I’ve been excited about this day for months. AA, I know you’ll be watching; who’s your frontrunner to take home le maillon jaune?
I think it’s interesting that not a single past champion will be racing this year. I can’t wait for the mountain stages.
P.S. For anyone who knows, does the Biotest cycling team ever run in any of the major tour events? I know they recently starting sponsoring a team, but I haven’t seen anybody sporting their gear…
I’m rooting for Levi Leipheimer, since he lives in my hometown. (Santa Rosa, California). He was pretty influential in getting the Tour de California here for Stage 1 the past couple of years. The downtown circuit is only a couple of blocks from my house, so it was pretty cool to walk over there and see all the bikers whizzing through the same streets I walk all the time.
Haven’t read up enough to know who’s looking good. I’d like to see Leipheimer win but purely because he’s Discovery and American but i’m not sure if the team around him is up to snuff. It’s a shame they lost that young kid Yaroslav Popovich, as it l ooked like he is going to be a bad ass for a long time.
Anyone see the Prologue this morning? The guy who won was absolutely ON FIRE; he rode like he stole something…
How is bike racing exciting to watch? Someone argue this.
Watching it on tv would be a bore, but being there in person you can feel the excitement crackling in the air…hearing the crowd roar as they come around the corner, seeing a pack of 50 bikes whizzing by 6 feet in front of you so quickly they’re just a blur…
I’m afraid pro cycling has been destroyed by steroids.
I would argue there are more pro cyclists getting nailed because there is more testing in the ProTour than in any other professional sport. These guys are randomly tested out of season as well as in season. Lance Armstrong tells a great story about how a tester came to his house as he and his (now ex) wife were headed to the hospital so she could give birth.
I think the US pro leagues might have some of the same issues if they were tested as often as the Pro Tour guys.
[quote]FightingScott wrote:
I’m afraid pro cycling has been destroyed by steroids. [/quote]
no pro cycling is being destroyed by a “war on drugs” waged by gov’t bureaucrat/wannabe-athletes who like to read their names in the paper. governments have no business in our sports.
[quote]oi_spike wrote:
How is bike racing exciting to watch? Someone argue this.[/quote]
How smart do you have to be not to come into a thread that says “2007 Tour de France” if you don’t like cycling? Argue this.
[quote]FightingScott wrote:
I’m afraid pro cycling has been destroyed by steroids. [/quote]
They’re still racing aren’t they? Most who follow the sport would argue that right now is one of the most level “playing fields” in cycling in years, due to all the drug busts. Whether they’re right or not is another matter; athletes and doctors always find a way to stay one step ahead of the testing, but I digress…
The sport is still exciting; that is, if you were a cycling fan in the first place. Sure, some of the big names like Basso and Ullrich are gone, but all that means is that soon other guys will step up and become the new “big names”.
[quote]dragonmamma wrote:
I’m rooting for Levi Leipheimer[/quote]
I’m pulling for Leipheimer as well. He seems to be the only American that even has a fighting shot at taking the overall. Hincapie and Zabriskie don’t have the necessary climbing skills, I’m afraid.
As for non-Americans, I like Valverde a lot. He had to withdraw from both the 2005 and 2006 Tours due to injury, but he’s a badass climber and time trialer.
[quote]dragonmamma wrote:
Watching it on tv would be a bore, but being there in person you can feel the excitement crackling in the air…hearing the crowd roar as they come around the corner, seeing a pack of 50 bikes whizzing by 6 feet in front of you so quickly they’re just a blur…[/quote]
And then is it over? Do the spectators move to another spot to see them go by again or do they drink more wine and go home?
I remember when we were kids we handed out water to the marathoners and they were strung out in a long line. It seems the TDF they would all go by one spot in a matter of minutes. Is this the case?
[quote]swivel wrote:
FightingScott wrote:
I’m afraid pro cycling has been destroyed by steroids.
no pro cycling is being destroyed by a “war on drugs” waged by gov’t bureaucrat/wannabe-athletes who like to read their names in the paper. governments have no business in our sports.
[/quote]
Exactly. It is a power play to make themselves important. It is not going to get any better either.
[quote]CC wrote:
dragonmamma wrote:
I’m rooting for Levi Leipheimer
I’m pulling for Leipheimer as well. He seems to be the only American that even has a fighting shot at taking the overall. Hincapie and Zabriskie don’t have the necessary climbing skills, I’m afraid.
[/quote]
Plus, he seems like a genuinely nice guy. I’ve run across him a few times; he actually stops his bike at stop signs, and has smiled at me when I walk by.
[quote]Zap Branigan wrote:
dragonmamma wrote:
Watching it on tv would be a bore, but being there in person you can feel the excitement crackling in the air…hearing the crowd roar as they come around the corner, seeing a pack of 50 bikes whizzing by 6 feet in front of you so quickly they’re just a blur…
And then is it over? Do the spectators move to another spot to see them go by again or do they drink more wine and go home?
I remember when we were kids we handed out water to the marathoners and they were strung out in a long line. It seems the TDF they would all go by one spot in a matter of minutes. Is this the case?[/quote]
That’s the case throughout most of the route, but Santa Rosa is different. The bikers ride in from the west end of town and they make three circuits around the downtown area. I watch them whizz by, then I run down a couple of blocks to see them going in the other direction, then I run back again. So, I see them a grand total of 6 times.
Plus, this year was a little different; Santa Rosa was also the beginning of Stage 2 the next day, so I woke up early and got to see the start. (No multiple circuits for this stage, however.)
They also have a little bike/health fair going on at Old Courthouse Square the entire day, where you can get free samples of sports drinks and protein bars, and buy over-priced biking equipment.
I’m not really a huge bike race fanatic, it’s just that it feels like a sin to not attend an event like this that’s only a couple minute’s walk from my house!
[quote]dragonmamma wrote:
CC wrote:
dragonmamma wrote:
I’m rooting for Levi Leipheimer
I’m pulling for Leipheimer as well. He seems to be the only American that even has a fighting shot at taking the overall. Hincapie and Zabriskie don’t have the necessary climbing skills, I’m afraid.
Plus, he seems like a genuinely nice guy. I’ve run across him a few times; he actually stops his bike at stop signs, and has smiled at me when I walk by.
[/quote]
That’s awesome. Personality is a huge factor in my book as to whether I’ll pull for a guy or not.
That’s why it usually takes me a few stages to find the guys I’m really getting behind. Especially this year, with so many new faces and team formations. I like to see how they act in interviews and how they treat other riders along the way.