Tour de France -- Individual Time Trial July 24

Tour Website ^ | 7/24/04 | Aeronaut

[luv2ski]

The Posties took back 3'08" on the team competition today but still trail Telekom by 2'04".

[gopwinsin04]

Is there a large prize for best team performance?

I know that Lannce's top lieutenant gets a hefty bounus as voted for by the fans..

[SunkenCiv]

The course that the race organizers thought would defeat Lance has instead succeeded in decimating the rest of the field.

Hey, that's not fair. :') The race is kept more interesting (particularly for the French spectators) if there are slight changes every year. And, in their defense, the French are such drunks that they probably can't remember how they staged it last year. [rimshot!]

[SunkenCiv]

Tour de LANCE

NOT A PING LIST, merely posted to: aeronaut; afphys; baynative; concentric circles; cybercowboy777; drango; forgiven_sinner; gopwinsin04; jern; law is not justice but process; leilani; luv2ski; nittanylion; nutmeg; petronski; texasbluebell; voss; whattajoke

[spokeshave]

"Lance Armstrong actually finishes his time trial BEFORE he started it, and dedicates his stage win to Stephen Hawking " LOL! "

Sorry....he dedicated it to John F'n "flip-flop fop" Kerry in salute to his cycling skills around the park.

[gopwinsin04]

Lance starts at 7:20 AM eastern tomorrow morning. OLN coverage kicks in at 8:00..

[struwwelpeter]

Is that a "Lukoil" emblem on the devil's throat?

[The Scorpion King]

Correction: "That's Tour de Lance."

[luv2ski]

I have searched around the net for information on the various prizes (stages, sprints, overall, etc) and have not unearthed a good source. So- I really don't know what sized prize the team winner might get. I can tell you that like most professional sports, the real $$ is made in endorsements and contracts with the sponsor rather than in prize money. I recall Phil and Paul discussing the overall prize amount and I am nearly certain they said it was around $1mil. (maybe they'll mention it tomorrow). At any rate, Lance always gives the winner's purse to his team. They deserve it and it is a sporting gesture on his part. Although he is an amazing athlete, he could not win without them.

[luv2ski]

They change it every year anyway (clockwise, counter clockwise, different towns, different other country included) but some of the stuff this year was BS in my opinion: the cobblestones, the TT up Alps d'Huez with its psychotic crowds, the brutal mountain stages one after another, the narrow finish lines in the first week with ensuing crashes... I just think Jean Paul leBlanc should sit down and look at this one before they plan next year's route.

[luv2ski]

OK- I did find some info on last year: the total purse was $3 million of which about $400,000 went to Lance as the yellow jersey winner. I would like to know what the sponsor's commitment is to an elite cycling team. In other words, what did the Discovery Channel commit to in their new contract?

[gopwinsin04]

It appears that the halloween costumed 'devil' has an endorsement deal.