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