Le Tour de France

[*Anya*]

Originally Posted by DapperButch

http://aol.sportingnews.com/sport/st...6pLid%3D196452

I don't even know what to think. I know one thing, it makes me sad. If it is true, it makes me sad. If it is not true and he lost his titles for no reason, it makes me sad.

Nothing good here....

I don't understand this. If he passed all of his drug tests, how can they do this?

I must read more about it as it makes no sense.

Heartbreaking, truly.

Live Strong Lance.

Anyone watch the Vuelta? Currently watching the Tour of Britain?

The route for the 2013 Centenary tour has been revealed. It's going to be brutal.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012...ute?intcmp=239


I'm really sad that you lot don't seem to follow any of the other classic races. Is it because there's no significant/winning American presence?

[easygoingfemme]

I was just looking at Tour of Britain. Day one at 123 miles and under 5 hour completion. Dang.

Originally Posted by easygoingfemme

I was just looking at Tour of Britain. Day one at 123 miles and under 5 hour completion. Dang.

Ooooh I hope you follow it to the end, if it's all still available to watch online. You get to see much of our countryside.

I was at the finish in Blackpool for one of the latter stages.

[easygoingfemme]

I think that the only thing left available to watch are some clips... which are great to watch too. Would have loved to see some of the live coverage!

Originally Posted by easygoingfemme

I think that the only thing left available to watch are some clips... which are great to watch too. Would have loved to see some of the live coverage!

I loved the daily live coverage. It was awesome to see Wiggins and Cav ride, amongst others.

[easygoingfemme]

I tend to miss the live coverage. One time I was on a bike trip during TDF and kept stopping at local pubs/sports bars for meals because I knew they'd have the race on and I could catch snippets.
It's cyclocross season though so I need to get to some of that for live action!

[DapperButch]

Anybody watch Lance on Oprah tonight?

Even though I felt pretty confident that it was true when I heard that Floyd spoke on it, I didn't listen to the interview because I really didn't want to believe it.

After he lost his titles I knew I couldn't deny it.

But, watching him "yes", to Oprah over and over again...man, weird, but it brought tears to my eyes. And I think that it is not even all about Lance, but is about the fact that this incredible story of one man winning 7 tours, simply isn't true. That is a bummer. But, if everyone was clean would Lance have won 7 times? Maybe. Sucks we will never know.

[macele]

i'm not taking up for lance, ... he cheated. and lied time after time. and it's about more than just lance. what i keep thinking about is how so many times the folks that are supposed to be checking the steroid use, ... looked the other way. paid off or whatever. lance isn't the only one guilty. pro cycling from top to bottom is guilty. has to be. they knew what he was doing. greed.

[alexri]

I feel for all the people he harassed, bullied, and went after to keep his cheating a secret. I imagine it's a bittersweet vindication for the reporters and writers who were threatened or intimidated by him.

I also feel for all the athletes that didn't cheat who didn't have a fair chance.

I have absolutely no sympathy for Armstrong and no respect for him. He shows no remorse. I feel like he's only confessing because he wants to race again and participate in triathlons, or because there are financial concerns. I know the statute of limitations for perjury charges expired so he can't be charged.

I am also bothered by the number of people who think he should get a free pass because he set up Livestrong, or because "everyone does it."

[Bèsame*]

Unbelievable how "big" it was. A doping mafia? Unreal...

[macele]

in the oprah interview, all i got was he is so full of himself. now i don't know his heart. i'm not judging. but he has lied so much that he doesn't know what truth is. i think there's a good kind of intimidation. (but his) i could feel the "superstar" intimidation. his kind was unsettling. wow. and on the news, it's just about money. that's what its always been about.

I still wanna know what the big sums of cash Armstrong 'donated' to cycling's governing body were all about. No-one will say anything about those...odd that!

I'm so sorry that his fans now have to face what many in cycling have known for some time.

Oh how the mighty fall huh?

Not seen the interview yet. What a travesty getting a light entertainment 'personality' to do the interview. If he was serious about 'telling the truth' and 'coming clean' (oh what irony) then the interview would have been with a real journalist who would have 'grilled' him properly.

[macele]

oprah did a good job, in my opinion. she didn't pet him. now the part 2 show, ... poor poor pitiful me might be engaged. it's entertainment no matter who does the interview. again, greed plays a part.

Originally Posted by macele

oprah did a good job, in my opinion. she didn't pet him. now the part 2 show, ... poor poor pitiful me might be engaged. it's entertainment no matter who does the interview. again, greed plays a part.

Well, yassee, in my book cheating in a world sport is not entertainment, it's newsworthy and therefore warrants a proper journalistic interview by someone whose stock in trade is journalism, preferably cycling journalism like William Fotheringham, and not interviewing celebs about their latest rehab/breakdown or what book to read next.



ETA. Just read this on the Guardian cycling blog.
"Armstrong was on a mission to fix his public image, but the whole exercise was weakened by his need to apologise. In another world, where his accusers had not been so tenacious and he had not set himself up as both a victim and a hero, Armstrong believes he could have avoided this whole charade. Speaking about his return to the sport in 2009, he said: "We wouldn't be sitting here if I didn't come back", seemingly admitting that he was apologising because he had been caught."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog...h-winfrey-poll

[curlyredhead]

Originally Posted by *Anya*

I don't understand this. If he passed all of his drug tests, how can they do this?

I must read more about it as it makes no sense.

Heartbreaking, truly.

Live Strong Lance.

I understand why you are confused Anya, this is what he was explaining last night on the interview. At the time they couldn't detect what he was doing the tests weren't that advanced. This is what blows my mind too because really if they couldn't detect it then, he was then cleared. So how can they come back and say he cheated when really at the time it wasn't visible by the lab. Of course he admitted to doping last night but like he said 95% of the tour is doped. I think it says a lot about what kind of pressure these guys are put in to win at All Costs. He said that coming back out of retirement screwed him. It essentially showed he had doped in the past. He regrets it now. I am looking forward to the rest of the interview. I feel bad for his mom and his kids, especially his son, since there was a clip about his son being his biggest supporter and how he lied to them all.

Others did it so he did. He only got caught because testing had improved when he came back. Seems a little naive to think that because he didn't get caught first time that he wouldn't the second time. He deserves excoriating just for the arrogance of that.

Wonder where the proof that 95% of the tour was/is 'doped'. Many were, but not all. Many have been caught too. But what about the honest sportsmen who got beaten time and again but remained clean because their personal morality and trust in their own ability and training didn't allow them to cheat? Not everyone is prepared to win at all costs and bully a whole load of folks to achieve it. Armstrong deserves to lose all his Tour wins because of even just one clean cyclist who competed in any of those tours.

Course he regrets it now, he got caught. Methinks that any regret is entirely as a result of getting caught and strongly suspect that he would have been happy to continue making millions for himself in retirement if he hadn't been caught.

As you say curlyredhead, our thoughts should be with his family and children.

[DapperButch]

2013 Le Tour de France!!

6/29/13-7/21/13

100th Anniversary!!!

Who else is watching? My cable was out and got it fixed today, only to find out that the channel the tour is on this year is not in my current plan. Grrr...so I just upgraded in order to be able to watch. It gets activated tomorrow. Until then, I will be watching clips.

Who are everyone's favorites this year?

Yup...I'm watching again of course - although not every day thus far.
Each days stage is shown in it's entirety and then an hour summary each evening on the terrestrial channel I watch. (ITV4).

I was pleased to see the team TT back this year.

Sagan is my pick for the green jersey and a top 2 in the GC. He's a sprinter that can climb a bit, unlike our own Cav. I do hope Cav adds to his brilliant stage wins thus far.

I do hope Contador doesn't win...he may have served his drug ban, but in my book he should have been banned from all international events for life for being a proven cheat.

Who's your pick Dapper?