2006 was the first post-Armstrong's Discovery Channel team Tour, and everyone was talking about who would step up and fill the maillot jeune; Ullrich? Hincapie? Vinokourov? ..etc. The field was pretty open and this could have been a very exciting competition, until a flurry of last minute accusations put some of the top contenders out of the running. This opened the field up even more, but tainted the Tour from the start. It was still the usual spectacular, with some very memorable moments, like Fränk Schleck taking Damiano Cunego at the top of the Alpe d'Huez:
http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h1/danvandan/DamianoCunego81-LampreandFrankSchle.jpg
..the whole thing was then overshadowed by the allegations against Landis.

This years Tour seems to be clean, with the riders even signing an anti-doping charter. There is a great mix of riders, with some big hitting veterans and a load of enthusiastic young riders ready to get a bit carried away and mix it up in the breakaways. My 'rider to watch' is Vinokourov with the new Astana team, an aggressive rider who was a favorite last year until he was forced to pull out through no fault of his own, I am sure that he was bitterly disappointed and will be out to make up for it this year. There are a couple of teams that seem to be really getting it together at the front, including Astana, Quick Step and Predictor, all looking well organized. It is almost impossible to predict and I am expecting the unexpected!

This year has started well with a really successful launch in London and a couple of exciting racing days so far, with a great time trial prologue, an almost superhuman sprint/dash from Robbie McEwan and even a big crash!

Has the Tour reached an important milestone in cycling's fight against doping?
Will 2007 make up for 2006?

It looks good so far....:)

^^ +1

Last year was one of the most exciting TDF's in the last 10 years. It wasn't just Floyd's comeback either (although that was the best "comeback" stage I'd seen since Lemond's) but the fact that the yellow jersey changed hands a record number of times. There was almost no end to the excitement last year. So there's nothing that needs to be made up from that standpoint. It's the crap that happened outside the race that ruined everything.

Last years was great to watch. I was even out in France for 5 days following the Tour and camping out in such amazing places as the Alpe d'Huez and Col du Galibier. I agree that Floyd's "comeback" stage was an historic piece of cycling and I am one of those that can not believe he would have purposefully cheated.

I am just hoping that this years Tour will be as exciting as last years without all the negative controversy that surrounded it.

Last years was the worst Tour.

Last years was the worst Tour.

you weren't into bicycles yet as of last year.

you weren't into bicycles yet as of last year.

Yeah, but he was already a fan of Der Jan.

nothing to make up for.

1. 2006 was exciting as hell.

2. last i checked, there has yet to be a verdict on FL's alleged guilt.

3. what makes you so sure that Vino, or any of the other riders are clean?

Botto pretty much said it all right there.

2006 should have been Ullrich vs. Basso. We'll never get that, so you'll never see the race that 2006 "should have been". I was disappointed, but 2006 turned out to be a great race regardless. The fact is that as long as Lance isn't a sure win, the race becomes more exciting. 2007 has been super exciting so far and the mountain stages promise to be even better.

What more do you want? If the riders have to be 100% clean for you to enjoy the TDF, then you're never going to enjoy the TDF. Enjoy the race for what it is. You'll have a lot more fun.

you weren't into bicycles yet as of last year.

No, I watched the 2005 tour too and the final of the 2004 tour. 2006 was so bad.

This years Tour seems to be clean, with the riders even signing an anti-doping charter.
The signing of the anti-doping charter is a marketing ploy and you've fallen for it, hook line and sinker.

Remember, "Le Tour" is an industry, and everyone involved is motivated to make it look good and "clean" because their livelihood is based on it. Whether it's actually clean is much, much less important to all of them.

When Vino or Kloden or Hincapie or Levi or any one of them puts his "salary" on the line it's a joke: their income is endorsements, not their salaries. So this whole charter is a smoke screen to make it appear that there is something new and different going on. It's not, of course. Did you see how fast Cancellera went in the prologue? You're telling me that was clean? The riders and their doctors mostly remain way ahead of the testing in terms of being able to stay below the "acceptable" and detectable levels of what they know is tested. It's all rigged. There are no surprise tests. Only fixed screenings, and everyone knows what they can and can't do to "pass" the screenings. For example, there is no way they can detect any level of blood doping when one uses his own blood with which to dope.

1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004 were exciting tours but 2006 was trash.

2006 should have been Ullrich vs. Basso.

Last year's Tour would've been much more boring IMO, had those two been allowed to start the race. I'll take a free-for-all, multiple teams vying for the podium, vs a two-team domination of the Tour.

Along those same lines (potential flame starter here, considering some of the neophyte race followers who populate this forum): Some of the more boring TDF were in the Lance era when his team's precise calculations dictated the outcome of the 3 weeks. I can remember multiple years where it really came down to one or two stretches of a few kilometers that sealed the fate of the race. Boring.

Back to the original topic: No sir; 2006 was hella exciting and 2007 as nothing to make up for...as mentioned, the Yellow Jersey changing hands and really coming down to Stage 17 & the Final TT before you knew who was going to be #1.

please stop sipping the koolaid. he's a troll, not a teenager.

Incorrect.

no way to make up 2006 not without the jan/basso showdown.

Remember, "Le Tour" is an industry, and everyone involved is motivated to make it look good and "clean" because their livelihood is based on it. Whether it's actually clean is much, much less important to all of them.
+1

I think most of them are doping, but I still watch b/c it's a great sporting event. The biggest downside to illegal doping is it's sort of random who gets busted in any year, and those unlucky enough to get busted either sit out for a year or two or retire. And we, the viewers, miss out on great matchups like Ullrich vs. Basso.

3. what makes you so sure that Vino, or any of the other riders are clean?
botto, they signed a sacred charter saying they wouldn't dope!

How could anyone violate such an agreement???

;)

^^ We are now safe from teams Gerolsteiner and T-Mobile! ^^

Judging from the size of the crowds so far, no one seems to care about the doping stuff.

It would have been a smackdown.

what showdown?
Duh. The one where they had a best of three nine-ball tournament in Dr. Fuentes' basement rec room.

Botto knows.

didn't realize that there was a pool table in the shooting gallery.
~Zing~