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Tour de France 2009 [LIVE THREAD]

Posted on 07/04/2009 8:09:14 AM PDT by Mom MD

Today is day one! Armstrong riding. Astana is back! Predictions? Other comments? Does someone have the ping list from last year?


TOPICS: Sports
KEYWORDS: armstrong; astana; contador; cycling; cyrildessel; letour; oopers; tdf; tour; tourdefrance
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To: Bubba Ho-Tep

Possible. I like everything about the race. I think Contador plans on riding for the new Spanish team being formed. As I said before I wouldn’t mind seeing Bradley Wiggins being the team leader of Livestrong-Nike-TBD. I would love for the team to be primarily American in makeup, but if Wiggins finishes strong in this week he would only get stronger being mentored by LA and Bruyneel.


441 posted on 07/21/2009 12:42:27 PM PDT by Mr. Blonde (You ever thought about being weird for a living?)
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To: ScaniaBoy; All

From LA:

Just heard from Frank Schleck that Jens is doing ok. Good news.
29 minutes ago from UberTwitter

Dunno what ‘OK’ means, however.


442 posted on 07/21/2009 12:49:54 PM PDT by Ready4Freddy (The time has come for someone to put his foot down. And that foot is me.)
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To: Ready4Freddy

OK means he’s alive.

He took a nasty, hard slide down the pavement on the right side of his face.

Some grusome pictures are out on the web already. The pictures show his eyes open but they looked to be spining in oposite directions.

Another of those “Oh, Cra...” BANG moments of the tour.


443 posted on 07/21/2009 12:58:29 PM PDT by PeteB570 (NRA - Life member and Black Rifle owner)
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To: PeteB570

Yup, I see them now. Won’t post any out of respect for the guy.


444 posted on 07/21/2009 1:49:43 PM PDT by Ready4Freddy (The time has come for someone to put his foot down. And that foot is me.)
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To: Ready4Freddy
The tailhooks are made of the rarest, lightest, strongest, most expensive material known to mankind - unobtainium.

hahahahahahahaha!

445 posted on 07/21/2009 2:50:04 PM PDT by luv2ski
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To: Ready4Freddy

Someone should give you a mike and a stage! haha!
“I’ll be here all week! Don’t forget to tip your waiter!”


446 posted on 07/21/2009 2:51:19 PM PDT by luv2ski
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To: luv2ski

Tell your friends. Try the veal.


447 posted on 07/21/2009 2:52:09 PM PDT by Ready4Freddy (The time has come for someone to put his foot down. And that foot is me.)
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To: luv2ski

It was great to see LA successfully bridge today, wasn’t it? Hella race all around (except for Cadel).


448 posted on 07/21/2009 2:56:53 PM PDT by Ready4Freddy (The time has come for someone to put his foot down. And that foot is me.)
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Comment #449 Removed by Moderator

To: Baynative

Or something w/ ‘tofu’ in the name.


450 posted on 07/21/2009 8:13:32 PM PDT by Ready4Freddy (The time has come for someone to put his foot down. And that foot is me.)
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To: Baynative

I believe the estimate is 20-25 million to run a team for a year. They already have one non-profit sponsor I can’t imagine they will go with another. I try to think of cool companies. Maybe it is Apple.

“Need a Tour de France title? There’s a team for that”


451 posted on 07/21/2009 8:32:08 PM PDT by Mr. Blonde (You ever thought about being weird for a living?)
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To: Ready4Freddy
Tell your friends. Try the veal.

You would fit well into my family! :-D

452 posted on 07/21/2009 11:09:44 PM PDT by luv2ski
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To: Ready4Freddy
It was great to see LA successfully bridge today, wasn’t it? Hella race all around (except for Cadel).

It wasn't until tonight that I actually got to see the rest of the coverage. Geez! 5+ hours? Wow. I had watched the last climb live before I had to run out to an appt so I knew that Lance bridged the gap. Tonight I watched it with my husband and one of my sons but didn't say anything. When Lance started moving across that gap it was so cool! It was the old Lance! Yeah, baby!! I am psyched for tomorrow! The Schleck boys will be attacking again. You can count on that. Hope Jens is OK. Seeing that crash again was just sickening.

453 posted on 07/21/2009 11:14:40 PM PDT by luv2ski
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To: luv2ski

Day 17: Up the second hill of the day.

Hushovdt in the lead (Go Norway!!) 1:05 in front of a group of 21.

The main group with LA, Contador, Wiggins etc another 4 minutes back.

On virtual classification Sandy Casar has made it to second place 1’20”” behind Contador.


454 posted on 07/22/2009 5:12:45 AM PDT by ScaniaBoy (Part of the Right Wing Research & Attack Machine)
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To: ScaniaBoy

One reason the main group is so far behind may be that Contador had a puncture and Astana had problems getting his gear to work. So they reduced the tempo up front to help C catch up.


455 posted on 07/22/2009 5:18:10 AM PDT by ScaniaBoy (Part of the Right Wing Research & Attack Machine)
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To: ScaniaBoy
No news on Jens Voigt yet, but Swedish Eurosport commentators don’t think he will be able to finish the stage. It was a bad fall.

YIKES! I saw that crash late last night on the recap so I checked first thing this morning. There's a twitter from Lance that he'll be ok. Elsewhere I read that he had lost consciousness for a few minutes so they'll be required to put him through all the usual scans, but it looks like he'll be ok. There are pictures of him right after & it was bloody - his face was torn up terribly, for sure.

And just as I am typing this post, his TM Bjarne Riis is being interviewed on Versus & says he'll be fine, thank heavens. Phil Liggett elaborates that Jen's now sitting up in bed in hospital in Grenoble but will remain under observation. He's out of the tour though, obviously.

456 posted on 07/22/2009 5:42:03 AM PDT by leilani
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To: 21stCenturion; Aeronaut; alfa6; BaBaStooey; Baynative; big ern; Blue Jays; bwteim; cabojoe; ...
Tour de France 2009

STAGE 17 - Bourg-Saint-Maurice > > Le Grand-Bornand - 169.5 km

Wednesday, July 22, 2009


High Mountains - A sporting perspective

This is the Tour’s densest mountain stage with five passes that count towards the best-climber classification. The challenges will rise with the terrain and the relatively short distance promises a decisive struggle between the front-runners. The climb to Romme Pass, a Tour first, will make the ascent to Colombière Pass, which starts at Reposoir, even more gruelling.


Stage 17 Preview
By Phil Liggett

After an Alpine journey through three countries, the 17th stage of the Tour is completely in France...and in the Alps....all day. It is the most difficult day of the race this year and it is guaranteed to see changes to the overall classification.

Five major passes will be stormed by the 161 survivors , starting with the daunting ascent of the Cormet de Roselend. It was on this climb in 2007 when Australians Michael Rogers and Stuart O'Grady crashed as they raced the course from the Grand Bornand to Tignes.

On this occasion,( both riders are still in the event this year) they will race the opposite way from Bourg Saint Maurice to the Grand Bornand on a course that will end with the tough climb of the Col de la Colombiere before dropping in the finish.

The first time climb of the Col de Romme, like the Colombiere is very steep, and comes just before the latter. It is likely that the moves will happen within the first 10 miles on the Roselend, leaving the contenders to fight an epic battle over a most beautiful route through the Alps.

The Romme, ridden by Lance Armstrong in training, is, says Lance, a very hard climb indeed.

Let battle begin.


(Stage Preview - versus.com; All else - letour.com)

457 posted on 07/22/2009 6:31:07 AM PDT by Ready4Freddy (The time has come for someone to put his foot down. And that foot is me.)
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To: leilani

whah? they started without me?


458 posted on 07/22/2009 6:32:21 AM PDT by Ready4Freddy (The time has come for someone to put his foot down. And that foot is me.)
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To: Ready4Freddy

Wiggins will be able to keep some people up tonight if he just sticks with them. Especially if he does so without much difficulty like he has so far. By the sound of it the Schlecks are far more worried about Wiggins than Contador at this point.


459 posted on 07/22/2009 6:36:30 AM PDT by Mr. Blonde (You ever thought about being weird for a living?)
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To: All
Tour de France 2009

STAGE 17 - Bourg-Saint-Maurice > > Le Grand-Bornand - 169.5 km

Wednesday, July 22, 2009


Profile of the Stage

Stage17 Profile


Profile of Last Kilometers

Route

Stage15 Route


(Stage Preview - versus.com; All else - letour.com)
460 posted on 07/22/2009 6:39:44 AM PDT by Ready4Freddy (The time has come for someone to put his foot down. And that foot is me.)
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