Tour de France 2009

What TV channel will this be on? Will I have to line Mr. Murdock's purse?
ITV4 will be showing some stages live and be doing a daily highlights show. Eurosport will be doing the same.

Otherwise do as MrSmyth wisely suggests and get over to www.cyclingfans.com and get a stream there.

I want directeurs sportif to communicate with riders by telepathy.

Is that like telephone?

Better. There's more frisson.

i think cadel is going to win. mind you i've thought that for the past three years.

is anyone a collector of tdf memobrilla? i've got some at home that i don't really want and would like it to go to a good home. it's very rare stuff from london in 07.

My friend Dean who lives in Granada saw Cadel Evans and one of his team mates training there two days ago.

Can you get odds on Cadel coming second anywhere? Not a place, you understand, but bet on him to come second.

Gerrans left out. Cervelo Test Team clearly run by stoned monkies..
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/gerrans-gets-tour-snub-from-cervelo

Some Aussie journo has been having a whinge about that decision;

http://www.sbs.com.au/blogarticle/110471/Gerro-on-the-bench-br

Personally, I'm not surprised. Cervélo are riding the Tour with the aim of Sastre winning it, so they need a team that can support him in that. That means riders he knows he can trust, like Gomez Marchante, Cuesta and Gusov, and some strong rouleurs like Lancaster and Klier. It looks a well balanced team to me.

channel 4 have done coverage ( not live ) each and every year since I were a lad at school

highlight show somewhere around 7ish and then repeat later at about midnight
saturdays and sundays they sometimes show live stages, racing as well as TT's

It's on ITV4 these days, Julian. But there is a highlight show and some stages are shown live.

Some Aussie journo has been having a whinge about that decision;

http://www.sbs.com.au/blogarticle/110471/Gerro-on-the-bench-br

Personally, I'm not surprised. Cervélo are riding the Tour with the aim of Sastre winning it, so they need a team that can support him in that. That means riders he knows he can trust, like Gomez Marchante, Cuesta and Gusov, and some strong rouleurs like Lancaster and Klier. It looks a well balanced team to me.
tomolarisis is a very well known cycle commentator. teams need to have people with a range of skills.

Why aren't Liquigas concentrating on supporting Pellizotti for GC?

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/liquigas-announce-tour-team

Some Aussie journo has been having a whinge about that decision;
http://www.sbs.com.au/blogarticle/110471/Gerro-on-the-bench-br
Personally, I'm not surprised. Cervélo are riding the Tour with the aim of Sastre winning it, so they need a team that can support him in that. That means riders he knows he can trust, like Gomez Marchante, Cuesta and Gusov, and some strong rouleurs like Lancaster and Klier. It looks a well balanced team to me.

Riders he can trust? How about riders that can perform?

Why aren't Liquigas concentrating on supporting Pellizotti for GC?

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/liquigas-announce-tour-team

Because he rode the Giro and wasn't intending to ride the Tour, so they'd promised leadership to Nibali and Kreuziger. These two are talented up and coming riders who'll be in contention for the white jersey and will probably make the top ten.

Pellizotti is riding with a view to winning stages, so it'll be interesting to see how he performs. I'd imagine he'll need to lose time early in the race to be given any leeway later.

Riders he can trust? How about riders that can perform?

Both Gusov and Cuesta rode for Sastre last year. Remind me how he did again? ;p

A team needs a balance of climbers and rouleurs to support a GC candidate. That's what CTT have gone for.

I think Gerrans is unfortunate but he's not got much experience of riding for a GC candidate has he?

Sastre had the Schlecks last year.

Toast post

http://www.toastinthepost.com/

I am pumped for this year's tour. That is all I have to say on the subject.

I'm more pumped coz I'm gonna be there! Screw the cheatin' pros! Woo!

What odds could you get on an Astana top 3?

Contador, Armstrong, Leiphiemer

Very long ones. It won't happen.

I'm more pumped coz I'm gonna be there! Screw the cheatin' pros! Woo!

Lucky bastard ... :D

Damn....I'm going to be in St Raphael on the 25th.....wonder whether I can get up to Ventoux and back in a day? Would be awesome to see them battle up that so close to the end of the tour.

Can someone tell me roughly what time they will close the road on mt Ventoux to enthusiasutic amateurs?

Im hoping to watch the sprint in Aubenas the day before and ride up the hill on the morning of the stage. Hopefully see some of you punks on the slope.

Expecting the schleck bros to bust up the astana party