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It's that time again. This time Lance says it REALLY REALLY IS his last Tour. Unlike last year, this time he is riding for his newly created RADIOSHACK team. CONTADOR still remains with ASTANA, the team Lance raced for last year. Levi Leipheimer races with RadioShack.

Team rosters are located here: http://www.bicycle.net/2010/2010-tour-d ... am-rosters

Among the teams and names:
Astana: Contador, Vinokourov
RadioShack: Armstrong, Leipheimer, Popovych, Horner, Kloden
BMC: Cadel Evans, Hincapie
Garmin: Vande Velde, Zabriskie, Millar
Rabobank: Menchov, Freire
SaxoBank: Schleck brothers, Voigt, Cancellara

Should be a good tour.

What's the over/under on how many riders will be bounced for doping this year?

Go Lance!

I'll be watching Tour preview shows tonight and drinking French wine. I love July!

Two of my favorites are riding again this year - Jens Voight & Stuart O'Grady.

OZZIE4DUKE wrote:What's the over/under on how many riders will be bounced for doping this year?

How many baseball players will violate the MLB substance policy this baseball season? ;)
I.e., it's going to be VERY low.

Whoops... Vinokourov is in the race this year. Okay, maybe it'll be higher.

Why low? There are a number of teams with no-doping policies and incentives. The anti-doping testing has gotten even stricter. And one other odd tidbit: Sports Illustrated on-line had a good piece on how Floyd Landis' confession has really helped the doping officials understand how cyclists have avoided positive results. This may have a major impact on the numbers caught in this year's tour. It's made doping even tougher to do.

Lavabe wrote:It's that time again. This time Lance says it REALLY REALLY IS his last Tour. Unlike last year, this time he is riding for his newly created RADIOSHACK team.

Lance takes his retirement advice from Brett Favre.

windsor wrote:

Lavabe wrote:It's that time again. This time Lance says it REALLY REALLY IS his last Tour. Unlike last year, this time he is riding for his newly created RADIOSHACK team.

Lance takes his retirement advice from Brett Favre.

I remember watching the Tour de France last summer with DinK. She knows everything about that race, everything about the riders, and so much about the course and the scenery. It was great fun to have her insightful commentary. I understood so much more about the race while watching it with her.

<--- I chose this smiley because the eyes look like bike wheels. Is there a bike smiley?

CathyCA wrote:I remember watching the Tour de France last summer with DinK. She knows everything about that race, everything about the riders, and so much about the course and the scenery. It was great fun to have her insightful commentary. I understood so much more about the race while watching it with her.

<--- I chose this smiley because the eyes look like bike wheels. Is there a bike smiley?

Yes, she definitely made watch the Tour de France so much more interesting and educational.

CathyCA wrote:I remember watching the Tour de France last summer with DinK. She knows everything about that race, everything about the riders, and so much about the course and the scenery. It was great fun to have her insightful commentary. I understood so much more about the race while watching it with her.

<--- I chose this smiley because the eyes look like bike wheels. Is there a bike smiley?

How about this one?

devildeac wrote:

CathyCA wrote:I remember watching the Tour de France last summer with DinK. She knows everything about that race, everything about the riders, and so much about the course and the scenery. It was great fun to have her insightful commentary. I understood so much more about the race while watching it with her.

<--- I chose this smiley because the eyes look like bike wheels. Is there a bike smiley?

How about this one?

Wrong bike!

DukieInKansas wrote:

devildeac wrote:

CathyCA wrote:I remember watching the Tour de France last summer with DinK. She knows everything about that race, everything about the riders, and so much about the course and the scenery. It was great fun to have her insightful commentary. I understood so much more about the race while watching it with her.

<--- I chose this smiley because the eyes look like bike wheels. Is there a bike smiley?

How about this one?

Wrong bike!

Can't fault a guy for trying...

Tough day yesterday - lots of crashes. Unfortunately, Christian Vande Velde cracked some ribs and did not start today. Tyler Farrar, another American on the same team, fractured his wrist. He planned to ride today but with the pave (cobblestone) sections, it will be pretty painful. I hope he can make it through the whole day.

DukieInKansas wrote:Tough day yesterday - lots of crashes. Unfortunately, Christian Vande Velde cracked some ribs and did not start today. Tyler Farrar, another American on the same team, fractured his wrist. He planned to ride today but with the pave (cobblestone) sections, it will be pretty painful. I hope he can make it through the whole day.

Is Christian Vande Velde any relation to Frenchman Jean Van de Velde, who crashed and burned at the British Open golf tourney a few years ago?

OZZIE4DUKE wrote:

DukieInKansas wrote:Tough day yesterday - lots of crashes. Unfortunately, Christian Vande Velde cracked some ribs and did not start today. Tyler Farrar, another American on the same team, fractured his wrist. He planned to ride today but with the pave (cobblestone) sections, it will be pretty painful. I hope he can make it through the whole day.

Is Christian Vande Velde any relation to Frenchman Jean Van de Velde, who crashed and burned at the British Open golf tourney a few years ago?

I don't think so. Christian is from the Chicago area.

Hmm...
From what I've gathered:
1) Andy Schleck is in prime position and races with the yellow jersey.
2) Meanwhile, Frank Schleck was forced to withdraw VERY early.
3) Lance is having a mediocre Tour, and according to SI reports, is racing now just for a Stage Win.
4) This jibes with what I suspected would occur, as Levi Leipheimer has taken the leader role for Radio Shack. GO LEVI!! Lance gets the media spotlight, but Levi will be on the podium.

We now get into the fun part of the Tour. Hard to figure out who will take this one, just yet. Watch out for Cadel. He has a good team, but it's hard to rate it better than Schleck's team.

I still wonder who won this year's Tour de France. Hmm... blame it on the meat?
http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/cycling/n ... id=5632256

I think there are some AC fans/Lance haters whose heads are exploding right about now.

Looks like the tainted meat excuse isn't going to fly. ESPN was reporting that there's some other issue going on with a bad test.

I'm waiting for the dog ate my homework excuse.

Apparently there are new tests that can detect the plastics used in the containers where blood is saved prior to transfusion (or, in this case, doping) and the tests determined the presence of those plastics.

Wonder if the cows got doped blood as well as clenbuterol.