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Post by juvebiker41 on Jul 8, 2007 1:37:57 GMT 8
cancellara(team csc) wins 07 prologue ahead of kloden(astana) and hincapie(discovery) respectively.
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Post by seacid on Jul 8, 2007 16:26:09 GMT 8
Who's Ready To Win?
The London prologue to the 2007 Tour de France was an awesome spectacle, but it was also a looking glass into the fitness of the Pro Tour's top riders By Chris Carmichael
LONDON, July 7, 2007:
Fabian Cancellara is an impressive athlete, not just because he's a Time Trial World Champion who has now won two Tour de France prologues, but because he's a time trial specialist who has also won the roughest one-day classic in the world: Paris-Roubaix. Unlike that race, today's performance in the prologue to the 2007 Tour de France was smooth as silk. Cancellara slipped through the corners so fast he took the lead motorbikes by surprise and now he's wearing the yellow jersey with a 13-second lead - a hefty margin after only 7.9 kilometers. Yet, beyond determining the first wearer of the yellow jersey, the prologue also provides the first glimpse of how prepared the overall contenders are for the 2007 Tour de France.
A team leader's performance in the prologue sends a strong message to his team and his rivals. It can tell everyone that you're ready for battle or suggest that you're vulnerable - all in less than 10 minutes. By being the top finisher out of the yellow jersey contenders, Alexander Vinokorouv made himself the man to beat. That position was bolstered by the fact that his chief lieutenant, Andreas Kloden, finished second, and teammate Andrey Kashechkin finished 16th. Their results weren't unexpected, but they confirm that even if Vinokorouv falters, either Kloden, or even Kashechkin, could step into the team leadership role very quickly.
The Caisse d'Epargne and Discovery Channel teams had somewhat similar experiences in the prologue. Their chief yellow jersey contenders, Alejandro Valverde and Levi Leipheimer, respectively, finished outside the top 20 and behind three of their teammates. At the same time, however, they are each within 15 seconds of Vinokorouv. And with teammates who are clearly on top form, they appear to have the support necessary for a strong yellow jersey campaign.
While race fans have become accustomed to seeing yellow jersey favorites stacked right at the top of the leader board after the prologue, today's results are actually pretty normal. In the days of Lance Armstrong and Jan Ullrich, and even farther back in the days of Miguel Indurain and Bernard Hinault, the top contenders were dominant time trial riders who could also climb. (And I'm leaving Eddy Merckx out of this because he was dominant in everything.) This year's group of yellow jersey contenders consists of more typical stage racers - very good in everything, but not dominant in anything. They can be beaten by time trial specialists and pure climbers, whereas Armstrong, Ullrich, Indurain and Hinault could even beat the specialists on their own turfs.
Now that we have a rider in the yellow jersey, it's time to hit the open roads and find out who's the fastest sprinter in the bunch. With the yellow jersey out of reach for the sprinters, they'll only be focusing on green jersey points at the intermediate sprints and stage finishes over the next few days. There will certainly be breakaways during the early portions of the stages, but with Tom Boonen, Robbie McEwen, Thor Hushovd, Daniele Bennati, and even old Erik Zabel hunting for stage wins, there are a lot of teams with big incentives to bring the group back together by the end. My pick for the first bunch sprint? Robbie McEwen or Daniele Bennati. How about you?
---- Chris Carmichael coached Lance Armstrong throughout his 15-year cycling career. Chris does a daily analysis for of each stage of the Tour for Bicycling.com.
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Post by seacid on Jul 8, 2007 16:32:12 GMT 8
Rainbow Warrior CSC's Fabien Cancellara blows the field away to win Tour de France prologue By Joe Lindsey
LONDON, July 7, 2007:
Never mind the jitters.
The greatest event in cycling kicked off today against a troublesome backdrop: ongoing doping scandals for the sport, and London's most recent brush with terror attacks which, thankfully, caused no casualties.
Against that background, racing seemed a trifling matter, perhaps, but hundreds of thousands of spectators nonetheless lined a picturesque 7.9-kilometer route past some of London's most famous landmarks, including Buckingham Palace, to cheer on the racers.
With no major favorites heading into the Tour, it was an open question who would win the race's first yellow jersey. The good bets for the fast, technical course were the time trial specialists and, sure enough, CSC's Fabian Cancellara delivered, with a blistering 8:50 time, an average speed of 53.7 kilometers an hour.
Cancellara, who rolled down the start ramp in the rainbow jersey as reigning world time trial champion, proved the only rider capable of beating Astana's Andreas Kloden, who set his own ridiculously fast time earlier in the day. American George Hincapie (Discovery) was good enough for third place, 23 seconds behind Cancellara's time.
Cancellara's victory came despite a frazzled arrival for the Swiss racer, as his luggage got lost and he started the prologue sporting a very un-aerodynamic growth of stubble on his face but, after his win, he could afford to be lighthearted about the missing baggage. "It's not on purpose," he laughed about the beard. "I've got nothing to shave with. All my stuff is in my suitcase, and I hope someone finds it and brings it to me!"
The day was supposed to have been a breakout for the British riders - the host country sported not one, but two possible winners, Cofidis' Bradley Wiggins and David Millar of Saunier Duval-Prodir. For Millar, who won a prologue four years ago, it would have been a triumphant return after serving a two-year ban for admitting doping. Both set off to huge cheers from the home crowd, but neither could capitalize on the home road advantage - Millar finishing a disappointing 12th and Wiggins tying Hincapie for third.
Among the favorites, Kloden and his teammate, Alexandre Vinokourov, were best off on a topsy-turvy day. Elsewhere, it was typically riders who will fill support roles with the best performances for their teams: Hincapie and Vladimir Gusev of Discovery, for example, or Caisse d'Epargne's Vladimir Karpets, in sixth.
That should set up a competitive first week as the sprinters vie to get in stage wins, while CSC, who has at best an outside shot at a top-three overall finish with Carlos Sastre, tries to defend Cancellara's jersey.
Among the sprinters, all eyes will be on Robbie McEwen (Davitamon-Lotto) to renew his battle with Quick Step's Tom Boonen. Both will be looking to score a quick win here, especially Boonen, since his 2006 Tour ended ignominiously with a DNF due to knee injury and no stage wins.
Boonen says he feels "a little fresher" than last year and is relaxed. "I just want to ride my bike, have a nice time and win a stage - that's my first objective," he said. They'll face Credit Agricole's Thor Hushovd, the Lampre tandem of Daniele Bennati and Alessandro Ballan, and Milram's Erik Zabel, who is the lone sprinter for his team now that Alessandro Petacchi has been suspended for suspicious result on a doping test.
Tomorrow: The first road stage, a 203-kilometer run from London to Canterbury, evokes Chaucer's classic medieval tale of a group of pilgrims journeying to Canterbury Cathedral.
Factfile on Fabian Cancellara
Date of Birth: March 18, 1981 Place of Birth: Berne Nationality: Swiss Height: 185cm Weight: 80kg Teams: Mapei (2001-2002), Fassa Bortolo (2003-2005), CSC (since 2006)
Tour de France record Appearances: 4 Stage wins: 2 (2004, 2007)
2007 Season Swiss Championships (time-trial), Tour of Switzerland (2 stage wins)
World Championships Time-trial: 1st (2006), 3rd (2005)
Other victories
World time-trial championships (2006), Tour of Denmark (2006), Paris-Roubaix (2006), Erik Breukink GP (2002), Eddy Merckx GP (2002), Swiss time trial championships (2002, 2004, 2006), Tour of Rhodes (2001, 2002)
Tour de France Standings after the opening prologue:
LONDON, July 7, 2007 (AFP) - Standings from the prologue of the Tour de France, a 7.9km individual time trial held here on Saturday:
1. Fabian Cancellara (SUI/CSC) 8min 50sec 2. Andreas Kloden (GER/AST) at 0:13 3. George Hincapie (USA/DIS) 0:23 4. Bradley Wiggins (GBR/COF) 0:23 5. Vladimir Gusev (RUS/DIS) 0:25 6. Vladimir Karpets (RUS/CEP) 0:26 7. Alexander Vinokourov (KAZ/AST) 0:30 8. Thomas Dekker (NED/RAB) 0:31 9. Manuel Quinziato (ITA/LIQ) 0:32 10. Beno?t Vaugrenard (FRA/FDJ) 0:32 11. David Zabriskie (USA/CSC) 0:32 12. David Millar (GBR/SDU) 0:33 13. Jose Ivan Gutierrez (ESP/CEP) 0:33 14. Mikel Astarloza (ESP/EUS) 0:33 15. Andre? Kashechkin (KAZ/AST) 0:35 16. Albert Contador (ESP/DIS) 0:35 17. Cadel Evans (AUS/PRE) 0:36 18. Sylvain Chavanel (FRA/COF) 0:36 19. William Bonnet (FRA/C.A) 0:36 20. Oscar Pereiro (ESP/CEP) 0:37 21. Michael Rogers (AUS/MOB) 0:37 22. Linus Gerdemann (GER/MOB) 0:38 23. Paolo Savoldelli (ITA/AST) 0:38 24. Rik Verbrugghe (BEL/COF) 0:39 25. Sebastien Rosseler (BEL/QST) 0:39 26. Denis Menchov (RUS/RAB) 0:40 27. Levi Leipheimer (USA/DIS) 0:40 28. Thor Hushovd (NOR/C.A) 0:41
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Post by seacid on Jul 9, 2007 12:00:31 GMT 8
from Bicycling Magazine:
Just The Facts How many calories do racers burn? And other mind-blowing Tour tidbits.
Calories consumed by a rider per day: 5,900 average, 9,000 max
Calories burned by a rider in the course of the Tour: 123,900 (based on 5900-per day average at 21 days of racing)
Number of pedal strokes taken per rider for the three weeks: 324,000 (at 60 rpm); 486,000 (at 90 rpm)
Number (or miles) of barricades erected and torn down for the race: 217 miles
Number of gendarmes (French military lespu officers) on the Tour: 13,000
Number of chains worn out by a single rider: 3 (Armstrong went through a chain a week)
Total number of tires used by the peloton: 792
Number of finishers, worst-ever year: 10 in 1919 (out of 69 starters)
Most stages won by a single rider, career total: 34, Eddy Merckx (1969: six stages and overall; 1970: eight stages and overall; 1971: four stages and overall; 1972: six stages and overall; 1974: eight stages and overall; 1975: two stages)
Most number of stages won on single Tour: 8--Charles Pelissier (1930), Eddy Merckx (1970, 1974), and Freddy Maertens (1976)
Most riders to wear yellow jersey in one Tour: 8 in 1987
Most days spent in yellow jersey: 96 by Eddy Merckx (in 7 participations)
Biggest winning margin (since 1947): 28 min 27 sec (Fausto Coppi--Stan Ockers in 1952)
Smallest winning margin: 8 sec (Greg LeMond--Laurent Fignon in 1989)
Longest solo breakaway: 253 km by Albert Bourlon in 1947
Biggest winning margin on stage win: 22 min 50 sec by Jose Luis Viejo in 1976
Fastest prologue: 55.152 kph by Chris Boardman in 1994 over 7.2 km
Highest total number of "King of the Mountains" victories: 7 by Richard Virenque
Fastest individual time trial: 54.545 kph by Greg LeMond in 1989 over 24.5 km
Fastest team time trial: 54.930 kph by Gewiss in 1995 over 67 km
Fastest average over a flat stage: 50.355 kph by Mario Cipollini in 1999 over 194.5 km (Laval-Blois)
Fastest average over whole Tour: 40.276 kph by Lance Armstrong in 1999
Oldest race winner: Firmin Lambot (36) in 1922
Youngest winner: Henri Cornet (20) in 1904
Most times participated by one rider: 16 (Joop Zoetemelk, between 1970 and 1986; he finished them all)
Two: rest days (July 10th and 17th)
Three: summit finishes (Pla-de-Beret; L'Alpe d'Huez; La Toussuire)
Four: jerseys to win (yellow, green, polka dot, white)
Five: jaunts into foreign territory (Stage 2 in Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg; Stage 3 in Valkenburg, Netherlands; Stage 4 in Huy, Belgium; Stage 11 in Val d'Aran/Pla-de-Beret, Spain; and Germany without any stops)
Seven: classic climbs to hors categorie 'unclassified' summits (Col de Soudet; Col du Tourmalet; Col d'Izoard; L'Alpe d'Huez; Col de Galibier; Col de la Croix-de-Fer; Col de Joux-Plane)
Nine: Riders in each team and number of flat stages
15: million spectators set to line the route
20: stages
22: teams
36: French victories on the Tour since debut in 1903
0: kilometers to ride on team time trial; the 2006 Tour de France won't have any team trials for the first time since 1999
116 km: the combined distance of the prologue and two individual time trials
132: times Paris has hosted a start or finish of the Tour
52 km: the shortest flat stage of the race (Stage 7, from Saint-Meen-le-Grand to Lorient)
198: riders at the start
228.5 km: longest stage in the Tour (Stage 2, from Obernai to Esch-sur-Alzette)
1,200: number of hotel rooms reserved for teams and their staff, press, and Tour personnel
1904: The year of the first documented case of cheating in the Tour
2,965: hours of TV coverage
1,860 m: the altitude of the L'Alpe d'Huez (Stage 15), the highest climb on this year's race
3,653.6 km: the total distance
8,400: food bags distributed at feeding stations throughout race
25,055: number of security personnel.
42,000: water bottles used by teams in race
360,466 km: approximate distance of all previous 92 Tours de France
3,200,000 euros: total prize money for the entire race
450,000 euros: prize money for race winner
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Post by allegra on Jul 11, 2007 23:42:53 GMT 8
WoW!!!! No match kay robbie
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Post by allegra on Jul 18, 2007 10:15:26 GMT 8
Go Rassmussen!!!!
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Post by Ben Dover on Jul 18, 2007 19:36:08 GMT 8
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Post by whoopi on Jul 19, 2007 12:02:22 GMT 8
potato chip agad ang gulong???
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Post by whoopi on Jul 19, 2007 12:08:42 GMT 8
"The 11th stage Thursday again favors sprinters such as Tom Boonen of Belgium, who is in the green jersey. Boonen will look to consolidate his lead on a 113.4-mile ride from Marseille to Montpellier."
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Post by archer21 on Jul 19, 2007 12:27:14 GMT 8
10th Stage rocked by another doping scandal, one of the team member of T-Mobile tested positive for a high-level of testostorone.
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Post by arcireyes on Jul 19, 2007 12:56:17 GMT 8
let me share this post at PCN. i actually downloaded the TVUPlayer and watched the 10th stage last night at VERSUS channel, which started 2030(just got sleepy though mga 2145 and was unable to finish it). Rating: Best watched with those who have broadband connection. I have a 2 mbps speed connection and for me, i can have the patient to wait and watch when once in a while the actions stop ( i would estimate 20 secs every 3-4 mins) but that's my slow connection. puydi na rin -quote guys u can watch tour de france via internet tv using this internet tv application www.softpedia.com/progDownload/TVUPlayer-Download-35047.htmlafter downloading scroll all the way down on the channel list, le tour de france tvi or VERSUS, (English versions) is at the bottom enjoy! -unquote
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Post by baboinsky on Jul 19, 2007 13:51:18 GMT 8
Buti nalang sponsored yung biker. My wallet and I will cry together if this happened to me. ;D
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Post by mountguitars on Jul 19, 2007 14:53:12 GMT 8
if it was a DH bike, it couldve been a different story. kinda reminds about milo sagasa, hehehe. ;D
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Post by arcireyes on Jul 20, 2007 9:39:11 GMT 8
Update:After Stage 11
Stage Top 10: 1) Robbie Hunter, Barloworld, South Africa 2) Fabian Cancellara, CSC, Switzerland, same time 3) Murilo Fischer, Liquigas, Brazil, s.t. 4) Filippo Pozzato, Liquigas, Italy, s.t. 5) Alessandro Ballan, Lampre, Italy, s.t. 6) Paolo Bossoni, Lampre, Italy, s.t. 7) Claudio Corioni, Lampre, Italy, s.t. 8) Philippe Gilbert, Française des Jeux, Belgium, s.t. 9) William Bonney, Credit Agricole, France, s.t. 10) Kim Kirchen, T-Mobile, Luxembourg, s.t.
GC Top 20: 1) Michael Rasmussen, Rabobank, Denmark, in 53:11:38 2) Alejandro Valverde, Caisse d'Epargne, Spain, @ 2:35 3) Iban Mayo, Saunier Duval, Spain, @ 2:39 4) Cadel Evans, Predictor-Lotto, Australia, @ 2:41 5) Alberto Contador, Discovery Channel, Spain, @ 3:08 6) Carlos Sastre, CSC, Spain, @ 3:39 7) Andreas Klöden, Astana, Germany, @ 3:50 8) Levi Leipheimer, Discovery Channel, USA, @ 3:53 9) Kim Kirchen, T-Mobile, Luxembourg, @ 5:06 10) Mikel Astarloza, Euskaltel-Euskadi, Spain, @ 5:20 11) Andrey Kashechkin, Astana, Kazakhstan, @ 5:34 12) Frank Schleck, CSC, Luxembourg, @ 5:56 13) Oscar Pereiro, Caisse d'Epargne, Spain, @ 6:36 14) Christophe Moreau, AG2R, France, @ 6:38 15) Haimar Zubeldia, Euskaltel-Euskadi, Spain, @ 6:42 16) Linus Gerdemann, T-Mobile, Germany, @ 6:45 17) Juan Mauricio Soler, Barloworld, Colombia, @ 6:49 18) Denis Menchov, Rabobank, Russia, @ 7:10 19) Alexandre Vinokourov, Astana, Kazakhstan, @ 8:05 20) Yaroslav Popovych, Discovery Channel, Ukraine, @ 8:16
Note:
Barloworld's Robbie Hunter took advantage of a late-stage crash to win his first Tour stage in his 6th career Tour appearance. It's the first Tour stage by a South African, or any African.
CSC's Dave Zabriskie, the US time trial champion, wasn't just sandbagging to try to take the Lanterne Rouge. Zabriskie finished more than 30 minutes behind Stage 11 winner Robbie Hunter, and was eliminated.
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Post by allegra on Jul 24, 2007 8:41:26 GMT 8
Rassmussen vs Discovery's Contador!
Who's coaching Contador, Chris Carmichael? ala Lance , wn or die trying
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Post by seacid on Jul 24, 2007 11:11:33 GMT 8
Stage 14: Contador Climbs to Win
July 22, 2007:
After yesterday's time trial, the Tour de France was again in flux: a resurgent Alexandre Vinokourov (Astana) , an ascendant Cadel Evans (Predictor-Lotto) and a surprisingly resilient Michael Rasmussen (Rabobank) proved that, once again, this year's Tour is anybody's game.
Hopes sprang anew in the time trial and no less than 10 riders entered today's first Pyreneean stage with aspirations for a spot on the final podium in Paris. In the end, only two riders truly confirmed their chances for that as Alberto Contador and Rasmussen showed they are the clear class of this year's race. Contador firmly assumed the lead of the Discovery team as he was the only rider to stay with Rasmussen on the final slopes of the Plateau de Beille and got a huge first stage win for Discovery. And Rasmussen established that, if no one can make time on him on the climbs, he will be hard to unseat as race leader, given his solid ride in yesterday's time trial. For the others, it was a day of smaller successes and, in some cases, larger failures.
The 197-km stage from Mazamet to the summit finish of Plateau de Beille got underway with a bang, as 27 riders, including a watchful Rasmussen, surged on the slopes of the day's first climb, the Category 2 Cote de Saint Saraille. But the move was largely about points in the climbers' competition and subsided back into the bunch since the day's main difficulties lay in wait much later in the stage.
With the field content to relax for a bit, six riders - Antonio Colom (Astana), Ivan Gutierrez (Caisse d'Epargne), Carlos Barredo (Quick Step), Aleksandr Kuchinsky (Liquigas) and the Euskaltel duo of Amets Txurruka and Ruben Perez escaped up the road to a gap of almost 11 minutes.
But inexorably, they were drawn back by a Rabobank and Saunier Duval-led field. On the slopes of the day's first major climb, the beyond-category Port des Pailheres, Astana's Alexandre Vinokourov made a move. Unfortunately, it was in the wrong direction as he went backward out of the dwindling pack of the yellow jersey. By the summit he was over eight minutes down to the favorites. Also in trouble was Saunier Duval's Iban Mayo.
Up front, as they hit the slopes of the final climb up the Plateau, Discovery had the numbers advantage in a steadily shrinking pack - Levi Leipheimer, Alberto Contador and Yaroslav Popovych were all still in contact, the latter doing a huge amount of pacemaking on the climbs.
"We decided to make the team work today, because we were all feeling pretty good," said Contador.
As the terrain and pace whittled the group to a select bunch of eight, with the remains of the breakaway still three minutes up the road, it was Leipheimer who launched the day's first real aggression. It lasted only a few seconds as Rasmussen and the others latched on to his wheel, but Contador countered.
That cut the group to six, with Denis Menchov (Rabobank) and Astana's Andreas Kloden in difficulty off the back. The group slowed briefly before being hit with more attacks - Contador went again, then Colombian revelation Mauricio Soler (Barloworld). Each time, Rasmussen and Cadel Evans (Predictor-Lotto) responded. Each time, Leipheimer and Carlos Sastre (CSC) slipped off the back, only to rejoin when the pace slowed again.
Finally, Contador put in the decisive move and there was hesitation behind as each looked around to the others to follow. Finally, Rasmussen leapt out of the group. Evans briefly clawed his way up to the wheel but couldn't maintain contact and slipped back again. Behind, Soler, Sastre and Leipheimer toiled away.
The selection now made, Contador and Rasmussen set a smooth tempo, clicking the gears over as the race leader and the best young rider made steady work of catching the disintegrating break. Once Colom, the last survivor, was swept up and dropped, the pair had a brief and animated discussion - likely about whether or not Rasmussen would gift Contador the stage in return for some work. Whatever the case, at 2k to go, Rasmussen motioned for Contador to come to the front, but the young Spaniard refused.
As they went past the 400-meter-to-go mark, Contador attacked. Rasmussen was quick on the wheel and came around, but Contador had one final jump left and leapt clear for the line, situated almost immediately around a corner.
"Today is a very good result, but we've still got three really difficult stages. I can always have an off-day, but so too can Rasmussen," said Contador. "The race leader is still Rasmussen. He's strong, but today I took time from Evans. Now, if I have a good day I will attack Rasmussen. I will try to attack the yellow jersey, if I get the chance."
Behind, Soler attacked, chasing valuable KOM points and the eight-second time bonus on offer for third place. Leipheimer was close behind him, with Sastre in difficulty. For both riders, it was yet another consistent, if unspectacular day that saw them move up slightly in the overall classification. For others, the news was worse as the carnage lay strewn all over the mountainside below them.
Evans put in a grim time alongside Astana's Andreas Kloden, crossing 1:52 behind the Contador/Rasmussen duo. Colom led home teammate Andrey Kashechkin at 2:23, while Caisse d'Epargne's Oscar Pereiro and Alejandro Valverde came in 3:45 down. Mayo struggled across 9:31 in arrears, while the worst off was Vinokourov, who lost nearly a half an hour total after yesterday's stunning time trial stage win and is now deep-sixed on the overall classification in 30th position, 34:12 behind.
In the overall, Contador leap-frogged over Evans into second and 2:23 down to Rasmussen. Evans slipped to third at 3:04, followed by Leipheimer at 4:29 and Kloden at 4:38. With just two Pyreneean stages and a time trial left, the riders are running out of road to chase down Rasmussen, and the number of riders who stand a chance of doing so is dwindling even more quickly.
"Winning here after Lance Armstrong won here is like a dream for me," said the Spaniard. "I don't know if I can follow in his foosteps by winning the Tour, but I'm happy to have at least won the stage here."
For complete standings, results, route and stage information, go to Bicycling's Interactive Tour Tracker.
AFP's Justin Davis contributed to this report.
Race Notes:
-The doping issues continue to cloud over Rasmussen. AFP reported Saturday that Tour director Christian Prudhomme said he could have held the Dane out of the race had knowledge of his missed tests been known prior to the start. "What I regret more than ever is that we didn't have this information on June 29, or on the following days before the Tour started," Prudhomme told AFP. "We would have made the Rabobank team face up to their responsibilities." Further, a source AFP said is close to the UCI said that the governing body had tried to get Rabobank to pull Rasmussen from its start list but, apparently, were not successful with that request.
-After the Port des Pailheres, Soler was briefly in the actual KOM lead over Rasmussen by 10 points but at the finish, was again in second, just two points behind. Soler will continue to wear the polka-dotted jersey as long as Rasmussen is in yellow, but Rasmussen technically leads both competitions.
Tomorrow's Stage:
There's no rest for the weary on Tour, at least not until Tuesday. Tomorrow sees the pack tackle a 196-km ride from Foix to Loudenveille, over five climbs, including the Hors Categorie Port des Bales and the final ascent up the Col du Peyresourde before the short, fast descent to the finish in Loudenveille. The day may see another long break, but the Bales is a scary climb: 19km with an average grade of close to 10 percent. The day will likely see a major GC battle between Rasmussen and the Discovery Channel team, which will try to use its superior numbers and team depth to put the Dane on the defensive.
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Post by seacid on Jul 24, 2007 11:15:16 GMT 8
Stage 15: The Bear Battles OnVinokourov bounces back...again
By James Startt, European Associate to Bicycling
Loudenvielle-le-Louran, France:
In France, it seems, they don't like bears. Or at least the fans in this year's Tour don't. Throughout the Pyrenees, residents are up in arms. "Kill the bears," "No to the bears," or other blunt slogans are painted and etched all along the race route, apparently in protest of the government's decision to restock the Pyrenees with foreign bears - bears that come down and feast on the local livestock, especially the beloved sheep that roam these same slopes. Fans watch the Tour. Click to enlarge.
Ah, what is the Tour de France without a little scandal?
But one bear that the Tour does like is that crazed Kazak Alexander Vinokourov.
The heavy pre-race favorite, no rider has suffered more hardships and setbacks in this year's race. But while he is laboring through this race with multiple wounds, he refuses to lie down and drop out.
First there was the spectacular crash during the first week on the stage to Autun. Still bandaged and bruised, he then cracked on the two major Alpine stages.
But while he has rarely been so far down, he refuses to be out. And the fans love it. Prior to the start in London, he was drowning in poor press after admitting that he worked with the infamous Dr. Ferrari.
But now, as he fights and struggles day in and day out he is surfing on good will.
When he won the first time trial in Albi last Saturday he received thundering applause from the public. Michael Rasmussen, the holder of the yellow jersey, paled in comparison, compromised by news of certain doping irregularities all his own.
Fans cheered and journalists wrote headlines championing Vinokourov's return to form, apparently confident that he was back in the race for the yellow jersey. Rasmussen holds onto the yellow jersey, but does Vinokourov have a chance? Click to enlarge.
He answered them, however, with total collapse the following day in the Pyrenees. So what's new? Vinokourov has never been a consistent rider. And this year, plagued with mishap, he is even less so.
But his highs and lows provide suspense to the daily soap opera that is the Tour de France. And fans love him for it.
"You know he may not be the best, but he is the most human," said one fan, nationality unknown. "He can be off the front one day and off the back the next. He has highs. He has lows. He's not a machine. He's just like you and me."
Today, on the second day in the Pyrenees, a 196-kilometer stage from Foix to Loudenvielle-le-Louran, Vinokourov was apparently on a good day.
Starting the stage 34 minutes 12 seconds behind the yellow jersey, he jumped into the early-morning break and rolled over the five climbs of the day well ahead Rasmussen or others still in the hunt for yellow.
They were now unconcerned with him and the feeling was mutual as his Tour has now transformed itself into a hunt for stage wins.
Over hills showing no sign of bears, Vinokourov built up nearly a 10-minute lead with a group of 20 riders. In what is now typical fashion, he struggled on the day's biggest climb, the Bales Pass, but chased on to a small group of lead riders before the final climb up the Peyresourde.
And then, go figure, he attacked.
Breaking free he stormed over the Peyresourde to the rapture of the thousands of fans for his second stage victory in two days.
"Yesterday I felt bad all day and realized the Tour was lost forever," Vinokourov said with characteristic sobriety. "Of course I hoped to win in Paris, but I had my accident. That's life. But I was still motivated. I wanted to show I had good condition. And I wanted to motivate my teammates."
Nearly five and half minutes behind, Rasmussen cruised across the line with Spain's Alberto Contador in tow. For the second straight day, the two once again managed to ride away from all other contenders like Australia's Cadel Evans, American Levi Leipheimer or German Andreas Kloden.
But once again, Vinokourov was the star of the day. Whether he wins or loses, it seems, Vinokourov remains a crowd pleaser.
Overall, after Stage 15 1. Michael Rasmussen (Dk), RABOBANK, 69:52:14 2. Alberto Contador (Sp), DISCOVERY CHANNEL TEAM, 2:23 3. Cadel Evans (Aus), PREDICTOR - LOTTO, 4:00 4. Levi Leipheimer (USA), DISCOVERY CHANNEL TEAM, 5:25 5. Andréas KlÖden (G), ASTANA, 5:34 6. Carlos Sastre (Sp), TEAM CSC, 6:46 7. Haimar Zubeldia (Sp), EUSKALTEL - EUSKADI, 7:27 8. Andrey Kashechkin (Kz), ASTANA, 7:54 9. Kim Kirchen (Lux), T-MOBILE TEAM, 8:24 10. Mikel Astarloza (Sp), EUSKALTEL - EUSKADI, 9:21 11. Alejandro Valverde (Sp), CAISSE D'EPARGNE, 10:41 12. Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr), DISCOVERY CHANNEL TEAM, 12:29 13. Oscar Pereiro Sio (Sp), CAISSE D'EPARGNE, 14:30 14. Soler Hernandez Juan Mauricio (Col), BARLOWORLD, 15:00 15. David Arroyo (Sp), CAISSE D'EPARGNE, 17:11 16. Vladimir Karpets (Rus), CAISSE D'EPARGNE, 18:27 17. Christopher Horner (USA), PREDICTOR - LOTTO, 18:57 18. Iban Mayo (Sp), SAUNIER DUVAL - PRODIR, 19:00 19. Michael Boogerd (Nl), RABOBANK, 25:08 20. Manuel Beltran (Sp), LIQUIGAS, 26:02 21. Denis Menchov (Rus), RABOBANK, 26:25 22. Frank Schleck (Lux), TEAM CSC, 26:46 23. Alexandre Vinokourov (Kz), ASTANA, 28:21 24. Tadej Valjavec (SLO), LAMPRE-FONDITAL, 28:56 25. Manuel Juan Manuel (Sp), QUICK STEP - INNERGETIC, 32:46 26. Kanstantsin Siutsou (Blr), BARLOWORLD, 32:58 27. Juan Jose Cobo Acebo (Sp), SAUNIER DUVAL - PRODIR, 35:28 28. Amets Txurruka (Sp), EUSKALTEL - EUSKADI, 38:17 29. José Ivan Gutierrez (Sp), CAISSE D'EPARGNE, 39:25 30. Dmitriy Fofonov (Kz), CREDIT AGRICOLE, 39:47 31. George Hincapie (USA), DISCOVERY CHANNEL TEAM, 40:17 32. Sylvain Chavanel (F), COFIDIS CREDIT PAR TELEPHONE, 40:35 33. Patxi Vila Errandonea (Sp), LAMPRE-FONDITAL, 45:11 34. Christian Vandevelde (USA), TEAM CSC, 46:02 35. Jens Voigt (G), TEAM CSC, 48:00 36. Christophe Moreau (F), AG2R PREVOYANCE, 50:21 37. Markus Fothen (G), GEROLSTEINER, 57:01 38. Stephane Goubert (F), AG2R PREVOYANCE, 57:10 39. Ludovic Turpin (F), AG2R PREVOYANCE, 57:34 40. Alexandre Botcharov (Rus), CREDIT AGRICOLE, 57:46 41. Thomas Dekker (Nl), RABOBANK, 1:01:40 42. Linus Gerdemann (G), T-MOBILE TEAM, 1:02:21 43. Patrice Halgand (F), CREDIT AGRICOLE, 1:02:37 44. Inigo Landaluze (Sp), EUSKALTEL - EUSKADI, 1:03:59 45. Bernhard Kohl (A), GEROLSTEINER, 1:05:37 46. Vladimir Gusev (Rus), DISCOVERY CHANNEL TEAM, 1:09:24 47. Christian Knees (G), TEAM MILRAM, 1:10:02 48. Carlos Barredo (Sp), QUICK STEP - INNERGETIC, 1:13:22 49. Bram Tankink (Nl), QUICK STEP - INNERGETIC, 1:14:53 50. Paolo Savoldelli (I), ASTANA, 1:18:59 51. Antonio Colom (Sp), ASTANA, 1:20:16 52. John Gadret (F), AG2R PREVOYANCE, 1:21:03 53. Moises Duenas Nevado (Sp), AGRITUBEL, 1:25:22 54. Marzio Bruseghin (I), LAMPRE-FONDITAL, 1:26:31 55. Xavier Florencio (Sp), BOUYGUES TELECOM, 1:27:24 56. Inigo Cuesta (Sp), TEAM CSC, 1:31:19 57. Serguei Ivanov (Rus), ASTANA, 1:31:28 58. Cristian Moreni (I), COFIDIS CREDIT PAR TELEPHONE, 1:34:45 59. Ruben Perez (Sp), EUSKALTEL - EUSKADI, 1:34:45 60. Fabian Wegmann (G), GEROLSTEINER, 1:35:04 61. Charles Wegelius (GB), LIQUIGAS, 1:36:05 62. Dario Cioni (I), PREDICTOR - LOTTO, 1:37:12 63. Maxim Iglinskiy (Kz), ASTANA, 1:38:10 64. Pineau Jérôme (F), BOUYGUES TELECOM, 1:39:13 65. Laurent Lefevre (F), BOUYGUES TELECOM, 1:40:01 66. Iker Camano (Sp), SAUNIER DUVAL - PRODIR, 1:41:46 67. Gorka Verdugo (Sp), EUSKALTEL - EUSKADI, 1:41:56 68. David De La Fuente (Sp), SAUNIER DUVAL - PRODIR, 1:42:40 69. Cédric Vasseur (F), QUICK STEP - INNERGETIC, 1:42:52 70. Nicolas Portal (F), CAISSE D'EPARGNE, 1:45:01 71. Axel Merckx (B), T-MOBILE TEAM, 1:46:01 72. Egoi Martinez (Sp), DISCOVERY CHANNEL TEAM, 1:47:23 73. Mario Aerts (B), PREDICTOR - LOTTO, 1:47:45 74. Luis Jose Luis (Sp), AG2R PREVOYANCE, 1:48:09 75. Johan Van Summeren (B), PREDICTOR - LOTTO, 1:51:10 76. David Millar (GB), SAUNIER DUVAL - PRODIR, 1:52:15 77. Arvesen Kurt-Asle (N), TEAM CSC, 1:52:55 78. Michael Albasini (Swi), LIQUIGAS, 1:54:42 79. Kjel CarlstrÖm (Fin), LIQUIGAS, 1:56:30 80. Thomas Voeckler (F), BOUYGUES TELECOM, 1:57:26 81. Ronny Scholz (G), GEROLSTEINER, 1:58:28 82. Miguel Juan Miguel (Sp), AGRITUBEL, 1:58:47 83. Andriy Grivko (Ukr), TEAM MILRAM, 2:00:06 84. Sandy Casar (F), FRANCAISE DES JEUX, 2:00:27 85. Sergio Paulinho (P), DISCOVERY CHANNEL TEAM, 2:00:36 86. Thomas LÖvkvist (S), FRANCAISE DES JEUX, 2:01:08 87. Martin Elmiger (Swi), AG2R PREVOYANCE, 2:03:51 88. Francisco Perez Sanchez (Sp), CAISSE D'EPARGNE, 2:04:11 89. Vaugrenard Benoît (F), FRANCAISE DES JEUX, 2:05:28 90. Matthieu Sprick (F), BOUYGUES TELECOM, 2:07:52 91. Frederik Willems (B), LIQUIGAS, 2:08:42 92. Erik Zabel (G), TEAM MILRAM, 2:08:45 93. Grischa Niermann (Nl), RABOBANK, 2:09:35 94. Antonio Juan Antonio (Sp), RABOBANK, 2:10:02 95. Pierrick Fedrigo (F), BOUYGUES TELECOM, 2:10:38 96. Daniele Bennati (I), LAMPRE-FONDITAL, 2:13:44 97. Stefan Schumacher (G), GEROLSTEINER, 2:15:00 98. Christophe Rinero (F), SAUNIER DUVAL - PRODIR, 2:15:20 99. Jorge Azanza (Sp), EUSKALTEL - EUSKADI, 2:16:27 100. Nicolas Vogondy (F), AGRITUBEL, 2:16:32 101. Johann Tschopp (Swi), BOUYGUES TELECOM, 2:18:49 102. Daniel Navarro (Sp), ASTANA, 2:22:13 103. Simon Gerrans (Aus), AG2R PREVOYANCE, 2:24:13 104. Paolo Bossoni (I), LAMPRE-FONDITAL, 2:24:25 105. Alessandro Ballan (I), LAMPRE-FONDITAL, 2:25:02 106. Inaki Isasi (Sp), EUSKALTEL - EUSKADI, 2:26:35 107. Alexander Efimkin (Rus), BARLOWORLD, 2:26:38 108. Gregory Rast (Swi), ASTANA, 2:27:49 109. Antoniobil Murilo Antoniobil (Brz), LIQUIGAS, 2:28:27 110. Freddy Bichot (F), AGRITUBEL, 2:29:11 111. Aleksandr Kuschynski (Blr), LIQUIGAS, 2:29:15 112. Anthony Geslin (F), BOUYGUES TELECOM, 2:29:28 113. Daniele Righi (I), LAMPRE-FONDITAL, 2:29:51 114. David Canada (Sp), SAUNIER DUVAL - PRODIR, 2:31:23 115. Staf Scheirlinckx (B), COFIDIS CREDIT PAR TELEPHONE, 2:32:26 116. Vicente Garcia Acosta (Sp), CAISSE D'EPARGNE, 2:32:27 117. Fabian Cancellara (Swi), TEAM CSC, 2:33:23 118. Julian Dean (NZ), CREDIT AGRICOLE, 2:36:35 119. Sébastien Rosseler (B), QUICK STEP - INNERGETIC, 2:37:39 120. Benjamin Noval Gonzalez (Sp), DISCOVERY CHANNEL TEAM, 2:38:09 121. Matthieu Ladagnous (F), FRANCAISE DES JEUX, 2:38:19 122. Nicolas Jalabert (F), AGRITUBEL, 2:38:36 123. Bert Grabsch (G), T-MOBILE TEAM, 2:38:59 124. Tom Boonen (B), QUICK STEP - INNERGETIC, 2:39:52 125. Marcus Burghardt (G), T-MOBILE TEAM, 2:40:14 126. Ralf Grabsch (G), TEAM MILRAM, 2:40:24 127. William Bonnet (F), CREDIT AGRICOLE, 2:40:44 128. Lilian Jegou (F), FRANCAISE DES JEUX, 2:40:45 129. Robert Hunter (RSA), BARLOWORLD, 2:40:51 130. Bernhard Eisel (A), T-MOBILE TEAM, 2:40:57 131. Benoit Salmon (F), AGRITUBEL, 2:41:03 132. Mickaël Delage (F), FRANCAISE DES JEUX, 2:41:23 133. Paolo Longo Borghini (I), BARLOWORLD, 2:41:42 134. Manuel Quinziato (I), LIQUIGAS, 2:41:54 135. Matteo Tosatto (I), QUICK STEP - INNERGETIC, 2:41:58 136. Alessandro Cortinovis (I), TEAM MILRAM, 2:42:00 137. Claudio Corioni (I), LAMPRE-FONDITAL, 2:42:01 138. Bradley Wiggins (GB), COFIDIS CREDIT PAR TELEPHONE, 2:42:20 139. Félix Cardenas (Col), BARLOWORLD, 2:42:23 140. Marcel Sieberg (G), TEAM MILRAM, 2:42:52 141. Leif Hoste (B), PREDICTOR - LOTTO, 2:43:23 142. Steven De Jongh (Nl), QUICK STEP - INNERGETIC, 2:43:47 143. Pieter Weening (Nl), RABOBANK, 2:44:05 144. Rik Verbrugghe (B), COFIDIS CREDIT PAR TELEPHONE, 2:45:42 145. Heinrich Haussler (G), GEROLSTEINER, 2:46:36 146. Gianpaolo Cheula (I), BARLOWORLD, 2:47:37 147. Stéphane Auge (F), COFIDIS CREDIT PAR TELEPHONE, 2:47:49 148. Peter Wrolich (A), GEROLSTEINER, 2:48:29 149. Enrico Poitschke (G), TEAM MILRAM, 2:49:02 150. Hinault Sébastien (F), CREDIT AGRICOLE, 2:49:49 151. Chavanel Sébastien (F), FRANCAISE DES JEUX, 2:49:54 152. Anthony Charteau (F), CREDIT AGRICOLE, 2:51:31 153. Robert FÖrster (G), GEROLSTEINER, 2:52:35 154. Gert Steegmans (B), QUICK STEP - INNERGETIC, 2:54:48 155. Bram De Groot (Nl), RABOBANK, 2:54:59 156. Thor Hushovd (N), CREDIT AGRICOLE, 2:55:54 157. Sven Krauss (G), GEROLSTEINER, 2:58:20 158. Thomas Geraint (GB), BARLOWORLD, 2:59:58 159. Nick Nuyens (B), COFIDIS CREDIT PAR TELEPHONE, 3:01:59 160. Wim Vansevenant (B), PREDICTOR - LOTTO, 3:04:58
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Post by allegra on Jul 25, 2007 0:34:08 GMT 8
Vino falls! fatay
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Post by jr on Jul 25, 2007 0:50:37 GMT 8
News Today . Report: Vinokourov tests positive for banned blood transfusion By JAMEY KEATEN, Associated Press Writer July 24, 2007 PAU, France (AP) -- Alexandre Vinokourov tested positive for a banned blood transfusion after winning last weekend's Tour de France time trial, and his team will quit the race, the French sports daily L'Equipe reported on its Web site Tuesday. The positive test took place after the Kazakh rider's victory in the 13th stage time trial on Saturday, L'Equipe said. The newspaper and RTL radio reported that Vinokourov's team, Astana, was pulling out. Corinne Druey, a spokeswoman for the team, declined comment. Vinokourov, a pre-race favorite, won two stages this year -- the time trial in Albi and Monday's 15th stage. He is 23rd in the overall standings. Once seen as a favorite to win the Tour, Vinokourov dropped out of contention for good Sunday after losing 28 minutes, 50 seconds to race leader Michael Rasmussen. L'Equipe said the analysis was conducted by the Chatenay-Malabry lab on the outskirts of Paris. It said two distinctive types of red blood cells were found in the A sample and showed that Vinokourov received a blood transfusion from a compatible donor shortly before the time trial. A senior French anti-doping official confirmed to The Associated Press that there was a positive test for a blood transfusion taken from a rider at the Tour on Saturday, but said he didn't know the name of the cyclist involved. He said the test found two different types of blood, one from the rider, one from a donor. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because no official announcement had been made. Vinokourov has been a crowd favorite along the course route this year. He was injured in a crash in the fifth stage, requiring stitches in both knees. "With a guy of his stature and class, in cycling's current situation, we might as well pack our bags and go home," said British rider David Millar, who came back from a two-year doping ban in the Tour last year. Associated Press Writers Jerome Pugmire in Pau and John Leicester in Paris contributed to this report.
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Post by anthrax76 on Jul 25, 2007 9:56:22 GMT 8
After Vino, who's next? Rasmussen is also under question, he didn't show up for 4 anti-doping exams prior to TdF.
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Post by Ben Dover on Jul 25, 2007 10:23:43 GMT 8
Vinokourov...after suffering an injury, even if its his forte "milagro" talaga...rasmussen...i just dont know what to say..mukang garapalan na talaga.
i think i lost interest already.
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Post by anthrax76 on Jul 25, 2007 10:47:28 GMT 8
T-Mobile and Adidas are thinking of pulling out their sponsorship. Even the Germans lost interest after Jan Ullrich was identified in Operation Puerto.
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Post by jr on Jul 25, 2007 12:05:40 GMT 8
Looks like TDF will end up in the future (I hope not)..but this time Contador with The Disco boys is my man to win it all.
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Post by seacid on Jul 26, 2007 8:35:12 GMT 8
Danish Rabobank rider and yellow jersey wearer pulled from 2007 Tour de France By AFP Direct
PAU, France, July 25, 2007:
This year's Tour de France was dealt a potentially fatal blow on Wednesday when yellow jersey wearer Michael Rasmussen was sensationally kicked out of the race by his own Rabobank team, the Dutch outfit revealed on Wednesday.
The 33-year-old Dane had seemingly weathered the storm over missing four out of competition dope tests in the past 18 months and had won Wednesday's stage to all but seal overall victory. However, the team has learned that Rasmussen lied to them over where and what he was up to during the month of June when he was in fact in Italy and not in Mexico as he had told them.
"He broke team rules," said a Rabobank Team spokesman. "It is not even sure if the team will carry on in the race," he added.
Rasmussen had won two stages during the Tour, though, his presence at the race was questioned by several officials and from the race organizers as well.
His departure leaves young Spaniard Alberto Contador in the lead with Australian Cadel Evans in second
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Post by seacid on Jul 26, 2007 8:41:34 GMT 8
Rasmussen pulled out of Tour, fired by Rabobank By Charles Pelkey editor, VeloNews.com Filed: July 25, 2007
After 10 days in the yellow jersey, Michael Rasmussen appeared to have beaten back all challengers in his pursuit of the top spot on the Tour de France's final podium in Paris this coming Sunday.
On Wednesday, he handily dispatched his nearest challenger - Discovery Channel's Alberto Contador - winning the Tour's most difficult stage and adding to his already-formidable lead as the race made its final trip into the mountains.
But Rasmussen was apparently unable to defeat the growing skepticism surrounding his performance and his behavior over the past few months. On Wednesday evening, when the Dane should have been celebrating his all-but-certain victory, his own team withdrew him from the Tour and fired him.
"He broke team rules," explained Rabobank spokesman Jacob Bergsma, who said team officials believed Rasmussen had lied to them regarding his whereabouts in June of this year, when UCI and Danish Cycling Federation officials had been unable to locate the rider for out-of-competition testing.
Bergsma said the team officials learned that when Rasmussen had said he was in Mexico - where his wife lives - he had actually been in Italy, working with an as-of-yet-unnamed doctor.
"It is not even sure if the team will carry on in the race," he added.
Late last week, Danish federation officials announced that Rasmussen had been ejected from that country's national squad and would not be representing Denmark at the world championships or at next year's Olympic Games.
To add insult to injury, Rasmussen was also forced to fend off charges that he had attempted to trick a friend into transporting a cutting-edge hemoglobin replacement from the U.S. to Italy in 2002.
Ultimately, it was the missed-tests issue that finally brought the controversial Tour leader to his knees. Rabobank, sponsored by a leading Dutch bank, had been under increasing pressure since Rasmussen admitted to making an "administrative error" by missing random doping controls by the UCI on March 24, 2006, and June 28, 2007.
Rabobank director Theo de Rooy said the decision to pull Rasmussen - and to fire him - came down to a matter of trust.
"Several times he said where he was training and it proved to be wrong," he said. "The management of the team received that information several times, and today we received new information."
Last week's revelations about the missed tests frustrated Tour director Christian Prudhomme, who said he would have fought to keep Rasmussen from even starting the Tour had he known about the issue.
"What I regret more than ever is that we didn't have this information on June 29, or on the following days before the Tour started," Prudhomme told AFP last weekend. "We would have made the Rabobank team face up to their responsibilities."
Prudhomme - who at one point had phoned UCI president Pat McQuaid to berate him over not informing organizers about Rasmussen's missed tests - said that there was not much more he and his co-directors of the race could have done.
"We did all we could do to get rid of him," Prudhomme told AFP.
"One cannot mock the Tour de France impunitively like those riders," he added, referring to Rasmussen, Cristian Moreni - who also exited on Wednesday after failing a drugs test - and Alexandre Vinokourov, who was thrown out on Tuesday.
"I cannot comment on the matter now as I have not been notified by Rabobank," UCI president Pat McQuaid told Reuters over the telephone on Wednesday. "I am just a little surprised that they did not discuss it with the UCI."
Rasmussen had won two stages during the Tour, though, his presence at the race was questioned by several officials and from the race organizers as well. Mocking fans along the racecourse and a chorus of boos at the finish line indicate his lack of popularity with fans as well.
His departure leaves the young Spaniard Contador in the lead with Australian Cadel Evans (Predictor-Lotto) in second and American Levi Leipheimer (Discovery Channel) in third.
The news, however, was not welcomed by Contador and Leipheimer's team.
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Post by Taba® on Jul 26, 2007 9:45:35 GMT 8
Contador is my bet.
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Post by archer21 on Jul 26, 2007 10:01:33 GMT 8
This was a good move by Rabobank, they did this to protect the integrity of cycling and also their team. It could have been Rasmussen's chance for a Tour de France but he shattered it by himself.
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Post by retzel on Jul 26, 2007 10:30:42 GMT 8
I bet to disagree. Rabobank tainted their reputation by fielding a rider questioned by the UCI. Rabobank and Rasmussen are losers in this latest development. The biggest loser is the riders of Rabobank. They have been working to protect the yellow jersey for nothing.
Contador might be next because he was a part of the Operation Puerto before the tour.
This tour is a big joke and a very big waste of time and internet resources.
All riders kicked out of the tour should no longer be given license to race. It may be harsh but they brought it upon themselves. They know the rules.
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Post by allegra on Jul 26, 2007 11:04:07 GMT 8
I'ts agood start towards cleaning the sport Mas masama if they let them go
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Post by Ben Dover on Jul 26, 2007 11:34:38 GMT 8
yeah! to make make sure they will be racing no more, hang them at arc de triomphe and drag their dead bodies along champs-elysees hehe! ;D (joke) i used to think that way too..but i think these guys are probably victims too..knowing that they will have no chance of winning against others that use dope...among these racers, i believe they know who the dopers are and who are not...but one should ask why no one is talking and no one is pointing fingers...why? glasshouse? a life time ban i believe is too harsh...even 5 years i believe...coz some of them will be too old by then to make a comeback...for a victim of circumstance, if indeed he is, taking away from him what he love the most in this world is already a death sentence. its still a good move by rabobank, giving a chance to someone is never a bad thing, its rasmussen who blew it...but i can't help it, there is still this nagging question at the back of my head...is he the only one to blame? if all the sponsors of the tour will make a firm stand against doping, then maybe TDF has still a chance to regain its "lost" prestige and glory. just my 2 cents
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