beat the Italian. "I've already done a test, and think I can manage 20 bottles," he said.

There's more than just bragging rights at stake too. At the end of the Giro on Sunday, Italian cycling legend Francesco Moser will present a prize to the man who manages to carry the most bottles: a bottle of wine for each of the bottles carried. "It will be a kind of miracle: water will be turned into wine!" said Moser.

[pdxmech13]

....not to mention silly sloping bikes :D

[Steve Hampsten]

Can I add apocalyptic irony to the mix? After all, today is the birthday of the both G.W. Bush and HH the Dalai Lama of Tibet.

As far as Le Tour: Look for Spanish riders to get busted since they represent the critical mass of the current two-speeds peloton.

I had two invitations to visit the race this year and decided that staying home and riding in my own hills was the better choice. I will watch whatever is shown now in the post Only Lance Network coverage and the racing will be as interesting as it ever has been but it's just not alllll that interesting nowadays to me.

And how come these guys ride so much in the rain without fenders? Looks ridiculous to me.

dbrk

Douglas, what do you mean by "two speeds"? Why, only today (as quoted in cyclingnews) one of the Spanish riders rep's said "we only take the medicine like other sports person, that is not doping" - he wouldn't lie, would he?

I vote for just one year, all teams must ride 18-pound lugged steel fenderbikes with downtube shifters for the entire race. Clip-on aero bars allowed for the TTs. Imagine the chaos that would ensue...

[Avispa]

There we go again!

From cyclingnews.com:

Armstrong slams Prudhomme
By Gregor Brown

Seven-time Tour de France winner critisied Tour Director Christian Prudhomme for his actions regarding Bjarne Riis. The Texan referred to the Frenchman as a "hypocrite" for wanting to take away Riis 1996 Tour jersey following the Dane's confession to doping during the same year.

"The hypocrisy of certain directors irritates me," Armstrong said, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport. "After the confession of Riis, Prudhomme asked for the return of the yellow jersey. Why did he never ask Virenque for his polka-dot jerseys? To Thévenet for his two yellow jerseys? The family of Anquetil for his five yellow jerseys?"

In his confession on May 26 the Team Manager of CSC stated, "My yellow jersey is in a box in my garage at home. You can come and collect it. What matters to me are my memories."

Over the last month pressure has been put on Riis by the ASO, including its president Patrice Clerc saying that the former Tour winner was not welcome at this year's event. In a press release yesterday Riis distanced himself from the Tour for the sake of his team riders.

"I have chosen not to be actively involved in this year's edition of the Tour apart from the obligations I have towards my sponsors," stated Riis. "It has been a very difficult decision, but it is mine alone and is not made because of pressure from the outside, nor does it in any way reflect on whether there is any truth to the allegations."

I wonder if Lance has looked at himself in the mirror lately.... And Riis, oh my!

A.

[BumbleBeeDave]

. . . that Lance would be irritated! but from what I have seen over the years, it doesn't seem to take much to get him irritated!

What's REALLY irritating about this, though, is that I agree with him! (Collective gasp!) Why NOT take back the jerseys of these French riders who obviously also doped?

Oh, sorry. Just answered my own question! ;)

BBD

[Avispa]

. . . Why NOT take back the jerseys of these French riders who obviously also doped?

Read this (http://forums.thepaceline.net/showpost.php?p=353568&postcount=6) BBD! Or the whole (http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=29610&highlight=Prudhomme) thread...

A.

[William]

I admit that on numerous occasions I downed a quad shot lattae before heading out. Does this mean they'll be coming for my yellow Canary jersey????? :confused:

Hmmm, Hans has been sporting some CSC gear lately. I think we better get the control van over here.... :rolleyes:




William :rolleyes: ;)

[J.Greene]

There we go again!
I wonder if Lance has looked at himself in the mirror lately.... And Riis, oh my!

A.

I think he just did. It looks to me he is saying the top of the sport has always been drug induced.

JG

[Too Tall]

Douglas, what do you mean by "two speeds"? Why, only today (as quoted in cyclingnews) one of the Spanish riders rep's said "we only take the medicine like other sports person, that is not doping" - he wouldn't lie, would he?

I vote for just one year, all teams must ride 18-pound lugged steel fenderbikes with downtube shifters for the entire race. Clip-on aero bars allowed for the TTs. Imagine the chaos that would ensue...

Thank goodness we are talking about bikes...again Steve...thank goodness ;)

Look, it is going to be a great tour. If you prev. watch and choose not to becuase of (fill in the blank of your least fav. real or alledged transgressions) than you will miss out.

I for one plan to spend the weekend watching track tandem champs and riding bikes with some Pennsylvania builder of very suitable TDF steel bikes who I know is a doper....dewd!!! he even has a coffee bean roaster with a massive smoke stack it is a wonder the guy has not been busted thus far. Should I be afraid??????

[Elefantino]

Can I add apocalyptic irony to the mix? After all, today is the birthday of the both G.W. Bush and HH the Dalai Lama of Tibet.

Today is also the 61st birthday of Burt "Robin" Ward and Sylvester Stallone. They and Bush were all born on the same day. There's something profound in that; I just don't know what it is.

[rwsaunders]

When your 7 and 11 year old sons have the TDF schedule taped to their bunkbed, what's a guy going to do? We'll watch it every night and cheer like there's no tomorrow.

[regularguy412]

this year's TdF waterbottle?

Hey, I need details!

Amgen?

:confused:

Mike in AR

[Bruce K]

rw;

Did you see what you just typed? :eek:

How "twilight Zone"ish is that? Your SEVEN and ELEVEN year olds? ;) :rolleyes:

Bob Rolle's ears must be burning! :banana:

BK

[ciclisto]

A very well respected pro team ( nameless at this time) with long term star riders, will be exposed as a muslim sleeper cell and their water bottles are rigged to explode on the champs d' elesee (sic) on the terminal day. This is thwarted by Floyd Landis and he is given an honorary yellow jersey, but still banned from riding.

[chuckroast]

Heck, the first bombshell is that they found 189 riders that could pass the pre event screening.

[BumbleBeeDave]

. . . we have a WINNAH! :p

[jcmuellner]

I do agree that if ASO goes back in time, it's a never-ending string of asterisks on the TdF record books. Let's leave things as they are and move on.

I'm going to be watching every day I can. I could get caught up in who's doing what, but the fact is that I enjoy the racing and the places ridden. Like politics, you either participate or don't. It's going to be what it's going to be.

I'll be enjoying a friend's nice birthday ride on Whidbey Island tomorrow and then we'll all come back for the TdF prologue with pizza, beer and ice cream. What better way to spend a day?

[palincss]

I vote for just one year, all teams must ride 18-pound lugged steel fenderbikes with downtube shifters for the entire race. Clip-on aero bars allowed for the TTs. Imagine the chaos that would ensue...

How about for just one year: riders have to ride the same bike for the entire race, no support cars and no "water carriers" allowed, and they have to fix their own flats. I think that'd be a whole lot more interesting than downtube shifters or clip on aero bars. A TdF with riders equipped for, and riding under the same rules as, PBP - now that would be interestiing!

Surprised nobody's suggested letting recumbents in...

[Steve Hampsten]

How about for just one year: riders have to ride the same bike for the entire race, no support cars and no "water carriers" allowed, and they have to fix their own flats. I think that'd be a whole lot more interesting than downtube shifters or clip on aero bars. A TdF with riders equipped for, and riding under the same rules as, PBP - now that would be interestiing!


Now it sounds like Sport, with a capital "S".

Never happen.

But we can dream...

[Steve Hampsten]

When your 7 and 11 year old sons have the TDF schedule taped to their bunkbed, what's a guy going to do? We'll watch it every night and cheer like there's no tomorrow.

As with Christmas and the Easter Bunny, it can't hurt to suspend disbelief for three weeks in July.

What a great sport! And how cool is riding a bike when you're fit and skinny? (Again, suspending reality...)