Samuel Sanchez wins today's stage. Albasini retains the overall lead by a minute and a half, leading me to believe he will win the race. http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/11446/Volta-a-Catalunya-Sanchez-grabs-stage-with-late-attack.aspx Olympic road race champion Samuel Sanchez has clocked up his first win of the season, attacking hard with just over two kilometres from the end of todays penultimate stage of the Volta a Catalunya. The Euskaltel Euskadi surged on a short ramp, got a gap and held off the hard-chasing main bunch. GreenEdge rider Allan Davis led the group in for second place, two seconds back, with Julien Simon (Saur Sojasun) third and Saxo Banks Juan Jose Haedo netting fourth. Overnight leader Michael Albasini finished safely in this group and preserved his advantage over the next riders. Sanchez said he used specific tactics to take the win. "It was the most complicated stage for me to achieve the victory, he explained afterwards. The climb did more damage than expected. The race went crazy at the time and nobody was able to take control. Then, in the first lap [of two finishing circuits], I saw the ramp of the last two kilometres that could have a greater role than expected. On the descent from Alt de Conrera I launched myself and then risked a lot on the corners in the town, more than I expected, to try to get the win even though I thought I was going to crash. In the end, I could do it and get a victory with emotion, which pleased me. Davis hasnt taken an international win since the Commonweath Games road race in 2010, and was both motivated and frustrated by the result. It was a technical finish in the middle of a small city with quite a lot of corners, he explained. There was a slight uphill ramp at just over two kilometres to go, and thats where the stage winner, Samuel Sanchez, made his move. He showed a lot of class, strength and technical skills in the final. I followed the other quick guys that were left in the front group. I found myself behind JJ Haedo of Saxo and I used my instincts to make a good run for the last 100 metres. Its a bit unfortunate that Samuel came in ahead of the front group. Still, its good to know Ill be on the mark for the big sprints with a bit more time. Sanchez move moved him up to second overall in the race. Hell begin tomorrows final stage one minute 30 seconds behind Albasini. Jurgen Van den Broeck (Lotto Belisol), Dan Martin (Garmin Barracuda) and Rigoberto Uran (Sky Procycling) are two seconds further back. Albasinis directeur sportif Neil Stephens is becoming more confident. Yesterday was a really tricky day as was the day before that, he said. Tomorrow is going to be similar to those two stages. Im really happy with how the boys have been riding. I see them using their heads as much as they use their legs. The boys are tired, but they know the rest of the field is tired, too. If we can ride the same way we did yesterday, we have a really good chance of taking out the race win. Read more: http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/1...abs-stage-with-late-attack.aspx#ixzz1q6jYnHDd
Albasini did indeed win. http://www.sbs.com.au/cyclingcentral/road/news/35445/albasini-wins-volta-a-catalunya Albasini, winner of the first two stages, finished 1min 30sec ahead of Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel-Euskadi) in the final general classification, with Jurgen Van den Broeck, of Lotto-Belisol, in third place at 1min 32sec. "I need to thank the team for the work that they've done throughout the week," said Albasini. "This is an important win for me personally and for the team. It would have been impossible without them." The seventh and final stage, a 119.8km ride between Badalona and Barcelona, was won by Julien Simon of the Saur-Sojasun team. He was followed to the finish by Francesco Gavazzi (Astana) and Damiano Cunego (Lampre-ISD) in a sprinters' finish contested mostly by climbers. The victory was the second for Simon, who also won the fifth stage of the race between Asco et Manresa. Albasini, 31, who won a stage on the 2011 Vuelta a Espana, triumphed in a dramatic week-long Volta a Catalunya that saw the third stage shortened because of snow and an accident on Saturday's sixth stage. The final stage between Badalona and Barcelona included three category three climbs and a category one climb. An early break of nine riders rode out to a lead of two minutes but the last rider from the break (Alexsandr Dyachenko of the Astana team) was caught with 30km to go. A composed Albasini stayed with the lead group on the final climb and on the technical descent to the finish. "I had Daryl (Impey) with me on the final climb," explained Albasini. "He has been by my side throughout the entire week. Each of my teammates did everything we asked them to do. They rode an incredible race, and I'm happy to pay them back by finishing off the job with the win." Before the finish by Simon, Tom Danielson (Garmin-Barracuda) attacked out of the peloton and joined Dyachenko at the front of the race. On the penultimate climb, the second category Alt de Tibidabo, Danielson dropped the Astana rider while the chasing group splintered behind him as they attempted to control the gap. Danielson was eventually brought back and it was the turn of Luis Leon Sanchez (Rabobank) to launch a counter-attack, using his descending skills to build a lead of more than a minute. However Sanchez was caught well before the finish. The race saw a umber of attacks on the final climb of the Alt de Vallvidrera but the peloton was in the mood for a sprint finish after a difficult week of racing.
And Cadel Evans wins the Criterium International. Evans was last years winner of the TDF. For you layabouts, the Criterium International is a three day race featuring different aspects of the cycle racing, from road to time trials. Want to see an impressive feat of athleticism? Watch the video at the link starting at about the 2 minute mark. These guys are flying uphill. http://www.sbs.com.au/cyclingcentral/news/35447/Evans-wins-Criterium-International The 35-year-old Australian held on comfortably in the day's final climb up to Col de l'Ospedale to win his first race on French soil since his historic 2011 Tour de France victory. Pierrick Fedrigo (FDJ-BigMat) won the stage in a closely contested sprint from Rinaldo Nocentini (Ag2r-La Mondiale) and Lars-Peter Nordhaug (Team Sky) to finish second overall, eight seconds adrift of Evans. "Its my first victory wearing the FDJ jersey and Im delighted," said Fedrigo. Evans took the lead of the two-day, three-stage race by winning the second stage time-trial by 0.3 seconds over compatriot Michael Rogers (Team Sky). "Yesterday was a good indication and a nice confidence boost," Evans said. "Sometimes things go well and it all comes together. Up until this point, I had trouble bringing things together. But I knew to keep working at it and things would come together. It's a good indication, but we have big races still to come." Rogers, who was in second place overnight, placed third overall after finishing the undulating 179km Corsican trek from Porto Vecchio to Col de l'Ospedale in eighth position. A three-man break containing George Bennett (RadioShack-Nissan-Trek), Matteo Montaguti (Ag2r-La Mondiale) and Nicolas Vogondy (Cofidis) spent the majority of the stage in front but they were collected by the peloton as they hit the lower slopes of the Col de l'Ospedale. With 18 riders within 15 seconds of the lead, BMC kept the pace high on the Col de lOspedale, and In the final 16km, Evans showed he was on target for a Tour de France defence with a commanding performance, easily countering any moves made by his rivals. Alexandre Geniez (Project 1t4i) was the first to challenge Evans, then Lars-Petter Nordhaug took his turn at the front with less than 3km remaining. The response from Evans was immediate with the Tour de France champion easily covering attacking moves by Nordhaug, then Rinaldo Nocentini (Ag2r-La Mondiale). Heading into the final kilometre Rogers and the rest of the pelotonhad dropped off the pace leaving Evans in control with just Fedrigo, Nocentini and Nordhaug keeping him company to the finish. "As a team we worked really well today," said Evans said. "Today, the young guys started out and I think for them it was an honor for them to ride in a part of France for the yellow jersey." When the road pitched steeply upward inside the final three kilometers, Evans put in a dig of his own to reduce a group of less than 10 to the final four, which did not include Rogers, who was tied with him on time. "As a race with three short stages, it's sometimes a little bit difficult to manage with the time bonuses (at the finish) and a mountain top finish," Evans said.
Interesting article. I have never heard of this race, and I am truly amazed. A race across the US that has a 12 day time limit on it. 12 days. From California to Maryland in 12 days. On a bike. Now as a cyclist, i will be the firs tto admit there is a lot of pushing yourself beyond your limit going on. There are double centuries, 200 miles in a day. There is the Death Ride, which I so want to train for and complete. Personally, I ride a race every year that goes up 3,100 feet in less than 11 miles. But to ride across the US in 12 days is insane. http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/other-sports/6652646/Kiwi-cyclist-eyes-more-US-endurance-hell It has been described by one race winner as physically harder than climbing Mount Everest. Now, a 53-year-old Kiwi is taking on one of the toughest cycling challenges in the world - for the second time. Last year, Ron Skelton became the first Kiwi to compete solo in the Race Across America (RAAM), a 5000km cycling race through 12 American states from California to Maryland. The 25-time Ironman New Zealand finisher completed the race in 11 days, 13 hours and 37 minutes, just over nine hours within the 12 day deadline. Relay teams are also able to enter but are given only 9 days to finish the event, which includes 170, 000 feet worth of hill climbs. RAAM differs from most cycling events in that it is one continuous race. The clock does not stop from when the racers start to when they cross the finish line and most average only a couple of hours sleep per day. Three-time champion Wolfgang Fasching of Austria, who has also climbed Mount Everest, said the race was more physically and mentally draining than scaling the world's highest peak. This year, Skelton will aim to become the first Kiwi to complete the race twice. "It's a challenge," said Skelton. "I just want to go faster, do it for the love of cycling and keep doing it while I am still able. The oldest male finisher in RAAM records is 62, so gotta be in while you can." While the goal last year was just to finish, Skelton said this year the aim is to better his time. He aims to do more base training and at least two 24-hour rides a month in order to break the 11 day mark. "That works out at just under a kilometre an hour faster than my average speed last year."
5 Days 5 days untilt he greatest sporting event that I am aware of, the Tour de France. This years' favorites, well, Evnas could be defending. Wiggins has had an awesome spring. If I had to pick a bit of a longshot, Frank Schleck ha been riding awesome as of late, and with a longer race than some of the spring classics he may be able to overcome his inability to TT. Cool link with all of the info anyone could want on the greatest athletic contest known to man. http://www.letour.fr/us/index.html
I live downtown so biking is the best and easiest way to get around. I also bike every other day and get my heart rate into a particular range for about an hour. This town built a Cultural Trail that goes around downtown which is fantastic and I live about a block from the Monon Trail which goes something like 16 miles one way and connects to the Cultural Trail. From where I live, I could live entirely without a car since a grocery store (in the picture) is about a mile away on the trail. I am not ready to do that yet though but I know people that do. I also have a Bike Friday travel bike that I can take with me on trips and fits into a Samsonite suitcase. The bike folded also fits in the trunk of my little car which is also great. I had it built with drop bars and it rides like a road bike.
One of our local residents, who has not driven in 20 years. Now he lives 15 miles form where he works. not far, but in the rain? The middle of winter? Crazy. I try to commute twice a week on my bike, which is 35 miles round trip. http://www.bikesonoma.org/bcoy2012
The prologue is over. 4 miles of individual TT. Shocker, Cancellara won the stage. http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/sports/54409216-77/cancellara-tour-france-prologue.html.csp LIEGE, Belgium • Fabian Cancellara of Switzerland won the Tour de France prologue for a fifth time on Saturday, beating title hopeful Bradley Wiggins of Britain by seven seconds. "What a great opening — again!" said Cancellara. France’s Sylvain Chavanel was third, also 7 seconds back, after the winding 4-mile time trial in Liege. Cancellara is unquestionably the world’s best time-trial rider, but the veteran isn’t considered a Tour contender because he, unlike Wiggins, often struggles in the mountains. Cadel Evans of Australia began his title defense in 13th place, 17 seconds behind Cancellara. "I did the most I could. It’s not always easy. I always do the maximum," Cancellara said after winning in 7 minutes, 13 seconds. "It’s a great feeling and this certainly takes some of the pressure off." All of Cancellara’s prologue victories have been outside France. The first came in the same Belgian city in 2004, when he beat seven-time Tour winner Lance Armstrong by 2 seconds, then in London in 2007, Monaco in 2009, and Rotterdam in 2010. At the first time check, around the midway point, he led Chavanel by one second then accelerated to the finish. Wiggins, a three-time Olympic champion who is hoping to become the first Briton to win the Tour, said going into the prologue that Cancellara was "the best in the world" when it comes to time trials. "I finished second, so that’s a good thing," said Wiggins. "Physically I felt fantastic. I didn’t take any major risk because there were a lot of tricky sections." Evans, too, said he’d expected to be outclassed in the short prologue, and put his ride into a broader perspective.
Peter Sagan, the 22 year old phenom, easily won today's stage. Cancellara retains the overall for now. Wiggins is just seconds behind. A very flat stage. Tour de France 2012: Peter Sagan wins first stage in sprint finish as Fabian Cancellara retains yellow jersey Peter Sagan, a near-certainty to win the green jersey one day - maybe even this year - claimed his first Tour de France stage in some style as Bradley Wiggins maintained second place overall. An otherwise soporific stage suddenly became hectic and fraught during its climax as the peloton fractured up the steep 1.2-mile climb to the finish at Seraing. While Sagan, at 22 the youngest stage winner since Lance Armstrong in 1993, stamped his class on proceedings, defending champion Cadel Evans unsuccessfully launched a minor attack on Wiggins in an attempt to claw back some of the 10 seconds he lost to the British contender during Saturday’s prologue. Evans is a force of nature on such finishes. He will test Wiggins again this week, with a couple of fierce uphill sprints in prospect, not least in Boulogne. But Wiggins knew exactly what was coming, having trained for just such days. At the start of the climb, the Sky team leader moved steadily through the field to tuck in behind Evans before tracking him all the way to the line, finishing in the bunch just behind Sagan. One of Wiggins’s specific, almost daily, training drills at his camps in Tenerife this year has been to replicate such an attack and to respond with an intense short burst. That was a weakness of his two years ago when Sky made their Tour debut. Related Articles Tour de France race details 01 Jul 2012 Sagan powers to maiden win 01 Jul 2012 TdF, stage one: as it happened 01 Jul 2012 Wiggins second in prologue 30 Jun 2012 Tour de France race details 30 Jun 2012 TdF prologue: as it happened 30 Jun 2012 He will be pleased with his efforts on Sunday, especially as Sky endured a chaotic run-in, with Michael Rogers involved in a minor crash 25km from home and Chris Froome puncturing nine miles from the finish. Richie Porte and Christian Knees were sent back to help Froome but the peloton was moving at 44mph by then and they could not claw it back. Froome eventually finished 1min 41 sec behind the winner while Porte and Knees, having emptied the tanks, came home more than four minutes back. These early days are fraught for general-classification contenders. The priority is always to get through safely with the minimum loss of time. Anything else is a bonus. “It was pretty sketchy at times,” team principal Dave Brailsford admitted. “It got really nervous once that first crash happened. Brad drifted back at one stage but he was with Bernie Eisel and it was easier to move up on the climb than on the flat. He just waited for that and moved up very comfortably on the outside. I don’t think people can attack Brad on these punchy little climbs anymore. We’ve come through it, the first day’s done. Still here to fight another day.” Sagan is the sport’s next superstar, the archetypal baby-faced assassin with a Merckx-like appetite for victory. He can compete on every terrain except the highest mountains and the flattest sprint. Everywhere else he roams with predatory intent. The young Slovak, from the town of Zilina, arrived at the Tour with a remarkable recent record, having won five stages on the Tour of California and four on the Tour of Switzerland. On Sunday he calmly called Fabian Cancellara’s bluff when the race leader tried to wave him through to “assist” after they had broken clear. He then accelerated to leave the Swiss rider and Edvald Boasson Hagen behind. Sagan preened a little too much for the liking of some as he crossed the line but, in truth, there was plenty to preen about. Until the final climb, it had been an eerily quiet opening stage. That might be no coincidence. There has been so much carnage in recent years during the opening exchanges, with potential podium riders regularly being carted off to hospital, that the peloton seemed to observe an unwritten agreement to save the fireworks until the end. That could again be the case on Monday. Unless something very odd happens during the 129-mile stage from Visé to Tournai, which has only one category-four climb, we should be treated to the first proper duel between the pure sprinters. André Greipel and Matt Goss appear to have the strongest trains this year. It will be fascinating to see if Mark Cavendish operates within a small self-contained unit alongside Boasson Hagen and Eisel or if he chooses to freestyle down the finishing straight, hopping from train to train. Cavendish, having indicated that he was not going for the green jersey this year, surprised some by keenly contesting the intermediate sprint behind the six-man break, just being beaten into eighth by Goss. Later in the day he sat up at the foot of the finishing climb, making no attempt to contest it. “He said he felt good, but once he knew he wasn’t going to be competitive, there’s no point emptying the tank for no reason,” Brailsford said. “He sat up. He knew that Eddy was there trying to battle for the stage.” Share 48 Facebook 36 Twitter 12 Email LinkedIn 0 Tour de France Sport » Brendan Gallagher » Cycling » Bradley Wiggins » External Links Tour de France (available in English) International Cycling Union (UCI) Liquigas-Cannondale In Tour de France Interactive stage guide to the Tour Dan Martin - Tour de France 2012: teams and riders Teams and rider list Thomas Voeckler - Cycling on television Tour de France on TV
Cavendish wins today's stage. Interesting, as he has no lead out train. His team is there to fully support Wiggins, yet he managed to draft and sprint to win by less than a bike length. So will it happen again? Or is this a sign of discord on Team Sky? http://www.sfgate.com/sports/article/Cavendish-wins-2nd-stage-Cancellara-leads-at-Tour-3679110.php TOURNAI, Belgium (AP) — Mark Cavendish led a tight sprint to the finish Monday to win the second stage of the Tour de France, while Fabian Cancellara retained the overall leader's yellow jersey after the mostly flat ride across Belgium. The top overall standings didn't change as defending champion Cadel Evans of Australia and fellow title contender Bradley Wiggins of Britain trailed close behind in the pack after the 129-mile ride from Vise to Tournai. Cavendish collected his 21st Tour stage victory and proved he remains the rider to beat in Tour sprints. He also won three stages in the Giro d'Italia and two in the Tour of Oman this year. The 27-year-old from the Isle of Man has been left largely to fend for himself this year because his Sky team is focusing on helping Wiggins become Britain's first Tour winner. "It's quite nice. I came into this sprint day with really the least pressure I've ever had in a Tour stage," Cavendish said. "Normally in the past, I've had a full dedicated team. Normally I win by some bike lengths. Today I had to lunge at the line, so you see that it wasn't too easy." Cavendish is renowned for his short fuse and he rebuffed a reporter who suggested that Sky appeared to have two goals — success for him in the quest for the green jersey given to the best sprinter, and Wiggins' hopes for the yellow. "There are not two objectives. There's one objective," Cavendish said gruffly. He also sought to dispel speculation that he might be looking ahead to the London Olympics at which he will be one of the favorites to win gold in the road race. "It (the Tour) is the most beautiful race of the year for me," he said. "Here, it's the Tour de France ... I can't say the Olympics are more important." Cancellara kept the lead for a third straight day after winning the opening-day prologue Saturday. Wiggins remains second, 7 seconds back, and Evans is a further 10 seconds behind in eighth place. The riders' only climbing challenge of the day was a winding, low-grade ascent up the citadel of Namur, a medieval town that is the capital of the French-speaking Wallonia region of Belgium and hosts an annual beer festival in the spring. The flat layout helped riders keep pace with each other in a tight pack against the wind, setting the stage for a sprint finish. Three breakaway riders, including Anthony Roux of France with an injured left wrist which hung limply by his handlebars, led for most of the day. The pack swallowed up Roux, the last to hold out, with a little less than nine miles left. On Tuesday, the three-week race returns home to France for more mostly flat stages. First up, a 122-mile trek from Orchies to the English Channel fishing town of Boulogne-sur-Mer.
And Sagan wins today's. Not sure what to make of this kid, Even with an accident a few hundred meters from the end thinning the field, he resoundingly dominated with no lead out. Either he is an incredible phenom or he is on some really good PED's. http://www.mercurynews.com/other-sports/ci_21002028/tour-de-france-peter-sagan-captures-third-stage BOULOGNE-SUR-MER, France -- Peter Sagan is picking up where he left off in May at the Tour of California. The 22-year-old Slovakian won the Tour de France's Stage 3 on Tuesday, his second stage victory of cycling's premier race. Sagan won five of eight stages in California. Competing in his first Tour de France, Sagan mastered a tricky uphill finish and schooled many older riders on the last of five small climbs over the 122-mile ride from Orchies to the fishing port of Boulogne-sur-Mer. With the pack split up because of crashes, Sagan bolted ahead with less than 300 meters left. He crossed the line several lengths -- and one second -- ahead of 46 other riders in his wake. He then went cinematic, pumping his arms in the running style of fictional antihero Forrest Gump at the behest of his Liquigas teammates. "It's a thing I'd discussed with my teammates about what kind of gesture I'd do on the line," Sagan said. "Everybody said, 'Do a Forrest Gump,' because when he was told to run, he ran. And when I'm told to win, I win." Even leaders of rival teams were marveling at Sagan's skill and potential. "You've got to give Sagan credit for the way he's riding at the minute. When you see something like that you just have to stand back and admire it, and smile and say well done," Team Sky manager Dave Brailsford said. Switzerland's Fabian Cancellara retained the leader's yellow jersey for a fourth consecutive day after winning the opening-day prologue Saturday. Bradley Wiggins and third-place Sylvain Chavanel are seven seconds behind. Defending champ Cadel Evans rose one spot to seventh, 17 seconds behind. Sagan was 15th, another six seconds slower. Belgium's Philippe Gilbert, who last year had 18 victories in all competitions, tumbled from his bike and lost time. He straggled across the finish line 7 minutes, 46 seconds after Sagan, plunging to 104th place overall after starting the day in seventh.
Cheatstrong lives! Dopestrong is the ticket! Yes, rumor has it that Lance's teammates, the ones that have not outed him already, are about to out him. Most notable are Levi and Hincapie. Levi is one of his closest friends, and has been for years. Yet Levi did not resign with Radio Shack this year. Hincapie was on the same team with Lance, Postal, Discovery, and Astana, during all of his TDF wins. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/06/s...mmates-to-testify-against-armstrong.html?_r=1 Several of Lance Armstrong’s former teammates, including George Hincapie, the rider who was by his side for all of Armstrong’s seven Tour de France victories, will testify in the United States Anti-Doping Agency’s case against Armstrong and several of his associates, said two people close to the investigation. Levi Leipheimer, Christian Vande Velde and David Zabriskie — American riders who are now competing in the Tour de France — will also be witnesses for the antidoping agency, which last week charged Armstrong with doping and playing a key role in a doping conspiracy while on the United States Postal Service and Discovery Channel teams. The two people with knowledge of the case requested anonymity because the investigation was continuing. None of those riders responded on Thursday to attempts to contact them. At the Tour on Thursday, Hincapie declined to comment to reporters about his role in the antidoping agency’s case because his team “has nothing to do with this.” “I feel like I’ve always done the right thing for the sport,” said Hincapie, who is riding in his 17th Tour, adding that he sympathizes with Armstrong. “I’m sad he is going through this,” he said. “He’s done so many things for the sport. His accomplishments are incredible.” On Thursday, the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf reported that Hincapie, Leipheimer, Vande Velde, Zabriskie and Jonathan Vaughters, a former Armstrong teammate who now runs the Garmin-Sharp team, arranged a deal with the antidoping agency to serve six-month sentences, beginning in September, in exchange for incriminating information on Armstrong. In a statement, the Garmin-Sharp team, which is known for its stalwart stance on antidoping, said “media reports of suspensions are untrue.” Armstrong, who retired from cycling last year and denies ever doping, could accept the charges, in which case he would most likely face a lifetime ban from Olympic sports. If he contests them, the case will be heard by a three-person independent arbitration panel. The outcome of that hearing could be appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. That process could take months or years. Though Armstrong said this spring that he would no longer fight doping allegations, he continued to address the case on Thursday, on Twitter. “Come in and tell @usantidoping exactly what they wanted to hear in exchange for immunity, anonymity and an opportunity to continue to race the biggest event in cycling,” Armstrong said of the former teammates who are working with the antidoping agency. He added that the “riders in question” are also “victims of @usantidoping’s unfair process and antics.”
Ah yes, sorry, I missed yesterday. The Manx Missile went down hard, and did not appear to happy about. Remeber Mark, you are there to support Wiggo. Anyway, Greipel has won the last two stages, and Cancellara retains the overall. I don;t expect that to change for a few days, until they hit the mountains. http://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2...tour-france/zc1U85PkgGB1V3C5ZKW7NK/story.html SAINT-QUENTIN, France (AP) In yet another crash-marred finish, Andre Greipel of Germany led a frenzied bunch sprint to win the fifth stage of the Tour de France on Thursday for his second straight stage victory. Fabian Cancellara retained the overall leaders yellow jersey for a sixth straight day after the mostly flat 122-mile trek from Rouen to Saint-Quentin almost tailor-made for sprinters except for a slight uphill near the end. But the Tours doping demons returned to cast a shadow. A Dutch newspaper report said former teammates of Lance Armstrong including five involved in this years race cut a deal with U.S. anti-doping officials for their testimony in a case against the seven-time Tour champion. As usual, the Tour riders tried to keep their focus on the race. Citing well-informed sources, the newspaper said the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency has given six-month bans to former Armstrong teammates Jonathan Vaughters, George Hincapie, Levi Leipheimer, David Zabriskie and Christian Vande Velde. Vaughters, now a team director at the Garmin-Sharp team, called the report completely untrue. The four riders all declined to comment, though Hincapie said his thoughts were with Armstrong. Im sad he is going through this, said Hincapie, the only rider to have been on all of Armstrongs Tour-winning teams. Hes done so many things for the sport. His accomplishments are incredible. Cancellara said the case wasnt discussed in the pack. For cycling this is not good, thats for sure, he said. That makes me sad. But on the other hand, we have to deal with that and I hope its not something that is going to take three or four years like ... in other cases. That is my biggest concern: that this is going to shut down fast. The barreling pack Thursday overtook three breakaway riders with barely 110 yards left, and Greipel wheeled out in front a split-second ahead of Matt Goss of Australia, who was second, and Juan Jose Haedo of Argentina, who took third. Britains Mark Cavendish was fifth. Like in Greipels sprint-finish victory a day before, a late crash tarnished the stage, and he counted himself lucky to avoid a spill two days in a row. Somehow I stayed on my bike, said Greipel, who turns 30 on July 16. It was quite a tough finish there ... and it was also luck on our part to catch the breakaway. The top standings didnt change: Bradley Wiggins, the leader of Cavendishs Team Sky, was second overall, seven seconds behind the Swiss leader. Defending champion Cadel Evans of Australia was 17 seconds off the pace in seventh. By holding the lead, Cancellara earned the right to wear the coveted yellow jersey for the 27th time in his career, a record for a rider who has never won the Tour. When you make history in this kind of way at the Tour, its more special, said Cancellara, a time-trial specialist and the only man to don the yellow this year after winning Saturdays prologue. As sprinters jockeyed for position with just under two miles left, American Tyler Farrar tumbled in the middle of the pack. But his bike kept going and brought down at least two other riders, including Peter Sagan of Slovakia, the winner of the first and third stages. Farrar straggled across the line later alone, blood streaming down his right elbow and right knee. He then stormed into the bus of the Argos-Shimano team, looking for its sprinter, Tom Veelers. Farrar angrily shouted, You dont do that to someone! The race got its first minor dose of rain Thursday, and another dropout: Germanys Marcel Kittel, who has endured gastric troubles for the last few days, pulled out to reduce the field to 194 riders. Fridays sixth stage a 128-mile jaunt from Epernay in Champagne country to Metz offers the last leg in the n
Sagan wins again. Anyone care to bet on the 22 year old eventually testing positive for something? Massive and time consuming crash today tool Frank Schleck pretty much out of contention. http://www.mercurynews.com/other-sports/ci_21024071/tour-de-france-peter-sagan-wins-sixth-stage METZ, France -- Peter Sagan of Slovakia avoided a bloody, across-the-road pileup to capture a stage for the third time at the Tour de France on Friday, while Fabian Cancellara of Switzerland also steered clear of the mayhem to keep the yellow jersey. The 129-mile ride from Epernay to Metz began in the Champagne region of France, with roadside fans holding aloft glasses of bubbly to cheer the riders. But as the pack picked up speed to chase four breakaway riders with about 16 miles to go, at least two dozen riders spilled across a rural road. Many were downed and dazed, looking for team staffers in a jumble of injured riders and bikes. "It was like a trench hit by a (grenade) when I entered the crash to give my bike to Bauke," Rabobank's Laurens Ten Dam said on Twitter, referring to teammate Bauke Mollema. "Lots of blood and screaming. Carnage." The U.S. Garmin-Sharp team bore the brunt of the crash. Tom Danielson, who finished last year's Tour in eighth place, already was nursing a separated shoulder from a crash earlier in the week. In Friday's spill, he was briefly knocked unconscious, and later rushed to a hospital for hip, collarbone and elbow injuries. He was one of at least four riders to drop out of the race because of the crash. "It was the scariest crash I've ever been in," Garmin veteran David Millar said. He had black marks of chain-grease all over his arm and said the riders were going at least 43 mph Advertisement at the time. "God knows how it happened," Millar said. Garmin's Ryder Hesjedal of Canada -- winner of the Giro d'Italia in May -- injured his knee and lost more than 13 minutes, all but ending his chances for a top-three finish. He had started the stage in ninth place, 18 seconds back. RadioShack leader Frank Schleck of Luxembourg, who was third in last year's Tour, said he had pain in his hip, elbow and shoulder and that team tactics might need to be revised for Saturday. Two other contenders, Bradley Wiggins and defending champion Cadel Evans, escaped unscathed. A Tour medical report listed 27 riders as injured on the day -- two hospitalized from the first crash, and eight from the second. Aside from Danielson, Tour officials listed the other dropouts as Mikel Astarloza of Eustaltel-Euskadi, Davide Vigano of Lampre and Wouter Poels of Vacansoleil. The casualty count continued into the evening. A Rabobank team spokesman said Maarten Wynants had pulled out with two broken ribs and a punctured lung. Katusha said three-time world champion Oscar Freire had a broken rib, becoming at least the sixth rider to drop out. The one-day tally eclipsed the four withdrawals due to either crashes or illness across six previous days in total. Overall, Cancellara leads Wiggins -- a pre-race favorite hoping to become the first Briton to win the Tour -- by seven seconds. Evans climbed one spot to sixth, and is now 17 seconds back, after Edvald Boassen Hagen of Norway lost more than two minutes in a crash. The main pack, led by sprint teams from Orica-GreenEdge and Lotto-Belisol, then caught four breakaway riders with just over a mile to go. Andre Greipel of Germany, who is hoping for a third consecutive stage win, was the first to make a move in the final section but couldn't resist Sagan's surge. "I was in a good position, I kept it and then nothing hampered my effort," Sagan said. "I took Greipel's wheel and everything went according to plan." Garmin had one bright spot: U.S. rider David Zabriskie launched an attack 3 miles after the start, and was joined by three other riders. The four breakaway riders worked well together and built a four-minute lead over the main pack before Cancellara's teammates moved to the front to set a faster tempo. But the day's first crash 22 miles into the stage that involved at least 20 riders upset the chase, and the escapees'
And Wiggins takes the lead. http://www.boston.com/sports/other_...ns_takes_tour_de_france_lead_after_7th_stage/ LA PLANCHE DES BELLES FILLES SKI STATION, France — Bradley Wiggins gave Britain its first Tour de France leader in 12 years Saturday, wresting the yellow jersey from Fabian Cancellara after being helped by a powerful escort in the race’s mountain debut. In the Tour’s first big shake-up, the Sky squad was dominant up the first summit finish to allow Christopher Froome to win the seventh stage from Tomblaine to La Planche des Belles Filles ski station. The 198-kilometer trek into the Vosges range went a long way toward shaping the three-week race as experts predicted before the start — a showdown between Wiggins and defending champion Cadel Evans. In a five-rider breakaway group on the final climb, Evans tried an attack just before the super-steep climb in the last kilometer, but Froome beat him by two seconds as Wiggins stayed close to the Australian’s back wheel. After the finish, compatriots Wiggins and Froome hugged, with Wiggins becoming the first Briton since David Millar in 2000 to wear the yellow jersey. Cancellara, the Swiss time-trial specialist who had worn the jersey since winning the prologue a week ago, was 1 minute 52 seconds behind Froome — but more importantly 1:50 back of Wiggins. The Sky leader, who began the day seven seconds behind Cancellara in second place overall, leads Evans by 10 seconds. Vincenzo Nibali of Italy was fourth to climb to third overall, 16 seconds behind. ‘‘It’s a great day for the team, we won the stage and took the yellow jersey,’’ Wiggins said. ‘‘This is my first time in the yellow jersey. It’s incredible — it’s been a dream of mine since I was a kid.’’ Wiggins has more breathing room than Cancellara had over the stage, with only five riders within a minute of his time. Wiggins, a three-time Olympic track gold medalist, became the pre-race favorite after winning the Paris-Nice, Tour de Romandie, and Criterium du Dauphine stage races this year. With two time trials and more climbing days in the Alps and Pyrenees still to come, Wiggins played down speculation that he might’ve taken the lead too early with the finish in Paris July 22. ‘‘I’d much rather be in yellow than in hospital — like half the peloton,’’ he said, referring to crashes on Friday that forced at least 12 riders to quit the race. Wiggins crashed out of the 2011 Tour because of a broken collarbone but has been trouble-free this year. The three-week race takes riders on another bumpy ride Sunday, with seven climbs in the 157.5-kilometer course from Belfort to Porrentruy.
And some kid name Pinot won today's stage, which was nice and hilly. Wiggo retains the lead, and gets a bit snippy when asked about doping. Tomorrow is a long individual time trial. With the individual times, it will start to spread the field out a bit. http://www.ottawacitizen.com/sports/Britain+Wiggins+retains+Tour+France+lead/6902304/story.html PORRENTRUY, Switzerland -- Bradley Wiggins and his Tour de France team "ticked off" a successful first day in the yellow jersey. Then he got ticked off when asked about doping in cycling. The frank-speaking former Olympic champion with ambitions to be Britain's first Tour winner launched a profanity-laced tirade over chatter on social media after Sunday's entree into Switzerland in Stage 8. Thibaut Pinot -- at 22, the youngest competitor -- won the stage over seven mid-level climbs, and gave France its first victory this year. Wiggins quashed a late attack by defending champion Cadel Evans to retain the lead. Wiggins' Team Sky has controlled the Tour in a style reminiscent of Lance Armstrong's former U.S. Postal team. The Briton lost his composure when asked by a reporter to comment on comparisons between the teams and "cynics who believe that you have to be doped up to win the Tour." Wiggins replied with a profanity-laced tirade, adding: "I cannot be dealing with people like that. It justifies their own bone-idleness because they can't ever imagine applying themselves to anything in their lives." "And it's easy for them to sit under a pseudonym on Twitter and write that sort of (thing)," he added, using an expletive. The 140-character social media platform has become an online voice box for many pro cyclists. The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency last month filed formal charges against seven-time Tour champion Armstrong, accusing him of using performance-enhancing drugs. Armstrong denies any wrongdoing. The International Cycling Union has worked to rid drugs cheats from the peloton and has gained some praise from the World Anti-Doping Agency. The Tour is without two-time champion Alberto Contador -- the sport's top star -- this year as he serves out a doping ban linked to the race in 2010. Wiggins is looking to move from three-time Olympic track gold-medallist to a rising star of the Tour de France roads. His fourth-place Tour finish in 2009 put to rest many questions about his climbing skill. Speaking to French television, Wiggins said his ability to get up hard mountain climbs came from training, diet and lifestyle. "I drink nothing now ... before, in 2004, I was almost an alcoholic after the Olympics." He's come a long way since then -- and showed over the last two days that he's able to keep up with strong climbers like Evans, Vincenzo Nibali of Italy, and Belgium's Jurgen Van Den Broeck. Sunday's ride into the Jura range next to the Swiss Alps, known as the birthplace of the Swiss army knife, offered double drama: A hard last climb that splintered the pack, and a nail-biting chase of Pinot to the finish. Pinot burst from the pack and overtook a breakaway rider during a steep, final climb to win the 157.5-kilometre (98-mile) stage from Belfort in eastern France to the Swiss town of Porrentruy. "I will remember this day my entire life," Pinot said as teammates were embracing him in the winner's circle to congratulate him. "I can't yet get my mind around it." Evans of Australia was second, 26 seconds behind, but didn't gain any time on Wiggins, who was fourth in a small group that included most of the remaining pre-race favourites. Wiggins enjoyed the late jockeying. "It was good fun coming in at the end there," he said. "It was a bit like being in a junior race again. Everyone attacking in ones and twos. It's good -- it's what it's all about." But Wiggins called the stage "a tough day on the team," referring to his British squad, and said he was content to get through it: "Another tough day ticked off." Overall, Wiggins leads Evans by 10 seconds. Nibali was third, 16 seconds behind the leader. Sunday's race was marred by another crash that ended with a high profile withdrawal from the Tour. Defending Olympic champion Samuel Sanchez pulled out after a crash 56 kilometres (35 miles) into the stage. He broke his right hand and injured his left shoulder, and could miss the London Games. Twenty riders have dropped out so far from the 99th Tour. Of those, at least 13 gave up the three-week race following a mass pileup during Stage 6. Monday's stage returns to favourable territory for riders like Wiggins and Evans: A time-trial. Riders will set off one by one in the 41.5-kilometre (26-mile) race against the clock from Arc-en-Senans to Besancon. Family-man Wiggins showed France-2 TV tattooed mementoes of his children on the base of his thumbs -- right where he can see them when he rides with his hands on the handlebars in a time-trial like the one on Monday. Evans called the ninth stage "the test of truth." "It's each with their own two legs ... opportunities don't come around that often so when they come you have to grab them by the neck," the Australian said. "Tomorrow might turn everything around, so we'll see after tomorrow." Read more: http://www.ottawacitizen.com/sports...+France+lead/6902304/story.html#ixzz205QDDx6f
Been riding motorcycles most of my life but the thought of riding a bicycle on the main roads without dedicated bike lanes scares the crap out of me. Had 2 people killed locally withing the last year, but yeah the world class cyclists are something else. Just my 2 cents worth
And Wiggo solidifies his lead. Not surprising. He is in top form. However, still almost 2 weeks left in the Tour. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/10/sports/cycling/10iht-tour10.html If there were any lingering doubts that Bradley Wiggins had the form to win the Tour de France this year, he quieted them on Monday. With an imposing ride, the Team Sky captain captured stage nine, a 41.5-kilometer, or 21-mile, individual time trial and put his chief rivals, including Cadel Evans, into serious difficulty as the Tour enters its first rest day. Sporting the banana-yellow skinsuit worn by the race leader, Wiggins logged the fastest time — 51 minutes, 24 seconds — on an undulating course that finished in Besançon, the capital of Franche-Compté. “It’s my favorite thing, the time trial,” Wiggins told French television. “I was at home today.” The British rider started his career in track racing, which demands upper body stillness. It is a talent that translates especially well to individual time trials; without the wind protection of fellow riders, being as aerodynamic as possible is essential. It has helped him to achieve exceptional success this season: Wiggins has won three of the five stage races he entered, including the Paris-Nice in March, and has not lost an individual time trial of length. “My school was on the track,” he said. “We did a lot of kilometers in this position when I was young.” His last solo time trial victory came on stage four of the Critérium du Dauphiné last month, where he finished 1:42 ahead of Cadel Evans, the Tour de France defending champion. On Monday, Evans, an Australian, suffered an eerily similar deficit, finishing 1:43 behind Wiggins to remain in second place. After two days of strong riding in the mountains, the Team BMC Racing leader was expected to put in a better performance against the clock Monday than in the Dauphiné, but it appeared that June was no fluke. “I rode not my best time trial but certainly not a bad one,” he said. Time trials have long been a selector of Tour de France champions. Many legendary race winners like Miguel Indurain, Bernard Hinault and Lance Armstrong were great time trial specialists as well as strong mountain climbers. They often faced multiple lengthy individual tests each year; in the 1992 Tour, Indurain won four individual time trials, including two of more than 60 kilometers each. More recently, the Tour has been considered more of a climber’s race, but the Tour this year, with three time trials totaling over 100 kilometers, is —like Wiggins’ shaggy sideburns — a throwback to past decades, which may favor the Briton in the end. But if Evans is deterred by the coming challenges, he did not reveal it on Monday. “Of course we don’t give up, that’s for sure,” he said. “There’s still a lot more racing to go before Paris.” Other riders with yellow jersey aspirations declined at the hands of Wiggins on Monday, including the Belgian Jurgen Van Den Broeck of Omega Pharma-Quick Step and Vincenzo Nibali of Liquigas-Cannondale, who told the French newspaper L’Équipe on Saturday that Wiggins “did not impress him.” Nibali could not back up his words on Monday — he finished the stage 2:07 back. One rider who impressed fans Monday was Christopher Froome, Wiggins’ Team Sky teammate who won stage seven on Saturday. The Kenyan-born Briton finished just 35 seconds shy of his compatriot’s time to move into third place. But Froome, who finished second to Wiggins’ third at the Vuelta à España last year — the cycling calendar’s last three-week race each season — was quick to shift focus to the team. “We’re going to do our best to the finish,” he said. “There’s a lot of racing to go.” As in a golf tournament, the racers with the best times started last on Monday afternoon. The early clubhouse leader was the world time trial champion, Tony Martin, a German riding for Omega Pharma-Quick Step. It has been a tough season for Martin, who won the Tour’s time trial in Grenoble last year. In April, he suffered a fractured cheekbone when a car hit him on a training ride; in Stage 1 of the Tour, he fractured his left wrist in a crash. “I suffered today, yeah,” he told French television. “It was painful when I hit a pothole, for the hand it wasn’t a big moment.” Indeed, crashes — and illness — have taken their toll on the peloton so far this race. The Tour commenced June 30 in Liège with 198 riders spread over 22 teams, but 178 riders remain. Toward the end of stage six on Friday, a pile-up involving nearly half of the pack forced a number of riders out of the race, including overall contender Ryder Hesjedal of Garmin-Sharp, the Giro d’Italia winner this year, and his teammate Tom Danielson. On Sunday, the defending Olympic champion, Samuel Sánchez broke a finger and bruised his back during a crash on a descent and, after visiting the hospital, abandoned the Tour. Brice Feillu of Saur-Sojasun, the first rider out of the start house in Arc-et-Senans, is one of the lucky ones — despite being over one hour and 15 minutes behind Wiggins after the time trial. The Frenchman, who won a Tour stage in 2009, fell ill with gastroenteritis last week but recovered and is still in the race. Feillu and other riders nursing wounds get a rest day on Tuesday. The riders have a day off in Mâcon, in Burgundy, before racing resumes on Wednesday with a stage that concludes in Bellegarde-sur-Valserine, which will be hosting the Tour for the first time.
I am smelling doom for Dopestrong. Or Cheatstrong. I have not decided which one I like better. You see, Dr. Ferrari was Lance's personal physician, even after Dr. Ferrari was caught giving out PED's to cyclists all over the world. Dr. Ferrari is now banned from the sport. http://www.pressdemocrat.com/articl...Armstrong-associates-get-lifetime-sports-bans With Lance Armstrong still digging in for a legal fight, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency on Tuesday issued lifetime sports bans to three former staff members and consultants on Armstrong's winning Tour de France teams for doping violations. Luis Garcia del Moral was a team doctor; Michele Ferrari was a consulting doctor; and Jose "Pepe" Marti (team trainer) worked for Armstrong's U.S. Postal Service and Discovery Channel squads. All had been accused by USADA of participating in a vast doping conspiracy on those teams during part or all of Armstrong's seven Tour de France victories from 1999-2005. Armstrong also has been charged and has declared his innocence. Armstrong wants a federal judge to block USADA's case against him from going forward and is expected to refile a lawsuit within days. An Armstrong spokesman declined immediate comment on the USADA bans issued Tuesday. Under USADA rules, Moral, Marti and Ferrari had until Monday to challenge the allegations in arbitration or ask for a five-day extension. If they did not respond, USADA could impose sanctions. Although none lives in the United States, USADA says the ban blocks them from participating in any sport that falls under the World Anti-Doping Agency code. "The respondents chose not to waste resources by moving forward with the arbitration process, which would only reveal what they already know to be the truth of their doping activity," said Travis Tygart, chief executive of USADA. There's been no indication from USADA that any of the three men — who each received the agency's maximum punishment — is cooperating with investigators.
While Wiggins and Sky continue to dominate an otherwise boring Tour, today there was some fun. You see, some ass clowns threw tacks all over the roads. The other day a rider was burned when another ass clown spectator was running with a flare in the riders. http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/tour-de-france-organisers-doubtful-of-locating-sabotage-suspects Organisers of the Tour de France denounced the action of unknown assailants who scattered upholstery tacks along the final climb of stage 14 on Sunday, causing at least one crash and punctures for dozens of riders. Race director Jean-Francois Pescheux said to AFP, "One or two spectators had thrown nails on to the road, we don't know why, but there were around 30 punctures altogether", adding that it would be difficult to locate the perpetrators amongst the thousands of fans that lined the road sides. Tour director Christian Prudhomme denounced the action, saying "it could have had tragic circumstances", but emphasized that despite the difficulties in securing a route several thousand kilometers in length, acts such as these are not common. "It's very rare, but particularly dangerous. I can only condemn it as a stupid act." Stage 14 finished as one might expect: with the general classification contenders finishing together behind a breakaway that contested the stage victory. It is a textbook demonstration of race tactics in a transitional stage between mountain challenges. Sunday's stage to Foix, however, was a bit more dramatic after the tacks stopped first Andreas Klöden on the approach to the summit of the Mur de Péguère, and then Cadel Evans at the top with flat tyres. Astana's Robert Kiserlovski, an animator of several stages in the Tour, crashed after the summit of the Mur de Péguère as he swerved to help team leader Janez Brajkovic, who had flatted. Kiserlovski was forced to drop out of the Tour with a suspected collarbone fracture. The incident also sent American Levi Leipheimer to the ground. "Brajkovic had a flat tire just after the last climb," Leipheimer said. "Kiserlovski moved from left to right to give him his wheel and I couldn't avoid the collision. I hit him and I crashed. I feel bad for him, but it was an accident." Pescheux praised the team of race leader Bradley Wiggins, which led the effort to control the pace to allow all of the riders who had punctured to get back into the group after visiting seriously overwhelmed neutral and team support vehicles. "Sky immediately stopped the pack so that everyone could finish in the best conditions," Pescheux said according to the Associated PRess. "Sky were very sporting, they slowed things down and everything returned to order."
