Organizers hail Tour de France leader's ouster - International Herald Tribune

"Insisting that 'doping is the enemy, not cycling' and that 'things are changing' for the better, the organizers of the Tour de France hailed the ouster of Michael Rasmussen from the race on Thursday.
Rasmussen, a 33-year-old Dane, was expelled by his Rabobank team late Wednesday for lying about his whereabouts to avoid drug tests before the Tour started July 7.
Instead of being in Mexico, as he repeatedly said, he was seen training in Italy. That unraveled his weeklong defense that he had evaded the unscheduled tests by mistake, not by design.
Rasmussen left his team hotel in Pau late Wednesday for Italy, race officials said, adding that the French police had arrived at the hotel just too late to arrest him."

"Rasmussen lied to avoid tests," Clerc said. "Therefore he cannot remain in the race. It proves that he should not have started the Tour de France."

After Positive Test, Team Quits Tour de France - New York Times

"Alexander Vinokourov, the Kazakh cyclist who was once considered a favorite to win the Tour de France, tested positive for the presence of foreign blood cells after the first of two recent stage victories and, along with his entire Astana team, withdrew from the Tour on Tuesday, further plunging the sport into a doping crisis that has eroded the legitimacy of its most prestigious event."

Leipheimer warns against writing off Vinokourov's Tour de France chances - International Herald Tribune

"Levi Leipheimer warns against discounting Alexandre Vinokourov's chances of winning the Tour de France, even though the Kazakh rider is struggling with ailing knees.
'It would be a mistake to write Vino off. He's a tough competitor and he's obviously not going to give up,' Leipheimer said during Monday's rest day."

Stage 8: Riders ready to turn up the heat

"Slow through the flats, and fast in the mountains — that's just what some riders are predicting as the Tour de France enters the Alps.

Belgian Tom Boonen won the sixth stage Friday, ending a crash-prone and unusually slow first week in which sprinters ruled and two potential title contenders were injured.

Burning thighs and heavy breathing await as riders embark on three days in the Alps, starting with the 122.7-mile course today from Bourg-en-Bresse to Le Grand-Bornand.

"You watch, it's going to be ... fast this weekend," said David Millar of Britain. "Whenever you get into the hilly stages, everybody will want to go out on the break. No one has wanted to go this week."

Stage 3: Cancellara Wins

"Switzerland's Fabian Cancellara extended his overall lead in the Tour de France, winning the third stage and longest stage in a sprint finish Tuesday as cycling's showpiece event entered its home country.

The Swiss rider, who also won Saturday's prologue, finished the 147-mile ride from Waregem, Belgium, to Compiegne, northeast of Paris, in 6 hours, 36 minute, 15 seconds.

"I have no words after winning something like that," said Cancellara, who overtook four riders in the final stretch.

Erik Zabel of Germany was second and Danilo Napolitano of Italy was third"

Stage 2: Belgium's Gert Steegmans wins rain-drenched stage - Los Angeles Times

Winner: Belgian rider Gert Steegmans of sprint ace Boonen's Quickstep team. Boonen finished second.

Yellow jersey: Fabian Cancellara, winner of Saturday's prologue, retained it despite hurting his left wrist in a fall. Andreas Kloeden, a German rider for the Astana team, stayed second overall, with British cyclist David Millar third.Quote of the day: "If it's a gift ... it's the biggest gift I could ever receive."

Stage 1: McEwen stages remarkable recovery

"AUSTRALIAN Robbie McEwen produced a stunning finish to win the first road stage of the Tour de France early today (Melbourne time).

McEwen, 35, looked to be out of contention when he had to stop for repairs after a crash as the race approached Canterbury towards the end of the 203-kilometre ride from London.

But the Predictor-Lotto team member produced a blistering sprint to take the spoils from Norway's Thor Hushovd and Tom Boonen of Belgium. Switzerland's Fabian Cancellara of CSC retained the race leader's yellow jersey although Britain's David Millar moved up to third overall."

Pologue: Cancellara wins Tour de France prologue

"Switzerland’s Fabian Cancellara won the prologue Saturday as the Tour de France began amid heavy security and with a distinct British accent.

Cancellara, the world time-trial champion who also won the Tour prologue in 2004, completed the 4.9-mile race through downtown London in 8 minutes, 50 seconds. He is strictly a time-trial rider and is not expected to compete for the title in the three-week race."

Lance Armstrong on Floyd Landis: 'I Don't Think He Did It' - Sports Blog - The FanHouse

"Seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong doesn't think last year's Tour de France winner, Floyd Landis, is a cheater, but he also doesn't think he'll win his appeal.


'The arbitrators don't ever rule for the athletes,' Armstrong said, according a story in Wednesday's edition of The Aspen Times. 'Quite frankly, the system is set up against the athletes. Unfortunately for him, I don't think he did it. That's always been my position and still is today.'"

Holidays | The authentic flavour of the Tour De France

"The amazing spectacle of the Tour de France makes an exciting start in central London this year. However, the tour is far more than a cycle race: it is part of French culture. Small towns hold fêtes promoting their local produce and partying from early morning until well after the riders have vanished over the horizon.

So after watching the start in London, why not taste its real flavour and experience some of the later stages of the marathon competition as it winds its way through the heart of France. That’s where you can use a coach yourself.

Eurolines, part of National Express Group, has ultra-low cost, hassle-free and comfortable coach services to many of the best locations on this year’s tour, including the challenging mountain section and the grand finale in Paris."

People's Daily Online -- Vinokourov hoping to beat the numbers game

People's Daily Online -- Vinokourov hoping to beat the numbers game: "Tour de France hopeful Alexandre Vinokourov gave warning on Wednesday that he is ready to win the world's premier cycling race this summer when he grabbed the lead in the Dauphine Libere Criterium, after winning the third stage, a 40.7km time-trial.
The 33-year-old Astana rider crossed the line nine seconds ahead of fellow Kazak rider and teammate Andrey Kashechkin with US rider David Zabriskie third at 38sec.
Vinokourov insists that he has never been in such form and believes that the figures are also on his side to win this year's Tour de France.
'In 2002, 2004, 2006, which were even numbers, I couldn't race the Tour,' he explained.
'In 2003 and 2005 it worked well. I hope this time will be the one.'
The Kazak rider refused to comment however on his eviction from last year's Tour, the day before the prologue in Strasbourg, when the Astana team did not have enough riders to compete because of the Operation Puerto doping scandal.
'I had my revenge two months later on the Vuelta,' said the 2006 Tour of Spain winner. "

No guarantees that Tour de France will be clean - washingtonpost.com

No guarantees that Tour de France will be clean - washingtonpost.com:



"Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme conceded on Tuesday he could not guarantee a drug-free race when this year's event starts in London for the first time on July 7.
Prudhomme appeared alongside the Mayor of London Ken Livingstone to talk about how the race would boost tourism, promote cycling and showcase London and Kent where the prologue and first stage will be held."

Miss Tour de France 2005

"Australia's Bradley McGee will miss the Tour de France for a second year in a row because of an ongoing problem with the herniated disc in his back.

McGee, who spectacularly won the prologue of the centenary Tour in 2003 with the slimmest of margins over Britain's David Millar, had been hoping to get back on the world's biggest race after missing out last year.

But despite appearing to be on the road to recovery from his back problem McGee said he has been "forced to face reality".

A statement on the 31-year-old Sydneysider's website explained: "It is time to face facts and realise the band aid treatment of my sciatica problem is not going to support my professional cycling ambitions."

Al Jazeera English - Sport - Le Tour Want Riis Yellow Jersey

"World cycling chiefs have called on Bjarne Riis, Denmark's only winner of the Tour de France, to hand back the yellow jersey he won in 1996 after the cyclist ended years of speculation over his involvement in doping by admitting on Friday that he had used the banned blood booster EPO (erythropoietin) between 1993 and 1998 while racing with Telekom."