Boonen sera la!!!!

by bradBordeaux on Jul 3, 2009 7:04 AM EDT Comment 63 comments

Tom Boonen will be on the start on Monaco.......

The long drama has come to an end. Take that ASO, Minister for Sport...my arse....From Eurosport as of 13.00 Today:

Selon les médias belges, Tom Boonen sera bien au départ du Tour de France samedi à Monaco. La Chambre arbitrale du sport du comité national olympique et sportif français aurait statué en faveur du coureur de l'équipe Quick Step, l'autorisant à s'aligner sur la Grande Boucle.

Boonen, Boonen, Boonen, Boonen......BatMan!!!

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Good morning, brad.

I just posted this link as a Fanshot…but deleted when I saw yours.

by itswells on Jul 3, 2009 7:06 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Sorry mate, I'm not that clever technologically....little overexcited I guess

Bah....Cavendish?!

by bradBordeaux on Jul 3, 2009 7:16 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

now

if only he will bother to sprint…

by rbjhan on Jul 3, 2009 7:08 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

*be bothered to

by rbjhan on Jul 3, 2009 7:12 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

+1

I’d guess that Cavendish is in fact pleased ….

sometimes life is a false flat

by Willj on Jul 3, 2009 8:47 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

He will sprint...

He will win a couple of stages!

by cyclingdiva on Jul 3, 2009 7:22 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

he is fired up.. Go Tommeke.

"the rest was over 30. And that doesn't mean old and useless, but experienced and with the stamina"

Jens! Voigt, Crit Intl Interview, 2009

by CycleGirl on Jul 3, 2009 7:57 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

But bummer for Albi, next time..

"the rest was over 30. And that doesn't mean old and useless, but experienced and with the stamina"

Jens! Voigt, Crit Intl Interview, 2009

by CycleGirl on Jul 3, 2009 7:57 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Bye, bye, Albi

by Katiek on Jul 3, 2009 7:44 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

He'll have to sprint, even for 5th place if he wants green.

And he knows that.

Adrenalina Italiana!

by Albertina on Jul 3, 2009 8:12 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

he might have less of a rival in Cavendish than we suspect

Cavendish is saying in L’équipe that he’s not going for the green jersey – says he’s concentrating on stage wins (“if I win 1 I’ll be happy”) – says that going for intermediate sprints “isn’t my thing.” Then again this is the guy who said he wasn’t a contender for MSR, so who knows.

by plinytheelder on Jul 3, 2009 3:43 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

He's saying different things all over the place....

Adrenalina Italiana!

by Albertina on Jul 3, 2009 3:54 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

It's not all that different, really.

To distill down several different interviews I’ve read or seen lately: “My main goal is to reach Paris and win stages—since I haven’t finished a Tour before, that has to come first before I can really understand how to win the green. But if I have a chance for the green, I’ll go for it.”

I think it’s a mix of being realistic and sandbagging—Cav only usually says he will definitely win when he’s sure of all the factors involved, and he isn’t here. BUT his advisor is Erik Zabel, who does know a thing or two about getting the green. As with MSR, that’s going to up his experience points without him having to play through the whole level first.

I can't understand why people cheat--Mark Cavendish

by majope on Jul 3, 2009 7:13 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I think there is also the fact that his little lead out train has had some pre race practice.

But will Renshaw or Big George be the last wheel?

errrr....am i supposed to sign this??

by Flatbagger on Jul 3, 2009 7:16 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

He says he's aiming for the green jersey

We’ll see I lot of him in the intermediate sprints than I guess…

"Where there’s a will, there’s a way.": Alberto Contador, shortly after waking up from brain surgery.

by Lopex on Jul 3, 2009 7:25 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

good news

I had a feeling they were just looking for a way out of the initial decision. This way they were able to come off with a strong reaction condemning coke use, and “let the guy race for god’s sake,” too. I find the french to be rather expert at this sort of thing.

by yeehoo on Jul 3, 2009 7:28 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

It'll definitely heat up the battle for green.

Should be fun.

I can't understand why people cheat--Mark Cavendish

by majope on Jul 3, 2009 7:29 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

poor megabeth

"Wizard's first rule. People are stupid. They will believe anything they want to be true or fear to be true." -- Terry Goodkind

by umwolverine on Jul 3, 2009 7:51 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Yeeeeeeah.

Sigh.

by Megabeth on Jul 3, 2009 10:02 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

hey, you've got just under 5 hours to revise your squad...

"Wizard's first rule. People are stupid. They will believe anything they want to be true or fear to be true." -- Terry Goodkind

by umwolverine on Jul 3, 2009 10:14 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

But she ran out of beer and wine.

by Sui Juris on Jul 3, 2009 10:15 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

shit shit shit

by ursula on Jul 3, 2009 10:32 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'm pretty pleased :)

Gutted for Davis but whether it had been him or Boonen sent home it would have been gutting. But Boonen here pleases me, i love his champs jersey and hopefully he (plus the other sprinters) can make Cav work much harder to dominate ;) Finally, a Tour with most of the big sprinters once again present

"When he accelerates, he's like Superman emerging from the telephone booth!" La Gazzetta journo Paolo Condo talking about Edvald Boasson Hagen.

by Helsy33 on Jul 3, 2009 8:39 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

+1

Bah....Cavendish?!

by bradBordeaux on Jul 3, 2009 8:57 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I feel bad for Davis also but

he rode a fantastic Giro. He had to know this was a possibility. It was Boonen’s to start with. Plus, I’m sure he will get to ride the Vuelta. Not to sound heartless because I’m not.

by cyclingdiva on Jul 3, 2009 10:14 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

How I love the Swedish media

“Cocaine doped Boonen to start the Tour.”, Sveriges Television’s headline.

Staring at the swim team gets you killed by a gang of dancing ninja men who know how to twirl.

by TheFigurehead on Jul 3, 2009 9:27 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

That's even worse than in the Netherlands

Maybe even Germany.

"Where there’s a will, there’s a way.": Alberto Contador, shortly after waking up from brain surgery.

by Lopex on Jul 3, 2009 10:19 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

the Aus media too...

most of the headlines/articles I saw previously were along the lines of “poor Albi Davis has to wait to see whether he gets to ride the Tour or whether they let a coke addict ride instead, isn’t this so unfair?” – I can only imagine what they’re writing now, now that Davis is definitely out for Boonen. Mind you, they also portrayed Gerrans not on the Cervelo Tour Team as “Gerrans dumped by his team” (almost as if he actually got fired).

(re: Davis – one would have to think that going to a team with a green jersey contender/sprinter already in Boonen that there’s a good chance you wouldn’t get to ride the Tour anyway, so I agree with those who say that Davis had to know it was a possibility he wouldn’t ride the Tour).

by guidemd on Jul 3, 2009 12:10 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

My point

too is Davis was the reserve. Don’t understand why people feel sorry for him? Boonen riding is best for the team. This is a victory! Justice in my opinion. Davis rode the Giro people…get over it. See now I sound bitchy. I’m not. Media spin is funny!

by cyclingdiva on Jul 3, 2009 12:25 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

One example I've read since the news broke starts

“Australian cyclist Allan Davis has been dumped from the Tour de France so that a playboy…..”

(I’ll spare you the rest, but you can imagine!) Full marks for patriotism, but less marks for balanced argument would about sum it up.

Cavendish - "le Mozart du onze-dents" (the Mozart of the 11-tooth sprocket) – L’Equipe

by andrewp on Jul 3, 2009 1:03 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I read that too

and all I could think about was what an unfair representation that was, especially for all the new fans following the tdf this year and taking that article as gospel.

i am master of my fate, i am captain of my soul

by randie on Jul 4, 2009 12:59 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Kokain-Tom

has been his name in Norwegian media for a while now. I guess headings like “Kokain-Tom beats Hushovd in the Tour” is just what ASO were trying to avoid.

by El-Ve on Jul 3, 2009 1:20 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

i'm starting to understand aso's reaction. Jeez

I wanna pony

by yeehoo on Jul 3, 2009 1:32 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Good.

Though I hate how it’s been done, on all sides.

by civetta on Jul 3, 2009 10:07 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

YES!

If only the BS moralism underlying his exclusion was so easily banished.

by Ed K on Jul 3, 2009 10:33 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

you want a pony, too?

by Sui Juris on Jul 3, 2009 10:48 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

actually i can sympathize a bit

with the bs moralism. I’m totally glad boonen’s gonna ride. And I mean i couldn’t care less if someone does cocaine any more than if they indulge in alcohol, cigarettes, eating too much, watching too much tv, being internet addicted or any other kind of general kinkiness. But it is an illegal drug, and these athletes are looked up to by children, and blah blah blah. So i mean if they totally dismiss it they come under fire too. And that’s maybe not totally 100% wrong. I mean there are some reasons. So you know they did enough to put a scare into him and then found a way to manouvre things around to where he could ride. Classic french, i swear. Sort of a realist reaction. Not pretty, not pure, but in the end …

Plus i don’t know. Maybe there are some real stuffed shirts in the aso now.

So why test for cocaine in the first place? That’d get rid of the problem. Don’t ask, don’t tell. Everybody happy. (especially boonen, snort snort)

by yeehoo on Jul 3, 2009 11:05 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs