Tour de France

[frinq]

Arnstrong's still in fourth at the end of the second day of the Tour. It's all flatlands at this point, through the Netherlands, Belgium and into France. It's tricky tomorrow and the next day - still flat-ish, but with 30 some kilos of cobblestones. There'll be crashes galore. Armstong's fine on cobblestone, but the guys next to him...There was a crash at the end of today's section which took out half the peleton.

[CatMom]

Around here (Austin) we call it the Tour De Lance.

There were 3 crashes near the end. One less than 3K out, then the mass one and one guy right near the finish. Plus, there was one way early caused by a dog. Not a good riding day for the entire peleton and, as you said, all on flats.

And I get to work and miss it all.

[93henfan]

So which team has the most up-to-date, least-detectable blood doping program? Still Lance's team, or is he back to even keel with everyone else these days?

[00bluehen]

Blood doping or not, it's still an incredible achievement of body to ride a bike for 3100kM over the course of 3 weeks and 2 mountain ranges with only 2 days off. I know it's what these guys live for, but c'mon. Even if they're doping, they're still walking around with resting heart rates of 30. The US Olympic training center in Colorado Springs is situated THERE because of the hypoxemic effects of high altitude on the body--so people are passively getting their bodies to produce more EPO, rather than just actively injecting it. While we're on the subject, how many people have been dismissed from the Tour so far this year because they got caught doping?

I am nauseated by the fact that Sylvain Chavanel is wearing yellow. He goes with large breaks, does little of the workload once he's away from the peloton, then attacks before cat 3 or 4 climbs in the hopes that there might be a large crash or something behind him so he might steal a stage or, in the best-case scenario for him, the yellow jersey for a few days. He's always the joke of the tour, and I thought Phil and Paul were going to cry as they were announcing him into the finish line today with the realization that he'd be the overall leader.

Aside from Chavanel's predictablility, the appearance of a dog in the bike route is just another fact of life for these guys. Seems there's one every year in the early goings.

[JayJ79]

Chavanel translates roughly to "horses ass".

(no, not literally. and I don't really follow competitive cycling, so I'm not really familar with the individual in question. I just wanted to make another dumbarse remark)

[00bluehen]

(no, not literally. and I don't really follow competitive cycling, so I'm not really familar with the individual in question. I just wanted to make another dumbarse remark)

Congratulations on succeeding. Speaking of "dumbarse" ( ) remarks, here's one--"Has Eric Sanders stopped crying yet?"

[93henfan]

Speaking of "dumbarse" ( ) remarks, here's one--"Has Eric Sanders stopped crying yet?"

Sigh. The kid was passionate and was crushed at playing his last ever college game in a losing effort. I see no need to continue to beat him up about that. It's about as classy as the Appy fans in Chatty the year we were smoked by them and the MEAC refs. Being a sore winner is about as shitty as it gets.

[Rob Iola]

I, like virtually everyone else here and at AGS, look forward to the day that gohens returns...

[BlueHen86]

Chavanel translates roughly to "horses ass".

(no, not literally. and I don't really follow competitive cycling, so I'm not really familar with the individual in question. I just wanted to make another dumbarse remark)

No explanation was needed.

[00bluehen]

My apologies to Eric Sanders. The years he had at UNI, particularly in 2007, aren't worth that comment. Impulsive response.

I actually do follow cycling despite all the doping allegations and overall mismanagement, but I continue to have faith in guys like George Hincapie, Franck/Andy Schleck, Fabian Cancellara, Alberto Contador, and Lance Armstrong--who, although a brash prick at times, has inspired millions of cancer patients and families the world over...I thought the Chavanel translation was funny.

Sorry, Rob et al. I, too, hope your club is restored to it's proper exclusivity in the near future.

[JayJ79]

(no, not literally. and I don't really follow competitive cycling, so I'm not really familar with the individual in question. I just wanted to make another dumbarse remark)

Congratulations on succeeding. Speaking of "dumbarse" ( ) remarks, here's one--"Has Eric Sanders stopped crying yet?"

and congratulations to you on out-dumbarsing me. Most around here would agree that that is quite a feat.