Some online options for tracking the Tour

The Wall Street Journal found some options and offers them up in Tracking the Tour de France with Tech.

Annual Tour Whining Contest

Every year, there's a stage that causes the riders to complain that the racing is too dangerous. This year, it was Tuesday's Ardennes-classics-style stage to Spa and Wednesday's Roubaix-style stage to Arenberg. I think the racers are getting whiny over this. These courses aren't inherently dangerous, though it seemed that on stage two there must have been quite a bit of oil on the road, it's the riders not giving a centimeter and taking too many risks that's the problem.

The Tour is supposed to be won by the most complete racer. Some years that includes racing over cobblestones. It shouldn't be just about time trialists and climbers. I understand that many racers want predictable stages and boring races. They don't want to have to think too hard about racing until it's absolutely necessary. These racers want to let the sprinters and long breakaway riders have the flat stages and the climbers the mountain stages. But it's a more exciting, more complete race if the racing isn't so predictable, if the teams have to think hard about every stage. it would be great to see a rider who's not a great climber or time trialist win the race because he was savvy enough to take advantage of the stages where people weren't expecting the race to be made.

Tour Watching online

While we shouldn't be giving away this secret, as you'll eat up bandwidth, but if you want to get daily tour highlights without having to listen to sportscaster prattle or just need measured doses of said chatter, click on over to Steephill.tv. It's mostly a listing of links. But you can see the final kilometers of just about every stage this way, and can also see highlights from many different sports networks. I particularly enjoy listening in to the Flemish or Italian feeds.

personal stage racing over the Tour

Sorry for not posting anything thusfar. Was doing the stage race thing at Fitchburg for the first few days of the Tour.

My prediction was going to be "there will be blood," but stage two was not where I was expecting blood. I don't know what was the real cause of all the mayhem on two, but it wasn't the course's fault. They've done the roads during the Tour in the past without a problem and even Le Fleche Wallonne was conducted partially in the wet this year with fewer crashes.

artsy shots of bikes

We need to see more of this. Thanks to Slate for curating. There's a Cartier-Bresson image I'd love to have added to the collection.

JP Pens story on Cyclingnews

Here's a story about the future of American bike racing. Craig Lewis might be unknown to most, but he's young, 23, and could well be the rider of his generation to make it at a Grand Tour.

It's written by me and appears on cyclingnews.

Wiggins to release his last 10 years of drug tests?

In an effort to prove he's a clean cyclist, TdF fourth-place finisher Bradley Wiggins might release to the public the last 10 years of his drug test results. Seems a bit nutty, and if I were a pro cyclist I might not like the implication that anyone who doesn't do the same is a doper, but then I know the reputation of cyclists despite all the problems in the rest of sport.

release them wiggo! show us.

Four days racing on a broken collarbone

That would be George Hincapie. He skipped having it x-rayed after his stage 17 crash, lest the doctors tell him he couldn't go on. Seems like myth, but the guy not only finished the Tour, but drilled it for his teammate Mark Cavendish with 1k to go on the Champs-Elysees. He brought Columbia to the front and Cavendish did his patented winning jump to win the stage.

I don't know if that's professionalism. It is dedication and does seem a bit deranged. Must have hurt like crazy, but then again, after 17 days at the Tour, maybe hurting like crazy doesn't seem so hard.

Was Hematide the key to the Tour in 2009

SF Weekly wonders. In Tour de France Brought to You By ... A Palo Alto Biotech Startup? the have AFLD (France Anti-Doping Lab) head Pierre Bondry wondering if this not-yet-available dialysis drug has already jumped into competition.

We're letting you down easy

After three weeks of Tour Fever, going a day without can be hard. That's why we're taking you down easy, posting fresh stories, keeping the Tour buzz going, albeit at a more relaxed pitch.

We like what ESPN Writer Jim Cagle wrote in his Tour de France Redux piece: "Like the NCAA tournament, the Tour de France is a three-week virtually nonstop extravaganza that fans of the sport wish would never end. The cyclists, on the other hand, probably have a somewhat different take after, say, 15 stages, 1,500 miles and seven tubes of chamois cream...

"So there will be no more watching the peloton ride past fields of lavender, or the leaders climbing ridiculous roads through the Alps and Pyrenees, or the aerial views of ancient chateaus that make you reach for the Rick Steves travel guide so you can dream about a vacation to the Tour that you absolutely, without doubt, "I mean it this time" will take next July. Of course, you won't take that trip next year and will wind up watching the Tour on TV again, feeling sad when it ends and reflecting on the highlights. As I do now …"

Paranoia part of Tour Pressure

Cadel Evans thinks something was amiss in that two of his countrymen didn't get to ride the Tour...on other teams. Allan Davis of Quick Step was a replacement for Tom Boonen, who got the nod at the last minute, and Simon Gerrans.

Cadel Evans' tale of woe in Tour de France

Wine Merchant gives Tour Trip to Employees

Seems nice, but I don't understand how the guy "can't afford to boost salaries, but a Tribeca wine merchant is giving his workers a chance to tackle something bigger than the economy: The Tour de France."

It's going to cost him $75,000. I'm sure that couldn' t go to salaries.

"The workers have trained for weeks on the George Washington Bridge and at Bear Mountain State Park. They've logged 125 miles a week and have lost a collective 300 pounds."

Yes, the GWB is a brutal training ground for cyclists.

Here's the story.

two firsts for Japan

Two Japanese riders finished the Tour. In the past, Japanese riders have started, but none have finished. Somehow, this is supposed to lend support to Tokyo 2016, a bid for the city to host teh 2016 summer Olympic games.

At least, according to Around the Rings, an Olympic-movement-centric site.

want an honest assessment of next year's tour?

Would you ask the Versus announcers? They might be knowledgeable and nice guys and all, but can they give a clear assessement? Would you be surprised that Versus announcers are calling Armstrong a favorite for the 2010 tour already?

The Los Angeles Times appears to be sourcing their quotes from television broadcasts.

"It's already being said, on Versus television by announcers such as Bob Roll and Paul Sherwen, and in the peloton by 2009 Tour de France winner Alberto Contador. A favorite for the 2010 Tour de France title?

"Lance Armstrong."

Yes, he was third in 2009, so not exactly calling a surprise on us, but with all the up-and-comers at this year's Tour, this is their fave'?

Later, they track down Jim Ochowicz, the man who brought hte first american team to the Tour, 7-Eleven, about lance. "'With his broken collarbone this year,' Ochowicz said, 'it was remarkable that he finished on the podium. If he stays healthy and trains all year and has a strong team, yes, he can win.'" Would you believe he's friends with Lance?

Finishing the Tour like getting out of prison

I guess that's good to know for all those who aspire to ride the big loop.

The quote comes from Bradley Wiggins talking to The Telegraph, the British Garmin-Slipstream rider who finished in fourth place, a huge deal for British cycling.

"'It's a huge relief it is finally over,' he said.

'It's a bit like getting out of prison. I won't know what to do with myself next week.

'I won't have to eat rice and omelette every morning, and get on a bus. It's been mind-blowing these three weeks.

'I never thought when starting in Monaco that I'd see the end of the Tour.'"

Was the 2008 Tour dope-free

That what Jamey Keaten of the Canadian Press asks in a syndicated story. Certainly a fair question, but one that will take time to answer.

He does point out a few things we should all be aware of.

"France's anti-doping agency said Sunday it will retest blood samples from last year's Tour, mainly for CERA - an advanced form of banned endurance-boosting drug EPO"

"This year's tests didn't always go smoothly. During the second week of racing, Bordry accused the UCI on French radio of "laxity" in the testing. He later said the UCI had resolved his concerns."

"Bordry has expressed concerns that a secret wonder drug could simply be under the radar, in what has become a perennial cat-and-mouse game between cheaters and anti-doping testers."

"Before the race, 50 riders faced enhanced testing - including team leaders, race favourites and an unspecified small number of riders with suspicious profiles."

I think it's fair to wonder. With all the new attention and scrutiny on the Tour, it could be seen that nobody getting busted at the Tour would be good for the sport. And, as such, the UCI might want to back off. After Armstrong's kerfuffle with taking a shower while the tester cooled his heels--and not getting punished, critics are right to wonder if UCI testers are going easy on him, and then everyone at the Tour.

Tour de Teamwork

Love the post of this editorial in the Christian Science Monitor.

While I'm disappointed that they think that drugs made teamwork irrelevant, or as they write, "With chemicals no longer the deciding factor, team strategy and tactics took center stage." Should have been "with chemicals no longer front page news, team strategy and tactics took center stage."

We have the good quote from Armstrong, "'Self-interest is isolating,' Mr. Armstrong has written. 'Teamwork is not only performance-enhancing, it's comforting.... The fact is, no one ascends alone.'" So many ways to read this.

THey close with, "Success is often seen as a product of talent. But as Malcolm Gladwell argues in his latest book, 'Outliers,' it's the result of hard labor – and favorable conditions. Authentic teamwork can seem like a lost art in professional sports today. So when you see the yellow jersey, think of the teammates who made the victory possible."

Riding on real butterflies. Armstrong has, and you can, too.

In yet another mega-marketing move, Lance Armstrong has been riding custom-painted bikes at the Tour. They are supposed to go on display and then auctioned for charity.

What I didn't realize is that the frame Damien Hirst worked on for Armstrongs Champs-Elysees jaunt has real butterflies under the paint. apparently the butterflies were specially-bred for Hirst and are supposed to shimmer in the sunlight. I wonder if we're being punk'd, but stranger things have been ridden. I guess.

Here's the story from UK Eurosport.

Here's Trek's press release.

Apologies for the radio silence

Folks,

Sorry I haven't been in touch. The weekend was a bit bigger and longer than anticipated. six hours of driving and the Tour of Hilltowns road race Saturday and two hours of driving and the Freedom Tour crit Sunday. Didn't watch either stage live. Still trying to figure out how to watch Stage 20s video on demand. With Stage 21, the finale on the Champs-Elysees, wow. Garmin's train looked anemic compared to Columbia's and it almost seemed as if Julian Dean dropping anchor gave Columbia a huge gap that gave Cavendish the win and Renshaw, his leadout man, second.

Barefoot Clemson Fan gives school worldwide exposure

Brooks Keys was the guy running with the orange and white Clemson flag on the final ascent of stage 17. I didn't know what was up, but certainly noticed the flag. Not as memorable as Antlers Guy, but striking all the same.

The Palmetto Scoop adds to his 15 seconds of fame.