Stage 1

Bob Schwartz said:

- Did you see the fish hook? Bet you missed it.

Funny, I thought I saw 2.

Bob Schwartz <[email hidden]> wrote in news:11cc4rv7ak2t077
@corp.supernews.com:

the original was incomplete, so allow me to spruce it up.

Quoted message said:

Before the Tour

- Neither Fromentine nor Noirmoutier-en-l'Ile has
ever hosted a stage start or finish before.

But these places will now go down in history because LANCE will begin his
domination of his 7th Tour win there.

Quoted message said:

- If this Tour follows recent history about 25% of
the starters will not finish.

and the other 75% will finish behind LANCE

Quoted message said:

- Any American winner moves the US into third place
among national Tour victories, behind France and
Belgium and ahead of Italy.

GO LANCE!! Show those spaghetti eaters they can't mess with America!!

Quoted message said:

- It is hard to believe, but no Belgian has finished
in the top ten on GC since Merckx.

because LANCE has crushed them under the jackboot of American domination

Quoted message said:

- Stage 1 is the longest opening TT ever for the Tour.

this means that LANCE will set the record for winning the longest opening
TT ever!!!

Quoted message said:

- Perhaps as an omen for LANCE and Jan, the 2005 Tour
route has the least total ITT distance in recent memory.

uh, who is Jan?

Quoted message said:

- LANCE and Jan have the same number of podium finishes.

uh, what's a podium?

Quoted message said:

- If Jan finishes 2nd he will tie Joop Zoetemelk for
the most runner up finishes..

which is an insignificant footnote in history beneath LANCE's 7th Tour
victory!!!

Quoted message said:

- In spite of having the most wins, LANCE is still
miles away from Eddy's record number of 111 yellow
jerseys. Eddy tended to take the lead early and hold
it. Also, double stages were more common and rest days
more rare back then. In four of his five wins he led for
20 stages or more.

However, Merckx's record doesn't matter because it was set in ancient
times when there was no competition. LANCE has set the record for yellow
jerseys in the modern era which began in 1999.

Quoted message said:

- Did you see the fish hook? Bet you missed it.

Fish hook? Does LANCE like fishing too?

NS

On Sat, 02 Jul 2005 11:29:02 GMT, Nev Shea <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Bob Schwartz <[email hidden]> wrote in news:11cc4rv7ak2t077
@corp.supernews.com:

the original was incomplete, so allow me to spruce it up.

Quoted message said:

Before the Tour

- Neither Fromentine nor Noirmoutier-en-l'Ile has
ever hosted a stage start or finish before.

But these places will now go down in history because LANCE will begin his
domination of his 7th Tour win there.

Quoted message said:

- If this Tour follows recent history about 25% of
the starters will not finish.

and the other 75% will finish behind LANCE

Quoted message said:

- Any American winner moves the US into third place
among national Tour victories, behind France and
Belgium and ahead of Italy.

GO LANCE!! Show those spaghetti eaters they can't mess with America!!

Quoted message said:

- It is hard to believe, but no Belgian has finished
in the top ten on GC since Merckx.

because LANCE has crushed them under the jackboot of American domination

Quoted message said:

- Stage 1 is the longest opening TT ever for the Tour.

this means that LANCE will set the record for winning the longest opening
TT ever!!!

Quoted message said:

- Perhaps as an omen for LANCE and Jan, the 2005 Tour
route has the least total ITT distance in recent memory.

uh, who is Jan?

Quoted message said:

- LANCE and Jan have the same number of podium finishes.

uh, what's a podium?

Quoted message said:

- If Jan finishes 2nd he will tie Joop Zoetemelk for
the most runner up finishes..

which is an insignificant footnote in history beneath LANCE's 7th Tour
victory!!!

Quoted message said:

- In spite of having the most wins, LANCE is still
miles away from Eddy's record number of 111 yellow
jerseys. Eddy tended to take the lead early and hold
it. Also, double stages were more common and rest days
more rare back then. In four of his five wins he led for
20 stages or more.

However, Merckx's record doesn't matter because it was set in ancient
times when there was no competition. LANCE has set the record for yellow
jerseys in the modern era which began in 1999.

Quoted message said:

- Did you see the fish hook? Bet you missed it.

Fish hook? Does LANCE like fishing too?

NS

All incoming Lance worshipers keep to the right of the main hallway.
Watch your step when entering the ride. Please keep your hands inside
the car at all time. Remove all jewelry while on the ride (except for
your LiveSTRONG bracelet, of course) Do not stand or unbuckle your
seatbelt until all TdF stages are complete, at which time you may
leave and never return becuase this is it for LANCE.

D

- The Tour has not always begun with a time trial. The
first prologue took place in 1967, a 5.7km test won by
Spain's Jose Maria Errandonea.

- Since then the Tour has started with an individual
time trial. The exception was 1988 when the Tour
opened with a bizarre double stage. P(a) was a 3.8
TTT won by the Swiss Weinmann squad. Since you can't
have the entire team in simultaneous leadership,
stage P(b) was a 1k ITT won by Guido Bontempi. So
you might consider this a track prologue, a team
pursuit followed by a kilo.

Bob Schwartz
[email hidden]

Bob Schwartz said:

- Did you see the fish hook? Bet you missed it.

what fish hook? It's all true, isn't it? and it doesn't
look so good for the Belgians again this year. Hell, there
are almost as many Australians (10) as Belgians (11) to the
Tour. And guess who finished last-Belgian in Stage 1?

Bob Schwartz said:

Before the Tour

Quoted message said:

- It is hard to believe, but no Belgian has finished
in the top ten on GC since Merckx.

I am, of course, referring to Axel Merckx, 10th place
in 1998.

Bob Schwartz
[email hidden]

Bob Schwartz said:

Bob Schwartz said:

Before the Tour

Quoted message said:

- It is hard to believe, but no Belgian has finished
in the top ten on GC since Merckx.

I am, of course, referring to Axel Merckx, 10th place
in 1998.

and last-Belgian in stage 1 this year. I hope he was
soft-pedaling; it doesn't seem like his form would have
dropped off that much from June.

What other Belgians were top ten in between - Criq, any others?

Quoted message said:

What other Belgians were top ten in between - Criq, any others?

1993 Johan Bruyneel 7th
1990 Claude Criquielion 9th
1986 Claude Criquielion 5th
1984 Claude Criquielion 9th
1983 Lucien Van Impe 4th
1982 Daniel Willems 7th
1981 Lucien Van Impe 2nd
Johan De Muynck 7th
Claude Criquielion 9th

1981 seems to mark the point where things
really dropped off in the post-Merckx (Eddy)
era.

http://www.angelfire.com/realm/cvccbikers/tour/tour.html

This site is best seen with a pop-up killer.

Bob Schwartz
[email hidden]