TdF countdown

Well girls, this time next week the 2003 Tour de France will be underway so I thought it might be fun to see who's going to be supporting who and why ( and unlike a lot of the bike mags quality of legs, butts, etc is right up there on the list, just above number of wins etc:D :D )

Before we start, let me say I consider you all to be a friendly and supportive bunch, but will this be stretching out friendship too far when I say I won't be supporting Mr Armstrong. :eek:

Will I be banished from the site? Will the site moderator scrap this post...?;)


My votes for this year will be German sprinter and 6 times green jersey winner Erik Zabel - as I have done for the last 4 years. Don't know what it is I like about him, he just seems like a nice bloke.

And secondly.... Jan Ulrich. Poor guy's had a tough time the last year and although I think Lance will probably get his 5th win I'm hoping Ulrich can give him a run for his money and give us a good race to watch.

Let me know whose butt YOU'LL be watching.....:)

I'd love to see Lance win - but I'm really bummed that Mario Cippolini isn't going to be racing.

Veronica

Me too - he's such a good sprinter but he also adds so much character to the race with his amazing outfits etc. As the current World Champion I still can't belive they left him out. It's the centenary event this year and I bet he had so cool jerseys lined up!

I like Stuart O'Grady and Zabel in the green jersey competition, and Tyler Hamilton for a podium position. Cutest domestique would have to go to George Hincapie, and I am definitely rooting for Lance's "drive for five". And I agree, Cipo got scr*wed.

I'm with you for Stuey - I think he came from a track racing background which is why he's so quick and fearless in the sprint. I expect fellow Aussie Robbie Macewen ( how do you spell that??) will be up there as well.

I saw a picture of him the other day,lined up with other potential green jersey winners and he's tiny. For such a little guy he goes like a rocket!

All of the above riders and picks are right on the money. It is scandelous about Cippolini. I'm almost hoping for a "strike" of sorts, but...I doubt it.

I do the "mother thing" and record the entire event for my son in the military who hasn't been able to watch in the past two years.
The year (2001) he was in Bosnia, the monitors in the chow hall had the races on constantly as the mission was multi-nation. He said had the best time ever watching that race.

This year, I plan on propping up in bed, wearing my helmet, acting like the big kid controlling the remote! And nobody can stop me, nanny-nanny-boo-boo! (My husband knows better...)
Terry

I really enjoyed reading everyone's choice for the TDF! All are great athletes! My favorite is still Lance. I've been with him since the beginning and I will stay with him win or lose. This article says it all for me .......

Armstrong is inspiration to many touched by cancer

Sue :)

I too will be watching Erik Zabel I'd like to see hime get the green again. But I agree with everyone else Lance is the most likely winner overall. Unless a disaster befalls him ..............
I'm a luck, I will be watching in person some of the second week. I will be riding the Etape de Tour on the 16th with 8000+ other folks, mostly men, only 200 women are registered! After that I will go and see one mountain stage and the start of the individual time trial. Apparently the start of the ITT is the best place to get a close up of all those muscles as they are all on view as they warm up.
Wish me luck in the 200km stage 16 etape ......... trainings almost finished, all I need is fine weather and a positive mental attitude.

Jacqui.

Hi Jacqui C - my boyfriend is also doing the Etape and we're camping in Biaritz for the week before hand.

I'm not strong enough to ride it myself yet so I'll be driving him to Pau in the morning of the race. He's really looking forward to it! We were in Italy last week and he did the full length Gran Fondo Campagnolo which was very hard, but it's given him a lot of confidence, as the Dolomites have the steepness of the Alps but also the length of the Pyrenees.

Hope the trainings been going well and maybe we'll see you there. Do you ride for a club? I'll make sure Ben keeps an eye out for your team kit. Ben will be in blue and yellow of Brighton Mitre.

Very best of luck - I 'm sure you'll do brilliantly.

P.S. At the Fondo in Italy last week I saw a team called the Zabel Fan Club. They had red jerseys ( should have been green really !) with loads of z's all over them. I would have said hello but my Italian only stretches as far as pizza toppings at the moment:p

Hey MightyMitre,

What's your bf's number? Mine is 2737 and my hubby is riding in 2736. Are there a few from your club riding? This is my first BIG ride, I don't compete or ride with a road club. We just do it all to keep fit and have fun. With only 200 women riding you'd think I would be easy to spot, but I don't have a club shirt or anything to identify me. Except I do have a custom build Dave Yates bike that is girly pink/lilac sparkle ............... and has "Jakey" written on it.

Who know's, if you see me give me a few shouts of encouragment, I might need it.

Good Luck Jacqui C!

You will smoke etape stage 16! You must be in fantastic shape! Let us know how you do!

Some day I hope to watch the TDF up close! That would be such a thrill to me!

Have fun!

Sue

Thanks Sue,

I hope I'm in good shape. We've been riding all the steepest climbs we can find recently. West coast Scotland has a pass named "pass of the cattle, Bealach ne baa" which gets up to 20% in places. Then there was the English lake district with Hardnot, Wrynose, Kirstone and Whinlatter passes some getting to 30% in places. Aberdeen area (where I live) has some more pleasant 10- 16% rides. This along with some faster 70-120mile weekend day rides has been the training. David Millar (our local, ie Scottish, TdeF hopeful) however said stage 16 is one of the toughest in this years race. But then they will all have ridden 15 other stages before they get there .................. So looking forward to the whole trip.

JC.

Hi Jacqui C - sounds like you'll be flying with all the training you've been doing. I bet you've had some fantastic view from the top of those mountains too.

My boyfriends number is 4762 and I've told him you're riding so he'll keep an eye out for you. He's just riding on his own this year as lots of our club have young families so getting away isn't always that easy for them. At least that's their story .... ;) :p

Good Luck again and let us know how you get on.

Liz