Tour de France 2009

Going to be in Paris for the Final Stage (riding via Portsmouth). Anyone else?

Going to be in Paris for the Final Stage (riding via Portsmouth). Anyone else?

Might be there corporate stylie.... crosses fingers

Might be there corporate stylie.... crosses fingers

if you do, spray some champagne in my direction!

More bad news for the Aussies, Lotto haven't selected Charly Wegelius so, as is usual, Cadel Evans will be left to fend for himself in the mountains. Do the Lotto management actually understand cycling tactics?

That's another 2nd place then.. idiots.

More bad news for the Aussies, Lotto haven't selected Charly Wegelius so, as is usual, Cadel Evans will be left to fend for himself in the mountains. Do the Lotto management actually understand cycling tactics?

Yes, they know it's a lottery.

More bad news for the Aussies, Lotto haven't selected Charly Wegelius so, as is usual, Cadel Evans will be left to fend for himself in the mountains. Do the Lotto management actually understand cycling tactics?

Dekker out, positive for EPO, so Wegelius will be riding now.

Beat me to it Andy. Not a big surprise really given how he left Rabo last year.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/news-flash-lotto-throws-dekker-off-tour-team

Indeed. What is surprising is that Silence-Lotto took him on without checking his past. That's them had their fingers burnt by Kohl and now Dekker. Do they actually think about this stuff before they sign a rider?

are you seeing a pattern emerging, sorry, continuing with the lotto set up... incompetence?

Indeed. What is surprising is that Silence-Lotto took him on without checking his past. That's them had their fingers burnt by Kohl and now Dekker. Do they actually think about this stuff before they sign a rider?

Surely they did check? Surely everyone in cycling would have known why Decker left Rabo; I think Jonathen Vaughters more or less said it outright when there were rumours of him signing Decker. They do seem particularly stupid and hapless though.

Indeed. What is surprising is that Silence-Lotto took him on without checking his past. That's them had their fingers burnt by Kohl and now Dekker. Do they actually think about this stuff before they sign a rider?

No, they like a lottery.

On a slight tangent here, can anyone tell me if the coverage on Eurosport will warrant me signing up to Live online coverage. Having never had the luxury of SKY, Virgin etc, i have no idea whether its a winner?

That's another 2nd place then.. idiots.

Cuddles for 2nd? hmm..

On a slight tangent here, can anyone tell me if the coverage on Eurosport will warrant me signing up to Live online coverage. Having never had the luxury of SKY, Virgin etc, i have no idea whether its a winner?

There are any amount of free to access online streaming channels who feed the various Euro national TV station broadcasts as well as Eurosport coverage.

Check cyclingfans or Justin.tv sport channels for links or http://www3.myp2p.eu/competition.php?competitionid=∂=sports&discipline=cycling

Quality - apologies for being lame. Thanks adoubletap.

the streams are a little unpredictable around the conclusions of races and only good for watching on a small laptop screen, but they are free

Boonen is in the tour!
hopefully lots of 'chat' between him and cavendish and some class sprinting.
what with the francophile lance, his bum pal levi and contador (not forgetting brunyeel. would love to be fly on the wall in those team meetings) a few press conference appearances by lemond or kimmage and the public breakdown as Tubbs spirals into his self made psycosis of the nearly man it's going to be right corker.
not forgetting the actual racing.

You forgot to mention Cavendish swearing on live TV. He's world class at that.

I'm leaving at 3 o'clock in the morning, nuff photos will be uploaded on my return.

Going to watch the Ventoux stage. Pretty stoked.

Don't think I'll be able to make the Ventoux Stage but will be there in Paris for the last day.
Very exciting!

Premature victory celebration ftw!

boonen back in...

see some of you on the ventoux then...

anyone posted this yet? no? good.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D568_-2E2Uo