anybody else following THE Tour?

[NCPete]

and recording it on Tivo?? I don't have it this year, and wonder if you could ftp it to me....??? (if that doesn't violate any copyright/trademark)

Seems strange to watch it and see so many big names not be there (and no, I do not mean Armstrong). So many riders have recently been involved in some form of doping... Beltran, German guy, with the slow cadence, who will remain unnamed because I forget it right now, and others.... Sheesh!

Should be a fun year none-the-less!

[ebarr]

Don't know what it is about this race, but I must watch it every night. I don't watch any other bicycle race but this one. It just facinates me.

Sorry no Tivo or DVR I watch to much TV as is.

[Douglas Robinson]

Although you can't tell by my size now, I used to be a road racer. I love bicycle racing! I follow the Tour day france every year. I just got back from Munich last night. I was watching full coverage on German television. (It stinks not knowing what they are saying). One night they had a documentary following the T-Mobile team in 2004. It was GREAT! It showed what the non-riding members of the team do every day and what the riders do between stages. I have always felt that riders at that level are some of the greatest athletes in the world. Heck, Miguel Indurain's resting heart rate was 28 beats/minute!

I noticed I knew only three of the discovery teams members so I searched out Lances old teammates. 3-4 are on other teams. (Beltran, Azevado), but some major names are gone (Heras in particular) I thnik he was implicated in the doping probe.

Sad days for my second favorite sport (Hockey is first.)

Doug

[charlie s]

The REAL tour starts tomorrow in the Alps....no field sprint will decide the alpine stages. I've been following the tour since the 70's and it's always exciting, regardless of the players. I wish our local guy Hincapie could finish on the podium but it's an extremely long shot, especially since Discovery is supposedly riding for Leipheimer.

By the end of the weekend the true contenders will be at the top of the standings. And you can always count on at least two highly regarded riders falling out of contention the first couple of days in the mountains.

Charlie

[NCPete]

When I did a promotion board (for Sergeant in the Army) in 91... I think it was.... the Command Sergeant Major who was President of the Board asked me a sports question, about baseball I think it was. This board was in July!!! I explained that I didn't watch much baseball, but that I was once a cyclist, and a big fan of The Tour. So he asked me about that. My response??? "Well, currently LeMond is 2:30 down on the leader, but they are about to head into the Alps/mountain stages which are his strong point. I predict that Greg LeMond will win."

[NCPete]

[quote]Tour day france[quote]

Bob Role fan, Doug????

[Douglas Robinson]

Good Catch Pete.

[Eric Laudenbacher]

I once met LeMond when we were both in the A-Z bicycle classic in Ohio around 1989. It was a thrill to see him ride up close.

[erasmussen]

HEY Michael won the 8th stage

[NCPete]

yup, your cousin really cranked it out today! win by 2:47. gotta find the results for the GC .... Versus not as easy to navigate as my old favorite for the Tour, but I can't find it this year (German site?)

okay, still can't find the site I like, but I did find that the win today gives Michael Rasmussen a 43 second lead in the General Classification. WOW! That is a way to leapfrog forward!

[Jay]

I too like to watch the tour but like others have said it gets much more exciting when they get into the mountains. It is just incredible to me that they can make those climbs at all let alone at the speeds they do. I have been flipping back and forth between the tour and the red sox. Of course this is really just to get me through until I can get another dose of Hurricane hockey. Go Canes!!!!

[NCPete]

These red sox you speak of, are they cyclists, too???