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| Europe | |
| Tour de France hit by massive doping scandal | |
| 2006-07-01 | |
Tour director Christian Prudhomme said organizers' determination to fight doping was "total." "The enemy is not cycling, the enemy is doping," he said the day before the start of the Tour. Riders being excluded will not be replaced, meaning a smaller field than the 189 racers originally expected. And that's not even counting the absence of American Lance Armstrong, who retired after winning his seventh straight Tour last year. | |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #16 Is this the team that Lance picked from Discovery TV lottery? |
| Posted by: 49 Pan 2006-07-01 19:54 |
| #15 From Austin, TX newspaper (Lance isn't going at all this year. Claiming too many committments HEH Americans Start Strong at Tour de France With the first Tour de France of the post-Lance Armstrong era rocked by one of the worst doping scandals in cycling's history, American riders may be in good position to take advantage of the depleted field. On Saturday, George Hincapie lost by a split second to big Norwegian sprinter Thor Hushovd in the opening time trial of the sport's premier race. David Zabriskie placed third and Floyd Landis was ninth, making the United States the only country with three racers in the top 10. David Zabriskie of the US speeds on his way to cross the finish line of the prologue of the 93rd Tour de France cycling race, a 7.1-kilometer (4.41-mile) individual time trial trough Strasbourg, eastern France, Saturday, July 1, 2006. Thor Hushovd of Norway won the prologue, Zabriskie finished third behind compatriot George Hincapie. "This is the first year I'm going to try and see what I can do," said Hincapie, the only rider to race with Armstrong on his record seven straight Tour wins. "I know I've trained hard, I don't know how far I can go. But I'm ready and I started the Tour well, and I just hope I can continue to improve." |
| Posted by: Sherry 2006-07-01 18:24 |
| #14 I was never a fan til I caught it on OLN. Very fun and well-done productions |
| Posted by: Frank G 2006-07-01 16:54 |
| #13 The Jan will be back and crush the competion between his mighty thighs. Time waits for the Jan, France will not escape the Jans fury! |
| Posted by: 6 2006-07-01 16:29 |
| #12 I'm glad they continue to clean up this sport. The 103 year old Tour de France is an outstanding event, maybe the most remarkable athletic competition in the world. It's got everything: sprints, time trials, medium distance flat stages, and incredible mountain stages with descents over 50 mph on skinny tires, often in rain and fog. It's dangerous, with 50 bicycle pileups at 30 mph not uncommon. There are cliffs to ride over and stone walls to pile into. Armstrong once caught a bar on a spectator's bag and went down in an instant, along with the guy behind him. In the mountains the spectators are right out on the road and the wild crowd parts as the racers pass within inches of them. All of this is covered by cameras mounted on motorcycles, cars, and helicopters. It's like running a marathon nearly every day for three weeks. It can only be won by a team effort, yet the winner is an individual. Team strategy, tactics, bluffing, high technology, and year-round training are required to win. This is one of those events that's much better on tv. The OLN channel has remarkably good live coverage, using four anchors, three of whom have been professional cyclists. They're extremely well informed, enegetic, and entertaining. The preamble was won today by Hushovd, a Norwegian sprinter. Team Discovery's George Hincapie was only 0.7 sec behind him. And Phonac's Floyd Landis had a bad tire and was about eight seconds late to the starting gate! He finished nine seconds behind the winner! OLN Tour de France website The route |
| Posted by: KBK 2006-07-01 13:15 |
| #11 No doubt the only way the French can win at their sport is to eliminate the rest of the field. Not to worry though, I'm sure some young American will start winning and dominate like Lance did and Greg Lemond before him. Too bad for Ullrich, the German, he waited so long for Lance to retire so he could win one. |
| Posted by: 49 Pan 2006-07-01 11:15 |
| #10 Nine top guys thrown out on mere suspicion and none of them were French? Hmmm... |
| Posted by: Parabellum 2006-07-01 10:16 |
| #9 Remember that Moreau was on that 1998 Festina team that got busted for carrying drugs, but you never hear the French press mention that. Isn't that special? |
| Posted by: Raj 2006-07-01 10:04 |
| #8 Vinokourov's team (Astara) also got the boot, so there go your top three GC guys, which is the only way a Frenchie (Moreau, doper, or Chavanel) has a bloody shot. Makes perfect sense to me. Problem is, two Yanks - Leipheimer & Landis (even Hincapie, no climber he) are all better than those two guys. Remember that Moreau was Too bad for Ullrich - this was his best shot at the yellow jersey since Lance retired. |
| Posted by: Raj 2006-07-01 10:03 |
| #7 I thought France was complaining about his deorderant and that new-fangled thing called 'soap'. (I know... old joke...) |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2006-07-01 09:34 |
| #6 #5 - I don't follow sports, but if what you say is true, that's the lamest thing I've ever heard. Just when you think the Phrogs can't go any lower, they call for a backhoe. :-( |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2006-07-01 09:32 |
| #5 Actualy they tries to claim his Cancer Mediction was allowing him to feel less pain, that's why he was winning, didn't wash. |
| Posted by: Redneck Jim 2006-07-01 08:33 |
| #4 This is all fall out from the attacks on Lance last year. They went back and checked everyone and ol Lance was clean. They spent tons of money refining the process to try to find something in Lances blood but could not. What they did do was set themselves up with a better screening process and that nailed them. They are getting their just desert. |
| Posted by: 49 Pan 2006-07-01 08:22 |
| #3 Tour de Dopé They oughtta have all the tools available to them. yep motor-cycles |
| Posted by: RD 2006-07-01 01:52 |
| #2 Daily Pundit was noting a wee whiff of French perfidy. For the record, I think the whole "War On Doping" is stupid. We want to see people ride up and down the mountains faster, yes? They oughtta have all the tools available to them. |
| Posted by: Seafarious 2006-07-01 00:57 |
| #1 Surprise meter is busted or something 'cause it ain't showing a reading. |
| Posted by: Theath Sheretle2555 2006-07-01 00:47 |