The Tour de France begins Saturday

Unless he dies in the time trial, Ras will win it all.

Hell of a climbing race. I really thought the Disco duo would be able to put a little distance between themselves and Ras. He's just too strong, I guess.

 

Discovery had pretty much the ideal position on that last climb...the pace-setter and the explosive youngster, both good climbers, boxed around the isolated leader. Solid, solid ride for Rasmussen, who is just a climbing beast.

You never know...Rasmussen could totally boff it in the time trial. After all, last year he couldn't even stay upright. But these time gaps are probably too much - Contador a little under three minutes. Leipheimer still five minutes, Evans around there as well. Over a 55 km time trial, that'd be really, really hard to make up. Alejandro Valverde lost six minutes to Vino in that first one, and it was judged as an unmitigated disaster. So all Rasmussen has to do is not totally fail.

A couple non-stage-related thoughts:
- Why does Rasmussen wear yellow everything? If I'm not mistaken, the leader wears the yellow jersey...not the yellow helmet, socks, gloves, and shorts, to boot. I guess it's his option, but it's a little presumptuous. Not even Lance, when he'd have the tour completely wrapped up, would parade around like a giant banana.
- Why is Versus' first interview after every stage with Levi Leipheimer? He talks, and usually is fairly candid, but good grief.

 

Because we Americans are too jingoistic to tolerate an interview with anybody but the highest-finishing US rider.

(Either that or it's because all the other top riders are unavailable.)

 

I don't know if it's jingoism, but Versus is an American channel and catering to American viewers watching the lead American rider on the only America-based team who speaks the language, yada, yada, yada. If Chris Horner were the top US rider, they'd interview him, instead, I imagine.

And on those mountain stages, there are 20-30 minute gaps between the winners and the other riders. So it's very possible no other American had crossed the line. I mean, Levi hadn't even gotten off his bike when they interviewed him.

 

Hey, look, we finally made it to 100 replies.

 

Unshaven. Too cold here in Wisconsin even in the summer so I need every bit of protection I can find most days, and if that includes leg hair, so be it. Just did a century two weeks back and it was 47 at the start.

Anyone know who flunked the testosterone test today?

 

Haha, I saw this spill over onto FIVE WHOLE PAGES, and got excited.

In other news, Vino denies, and another rider's positive test surfaces. Ho hum, another day inside the big top.

That rider is Cristian Moreni of Cofidis:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/road/2007/tour07/news/?id=/news/2007/jul07/jul25news5

 

I'm disappointed in Vino. I thought he maybe one of the few clean guys on the tour. And considering he had 14 stitches in his leg thought he showed some toughness in that last mountain stage. Is it to the point now where I will watch, but you can't invest anything in any of these guys.

 

Tom Boonen weighs in

“Alexandre Vinokourov is an asshole, I hope he serves a life-long suspension. I don’t get it, everybody knew he was one of the ‘men in black’! I saw him train in an anonymous team kit a few times myself, and so did Steegmans. So test those guys every day, dammit!”

“I can only hope that Vino’s handiwork won’t make the people think we’re all the same. The worst part is that he doesn’t only endanger the sportive side of things, but also a lot of jobs. You try to find a new sponsor in a situation like this.”

On Rasmussen, Contador and Evans:

“It would probably be better for everybody if Rasmussen doesn’t win the Tour. If he’s smart he loses a few minutes on the last mountain stage. I don’t know if Alberto Contador is clean or not, but I absolutely don’t trust Rasmussen. But I still think it is possible to win the Tour without doping. Take Cadel Evans: a hell of a rider, and clean.”

“The cheaters are relatively easy to find: the ones who play hide and seek. Guys that don’t do anything for months and then start flying all of a sudden. That’s impossible.”

 

And now Cofidis is out...

 

Actually, I like that. One guy dopes, the entire team is yanked out of the race.

I say test every single rider, every single day. You cross the finish line, pee in a cup and let a doc tap a vien. then you can go get your rubdown.