Huge shakeup with the TDF!

Ivan Basso, and Jan Ullrich were suspended from the TDF last night by their teams. This is going to open door to the race at this point. Seems to me that the Americans may actually have a another chance for the yellow jersey this year!

Possible American contenders for the podium

Floyd Landis
George Hincapie
Bobby Julich- If he can stay healthy!

International contenders
Victor Hugo Pena
Erik Zabel
Cadel Evans

Who do you see in the yellow jersey?

glibbidy said:

Ivan Basso, and Jan Ullrich were suspended from the TDF last night by their teams. This is going to open door to the race at this point. Seems to me that the Americans may actually have a another chance for the yellow jersey this year!

Possible American contenders for the podium

Floyd Landis
George Hincapie
Bobby Julich- If he can stay healthy!

International contenders
Victor Hugo Pena
Erik Zabel
Cadel Evans

Who do you see in the yellow jersey?

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Lance...btw what happened to the marathon he was gonna run?
why did t-mobile boot Jan?
i like Hincapie only because of what he did the last tdf...

Bjorn Borg said:

Lance...btw what happened to the marathon he was gonna run?
why did t-mobile boot Jan?
i like Hincapie only because of what he did the last tdf...

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Lance who? He prolly bagged out cuz he's still bickering with Lemond over his alleged doping.

Operación Puerto is going to continue to shake things up. I'm guessing you will see more teams suspending their riders for the tour to save face. This one will likely end up being bigger then the 98 Festina Scandal.

It would be nice to see Hincapie take it, after working so hard for so many years as a domestique. He deserves it.

Here's the list of racers implicated in Operación Puerto

ill admit i never heard of the tour untill Lance came on the seen, but after watching the last 4 or 5 tours riders like Ullrich, Basso et al. made watching Lance beat those guys even more exciting. Now that pretty much every rider i recognize is gone its gonna be tough to get into it.
That being said its still fun to watch, especially with the crazy announcers, how many times can that English guy say, "around about"

Point very well made - this could be the Tour where the domestiques' get to come up and shine - and every one of them deserve the recognition - it's brutal pounding away all day in the peloton knowing full well that you can NOT win - remember, these guys are doing 30+ km/hr going up an 8% grade, someitmes 50 km/hr on the level for 3-4 hrs at a time......

I'd love to see Hincapie do well, just because he works so hard and is a team player, but I'll bet Pena will be a contender also. At this very moment there are some global strategy changes happening on all teams.

It will be interesting to see if this TDF becomes a revelation or just an exercise, allowing the scandal to overshadow it.

Just my $.02.

Skol!

didn't floyd landis just announce his left side is dead from something and he is riding in pain?
but i think he is still top 10, maybe still hope for him.
why did he announce this on an off day? was he trying to trump lance?!
do we now have to root for the guy with the worst medical condition?
and where is tyler hamiton this year, after riding last year broken bones etc?

the americans are sucking this year and have no chance. i think a nobody from wherever will win and the tdf will not be so popular for the next few years, until a new superstar comes around. kinda sad since the tdf is the greatest, hardest athletic event in the world.

barrett

That would be CRAZY if Landis won le Tour this year-the first year sans Lance.
I thought this tour was gonna be just ok, but it turned out to be really good. I still cant believe Jan Ulrich isnt there, man that sucks! Those Germans are tour freaks!
I only saw the 'Devil' guy once this tour, whats up with that? I know he's German, im wondering if that has anything to do with his absence?

Well Landis has won the tour and been accused of doping. Another black eye to competitive cycling. His B results should be available Satuday. While I'd like to be optimistic, I honestly think he'll be giving up his win.

http://www.velonews.com/news/fea/10632.0.html

It doesn't make much sense to me. He passes all previous tests then decides to hit the 'roids days before the end of the tour and after the toughest stages? Steroids aren't going to give you a performance boost during a race....taken for a length of time prior to racing...sure.

The best explanation is he got a jump in his testosterone level due to his previously diagnosed hypothyroidism and his body produced less epitestosterone during the same time frame due to other factors...resulting in the high ratio.

The other issue is the New York Times released a story stating synthetic testosterone was found...

Floyd's appeal was denied. A two year suspension, He might as well retire.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2007/sep07/sep21news

I wonder if the truth about that other US Postal rider that won the tour several times will ever really be publicized.

Glibbidy said:

Floyd's appeal was denied. A two year suspension, He might as well retire.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2007/sep07/sep21news

I wonder if the truth about that other US Postal rider that won the tour several times will ever really be publicized.

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It is getting so ridiculous in pro riding, they need to do something. One positive test you should get a life time suspension. I really hope that the other rider your referring to never did such a thing. But I guess I would not put it past anyone.