Tour de France 2009

I can't see your shizzle on cackberry but I'm sure it"s shot hot. Anyways.. I wear one and you are all satan's bitches.. And stuff.. What was the question? Oh there were lots of aussies here watching le tour and the poms are watchinbg bumby.. Why don't theu ewrae helnets fotr thid high ompact ssport.... My bereeeerrs and pi£llllls are licking oin now

Hippy, its late mate and I'm worried about you - what are you watching some gay sporting event with sheep (ewes??) boinking in compact spurts?

Do you need help??! Jeesus could be there in a flash its not to late think of JImmy and Janice!!!!

hippy its far to early for pills

strong win today, that last 5k was impressive

This is the headline on the cover of the Tour preview of the French left leaning paper Liberation published 4th July. Its not obvious exactly how to render it in English, but 'piqure' is a jab or a shot, and 'rappel' a reminder - so maybe "A Jab of Memory".

I've just belatedly read this and even though I'm well used to French dislike of Armstrong I find myself a bit shocked by the bitterness and the level of vitriol. Libe (as it is known, and you'll have to imagine the acute accent on the final e since I can't make this keyboard show it), Libe takes it as a given that Lance is a villain and allows its anger to spread out to almost everyone concerned with the Tour. "Lance accro au Tour et vice versa." is the page 2 headline - 'accro' is 'hooked', and the allegation is that the Tour organisation has welcomed him back, in spite of his obvious (to them) guilt, because he raises the Tour's media profile. "The Tour busily polishes its tiles and washes its walls in the name of its sacrosanct cleanliness while welcoming Lance with an invitation to tea and cakes....this is something to snigger at."

Libe accuses the Amaury Sports Organisation (the Tour's owners) of sacking its own former boss, Patrice Leclerc, for being too absolutist in the battle against doping. The result: last year testing was the sole responsibility of the Agence Francais de Lutte contre le Dopage (AFLD), this year it is shared with the UCI and Libe suggests this could mean the tests could be "foutu par terre" (fucked).

This year's weapon of choice for the big stars, they say, is 'autotransfusion' (i.e. transfusions of their own blood). Presumably this is too difficult to organise for all the domestiques. Libe also mentions two new substances 'GW15-16' (a brand of engine oil) which is said to modify muscle fibres to improve endurance, and 'S107' (107 as in Peugeot, and S as in sport), an antifatigant.

Finally, would anyone like to comment on the allegation that the Tour of California, which Armstrong rode last February, was openly sponsored by Amgen, one of the main producers of EPO ?

the tour doesn't need lance, and is better off without him and his cronies, i can't blame the french for wanting shot of him. he is a self publicising egotistical prick who thinks he's bigger than cycling and bigger than the tour. he doped, that's beyond question imho (the research done by the australian scientist on numbered samples proves this but has been hushed up) i look forward to watching the tour without his stony face gormlessly plodding behind his team mates.

Toulouse vs. Halifax in some rugby match. Just stumbled upon uk massive. What is this rugby they speak of?

Fuck you uci cheatoing cav will win in paris and get green anyway cubts

Why are the french rigby birds dressed like rambo???

It's Rugby League mate. For northerners and New South Walians.

Lance is clener tha n angles undies mofo what are you tryoing to say??? Omg lance has 5 balls.

What was the quetstion? Where are the pills in toulouse?

I can't eait fir lance tour 8 ahhahahahahaa te french be lovin that.

Steak? Chips?

the tour doesn't need lance, and is better off without him

Wouldn't have a tenth of worldwide media coverage without him and his 'heart-warming' back story...
Can you not see that?

Come and watch Le Tour at the Coach & Horses tomorrow... Live coverage will be televised in the upstairs function room for anyone that doesn't wanna miss a pedal stroke... Tdf, BBQ, Bright Times™... Win!!!

Wouldn't have a tenth of worldwide media coverage without him and his heart-warming back story...
Can you not see that?

i can see that. but the tour will not disappear when he's no longer in it.
it's been the most popular cycling race for the last 80 years, lance or no lance isn't going to stop that.
trek and livestrong will get less press when he's gone but who cares? not the french!

Cavendish gets NO green jersey sprint points today!

He was originally listed as finishing one place ahead of Thor, but now last in the bunch, he, therefore, has been relegated....Wonder why?

He has been relegated....Wonder why?

He did the old 'get to 100m and turn right' manoeuvre

ITV4 guys don't agree with it, see what happens tomorrow after the appeal.

apparently there is no appeal - the commissaire said that columbia can appeal, but the appeal would be to him and he's not gonna listen to any appeal!

seemed a bit harsh, the road squeezed hushovd out more than cav.

I heard he'd been demoted due to the large amount of times he has said "y'know" in interviews throughout this years tour.

Y'know?

i can see that. but the tour will not disappear when he's no longer in it.
it's been the most popular cycling race for the last 80 years, lance or no lance isn't going to stop that.
trek and livestrong will get less press when he's gone but who cares? not the french!

The tour is the biggest annual sporting event in the world, don't think Lance is the biggest sportsman.

I heard he'd been demoted due to the large amount of times he has said "y'know" in interviews throughout this years tour.

Y'know?

That is a trait I've noticed in many a sportsman.. At least he doesn't say 'at the end of the day' like professional roundballers

Columbia were covering too many bases in the stage today, good effort mind.. chapeau Ivanov, Roche and Hincapie so close to taking yellow jersey.. shame about Cav but the right decision in the end y'know

I hope LA finishes the TDF, but i can't see him winning a stage or the GC this year, he has no influence over Astana and the peloton, just a few loyal riders like Popovych and old friends. His twitter site appears very open and honest though, and i get the impression that he does enjoy being back in the mix, despite the tension surrounding his ambitions. The TT at Annecy will be his nemesis y'know..

lance is quick on a bike, the quickest for many years. today was not about him though so why go on about it. ivanov put in a fantastic final 6k, not to mention all those before.

no wonder lance has such an ego when the talk of the tour is about him on a day when other men triumphed.

oh, and it was pretty clear that cav squeezed hushovd out, got caught looking over the wrong shoulder.

Any video of the Thor/Cav stuff? I was poloing it today, so missed the stage.

Boonen's dropped out of the Tour:
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/news-flash-tom-boonen-out-of-tour-de-france

the whole bloody coloumbia team was squeezing thor out. go thor i say! the man has done it on his own the whole way where cav has had at least 3 guys helping him. cav got relegated to last place yesterday for squeezing thor out. 154th place.

boonen = wimp. he's only got the shits that's hardly an excuse not to tackle the alps. (to be honest i'd be looking for excuses today as well). it'd be cold up there (12degrees at the base not at the top!).

i like the commentry - 'Long day for the latern rouge' dropped after 15minutes.!

His dealer couldn't make the flight to Switzerland.

Canc. Has a dig..Ftw?

That was fantastic.

Well done Mr Wiggins. 3rd overall.

Contador = 531 = Wow.

Brilliant stage finish, Contador was loud and clear in showing everyone else who's boss.