Who's Watching the Tour?

[Photo-John]

That would be the Tour de France, for anyone who doesn't know what I'm talking about. Today was the second day, and an American, Zabriskie, has the maillot jaune, (yellow jersey), for the second day in a row. This is a big deal because it's Zabriskie's first Tour de France, and he's one of a few Americans, besides Lance, to win a stage in the past few years.

Photo content? Watching the tour today I saw saw many moments I would have loved to photograph. The sprint at the end was incredible!

Want to know more about the Tour?

http://forums.roadbikereview.com/forumdisplay.php?f=55
http://www.velonews.com/tour2005/index.php
http://sports.yahoo.com/sc/

[SmartWombat]

We have continuous live coverage on satellite TV.
I just hsd to miss a bit to watch the Grand Prix though

[drg]

Three Americans in the top 5. Of course it is only day two.

There is also the official website which has lots of standings information, links to video and some fairly decent photos. You can also read the varying version of the race. Last year there were rather hilarious discrepancies from one day to the next in the Deutsche and Francaise versions.

Viva Le Tour!


The official site:

http://www.letour.fr/

[mtbbrian]

Not only is Zabriskie an American, he is from Utah!!
The only thing I have to say about Le Tour 2005 is:
LANCE RULES and Jan DROOLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
;)
I have better Tour photo content! All of the great photographs Gramham Watson will be getting of Lance as he wins his seventh consecutive Tour!
Brian
GO LANCE!!!!!!!(x7)
USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! That is one for each US rider in the Tour!(9) Can you name the other 7? There is that number again!!!

[Asylum Steve]

Not only is Zabriskie an American, he is from Utah!!

Hey dude, no need to tell us. When he started talking during his interviews, my bro and I knew right away he was a yokel either from the midwest or a mountain state.

Ok, I'm an obnoxious ex-New Yorker, whatdyou expect? But seriously, you have to admit this dude needs to work on his media skills. Truth is, I think he was as shocked as anyone to be in yellow at this point.

Georgie Hincapie, Bobbie Julich, Levi Leipheimer, Floyd Landis, Freddie Rodriguez. That's all I can think of without cheating...

[mtbbrian]

I hear you Steve. Zabriskie is just a rookie at this level, so give him time.
Lance was much the same, maybe even worse when he first arrived.
The others...
Freddy Rodriguez and..
Guido Trenti, who he is? I don't know..
Speaking of riders from Utah. Levi is too!
Brian
GO LANCE!!!!!!!(x7)

[racingpinarello]

So far this has been a great start for the americans, from 3 different teams. Zabriske is no stranger to the podium, having won 3 stages in his first year doing big tours.

Lance's performance in the first stage was amazing, and even though people may think Ullrich didn't do well, he still finished 12th. People were losing two to three minutes so I wouldn't count Jan out. I wouldn't feel so good if I had ran into a window.

I'm just glad that so many different Americans did well, and it's a good omen that American cycling will remain strong without Lance. I've raced for so long to remember that Jacques Boyer was the only person to do the tour. Now we are some of the strongest riders.

My favorite rider is still Freddy Rodriguez of the Lotto team. I hope he has a good sprint, and you never know there may be 4 or 5 different americans winning stages this year. NOW THAT'S AWESOME.

Loren

[mtbbrian]

For as long as I can remember, I have wanted a rider from the USA to win on two certain days... On being today, the "Fourth of July" and the 14, "Bastille Day". And with two strong cyclist from Utah, it would be cool to see them win on the 24th, which is known arround here as "Pioneer Day", when the Mormon pioneers first entered the SL Valley back in 1847.
What else do you know about Freddy Loren? I have never heard of his name in any other race outside of The Tour.
Brian
GO LANCE!!!!!!!(x7)
GOD BLESS AMERICA!

[Asylum Steve]

Brian, I listed Rodriguez. The last one is Chris Horner, of the Saunier Duval-Prodir team.

BTW, Trenti was born in Italy, but has an American mother...

[mtbbrian]

Brian, I listed Rodriguez. The last one is Chris Horner, of the Saunier Duval-Prodir team.

BTW, Trenti was born in Italy, but has an American mother...

That's what I meant to put, Steve, he and Trenti are ones I absolutly nothing about.
I kind of figured that was the story about Trenti.
I know a lot about The Tour, but not everything. I have been following ever since I was a kid. It's the only sports event I follow, so I get all of that kind of stuff out in July.
Anyway....
Brian
GO LANCE!!!!!!!(x7)

[drg]

I've raced for so long to remember that Jacques Boyer was the only person to do the tour.

Remember Mike Neel? I am trying to remember if he was in the Tour, I know he spent some time in Europe and raced for Peugeot for a while I believe?

Another old biker (well I don't ride much due to injury and arthritis ...) in the way back when mindset. Happens every year a Tour de France time!

[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]

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!

[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)

[brianc]

Watching the Tour.......yep yep. I just made the people in the Williamsburg Hooters watch the team time trial. Most couldn't figure out how they could turn left AND right, let alone not burn fossel feul.

[QUOTE=mtbbrian]NoGramham WatsonQUOTE]


I picked up his book at the Boston bike show this winter. truely inspiring. Bri are you going to the RMH gatherning? I'll be there friday and saturday.

[mtbbrian]

No, I won't be able to make that gathering Bri. I hope you get some great pics though!
I have been spending a lot of time with this passion lately, haven't been riding all that much.
I bet that Graham Watson book is AWESOME!
Brian

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

[racingpinarello]

Hey Brian,

Freddy has been racing for a long time. I've seen him race in the bay area when he was with Saturn and it was a different world.

He's a fast sprinter, and has been national pro champion for at least two years. If it wasn't for the breakaway this year, he would've won it again.

As for the tour, I feel bad for Zabriske because the CSC team probably would've won the TTT had it not been for the crash, and he would still be wearing the yellow jersey.

Loren

[mtbbrian]

Thanks for the info on Freddy Loren.
Like I have mentioned, I have only heard of his name in The Tour.
Brian
GO LANCE!!!!!!!(x7)

[darkman]

I'm just glad that so many different Americans did well, and it's a good omen that American cycling will remain strong without Lance.
Loren

As another racer I'm hoping this is true. However, I am concerned. The emphasis is the tour de lance, not tour de france. People who watch still don't get it. I think this is unfortunate.

Tennis, another highly international sport, went through this in the US. The big emphasis was Pete and Andre. When they stopped being dominant, or retired, tennis viewer ratings went down. The people in the US only watched because of P and A. Now, and I do notice this, USTA is trying to emphasise the sport over, let's say Andy.

I've already noticed a cutback on overall cycling coverage. For a couple of years they were showing the gyro, vuelta, and the classics as their own shows. But lance didn't do these, the ratings flopped, and the shows got yanked. This is why I was hoping lance would focus on other races this year and skip the tdf. It may have helped US cycling more in the long run.

As a racer, it kind of annoy's me all these people who are so pro lance instead of pro cycling. Personally, I wouldn't mind seeing lance get beat. A change of guard. Don't get me wrong, it would be nice in another american one. Another non-retireing american winning at least get decent covereage next year. Or, if the sport was promoted over lance....

[mtbbrian]

Pro American Cycling YES! Pro Lance YES!
I thought OLN covered the Giro this year?
I LOVE watching "The Tour", I would watch it no matter what, but I especially love it when there are American riders doing well. The trouble is there are only nine Amercian riders, when compared to the 35 Germans and so on. I'd feel the same if it were Freddy, Guido or Chris.
As far as I am concerned Lance has done a lot for American Racing.
I say as long as one American racer is doing this well it can only help American Racing no matter what.
I say give Lance his due for Seven and it will do wonders for the up and comers, like Zabriskie, Landis, Leiphimer, and beyond.
I am sure it is doing a lot for road racing. Now if something would ever spark American mountain biking racing all would be well!!
;)
Brian
USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA!
GO LANCE!!!!!!!(x7)