Tour de France News
Cleanup effort What this besieged bike race needs is a Mr. Clean, an undoped champion who remains stain-free until he hangs up his helmet for good. That would be a welcome novelty for the Tour de France, whose 98th edition begins today at Passage du Gois La Barre-de-Monts on the country’s west coast under an all-too-familiar cloud. Alberto Contador, the three-time champion, is facing an August hearing on a doping case that could wipe out all of his results since and including last year’s Tour victory. And Lance Armstrong, who won a record seven straight titles and competed in the race as recently as last year, has been fingered as a drug user by former teammates and is being investigated by federal authorities. http://www.boston.com/sports/other_sports/cycling/articles/2011/07/02/tour_de_france_is_a_real_cleanup_effort/
Evans to honour coach in Tour de France Every time Australian cycling star Cadel Evans suffers on the bike, he knows it is nothing compared to what his mentor went through last year. As Evans finalises his preparations for the Tour de France, starting on Saturday, a massive motivation for him is to honour the memory of Aldo Sassi. The Italian coach, a major figure in the sport, died last December aged just 51. "Aldo is in my thoughts most days on the bike. He is a driving force for me," Evans told AAP this week. http://wwos.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=8267469 Horner chasing top five result at Tour de France Chris Horner (RadioShack) believes he has a more than realistic chance of cracking the top five at this year's Tour de France and hasn't given up on a podium place. The American finished 10th in last year's race despite having to ride as a domestique for Lance Armstrong but he burst through as a truly legitimate top five contender after his win at the Amgen Tour of California. http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/horner-chasing-top-five-result-at-tour-de-france The very private world of a very public figure THE road that leads to Cadel Evans's home is narrow and easily missed. If there is a number anywhere on his new patch of land it's not seen by an Italian taxi driver who has to loop nearby streets before discovering the destination. It's raining when The Saturday Age arrives, but Evans is standing in his front yard ready for a visitor. http://www.smh.com.au/sport/cycling/the-very-private-world-of-a-very-public-figure-20110701-1gvd4.html Drug pall mars post-Lance Tour The last time Lance Armstrong retired, the Tour de France peloton headed out the following summer with a heavy asterisk resting on its collective shoulders. Armstrong had walked away undefeated in seven starts in his second, post-cancer incarnation as a Tour rider and whoever won in 2006 was going to be considered a mere successor, not a worthy heir. That doomed soul became Floyd Landis, one of the Texan's former teammates, and Landis' glory, such as it was, would be short-lived. A failed drug test made him the only man stripped of a yellow jersey since the great race's inception in 1903. Now that Armstrong has taken his leave for good, another heavy asterisk weighs down the peloton. There's no doubting the credentials of the current reigning champion, Alberto Contador, but he also risks losing the maillot jaune for ingesting a banned substance last summer. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/cycling/7636631.html Porte: Stronger for riding the Giro For the first time this season, Saxo Bank SunGard's Richie Porte is feeling healthy, having banished his troublesome allergies which dogged the early part of his season. Ahead of his debut at the Tour de France, the Tasmanian says he "pretty psyched." "I had two weeks there where I was in the post-Grand Tour ‘mood' but after that two weeks the body starts to recover and now I feel better than before I went into the Giro," the 26-year-old told Cyclingnews. "I'm much stronger than what I was before." http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/porte-stronger-for-riding-the-giro Hincapie set to match Tour longevity record George Hincapie rode alongside Lance Armstrong on his record run of seven Tour de France victories -- and is about to match a mark of his own at cycling's greatest race. With the backdrop of a doping investigation in which Hincapie has reportedly implicated both Armstrong and himself, the American is about to equal Dutch rider Joop Zoetemelk's record of starting and finishing 16 Tours. http://www.newsday.com/news/hincapie-set-to-match-tour-longevity-record-1.2999305 Tour champion Contador deserves respect 21 stages – 3,430 kilometers - that's the challenge facing the riders at the 2011 Tour de France. No wonder it's also called the Tour of Pain! And this year, as a way of honoring 100 years of climbing the giant Col du Galibier - the participants will go up not once, but twice - with the end of the 18th stage being the highest finish in the Tour's history. Alberto Contador and Andy Schleck are expected to be the front runners for the overall leader's maillot jeune. http://worldsport.blogs.cnn.com/2011/07/01/tour-champion-contador-deserves-respect/ Tour de dope It won’t be an exaggeration to say that the Tour de France has gone beyond being just a bicycle race. It is as big a spectacle with as much following as any other sporting event. Besides the hundreds of thousands of spectators that line up the roads to watch the race, fans in more than 150 countries get glued to the TV sets to watch the engrossing performance that unfolds every July on the roads of France. http://www.dnaindia.com/sport/report_tour-de-dope_1561347 Tour de France: Evans primed, but wary of Contador threat The Australian, who lost the race to Contador by just 23secs in 2007, also finished runner-up to another Spaniard, Carlos Sastre, in 2008. During the past two editions, Evans collected a series of mishaps, including broken bones, crashes and losing key teammates, as he finished beyond 20th place overall. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/more-sports/cycling/Tour-de-France-Evans-primed-but-wary-of-Contador-threat/articleshow/9072031.cms Hincapie matches milestone with 16th trip around France When George Hincapie pushes down on his pedals to start the Tour de France for a 16th time on Saturday, the American will equal the record of race appearances set by Dutchman Joop Zoetemelk in 1986. The 38-year-old rode his first Tour with the Motorola team in 1996 and has participated in every edition since, helping Lance Armstrong win the race seven times from 1999 to 2005. The New Yorker's best final placing was 14th in 2005, when he won a stage in the Pyrenees, and the three-time American road champion also held the leader's yellow jersey for one day in 2006. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/more-sports/cycling/Hincapie-matches-milestone-with-16th-trip-around-France/articleshow/9075956.cms Renshaw predicts bigger breaks at 2011 Tour de France Mark Renshaw (HTC-Highroad) anticipates that the Tour de France's new structure of just one intermediate sprint per day will lead to larger breaks going clear and that it will take longer for those groups to form at the beginning of each stage. http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/renshaw-predicts-bigger-breaks-at-2011-tour-de-france Gesink happy to fly in under the radar at Tour de France The Saxo Bank SunGard and Leopard Trek press conferences may have attracted the bumper crowds at the press centre in Les Herbiers, but Rabobank's Robert Gesink had no complaints about coming into the Tour de France under the radar when he faced a decidedly thinner audience on Friday afternoon. http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/gesink-happy-to-fly-in-under-the-radar-at-tour-de-france-1 Why Contador is desperate for victory in the courtroom Every one of the 197 other riders who will roll off the start line on the Passage du Gois feels the same exasperation that a rider who tested positive during last year's Tour is being allowed to compete this year while awaiting a final judgement from the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). The fact that rider won in 2010 and is favourite for the latest 2,135-mile staging of the grandest bike race of all only heightens the embarrassment. Britain's Bradley Wiggins, leader of Team Sky, said: 'I don't believe Contador is guilty. 'But it's a shambles and a farce the way this whole thing has gone on so long now and hung over the sport. I don't know which organisation is at fault here but why hasn't it been resolved sooner?' http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/othersports/article-2010396/Why-Alberto-Contador-desperate-victory-courtroom.html Tour de France: Riders to watch Alberto Contador Spain, Saxo Bank He has won the last six three-week races that he has entered, but no one has won the Giro d'Italia in May and bounced back to win the Tour in the same year since 1998. The threat of a doping suspension hangs over Contador, but it didn't bother him in Italy, where he toyed with his rivals. He'll have a tougher time in France but remains the bettors' favorite. Andy Schleck Luxembourg, Leopard-Trek He has finished second the past two years and has a stronger team than Contador. His biggest asset is his brother, Frank, who climbs as well as Andy and is willing to sacrifice himself for his baby brother. His biggest liability is poor times in the trials, which cost him the title last year. Cadel Evans Australia, BMC Another two-time bridesmaid, Evans skipped the Giro this year to focus on the Tour but will have limited support in the mountains. He has victories at Tirreno Adriatico and the Tour of Romandie this year and was second at the Criterium du Dauphine, one of the Tour tune-ups. Good in time trials, he seldom puts the best climbers under pressure. http://www.stltoday.com/sports/other/article_b4ecfa52-4af4-5cc8-82cc-e0af77ac35bf.html Kings of the mountains: hitting the heights in the Tour de France THIS YEAR IS the 98th Tour de France. However, the event is celebrating 100 years in the Alps, so the tour organisers have laid on a special treat for the cyclists. This year they will cycle to an higher altitude than ever before, topping at 2,645 metres; and climb one of the cruellest ascents twice, Le Galibier, first climbed a century ago. http://www.thescore.ie/kings-of-the-mountains-hitting-the-heights-in-the-tour-de-france-166899-Jul2011/ Andy Schleck at Tour de France to win With Alberto Contador (Saxo Bank - Sungard) set to be the pantomime villain of this year's Tour de France, his principal rival Andy Schleck was keen to encourage his own support from the roadsides when Leopard Trek met the press in Les Herbiers on Friday morning. http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/andy-schleck-at-tour-de-france-to-win Schleck counts on fans' support to help win Tour de France "Some riders don't need the fans but personally I need to have the public and the people behind me. It gives me extra motivation," Schleck told a news conference on the eve of the Tour on Friday. Spaniard Contador was booed and whistled during the team presentation at the Puy du Fou theme park on Thursday, apparently because of his positive dope test for clenbuterol in last year's Tour, which he won with a 39-second lead over Schleck. http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/07/01/us-cycling-tour-schleck-idUSTRE7601F020110701 Millar a jack of all trades for Tour de France David Millar's (Garmin-Cervélo) career has gone through an Indian summer in the last 12 months and the British rider sees no reason to slow down ahead of the 2011 Tour de France. The former yellow jersey has enjoyed success this year with a stint in the maglia rosa at the Giro d'Italia, and capped an excellent 2010 with silver in the world time trial and gold in the Commonwealth Games equivalent. http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/millar-a-jack-of-all-trades-for-tour-de-france Cunego saving energy for latter part of Tour de France At various points in the seven years since his youthful Giro d'Italia victory, Damiano Cunego has hinted at permanently renouncing all general classification ambitions in the grand tours. But old habits die hard for the Lampre-ISD rider, and he lines up in this year's Tour de France with an open mind about his chances of securing a high overall finish. http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/cunego-saving-energy-for-latter-part-of-tour-de-france Cancellara enjoys pressure-free start to Tour de France With no time trial on the opening day of the Tour de France for the first time since 2008, Fabian Cancellara (Leopard Trek) is determined to enjoy a more relaxed build-up the Grand Depart. "I know there's no prologue but it's a new situation for me, so maybe I'm a bit calmer as there's no pressure," Cancellara said. "I just have to take things as they are. The chance is still there to take yellow but there are a lot of others who are favourites for the first stages." http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/cancellara-enjoys-pressure-free-start-to-tour-de-france Contador Defiant Ahead Of Tour De France The defending champion has caused enormous controversy by competing in this year's race, despite an ongoing investigation into an alleged doping incident. He said: "If they can take the victory from me after I win the Tour de France, I think it is completely ridiculous. "From the beginning of the season I've surely been the most tested rider and I'm winning almost every race I take part in. "It's the same with the Tour de France, I'm sure I'll be the most tested rider. "I have confidence in the resolution which will take place, and I'm sure it won't happen. If it does though, I think it would be ridiculous." http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/Alberto-Contador-Defiant-Ahead-Of-Tour-De-France-Despite-Drugs-Probe/Article/201107116022669?lpos=World_News_Second_Home_Page_Feature_Teaser_Region_0&lid=ARTICLE_16022669_Alberto_Contador_Defiant_Ahead_Of_Tour_De_France_Despite_Drugs_Probe_ Competition is not Contador’s only distraction at Tour de France Alberto Contador will be hauling an extra heavy load up the mountains of the Tour de France: the suspicion that has clung to him since he tested positive for clenbuterol after last year’s victory. How Contador will cope with the burden of doubt could be the deciding factor in the grueling three-week race that tests cyclists’ mental strength as much as their physical fitness. This year’s 2,127-mile Tour, which starts Saturday on the windy Atlantic coast, was designed to be ideal for climbers to mark the 100-year anniversary of the Tour’s first journey into the Alps in 1911. After a nerve-racking first week in northwest France, pivotal stages are likely in the second week, when Stage 12 to Luz-Ardiden includes the Tourmalet climb and Stage 14 takes riders up four passes before the finish atop Plateau de Beille. http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/07/01/2295821/competition-is-not-contadors-only.html Tour de France kicks off: Who to watch The favorite, Spain's Alberto Contador, already tested positive for a banned drug last year. But with the legal wrangling still in process, he's being allowed to compete and could well win his fourth Tour victory before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) decides his case. If Contador wins the race but loses the case, that would make this the second Tour in five years to have its victor defrocked by a doping scandal. In addition, the rightful winner of this year's Tour would be deprived of the opportunity to stand in yellow atop the podium in Paris on July 24 – an irreplaceable moment of personal satisfaction and public glory worth millions of dollars in endorsement opportunities. http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Europe/2011/0702/Tour-de-France-kicks-off-Who-to-watch Quick Step bus seized by French police French police and customs officers have seized the Quick Step team bus, a spokesman for the Belgian team has confirmed to Cyclingnews. The police turned up at the Quick Step hotel late on Friday afternoon and asked for the chauffer of the bus. They then took the bus to the police station in La Roche-sur-Yon, 50km from the Quick Step hotel and half way between the French coast and Mont des Alouettes, where the first stage of the Tour de France will finish on Saturday. http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/quick-step-bus-seized-by-french-police UCI cannot use spot checks to enforce no needles policy Sky's Bradley Wiggins has questioned the enforcement of the UCI's new no-needles policy, saying the team's medical staff are ‘adamant' other squads are continuing to inject recovery aids like vitamins and minerals. And the UCI's Medical Officer, Dr Mario Zorzoli has admitted that the federation cannot perform spot checks and can only pursue an investigation if there is evidence from other anti-doping activities like police raids that a rider or team is flouting the rule. http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/uci-cannot-use-spot-checks-to-enforce-no-needles-policy Samuel Dumoulin, an outsider for the first uphill finish Usually sharp in the uphill finishes, Cofidis' Samuel Dumoulin is targeting victory in the Tour de France's first stage. “Every day we will work for one rider and Saturday it'll be all for Sam,†team manager Eric Boyer told Cyclingnews. “He will be supported by the whole team, including David Moncoutié and Rein Taaramäe who are most expected for the hilly stages. We even added Mickaël Buffaz to our Tour's roster last Monday because we think he'll be a key man for such a finish.†http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/samuel-dumoulin-an-outsider-for-the-first-uphill-finish In-form Hesjedal looks to repeat 2010 success Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Cervelo) heads into the 2011 Tour de France with far more expectations on his shoulders after finishing in seventh place last year. The Canadian all-rounder will line up as a joint GC leader with Christian Vande Velde - fourth in 2008 - as the American team looks to compete on a number of fronts in the Tour. http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/in-form-hesjedal-looks-to-repeat-2010-success Tour de France to be broadcast in 190 countries worldwide The Tour de France will be broadcast in 190 countries around the world this year, with Thailand and Korea making their Tour debuts. 100 channels will carry the race, with 60 of them carrying live broadcasts. According to race organiser ASO, the broadcasts will all be based on images provided by France Télévisions, and six stages will be shown start-to-finish. http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/tour-de-france-to-be-broadcast-in-190-countries-worldwide
