Guest

Now that's poetry in motion!

I love to see the big guys that race.

Koffee

Smoothie104

Thanks!

doctorSpoc

i don't know... in that picture he looks kinda ripped but every other pic i've seen of him he looks kinda "thick"... not fat or anything just big... good for timetrialing but not that great for climbing.



Armstrong will not try to win this race... he didn't even try last year (4th place), this is just a test to build his confidence in his form. he'll try in the time trial on wednesday and not try to win, but stay with the contenders group, not necessarily the break. In 2003 i remember reading he said he gave too much effort to win and didn't recover for the tour enough. two years older his recovery can only get harder, so he won't try to win this.

he will test himself on wednesday, thursday and saturday... other than that I don't think he'll give a rat's a** about winning on GC.. especially wednesday and saturday

I won't to see what Contador can do this guy looks like another of the riders for the future but he's showing some real good stuff... great time trialist, climber and not afaid to go it alone.

AeroDog

She used to be a local news babe here until she got the DUI. I met her once and I must say that, in person, she's hot.

Bobke is definitely the man.

alanbikehouston

Based on the booking photo, I'd say she looks innocent. But not TOO innocent. Perhaps that is the "look" the network was looking for when they set out to hire a female "expert" on professional cycling.

look171

Oh boy, I like people like you. My sales man is full of $hit and very very personable. He can sell you any day. Day after day. he doesn't know what he's talking about. When he talks, most people listen.

Top cyclists champions make bad coaches. Domestiques makes great coaches. Look at the successful ones. they were all great Domestiques. Well, except for Jan Raas or G. Sorrioni(spelling).

26mi235

I am trying to remember. One of the women commentators (might have been print) was a pretty good bike rider but was commentating because she was injured for the year. It seems that she married Levi Liepheimer, but I could have this wrong (the TV News and the bike racing certainly do not mix and I must of them confused, but both of them are good looking by my standards).

Devil

Bjarne Riis is a terrible, terrible DS. Good point.

Helmet Head

The profile in tomorrow's 46.5 km (28.9 mi) ITT is very interesting. The difference between the elevation at the start and the peak of the bump in the middle is 321 meters, or 1053 feet. Nothing to sneeze at, but the climb might be short enough for George to be able to do very well again. Will he win again? Or will this be the day for Levi? Then again, Lance is worried about his time trialing this year, so he will be giving it everything. And then there's Floyd... I can't wait to see how they all do.

lemurhouse

The Bobke is the real deal. He's not only been there and done that on the racing circuit(s), but he's genuine about who he is. How many people -- espescially TV people -- can you say that about.

I personally think he is hilarious, but maybe that's an acquired taste. But he also know's what he's talking about. His columns 10 or 15 years ago were truly great great stuff.

I speak three languages fluently. His mangling of french words as well as the english language for that matter, doesn't bother me a bit.

It is so refreshing to see someone genuine and who knows what he's talking about, rather than all the pretty polished face boys/girls that are the usual fare.

Just my opinon.

240GL

Thor touring with Lance yesterday.
"Look Lance, no hands!"

26mi235

Thor touring with Lance yesterday.
"Look Lance, no hands!"

That guy (Thor) is GOOD (as he showed the other day)!

Laggard

It's weird to see Thor without his Norwegian champions jerey.

TCR

I guess this means Lance is on form! (more or less)

Stage 3 - Wednesday, June 8: Roanne - Roanne ITT, 46.5 km
Results

Very provisional
1 Santiago Botero Echeverry (Col) Phonak Hearing Systems 1.00.06
2 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Gerolsteiner 0.01
3 Lance Armstrong (USA) Discovery Channel 0.26
4 Floyd Landis (USA) Phonak Hearing Systems 0.39
5 Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz) T-Mobile 1.00
6 Oscar Pereiro Sio (Spa) Phonak Hearing Systems 1.09
7 Marzio Bruseghin (Ita) Fassa Bortolo 1.14
8 Sebastian Lang (Ger) Gerolsteiner 1.19

General classification after stage 3

1 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Gerolsteiner
2 Santiago Botero (Col) Phonak Hearing Systems 0.12
3 Lance Armstrong (USA) Discovery Channel 0.30

Devil

What the hell is going on with Levi?! That man is on his best form of his entire career! If he can keep it to and through the Tour, I predict a top five spot, maybe even the podium. But that's a big if.

Helmet Head

Yes, Lance appears to be in decent form. But LEVI is smokin'! And check out Floyd!
Levi beat Lance by 25 seconds, who beat Floyd by only 13 seconds.
USA still nabbed 3 of the top 5 spots, 4 of the top 7, and took back yellow.
Even without Tyler, Americans will be dominant in the Tour this year.

Anyone know how much support Levi will be able to get in the mountains from Gerolsteiner? I guess we'll get a clue tomorrow.

Helmet Head

This should be no surprise. It has been a long time coming. Since he placed in the Vuelta and left Postal, he has had some bad luck with recovering from illness and then being forced to change his training in previous years to not only focus on the Tour. This year with Gerolsteiner he has been allowed to focus again, and it has clearly paid off.

It might be that he has peaked too early like Mayo did last year, but I suspect not. He's a lot more experienced than Mayo. Have you seen the confidence exuded in the Specialized ads about him? I don't think he would allow that unless he knew he could back it up.

GO LEVI!

I predict that if he's not in yellow when they roll into Paris this year, he will be on the podium.

Serge

Devil

That would really be something. Now I have someone else to cheer for besides Jan.

Laggard

Lost in all the rah rah USA talk is that Botero won this stage. Nice job by a guy who's in great great form.

Devil

Botero sucks, he's not from America.

240GL

I wonder what he had to do to win THIS jersey.
Umm... on second thoughts, I'm not sure I want to know.

Laggard

Good one, 240GL.

Not sure I want to know either.

gcasillo

Botero has an outside chance to podium at the Tour. Dude is definitely on form. If everyone keeps their form through the end of the month, the battle for the top 5 is going to be awesome.

Thor wears the Norwegian colors so well, it is real odd to see him in anything but that champion's jersey. Don't know what to make of that hot pink/yellow heart jersey. What the hell is that?

26mi235

Tomorrow will not tell you too much about Levi and his support in the mountains because the stage is flat until they start climbing that Giant of Provance. They have motors like Uwe Peschel to pull/chase on the flats, and when the going gets tough it will be closer to "every man for himself". Also, it is likely that Discovery and even Vino's team will want to keep a lid on things. The team might be pressed more by the latter stages with repeated climbs and tired out after several days.

Helmet Head

Yes, nice job, but he is a tt specialist and he has won the main tt in the Dauphine before (2002).

I predict Botero will lose time tomorrow on Ventoux, especially to Levi, who will win, and will take at least a minute out of Botero.

Tomorrow's profile: