TdF Director dislikes predictions that come true, likes exhausted cyclists

This story from the AP will probably be the big talk in the sports pages.  It gives the Tour de France's side of the doping scandals of this year's Tour.  Expect columnists to rebut the Tour side of the story.  Tour director Christian Prudhomme's big quote, "I don't like people who can read tea leaves to predict a stage win." In regards to Riccardo Ricco predicting what stage teammate Leonardo Piepoli would win. 

Race director hails 2008 Tour de France as victory over doping cheats
International Herald Tribune - France
AP PARIS: Race director Christian Prudhomme hopes the 2008 Tour de France
will be remembered as a victory against doping cheats. The Tour, won by
Spaniard ..

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/07/27/sports/EU-CYC-Tour-de-France-Prudhomme

Should Women Race the Tour Alongside Men?

The author  of the piece below thinks so, though I wish she had much more knowledge with which to make her argument.  As it is, she doesn't prove her case.

The missing filles in the Tour de France
The Age - Melbourne,Victoria,Australia
I WAS watching the Tour de France when a thought struck me: Where are the
women? I've now learned that women have their own "tour" called the Grande

Boucle. ...

http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/the-missing-filles-in-the-tour-de-france-20080727-3lp5.html

Tour "color" courtesy of The Guardian

Lots of looking at the Tour, few gems from this writer.  The one surprise starts as follows: "While it is true that cycling fans are spoiled, it occurs today that few events are as anti-cycling as the Tour de France." 

Prato Nevoso, Sunday
guardian.co.uk - UK
Being part of the official Tour de France entourage is a privilege, but it
comes with certain responsibilities. We learned about one of them today.

...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2008/jul/27/tourdefrance.cycling2

"New" tour

This is the first of what will probably be a spate of articles on the Tour overcoming drugs scandals.  the author was a regular contributor to British cycling mags.

Tour de France: Old race finds new lease of life without the need ...
Independent - London,England,UK
By Alasdair Fotheringham This afternoon, just as they have done for the
past 23 years, the survivors of the Tour de France will speed up and down

the ...

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/general/others/tour-de-france-old-race-finds-new-lease-of-life-without-the-need-for-drugs-878336.html

"Bored by the Tour de France: No doping, no drama"

Joel Stein takes a satirical jab at the Tour for daring to clean up its mess.  So dry you might think he's serious, until he takes baseball to task.  Which is serious.

Bored by the Tour de France: No doping, no drama
Houston Chronicle - United States
By JOEL STEIN You might not have noticed that this is the lamest Tour de
France ever, probably because you already find guys racing bicycles to be

the ...

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/editorial/outlook/5908170.html

Business Week wonders about honesty in sport

There's really a question?  What is glaring here, and in other stories about the "clean" teams of Columbia and Garmin, is that the CSC-Saxo Bank team put an anti-doping program in place years earlier, and got little fanfare. The French cycling federation instituted longitudinal testing before that got even less love.  For their efforts, the French were portrayed as whiners who couldn't win at their own race.  Maybe it's just me, but French riders were amongst the most aggressive of the Tour, looking more competitive than they have in years. 

Tour de France Raises Fresh Questions About Honesty in Sports
BusinessWeek - USA
The 2008 Tour de France raises the question of whether this century will
witness the criminalization of professional athletes. As the Tour nears the

finish ...

http://businessweek.com/globalbiz/blog/europeinsight/archives/2008/07/tour_de_france.html

Love and Hate for Cavendish from Australia

Love his confidence.  Hate his quitting.  He denied his competitors the chance to beat him by dropping out.  Bad theatre in this columnist's eye.

A self-assured slice of naked sporting glory
The Age - Melbourne,Victoria,Australia
And he said that by the end of the Giro d'Italia in May, the others -

that is, the world's leading road cyclists - knew he was the best. ...

http://www.theage.com.au/news/tourdefrance/a-selfassured-slice-of-naked-sporting-glory/2008/07/25/1216492737744.html

Saunier-Duval out, American Beef in

Saunier-Duval-Scott is now Scott-American Beef.  It's hard to imagine anything called American Beef sponsoring bike racing in Europe.  Why not American-style football, or basketball, or monster trucks.  But with el Toro everywhere in Spain, they've got a job ahead of them convincing the Euro public that American Beef is safe and good.

Saunier Duval becomes Scott-American Beef
SportsYA! - Spain
The team has also asked Unipublic, the organizers of the Vuelta a Espana,
for a period of 8 days to clarify definitively the events which led them to

leave ...

http://www.sportsya.com/english/news.php/Saunier_Duval_to_withdraw_sponsorship_following_Riccardo_Ricco_positive_doping.html?id_estruc=283&id=183284

Newseek Blogs about the Spectre of doping

It's not so much the inattention to fact, or the odd moral outrage, but the strange moments of hypocrisy that define this piece.  The closing statement is the kicker.  (Spoiler alert)  Here it is, "The Tour won't be itself until Lance Armstrong has a true successor--someone who wins and keeps yellow, and returns to defend it. Until then, the advances in drug screening can keep the show on the road, but the heart of the race will keep bleeding on the asphalt."  Won't be itself to whom?  If that is the case, then the problem lies with the public.

Can the Tour De France Outrun Doping?
Newsweek - USA
A year ago the Tour de France disintegrated before it left the Alps. The
presumptive winner, Michael Rasmussen, fired by his team for evading doping

...

http://www.blog.newsweek.com/blogs/starr/archive/2008/07/24/can-the-tour-de-france-outrun-doping.aspx

A new British Team for the Tour next year

Lots of money talk.  They may get the money for this team, but so far, it's hard to see the riders joining.  The best of the Brits seem happily ensconced on other teams already.  Don't see Cavendish or Millar leaving their squads.

Brailsford reaches for Sky to promote dream of Tour de France team
guardian.co.uk - UK
Dave Brailsford's dream of a British professional team to ride the Tour de
France came a step closer yesterday with confirmation of a

multimillion-pound ...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2008/jul/25/tourdefrance.olympicgames2008

tainted love for the Tour

The author is a soccer writer and enraptured by the Tour, but is nagged.

Tainted love for the Tour de France
Asia Times Online - Kowloon,Hong Kong
By Jesse Fink For the past few weeks I have been writing about the Tour de
France for a television network in Australia. I am a complete novice when

it ...

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Front_Page/JG26Aa01.html

Cadel Evans at Home

Since he hails from a faraway land, getting color on the bland-seeming Evans is next to impossible.  If he wins the Tour, this Australian article will serve as the basis for many profiles.

True grit: quirky kid's a tour de force
Sydney Morning Herald - Sydney,New South Wales,Australia
Photo: AP With Cadel Evans on the brink of becoming the first Australian to
win the road cyclist's holy grail, the Tour de France, even his own father

...

http://www.smh.com.au/news/sport/true-grit-quirky-kids-a-tour-de-force/2008/07/25/1216492717814.html

IHT gives love to Team Columbia

'bout time someone noticed that Columbia, formerly High Road, is winning on the new formula that isn't so new.  Since the Herald Tribune is owned by the NY Times, and Wyatt reports on the Tour for them, it wouldn't be a surprise if this story appeared there, too.

With new burnish, young team glows in Tour de France
International Herald Tribune - France
By Edward Wyatt SAINT-ÉTIENNE, France: Bob Stapleton brought his cycling
team to the Tour de France with a new team name, new uniforms, a new

sponsor, ...

http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/07/24/sports/BIKE.php

See the Tour from a Chopper; pay through the nose

Looks like viewing stages from a private helicopter is the new high-end way to watch the Tour.  There appear to be no shortage of people lining up for the expensive treat.

One heli of a way to view the Tour de France
Melbourne Herald Sun - Australia
CADEL Evans is hard to pick out in the peloton from above, but watching the
Tour de France wind through the Alps from a helicopter takes your breath

away. ...

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,24071576-11088,00.html

Danish Premier rides l'Alpe d'Huez

And his name is Rasmussen.  No relation to the doper Rasmussen.  Don't know why the cycling press didn't get this one.

Danish premier to test ride part of Tour de France stage
Bangkok Post - Thailand
Copenhagen (dpa) - Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Ramussen was Thursday
set to test ride part of the tough mountain stage in the ongoing Tour de

France, ...

http://www.bangkokpost.com/sportsplus/sportsplus.php?id=129052

bloomberg news: TdF Health depends on sponsors

A no-brainer for anyone who knows cycling.  Possibly an eye-opener for those who don't.

Tour de France Health Depends on (Your Ad Here
Bloomberg - USA
The folks with the real power, the ones who can ensure that the Tour de
France isn'ta haven for cheats, live in the board rooms of companies like

...

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601039&refer=columnist_soshnick&sid=aHYwReH.PK0U

Courrier-Dunkerque Wins 2008 Tour de France

The sailing race.

Courrier Dunkerque winner of the 2008 Tour de France
Adonnante.com (Communiqué de presse) - France
Souben's crew was assured to win the race after the second leg of the
dayŠ so finished only twentieth in the last race of the Tour de France

Sailing Race! ...

http://www.adonnante.com/./article,10334,en,Courrier-Dunkerque-winner-of-the-2008-Tour-de-France

too many doping stories

I would have preferred to post fewer doping stories.  But the stories are getting written because athletes are getting caught.  I have no idea if this means that the testing is better or that these riders aren't too swift.  I'd like to believe the former. 

Doping is with us.  With us because whenever there's competition, people want an edge.  This isn't just sport, but life.  Enron, Halliburton, Keating, the list of cheats goes on and on.

I agree with the contention of a number of cyclists that the reason for the positive tests is that people have decided that, at least when it comes to bike racing in France, something should be done to rid the sport of doping.   

Doping exists in other sports.  I did a cursory search and found two articles about steroid use in football.  One is from 1986 and the NY Times.  The second from 1990 and Sports Illustrated.  Both have Bill Fralic as a quoted expert.  When you read the two stories, you'd think they were written at the same time.  As a story, it had little traction.

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A0DEEDC173CF936A35752C1A960948260&sec=health&spon=&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1136686/1/index.htm 

Considering how many stories Sports Illustrated has run glorifying college football teams that bulk up, it's hard not to see them turning a blind eye in many situations.

But all of journalism might have helped advance doping as a means to success.  There are too many "win or else," "failure is not an option" titles and stories.  I guess getting busted for doping is the "or else," or is somehow not failing.

SI learns that CSC has nice guys on the team

The following Sports Illustrated report starts with a story of how the CSC team spoke at an event held in conjunction with the Tour of California.  Actually, the most interesting thing about this story is that even though it is a short, blog-style entry, they have "story highlights" at hte top for those who don't like to read.

INSIDE THE TOUR DE FRANCE
SI.com - USA
Davis Phinney, the ex-Tour de France stage winner with whom I happened to
be watching today's stage, recalled being stiffed on the eve of the Tour of

...

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/austin_murphy/07/23/tour.de.france/

NPR's Morning Edition gives their standard treatment to Embrun

This is the classic NPR "small story."  The intimate look at something that goes alongside the big story, but deserves investigation.  It is worthy because it's illustrative of the phenomenon as a whole.  Listen in, it's only three and a half minutes long.

Tour De France Shines Spotlight On Tiny Village
NPR - USA
by Anita Elash Morning Edition, July 23, 2008 · For cycling fans, the Tour
de France is both a magnificent challenge and a chance to get to know some

new ...

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=92809603

Oneonta Daily Star gives praise to American Teams at Tour

The idea of "American exceptionalism" lives on in "The Newspaper for the Heartland of New York."  Here, it's not foreign policy but team policy.  Pity that team CSC had an anti-doping program first (but it's an American sponsor! yippee!). 

US teams doing their part to clean up Tour de France
Oneonta Daily Star - Oneonta,NY,USA
It is the month of the Tour de France, a three-week cycling event held for
almost a century. The Tour has become more popular over the years because

of ...

http://www.thedailystar.com/localsports/local_story_205040012.html

Doping positives being classified as negatives

The guy behind CSC and Astana's drug testing programs thinks many drug positives are being classed as negatives, letting many cheats compete--and this is across all sport.

Legalities 'lag behind doping work'

BBC News

by Rasmus Damsgaard, MD, PhD

I am aware of a handful of athletes with urine samples that contain artificial EPO (erythropoietin).  Nevertheless, these samples have been declared "negative" - the athletes have not even been accused and maybe never will...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7517332.stm

Tour viewership up thanks to close race

Maybe clean races are more exciting.  An extra 200,000 Frenchmen are tuning into the Tour every day.

Tour de France: Vintage race of delicate power shifts leaves fans ...
Independent - London,England,UK
By Alasdair Fotheringham At 95 years old and counting, you would have
thought a venerable sporting institution like the Tour de France would have

seen it ...

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/general/others/tour-de-france-vintage-race-of-delicate-power-shifts-leaves-fans-enthralled-874804.html

"Clean" teams get ink from Christian Science Monitor

Guess others are starting to notice, too...

'Clean' squads in the hunt at Tour de France
Christian Science Monitor - Boston,MA,USA
New York - Whatever hope the storied Tour de France had of avoiding doping
scandals this year has evaporated, with positive drug tests precipitating

the ...

http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0723/p03s07-woeu.html

AP says that acting guilty cost Ricco

According to AFLD, the French anti-doping agency, Riccardo Ricco tried to flee from testing officials after being notified he'd be tested on stage four.  That caused the AFLD to decide to test him every day.  Not that they needed to, as stage four was the test that counted.

Riccò tried to duck anti-doping officials during Tour de France
International Herald Tribune - France
AP JAUSIERS, France: Riccardo Riccò, a two-stage winner of the Tour de
France before being expelled for testing positive for the blood-booster

EPO, ...

http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/07/22/sports/22ricco.php

FindingDulcinea gives reference material on doping

Never seen this site before.  They say their mission "is to bring users the best information on the Web for any topic, employing human insight and methodical review."  findingDulcinea apsires to be the "librarian of the internet age."

Tour de France Again Marred by Doping
findingDulcinea - New York,New York,USA
by Denis Cummings With Riccardo Ricco becoming the third rider to test
positive for a banned drug, the Tour de France has once again become

overshadowed by ...

http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/sports/July-08/Tour-de-France-Again-Marred-by-Doping.html

A Free Demo of Pro Cycling Manager

Imagine yourself as the DS of the Euskatel team.  Download the demo and you can live the dream.

Pro Cycling Manager - Tour de France 2008 Demo
Gamers Hell - London,England,UK
Focus Home Interactive has released a playable demo for Pro Cycling Manager
- Tour de France 2008, allowing you to try out the PC version of this game

...

http://www.gamershell.com/news_55904.html

Schleck's team ethos

The British Press seems to love stirring the pot.  The story below has an incendiary title, a title the story doesn't bear out.

Tour de France: Schleck under fire from own manager for lack of ...
Independent - London,England,UK
By Alasdair Fotheringham, with the Tour Six days from Paris, and the
balance of power in the 2008 Tour de France could hardly be more delicate,

...

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/general/others/tour-de-france-schleck-under-fire-from-own-manager-for-lack-of-conviction-873788.html

Pakistan Times Mangles Language and Names

"Ferrari" won stage 14?  Not even phonetic.  And this from the paper's wire service.  Hope no other outlet uses their Tour coverage.

Spain's Ferrari wins stage 14 of Tour De France
Pakistan Times - Islamabad,Pakistan
Popularly known Tour De France Cycle Race's 14th stage win went to Oscar
Ferrari, who covered 194.5 kilometers distance in 4 hours 13 minutes and 8

seconds. ...

http://www.pakistantimes.net/2008/07/21/top16.htm

Is the Tour disintegrating?

Der Spiegel thinks so. And BusinessWeek thought enough of hte idea to translate and reprint the article.

The Tour de France Is DisIntegrating
BusinessWeek - USA
The doping ban on Italian rider Riccardo Ricco puts another huge dent in
the hopes of the Tour de France's organizers to have a clean, drug-free

race. ...

http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/jul2008/gb20080721_060165.htm?chan=globalbiz_europe+index+page_top+stories

What ever happened to Stijn Devolder

from pre-race favorite to forgotten man.  Even before he dropped out.

Syklingens Verden - Norway
One day after his withdrawal from the race on the Col de l'Agnel, Stijn

Devolder summed up his experience in this year's Tour de France. ...

http://www.syklingensverden.com/baglercms.php?articleID=18217&catID=-1

Italian Olympic Committee drug tests Schleck

CONI is getting in on the act.  Seems like a good thing.

Italian Olympic Committee performs surprise drug test on new Tour ...
International Herald Tribune - France
AP CUNEO, Italy: The Italian Olympic Committee performed surprise doping
tests on new Tour de France leader Frank Schleck and his CSC team after
Sunday's ...
 
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/07/21/sports/EU-CYC-Tour-de-France-Doping-Tests.php

The downs and ups of Christan Vande Velde

Kimmage says CVV beat Armstrong at a training camp, but the team was afraid to tell Armstrong.  And there's more. Much more.  Kimmage seems to lack an appreciation for grey areas.  Either his stories are all positive or all negative.  This is the former.

Christian Vande Velde: Christian soldier

Sunday Times - UK

by Paul Kimmage

"Everybody cheats. I just didn't know"

Dave (Dennis Christopher) in the film Breaking Away...

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/more_sport/cycling/article4364306.ece

online betting guide still picking Evans

What's a measly eight seconds?

Evans Still Tour De France Favourite Despite Sunday Blip
OLBG Betting News - Bristol,Bristol,UK
Silence-Lotto rider Cadel Evans remains the favourite to win the 2008 Tour

de France despite losing the Yellow Jersey yesterday. ...

http://www.online-betting-guide.co.uk/news/18692489/Evans+still+Tour+de+France+favourite+despite+Sunday+blip.html

Bloomberg News says Rider Pay is Down

They estimate some riders are getting as little as 1.38 Euro per mile pedaled at the Tour.  And the doping scandals keep dragging it down.  Insert your own joke here.

Tour de France Drug Scandals Cut Rider Pay as Sponsors Pull Out
Bloomberg - USA
Doping scandals have reduced the salaries of Tour de France riders by as
much as one-third since he retired last year. Some will earn as little as
30000 ...

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601085&sid=aDtj96LsR3P0&refer=europe>

South African Paper says Tour Losing Credibility

This columnist says his pharmicist should cover the tour...

Tour de Farce losing credibility rapidly...
Independent Online - Cape Town,South Africa
With the Tour de France running to its usual form and the Olympics on the
way I'm going to need someone who knows his THG from his HGH and his EPO.

...

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=6&click_id=4&art_id=vn20080719090840678C770777

Boston Globe announces TdF Breakfast at Redbones

If you happen to be in Boston on Tuesday....

A Tour de France breakfast at Somerville restaurant
Boston Globe - United States
At its Tour de France breakfast onTuesday, you can watch athletes perform
leg-busting feats while hard-core bike fans provide commentary over eggs.

...

http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/07/20/a_tour_de_france_breakfast_at_somerville_restaurant

The Oregonian Chronicles the Ricco Fallout

        Portland-based cyclewear company Castelli has been burned by the Riccardo Ricco doping bust and the Saunier-Duval team's subsequent withdrawl.  Maybe if riders read this, they'd start thinking about their sponsors.

Castelli-sponsored team withdraws from Tour de France
The Oregonian - OregonLive.com - Portland,OR,USA
Cycling apparel maker Castelli celebrated Riccardo Ricco's Tour de France
victories earlier this week by hanging a banner outside its US headquarters

in ...

http://www.oregonlive.com/business/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/business/1216437911181720.xml&coll=7

then again, maybe not.

SciAm gets doping wrong

They call the column 60-Second Science.  More like 60-Second research.  Sloppy.  I'm sure you'll spot the errors.

Italian cyclist cut from Tour de France for doping
Scientific American - USA
Italian cyclist Riccardo Ricco today was pulled from the Tour de France
after he tested positive for the banned substance EPO, a hormone that

boosts oxygen ...

http://www.sciam.com/blog/60-second-science/post.cfm?id=italian-cyclist-cut-from-tour-de-fr-2008-07-18

The Tour de France is coming to...Alpe d'Huez

Surprised?  Of course not.  But The Alpedhueznet site takes it like no one has seen the Tour before.  But since it's an English-language site about skiing, maybe not.

Tour de France is coming! Landis in 2006
AlpedHueznet.com - Alpe d'Huez,Isere,France
The 95th edition of the Tour de France is in full swing and heading towards
Alpe d'Huez. Stage 17 of the legendary race is due to finish in resort

next ...

http://www.alpedhueznet.com/whats_new_article.php?id_whats_new=3638&id_back=1

Sporting News delivers the Tour Light

Maybe this is how the Tour should be delivered.  Maybe it's how all sports should be delivered.  This appears to be the thing that amazes the reporter the most, "I didn't catch his name, but a rider actually split his bike in two hitting a road sign in a traffic island. Naturally, despite somersaulting off the bike and onto asphalt, he got up, grabbed a new bike, and finished the stage without complaint."

Your Stage 12 Tour de France Update
SportingNews.com - USA
First, to get this all out of the way again: the Tour de France still
exists. Thank you, and proceed to the rest of the post. Oh, just your

leisurely stage ...

http://www.sportingnews.com/blog/the_sporting_blog/entry/view/8862/your_stage_12_tour_de_france_update

Robbie Hunter Blasts Teammate for Doping

Guess Duenas won't be sending him a holiday card this year.  Hunter's comments are rare; few people are willing to criticize a teammate, even a soon-to-be ex-teammate who will probably never race pro again.  Use the link in the article to get Robbie's comments on his blog.  They're even more unusual.

Hunter blasts Tour de France cheats
The Times - Johannesburg,Gauteng,South Africa
South African sprinter Robbie Hunter has lashed out at his Spanish teammate
Moises Duenas, who was booted out of the Tour de France after testing

positive ...

http://www.thetimes.co.za/News/Article.aspx?id=804516

Web in France Magazine highlights doping

Didn't know there was an "English-language online magazine about France, for Anglophones who love French travel, culture and French news."  Striking that this was their first TdF article of the year.  The last article they did, last year, was on Rasmussen doping.

Tour de France loses a third leading cyclist to drug charges
Web in France Magazine - Miami,USA
On the Tour de France, gendarmes are becoming almost as numerous as
competitors. An Italian rider who has already won two stages this year,

Riccardo Riccò ...

http://www.webinfrance.com/tour-de-france-loses-third-leading-cyclist-to-drug-charges-718.html

CVV checks in with the Tribune

Christian Vande Velde continues contributing to his hometown paper.  He gives a few nice illustrations of what riding the Tour is like.  My favorite may be "But passing out on the massage table and waking up in a pool of drool is the sign of a good nap."

Tour de France diary: Surviving the grind all mental
Chicago Tribune - United States
By Christian Vande Velde | Special to the Chicago Tribune NARBONNE, France
- Christian Vande Velde is still just 38 seconds off the pace after Stage

12; ...

http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sports/international/cs-080717-christian-vande-velde-tour-de-france,1,5197929.story

Finally! Someone asks Allen Lim about Floyd

Many would say this takes bravery.  The American press hasn't done it.  But when the person is Paul Kimmage, you realize he's almost hard-wired to ask.  We should be glad he did.  In it, we also learn that Lim was a pretty good bike racer himself.

Allen Lim rides the slipstream

Times Online- Paul Kimmage

It is almost two years since the American Floyd Landis soared clear of the pack to win the 17th stage of the Tour de France. And it is almost two years since I first set eyes on Allen Lim. We were both in Morzine that afternoon and watched the final kilometres of Floyd's epic ride from the same vantage point...

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/columnists/paul_kimmage/article4322625.ece

AFP on Ricco Positive Test

Good to see the story that most other MSM outlets will be using.  One thing that comes up and hasn't been reported in the cycling press, is that Ricco has a high hematocrit reading.  He might be one of those riders who gets special dispensation from the UCI.

Ricco fails drugs test on Tour de France
AFP -
So for the sake of our team and the Tour de France we have made this
decision. We can't act as though nothing has happened, we have to accept

the reality. ...

http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5gmZR3tBs4K57qFMoEQMAIn5HD7VQ

LA Times: doing the tour/olympics double

This is just a blurb in the LA Times. Wonder why they bothered.
Yes, it's difficult to do the double, but others have done it in the
past. There's also a hint that this might be the end of Hincapie's
career

Tour de France/Olympics double
Los Angeles Times - CA,USA
Cyclists are struggling with that decision during these three weeks of the
Tour de France. While the Tour is the biggest race of the year, especially
for ...
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/olympics_blog/2008/07/tour-de-franceo.html

Tour de France Should inspire the use of...bicycles

Yes, it's obvious.  But many don't see the connection.  The source is a Korea-based Citizen Journalism site.

After Oil - Bicycles

OhMy News--Korea

Turn on the Tour de France and let the inspiration (and perspiration) begin

by Nicholas Van Der Leek

"Modern bicycles, based on technological innovations from the late 19th century, remain the most efficient means of human transportation ever invented." --William P. Ancker  It is not a gimmick, it is not radical, but it also is not what most people have in mind when they think of "alternative energy." Yet it should be....

http://english.ohmynews.com/articleview/article_view.asp?article_class=7&no=383069&rel_no=1

CVV checks in with the Chicago Tribune

And flacks some burrito action.

TOUR DE FRANCE JOURNAL
Chicago Tribune - United States
By Christian Vande Velde | Special to the Chicago Tribune After 10 stages
and more than 46 hours of racing, Lemont cyclist Christian Vande Velde
enjoyed a ...

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/olympics/cs-16-vandevelde-tourjul16,0,3503732.story>

Clothing Company jumps on V bandwagon

Castelli cycling clothing's majority owner is in Portland, Oregon.  Since they sponsor Saunier-Duval, they've been hanging banners out the company window.

Castelli's turn to celebrate Tour de France win
The Oregonian - OregonLive.com - Portland,OR,USA
... anchored by water bottles, first appeared Monday at Castelli's US
headquarters not long after Ricco's team took the lead in the Tour de

France. ...

http://blog.oregonlive.com/playbooksandprofits/2008/07/castellis_turn_to_celebrate_to.html

Chris Carmichael on the mafia-racing link

Never thought of Carmichael as a writer, but he, or his ghost, turned in this nugget: "A mountain stage is like a knife fightŠ close-contact, personal, and brutal."

Rest Day: Inside the Tour de France Turf War
Examiner.com - USA
The Discovery Channel team, and the US Postal team that preceded it, was
the dominant family at the Tour de France for seven years from 1999-2005,
...

http://www.examiner.com/x-439-Tour-De-France-Examiner~y2008m7d15-Rest-Day-Inside-the-Tour-de-France-Turf-War

Roberto Heras, doper, linked to Moises Duenas, doper?

This might be a stretch, but they both come from the same Spanish town.  Don't know why the bloomberg reporter mentioned it, but it's a new twist.

Second Tour de France Rider Tests Positive for EPO (Update1)
Bloomberg - USA
By Alex Duff July 16 (Bloomberg) -- Spanish rider Moises Duenas was
withdrawn from the Tour de France by his team after testing positive for

banned drug ...

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601085&sid=aCZcTR.tpOhg&refer=europe

The Tour de France is 2/3 Over

THat is the sailing TdF is 2/3 over.

Tour De France Sailing Race
ScubaWeb - Italy
From the Channel to the Atlantic Ocean, the twenty-seven competitors of the
Tour de France Sailing Race have already sailed two thirds of their trip.

...

http://www.nautica.it/service/notizie.htm?2008-07-247

Cadel Evans Blog?

This blog is so short and so lacking insight it's hard to believe they even contacted Cadel for this thing.  It's as if they cut and pasted random sentences from TV interviews. 

Cadel Evans:The target is the Maillot Jaune in Paris

15 July 2008 | 9:53

Ever wondered what it's like to be the Tour de France favourite? Well Silence Lotto's Australian star Cadel Evans offers SBS his daily thoughts on his journey to Paris - now wearing the famous overall race leader's yellow jersey as the great race takes a break after the stage from Pau to Hautacam.

http://tdf.sbs.com.au/tdf2008/blog/index/b/22

and

http://tdf.sbs.com.au/tdf2008/blog/article/a/810/h/The-target-is-the-Maillot-Jaune-in-Paris

Australia's SBS picks Menchov and Sastre

Here's an odd report from Australias SBS.  They broadcast the Tour, but aren't giving any special props to their homeboy leading the race. 

Rest day wrap: Spaniards plot the Maillot Jaune's demise
Special Broadcasting Service - Australia
The riders are no doubt enjoying the first of two regulation rest days of
the Tour de France, a special time that in the past was spent filling up

blood ...

http://www.sbs.com.au/article/108095/rest-day-wrap-spaniards-plot-the-maillot-jaunes-demise

Eurosport publishes fabulist epistles

Eurosport tries spicing up their Tour coverage by imagining the letters top Tour riders are sending home--that is if they're actually putting pen to paper, affixing a stamp and sending it via post.  As with all comedy, this humor isn't for everyone.

Tour de France - Blazin' Saddles: Wish you were here
Yahoo! Eurosport - London,UK
Finally I win a stage on the Tour de France. I thought this year, no,
because Ricco is attacking all the time, but Cobo and me, we tell him to

let us go ...

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/16072008/58/tour-de-france-blazin-saddles-wish.html

Bangkok Post: Rasmussion smarting from TdF Eviction

Seems like the cycing world has already forgotten.

Danish cyclist Rasmussen still hurt over Tour de France eviction
Bangkok Post - Thailand
Copenhagen (dpa) - Danish cyclist Michael Rasmussen, who was thrown out of
the 2007 Tour de France, has not seen any of the broadcasts from this

year's race ...

http://www.bangkokpost.com/sportsplus/sportsplus.php?id=128876

Salmon logic: Spectate the Descents

Finally! someone offers some contrary wisdom.  Short version, spectate on the fastest part of the descents.

Tour de France: Tourmalet descent excites
Telegraph.co.uk - United Kingdom
By Brendan Gallagher I have never quite understood the obsession with
packing the uphill slopes of the great mountain climbs on the Tour de

France. ...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&grid=A1YourView&xml=/sport/2008/07/15/sogall115.xml

Christian Vande Velde dreams of Chicago while Descending the Aspin

Going home is in his dreams, even as he climbs the standings.

TOUR DE FRANCE JOURNAL
Chicago Tribune - United States
By Christian Vande Velde | Special to the Chicago Tribune Riccardo Ricco
calls the mountains "my turf." The Italian showed his strength in the
Pyrenees on ...
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/cs-14-tourjul14,0,5509417.story

Le Burrito goes to Le Tour

Nothing like a fast food burrito on a Tour rest day.  Maybe LeMond, a famous lover of Mex, is at the Tour to eat some Chipotle...

Tour de France gets it to go
Denver Post - Denver,CO,USA
Ells will be in France on Tuesday to feed his Tour de France team. (Mark
Lennihan, Associated Press file photo ) Team Garmin-Chipotle riders will

get a ...

http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_9871143

Brit Hoban looks forward to seeing his record broken

Barry Hoban, a Briton who won six stages at the Tour over his professional career, is looking forward to seeing Mark Cavendish break his stage win record.  The rare retired athlete who seems excited at the prospect of seeing his record eclipsed.

Mark Cavendish can break my Tour de France record, predicts Barry ...
Telegraph.co.uk - United Kingdom
By Brendan Gallagher "He is a phenomenal young rider, a pure sprinter who
is now clearly the quickest finisher in the world," says Hoban, who twice

won two ...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&grid=&xml=/sport/2008/07/14/sogall114.xml

Carmichael says Team Columbia Success Best answer to Doping Scandals

Carmichael is right. Mostly. But it seems odd. Here's a
guy whose company works with many professional athletes and has been
for years. He's giving others praise for documenting that their
riders are clean. Maybe it's just me, but why didn't Carmichael or
his company think of that?

Stage 8: Team Columbia Provides Tour de France Peloton's Best ...
Examiner.com - USA
With the first rider removed from the 2008 Tour de France yesterday for
failing a test for the red-blood-cell-boosting drug EPO, the integrity of
every ...
http://www.examiner.com/x-439-Tour-De-France-Examiner~y2008m7d12-Stage-8-Team-Columbia-Provides-Tour-de-France-Pelotons-Best-Reply-to-Doping-Scandal

The Denver Post goes for a ride in the Garmin team car

While this is kind of standard-fare from the non-cycling press, every Tour fan should probably read one team car article a year.  It's when the bored journos cover Didi Senft and the moustache guy taht you know they're bored.

tour de france Chasing the peloton at 70 mph
Denver Post - Denver,CO,USA
says Matt White, Team Garmin-Chipotle's lead driver and strategist in the
Tour de France. White slams his foot halfway through the floorboard and

hits 50 ...

http://www.denverpost.com/ci_9864246

LA Times: TdF Still has dopes

The opening lines of the story are pretty good: "If there is still Reader's Digest (there is, right?) and if it still does a feature called 'Can this marriage be saved?' we have a suggestion for a change of topic.  Can cycling be saved?"

Tour de France still has its dopes
Los Angeles Times - CA,USA
Reportedly police searched rooms of other Liquigas riders though the team

has not been kicked out of the Tour de France. Beltran has. ...

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-pucin12-2008jul12,0,4474643.story

Bangkok Post has insight on Beltran Doping Case

Just like seeing a Thai newspaper covering the Tour.  They go a bit further than most wire stories I've read on the subject.

Cyclist Beltran detained for drug use, out of Tour de France
Bangkok Post - Thailand
Paris (dpa) - Spanish cyclist Manuel Beltran was kicked out of the Tour de
France by his team and led away by police for questioning after failing a

doping ...

http://www.bangkokpost.com/sportsplus/sportsplus.php?id=128829

Beltran ARRESTED after positive drug test

        That the police are involved in dope-testing is an underreported aspect of France's effort to limit drugs in sport.  Going to jail for doping seems like a pretty big incentive not to dope in France.  And then there's that whole screwing your teammates and sponsors matter.  Liquigas has been in the sport too long to be scared off by the positive, but Cannondale can probably walk away and put their bikes under just about any team they want.   

Spaniard Beltran tests positive on Tour de France
guardian.co.uk - UK
By Julien Pretot AURILLAC, France, July 11 (Reuters) - Spaniard Manuel

Beltran of the Liquigas team has tested positive on the Tour de France, ...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/feedarticle/7645907

Team Telekom Totalled the Tour for "Portnoy"

An English-language German newspaper has a correspondent "Portnoy" who complains that Team Telekon ruined the Tour for him. 

How Team Telekom totalled the Tour de France
The Local - Hamburg - Hamburg,Germany
This is the first July in more than a decade that I haven't watched
nearly every stage of the Tour de France. It was a perk of living in

Germany and working ...

http://www.thelocal.de/13019/20080711/

Local Boy Rides Tour and Reports for Hometown Paper

The hometown paper is the Chicago Tribune and the local boy is Christian Vande Velde.

Tour de France diary: Stage 6 a blur Š but in a good way
Chicago Tribune - United States
By Christian Vandevelde | Special to the Tribune SUPER-BESSE, France -
Lemont cyclist Christian Vandevelde moved up to fourth place in the Tour de

France ...

http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sports/international/cs-080710-tour-de-france-christian-vandevelde,1,5327940.story

Runner's Web flacks Cycling Power Data from the Tour

Why Runners Web is plugging watching live power data from SRM and
TrainingPeaks I don't know, but they ran the press release. Didn't
think runners got into that sort of thing.

Cycling: Tour de France Power File Analysis and Live Data
RunnersWeb - Ottawa,Ontario,Canada
Tour de France cycling fans can watch live heart rate, power, cadence and
speed transmitted daily at TrainingPeaks.com from the SRM power meters of
several ...
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/news_2008/rw_news_20080710_Training_Peaks_TDF.html

Vaughters says he doesn't pay for results

Well, only sort of. The Canadian Press comes up with choice bits
again. The first is best; Vaughters explains that he doesn't give
the riders an incentive to dope.

Former Tour de France rider Vaughters makes strong impression so far
The Canadian Press - SUPER-BESSE, France
SUPER-BESSE, France - Former Tour de France rider Jonathan Vaughters has
made a strong impression with his Garmin-Chipotle team so far, and he wants
to ...
http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5j_o3pwJ521BMVffvIuTdpof4YcyA

Tips on Watching the Tour from the Sporting News

This one you don't need to read. But it's something to send your
uninitiated friends when you get tired of explaining why you watch.

How to Watch the Tour de France
SportingNews.com - USA
For the uninitiated, you might consider watching the Tour de France a
complete waste of time. However, for the casual viewer who knows nothing
about wattage ...
http://www.sportingnews.com/blog/the_sporting_blog/entry/view/8767/how_to_watch_the_tour_de_france

Brian Moore makes a case for doping at the Tour

Moore, who writes extensively on cycling, thinks the Tour is so
brutal that drugs almost make sense.

Brian Moore: My case for allowing doping in Tour de France
Telegraph.co.uk - United Kingdom
By Brian Moore Only athletics can compete with cycling for the public's
'Who Takes the Most Drugs' award; and the Tour de France has certainly
managed to ...
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&grid=&xml=/sport/2008/07/10/smtour210.xml

"Bad Blood" Reviewed in Telegraph

Don't know if we'll see this book mentioned in any cycling Tour
coverage. It's by Jeremy Whittle and looks at the good and bad of
the tour. The Telegraph reviewed it.

Tour de France's ugliness laid bare
Telegraph.co.uk - United Kingdom
As the Tour de France wends its arduous way along the minor roads of the
host nation, cycling addicts watch with a mixture of admiration and
trepidation. ...
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&grid=&xml=/sport/2008/07/10/sobook110.xml

Canadian Tour Tidbit roundup: Testing and Picky Armstrong

There are two good tidbits here. one is that the Italian Olympic Lab
will do the Tour's drug-testing when TdF visits Italy this year. The
second is on Chef Wily, who cooked for Seven-11, Motorola, Postal,
Astana, and now Garmin-Chipotle. He found Armstrong "annoying"
because he was so demanding.

AFLD signs agreement with CONI for Tour tests to be held in Rome lab
The Canadian Press - CHATEAUROUX, France
Having also won the Giro d'Italia, Contador needs to win the Aug. 30-Sept.
21 Vuelta to win all three major races. Bruyneel, who coached Lance
Armstrong to ...
http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5hbHf8G5Gwn6eNo_KygGTXk81XdkQ

LA Times Reporter Praises Versus for airing anti-doping spot

Confronting the Tour de France's dirty past
Los Angeles Times - CA,USA
Props to the folks at Versus for directly confronting the elephant in the
room during the network's coverage of the 2008 Tour de France. ...
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/olympics_blog/2008/07/confronting-the.html

I looked for the spot on Versus. Turns out they've created a
separate site for airing the video promos. They can be found at

http://www.takebackthetour.com

JP

LA Times Plugs local bike company Felt

Tour de France bikes from Irvine
Los Angeles Times - CA,USA
based team that is making its Tour de France debut in a big way, is riding
bikes from Felt Bicycles in Irvine. The small (30 employees) company can't
...
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/olympics_blog/2008/07/tour-de-france.html

French Footballer impressed with Tour

Why the story made Canadian news, I do not know.

French football player William Gallas impressed by crowds at Tour ...
The Canadian Press - CHOLET, France
Still, even he was surprised by the amount of fans packing the roadside in
Tuesday's Tour de France time trial. Gallas rode in a team car as he

followed ...

http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5hiK1zwO7Ir5UdHj9cxd9RIcTW-Fg

ESPN.com--the Slipstream three

Two For The Road
Editor's note: In Part I of ESPN.com's series on the
Slipstream-Chipotle cycling team, now known as Garmin-Chipotle after
acquiring a new title sponsor, Bonnie D. Ford explored the
Colorado-based team's first training camp, which brought together
young and veteran riders with the common goal of excelling as a clean
team in a sport long plagued by doping scandals. Part II followed the
team on its first major stage race, the Tour of California.

In this latest installment, Ford profiles two of the team's American
riders who will make their Tour de France debuts: 29-year-old Danny
Pate and 27-year-old Will Frischkorn.

http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/cycling/slipstreamthree

Muncie Star Press has Blogger at Tour

A cycling-mad fan blogs dispatches to MSP

From the Tour de France
Muncie Star Press - Muncie,IN,USA
She is attending her second Tour de France. While in France, she will be
writing a periodic diary of her experiences for The Star Press. Fanatical.

...

http://www.thestarpress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080708/SPORTS/807080320/1006

NYT has "interactive" TdF Page

Particularly good for the geographically challenged.

The 21 Stages of the Tour de France
New York Times - United States
The 95th Tour de France features 180 riders from 20 teams who will race
2212 miles over 23 days. It is a grueling test of endurance and strategy
that will ...
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2008/07/07/sports/20080707_TOUR_FEATURE.html

Garmin has desktop widget for TdF info

it takes Velo News' Tour feed.

Don't know if you'll want to download the bike or burrito icons.

http://www8.garmin.com/teamgarmin/downloads.html

protest by citizens at Tour fails

AP can't even figure out what they were protesting.

Protesters delay Tour de France
International Herald Tribune - France
AP NANTES, France: Tour de France riders were briefly delayed by protesters
during Monday's third stage. It was not immediately clear what the protest
was ...
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/07/07/sports/CYC-Tour-de-France-Protests.php

The Bretons love a fighter; ergo they love Thor Hushovd

Tour de France: Bretons salute Thor Hushovd as if he was one of ...
Telegraph.co.uk - United Kingdom
The Bretons have spawned four Tour de France winners, starting with Lucien
'Petit-Breton', the first man to win the race twice. Christened Lucien
Mazan ...
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&grid=&xml=/sport/2008/07/07/sotour207.xml

NPR tackles the Tour and doping

Tour De France Rides Out Doping Scandal
NPR - USA
Weekend Edition Saturday, July 5, 2008 · The Tour de France got underway
Saturday in Brest, France. The sport, haunted by a doping controversy over
the past ...
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=92255131

Google Street View rides the TdF

This is pretty cool.

Track the Tour de France with Street View
guardian.co.uk - UK
The Tour de France, one of the world's greatest sporting events, started
today, and Google is providing a new way to see the route, via Street View.
...
http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/07/05/track_the_tour_de_france_with_street_view.html

Salt Lake Trib finds no Utahans in Tour this year

Tour de France: No Utahns in the race this year
Salt Lake Tribune - United States
Only this year, his views are of the Wasatch Mountains and not the French
Alps. For the first time since 2002 when he made his Tour de France debut,
...
http://www.sltrib.com/ci_9793248

German Paper Casts skeptical eye on anti-doping controls at Tour

Tour de France Attempts to Polish its Tarnished Image
Deutsche Welle - Germany
The Tour de France kicks off this Saturday, marking the beginning of a
grueling three-week ride. The race has been rocked by doping scandals for
the past ...
http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,3460985,00.html

Boston Globe announces local pub carries Tour coverage

TOUR DE FRANCE
Boston Globe - United States
Today through July 27, Ferris Wheels Bike Shop and the Jeanie Johnston Pub
in Jamaica Plain are teaming up to celebrate the Tour de France. ...
http://www.boston.com/ae/events/articles/2008/07/05/21_stages

USA Today: Sal Ruibal Covering the Tour

Ruibal is a rarity among mainstream newspaper reporters. He's a
cyclist. As a result, USA Today has pretty good cycling coverage.

TOUR DE FRANCE
USA Today - USA
By Sal Ruibal, USA TODAY Last year's Tour de France ended with a bizarre
twist when overall leader Michael Rasmussen of Denmark was pulled from the
race by ...
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/cycling/tourdefrance/2008-07-02-advance_N.htm

Globe and Mail's Travel Story on Climbing big mountains in France

Almost every paper has to have one these days...

Our Tour de France
Globe and Mail - Canada
This road climbs 1250 metres over 12.5 kilometres - a gruelling climb
that is often part of the Tour de France kicking off today. By July 16, in
fact, ...
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080704.wcycling0705/BNStory/specialTravel/home

AP finds Tour Anti-doping efforts extensive

Tour de France using new rules to fight doping at this year's race
International Herald Tribune - France
AP PARIS: The fight against doping will have different rules at this year's
Tour de France, with officials sticking closely to the cyclists in a bid to
...
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/07/04/sports/EU-CYC-Tour-de-France-Doping.php

LA Times finds not all sponsors are soured on Tour

Tour de France gets a boost with new sponsors
Los Angeles Times - CA,USA
As the Tour de France kicks off its three-week meander through the French
landscape, American race fans will see that Team High Road is now Team
Columbia ...
http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-tour4-2008jul04,0,4017100.story

UK's Guardian says Cycling is at Crossroads

Cycling stands at a crossroads on eve of Tour de France
guardian.co.uk - UK
"The Tour de France is the biggest and the best-run business in cycling and
they can take over cycling if they want," he said.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2008/jul/04/tourdefrance.cycling1

SI's Austin Murphy gives Cycling Props

INSIDE THE TOUR DE FRANCE
Rhetorical question posed on the eve of the 95th Tour de France, which
begins Saturday in Brest, at the tip of the Breton peninsula: Wouldn't it
be ...
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/austin_murphy/07/03/tour.preview/?eref=sircrc

Canadian Press Trumpets Cervelo

A Canadian Bike in the Tour

Canada's Cervelo Cycles a major player in Tour de France, Olympics
The Canadian Press - TORONTO
TORONTO — Some of the fastest legs in the world will pedal Canadian-made
bikes in both the Tour de France and at the Olympic Games this summer. ...
http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5ijYz6hiWDJbggp2Cd8kRQCi-_UPg

examiner.com (Los Angeles?) does cycling

Chris Carmichael gets another platform

Tour De France Examiner
Examiner.com - USA
The Tour de France is searching for its soul, and it just might find it in
the 2008 edition of the grand race. After back-to-back years marred by
doping ...
http://www.examiner.com/x-439-Tour-De-France-Examiner

Kansas City Star does Garmin Team

Garmin is a local company

Garmin introduces Tour de France team
Kansas City Star - MO,USA
By DAVID HAYES Garmin and the cycling team it's sponsoring in the Tour de
France took to the world stage this morning. With a crowd of 150 or so
journalists ...
http://www.kansascity.com/382/story/690678.html

Michael Barry Misses Tour but Contributes to NY Times

Tour de Torture: Who Is Prepared to Suffer the Most?
New York Times - United States
Everybody in the Tour de France will suffer; the winner will probably be
the one who is prepared to suffer the most. Michael Barry, left, in the
2003 Vuelta ...
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/03/sports/othersports/03tour.html?em&ex=1215230400&en=4ea3dffed97fc6ea&ei=5087%0A

Skoda Auto in Tour

Skoda Auto at the Tour de France for the Fifth Time
Autochannel (press release) - USA
MLADA BOLESLAV - July 3, 2008: Skoda Auto will act as the Main Partner of
the legendary Tour de France for the fifth time this year. ...
http://www.theautochannel.com/F/news/2008/07/03/091797.html

South African Barloworld is a salmon amongst advertisers

Tour de France offers 'once-in-a-lifetime' returns
Cycling News - Ruimsing,South Africa
From the moment Team Barloworld was conceptualized, racing in the Tour de
France was identified as the ultimate goal, not only for the riders, ...
http://www.cyclingnews.co.za/Pages/Default.asp?More=Tour%20de%20France%20offers%20'once-in-a-lifetime'%20returns&FeatureID=2989&SectionID=2