Le Tour de France 2009

[anonymous-user]

After a thrilling finish to hte Giro d'Italia, there is only the Tour de Suisse before the 2009 TdF so its probably appropriate to kick this off, I for one can not wait... I'll even be on a Tour de Nord Pay de Galles during the second weekend of Le Tour myself!...

In my opinion, Sastre will be hard to beat in yellow but i was more than impressed with Levi Leipheimer in the Tour of California and the Giro so as a dark horse he is worth keeping an eye on. Can Cavendish get the green jersey?

[ewenm]

I'm looking forward to it too and will be planning my work schedule around the Eurosport coverage

[Exige46]

Sastre doesn't have the same back up as last year, when potentially any one of three CSC riders could have won. Andy Schleck is going to be a force, but I think the man to beat has to be Contador, who seems to have learnt to time trial a bit. Can Armstrong really be ruled out? Potentially fascinating, particularly with the Ventoux on the second to last day.

Cav for the green jersey - well he is said to be climbing better than ever this year, but he lost out to Pettachi twice in the Giro. Sadly not going this year due to new sprog

[anonymous-user]

the armstrong saga will be interesting, i think the french authorities will be out to prove he is a cheat so he will have more holes in him than amy winehouse come the finish so i dont think he will challenge for overall honours due to external forces, i dont think astanta have had the best preperation for this one to say the least and i dont think he has the team around him to support a challenge.

i'll try to update this with the top three for each stage and the overall standings daily...

[Not Ideal]

Contador is almost even money at the bookies to win Yellow with Lance 2nd favourite and while I think he is looking better and stronger I dont think he should have the tag of 2nd favourite.

Can't wait to see Cav back in action and Ventoux as the penultimate stage!

[anonymous-user]

Ventoux just reminds me of Marco Pantani though I shall be doning an bandana for that stage. his death was the saddest end to a career i think i can think of.

[Marcellus]

Can't wait for the 5 hours stroke by stroke coverage on TF1!!!!

Sitting in the Garden to watch it sail past on the 22nd and then ride to the Annecy time trial on the 23rd!!

[sassthathoopie]

Armstrong is a very determined man. Getting regularly jabbed by frenchies will not be enough to put him off. Plus with more experience than anyone else in the race even if his legs aren't as good as previously he will know exactly when to expend energy and when to save it.

Added to which you have the confidence that you have already won 7 times, and that no matter what pain you go through you've been through much worse during cancer treatment...

I've climbed Ventoux (on an overweight touring bike with rack and mudguards) the race is won in the mind not the legs.

[Highway Star]

Armstrong will be top 5, but I think he'll have one bad day somewhere along the line. He did look to be riding into good form in the last week of the Giro though.

Leipheimer won't do it for me, he was distanced several times in the Giro.

For me Top 5 will be between Armstrong, Sastre, Menchov, Schleck (Andy) and maybe Evans?

Anyone know which teams are taking part this year?

Can't wait for to Sky+ both Eurosport and ITV4 coverage (got to get an annual fix of Phil and Paul).

[anonymous-user]

teams:
Ag2r-La Mondiale
Agritubel
Astana
Bbox Bouygues Telecom
Caisse d'Epargne
Cervélo TestTeam
Cofidis
Euskaltel-Euskadi
Française des Jeux
Garmin-Slipstream
Team Katusha
Lampre-N.G.C.
Liquigas
Quick Step
Rabobank
Silence-Lotto
Skil-Shimano
Team Columbia-High Road
Team Milram
Team Saxo Bank

schedule:

1 Individual time-trial Saturday 4 July Monaco > Monaco 15.5 km
2 Plain Sunday 5 July Monaco > Brignoles 187 km
3 Plain Monday 6 July Marseille > La Grande-Motte 196.5 km
4 Team TT Tuesday 7 July Montpellier > Montpellier 39 km
5 Plain Wednesday 8 July Le Cap d’Agde > Perpignan 196.5 km
6 Plain Thursday 9 July Gérone > Barcelone 181.5 km
7 High Mountains Friday 10 July Barcelone > Andorre Arcalis 224 km
8 High Mountains Saturday 11 July Andorre-la-Vieille > Saint-Girons 176.5 km
9 High Mountains Sunday 12 July Saint-Gaudens > Tarbes 160.5 km
R Rest Day Monday 13 July Limoges
10 Plain Tuesday 14 July Limoges > Issoudun 194.5 km
11 Plain Wednesday 15 July Vatan > Saint-Fargeau 192 km
12 Plain Thursday 16 July Tonnerre > Vittel 211.5 km
13 Medium mountains Friday 17 July Vittel > Colmar 200 km
14 Plain Saturday 18 July Colmar > Besançon 199 km
15 High Mountains Sunday 19 July Pontarlier > Verbier 207.5 km
R Rest Day Monday 20 July Verbier
16 High Mountains Tuesday 21 July Martigny > Bourg-Saint-Maurice 159 km
17 High Mountains Wednesday 22 July Bourg-Saint-Maurice > Le Grand-Bornand 169.5 km
18 Individual time-trial Thursday 23 July Annecy > Annecy 40.5 km
19 Plain Friday 24 July Bourgoin-Jallieu > Aubenas 178 km
20 High Mountains Saturday 25 July Montélimar > Mont Ventoux 167 km
21 Plain Sunday 26 July Montereau-Fault-Yonne > Paris Champs-Élysées 164 km

[anonymous-user]

hmm...looking at the schedule, 3 of the last 5 days are in the mountains making Armstrong's chances slightly higher than i first thought thus if he is out of touch with the leader/s, there is every chance those 3 days could tip the balalnce back in his favour.

[Not Ideal]

Highway Star said:

Armstrong will be top 5, but I think he'll have one bad day somewhere along the line. He did look to be riding into good form in the last week of the Giro though.

Can't wait for to Sky+ both Eurosport and ITV4 coverage (got to get an annual fix of Phil and Paul).

Yup - love Phil and Paul. You can follow Phil on twitter as well. (Along with Lance and several of the other top riders)

[central]

[anonymous-user]

the thing i love most about that picture are the two guys in the middle of the peloton with their arms raised who know that Cav got home first, its a team game really!

[Not Ideal]

Awesome picture! Go on Cav!

[DJC]

pablo said:

Ventoux just reminds me of Marco Pantani though I shall be doning an bandana for that stage. his death was the saddest end to a career i think i can think of.

But balanced against that are Pantani charges.

Of all the Tour coverage Ive watched over the years, the most memorable remains watching Pantani come off his bike at the bottom of the hill in the first yr he really came to attention in the Tour and then blitzing everyone and everything on the road. Despite the controvery over the later years, that first time wasnt drugs, that was sheer ability mixed with adrenalin and it was awesome and transfixing to watch.

[Sandersports]

Remember to watch for who is coming to form in the Dauphine Libre today as it finishes up Mont Ventoux.... However cant really see Contador losing !

[anonymous-user]

DJC said:

pablo said:

Ventoux just reminds me of Marco Pantani though I shall be doning an bandana for that stage. his death was the saddest end to a career i think i can think of.

But balanced against that are Pantani charges.

Of all the Tour coverage Ive watched over the years, the most memorable remains watching Pantani come off his bike at the bottom of the hill in the first yr he really came to attention in the Tour and then blitzing everyone and everything on the road. Despite the controvery over the later years, that first time wasnt drugs, that was sheer ability mixed with adrenalin and it was awesome and transfixing to watch.

his power on the climbs was totally mesmerising. he tore Ulrich apart with ability and experience in 98 and the 2000 ventoux stage is legendary (bar the last 200m which we will gloss over given no one really knows the truth)

[Highway Star]

Sandersports said:

Remember to watch for who is coming to form in the Dauphine Libre today as it finishes up Mont Ventoux.... However cant really see Contador losing !

Losing what, the Dauphine? I think Evans looks a pretty good bet for that at the moment. Good TT from David Millar too yesterday.

[central]

DJC said:

pablo said:

Ventoux just reminds me of Marco Pantani though I shall be doning an bandana for that stage. his death was the saddest end to a career i think i can think of.

But balanced against that are Pantani charges.

Of all the Tour coverage Ive watched over the years, the most memorable remains watching Pantani come off his bike at the bottom of the hill in the first yr he really came to attention in the Tour and then blitzing everyone and everything on the road. Despite the controvery over the later years, that first time wasnt drugs, that was sheer ability mixed with adrenalin and it was awesome and transfixing to watch.