Anybody out there prepared to go out on a limb & predict the winners in this years tour.Quiet a few Aussies in there this year. Hope they have better luck than last year.
I,ll stick my neck out & take Evans for the overall win.

valverde will win. cadel may get a podium spot.

Cadel Evans will win.

Can’t predict a winner but I reckon Baden Cooke for the Aussies

Valverde looks a touch out of form after the time trial

depends on who has the best drugs.

Its a total fucking sham and I rue the time I gave it when I was young and could have been playing golf.

Ban it altogether!

There speaks the voice of reason. Surely the authorities should try to stop athletes taking drugs not ban the sports so that it is pointless to take them. Be interesting to know how many footballers are using. Of course there are no riders that are not taking drugs are there. Noticed a brit has already won 2 stages.
Where,s your national pride.Innocent until proven guilty
End of rant Go Cadel!!!

Very wet and dangerous stage last night. That Cavendish has a huge turn of pace. he will be riding the madison for Great Britain at the olympics.
First real mountain stage tonight.

Someonw please dope test Riccardo Ricco – that speed he showed on the climb up Col D’Aspin was impossible.

If he won the stage he will be tested automatically, although it probably wont show up unless he is really stupid.

Sadly haven’t been able to watch any of Le Tour this year. :(

Cadel Evans will win.

POM and SJGC
Clever Dicks!! and by 1 second – not bad! I hope you had dollars on him!

Long way to go yet Ditty. Still the best part of 2 weeks is a long time to hang on to yellow.

That guy is made of steel isn’t he!! Had a fall and still wins the day buy a second and gets to hold the yellow for a full day seeing as today is a day of rest…. I’m in awe of those guys! Just keep them off the bloody roads when the traffic is peak – valvoline!!

Evans team is not good enough for him to hang on to the yellow jersey for the next 2 weeks. Caisse D’espagne and Saunier Duval look like the stronger teams in the mountains.
Rest day tonight – no wonder after those ridiculous climbs up 8% gradients. I would SPEW.

Someonw please dope test Riccardo Ricco – that speed he showed on the climb up Col D’Aspin was impossible.

don’t these guys get drug tested ever?

The winner gets tested after every stage . & other riders are tested at random intervals during the tour.

Someonw please dope test Riccardo Ricco – that speed he showed on the climb up Col D’Aspin was impossible.

SJGC,

Did you know something we all didn’t? Just read on FoxSports that Ricardo Ricco has tested positive to EPO. It’s a shame that all these ‘athletes’ think they need to take drugs to be any good.

Amazes me that they think that they will get away with it. Is it really worth it to take the risk of getting caught.? Seems like an awfully big gamble to me!

There speaks the voice of reason. Surely the authorities should try to stop athletes taking drugs not ban the sports so that it is pointless to take them. Be interesting to know how many footballers are using. Of course there are no riders that are not taking drugs are there. Noticed a brit has already won 2 stages.
Where,s your national pride.Innocent until proven guilty
End of rant Go Cadel!!!

A bad day on the golf course is better than no golf at all. :(

No one who ever had a lesson would have a swing like mine

Lee Trevino

I had a friend who rode professionally for a few years and he told me how rife it is.

The dopers are always slightly ahead of the testers which makes it so hard to catch them. They also load up on the growth hormone in the lead up to the tour, not during it.

Finally, whilst I live in the UK, I consider myself Irish first and foremost so Sean Kelly and Stephen Roche (another doper) were my heroes when young and impressionable.

Ricardo Ricco’s ride looked amazing and beyond belief – and apparently it was. Even to a mug like me it looked sus.

Drug use in sthe Tour is now a criminal offence in France and Ricco is currently being interviewed by the French cops !!

Controversial I know, but the way the sport is going I say they should let them take whatever they want (athletics too) and if they do a Tom Simpson and their hearts explode on the Col D’Aspin… tough shit.

Worse thing about the drug cheats is that genuine contenders can burn heaps of energy chasing them up the mountains trying to stay in touch.

They have to keep fighting this, good to see the teems being proactive and pull out ie Saunier Durval Scott last night.

For example, last year Cadel was spent chasing Rasmusun through the Alps. I said to a friend at the time it looked suspect on their faces when they crossed the line. Cadel always looked spent at the end of the day.

AG

Cadel still holds the yellow – good on him!!

Cadel now 3rd by 8 seconds – he will just try to survive the next 2 stages in the mountains then concentrate on the time trial to blow away the climbers and regain the lead.

Cadel now 3rd by 8 seconds – he will just try to survive the next 2 stages in the mountains then concentrate on the time trial to blow away the climbers and regain the lead.

That’s a nice plan – hope it works for him!