* Official Tour De France Thread *
07-12-2006, 01:43 PM
#81
Senior Moderator
Thread Starter
At the back of the race, specialist climber Iban Mayo, who finished sixth overall in the 2003, cracked. He was joined by Belgian world champion Tom Boonen, Frenchmen Sandy Casar and Jimmy Casper, winner of the first stage, and prologue victor Thor Hushovd of Norway.
They finished the stage in the last grupetto, 24:24 off the pace.
They finished the stage in the last grupetto, 24:24 off the pace.
07-12-2006, 03:32 PM
#82
Community Architect
robb m.
robb m.
that's a huge loss.today's stage was crazy, i wonder what tomorrow will bring.
07-12-2006, 03:46 PM
#85
Community Architect
robb m.
robb m.
Originally Posted by Beelzebub
Mike you are right.
Tomorrow will make or break everyone.
Tomorrow will make or break everyone.
Originally Posted by Astro
IMO Stage 11 will be the KILLER of this tour. The real GC candidates will be very clear by the end of Thursday IMO.
07-12-2006, 05:04 PM
#87
Race Director
For those that don't get OLN or want to listen live while at work.
http://www.eurosport.com/cycling/tou...tc129671.shtml
http://www.eurosport.com/cycling/tou...tc129671.shtml
07-13-2006, 02:40 PM
#91
Senior Moderator
Thread Starter
no doubt 
and a big 
for Levi as well.
Disco.....
I called Azevedo as the disco team leader on a page 1... 
anyone know where hincapie blew up?
and a big for Levi as well.Disco.....
I called Azevedo as the disco team leader on a page 1... anyone know where hincapie blew up?
07-13-2006, 04:42 PM
#93
Community Architect
robb m.
robb m.
Hincapie was gone after the 2nd climb.
great stage for Levi today. We knew Landis was strong, but it's nice to see Levi have a good day, it will do wonders for his confidence i'm sure.
I can't beleive how the field was ripped apart today. The race is still so completely wide open though, the next 10days are going to be INTENSE!!!
great stage for Levi today. We knew Landis was strong, but it's nice to see Levi have a good day, it will do wonders for his confidence i'm sure.
I can't beleive how the field was ripped apart today. The race is still so completely wide open though, the next 10days are going to be INTENSE!!!
07-13-2006, 04:43 PM
#94
Community Architect
robb m.
robb m.
Originally Posted by Beelzebub
Thank god for DVR's it gets though the million commercials that OLN has on every 5 minutes quickly.
07-13-2006, 05:56 PM
#95
Senior Moderator
Thread Starter
Originally Posted by Astroboy
Hincapie was gone after the 2nd climb.
great stage for Levi today. We knew Landis was strong, but it's nice to see Levi have a good day, it will do wonders for his confidence i'm sure.
I can't beleive how the field was ripped apart today. The race is still so completely wide open though, the next 10days are going to be INTENSE!!!
great stage for Levi today. We knew Landis was strong, but it's nice to see Levi have a good day, it will do wonders for his confidence i'm sure.
I can't beleive how the field was ripped apart today. The race is still so completely wide open though, the next 10days are going to be INTENSE!!!
The next to last climb brought the tour to the Col du Portillon (7.9 km, 7.9%), a shorter and steeper climb than the Peyresourde. Wegmann struggled immediately at the start of the climb and lost contact with de la Fuente. As de la Fuente crossed the top of the climb, he entered his home country of Spain. Lower on the slopes behind him, T-Mobile moved all of their men to the front and rode straight past AG2R. Realizing the difficulty of this climb, they made this the climb of the day. Landis and Cadel Evans were comfortable right behind them, with Michael Boogerd (Rabobank) also riding well. The yellow jersey lost contact with the leaders on this acceleration as did Discovery Channel’s George Hincapie. Christophe Moreau (AG2R) also looked good as well as Levi Leipheimer (Gerolsteiner)who finally had a good day on the bike. Discovery Channel’s Jose Azevedowas also part of this big group. During this huge acceleration, de la Fuente still managed to cross the KOM in first place, with the gap holding at over three minutes.
07-13-2006, 09:37 PM
#96
Community Architect
robb m.
robb m.
07-14-2006, 12:04 PM
#97
Community Architect
robb m.
robb m.
Salvodeli & Noval abandoned today! 
Popo is 9mins back, and big George is 23mins back! holyshit, good bye Disco.
Popo is 9mins back, and big George is 23mins back! holyshit, good bye Disco.
07-14-2006, 04:27 PM
#98
Race Director
Yep, bad day for Disco, but Popo made a run for it. He is now 4.25 back and in 10th place. but I still don't think he has a shot for the podium. But he probably will move up a few more places atleast.
07-14-2006, 09:10 PM
#99
Senior Moderator
Thread Starter
great win by Popo. I loved the way he kept attacking until the others couldn't hang anymore.
Today's Stage 12 Workout:
Breakaway Power Intervals
By Chris Carmichael
Stage 15 Audio Workout Available Now
Coming after a hard mountain stage, today’s race is most likely going to be won by a man who escapes from or outsprints a small breakaway group. If the pack is breathing down your neck, it’s best to continue working together and let the stage come down to a small group sprint, because playing games to try and outfox each other just means you’ll be overtaken by the charging field before the finish, and then nobody wins. If, on the other hand, you come into the final few kilometers with a healthy gap over the field, then it’s a good idea to try attacking and going for the solo victory. You only have one chance to win a sprint, but attacking a few kilometers from the line can give you more options and increases the chances you’ll win – unless of course you’re the strongest sprinter in the group.
To increase your chances of winning from a breakaway group, you have to be able to attack effectively, and that means accelerating very hard for 15-20 seconds and then, and this is critical, holding on to that speed for another minute. A lot of riders have the acceleration to get ahead, but can’t hold the speed long enough and the riders behind catch up and sometimes go right by. If you have both acceleration and sustainable speed, the chasers will see that they’re not closing the gap and they’re likely to let you go, and then you win!
The Workout
General Task: 1:30 EnduranceMiles (60-88% of Field Test average heart rate, 50-80% of Field Test average power)
Specific Task: Breakaway Power Intervals
You can do these intervals on any terrain, because you’ll need to be able to attack and stay away no matter what the final kilometers of a race look like. Each interval starts at a moderate speed, about 15-17 miles per hour. Sprint hard, out of the saddle, for 15 seconds, and then sit down and keep your speed as high as you can sustain for another full minute (so the total time for each interval is 1:15). Recovery between intervals is 5 minutes of easy spinning. Beginners should do one set of five intervals. Intermediate riders should do two sets of four intervals, and advanced riders should do two sets of five, with 15 minutes recovery between sets for both groups.
Today's Stage 12 Workout:
Breakaway Power Intervals
By Chris Carmichael
Stage 15 Audio Workout Available Now
Coming after a hard mountain stage, today’s race is most likely going to be won by a man who escapes from or outsprints a small breakaway group. If the pack is breathing down your neck, it’s best to continue working together and let the stage come down to a small group sprint, because playing games to try and outfox each other just means you’ll be overtaken by the charging field before the finish, and then nobody wins. If, on the other hand, you come into the final few kilometers with a healthy gap over the field, then it’s a good idea to try attacking and going for the solo victory. You only have one chance to win a sprint, but attacking a few kilometers from the line can give you more options and increases the chances you’ll win – unless of course you’re the strongest sprinter in the group.
To increase your chances of winning from a breakaway group, you have to be able to attack effectively, and that means accelerating very hard for 15-20 seconds and then, and this is critical, holding on to that speed for another minute. A lot of riders have the acceleration to get ahead, but can’t hold the speed long enough and the riders behind catch up and sometimes go right by. If you have both acceleration and sustainable speed, the chasers will see that they’re not closing the gap and they’re likely to let you go, and then you win!
The Workout
General Task: 1:30 EnduranceMiles (60-88% of Field Test average heart rate, 50-80% of Field Test average power)
Specific Task: Breakaway Power Intervals
You can do these intervals on any terrain, because you’ll need to be able to attack and stay away no matter what the final kilometers of a race look like. Each interval starts at a moderate speed, about 15-17 miles per hour. Sprint hard, out of the saddle, for 15 seconds, and then sit down and keep your speed as high as you can sustain for another full minute (so the total time for each interval is 1:15). Recovery between intervals is 5 minutes of easy spinning. Beginners should do one set of five intervals. Intermediate riders should do two sets of four intervals, and advanced riders should do two sets of five, with 15 minutes recovery between sets for both groups.
07-15-2006, 12:44 AM
#100
Senior Moderator
Thread Starter
Even though today’s stage didn’t cross any major mountain passes, finished at a lower elevation than it started, and raced most of the stage in a ripping tailwind, the stage was anything but easy. The heat has made the 2006 Tour de France much harder than it may otherwise have been, and the strain of staying hydrated is showing on many riders.Riders seem to be going through more bottles than usual this year, and that really isn’t surprising considering the temperatures have been in the 90s almost every day. Normally you would see riders averaging about two bottles per hour on the bike, but for the past few days that number has increased to 3 to three bottles in an hour. That’s an enormous amount of fluid to take in, and it is important to consider what’s in the bottles when you are drinking upwards of 50 ounces per hour.
07-15-2006, 08:53 PM
#102
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07-19-2006, 01:41 PM
#103
Senior Moderator
Thread Starter
todays stage was painful to watch. has anyone heard if landis bonked or why he lost so much time? good ride by levi and the chicken was amazing.
07-19-2006, 02:59 PM
#104
Team Owner
Originally Posted by Mike
todays stage was painful to watch. has anyone heard if landis bonked or why he lost so much time? good ride by levi and the chicken was amazing.
Looks like he just ran out of gas.
07-19-2006, 03:01 PM
#105
Community Architect
robb m.
robb m.
what a ride by OP!!!
I want him to win it now. to come from half an hour back, to the yellow jersey with only 1 day of climbing left is just unreal.
today's stage was incredible, i got absolutely no work done.
I want him to win it now. to come from half an hour back, to the yellow jersey with only 1 day of climbing left is just unreal.
today's stage was incredible, i got absolutely no work done.
07-19-2006, 03:23 PM
#106
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Man, looks like Landis is done.
He must've bonked after Stage 15's L'Aple D'Huez climb.
http://velonews.com/tour2006/details...s/10479.0.html
He was bad all day apparently, which tells me he never fully recovered from the previous day.
He must've bonked after Stage 15's L'Aple D'Huez climb.
http://velonews.com/tour2006/details...s/10479.0.html
He was bad all day apparently, which tells me he never fully recovered from the previous day.
07-19-2006, 03:24 PM
#107
Race Director
Originally Posted by Astroboy
what a ride by OP!!!
I want him to win it now. to come from half an hour back, to the yellow jersey with only 1 day of climbing left is just unreal.
today's stage was incredible, i got absolutely no work done.
I want him to win it now. to come from half an hour back, to the yellow jersey with only 1 day of climbing left is just unreal.
today's stage was incredible, i got absolutely no work done.
It was an incrdible stage and Landis just Bonked.
I had said I thought this was going to be the defining stage. The start with a 42km climb and then 2 more killer climbs. Rasmussen really wanted the polkadoted jersey and great ride by both him and OP.
07-19-2006, 06:56 PM
#108
Community Architect
robb m.
robb m.
last night after our group ride i called the Chicken to break and win today's stage, thus sealing up the Polka dots, it was great to be completely right
07-20-2006, 10:32 AM
#111
Race Director
What an amazing stage.
Landis was f$%kin incredible.
Got back to 3rd overall and only 31 seconds behind Pereiro with Sastre 20 seconds in front.
No neither one is a great time trialist. So Landis now has a very good chance again to win this thing.
Landis was f$%kin incredible.
Got back to 3rd overall and only 31 seconds behind Pereiro with Sastre 20 seconds in front.
No neither one is a great time trialist. So Landis now has a very good chance again to win this thing.
07-20-2006, 11:40 AM
#112
Senior Moderator
Thread Starter
it'll be an interesting day tomorrow. phonak MUST DEFEND and OP, CSC & T-Mob must attack him tomorrow or it's pretty much over.
wonder if floyd will take the initiative and attack the leaders? kind of doubtful since his doesn't have a strong team although they didn't work much today.
07-20-2006, 03:18 PM
#113
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I spoke WAY too soon. If Landis can pull this off, he's the new MAN in the cycling world. I just hope he doesn't bonk in the next stage like he did after Stage 15. Either way, he's really showing his mettle. I him no matter what he does in the final three days. He could have easily packed it in after the demoralizing end to Stage 16.
07-20-2006, 03:59 PM
#114
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07-20-2006, 05:52 PM
#116
Community Architect
robb m.
robb m.
wow.
today was the single best stage i've ever seen in my entire life.
Landis is the man, i don't think anyone can touch him going into Paris.
today was the single best stage i've ever seen in my entire life.
Landis is the man, i don't think anyone can touch him going into Paris.
07-21-2006, 09:50 AM
#118
Race Director
This is cold.
Ullrich sacked by FAX
http://www.eurosport.com/cycling/tou...to929740.shtml
Ullrich sacked by FAX
T-Mobile sacked Jan Ullrich, their star rider of ten years, by fax for his involvement in Spain's doping probe, the rider said on his website on Friday. Ullrich, who was suspended from riding in the Tour de France, said that he was "disappointed" and that his lawyers would contest the decision.
"I am very disappointed about the fact the decision was not communicated to me personally but by T-Mobile's lawyers in a fax," Ullrich was quoted as saying. "The dismissal by T-Mobile is not acceptable for me."
"I think it's a shame that I have given so many years of good service and for all that I have done for the team, that I be seen as just a fax number."
According to German news agency SID, T-Mobile manager Olaf Ludwig confirmed that the Magenta had given the 1997 Tour de France winner the axe.
Ullrich's agent Wolfgang Strohband said on the rider's site that, "the termination is groundless."
The 32-year-old Ullrich, who has protested his innocence in the "Operacion Puerto" doping investigation, and T-Mobile are planning a meeting for next week to come to some sort of an agreement.
If an accord cannot be reached, Ullrich said he would be represented by Dr. Ulrich Theune, an attorney who promised, "The termination will not hold up."
The German rode for T-Mobile squad from 1995-2002, when it was called Telekom, then took one year riding with Bianchi in 2003, before returning to T-Mobile, where he has remained since 2004.
"I am very disappointed about the fact the decision was not communicated to me personally but by T-Mobile's lawyers in a fax," Ullrich was quoted as saying. "The dismissal by T-Mobile is not acceptable for me."
"I think it's a shame that I have given so many years of good service and for all that I have done for the team, that I be seen as just a fax number."
According to German news agency SID, T-Mobile manager Olaf Ludwig confirmed that the Magenta had given the 1997 Tour de France winner the axe.
Ullrich's agent Wolfgang Strohband said on the rider's site that, "the termination is groundless."
The 32-year-old Ullrich, who has protested his innocence in the "Operacion Puerto" doping investigation, and T-Mobile are planning a meeting for next week to come to some sort of an agreement.
If an accord cannot be reached, Ullrich said he would be represented by Dr. Ulrich Theune, an attorney who promised, "The termination will not hold up."
The German rode for T-Mobile squad from 1995-2002, when it was called Telekom, then took one year riding with Bianchi in 2003, before returning to T-Mobile, where he has remained since 2004.
07-21-2006, 02:28 PM
#120
Senior Moderator
Thread Starter
we're leaving on the first climb"
see the following link for the SI.com article about Phloyd
this is my favorite part:
[i]Somehow, word got out in the peloton that the Phonaks were going to try something preposterous. By doing so, they would be inflicting suffering on the rest of a Tour-weary bunch. Which explains why a number of riders coasted up to Landis before the first mountain, imploring him not to attempt something so foolhardy. As Landis would later recall, "I just told 'em, Go drink some Coke, 'cause we're leaving on the first climb if you want to come along.'"
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200...dis/index.html
see the following link for the SI.com article about Phloyd
this is my favorite part:
[i]Somehow, word got out in the peloton that the Phonaks were going to try something preposterous. By doing so, they would be inflicting suffering on the rest of a Tour-weary bunch. Which explains why a number of riders coasted up to Landis before the first mountain, imploring him not to attempt something so foolhardy. As Landis would later recall, "I just told 'em, Go drink some Coke, 'cause we're leaving on the first climb if you want to come along.'"
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200...dis/index.html