Ooh là là, Tour de France Intrigue
by Jen See on Jul 1, 2011 1:25 PM EDT
in Tour de France
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PrintAccording to Ouest-france.fr, the French police have seized a team bus from Quick Step. Follow the link, if only for the photo. Reportedly, the anti-doping authorities are "inspecting" the bus. There's really no details out there yet. Perhaps they don't like Boonen's brand of hair gel? Or, maybe the French police have decided that Gilbert's hair is an offense against Style, and they want to make sure that no other riders fall victim to the lure of the bleach bottle. Okay, maybe not. More on this story as details emerge, of course.
Short Update: The team has reportedly confirmed the bus searching hijinx. The team said that the police have indeed seized the bus, but they don't know what the police are looking for. Now, that's a fairly standard press statement answer under the circumstances, but still sounds a bit funny. Like, you're a cycling team at the Tour de France? I think they're maybe not looking for concealed weapons. Just a guess.
Also: L'Equipe has now updated their story. The French sports paper reports that the Quick Step bus was seized as part of a preliminary investigation opened by the prosecutor in Paris. No details on the investigation just yet.
And, one last update: New headline: Police Search Bus, Find Nothing
Next story?
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Picking all my fantasy game picks this morning
The Vansevant thing has definitely stung me – couldn’t take that in stride.
Maybe one of two guys is not gonna do as well as planned?
Doping thread!
why?
Unlike so many others, this sport polices itself seriously and continuously. Now that a fairly clean baseline is established, I cheer for the sport every time there is an enforcement incident. This is a good thing!
If anything is found, of course I am perfectly happy to roundly condemn offending parties – I’d prefer they were beaten and left on the side of the road rather than just banned for two years, but that’s just personal preference.
But you don’t keep the sport clean without continually, aggressively policing it.
Cause sometimes, it feels like ignorance would really be bliss
Hey look, tennis is on. No one ever dopes in tennis.
"continually, aggressively policing"
rather, what factions involved with pro cycling have done for the last several years is, I’d say, better characterized as providing the appearance of aggressive policing.
Except, that when you examine what they do, it manages to be both onerous to the athletes and riddled with loop-holes big enough to fit team buses full of doping products through. If, of course, the managers of said teams had paid off the right people.
In other words, aggressive policing really only works if a reliable judiciary system exists behind it.
So far this week we have seen two instances of law enforcement busting team staff.
NOT the UCI. NOT WADA. It’s apparently out of control if government is involved, especially in a country that doesn’t have a government.
Super dope. Is that like EPO on steroids?
When is the Sven-Phil coalition taking over?
"First you have to be cool, after you are cool then you can be strong" -- Davide Appollonio
Interesting that this follows on from Wiggin's quote regarding the no needles policy
“It would be great on the Tour [de France] if they actually raided teams to see if they were toeing the line. Medical people in our team are adamant other teams are still using syringes for recovery.”
no team is stupid enough to store their drugs on the bus. That's cat-5 doping. These are the big leagues with follow cars and retired riders.
I’d be willing to bet my bike they find nothing, and then hail this as an example of a “clean” tour.
I picked Riccardo Ricco for my 2011 VDS team, and submitted said team well before the submission deadline. I fully understand the error of my ways, and plead with the VDS Gods to allow me to resubmit my team.
I am a ricco fan....
I picked Riccardo Ricco for my 2011 VDS team, and submitted said team well before the submission deadline. I fully understand the error of my ways, and plead with the VDS Gods to allow me to resubmit my team.
New to the site
Of course, like many Americans, I started following the Tour when Lance won his 1st Tour De France race. And after his third place finish last year, I’m kind of stumped on which American to follow that might have a chance to win. Are there any such riders out there that fit this description?
I live in California, so Levi seems like a reasonable choice, but I think he is too old now.
Who is the best American rider in the Tour now, that I should keep my eye on.
One thing is for sure; I don’t like Contador, and am mildly interested in Shleck, because he has a chance to beat Contador. And yes, I know they’re not American.
/ Wondering if I should change my signature
Tejay Van Garderen is worth some consideration
still young, but already proved himself to be quite the stage racer. should be making some serious waves in the few years to come. and there’s nothing wrong with following the older dudes. not much time left to do so, enjoy it while you can.
"Ants don’t worry, they operate like a fantastic team, they accept obstacles and deal with them in a positive manner, they don’t complain and remain positive. An ant doesn’t work on emotion, is proactive and always chooses the ant role."
Farrar for stages
Danielson for surprise top 10
"Oh man, it’s going to take days to kill all these people!"
Welcome
Where in Cali? I’m in SF. As others have said, Teejay is probably a good guy to watch for GC, but he’s pretty young, so expectations should be tempered. Outside of GC, there are several guys to watch in hopes of stage victories. Tyler Farrar will be in near the top in the sprints, Chris Horner and Tom Danielson will be in the hunt for stage victories. Dave Zabriskie is usually doing dometique duty during the tour, but he could find himself in a favorable situation.
Be careful though, you can show up to this site looking for American TdF riders, and before you know it, you’re looking for bars with Leffe and dreaming of cobbles.
"I'm sorry for all the people who worked to make the descent safe and the tifosi who went up there to watch the race but racing can't be allowed to become a circus. We're not clowns" Marco Pinotti
But it's a nice slope!
"First you have to be cool, after you are cool then you can be strong" -- Davide Appollonio
okay
I accept your caution about image usage (Photo: © Tom Olesnevich/www.tso-photo.com, via cyclingnews.com), but beg to differ re who is “better.”
Sometimes
OK, more often than not.
"On paper, your team is awesome." -- Pigeons on my WVDS team, and life in general.
Americans?
Defo follow Horner, Leipheimer, Vande Velde, Danielson in the general classification battle. Any of them might do something.
Van Garderen is a totally fun story for the future – he’s riding his first Tour and he’s stupid talented. Looking forward to seeing how he does, but I think it’s probably too early for a podium. Top ten would be a great ride for him, top 20 pretty awesome, too.
Stage victories – watch Tyler Farrar in the sprints. Do a quicky search here on the site, we have an interview with him. Cool dude, and rides a bike fast. Zabriskie might be good in the time trials.
Danny Pate could get in a breakaway.
LOL, just realizing I mentioned all but two of the Americans in the race. Who are the others?
Duh.
Hincapie, obvy. I feel stupid.
The other one is Matt Busche, climbing gregario at RadioShack, also the U.S. National Champion. I think?
Busche isn't riding is he?
"First you have to be cool, after you are cool then you can be strong" -- Davide Appollonio
Yes!
Sheesh, you’d think I knew these things, being all like American and stuff. But I don’t. Lists are hard.
My Leffe ran out. I have sadface.
"First you have to be cool, after you are cool then you can be strong" -- Davide Appollonio
Following Zabriski could be interesting
Planning to be the first person to complete the tour on a vegan diet (although with salmon twice a week for iron content)
WSJ
Which, makes him not-vegan ;)
But that’s cool! Also, he says funny stuff sometimes, it’s worth waiting to see if he does.
The cervelo video on the s5 where cervelo’s owner (what’s his name) was talking about how the model of DZ used in the wind tunnel was stable…as opposed to Dave himself was hilarious…
Dave was sitting next to him cracking a smile… and they both look at each other…funny stuff…
Too bad it's possibly the ugliest bike, like, ever...
…in the history of ever.
YUCK.
Let's start with the stupid-tall head tube...
…so that you have to run a -17 degree stem to get a reasonable position if you’re a pro, and go from there. It looks incredibly awkward and just…yuck.
Tjallingii (not American, rides for Rabobank)
is vegetarian. This is his second Tour.
"On paper, your team is awesome." -- Pigeons on my WVDS team, and life in general.
So is he the only vegetarian Tour rider?
"On paper, your team is awesome." -- Pigeons on my WVDS team, and life in general.
Tschopp (SUI/BMC) is another, I believe
but he doesn’t ride the Tour this year. Rode before in 2007 and 2008.
"On paper, your team is awesome." -- Pigeons on my WVDS team, and life in general.
Yes
well, almost.
"On paper, your team is awesome." -- Pigeons on my WVDS team, and life in general.
Sherwin did it perfect a while back
Cali, I think.
"On paper, your team is awesome." -- Pigeons on my WVDS team, and life in general.
Thanks for the break-down
Since Lance is no longer active, and I have watched every stage since his first win, I’ve been wanting to root for someone who has a chance for a good showing, if not win.
I’ll keep an eye out for Van Garderen. As it seems from what people as saying, he might be a real force in the future if he continues to develop.
Someone mentioned the term “dometique.” Does that refer to the riders that lead the top riders from their respective teams up the hills, before dopping off?
/ Wondering if I should change my signature
This will help with the terminology:
href=“http://www.teamsky.com/article/0,27290,21579_6999156,00.html” target="new">
"How strange it was to see men doing something beautiful. Something pointless and elegant." Tim Winton, 'Breath'
And now security theater has shown us that the French Champion is squeaky clean...
…even if he is riding for a team run by Evil Belgians.
One thing is for sure
they didn’t find any big cobble this year…
by Phil H. on Jul 1, 2011 3:48 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
And from Lionel Birnie
Police were apparently searching Quick Step’s bus for Tom Boonen’s form. A spokesman confirmed they found nothing. Last spotted in 07. Help.
Badger, badger, badger, badger, badger, badger...
by TheFigurehead on Jul 1, 2011 4:03 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
rec'd
I picked Riccardo Ricco for my 2011 VDS team, and submitted said team well before the submission deadline. I fully understand the error of my ways, and plead with the VDS Gods to allow me to resubmit my team.
Stage 0 (pre-race doping investigation) is almost over
And the only breaking cases are a “part time soigneur”, a “VIP handler”, and a bus? How boring…I usually expect a few DNFs on this very difficult stage.
"It's just a bike race" - Frank Schleck
Please tell me that OPB = Ogre Pattern Baldness...
…because that would make my afternoon.
Like the bust at Katusha's Italy office
Where they found doping info on Vladimir Karpets and Mikhail Ignatiev.
by Mr 60 Percent on Jul 1, 2011 7:55 PM EDT up reply actions
maybe they are following a trail
Find a piece of paper with a name, follow it to a doctor, follow that to a drug web site etc etc
Cycling news reports that lequipe reports that the team had been tipped off beforehand
Here
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/quick-step-bus-seized-by-french-police
"At Hoogerland all the rides are pointless and a waste of energy" -Jens
It makes sense.
The French politicos and deep-pockets have finally realized that it’s Quick Step who has kept Cofidis from ruling the TdF for all these years.
by ManBicycleThing on Jul 2, 2011 6:58 AM EDT via mobile reply actions 1 recs
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