2009 TDF Route Announced
by Mr Van P on Oct 22, 2008 10:23 AM EDT
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PrintFrom CN: http://www.cyclingnews.com/road/2009/tour09/
Interesting. Not too much in ways of ITT's. Mount Ventoux is right before Paris too. Chat away...
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Let's play two!
What are we waiting for? Let’s start now! Al Trautwig is as prepared now as he’ll ever be!
I look at this
and think two words: Alberto Contador
Or maybe Andy Schleck.
It’s cool the TTT is back, but it does almost seem to me to be an anti-HWWNBN (or anti-Cadel) route. The two ITTs are even shorter than last year (15k and 40k this year vs 29.5k and 53k last year). Not that HWWNBN couldn’t compete in the mountains, of course, but he was so strong in the TTs that pure climbers really didn’t have a chance, even if they could have edged him out in the mountains. With the ITTs so short this year, I could see someone like Sastre or Schleck putting in enough time in the mountains that he might not lose it all to HWWNBN in the ITTs. And I doubt Schleck, at least, would lose much time in the TTT being on CSC (and Contador wouldn’t lose anything at all to HWWNBN in the TTT, of course).
Perhaps this is why HWWNBN has said he wants to ride the Giro. When does the route for that get announced? It seems a little odd to me that the Tour route would get announced before the Giro…
HWWNBN
Except he would love a Team trial with no time adjustments
by cyclingchallenge on Oct 22, 2008 11:41 AM EDT up reply actions
True...
Though the TTT is also pretty short at 38k. It was 66k in 2005, 65k in 2004, and 69k in 2003, for example. Thus, I doubt HWWNBN would get the same sort of advantages he would have gotten in past years…
This Tour is Contador's, to win or lose
It is set up perfectly for Contador to limit his losses in the ITTs and hang in there until the Ventoux stage, and either capture the lead that day, or, if he’s already leading, to seal the deal.
Unless AC is injured or sick when the race gets to that day, he will be a heavy favorite.
Whether this was the intent or not, the TdF has pretty much forced Bruyneel to designate AC as the Astana leader for le Tour, because otherwise, AC would surely find another team and win the ‘09 TdF in that other team’s jersey. This is not a Tour that a 38-year-old LA can win if AC is at or near his best.
MJB
depends on how steep the mountaintop finishes are... he's a goat.. he needs the steeps
"Wizard's first rule. People are stupid. They will believe anything they want to be true or fear to be true." -- Terry Goodkind
not steep enough.. needs 9 and higher
"Wizard's first rule. People are stupid. They will believe anything they want to be true or fear to be true." -- Terry Goodkind
Interesting
Long, long, long stretches at 7% — it adds up.
"If writing too much about the Classics is wrong, I don't want to be right."
by Chris Fontecchio on Oct 23, 2008 1:48 AM EDT up reply actions
I also find it interesting
they’re going up Tourmalet again in 2009 given that they just went up it in 2008. I’m guessing they’ll go up the other direction?
they usually go up the tourmalet every year
"Wizard's first rule. People are stupid. They will believe anything they want to be true or fear to be true." -- Terry Goodkind
Do they?
I didn’t think they went up it in 2007 or 2005. It had seemed to me to be an every other year sort of thing, kinda like Alpe D’Huez…
no Tourmalet in 2007
i remember that specifically because it was a ride option on our group tour on the rest day in 2007, seeing as it was not included in the route that year.
Seems like the prediction guy
was pretty much spot on. And for fans of crashdan’s work, there is a flyover video that you can watch on the front page of the main LeTour site. Click on the bit that says “Le Parcours du Tour 2009 en 3D”. OK the kettle drums sound like they were snitched while Steve McGarrett was looking the other way, but apart from that it is very good. The Ventoux stage seems especially cruel as the course pretty much does a circuit of the base before heading upwards. Just to rub it in.
I like Evan's quotes in CN:
He says there,
“One word sums up the Tour route for me, ‘interesting.’ It’s really going to draw out the general classification riders pretty early on so I’m going to have to be very attentive throughout the race. Just like this year, though, it could come down to the wire on Ventoux. It’s going to be a very tiring race.”
That’s the thing. GC guys will be involved very early on. Waiting to peak for the Alps will be a losing strategy.
The routes exciting
From a local point of view, around here we are very excited with the addition of the 4th climb on stage 17 – the Col de Romme.
This is an amazing little road – not very well known and very steep. It starts near the start of the classic north side of Col de la Colombière but climbs the side of a cliff and ends up well above the normal route, then descends down and rejoins it.
The descent will give viewers a mandatory helicopter shot of the Chartreuse de Reposoir 12th century monastery – stunning.
It’s an exciting new addition that turns a category one climb into a Hors Categorie climb.
It’s a little extra fun when they add a great unknown local route to the tour
by cyclingchallenge on Oct 22, 2008 12:01 PM EDT reply actions
showoff
"Wizard's first rule. People are stupid. They will believe anything they want to be true or fear to be true." -- Terry Goodkind
Your bike
has taken some beautiful vacations. Also, your wife’s bike takes nice pictures.
"If writing too much about the Classics is wrong, I don't want to be right."
by Chris Fontecchio on Oct 23, 2008 1:49 AM EDT up reply actions
He Who Will Not Be Named...I think.
I missed the origination of it, but apparently it’s main use was to refer to HWWNBN when the conversations centered around {looks both ways…whispers} doping.
The actual “He” is the American who won the TdF and is NOT named Greg Lemond (or Floyd Landis).
HWMNBN
He Who Must Not Be Named. From the Harry Potter books in reference to Lord Voldemort aka You-Know-Who aka Lance Armstrong. This was originally coined sometime before Lance announced his comeback. Chris was tired of the neverending “Lance was doped” debates, and issued a moratorium on the topic. The acronym was born shortly thereafter, and a new addition was added to the PdC lexicon. This is all based on my very failing memory, so I may be wrong about most, if not all, of the facts.
by The Team Chef on Oct 22, 2008 12:49 PM EDT up reply actions
Eric Boyer
“Racing the Ventoux on the penultimate stage! It’s daring. If the Tour can be decided there, it would be fantastic.”
pounding along in three ratios like a sonata
like a Ritter with pommelled scrotum atra cura on the step
Botticelli from the fork down pestling the transmission
tires bleeding voiding zeep the highway
Johan Bruyneel
“It’s for a strong rider, it’s that simple. All the typical ingredients are there, with the mountains, the time trials and the addition of Ventoux. The strongest rider wins every Tour and I can’t see this being any different. With regards to our invitation, I’ve not had any indication that we won’t be allowed to race next year. In fact we signed an agreement with the teams that promises we’ll be at the start. Alberto comes for sure, but we’re not sure about Lance [Armstrong] yet. But you have to know that the reason he’s coming back is due to his mission on cancer. We can’t say for sure about the Tour until we see how he goes in his first races at the Tour Down Under and the Tour of California. At this moment we’ll design a programme to get him ready for the Giro d’Italia.”
“If he [Lance Armstrong] doesn’t feel an atmosphere of respect and serenity, he won’t do it [the Tour]. For him, the goal of a comeback is not linked to an obsession to win an eighth Tour.”
“Nothing has been decided yet. We know that Lance will definitely race the Giro d’Italia. For the Tour, it’s still 50-50. But one thing’s for sure. He’s fitter at this period of the year in 2008 than he was, say, in 2003 or 2004.”
“His [Lance Armstrong’s] chances of doing the Tour are 50-50 for the moment. We have to see if he is physically able to cope with it. Personally, I think he is capable. Today is October 22, 2008 and I can tell you he is in better shape than on October 2003 or 2004 because he used to take a big break after the Tour. He now needs to get this extra one per cent that will make the difference. He is here to raise awareness of his fight against cancer. He is not obsessed by the Tour.”
“I am a little shocked by the course, this is not typical. But as long as all the ingredients are present, it is difficult that the best rider does not win. Over the past 20 years, it is always the best rider won.”
pounding along in three ratios like a sonata
like a Ritter with pommelled scrotum atra cura on the step
Botticelli from the fork down pestling the transmission
tires bleeding voiding zeep the highway
Yeah, it certainly is "not typical"
for as long as I’m aware (which, admittedly, isn’t that long), the Tour has gone pretty much in a circle, either clockwise or counter-clockwise. This time it’s kind of like a figure 8. Anyone know when the last time the Tour went in a non-circular route like this one?
Bruyneel (again)
"We have a three-year contract with Alberto and he has two years left and I expect the contract to be respected by all sides. We want to win the Tour next year. We’ll bring the strongest team to the race and we’ll work for the strongest rider in the race, whether that’s Armstrong, Contador, Kloden or Leipheimer."
pounding along in three ratios like a sonata
like a Ritter with pommelled scrotum atra cura on the step
Botticelli from the fork down pestling the transmission
tires bleeding voiding zeep the highway
Bruyneel (again)
There’s always a whole lot of comments on the course, it’s good for this guy or it’s good for that guy, ultimately it doesn’t matter. Ultimately the guy who wins the Tour – and I think any stage race – is the guy who is the best prepared and has the best support team, and is the most consistent. It’s as simple as that.
pounding along in three ratios like a sonata
like a Ritter with pommelled scrotum atra cura on the step
Botticelli from the fork down pestling the transmission
tires bleeding voiding zeep the highway
Bruyneel (and again)
Alberto Contador has only one big goal for 2009 and that is to win the Tour de France. It is a Tour with less kilometers in the time trial, which is good for him. Also good for him is the omission of the bonification seconds – although he did win the Vuelta on bonifications. More uphill finishes would have been better, but we’ll take the three and not complain. The Ventoux at the end of the race is very special. It will provoke suspense until the very end, which is good for the race. Alberto proved in the Tour of Spain of this year that he can cope with the role of leader and favorite. He will be ready. From now on, he can already start working to reach that big goal, just like Lance Armstrong did in the past. The decision on Lance’s participation in the Tour de France 2009 is for later. For the moment it is 50-50 whether he will ride the Tour. After the 2009 Tour Down Under and the 2009 Tour of California we will already know more.
pounding along in three ratios like a sonata
like a Ritter with pommelled scrotum atra cura on the step
Botticelli from the fork down pestling the transmission
tires bleeding voiding zeep the highway
Bruyneel (more)
"I want to have the most competitive team. We will ride for the best-placed rider whether it is Armstrong, Contador, Kloeden or Leipheimer. Right now Lance is certain to ride the Tour of Italy. The Tour de France is about 50-50. But I can tell you that right now in October, he is in very good shape. Better shape at this point in the year than in 2003 or 2004."
pounding along in three ratios like a sonata
like a Ritter with pommelled scrotum atra cura on the step
Botticelli from the fork down pestling the transmission
tires bleeding voiding zeep the highway
Buryneel (and more)
"I’d like to have a discussion with the new president of the Tour de France. In normal life, I always attend a party if I’m invited and welcome. If I don’t feel that I’m welcome, even if I’m invited, I don’t go. Here it’ll be the same."
pounding along in three ratios like a sonata
like a Ritter with pommelled scrotum atra cura on the step
Botticelli from the fork down pestling the transmission
tires bleeding voiding zeep the highway
Alberto Contador
“I like this Tour de France. I really think that everything will be decided before the Mont Ventoux but for the one wearing the yellow jersey at this moment, there will be a terrible pressure. In the head, it will be extremely tough. The individual time trials are shorter than usual and I will not lose a lot of time. There is also this wonderful finish in Barcelona that makes me dream, at the summit of the Montjuic hill where I won when I was young. To do it again would be fantastic.”
pounding along in three ratios like a sonata
like a Ritter with pommelled scrotum atra cura on the step
Botticelli from the fork down pestling the transmission
tires bleeding voiding zeep the highway
Contador (again)
He [Lance Armstrong] is a great champion and he’s welcome to come to the Tour. I’m not sure what he will do, but it will be the road that puts everyone in their place. I’m not sure when he’ll make a decision, but I suppose it will depend on what happens during the year. I believe that he will make a decision based on how the year develops.
pounding along in three ratios like a sonata
like a Ritter with pommelled scrotum atra cura on the step
Botticelli from the fork down pestling the transmission
tires bleeding voiding zeep the highway
Contador (yet again)
I’m tired of racing time trials on the second-to-last day! It’s better like this. There are less time trials and more climbs, but there are only three summit finishes, so you will have to take advantage of them. What’s sure is that you’ll have to save your strength and be patient.
pounding along in three ratios like a sonata
like a Ritter with pommelled scrotum atra cura on the step
Botticelli from the fork down pestling the transmission
tires bleeding voiding zeep the highway
Contadore (and again)
"Just like every year, it looks like a Tour for a complete rider. The penultimate stage to the top of the Mont Ventoux is special, of course. Other years, we were used to having a time trial on that last day. I cannot complain about the time trials. The first one in Monaco is quite difficult and that suits me. The last one is not too long with its 40 kilometers. I am happy about that. Many people say that it is a Tour for climbers, but I don’t agree with that assessment. There are only three uphill finishes. In the last Tour of Spain Andorra was not so hard and I don’t have the impression that Verbier will be very hard, but I will have to go see and ride them."
pounding along in three ratios like a sonata
like a Ritter with pommelled scrotum atra cura on the step
Botticelli from the fork down pestling the transmission
tires bleeding voiding zeep the highway
Christian Duvillet (Le Crédit Lyonnais DG)
“I am delighted with the renewal of our engagement as sponsor of the maillot jaune. For a large bank like LCL it is an exceptional opportunity to show ourselves to our clients and the public.”
pounding along in three ratios like a sonata
like a Ritter with pommelled scrotum atra cura on the step
Botticelli from the fork down pestling the transmission
tires bleeding voiding zeep the highway
Cadel Evans
"It is a long and difficult, very different, different than the previous Tour stages with slightly longer and shorter time trial and difficult. The prologue of Monaco will be very selective and technical. The preparation will require long time, concentration and work teams. However, this Tour will be exciting for the spectators. The return of Armstrong is a good thing, which increases the interest in this sport. "
“If there’s one person who can come out of retirement and win the Tour it is Lance Armstrong.”
“One word sums up the Tour route for me, ‘interesting.’ It’s really going to draw out the general classification riders pretty early on so I’m going to have to be very attentive throughout the race. Just like this year, though, it could come down to the wire on Ventoux. It’s going to be a very tiring race. On paper I’d say that it’s a really good Tour for Astana – perhaps even made for them. We’ll have to see if Lance rides but even without him they’re a really strong team. My team is also shaping up really nicely. Of course we lost someone this month [Kohl] but it’s good to catch the cheats and I’m always going to stand up for the fight against doping. But it’s a loss to lose a rider so late in the season, but we have Tomas Dekker and Charley Wegelius. I’ll be much better supported in the mountains next year.”
"It [signing Kohl] looked on paper to be the perfect situation, a guy that good who wants to come to the team and work for us, [and] obviously a bit more support in the mountains. It looked like a good situation, we’re all set, and then there’s a spanner in the works. There is no one to replace him. Climbers of that caliber, there aren’t that many in the world."
“The classification is going to be fought from the start right to the finish.”
“Twice I’ve finished just off the top step of the podium, so I have to believe I’ve got a chance.”
pounding along in three ratios like a sonata
like a Ritter with pommelled scrotum atra cura on the step
Botticelli from the fork down pestling the transmission
tires bleeding voiding zeep the highway
No doubt Cadel loves the idea of LA at the '09 TdF...
… because the only way CE can beat Contador on this course is if LA is also racing and a civil war breaks out within Astana.
MJB
Evans (again)
“In three words – long, difficult and different! It’s definitely a race in which you will require a strong team around you. The race is on from day one, with that time trial – that’s not a problem for me, but it sets the scene for a hard race. What would I have done differently in 2008? Not fallen off; but that’s the only change.”
pounding along in three ratios like a sonata
like a Ritter with pommelled scrotum atra cura on the step
Botticelli from the fork down pestling the transmission
tires bleeding voiding zeep the highway
For me, the important question to ask him would have been will be bring the pooch again next year.
pounding along in three ratios like a sonata
like a Ritter with pommelled scrotum atra cura on the step
Botticelli from the fork down pestling the transmission
tires bleeding voiding zeep the highway
That looks like one of those horrible yappy dogs. My mother has one like that. The bloody thing can sense that I don’t like dogs and barks at me all the time.
pounding along in three ratios like a sonata
like a Ritter with pommelled scrotum atra cura on the step
Botticelli from the fork down pestling the transmission
tires bleeding voiding zeep the highway
They say dogs are mans best friend
but that pooch was only around on the good days when Cadel was looking like a potential winner and in yellow. After the Alpe and the TT he was nowhere to be seen. It’s in times of trouble you find out who your real friends are.
Carlos Sastre - Tour de France winner - Born From Jets
The heartless little thing.
I expect it was off sniffing another dog’s bottom in the bushes or something when it’s master needed it most. Let’s hope Giovanni and friends have more luck:
http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos.php?id=/photos/2008/oct08/japancup08/japancup082/JapanCup_Visconti_dog750
that thing is not a dog... don't know what it is... but it's not a dog
"Wizard's first rule. People are stupid. They will believe anything they want to be true or fear to be true." -- Terry Goodkind
Alain Gallopin (Astana DS)
“It’s murderous. You could lose six minutes on that climb [Ventoux] alone, and the Tour with it. The team who comes out of the Pyrenees with the yellow jersey is going to find the second week long.”
pounding along in three ratios like a sonata
like a Ritter with pommelled scrotum atra cura on the step
Botticelli from the fork down pestling the transmission
tires bleeding voiding zeep the highway
Gallopin (again)
"It will be a very hard but interesting Tour the France. As Team Director it will be difficult to control the race and to make a strategy. Every teammate will have to be good from the first day forward. We arrive early at the Pyrenees, and then it will be a long way to the Alps. Even with this atypical Tour, the most consistent rider will win once again. It will be a nice Tour for our Team and our leaders."
pounding along in three ratios like a sonata
like a Ritter with pommelled scrotum atra cura on the step
Botticelli from the fork down pestling the transmission
tires bleeding voiding zeep the highway
Patrick Lefevere
“It’s a strange Tour. We’ll be going to new places that we’ve never been to before. The organisers are saying that there are ten flat stages but I don’t agree with them. I think the stages they’re talking about will be a lot harder and better suited to Tom Boonen than Mark Cavendish. We’ll also look forward to the time trials. We have riders that will be able to compete in [Stijn] Devolder and [Sylvain] Chavanel. Last year, Devolder was sick before the Tour even began and that really affected his form. We had to right off the Tour for him right there and then but we learnt a lot and next year he’ll be doing less in him preparation. He’ll be aiming to win, but he’ll be doing a lot less riding to get there.”
pounding along in three ratios like a sonata
like a Ritter with pommelled scrotum atra cura on the step
Botticelli from the fork down pestling the transmission
tires bleeding voiding zeep the highway
Devolder is a good dark horse pick on this course
If he has good form at Tour time, he’d have a shot, though it would definitely be an outside shot given that his team isn’t built to support a GC contender.
MJB
No shot, no way.
He doesn’t have he body type.
He doesn’t have his ‘mind right’
He doesn’t have a team to support him.
Top 10, maybe; and that’s a big maybe.
He could win some stages though.
Winning stages is what Wifred Peeters says (below) would be QS’s aim, not overall GC hopes. But he thinks there may be few opportunities for a sprinter as the peleton might prefer to take it easy and let breaks escape.
pounding along in three ratios like a sonata
like a Ritter with pommelled scrotum atra cura on the step
Botticelli from the fork down pestling the transmission
tires bleeding voiding zeep the highway
David Millar
“You can definitely say that it’s a lot different to previous years. To me it looks very spectacular and you could envisage the overall changing all the time. The race certainly won’t be boring from a spectator’s point of view. The course also suits my leader Christian Vande Velde down to the ground. The first time trial will be good for him and he’s better than all the climbers on a course like that. They’ll be the ones chasing him up the overall perhaps. On a personal level though, it’s all about the Monaco time trial and then the team time trial later on. But overall, it’s going to be about Christian and working for him. The whole team will be geared towards this.”
pounding along in three ratios like a sonata
like a Ritter with pommelled scrotum atra cura on the step
Botticelli from the fork down pestling the transmission
tires bleeding voiding zeep the highway
Jean-Francois Pescheux (ASO director of competitions)
"If the big teams tell themselves ’let’s wait’ in the Pyrenees, you could have other riders building impressive gaps with attacks a long way from the finish," competition director said."
"The Ventoux will blow things up."
“I think he [Lance Armstrong] will rapidly realize that things are not the same. […] I will believe it when I see him on a bike. A three-year break is a long time.”
pounding along in three ratios like a sonata
like a Ritter with pommelled scrotum atra cura on the step
Botticelli from the fork down pestling the transmission
tires bleeding voiding zeep the highway
“The Tour de France is the greatest race in the world, it is its duty to go abroad.”
“The objectives of the race designers nevertheless remain exactly the same: to provide a varied terrain, in terms of both sport and aesthetics, in order to fire the imagination of champions and thrill enthusiasts, and to stimulate interest and suspense throughout the event.”
"No one will be able to say ‘alright, I won the Tour because I have a 2:30-advantage before the penultimate stage.’ But I will not say that Contador is going to say that he does not like the route."
"Nobody will be able to say they’ve won the race before they cross the finish line of the Ventoux. Nothing will be certain beforehand."
“The stage is set for a dream of a landmark finale, exactly twenty years after the most extraordinary final in the history of the tour. Never, in over one hundred years, has a mountain been so close to Paris.”
“It is up to him [Lance Armstrong] to decide whether he wants to come or not. His return would neither be a bad, nor a good thing. Of course he is a special character, but for the Tour he is a rider like others. We never had any direct contact with Armstrong. Riding the Tour or not will be his decision.”
“You may have noticed we tried to erase the images of certain riders who shone at this year’s race. It is not an omission, it is not a mistake. They have no place in the annals of the Tour de France.”
pounding along in three ratios like a sonata
like a Ritter with pommelled scrotum atra cura on the step
Botticelli from the fork down pestling the transmission
tires bleeding voiding zeep the highway
And that was Christian Prudhomme. Really, I shoulda posted them all without names and left you to guess who said em. That coulda been fun.
pounding along in three ratios like a sonata
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Botticelli from the fork down pestling the transmission
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Prudhomme (again)
“It’s up to the invited teams to determine their riders. [Armstrong] indicated that his main objective would be the Giro d’Italia, which will celebrate its 100th birthday next year. It’s for him to see if he can do the Tour afterwards.”
pounding along in three ratios like a sonata
like a Ritter with pommelled scrotum atra cura on the step
Botticelli from the fork down pestling the transmission
tires bleeding voiding zeep the highway
“It’s a really hard climb and at the end of the Tour de France can give us big, big surprises.”
"[Route so tough I would] not even think of winning. There are some tough passes but also very hard parts between the mountain stages."
“Watching the images from this year brought back a lot of good memories for me. But as ever it’s going to be a hard Tour de France. What else would you expect? A lot of the riders and I were sitting here and we all thought that it was a spectacular route. On a personal level I’m glad that the time trials are a little bit shorter than this year and that the mountain top finishes will be decisive. They’ll be good battleground for me and will allow me to ride to my strengths. I’m very motivated and I’ll aim to win, why not? My new team is looking strong too. I have Thor Hushovd and I have guys around me who know what it’s like to win big races and stages of the Tour. You can count on us being ready.”
pounding along in three ratios like a sonata
like a Ritter with pommelled scrotum atra cura on the step
Botticelli from the fork down pestling the transmission
tires bleeding voiding zeep the highway
That was Carlos Sastre. And probably said before Scott Sunderland’s departure from Cervélo was made public.
pounding along in three ratios like a sonata
like a Ritter with pommelled scrotum atra cura on the step
Botticelli from the fork down pestling the transmission
tires bleeding voiding zeep the highway
Anyone know what Sunderland's departure is about?
Cervelo is missing a sponsor and now a DS. Carlos?
Very odd when they claimed no need for a title sponsor
My fear better be unsubstantiated, because I nurture high hopes for that team.
Read like he just didn’t get on with some of the other people, particularly Thomas Campana and didn’t like the way the structire was working out. His wife, Sabine Sunderland, on CN:
“Scott has indeed reached an agreement with team owner Gerard Vroomen to stop his further involvement with the Cervélo Test Team. There were considerable differences in vision and approach concerning the management of a professional male cycling between Scott and Cycling United Racing’s Thomas Campana. It was in both parties’ best interest to part ways in an amicable atmosphere at this stage. Scott is very pleased with the great group of riders brought together to form the new Cervélo Test Team, they should be a very successful team next year. We certainly wish our friend Carlos Sastre and all the riders in the Cervélo Test Team all the best for the coming season. Scott himself will be moving on to another exciting project. More news on that will be released in the coming weeks. It’s been a very busy year and firstly Scott is looking forward to a family holiday which starts next weekend in Scotland with the Braveheart fundraising ride and dinner.”
pounding along in three ratios like a sonata
like a Ritter with pommelled scrotum atra cura on the step
Botticelli from the fork down pestling the transmission
tires bleeding voiding zeep the highway
Which is odd considering he brought 3 riders
And hasn’t had a single work day for the Cervelo Test Team.
Sastre (again)
"This edition of the Tour is different. It’s hard … but I believe the final [week] is harder and above all more spectacular, with a 40km time trial and two summit finish. We’ll have to come to the Tour in good shape, because of the opening time trial and the summit finish at Arcalis in the first week, but it’s the final week that will decide everything."
pounding along in three ratios like a sonata
like a Ritter with pommelled scrotum atra cura on the step
Botticelli from the fork down pestling the transmission
tires bleeding voiding zeep the highway
Andy Schleck
“It’s a great-looking route. You have to be really strong in the third week. I don’t see myself as a favourite, but I finished 12th on my first Tour. It’s no secret that I’m aiming to finish a bit higher.”
"It is a very good Tour. To win we will go strong in the last week. The team time trial? Our team is always very trains for this year. We have people like Fabian Cancellara and Stuart O’Grady. I do not see me among the favorites, but this year I ended 12th my first Tour, and is not a secret that should improve. "
“The route isn’t too bad for me as there isn’t too much time trialling. I know the climbs and everyone knows that I like climbing so I should go well. But of course we’ll be riding without Carlos next year. We have good young riders coming through and it’s a team for the future and a team that can do well at the Tour. Both Fränk and I will lead, but we’ll have to see how things turn out on the road as nothing is certain. The stories about my brother really affected me but what’s important is to have a clean mind for the future. We’re both looking forward to the race next year.”
pounding along in three ratios like a sonata
like a Ritter with pommelled scrotum atra cura on the step
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Andy Schleck
“Mon objectif n°1”
http://click.cyclingfever.com/?jump=3/7711/1167822726-86
I love reading the riders’ reactions to these things. And then trying to remember them eight months later.
pounding along in three ratios like a sonata
like a Ritter with pommelled scrotum atra cura on the step
Botticelli from the fork down pestling the transmission
tires bleeding voiding zeep the highway
Schleck (again)
"It’s interesting to have the Ventoux so late in the race. It could decide everything. I’ve never raced up the Ventoux, but I’ve trained on it a dozen or so times. It’s a climb that favors the pure climbers."
pounding along in three ratios like a sonata
like a Ritter with pommelled scrotum atra cura on the step
Botticelli from the fork down pestling the transmission
tires bleeding voiding zeep the highway
ohhhhhh I'm so glad to hear that from Andy...
Luv ya frank, looking forward to seeing that smiling face and cheeky attitude…
A couple of the above were posted over on the CTV thread and are translations. I hope majope doesn’t mind me reposting them here.
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Not at all
Might as well get the people who didn’t get up early up to speed. But they might want to check out the earlier thread as well for more links, pictures, and lots of comments and opinions.
Alejandro Valverde
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Obviously no one’s got round to asking him yet, despite him signaling his intent to focus on the race next year.
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Are we waiting for Harry Corbett
to pass it on?
Don Alejandro has spoken, doubtless via mobile phone while doing his gardening or somesuch in darkest Murcia.....
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2008/oct08/oct23news2
Color me excited about the race
I’m a big fan of the contenders having to fight for position early on rather than later. It’s going to be quite interesting to see who plans their peak best, time-wise. Peaking in the 3rd week won’t get it done next year.
"I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass... and I'm all out of bubblegum."
any particular shade?
"Wizard's first rule. People are stupid. They will believe anything they want to be true or fear to be true." -- Terry Goodkind
Umm....navy blue. It's an excellent color.
"I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass... and I'm all out of bubblegum."
I'll color him whatever color he'd like...
as long as we ALL agree, the shorts he wears are black. :-)
"The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed."
Maybe it’s time to petition the UCI on this matter. If they can outlaw skinsuits for mountain bikers, they can outlaw non-black shorts.
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Speak for yourselves
Red lycra rules! So there—you’ll have to make it Some of us here at PdC are disgusted…
The people who matter most at PdC are disgusted…
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Just for you...
Preferred by the people who matter most!
Real men have sticky-out bits. And don’t care if the spandex shows ’em.
It’s not the visible dangly bits that makes me favour black shorts – I just think all other colours for shorts are wrong.
Hell, if it was the visible dangle bits I was bothered by I’d just demand the reinstatement of rivets on the front of all saddles. I think even with viagra that’d solve that problem.
pounding along in three ratios like a sonata
like a Ritter with pommelled scrotum atra cura on the step
Botticelli from the fork down pestling the transmission
tires bleeding voiding zeep the highway
Ah, okay.
From a discussion we had here a while ago, I thought that was the general objection.
But even as a fashion statement, I don’t think black is always best. Some of the team kits work very well with the main color continued down into the shorts—gives a nice, long line that would be broken in half awkwardly by the substitution of black shorts.
Plus, on those miserably hot stages, they must really soak in the heat.
Not too bad
Black shorts aren’t too bad in the heat – Lycra’s pretty thin anyway.
I’ve had black team kit a bunch of times – it’s not as cool as white by any means. But when it’s hot, eh, it’s just hot and you’re going to suffer.
Black shorts have never bothered me, heat-wise. But then the only other colour shorts I’ve ever had were blue (they were club colours, so I had no choice).
pounding along in three ratios like a sonata
like a Ritter with pommelled scrotum atra cura on the step
Botticelli from the fork down pestling the transmission
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And on asimilar note
Am I the only one who thinks it looks a lot classier for the world champ to wear the rainbow jersey with his regular team-shorts rather than matching white ones?
Carlos Sastre - Tour de France winner - Born From Jets
Speaking of rainbows … guess early – will LA reinstate the rainbow stripes on his sleeves next year or not?
pounding along in three ratios like a sonata
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No you're not the only one...
I was just thinking the same thing watching Lombardia. “Classier” is a good way to put it.
Not alone...
I prefer the jerseys (of any importance) paired up with the team shorts (so long as they are with in our guidelines of darkness of course). White shorts really need to go. Who thought they were ever a good idea in the first place?
"The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed."
Well it started with the thin end of the wedge – red shorts. Didn’t it majope :)
pounding along in three ratios like a sonata
like a Ritter with pommelled scrotum atra cura on the step
Botticelli from the fork down pestling the transmission
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I realize some may look good but
but I really feel better about the non-white areas. Color them up or add some patterns.
"The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed."
Note....
The groin area of his said shorts is BLACK. With that, I am okay. :-)
"The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed."
They will likely wait, though...
I’m not convinced the teams will try and take the lead early… they will want to get their riders in position but probably won’t want the responsibility of defending between the Pyrenees and the Alps. I suspect a French team will have the yellow and someone who is not dangerous will be in the lead (like Thomas Voeckler a few years ago) going into the Alps. This is not to say there won’t be some jockeying for position going on….
Logistics of Mt Ventoux then Paris
This is going to be really hard on the tour attendees to see the last two stages. Mt. Ventoux is pretty much in the south of France. Once one is off the mountain, it’s a good nine hour drive to Paris. And remember, it takes fans hours to get off the popular mountain stages.
I attended the last 4 stages in ‘05. Here’s how the last two stages went. There was the St. Etienne time trial on the second to last day. You don’t leave those early because all the drama is at the end. We were lucky to get off the hill and onto the main road in about an hour. Then there was the 6 hour drive to Paris. The main road from Lyon to Paris was busy with speeding TDF officials, team cars and fans trying to get to Paris as quickly as possible. I know we got caught speeding on photo radar at least twice. Luckily the authorities chose to let it pass probably due to the circumstances of the race. We got to our hotel at 11:30 PM to get some much needed rest. Then it was out onto the Champs by 9AM to get a good viewing spot in the front row along the rail. Front row viewing is all taken up by 10 AM.
If stage 20 ends at around 5 PM (mountain stages can run a bit late) and it takes, say, 3 hours to get on the main road, the 9 hour drive to Paris puts one there at 4 AM. Better to find a hotel with an all night check-in.
it's a matter of taste
but if I had to choose one …. it would be Ventoux and not Paris.
by cyclingchallenge on Oct 22, 2008 2:03 PM EDT up reply actions
Or...
take the TGV from Avignon (which isn’t very far from Mt Ventoux) to Paris on Sunday morning. There’s a train that leaves Avignon at 8:05 that arrives at Gare Lyon at 10:45. Plenty of time to get to Champs Elysees well before the riders arrive. There are several other options, too. You could even leave Avignon at 12:39 and arrive at Gare Lyon at 16:11, though that would cut it fairly close (closer than I would like). This is what I would do if I were going (I wish I could, but I’m afraid I have to give it a miss). This does not work, of course, if you want to see the stage start. Also, I imagine you’d want to get your train tickets the minute they go on sale because I doubt you’d be the only one doing that…
Though, admittedly, this is based on current Sunday schedules, which may change between now and next July.
Hmm
The official Tour fly through shows a TGV taking them from Ventoux to Paris. I bet that Napoleon is right now stomping his foot and demanding changes to the timetable.
According to the train schedules
the last train from Avignon to Paris leaves at about 9PM and gets in shortly before midnight. I suspect that the riders and support staff could make that train, but as bobinson mentioned, it’d be tough to make it as a spectator halfway up Ventoux. They may also have a special train for the Tour AFAIK.
I assume HWWNBN
could charter a flight
by cyclingchallenge on Oct 22, 2008 3:53 PM EDT up reply actions
Yes!
A new challenge this year is that the riders themselves have to find a way to get from Ventoux to Paris in time for the last stage! If they don’t get there in time- too bad!
Will Phil Keoghan be there
to greet the winner at the end of the race? Along with a greeter in a traditional French outfit?
Jean-René Bernaudeau (Bouygues)
“A super route. Also original. It will excite the riders.”
pounding along in three ratios like a sonata
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Michel Laurent (Crédit Agricole)
“Very different, very challenging. It should make for an open and exciting race.”
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Angelo Zomegnan
“He [Lance Armstrong] looks very good. He’s only two kilos over his usual racing weight.”
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Eddy Merckx
"Out of respect for [Alberto] Contador and the delicate relations he [Lance Armstrong] has with France and the French press, I don’t believe he’ll race. [I’m convinced] that Armstrong will not race the Tour."
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Is the full Merckx piece (Le Soir?) online?
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Jonathan Vaughters
"We are the favorites to win [the TTT]. It’s perfect for our team to have a chance to win a stage and take the yellow jersey. It’s also a good chance for Christian (Vande Velde) to take time on the climbers."
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One of - Yes
If they have Millar, Van De Velde, Pate and key – Zabriskie and Backstedt in any kind of shape, plus who knows, then yes they are one of the top – they could challenge CSC and Astana.
Plus they did well in the Giro TTT, didn’t they?
pounding along in three ratios like a sonata
like a Ritter with pommelled scrotum atra cura on the step
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The Giro ttt was 23.6k
You might be thinking of the Vuelta ttt, which was only 7.7k, and was won by Liquigas.
by Susie Hartigan on Oct 22, 2008 6:20 PM EDT up reply actions
I'd say Garmin is the favorite for the ttt
Millar, Wiggins, Zabriskie, Vande Velde, Tuft, Pate, Hesjedal
No other team has a better line-up of time trial heavyweights. Garmin’s ttt win at the Giro was no fluke, and they’ll only be stronger next year with the addition of Wiggins and Tuft.
by Susie Hartigan on Oct 22, 2008 5:40 PM EDT up reply actions
exactly
Garmin will be even stronger next year for a TTT with Wiggins and Tuft. Which means likely at least 2 Canadians in next year’s Tour! Woo hoo!
It’s not in disrespect to the old CSC riders; Z-man and VdV, not forgetting Voi.. Tuft.
But proclaiming Garmin to be the favourite to win would be neglecting the other teams with great time trial traditions.
Columbia must not be forgotten, they can almost make a team only consisting of national ITT champions and track riders like Cavendish should not be underestimated.
The only questions is if they will go for the win and that depends on how well Kirchen does in the prologue.
It’s no secret that CSC SB was beaten by 6s(?) in the Giro but unlike Garmin they didn’t compete with their Tour team.
CSC has always had great TTT traditions because Riis see it as the best way to demonstrate their team spirit and it’s the only team which has managed to get close to US Postal in this discipline(beaten by 2s when the record for fastest TTT was set). And Fabian has tried to win a TTT all by himself.
The joker is Larsson, if he should decide to prolong with the team then it will be a serious contender for the TTT win.
One always leave the best for last, CSC’s TTT pace will arguably be held back by Andy but Astana’s Alberto has become an outstanding ITT rider and if Armstrong is even close to his old shape then they with Klöden and Levi will be the ones to beat.
4 of the world’s very best ITT riders and the time is given for the 5’th rider who crosses the fish line.
In short, I’d prefer if he had said like Markk that Garmin on of the favourites(1/4) to with the TTT.
Vaughters (again)
"That [the Tour passing Girona] is kind of cool. It’s funny. The Tour organizers must like us. They brought back the team time trial and are going through our hometown. I think we’ll have a lot of visiting friends and family the night before. It [the TTT] will be good for us. And there will be no stupid time restrictions as in the past. The fastest time wins. That’s what gives us a big advantage. Christian will be good with the Ventoux on the second to the last day. If you put Vontoux earlier, it would be worse for him. He’s better as the race goes on. I think Lance could race the Tour, for sure. I’m not sure if he can win it. To be there to help (Alberto) Contador (2007 winner) is feasible."
pounding along in three ratios like a sonata
like a Ritter with pommelled scrotum atra cura on the step
Botticelli from the fork down pestling the transmission
tires bleeding voiding zeep the highway
Vaughters (more)
“It’s a kooky route but the Alpes late in the race are going to be very difficult and the Mont Ventoux will be an interesting climax. It’s also great to see the team time trial return. For Slipstream that’s good news. If everything goes right there we could give Christian Vande Velde (the team leader) a minute and a half lead after the team time trial. That would make things interesting.”
pounding along in three ratios like a sonata
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Vaughters (again)
Not so much a reaction to the route, but a look forward to the challenges of 2009 and the advantages of being a ProTour team. From a new VN interview.
We’ve got a lot of strong guys. Dan Martin is going to be old enough to do it. Tyler Farrar has come up a notch. [Steven] Cozza has come up a notch. Svein [Tuft] will be ready to do a three-week race like that right off the bat. So already you’re floating in five or six riders into the mix of what was already a difficult Tour selection this year. But that’s good. We will have a climber that can stay with Christian [Vande Velde] in the high mountains, and a better, more experienced team to protect him in the flats. I think all around we will have a better team — a more solid team.
permission.
Earlier in that interview, speaking about the ProTour meaning riding extra races, he seemed to rule out Dan Martin’s prospects of making the Tour cut:
Well [being a ProTour means we will have to do more races but ] if you look at our schedule, this year we had to do X, Y and Z races to get ready for the Tour and the classics. But a race like the Tour de Suisse is a great opportunity for a rider like Dan Martin, to go in and try to win. He is a young rider who might not be doing the Tour de France, but he can really focus on doing the Tour de Suisse full speed. Those opportunities weren’t there [in 2008]. He was having to do races like Route du Sud, which is great, he won Route du Sud, but for a rider of his caliber that wasn’t overly challenging. So doing the ProTour gives us the option of doing races like the Dauphiné, Romandie, Tour de Suisse, to give our talented young guys a shot at some races that will be at their level, yet challenge them appropriately and not be sort of lower level than what will eventually get them ready for the three-week stage races.
And there’s a small puff-piece on Martin in today’s Irish Times. Obviously I’m prejudiced and want to see not only Martin but also Roche (and even Deignan!) riding the Tour next year. It’s been a couple of years since we had anyne riding it.
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Oscar Pereiro
"It will allow us to receive the cheers from the public. I believe it’s a gesture for the Spanish, because we’ve won the past three Tours. I want to give thanks to those who made it possible."
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Pereiro (again)
"Ventoux doesn’t pardon anyone. If you’re not at your best, you can lose everything in the final 5km of the climb. It’s a daring opportunity for someone to ride away with the yellow jersey."
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Pat McQuaid
“We are the international body responsible for anti-doping in cycling worldwide, not just in France and we will do a job and do it correctly. (Bordry) wants to do (the testing) himself and have the UCI as just a sanctioning body. That is not possible. That is unacceptable to the UCI. Maybe his ego is a bit dented. He did such a good job this year that he thinks he wants to continue. I have a very good personal relationship with him. A couple of weeks ago he rang me when I was on my holidays to inform me about the (CERA) positives. I am sure we can work something out.”
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McQuaid (more)
“Things are excellent [between the UCI and ASO]. There is a charm offensive on both sides. We are very happy and very content with the way we are communicating with them, and they likewise feel the same about the way they are communicating with us. We had a meeting in Paris on Monday. I met with Jean-Etienne [Amaury], the new president of ASO, and one of the directors of the EPA. We had a discussion about various elements such as next year’s calendar and they also explained their objectives with the Tour presentation. The meeting was very convivial. The route [of the 2009 Tour de France] is interesting. There is no doubt that it does suit climbers, I think, and as such it could therefore be declared quite a difficult Tour de France. In addition, there is no prologue, but rather a fifteen kilometre time trial which would mean that there will be reasonable gaps right from the beginning. That would give good time trialists an early advantage. Then there is a team time trial a couple of days later and that too would suit some riders. There are some good mountain stages, including Mont Ventoux on the second last day. Because of that, the [final overall] result won’t be known until right before they arrive back in Paris…that’ll keep the race interesting.”
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Pierre Bordry
"I am part of a public authority in charge of the fight against doping. McQuaid says we are going back to the 2007 period, and I won’t go back to 2007. We had an active policy against doping in 2008, and I don’t want to go back on that. I did not come this morning for one principal reason. McQuaid says that in the next Tour de France he will decide the policy for testing, and if the AFLD does anything it will just be taking samples and testing."
pounding along in three ratios like a sonata
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Bordry (more)
“It won’t be the same policy for testing. Our technique is to target those who we think have abnormal blood levels, for example. On the last Tour de France we did 50 percent more tests than the UCI did the year before. I would also like to understand how the riders that we tested positive during the Tour were undetected by the blood passport programme established by the UCI.”
pounding along in three ratios like a sonata
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Botticelli from the fork down pestling the transmission
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So in these two quotes
Bordry is either calling the UCI corrupt or incompetent, right?
Carlos Sastre - Tour de France winner - Born From Jets
Both? I do think this is a fight the UCI’s picked. They need an enemy and WADA and ASO won’t play that role. So AFLD it is.
pounding along in three ratios like a sonata
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Bordry (and more)
"There were two cases of EPO between 2003 and 2007 at the Tour de France. We found six in one month. That is something special. That is why it’s worth asking McQuaid some questions before we work with him. I don’t want (it) to be token, I simply want efficiency in the fight against doping. What’s strange is that these guys (had) the UCI card (license to race). Maybe the biological passport doesn’t detect EPO. There is something strange somewhere. Why warn the riders (going to be tested) half an hour before the end of the stage? We all saw with Ricco at the finish of the time trial in Cholet. He fled. We had to catch him up and he was in the middle of tinkering to avoid testing positive. What happened at the Giro d’Italia? What happened at the Spanish Vuelta? What happened at the world championships? The only (positive) tests were in France. Is it that riders are only positive in France? I’d like to know. Not only did we find (CERA) but they all admitted to taking it. Maybe there’s a reason, in that athletes only dope at the Tour de France. That is why I would like to have access to the biological passport (data)."
pounding along in three ratios like a sonata
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Meh.
Certainly, the addition of an uphill finish on the Ventoux on the penultimate day should lead to some fireworks. Of the other two mountain top finishes, one comes in what is really a middle mountain stage, and the other, like the Ventoux, is the only significant climb of the stage. WTF. There are no epic climbing days with an uphill finish.
As we saw last year, downhill finishes can be quite exciting, but do we really need so many of them?
As always, the Tour will be extremely difficult and the riders do make the race. My initial take is that this course has been intentionally set up to have the Ventoux decide everything. This may prove true, but this approach also could pave the way for a very boring GC battle for the rest of the race, with a whole lot of defensive riding. I hope I’m wrong.
Tour trip sorted! Well kind of. Must be a new record in organisation.
My best mate and I are doing the stretch from Bourg Saint Maurice to Ventoux in a camper van and taking our bikes. Paris certainly seems a no go from Ventoux, which is a shame but ho hum, never mind. We’ll find a TV somewhere! So exciting. Have to keep reminding myself it’s only October and I must not get carried away! There will be drinks on tap for any of you who are in the vicinity. You can even use our toilet :-)
Nice summary of the climbs
The kids at l’equipe have a nice all-in-one list of the climbs in the race.
Have a look-see. No French necessary for this one!
Clip and Save
Me, I need these sorts of handy dandy cheat sheets. Cuz I’m far far too lazy to read too much somedaze.
Lance Armstrong
"The route of the 2009 Tour de France strikes me as innovative and very interesting. From its start in Monte Carlo with a 15k time trial, to the reinstatement of the team time trial, to stages in my old hometown of Girona all the way to another visit to my old friend the Ventoux, I could not have hoped for a different Tour. While there has been a fair bit of tension and numerous disagreements with the Tour and its organizers, I am well aware that there is new leadership at ASO and I look forward to upcoming conversations and to a mutually beneficial future together. Whether it’s promoting the Livestrong global cancer campaign or making the biggest bike race in the world the gem that it deserves to be, I look forward to next year. I would also like to recognize the UCI and commend them for their aggressive stance against doping, a stance that is unmatched in all of world sport.""
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Armstrong (again)
It is illogical to pre-select a leader for any race in October of the previous year. We are blessed at Astana to have the strongest team in the world and I look forward to riding with all of these great riders. I have been around long enough to know that cycling is a team sport and I am fully committed to supporting the strongest rider in any race. Whether that’s me, Alberto Contador, Levi Leipheimer, or Andreas Kloden.
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Rolf Aldag
"The first aim is for Mark [Cavendish] to finish, because he hasn’t done that yet. But he’s got the ability to fight for the green jersey, by looking for points from the word go, fighting for 15th when he’s tired as well as going for the win when he’s feeling good. We want to get as many points as possible in the first two weeks."
pounding along in three ratios like a sonata
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Aldag (again)
“I guess it’s a hard Tour, but it always is. Three days in the Pyrenees and three in the Alps – very difficult. If you want to win then you’ll have to concentrate very hard in the first week – that stage in Camargue could do a lot of damage if there are cross winds. But even from the first day, the gaps will begin to open. The TTT will be hard, but I love to see it in the Tour.”
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Alan Peiper
“It’s going to be crazy testy, especially with the Alpes and the Ventoux in the last week. Plus the team time trial is going to put a lot of pressure on the favorites early on. A guy like Cadel Evans, for example, will need to get two minutes on someone like Alberto Contador. But the race is really tilted to a strong team and I think Astana with Contador will be the team to beat.”
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Scott Sunderland
“If the sprinters were complaining this year they’re going to be doing even more next year. It’s exciting. With the first stage being a time trial, the favorites will have to be up there from day one. And the pressure will continue until the end with the final climb up the Mont Ventoux.”
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Sunderland (more)
“First off, you mentioned Cervélo Test Team – I won’t be with them next year, we weren’t seeing things the same way. I think it’ll be a great Tour for TV, especially the Ventoux. It’s not impossible that a guy who’s lying fifth and feels good that day could go for it and zoom up the standings. The fact is that budgets are getting bigger, all the teams are training smarter and the playing field is levelling out on a higher plain – there could be five teams in contention next year.”
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"budgets are getting bigger"
So much for recession, eh?
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Marc Sergeant
“Alberto Contador is really strong and he will be the favourite. But I still believe that he can be beaten. I understood from Cadel Evans that he saw a variety of positive things in the parcours. With that long time trial [in Monaco] the favourites will have to show themselves early. That goes also for the team time trial. We made good moves taking on Thomas Dekker and Sebastian Lang.”
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Samuel Dumoulin
“It’s built for a great battle for GC. The big guns will have to be careful the entire way. For a rider like me, there will be few occasions to do well. Stage 10 to Issoudun could suit me, but I’d like even more to win stage 19 to Aubenas because that’s where I’ll feel at home. It’s hard to say, though, because this year I won a stage that was predicted to finish in a bunch sprint. The wind made things different and that’s gonna happen again next year. Some stages alongside the Mediterranean will be exposed to the wind, it means there will be no rest at all for top contenders.”
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Vincent Lavenu
"To place Mont Ventoux the day before the end is a very good idea. It will make a Tour full of traps. For the past two or three years, the organisers have not gone to too many big climbs. They have realized that the more riders climb, the less they produce spectacles."
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Lavenu (again)
"It’s a superb idea. Typically, on the morning of the final time trial, you already know who’s going to win the Tour. This is not only a summit finish, but it’s Ventoux. There will be a lot of uncertainty and suspense right down the finale."
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Marc Madiot
“It’s a Tour ‘à la Prudhomme’! It goes beyond the usual standards. The cards might be redistributed every day. It’s good for all the teams except those who want to block the race. At every stage, there’ll be a possibility of change. The organisers want to change the scenarios every year. The 2009 Tour doesn’t look like the 2008 Tour and also probably not like the 2010 Tour. It creates interest. It’s good for the race.”
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Video Interviews
Some of the VNTV viddies are worth a gander, even if only for assessing the fashion. And the body language. Some stuff in them not yet in print publications. I really do wish they came with transcripts though, saves time.
Johan Bruyneel
Cadel Evans
Pat McQuaid
David MIllar
Jonathan Vaughters
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USA Today article about Lance and his comeback focusing on the Tour. Also includes links to their tour route summary.
One very much for the home audience.
And what’s he got against the online community? Hater!
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okay, i've read the article twice... where's the item regarding the online community?
"Wizard's first rule. People are stupid. They will believe anything they want to be true or fear to be true." -- Terry Goodkind
here:
Armstrong considers the money raised as a referendum on his character.
“The cycling (online) message boards may care about the scandals,” Armstrong says. “But Main Street doesn’t care. They are the ones supporting this.”
second to last paragraph under "Main Street support"
“The cycling (online) message boards may care about the scandals,” Armstrong says. “But Main Street doesn’t care. They are the ones supporting this.”
tnx... but how does that get interpreted as being against the online community is beyond me
"Wizard's first rule. People are stupid. They will believe anything they want to be true or fear to be true." -- Terry Goodkind
Uuuuuummm … the message boards are … online.
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the comment still doesn't imply that armstrong is against msg boards
or, at last not to me…
i mean, that’s a real stretch
"Wizard's first rule. People are stupid. They will believe anything they want to be true or fear to be true." -- Terry Goodkind
2009 Favourite
So, given the comments above from the pros, those who’ve identified a fave seem to be picking Astana and Contador. Anyone reckon Scleck Jnr is up to the task? Or that the Cervélo test team will pull together and be able to get Sastre within shooting distance? Or that anyone else has the abilities and the team to upset the bookies (who’ve already installed Contador as favourite)?
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the favorites
Contador: Strong support from Astana in mountains, and obviously Leipheimer rocks in time trials. But only 3 uphill finishes, which could limit his chances to put real time on his opponents. Can’t really assess until we know who’s going to be on the team—if Vino gets back on, another non-invite could result. And then there’s Lance. Or not. Team dynamics will be interesting to watch. To say the least…
Evans: Now has Dekker, Lang, and Wegelius to help him—all of whom are good in the mountains and two of whom are excellent time-trialists. Evans didn’t lose by much this year, despite his crash and lack of support. If he keeps off the pavement and actually has help, he could do quite well. Still hard to see him winning, but you never know.
Schleck(s): CSC is great in team time trials, and even without Sastre should do well in the mountains. Neither of the Schlecks is great in the ITT, though, so unless they can take significant time in the hills probably won’t be able to win it all. If Frank’s allowed to play, he will have to watch that he doesn’t schleck himself out of competition on those long descents.
Sastre: Not this year. CSC did a lot to help him win—without the team’s furious pacemaking to whittle the competition down before the Alpe, and the Schleck control of the leaders while he made his solo break, Sastre couldn’t have done it on Alpe d’Huez this year. Cervélo is an unknown at this point, but I can’t see them doing the same—especially since CSC can field largely the same team against them. What Sastre might do is limit Contador’s gains in the mountains…unless they work together to take time on Evans.
Vande Velde: Garmin is also very strong in the TTT, and CVV proved he could hang with the best in the mountains this year. At this point, could probably leap over either or both Schlecks in the ITT, but if Contador rockets uphill might not be able to keep up.
But there’s plenty of time between now and July for everything to change. Hell, there’s plenty of time in the next hour for my opinions to change…
never too early for predictions!
I was waiting for someone to bite. I’ll give it a go.
1. Contador: until he shows he can be beat in a grand tour, he’s my favorite to win
2. Evans: If the team time trial doesn’t cause him to lose too much time, I can see him being the biggest threat to bert
3. Levi: Plays nice and gets his second TdF podium finish
4. Valverde: Everything goes right. This is the best he can do with this route
5. Sastre: Lacking team support, puts up a respectful effort
6. Andy Schleck: Still not quite ready. Competes throughout and wins a mountain stage, but loses too much on time trials and loses time during another youthful whim, such as lack of food or split in peloton. As the Cubs say, wait until next year
7. CVV: I can see him in yellow or top three until Ventoux, and then losing three minutes when bert decides to go
8. Cunego: Consistently solid but not great (i.e. alot of eighth places on key mountain stages
9. Lance: whatever
10. Sanchez: seems like alot of downhill finishes. He will steal a couple minutes here and there, then promptly give them back
Overall, I think it will be ridiculously tight, with only 8 minutes separating top 10. I think the top 10 will all be within five minutes heading to Ventoux. I just don’t see how Bert loses a race up a big mountain.
Levi: Plays nice and gets his second TdF podium finish
Plays nice and gets to be #1 for Vuelta?
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if Vino gets back on
Bruyneel is very lukewarm on Vino comeback in the VNTV viddy above
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he seemed to say no on that. but he’s a dissembler. but vino also said some weeks back that there was several teams he was talking to. personally, i don’t see him making it to the tour.
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ASO are going to look like complete chumps
if they let Vino in after shunning Astana this year for Vino’s crime. No way he ever rides the Tour again.
Carlos Sastre - Tour de France winner - Born From Jets
vino can't ride until he finishes a full uci-approved suspension
"Wizard's first rule. People are stupid. They will believe anything they want to be true or fear to be true." -- Terry Goodkind
But by not carrying through on their appeal, it could be argued that the UCI has approved the ban he got. They obviously claim they only pressed pause. Looks like CAS will have to decide. But how quickly will they act? Could we end up like the 2007 World’s?
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Even if Vino's ban is over,
don’t the current UCI regulations prevent association with any Pro Tour team for four years. Astana is a PT team, therefore he can’t ride for them. I don’t understand why this issue hasn’t been addressed by any of the involved parties. Unless of course the Kazakhs just throw bags of money at McQuaid and he decides to bend the rules a little.
by The Team Chef on Oct 24, 2008 11:47 AM EDT up reply actions
Basso?
From what I understand, the ethical rules is where the four year ban comes from, and you can get around the ethical rules simply by not being part of the AIGCP (and I think Astana already withdrew from that). Basically, they’re a mess and need sharpening up, but probably won’t be in light of the new WADA rules.
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OK,
that makes sense, and would allow Astana to bring him back.
As far as Basso goes, didn’t Leaky decide to opt out of the Pro Tour altogether in 2009? I really can’t keep up with all this stuff.
by The Team Chef on Oct 24, 2008 2:17 PM EDT up reply actions
I’m confussed as to who’s in adn who’s out in 2009. And today in the VN interview Vaughters seemed to suggest that the UCI may reduce the number of ProTour teams to 16 next year (which sounds almost logical in light of the agreement ASO reached with the teams in July). But Liquigas are part of the ProTour today, and Basso is back from today, so I can only think it’s the AIGCP loophole is the one they’re relying on.
Also, with Vino, assuming he does get back (which I don’t) I don;t think the four year ban would apply to him anyway, as I think that only applied to folk who got the full two year ban in the first place. I’m willing to bet though that if you asked the UCI even they wouldn’t know the answer, and they formulated the rules in the first place.
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From how I understand it
You only get the extra two year PT ban if you get a 2 year suspension for doping. As Vino was only banned for one year by the Kazakhs then in theory he won’t get the extra ban (which is also why Ricco will be eligible for the PT when his ban finishes – he was only banned 18 months for doping, the extra six months were for associating with Santuccione). Not that there is a chance in hell that the French will let him ever ride the Tour again.
No Katyushians? Will all the money they’re spending, they’ll be looking for instant success. Who’s their top rider?
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CN say
Laszlo Bodrogi (Crédit Agricole)
Alexandre Botcharov (Crédit Agricole)
Kenney De Haes (Topsport Vlaanderen)
Sergey Ivanov (Astana)
Joan Horrach (Caisse d’Epargne)
Vladimir Karpets (Caisse d’Epargne)
Antonio Colom Mas (Astana)
Robbie McEwen (Silence-Lotto)
Filippo Pozzato (Liquigas)
Gert Steegmans (Quick Step)
Ben Swift (Neo-professional)
Stjin Vandebergh (AG2R La Mondiale)
VC also add
Contoli A.
Graziato M.
Gusev V. (Astana)
Marycz J.
Pfannberger (Barloworld) ?
Shpilesky B. (Preti Mangimi)
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I didn't know Ben Swift was going to Tinkatush. That's good for him.
Pfannberger too maybe…I was wondering where he’d end up
There’s a piece on the BBC site, I think.
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Yup. linky
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Thanks! I hardly ever look at the BBC for cycling stuff as there's usually precious little of it there!
I’m so pleased for him. He’s uber talented and very gutsy. I remember when he won the KOM in the Tour of Britain last year how he kept attacking and attacking on the climbs with no fear of anyone. He almost got it again this year, but for Di Luca.
Can Cav make it to Paris?
Before the presentation, he said he was targeting the Green jersey.
“Next year I’ll be going full on for it. I didn’t go for the intermediate sprints in the Tour stages last July but next summer I’ll be focussing on doing things differently, I’ll be going for them as well as going for the bunch sprints. It’s the logical step for me. This year I got four stage wins but pulled out. Next year I want to go a step further.”
Aldag seems to be saying that that step further might be just making it to Paris and being in contention for the Green, rather than winning it outright. And Lefevere reckons the course more suits Boonen than Cav.
Will his climbing let him down and even the autobus will leave him behind in the Alps?
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Cyril Dessel
"With the Ventoux coming last, you could see riders losing two, three, four minutes. Usually, with the final time trial, everyone rides more or less at the same limit and you don’t see that many major differences. This changes everything."
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Mark Cavendish
“It’s a very different route with some difficult stages, but I think there are quite a few pan-flat ones which will suit me, maybe even more than this year, but I’ll have to survive those mountains! Will I be trying to go all the way to Paris? Absolutely; that was the plan this year, but I was very tired and didn’t want to end up completely wasted.”
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He'll also find it tougher
since Colombia will have a serious GC contender, Gerdemann, so won’t be setting off from Monaco with a Cipo type train for him.
And what will Michael Rogers be doing next year, too?
I think Columbia are pretty well covered on the leadout train, aren’t they? I seem to recall Aldag mentioning it in the Mark Renshaw piece on CN. And I’m not betting on Milram winning out on Gerdemann, not yet.
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I'm not sure Cav particularly needs a Cipo train anyway.
He seems fairly good at exploiting other people’s (I don’t mean ‘exploit’ in a nasty way incidentally). He’s good in a messy sprint certainly.
I think that’s something Aldag noted in the Renshaw piece too, that Cav read the sprints better this year, was able to work even when the train rolled out of steam early. I think what’s more important is the likes of Eisel, drilling away at the front to control gaps on breakways. Get him within a km of the finish and he’s able to work on his own if he has to.
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When it comes to it
the actual final 5k train isn’t anywhere near as important as having people keeping the break under control so that the sprinters get a chance rather than losing out to whichever schmuck was allowed to get away in the day’s break. If Gerdeman is a serious GC contender then Colombia won’t want to waste energy chasing down riders who are an hour or two behind. That could hurt Cav.
What makes Linus a serious GC contender?
Looking at his palmarés the jump would be rather big even though he has been called the next Jan Ulrich.
Kim Kirchen is on paper and to my memory at least as serious.
Kirchen had the best chance he's ever likely to get
of going for the GC this year and he just wasn’t up to it. He’s like a Valverde lite, great on the classics and classic-like stages but just can’t hang on in the mountains. And he’s thirty so he’s not going to get a lot better.
Gerdemann may turn out to be a GC contender in the Grand Tours, or he may end up like Jens!: great in the week long Tours but no more than a good domestique over 3 weeks. Right now it’s hard to tell, but don’t forget that he lost half this season with a broken leg. But the other half went almost perfectly: 3rd in the Monte Paschi, a good chance of the overall in the T-A when he crashed out, winner of the Tour de L’Ain, winner of the Coppa Agostini, winner of the Deutschland Tour. And I reckon that a lot of the contract dispute is over whether he gets the team for the Tour that he reckons he is deserves.
Those are undeniably great results but as you implied with your Voigt reference there’s a big jump from Deutchland Tour to the top 10 in Tour de France, which most likely will be harder to enter next year with the inclusion of Astana’s Contador, Levi, Klöden(IF in his old shape) and Armstrong(IF in his old shape).
Though not being among the top climbers, Kirchen can gain lost time on the descents, on the flat and in the time trials.
And to my memory he also did rather well back in TdF ’07.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not putting Linus down. :) I’m just saying that it will be a big jump for him to make and whilst Columbia find themselves in the favourable position of having two good cards for the ’09 GC(which I personally hope will translate to an outstanding TTT effort) they should put both in play.
The progression
of Gerdemann has been rather remarkable over the past couple of years. If he continues to advance at the same pace next year, there is reason to believe he can at least challenge for a top ten spot. Kirchen has had his shot, and he’s not going to be making any quantum leaps in his abilities.
I’ve written about Linus over at The Virtual Musette. Here is the link.
by The Team Chef on Oct 25, 2008 10:44 AM EDT up reply actions
Nice piece
says everyting that I wanted to and a lot lot more. And what will make Linus a GC contender is the fact that no other team can take the risk that he isn’t. I don’t think that anyone would care even if Kirchen was a couple of minutes ahead the night before the Ventoux stage. Everyone knows that he just can’t hang in on the big mountains. No-one can dare to take that risk with Linus, just in case he can.
Thanks for the compliment.
Linus is certainly gifted, and he is going to accomplish great things.
by The Team Chef on Oct 25, 2008 1:24 PM EDT up reply actions
Kim has been no. 7 two times in a row and his iTT has become very strong
I acknowledge Gerdemann’s results but the competition he faced in Deutchland Tour is nothing compared to the top ten in Tour de France. And we must keep in mind that he had fresh legs while top names like Voigt(one of the riders who has ridden most Kms this season even though he skipped the first part due to his wife having a troubled pregnancy) and Menchov were exhausted.
It’s just unfair to Gerdemann to expect him making a Kohl jump and it’s unfair to write off Kirchen already when he has proved to belong in top 10.
I agree with you on both points.
I wouldn’t completely write off Kirchen (although I don’t see this guy moving up any further on GC), and Gerdemann should not be expected to compete for a top GC placing (but he does have more upside than Kim).
That said, the situation at Columbia becomes quite complicated at the Tour next year. I just don’t know how Stapleton is going to build a team to support not just Cav, but two guys with GC aspirations.
I think Linus was smart to try and make the move over to Milram, and I still hope it works out. I would like to see him as the undisputed team leader. He may not be quite ready to deliver the goods just yet, but he could have the big breakthrough next year. It would be nice if he didn’t have to break wind for Cav in the Tour.
by The Team Chef on Oct 25, 2008 1:22 PM EDT up reply actions
Three GC contenders
if you count Michael Rogers. (Isn’t this where I came in).
It sounds odd to me to be writing off a guy who has got top 10 twice
but I don’t think of Kirchen as a proper GC guy. I like him, but in my mind he and Valverde will always be fighting it out for the best of the guys who can win other races all season long, a couple of places down from the race three serious weeks a year guys. That’s not being second best at all.
No one ever mentioned Kirchen as a GC guy until after the TdF 2007
He was always the promising allrounder / Ardennes-guy. I think it’s a bit of a curse that everyone who even comes close to success in the TdF gets sucked into going for the Tour GC instead of pursuing their real specialities. It’s sort of inevitable though,given how dominant the Tour is.
Carlos Sastre - Tour de France winner - Born From Jets
Well in short, TdF is the true World Championship for GT riders
And if one can be in top 10 while taking a stage like Kirchen did then it’s a great achievement.
Phillipe Brunel
“It’s an averagely difficult parcours, one for a rider with a good team and intelligence – Alberto Contador, for instance!”
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Eros Poli
“It’s an easy start, but that last week is very tough. With a time trial and the Ventoux having just a day between them, the race will not be resolved until the very end. Ventoux is a very difficult climb, 21 kilometres, to loose a minute there, it’s nothing.”
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Erik Breukink (Rabobank DS)
“It’s a hard Tour, right through. It could be decided anywhere, even that first stage; instead of tiny gaps between the top guys like you have in a normal prologue, on that course there could be some big gaps opened. The three days in the Pyrenees will be very tough and it could even be decided with just one day to go – on the Ventoux.”
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Wifred Peeters (QuickStep DS)
“There’s no prologue, so bigger gaps could open, but that’s not important for us – we’re after stage wins. I think the TTT will be good for us. Tom is our man for stage wins, but he needs a strong team. The way I read this route, there will be less sprint finishes, maybe three or four. I think that on these type of stages, the yellow jersey team will let breaks go, to keep the pressure off themselves.”
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Kim Andersen (CSC DS)
“It’s a good Tour, hard right from the start. The Ventoux finish is very exciting and I think, suits us. And I’m looking forward to a good fight with Astana in that TTT!”
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Freddy Maertens
"Hard, hot and the best team will win. Every stage, even the ‘flat’ ones have little cols here and there, so you’ll need a good team around you. There are no really long days, but every day it’s around 200 kilometres – that adds up and like I say, the best team will win."
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tires bleeding voiding zeep the highway
Linus Gerdemann
“Without any extremely difficult stages and without time bonuses, I think it will be a very close race. [The Monaco ITT] could be very interesting. It is not an easy warm-up like a short prologue, where you can’t lose more than three to five seconds. Everyone will be exhausted by then [Ventoux] and there will be major time differences. I have never ridden the Ventoux but it is supposed to be a very special climb.”
pounding along in three ratios like a sonata
like a Ritter with pommelled scrotum atra cura on the step
Botticelli from the fork down pestling the transmission
tires bleeding voiding zeep the highway
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