Tour de France 2005

[Jo-n-NY]

I have been on the edge of my seat for weeks. Actually OLN, I think, is the only one that can cover it because they own the rights to the TDF. If I am wrong, then please correct me.

We switched to Direct TV from Cablevision just to get OLN, (hated the Cablevision monopoly anyway). I am enjoying all the shows that are on this week on OLN & Discovery.

After reading both Lances's autobiographies and most recently, his mothers, Linda Armstrong Kelly, I rest my case in saying the my respect for the guy just grew even more and yes, I want Lance to win a 7th because if he does, he will be so deserving of as his training goes well beyond most.

At the recommendation of another post, I read the articles in Outside magazine and today just began the book by Daniel Coyle. Info on the guy just seems to be endless and is getting addicting. lol

~JoAnn

[SadieKate]

OLN had a live radio feed of the Giro. I don't know if they'll do one of the TdF.

http://www.mediazone.com/channel/cycling/jsp/index.jsp

[emily_in_nc]

The only time of year I need TV - darn it!!! Anyone know of a web site that will have video? I'm willing to sit at the computer and watch it.

Mikki, I believe that OLN will do streaming video for the tour - I seem to remember them advertising it last year. It is an extra charge but not excessive, as I recall. Check their website (http://www.olntv.com/). Hope I'm right about this!

Emily

P.S. I'm rooting for Lance to win lucky number 7! The announcers on "Road to the Tour" last weekend seem to think he's in his best form ever and will be very hard to beat. I do hope it's not a romp, though. Would like to see it close and exciting, but with Lance prevailing in the end.

[CorsairMac]

The only time of year I need TV - darn it!!! Anyone know of a web site that will have video? I'm willing to sit at the computer and watch it.

OLN did a live video for the Giro - total package was like $5.99 so I'm sure they'll do the same for the TdF.

You can also go to cyclingnews.com. Since France is ahead of us, the stage results will usually be posted mid-late afternoon our time.

as for spoiler - yes please either put it in the title or understand results will be discussed here. I just keep thinking of that poor guy over on bikejournal that posted a result unintentionally and was Lamblasted so bad he quit his membership. I can't imagine us doing that here - but we tend to take our TdF's very seriously!

as for mine:

Yellow: Lance

the rest: I'd like to see Ivan Basso on the podium somewhere, he's a tough kid. It'd be nice to see Levi place high, and Azevado place high and/or KOM. He placed like 6th last year and deserved it!!
I'd love to see Bobby and Paolo take some stages and get more of the recognition I think they deserve.
and of course I LOVE to see the Aussies in the green jerseys!!

and I'd like to see the Discovery boys win the TTT just for the sake of Discovery and their new sponsership but if for some reason they don't quite make it, my 2nd choice would CSC. They're a good team and deserve accolades!!

[slinkedog]

Okay, who thinks Bobke's new sidebeurns are truly heinous? We were watching "Road to the Tour" the other day, and he looks like a werewolf.

[nuthatch]

Okay, who thinks Bobke's new sidebeurns are truly heinous? We were watching "Road to the Tour" the other day, and he looks like a werewolf.

Totally!! I thought he had some sort of skin growth on the side of his head - what's he thinking down there in Durango?

I'm going to record every day and wean myself off the Tour slowly, Spazz. It will fill those long winter months on the rack, er, I mean trainer!

I want Georgie to win a stage. You know, someone as tall or taller than I am instead of those shrimpy boys. (At least someone who weighs as much as I do - or would that disqualify a rider??)

Nut "I'm so excited" hatch

[Veronica]

... Bobke...looks like a werewolf.

Yes, yes he does. AND I swear some of his facial expressions seem to deliberately make him look even more wolf like.



I couldn't find any photos with just the sideburns. Okay - I got impatient.

V.

[abarensfeld7]

My pick for winner = Vinokourov
Landis is gonna tank!
And Armstrong will get 3rd behind Vino and Ullrich. Sad.
But I think Discovery will reprise the Postal blue train in the TTT and win that stage.

[jobob]

Yes indeed, Bobke's new, um, "look" is a trip.

And 'fess up, how may jaws dropped when Kirsten Gum showed up as a brunette ???

- Jo "I likes to dish" bob

[nuthatch]

And 'fess up, how may jaws dropped when Kirsten Gum showed up as a brunette ???

- Jo "I likes to dish" bob

Yes! It was like a brown animal had crawled onto her head and died - so flat and dead-looking. I guess it's hard to strike just the right color to be taken seriously as a journalist (not toooo blond) and still have a bit of zing to your appearance - maybe she should try red?

[profàvélo]

Last year, I was able to listen to the Tour live on this site, for free: http://www.eurosport.co.uk/
Sadly, it was not Paul and Phil doing the commentary, but the accents were lovely just the same.

Don't forget to check out the official Tour site: http://www.letour.fr/
(Visit the French site occasionally, even if you don't know a word of French...you can often figure it out anyway, and sometimes the French version has things that the English version does not.)

Also...anyone else going to actually be at the Tour? Specifically stages 15 (July 17), 16 (19th) or 17 (20th), or the rest day in Pau on the 18th?

[emily_in_nc]

Okay, who thinks Bobke's new sidebeurns are truly heinous? We were watching "Road to the Tour" the other day, and he looks like a werewolf.

Agreed! Watched Road to the Tour Sunday also and had to do a double-take to figure out what he had on his face! My dad had those in the 70s, but they were actually in style then...I guess Bob R is trying to bring those days back. After all, low-rise, flare jeans came back, why can't mutton-chops?

Emily

[slinkedog]

Yeah, the '70's are definitely upon us once again. The boys in my daughter's class (she'll be a high school freshman in the fall) all look like Peter Brady with their hairdos. However, I must note that I never saw Peter Brady's boxers peeking out above the waistband of his pants/shorts/whatever. That's a fad I'll be glad to see go. Oh, and the girls in low-rise jeans with tops that don't make it all the way down so their bellies show. That's just wrong.

[bikerchick68]

I heard that Bobke has a bet with a mtn bike racer and that's why the chops... not sure WHAT the bet is tho...

Cunego IS out and Simoni has been saying he may not ride without Cunego... sounds like he is afraid he'll get stomped again without the support...

I think it's gonna be:

Lance
Vinokourov
Basso

I think Ulrich will tank again somewhere along the way, but he's hot so who cares?
I would LOVE to see Azevedo win a mtn stage
Floyd taking a stage would be cool too!
And if Voeckler puts on a show like last year... wow! That kid deserved the Maillot Jaune!!!

I was on the Champs last year for the final day. On Sat I was walking along and saw Kirsten Gum with a team of camera people... I said hello, not knowing if she would just blow me off or what. She stood and talked for about 20 minutes about all the stages and some behind the scenes stuff and then took pics with me! She was incredibly kind, polite and fun! Also have pics of Phil Liggett from the final day... didn't get to cht with him tho... and then a newscrew filmed me... I think they were Swiss??? Anyway, they wanted footage of me in my American Flag Jersey!

[aka_kim]

Ok, my SWAG...

Basso
Ulrich
Lance

(I still want Lance to win, though.)

And also Floyd, Levi, Bobby J, Vino, Kloden and Azevedo somewhere in the top 10.