le Tour de France, 2007
- shadowed by doping

index
rasmussen excluded from his team - so now out of the tour
here cometh the miracle of the tour - the 2007 Tour de France
skoda and the tour de france
this year’s route map
this year’s stages
the teams and probable team leaders

rasmussen excluded from his team - so now out of the tour

The Yellow Jersey group approaching the Port de Larrau at the top of the first steep HC climb on the 16th stage.

Rasmussen was sacked yesterday evening by his team, Rabobank. Just to confuse some readers further, I agree with this action.

Commentators are also agreeing with the decision. There has been widespread suspicion among the peleton, of Rasmussen’s honesty regarding his pre-Tour preparation. This includes other cyclists contradicting Rasmussen’s claims of where he was during training.

Cycling is a heavily individualistic sport, with fierce sense of independence. If mother’s little helper in all its variations is to be driven out of the Tour/s, it has to be by the pressure, decision and determination of the riders, not by bureaucrats and meddling by journalists and governments.

I doubt that there will ever come a time when the cat-and-mouse game ceases in its entirity. Meanwhile, let a sense of proportion and a detachment from the chaos and confusion rule.

Let the circus storm its way around France, flashing colour as it goes.

I love evolution. At least Rabobank did not make the ridiculous decision to withdraw the whole team, as had Cofidis and Astana in the previous two days.

Vinokourov [Astana] should never have continued. His leg was in a ridiculous mess. No wonder he tried ‘assistance’. Astana made serious tactical and managerial errors by holding back Klöden to support a badly injured Vinokourov.

The Spaniard, Contador [Discovery Channel], is now the effective leader. He is also the White Jersey, that is best under-25 rider. This is a phenomenal performance so far.

Currently, the Australian, Cadel Evans [Predictor-Lotto], is second, and American, Levi Leipheimer [Discovery Channel], is third. (There is no official leader, wearer of the Yellow Jersey, today because of the Rasmussan ejection.)

No.1 and no.3 are from the Discovery team, the team of Armstrong and Landis. Vinokourov is seeking Landis’s lawyer.

And there are Spaniards everywhere: 8 of the first 14, 13 of the first 25.

here cometh the miracle of the tour -
the 2007 Tour de France

Drugs and rumours of drugs. Well, how would you like to cycle 3570 kms over 23 days without mother’s little helper!☺
And from someone who claims to care.

Floyd Landis has brought out a book on his life and the ‘controversy’.

Landis has yet to be found ‘guilty’. He is appealing the doping charges from last year when he won in rather ‘spectacular’ style. Meanwhile, Bjarne Riis has admitted to using EPO during his 1996 victory. He has apparently now been stricken from the record book.

I believe no appeal to the appropriate authority has yet been turned down, so it is very likely that Landis will eventually be cleared. The French laboratory have made a whole series of errors, at least so it is claimed.

The French are not highly enthusiastic with the great dominance of American riders in recent years, let alone the bête noire, the great conquering Armstrong.

But what do I care!!
The Tour de France [TDF] sets off shortly and the hype rules.

15/10/2007: Oscar Pereiro is awarded the 2006 Yellow Jersey.

The circus is coming to town, and I’ll be there at the roadside to watch the greatest athletic event on planet Earth.

It is usual for the Tour to go ‘abroad’ diffidently most years. This year, the Tour de France starts in the UK, then a touch of France and into Belgium. It even says hello to Spain.

This year, the Tour goes clockwise. The first few days mosey lazily along flat roads. Well, ‘flat’ in Tour terms. The sprinters make some points, but the real Tour is won and lost in the Alps and Pyrenees, with minor contributions from time trials. There is the traditional, very short 8km opener (Prologue), this year on the 7th July in London - racing past St. James’s Park, through Hyde Park and back past Green Park; a 55km race around the Cathar Albi country on the 21st; and a 55km dash from Cognac to Angoulême on the 28th July.

The Tour de France sets off on the 7th of July.
The real Tour starts into the Alps on the 14th July - Bastille Day (the French National Holiday).
On the 18th, the first awful climbs give way to more restful days.
On the 22th, the mountaineering starts again until, with a sigh, on the 25th, after a nominal probe into Spain, the Tour goes back into a holiday mode in the countryside.

skoda and the tour de france

Official Tour car as provided by Skoda (the white jersey sponsor).

“As a part of the partnership we provide the Tour with a large fleet of more than 200 Škoda cars. Sponsorship of the white jersey for the best rider under 25 is an integral part of the partnership.” [Quoted from new.skoda-auto.com]

This is a good manufacturer to check out, if you are considering buying a new car.

“At the beginning of December 1895 the mechanic Václav Laurin and the book-seller Václav Klement, both bicykle enthusiasts, started manufacturing bycycles of thein own design, patriotically named Slavia in the nationalist atmosphere of the ond of the 19th century. A few years later, in 1899, the Laurin & Klement Co. began producing motorcycles, wich were soon succesful and gained several racing victories. After initial experiments at the turn of century, producing of motorcycles was gradually replaced by automobiles form 1905 onward.” [Quoted from new.skoda-auto.com]

This year, Skoda are returning to their roots and again producing bicycles.

“Škoda Auto enriches its supply of original accessories with a novelty - Škoda bicycle. A standard Škoda Bike Cross Ride cross bike is the result of cooperation between the car maker and a renowned Czech manufacturer of bicycles, the Author brand.” [Quoted from vwvortex.com]

this year’s stages

There are 20 stages, of which six are mountain stages [Alps 3, Pyrenees 3] and two are individual against-the-clock [contre-le-montre] time trials. There are two rest days. The first day - the Prologue - is a brief against-the-clock stage. The total distance ridden will be 3,570 kilometres, or 2,218 miles.

This year, there are 21 teams, with nine participating riders in each - 189 cyclists in all.

the teams and probable team leaders are:

interesting facts

• “The bib number one usually worn by the defending champion has not been awarded for this year's Tour de France, race organisers ASO said on Tuesday.

  “ASO's decision is motivated by the fact that the case concerning 2006 winner Floyd Landis, who tested positive for testosterone, has yet to be settled.

  “The numbering will now start with bib 11, which is to be given to a rider from the Caisse d'Epargne team.

  “It will be worn either by 2006 runner-up Oscar Pereiro of Spain or by compatriot Alejandro Valverde.” [Quoted from sport.guardian.co.uk]

  The team that includes the previous year’s overall winner usually wears bibs 1 to 9.

• The wearing of a safety helmet is now obligatory for all riders, from start to arrival, for all of the stages.
  
  
• The brilliant haute-couture designer, Christian Lacroix, has designed a limited edition t-shirt, sales proceeds for which will go to support Mécénat Chirurgie Cardiaque (MCC - a charity concerned with helping children with heart malformations). The t-shirts will sell for 30€ each at the official TDF boutiques and at Galeries Lafayette stores, and should raise money for six operations.
  
  
  

last year (2006): the first thirty riders

The American Agency of Antidoping still has not pronounced a verdict on the case of the Yellow Jersey 2006, Floyd Landis, who apparently showed a positive result on a blood test taken after the 17th stage. It is possible that Landis could lose his title as winner of the 2006 TdF. While the decision has not been made, the first second, and third positions remain unconfirmed.

So the current offical results are:

• Green jersey (points) winner: Robbie McEwen [AUS, Davitamon-Lotto]
• Red-spotted jersey (mountain) winner: Michael Rasmussen [DAN, Rabobank]
• White (under-25) jersey winner: Damiano Cunego [ITA, Mampre-Fondital]
• Super-combatitive winner: David de la Fuente [ESP, Saunier Duval]

Team classification:

1. T-Mobile
2. Team CSC
3. Rabobank

email email_abelard [at] abelard.org

© abelard, 2007, 26 july


all rights reserved

the address for this document is https://www.abelard.org/france/le-tour_2007.php