Le Tour this Saturday!!!!!

[Telephil]

http://www.velonews.com/race/int/articles/8323.0.html

Armstrong: Bumps, bruises aside, he says he's ready to roll

By Tim Reynolds -The Associated Press
This report filed June 26, 2005

Lance Armstrong is not looking too good these days: He has a black eye, a cut over his right eyebrow and abrasions on his hands and knees. The six-time defending Tour de France champion crashed at low speed during the start of a training ride last week. He lost control on his time-trial bike and sailed over the handlebars, his helmet splitting in two on impact. Armstrong shrugs it off.

After all, for someone who's beaten cancer and rewritten cycling's record book, bumps and bruises are small stuff.

"I'm excited about the race. I feel very good on the bike," Armstrong said Sunday from Nice, France. "And I would even venture to say that I feel better than I've ever felt."

His bid to win cycling's most famous race for a seventh straight time _ and leave the sport as its undisputed king _ opens Saturday, with an 11.8-mile time trial ride from Fromentine to Noirmoutier on France's Atlantic coast.

From there, 20 more stages and about 2,230 more miles await before the finish in Paris on July 24. And it's there that Armstrong hopes to sip celebratory champagne while taking one final lap along the Champs-Elysees.

The 33-year-old Texan still insists this will be his final Tour, win or lose, and retirement awaits. No one else has more than five Tour victories, yet Armstrong said he's not lacking incentive in his quest to stand atop the podium at the finish and don a yellow jersey one last time.

"My kids weren't there last year and that was a real bummer for me," Armstrong said. "And they are going to be there this year. ... For them to come over here, come into my office basically, and see their father at work is important to me. And I would love for them to see me in a yellow jersey. That, right there, alone, is plenty of motivation."

Armstrong, who overcame testicular cancer that spread to his lungs and brain before winning his first Tour in 1999, said the eight other riders who will join him on the Discovery Channel roster represent "our strongest team ever." That may not be hyperbole, either.

Of the eight, six are holdovers from last year's winning team _ American George Hincapie, Armstrong's longtime top lieutenant; Jose Luis Rubiera; Manuel Beltran; Benjamin Noval of Spain; Pavel Padrnos of the Czech Republic; and Jose Azevedo of Portugal. New additions this year are two-time Giro d'Italia champion Paolo Savoldelli and Ukrainian Yaroslav Popovych, who was third at the 2003 Giro.

Each is an elite rider, and committed to helping Armstrong win No. 7.

"To finish the Tour, arriving in Paris with the yellow jersey, that's something that is amazing, unbelievable," Rubiera said on the Discovery team's Web site. "And we hope this year's going to be the same."

The British bookmaker William Hill lists Armstrong as the 8-11 favorite to win, followed by Germany's Jan Ullrich _ a three-time runner-up to Armstrong _ at 11-4 and Italy's Ivan Basso, the third-place finisher last year, at 6-1.

"It's still the Tour," Armstrong said. "The roads are open and anything can happen."

Armstrong will try to keep nostalgia out of his final preparations. He has a long training ride, his final one, scheduled for Monday. On Tuesday, he'll preview the Saint-Etienne time trial course, a 34.2-mile test that will be used as the Tour's next-to-last stage, and may be the route that decides who is crowned champion the following day.

Later in the week, he'll see the opening time-trial course, undergo a battery of medical tests, hold a final pre-race news conference and get some rest before pedaling down the starting ramp Saturday.

"I fully understand that ... when I go and do reconnaissance on a course, that is the last time I'll do that as a rider," Armstrong said. "I'm not going to lie and say that I start crying when I finish or anything because I've sort of been glad that I won't be doing that anymore."

There is speculation that the course _ with its less-intense mountain finishes and shorter time trials than in some years _ won't play to Armstrong's strengths. Yet he's undeterred by such talk and believes he's still at his best.

"Athletes can't play at the highest level forever," he said. "So much of it is about timing and figuring just how long the body can continue to do what it does. ... This year felt like the right time to stop, and based on what I can tell, I'm ready to hopefully go out at or near the top."

**************

I'm so psyched for the tour this year. I think it's more up for grabs than it has been in the past, but quotes like this make you think Armstrong will do it again.

"I'm excited about the race. I feel very good on the bike," Armstrong said Sunday from Nice, France. "And I would even venture to say that I feel better than I've ever felt."

Of course a lot if it's intimidation factor, but I love how he throws that stuff in there.

[p-tex]

I'm also excited to watch an interesting tour. Just finished up reading Velonews' tour guide. Lots of good info about the individual stages and the competition. It will be on my coffee table for the month of July and I'll be late to work most days in July!!!

[Kellie]

It'll certainly be an interesting tour - can't wait to watch it play out!

[Flake]

It's the only sporting event on TV that can really grab my attention. I plan my days around it. Can't wait!

[peterslovo]

It's the only sporting event on TV that can really grab my attention. I plan my days around it. Can't wait!

I second that!

I'm hoping Lance will win again... but have a very weird feeling about Jan finally doing it this year. I also feel some type of steroid scandal will take down one of the teams this year. Whatever does happen, i'll be there (well, not there there) watching it!!!!

[freshies]

I'm also excited to watch an interesting tour. Just finished up reading Velonews' tour guide. Lots of good info about the individual stages and the competition. It will be on my coffee table for the month of July and I'll be late to work most days in July!!!

is this a special edition of Velo News? I can't find this anywhere right now, AND I NEED MY FIX PRE-TOUR! Help! My LBC has the most current issue for sale, that has this cover ( http://www.velonews.com/toc/), but it doesn not have le tour deets.

oh, yeah, can ya tell: i am super-stoked!

[Black Market]

anyone know if OLN or Discovery is going to air the tour this year????

[Telephil]

anyone know if OLN or Discovery is going to air the tour this year????

OLN as always, unfortunately. I heard somewhere that this is the last year of their contract, but that could've just been a vicious rumor.

[freshies]

anyone know if OLN or Discovery is going to air the tour this year????

www.olntv.com for full schedule, daily coverage starting 7/2 - giddy up!

[Stu Gotz]

Liggett has some great calls, but Sherwin's "He's got to dig deep into his suitcase of courage" is the best.

Both guys make it sound like the future of mankind is in the riders' legs as they suffer on the climbs.

Watching Bob Roll is a hoot, especially when they paired him with Kirsten Gum for the first week of the tour. He was like a little school kid trying to impress the Gumster. Bobke was truly bummed when OLN replaced her with Trautwig.

[freshies]

Liggett has some great calls, but Sherwin's "He's got to dig deep into his suitcase of courage" is the best.

Both guys make it sound like the future of mankind is in the riders' legs as they suffer on the climbs.

Watching Bob Roll is a hoot, especially when they paired him with Kirsten Gum for the first week of the tour. He was like a little school kid trying to impress the Gumster. Bobke was truly bummed when OLN replaced her with Trautwig.

Bobke, Sherwin and Ligget are AWESOME. But OLN cunted up the tour coverage last year (or was it yr before?) wen they brought in that dumb-ass Al Trautwig guy that knows fuck-all about cycling, and even worse is the Kirsten Gum chic who knows even less about cycling (if thats possible). They always gotta go and ruin it, don't they? I say bring back the big 3 and leave it at that - no more Al and Kirsten - please.

[L7]

Holy , I forgot it was coming up. I'll be house sitting a 54"TV for the last 2 weeks as well. Sweet. Also for me the only sporting event on TV that can make me plan my day around it.

[Egon]

I don't have cable. Anyone know of any place that will be televising the Tour in the salt lake area?? Preferably an establishment serving bloody marys everyday at 7am???

I love watching the live calls of Paul and Phil. Listening to their general tour chat, predicting stage winners, yelling like school girls when theres a big crash/attack, not knowing what's coming next on the crazy french feed, they don't hold back.

[mrryde]

Anybody know of any over the internet audiocasts? Hopefully eurosport will carry it.

[bagtagley]

The only thing Liggett and Sherwin have going for them is their knowledge of cycling. Otherwise those 2 drive me crazy. One minute they have Armstrong retiring for life, and the next their patting themselves on the back for predicting his victory. The guys can call the hell out of a race, but they're still jackasses. Plus, they have a smugness towards Bob Roll that's unacceptable.

Kirsten Gum's gotta go. Trautwig was pretty irritating at first, but he sorta grew on me after a while.

Bob Roll is, of course, the king. Though I'm convinced that the stipulation for his return last year was that he tone it down. Did anybody else notice how badly he wanted to put his fingers together in front of his face, but didn't?

[Plakespear]

Anybody know of any over the internet audiocasts? Hopefully eurosport will carry it.

Last year OLN's website was streaming Phil and Paul

[Artie Fufkin]

OLN as always, unfortunately. I heard somewhere that this is the last year of their contract, but that could've just been a vicious rumor.

I won't be surprised if this is the last year the TdF is on OLN, and probably the last we will see cycling on there after their fall schedule. Unfortunately I would not be surprised if there is no TdF on TV next, but there has been some good cycling programs on the Discovery fitness channel, maybe they will pcik up the slack.

I am ready for the Tour, I would like to see a battle between Lance, Levi and Basso. Despite what Jan says, I don't forsee him being a factor, I think Vino is the TMob threat.

Alot of good info:
Cycling News 2005 Tour de France

[Shredgar]

I don't have cable. Anyone know of any place that will be televising the Tour in the salt lake area?? Preferably an establishment serving bloody marys everyday at 7am???

Good question.

The sports bars don't open early for breakfast & most breakfast places don't have big screen TVs.

Last year I found Gandolfos is open early & has a big screen = TdF live for breakfast.

[Artie Fufkin]

Kirsten Gum's gotta go. Trautwig was pretty irritating at first, but he sorta grew on me after a while.

The trout has to go, he is an assclown. Kirsten Gum is looking hot after going from blonde to brunette, I saw her on the OLN cycling coverage last week and she actually seemed to know what she was talking about or she is just getting good at reading the teleprompter.

Though Lance, Levi and Floyd are the American favorites, it should be interesting to watch how Chris Horner does in the Tour. Here is an interview with Chris Horner from 6/29 in which he spouts off on his career, Lance and Jan:

Cycling News Chris Horner Interview

[TeleAl]

Here is a link:
http://www.letour.fr/

It has an English version, with much TDF info.

[Cornholio]

I think Horner's goal should be to finish, frankly. All the luck and all, but this is way beyond any of the US races he's done.

[Telephil]

I think Horner's goal should be to finish, frankly. All the luck and all, but this is way beyond any of the US races he's done.

Agreed....

[L7]

Anyone know where I might find a 'best all time quotes' from Ligget/Sherwin. The suitcase of courage one is good but it just seems the time of year that liberal bandying about of such quotes feels right. I googled both of them but didn't come up with anything. Someone must have taken the time to catalogue their sayings. I'm sure Yogi Bera has sites of his quotes and these guys even say things that make sense.

[Egon]

Good question.

The sports bars don't open early for breakfast & most breakfast places don't have big screen TVs.

Last year I found Gandolfos is open early & has a big screen = TdF live for breakfast.

Thanks!
Also for any of the cableless near the U, the student union has it on the big screen at 7am (BYOBM.)