Who's Watching the Tour?

[Asylum Steve]

Boy, what an exciting stage today, the "ttt" (team time trial). It's always one of my favorite stages, simply because it showcases the team aspect of professional cycling so well.

Team Discovery (formally US Postal) have redefined the very concept of the ttt, through a perfect blend of bike technology, training, and motivation. They won today's ttt, making it the third year in a row, and in doing so catapulted Lance Armstrong into the leader's yellow jersey.

We couldn't have asked for a more exciting finish, as Discovery beat out Team CSC by TWO SECONDS, but man your heart has to go out to poor David Zabriskie, who crashed within 1.5K of the finish, instantly ending his chance to hold on to the Tour lead.

To me the worst part was, if he had crashed inside of the last kilometer of the race course, he would have still been given the same time as his teammates who finished, most likely holding on to the yellow jersey for one more day.

Terrible luck for that to happen when and where it did...

[Photo-John]

Yeah, that was a sad and ugly crash. I feel really bad for him. In the big picture, he made a big statement at his first tour. I gotta love a good Utah boy going big.

[mtbbrian]

Yeah, that was a sad and ugly crash. I feel really bad for him. In the big picture, he made a big statement at his first tour. I gotta love a good Utah boy going big.

I remember reading about Zabriskie in Cycling Utah coming up through the local clubs and what not. He is a good racer I am sure he will go far.
Don't forget there is a second Utahan, in The Tour. Levi Lephimer.
I know, UTAH ROCKS!
;)
Brian
GO LANCE!!!!!!!

[Michael Fanelli]

FWIW, Lance grabbed the yellow jersey today.

[mtbbrian]

FWIW, Lance grabbed the yellow jersey today.

YEP! And he isn't going to let it go!
Brian
GO LANCE!!!!!!!(x7)

[berrywise]

YEP! And he isn't going to let it go!
Brian
GO LANCE!!!!!!!(x7)

I would imagine if we see a break away take place we won't see team Disco out there trying to reel it in unless one of lance's main rivals gets involved in it. That might mean Lance loss the yellow jersey but he is sure to take it back in the mountains.

Anyone find anyone that streams the OLN audio stream? Last year they had it on their site but not this year. Only thing I have found this year is Eurosport.com but their commentators are pretty terrible.

[mtbbrian]

I have been having difficulty with OLN's online coverage. I have been going to Yahoo.
Brian
GO LANCE!!!!!!!(x7)

[mtbbrian]

Crashes happen at the worst times, Lance knows this, Jan, Beloki do as well, and now so does Zabriskie.

YES! It was a VERY EXCITING Team Time Trial, Lance and Co have dominated it for the past few years!
The intricacies of The Tour rules are strange. I don't quite get them myself, but what to do..
Cycling is very much a Team Sport, there is a lot of strategizing going on.
Discovery's strategy will be to protect Lance and keep him out of harm's way.
I am sad to see Zabriskie be out of Yellow, but it wasn't meant to last for him. He's a rookie, and I am sure will finish, which for him will be a memorable Tour. I am sure we haven't seen the last of Dave Zabriskie in maillot jaune, in future Tours.
I believe tha Lance will WIN! I don't think he is the type to do it, if he couldn't go out on top.
I'd also like to mention that the top five consists of three Americans and three Discovery Channel riders.
Lance, George Hincapie and Bobby Julich, who was third in 1997. The other Discovery rider is Luis Jose Rubiera, who is fifth. He is from Spain.

Brian
EDIT: More info..
I just read a bit more on Zabriskie's injuries. Not much yet, but from what I read, the word pain is mentioned a lot. GOD BLESS YOU DAVE!!


GO LANCE!!!!!!!
GO DISCOVERY!
USA! USA! USA!

[Photo-John]

Yesterday I told my boss that I'll be coming in late so that I can watch the Tour every morning without getting up at 5 AM. In our office, everyonen understands that decision

Since I watched the first day, I've been hooked. I've never watched it consistently and I am absolutely loving it. I was always interested and thought it was cool. But watching it every day is different. I've started to see some of the subtlety and recognize more riders. I'm interested in the sprints, the breakaways, and all of the peleton strategizing and jockeying. And now I really want to make the trip and shoot the Tour. Maybe in a couple of years. I think I'll try Paris-Roubais first.

And now I think it's time to move this thread to the off-topic board. Can't be showing any favoritism...

[mtbbrian]

And now I really want to make the trip and shoot the Tour. Maybe in a couple of years. I think I'll try Paris-Roubais first.

And now I think it's time to move this thread to the off-topic board. Can't be showing any favoritism...

I am with you John, I would love to photograph "The Tour", it would be cool to assist Graham Watson!

I figured you'd move this thread eventually.

I have been watching "The Tour" since I was a kid.
I used have this "course" I'd ride in and around my neighborhood, it could have been a mile long, it could have been 10..
I would "race" this course in the summer racing the likes of LeMond, DelGado, Fignon, Hinault, etc, in tow. I would cross the finish line with them sprinting behind me, my arms raised victoriously.
I LOVE THE TOUR!
Brian

GO LANCE!!!!!!!(x7)

[darkman]

I want to follow, and photo, the giro! It's lower key so you can get closer. Plus, I'd be standing on the road side with mostly Italians! I think it would make a fun 3 week vacation.

The MAIN thing I want to know is what Lance and Bernard talk about! Hinault is one of my all time favorite riders. The guy won on the Champs wearing the yellow jersey. Twice! If the opportunity showed itself, I'm sure Lance would try and win a flat stage. Maybe just to avoid a crash? Hah! Remember when Indurain caught the pack sleeping in Belgium and attacked?

John, you may want to consider the Tour of Flanders (Rhonde Vlaanderan) or Liege-Baston-Leige. Both 1 day 170+ mile classics with some cobbles too. What's neat with these is the courses fold back on themselves so you can just keep going from cobbled hill to cobbled hill while the race takes the long route.

Mike

[mtbbrian]

I had heard that Hinault, "welcomed" Lance to the club back in 2003. The Five Time Winner Club, that is.

Brian

[darkman]

I had heard that Hinault, "welcomed" Lance to the club back in 2003. The Five Time Winner Club, that is.

Brian

They seem to get along well. Cheryl was even invited to ride in the car with Hinault the other day.

Mike

[mtbbrian]

They seem to get along well. Cheryl was even invited to ride in the car with Hinault the other day.

Mike

¿Yeah?
I just don't care for Cheryl Crow..
Brian
GO LANCE!!!!!!!(x7)

[mtbbrian]

Back In YELLOW!
Because He's Baaack, Baaack, Back In YELLOW!
He's Back In Yellow!
Brian
GO LANCE!!!!!!!(x7)

[another view]

I have to admit that I don't know much about it, but have heard a lot lately on NPR. They interview a lot of people who have some interesting insight in what's going on. Obviously, it takes a crew to do what he's doing, but the guy is just a machine. Incredible. Go Lance!

Is it OK to admit that I like Sheryl Crow? She has been seen playing bass, after all! ;)

[mtbbrian]

Is it OK to admit that I like Sheryl Crow? She has been seen playing bass, after all! ;)

No sorry Steve, not acceptable whatsoever!
;)
Brian


GO LANCE!!!!!!!(x7)

[Asylum Steve]

Welcome to the club, MB man. For me, the best thing about the Tour is not simply the team and individual strategies, but rather how those strategies CHANGE as the race goes from the flat coastal stages to the mountain stages.

Team Discovery is arguably the best overall team in the tour, but their true talent reveals itself in the mountains. Their main goal now is to get Lance safely through these crazy early flat stages without allowing any of his main rivals to gain much time on him.

Defend or don't defend the yellow jersey now; it all depends on what the other teams and rivals do.

But when Team Discovery gets to the mountains, they will become like a highly trained combat unit, with Lance and Team Director Johan Bruyneel the commanders, George Hincapie the field general, and the group of top mountain specialists (Azevedo, Beltran, Rubiera, etc.) the lieutenants. This team was specifically assembled with the mountain stages in mind.

If all goes according to plan, the team will work together like surgeons to slowly dismantle the competition one by one and set Lance up for incredibly strong finishes and substantial time gaps in these stages.

Last year it was a thing of beauty...

[darkman]

Last year Azevedo took 5th overall. Putting things into perspective, that bad ass! A result most can only wish for.

[mtbbrian]

Well said Steve, but I have a point of contention of your post...
It's not "if things go as planned, it's they will go as planned!
;)
Under Lance's leadership Discovery will slowly and meticulously wear down the peleton. Yesterday's crash at the end shows how thought out and rehearsed Discovery is, George and Popovych did their jobs and did them well!
I can't wait for the "mountain stages", I will as I am sure Lance will to Alp de Huez.
Brian
GO LANCE!!!!!!!(x7)

[drg]

The satellite wasn't working right this morning, so a friend and I resorted to shortwave, the internet feeds, and hoping that our language skills were still good enough!

The announcers were rather excited! The final sprint ( I'd love to have seen it) really seems to tell the tale that Lance is up to the task!

Tomorrow should separate Le Tour winner from the field. Check out the profile for tomorrow, Stage 15, 4 cat 1climbs and and ending climb Beyond Category. Ouch.

http://www.letour.fr/2005/TDF/LIVE/us/1500/dprofil.html

Go Lance!

au revoir

[mtbbrian]

Today's stage was INCREDIBLE!!!
Lance increased his lead, AGAIN, and...
An American and fellow Discovery Channel team member, won the stage!
You Go George!!
I hope Lance wins a stage! I know it's been done before that a TDF winner has won without winning a stage, but It's just the same!
Brian
GO LANCE!!!!!!!(x7)

[Asylum Steve]

The historical irony and significance of this stage was so thick today, I don't think anyone could have scripted it any better.

This marked the ten year anniversary of the death of cyclist Fabio Casartelli, and this was the stage where he had his fatal crash in 1995. He was a teammate of Lance's at the time (on Team Motorola), and Lance has always paid a special tribute to Fabio when the Tour passes through this part of France.

Besides the usual extra motivation for Lance to win this stage, Fabio's wife and child were also at the race today.

Well, as we know, the early break prevented Lance from taking the win on this emotional day, but it did leave the door open for George Hincapie, and with team director Johan Bruyneel's blessing, he had an amazing finish and was able to take his first Tour stage victory.

BTW, in 1995, when Casartelli made the Motorola team for the Tour, he got the final slot. That meant a young American rider was left off the squad.

His name? George Hincapie...

[mtbbrian]

BTW, in 1995, when Casartelli made the Motorola team for the Tour, he got the final slot. That meant a young American rider was left off the squad.

His name? George Hincapie...

You are right about all of that Steve.
Fabio and Lance were very close.
I remember reading about his crash, and how Lance was very distraught.

I didn't know that about George, it makes today even more memorable.
I hope that Lance wins a stage! There are a few real opportunities for a stage win for Lance, including the Time Trial on Saturday!
Brian

GO LANCE!!!!!!!(x7)
Go George!
God Bless You Fabio!

[Asylum Steve]

I hope Lance wins a stage!

Brian,

Lance obviously has a shot at winning Tuesday's final day in the Pyrenees, but it's likely that many will try to attack and break away again, and he has very little incentive at this point to chase them down (doubtful they will be GC contenders). He's more apt to spend the day marking Ivan Basso to make sure he doesn't gain any time.

His best chance for a stage win will come Saturday with the Individual Time Trial in St. Etienne (which, btw is French for Saint Steven!). The ITT is one of Lance's specialties, and with it's length (55.5km), plus the fact that he will go last and know the times of all the other riders, he's got a great shot.

And in case he needed any additional motivation, he would absolutely love to win the final ITT of his career, and put the hammer down emphatically for Sunday's ride into Paris...