Re: Tour de France 2011
 

Like Noodles, I prefer the Giro. And after what I saw from Contador in Italy, I would be surprised if he's not there in Paris at the end.

Re: Tour de France 2011
 

Saxo has a pretty strong TTT team, top 3 for sure.

Re: Tour de France 2011
 

I disagree....:chr

Re: Tour de France 2011
 

it's easy to say that after the race E.J.

Saxo disappointed, Rabo surprised me.

Re: Tour de France 2011
 

For the record, that was not after the race, it was during. It was also posted without having read about or watched a second of the race.... Post was at 7:15 AM local, which would have been 3:15 in France, which if my thinking is correct, Saxo would have been in 1st at the time.....

My comments yesterday back up the fact that I didn't think Saxo would scare anyone in the TTT and that chances were, Contador would lose time today.... Which was spot on...

Re: Tour de France 2011
 

ok, well, I read it after the race.

I expected more from Saxo, but they didn't lose that much time anyway, not like Basso for example.

Re: Tour de France 2011
 

Good for Tyler Farrar! Nice to see him finally get a TdF stage win....

He also became the first American to win a Tour de France stage on July 4.

Re: Tour de France 2011
 

Agree with the Rasmussen. That was too bad for him.

BUT, saying Contador ain't that 'great' is a little bit of a stretch. When the hills gets steeper, he gets better. He is one of my favorite climbers.

Not going to discuss if he doped or not. It's the Spanish Cycling Federation's decision not to suspend him that is a shame. Landis must be wishing he was born in Mayorga, Spain instead of Lancaster, PA. :)

Re: Tour de France 2011
 

Good for Cadel today....first time he has rode across the line 1st in a stage of the TdF. Too bad he didn't know if he won or not, didn't even get to celebrate....:)

Another fun finish....

Re: Tour de France 2011
 

What a dangerous start this has been to the Tour, and two of the accidents wouldn't have happened but for careless drivers. For anyone who may think cyclists aren't tough, today a French TV caused an accident in the lead, breakaway group while attempting to pass. The car hit one rider and knocked him into another, sending the second rider flying off of his bike and into a barbed wire fence. Here's a video of the accident, and here's a picture of the second rider extracting himself from the barbed wire fence (the picture has some blood and half a cyclist's bare rear end). Both went on to finish the rest of the stage today. Accidents are a part of the sport, and many riders (including others today) have had to drop out of the Tour due to very serious accidents, but my thoughts especially go out to Flecha and Hoogerland for being the victims of irresponsible driving today.

Re: Tour de France 2011
 

Here's a video of Hoogerland, overcome with emotion, being awarded his King of the Mountains jersey. I haven't seen whether or not he will withdraw, but I hope he can at least attempt to continue.

Re: Tour de France 2011
 

He's not withdrawing, he actually trained today and said he will defend his jersey until thursday

Re: Tour de France 2011
 

Glad to hear that. If there's any "good" day for a crash, it's the day before a rest day. Hopefully today he'll be able to recover with some tranquility and be able ride the next few stages well.

Re: Tour de France 2011
 

I hope so too, he's a national hero now here in The Netherlands

Re: Tour de France 2011
 

I'm not surprised; he's a world hero now among cycling fans everywhere.

Re: Tour de France 2011
 

...and we have our first positive doping test....Alexandr Kolobnev

http://msn.foxsports.com/cycling/sto...ng-test-071111

Re: Tour de France 2011
 

I don't know which saddens me more: that riders are still illegally doping, or that the UCI's anti-doping controls and policies are such that riders still believe they can get away with illegally doping in a Grand Tour.

Re: Tour de France 2011
 

A new T-shirt for the Dutch, or anyone else impressed by Hoogerland's grit. :tu

Re: Tour de France 2011
 

Frank, Andy, Cadel & Ivan all put time into Cantador...

Re: Tour de France 2011
 

Contador just doesn't have it in him this year. As far behind as he was going into this stage, he had to be the one putting time into the others, not the other way around. If he couldn't do it today he won't be able to at all. He especially suffered when the Schlecks started one-two punching him.

Edit: He couldn't even finish with the group of Basso, Evans, and Andy Schleck.