From The Beach To The Moon

Vive Le Tour!

The 96th edition of the greatest of all bike races kicks off in Monte Carlo tomorrow. Free up space on your DVR and settle in for the next three weeks.

This year's TDF offers a time trial in Monaco, a relapse of the notorious team time trial, a slew of classic climbs and of course the penultimate stage finish on Mt.Ventoux. That one will be epic.

The smart money is on 2007 champ Alberto Contador who is a teammate of The Boss, Lance Armstrong. I doubt the seven time winner will be able to contend in this field but I wouldn't be surprised to see him steal a stage or time trial win. My guess is that he will be relegated to super domestique for most of the tour.

My top three in no particular order:

1. Alberto Contador - has to be the favorite even though he missed last year

2. Cadel Evans - cuddles has been quiet so far but look for him to be in the hunt.

3. Andy Schleck - I think the younger of the brothers Schelck has GC potential this year.

I would put the over under on positive doping tests at three.

Lance Gets Taste of Domestique Life

I searched my memory for an instance of LA crashing hard enough to break a collar bone and could not recall one. The most remarkable spill that came to mind was the infamous crash in the 2003 Tour on the climb up the Col du Tourmalet. You know the one that was caused by that errant musette bag held by a fan. Sure enough he told Velonews that indeed this has never happened to him before.

Lance's comeback to race in Le Tour is not the real story here. What is revelatory is how "The Boss" has been relegated to domestique. No longer sandwiched by fellow team mates Armstrong has been left to fend for himself in tight situations on the race course. Gone is the prioritization of keeping this guy upright, in the front group and well hydrated. Life out of the bubble can be harsh.

It's not all bad though. The broken collar bone is a badge of courage amongst lesser professionals. In the end I think LA will be better person for experiencing more of what he hasn't known since his formative years with Motorola. A taste of the domestique's life, grueling and selfless. He may even lug a few water bottles from the team car before the comeback is over.

Update: Johan Bruyneel tells Velonews that Lance may still be up for the Giro in May. Let's hope so.

Powered by ScribeFire.

Lance Takes Note of Favre

It's official the boss is back. Lance Armstrong, Inc. has decided to return to professional road racing and will compete in Le Tour in 2009. The news was confirmed by LA in an interview with Vanity Fair magazine of all places. Seems fitting for the guy who always generates a lot of attention.

Rumors were abound in the cycling world that Lance Armstrong would coming out of retirement to ride with Team Astana in 2009. It looks the Favre effect is spreading to other sports, even Euro-wuss dominated road circuit. The momentum for this story has been building and started showing up in cycling mags like Velonews and amongst riders at the Vuelta (currently in its second week).

Lance Armstrong will come out of retirement next year to compete in five road races with the Astana team, according to sources familiar with the developing situation.

Armstrong, who turns 37 this month, will compete in the Amgen Tour of California, Paris-Nice, the Tour de Georgia, the Dauphiné Libéré and the Tour de France — and will race for neither salary nor bonuses, the sources, who asked to remain anonymous, told VeloNews.

Seems like a decent schedule to come back to although I don't think Paris Nice is all that exciting of a choice. As reported by Velonews yesterday he will be riding for his old team manager Johan Bruyneel. That doesn't necessarily mean the reincarnation of Lance will ride for Team Astana. He was part owner of Tailwind Sports the company that ran the Team Discovery outfit until 2007. So I think there's a good chance they will court a corporate sponsor and formulate a new team around Johan and Lance.

It would make for an interesting season. I'd never thought I'd see Contador, Cadel and Lance face off in the Alps. Of course I'll belive it when it actually happens. He may be serious about contending for his eighth Tour victory or he may crap his shorts at the top of the Col de Galibier. Either way it will be entertaining.

Powered by ScribeFire.

Le Tour Needs Another Le Champ

The 95th Tour de France rolls to a start Saturday without some big names including last years winner Alberto Contador. Young Alberto and his team (including American Levi Leipheimer) were not invited to Le Tour this year. Something about doping scandals and last year's Astana squad being infiltrated by cheaters I guess. Never mind that because the Tour has always been bigger than the controversies and the individual racers that come and go.

Contrary to George Vecsey's article in the New York Times (carried by the ABJ) there are still plenty of cycling's well known in this year's TDF. Try Cadel Evans (2nd in 2007), Damiano Cunego (2004 Giro winner) and Alejandro Valverde to name few. Leaving Team Astana out does leave a gap in the field but not one that can't be filled by riders like these and others not mentioned. Also the UCI had no problem with this year's Astana squad. Contrary to what Vecsey reports it was the Tour organizing body ASO and TDF president Christian Prudhomme that elected to banish Astana from the Tour. Anyhow the show must go on and go on it will.

What Le Tour needs is a champion not another single year winner. We are in the midst of an interim period where there are no repeat champions to rescue the race. Take the time period between 1995, the year Indurain won his fifth and final Tour and 1999 when Lance claimed his first title. Those intervening years were not dominated by any one rider or team. The races in the late 1990's had an assortment of characters (Pantani) and scandal (The Festina affair) that highlighted the need for a champion.

So here we are again in a time period of no clear cut dominant team or repeat winner and the Tour has been beset with problems. These problems are to sure shake out as the the sport clears its baffles of drugs and cheating. The tour has survived a lot of problems including two world wars. Could the winnner of the 2008 TDF be the next repeat winner and bring austerity back the Maillot Jaune? That would be great start.

Powered by ScribeFire.

Praying For Rain In Northern France

What's better than bikes racing on ancient sections of cobblestone roads in the Ardenne? Bikes racing on wet and muddy sections of cobblestone roads. Paris Roubaix also known as the "Hell of the North" is this Sunday and the riders are expected to be met with rains and wind. This a good thing if you are watching the race and not riding in it. The past few years the peleton has been spared from the brutal wet and cold conditions that normally claim tires, forks, handlebars and the occasional face. I think this could be big George Hincapie's year if he can stay upright, this may be his last chance to claim a victory here.

The Cost of Floyd

The former winner fo the 2006 Tour De France has one more fight left in him and he's not letting money get in the way. Floyd Landis makes one last ditch effort to save his bad reputation starting today. Not taking the decision by USADA to uphold his positive doping test seriously Landis now goes to the Court of Arbitration of Sport. This time around promises to be another rehash of the previous findings. Floyd's people will again plead why the test administered to Floyd after an unprecedented comeback in stage 16 of the 2006 TDF must have been wrong. Floyd will rant like a paranoid delusional about the French lab that bothcedhis test and the dark secrets of Greg Lemond's childhood.

None of the time and money spent presenting an alternative to what actually happened will change the outcome. UCI cycling is already hurting from more doping scandals like Puerta and last year's tour. This latest round in the Floyd chronicles is just one more reminder of the hubis tearing down a great sport.