Tour de France

[Interpol Shrimper]

As the resident SZ cycling nut on here (along with W4 Shrimper), who do you think will win the 2005 TdF which starts tomorrow?

It will be an interesting opening to the Tour with an opening 19km TT in rural countryside taking place of the usual prologue burn-up around a city centre.

It's Lance Armstrong's last ever race as well and so he will want to exit on a high but I have a funny feeling that the German T-Mobile team will have a say in it this year with 3 strong GC contenders as well as a refined team that will be able to provide huge support to their leaders over all terrain.

Maybe this is the year for Vinokourov to finally breakthrough to the big-time & he's my tip for any of you punters who fancy backing a slight outsider.

I also fancy Magnus Backstedt for the green jersey too, if he can pick up a lot of the intermediate sprint points.

And to all those tennis fans on here, please feel free to start your abuse, as I did on your Wimbledon thread(s)!!!  

 

[W4 Shrimper]

I've had a little each way bet on Ivan Basso at 13/2. I reckon Lance will probably win again, but he's far too short a price.

It's significant that Zabel isn't on the T-Mobile sqaud, meaning they won't be putting their energies in to trying to win the green jersey. Ullrich will have a big race, but his 'seconditis' worries me.

Still, should be a great show, as ever. Bring it on!

 

[Firestorm]

I follow cycling a bit too (My dad was a National Track Finalist in the 50's)

Armstrong has not had a good build up.

I feel that this year is tailor made for a relatively unknown or younger rider to come to the fore and spring a bit of a surprise.
If not it could be vey close as I don't think that Armstrong will be as dominant in the mountains this time

 

[Interpol Shrimper]

Quote[/b] (Firestorm @ July 01 2005,13:42)]If not it could be vey close as I don't think that Armstrong will be as dominant in the mountains this time

My parents are just back from the Region de Tarn in southern France & they said it was so hot, the tarmac has been melting on some of the roads, 35 degrees +.

Armstrong has already come out and said one of his fears for this years race could be the potential for hot weather, something he dislikes & that it may affect his performance as it did at times in the 2003 race (which was the smallest of all his victories @ 61 secs).

 

[Interpol Shrimper]

Quote[/b] (Firestorm @ July 01 2005,13:42)]My dad was a National Track Finalist in the 50's

That is some effort.
I always wished that when I was racing there had been far more facilities for track racing, Harlow was in a real state of disrepair & I only rode there a couple of times & Welwyn was always a nightmare to get to for the Friday night track league.

That is one legacy of the bid for London 2012, the south east will get a brand spanking new top quality velodrome. Here's hoping Glasgow get the go ahead for the 2014 Commonwealth games

 

[W4 Shrimper]

Quote[/b] (glasgowsufc @ July 01 2005,14:18)]My parents are just back from the Region de Tarn in southern France & they said it was so hot, the tarmac has been melting on some of the roads, 35 degrees +.

Armstrong has already come out and said one of his fears for this years race could be the potential for hot weather, something he dislikes & that it may affect his performance as it did at times in the 2003 race (which was the smallest of all his victories @ 61 secs).

Interesting point Glasgow....

one of Lance's main advantages is the hard work he puts in during the winter when the conditions are truly horrible. Some of his great stage wins have been in really rotten conditions too.

So, maybe the heat will be a leveller

 

[CANV]

where is the ..
'the one who has taken the most drugs' option..?

 

[Interpol Shrimper]

Quote[/b] (CANV @ July 01 2005,15:09)]where is the ..
'the one who has taken the most drugs' option..?

Now, I'm not stupid enough to believe that all the 189 starters in the Tour are totally clean & not doped but all of them will have had to undertake a thorough medical and if anything untoward shows up won't be allowed to start, pending invesitgation. This even goes as far as if your red blood cell count is over 50% (which can occur perfectly naturally in certain high-level sportspeople), you're prevented from competing.

Canv, you have to remember, this is overall a far cleaner slate than 7 years ago the shambolic chaos thas was the TdF 1998.

 

[Guest]

flew out of tours on wens and the t-mobile team had just landed too do a time trail,so i reckon the pinks will win

 

[W4 Shrimper]

Well after the weekend, it's looking very good for Lance isn't it? My e/w bet on Basso is still on at least..

 

[Interpol Shrimper]

Quote[/b] (W4 Shrimper @ July 04 2005,12:41)]Well after the weekend, it's looking very good for Lance isn't it? My e/w bet on Basso is still on at least..

I'm in no way Armstrong's biggest fan but the way he pulled back that minute on Ullrich on Saturday was immense. You could see the difference in speed on the split screen coverage that was used just before he caught him. It was also good of Armstrong to come out & say it must in some way relate to Ullrich's altercation with the T-Mobile team-car on Friday, going through the rear windscreen with no helmet can't have been the best way to prepare for the biggest race of the year.

Still, as you say Basso only lost about a minute & for some reason I have a feeling that Armstrong will somewhere in the mountains have a bad day, something that has never really happened over the past few years. Maybe Ullrich now not being the out & out leader of T-Mobile may allow them to develop a strategy for the mountains of grinding down Armstrong & the Discovery Channel team by firing off constant attacks that need chasing down.

T-Mobile & CSC MUST do a ride in the TTT tomorrow though or it's probably game-over (although the graded stage results apply again which I feel is a pointless exercise).

 

[CANV]

im still a bit sceptical of the drugs thing in cycling, have the times come down since it was cleared up after the strike?...
either way i enjoy the spectacle of the tour and the team tactics as you mention are intresting.. to be honest i wouldnt care if they drugged themselves senseless just as long as everyone knew the rules and ignored them equally

 

[Firestorm]

Quote[/b] (glasgowsufc @ July 01 2005,14:24)]

Quote[/b] (Firestorm @ July 01 2005,13:42)]My dad was a National Track Finalist in the 50's

That is some effort.
I always wished that when I was racing there had been far more facilities for track racing, Harlow was in a real state of disrepair & I only rode there a couple of times & Welwyn was always a nightmare to get to for the Friday night track league.

That is one legacy of the bid for London 2012, the south east will get a brand spanking new top quality velodrome.  Here's hoping Glasgow get the go ahead for the 2014 Commonwealth games  

In my dads day they were 200M Grass tracks !

My brother used to race at Harlow in the 80's. Welwyn was bloody dangerous , it was concrete !!

Who did you ride for ?

 

[Firestorm]

Quote[/b] (CANV @ July 01 2005,15:09)]where is the ..
'the one who has taken the most drugs' option..?

That one didn't win in 67 !

 

[Matt the Shrimp]

Quote[/b] (glasgowsufc @ July 01 2005,15:38)]

Quote[/b] (CANV @ July 01 2005,15:09)]where is the ..
'the one who has taken the most drugs' option..?

Canv, you have to remember, this is overall a far cleaner slate than 7 years ago the shambolic chaos thas was the TdF 1998.

Really? Then read this... it makes for uncompromising reading.

Sunday Times: pre-Tour thoughts

Incidentally, does anyone think that Millar will make a comeback?

Matt

 

[Interpol Shrimper]

Quote[/b] (Firestorm @ July 04 2005,13:28)]

Quote[/b] (glasgowsufc @ July 01 2005,14:24)]

Quote[/b] (Firestorm @ July 01 2005,13:42)]My dad was a National Track Finalist in the 50's

That is some effort.
I always wished that when I was racing there had been far more facilities for track racing, Harlow was in a real state of disrepair & I only rode there a couple of times & Welwyn was always a nightmare to get to for the Friday night track league.

That is one legacy of the bid for London 2012, the south east will get a brand spanking new top quality velodrome.  Here's hoping Glasgow get the go ahead for the 2014 Commonwealth games  

In my dads day they were 200M Grass tracks !

My brother used to race at Harlow in the 80's. Welwyn was bloody dangerous , it was concrete !!

Who did you ride for ?

Welwyn was a nightmare as you say, I think it's still just as bad.

I started off riding for Ipswich BC, then Mildenhall CC & then had a season with Anglia Sport at my peak.

I would like to get back into racing one day, but there's far too many other time pressures at the moment.

 

[Firestorm]

Quote[/b] (glasgowsufc @ July 04 2005,13:40)]

Quote[/b] (Firestorm @ July 04 2005,13:28)]

Quote[/b] (glasgowsufc @ July 01 2005,14:24)]

Quote[/b] (Firestorm @ July 01 2005,13:42)]My dad was a National Track Finalist in the 50's

That is some effort.
I always wished that when I was racing there had been far more facilities for track racing, Harlow was in a real state of disrepair & I only rode there a couple of times & Welwyn was always a nightmare to get to for the Friday night track league.

That is one legacy of the bid for London 2012, the south east will get a brand spanking new top quality velodrome.  Here's hoping Glasgow get the go ahead for the 2014 Commonwealth games  

In my dads day they were 200M Grass tracks !

My brother used to race at Harlow in the 80's. Welwyn was bloody dangerous , it was concrete !!

Who did you ride for ?

Welwyn was a nightmare as you say, I think it's still just as bad.

I started off riding for Ipswich BC, then Mildenhall CC & then had a season with Anglia Sport at my peak.

I would like to get back into racing one day, but there's far too many other time pressures at the moment.

My Brother was with Essex Roads

He still does bits and pieces but never really got into Vets cycling.
When he beat the old mans 10 mile TT time theres was uproar in the house, Usual debate, better machinery better road surface vs more traffic

 

[Interpol Shrimper]

Quote[/b] (Matt the Shrimp @ July 04 2005,13:38)]

Quote[/b] (glasgowsufc @ July 01 2005,15:38)]

Quote[/b] (CANV @ July 01 2005,15:09)]where is the ..
'the one who has taken the most drugs' option..?

Canv, you have to remember, this is overall a far cleaner slate than 7 years ago the shambolic chaos thas was the TdF 1998.

Really?  Then read this... it makes for uncompromising reading.

Sunday Times: pre-Tour thoughts

Incidentally, does anyone think that Millar will make a comeback?

Matt

Hmmm, an interesting article.  I never pretended that the sport is now totally clean, I just stated that I felt it was heading in the right direction.

I don't deny it still goes on, which is possibly why a couple of the big-name Italian riders have made late call-offs but it's also worth remembering that Kimmage although a well-respected journalist is extremely anti-doping from his time in the pro peloton & having read Rough Ride (his autobiography) he can empathise a great deal with up & coming riders who wish to race clean but realise they will never achieve their goals and dreams if they don't "experiement".

People have asked me if at the level of racing I reached, would I have taken illegal substances to get to the next level & I have to say, hand on heart, if I could get away with it then yes, I probably would have done.  Does that make me a bad person or a criminal or just somebody who realised that to compete at the top level I would need "assistance".

In terms of Millar, I would guess he will try to make a comeback at some point when he is free to race again, but now that he's fallen foul of British Cycling (who are distinctly anti-drugs) he may well race on a different national licence.  The question is will he keep training through his ban (as guys like Virenque did through theirs) or has he lost all motivation?

 

[Interpol Shrimper]

Quote[/b] (Firestorm @ July 04 2005,13:50)]

Quote[/b] (glasgowsufc @ July 04 2005,13:40)]

Quote[/b] (Firestorm @ July 04 2005,13:28)]

Quote[/b] (glasgowsufc @ July 01 2005,14:24)]

Quote[/b] (Firestorm @ July 01 2005,13:42)]My dad was a National Track Finalist in the 50's

That is some effort.
I always wished that when I was racing there had been far more facilities for track racing, Harlow was in a real state of disrepair & I only rode there a couple of times & Welwyn was always a nightmare to get to for the Friday night track league.

That is one legacy of the bid for London 2012, the south east will get a brand spanking new top quality velodrome.  Here's hoping Glasgow get the go ahead for the 2014 Commonwealth games  

In my dads day they were 200M Grass tracks !

My brother used to race at Harlow in the 80's. Welwyn was bloody dangerous , it was concrete !!

Who did you ride for ?

Welwyn was a nightmare as you say, I think it's still just as bad.

I started off riding for Ipswich BC, then Mildenhall CC & then had a season with Anglia Sport at my peak.

I would like to get back into racing one day, but there's far too many other time pressures at the moment.

My Brother was with Essex Roads

He still does bits and pieces but never really got into Vets cycling.
When he beat the old mans 10 mile TT time theres was uproar in the house, Usual debate, better machinery better road surface vs more traffic  

Essex Roads were a good solid club when I was racing.

In terms of road conditions, I remember riding on a 10m TT course on the A12 near Marks Tey one Tuesday night & it was just wall to wall traffic (mainly lorries off the Harwich ferry), guys who had previous PBs of 26 minutes were doing rides of over 25 mph! This course was subsequently banned as was the one on the A13 @ Thundersley.

Time-trialling these days is becoming more of a circuit based sport & indeed there's now a national circuit series, but it's difficult to get people to put placings over times. The old Time-Trialist's mentality of "I beat an hour for a 25" is far harder to extinguish than "I finished in the top 20 today".

 

[The General]

Boonen wins again thanks to McEwen and O'Grady decided to have a scuffle with each other instead of racing ...