Tour de France 2009 [LIVE THREAD]

[Mom MD]

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

[leilani]

The time gap in the GC between the leader and the 20th place rides is 34’ 09”. That shows you that only a very few are even close to the top when racing over 20 days and some almost 2,100 miles. For Lance to accomplish that speaks volumes about his abilities, dedication and focus to detail.

Great point.

Another way to consider just what an extraordinary accomplishment this was is that there are talented riders half his age right now who can reasonably be expected to require three-four years of intensive, single-minded, non-stop preparation to even entertain the prospect of finishing in the top half of the entire field crossing the line of this grueling contest in Paris.

So the fact that this 'old fart' on the podium today spent as much time off the bike as these much younger athletes on the 'good side' of their peaks & requiring much shorter recovery times will have spent on it preparing for the respectable goal of ending up in the middle of the pack at best is just pretty darn amazing.

[leilani]

Mine has it on basic I think (comcast), but I just checked & I also have the VersusHD channel a coupla hundred spaces up the lineup! I was under the mistaken impression that Versus was only in HD this year. I can't believe I've been watching the old tech free channel when I had the other in my HD package the whole time - I sure wish you & Dolly had had this discussion at the beginning of the tour! lol

AARGH! Oh well, at least I'm getting to see Paris & later the highlights in high-def.

[leilani]

Guys in the sprinters’ break on the Champs @+30’ with <39 km to go:

Arnoaud Coyot (Caisse d’ Epargne)
Jussi Veikanen (FdJ)
Samuel Dumoulin (Cofidis)
Alexander Pichot (Bbox)
Carlos Barredo (Quick Step)
Fumiyuki Beppu (Skil-Shimano)
Fabian Wegmann (Milram)

Dumoulin took the day’s first intermediate sprint.

[leilani]

Lotsa great shots of ‘your statue’ today from just about every angle, hope you get to watch the finale.

[patriotspride]

” If I were the heirs apparent I would be very nervous about how Lance can perform a year into his comeback.”

Do you think Lance will ride the Tour of Spain to continue his develop his racing form?

[patriotspride]

” As good as Contador is he better get a strong team to back him if he wants to fight off the old man.”

So true. Who, besides Levi, do you see on Lances team next year

[patriotspride]

” in the Netherlands where I lived as a kid there are THREE kisses as opposed to 2 in France “

Lived in Belgium, and they had the same tradition as Netherlands. Makes sense since the Flanders part of the country is primarily Dutch.

[leilani]

SIX kisses for Mark Cavendish - very exciting finish. He just went off like a bottle rocket right before the line! In all, 6 stages for a UK rider. Amazing performance with fantastic help from his team, but Thor stayed right behind him - gets to keep green for 2009?

[lainie]

Well. I know that. Just mentioning it as the only drug case I’ve heard about all tour.

[Mr. Blonde]

I think Kloden has been announced as well. I think with the demise of the Astana team most will follow Bruyneel to Radio Shack. I would like to see Hincapie on the team as well, but I don’t know his feelings after the tour this year. Not to mention, I don’t think anyone wants Radio Shack to be an old timer’s league and Lance, Levi, George and Andreas are all 34+ right now. Something tells me they will want an all-arounder who was in contention for the white jersey in the last decade on the team.

Originally I had said I would like to see them get Tony Martin, but looking at the white jersey standings I see something interesting. Liquigas has the 2nd and 3rd place riders in Nibali and Kreuziger. I would think one of them would be looking for a new team in the future as one of them won’t be the team leader. And at 25 or younger they both have to have aspirations of being team leader and vying for a Tour title.

Normally, moving to a different team to not be a team leader would be out of the question. Radio Shack provides a unique opportunity. As I mentioned the predicted top 3 riders on the team are all on the tail end of their careers. But they have all had tremendous success and would be able to mentor someone in how to be successful especially in the tour as you have 7 titles, a runner-up finish and two thirds. Add to that Bruyneel who is the most successful director and it is a pretty good situation. Certainly waiting a year or two to be the team leader on that team would seem worthwhile. Especially if the understanding was you would be the leader for either the Giro or Tour of Spain.

Other than that I would like to see some American riders on an American team. Garmin actually has quite a few, but I’m not sure how many were on the tour team. Columbia only has 2 in total. I realize the primary goal is to win races, but it would be nice if that was done while bringing along American talent.

[Ready4Freddy]

An American team trifecta on the final Stage; 2 Columbia, 1 Garmin. Impressive.

Guess I kinda slept in today.

[Mr. Blonde]

By 10 points. I don’t think Cav’s dq is enough to answer for that.

[Mom MD]

You deserve to sleep in today.
Thanks for a marvelous job hosting us.
Can you or baynative keep the ping list for next year? I have really enjoyed the commentary this year.

[concentric circles]

Visit Tour de Pez with Edmond Hood at Pez Cycling News.com

Stage 17 descent to Flumet.

Lance, Alberto, and Andy crest the summit at Mt. Ventoux.

Levi, where are you? I can wait as long as it takes.

Yes, I give you one leettle smile. Now go, camera boy. I am so finished with you. No, I will not be on Ventoux. No, I have no phone.

Charlotte.

Smurfs have come down from the mountain.

Father Christmas takes in le Tour on his July holiday.

Everyone is here!

Les sylphides have emerged from the forest.

When you think of the Dutch do you think of Rembrandt, or Vermeer? Well think again! Think Party! Quick, use the wipers. We've got beer on the windshield.

Wrap up another Tour. This is the end.

[Ready4Freddy]

You’re welcome, Mom MD, thanks for starting the thread. GREAT Tour this year!!!

Sure, I’ll keep the ping list, I started w/ leilani’s and added just a few on the way. Bay’s is probably 95% the same, with a few other adds.

I’d be interested in having a thread for the Vuelta a España this year, too.

And maybe we should have a thread on Team Radio Shack as they make announcements and flesh out the team.

[Ready4Freddy]

lol, great wrapup gallery, cc!

[Mom MD]

sounds good to me!

[leilani]

Just heard Phil say next year the tour starts in Rotterdam!

[leilani]

Pics from today @letour.com: