Drugs Again

Frank Schleck has withdrawn from Le Tour amidst allegations of doping. A urine test has revealed the presence of Xipamide, a medicine that lowers blood pressure and increases urine production. Schleck has left the tour voluntarily, and is arguing that he has done nothing wrong and that any positive test result must be the result of 'poisoning.'

I am not sure what to think about this, professional cycling has a long history of drug problems and despite the modern Tour taking a much tougher stance against dopers riders are still willing to take the risk.  If Schleck has been interfered with in some way I would imagine it would be very difficult to prove without evidence from the 'poisoner'.

Bradley Wiggins remains the General Classification leader, defending champion Cadel Evans has had a bad few days in the mountains and is now over 8 minutes behind the race leader.

England Demolish Australia / TDF etc.

Hurrah!  We'll be claiming the whitewash, Australia can't count a rain abandonment as a draw.  It is great to see England finally improving as a one day side, just so long as it does not accompany a slump in form in the longer game.

Shane Warne said before the series that England were becoming "arrogant" and were going to be humbled by Australia.  Well Botox features, you couldn't have been more wrong, the visiting Australian side were weaker in every department than their English counterparts who completed their series whitewash in stylish and accomplished form.

On a serious cricket note, I am sure that everyone who loves the game sends their best wishes to Mark Boucher after the freak accident that has caused his early retirement. Boucher has been a stalwart member of the South African team in recent years, a fierce and determined competitor who had said in interviews prior to the England tour that he wanted to lead SA to a series victory and up to #1 in the test rankings.  Jacques Kallis said the day after the accident "It's not about cricket any more," he said. "It's about a mate and hoping he recovers fully. It puts cricket and life into perspective."

Mark Boucher

Over in France Bradley Wiggins didn't just win the individual time trial, but won in by such a margin that so long as he can stay out of any further crashes he has set himself up for being the winner of the yellow jersey. Team mate Chris Froome also excelled at the Stage 9 time trial, both of the Sky riders were comfortably ahead of defending Australian champion Cadel Evans. What's that ? England* beating Australia again, they must be getting sick of that.

*I know, Wiggins was born in Belgium and Froome in Kenya, but that's English enough when it comes to giving the Ozzies a spanking.

Le Tour

The Tour de France has been incredible so far with multiple crashes changing the race on an almost daily basis.  Mark Cavendish, as it he was in the Giro earlier this year, has been involved in crashes, including going down in the huge accident that happened on Stage 6.  Commentators are saying it is the worst crash in the history of the Tour, two thirds of the peloton were caught out as riders tumbled from their bikes.  Many riders were hurt, including Ryder Hesjedal who had to abandon the next day, and so many bikes were damaged that it took many minutes to sort out the wreckage.

After the mege-crash the Tour hopes of Frank Schleck, Thomas Voeckler, the entire Garmin-Sharp-Barracuda team and a host of others were effectively ended.  Bradley Wiggins and most of the Sky team escaped the carnage and were able to set themselves up for a mighty push in the first mountain stage.

As the peloton climbed the hills towards La Planche on Stage 7 the Sky riders were close to the front, and on the final Grade 1 climb Michael Rogers, Richie Porte, Christopher Froome and Bradley Wiggins executed a brutal team display to destroy most of the leading group.  The Sky train attacked and dragged the peloton up La Planche, rider after rider dropped out as the relentless pace on a hot day left them spent and wasted on the mountainside. At the top Froome took the stage, Wiggins the pre-Tour favourite the yellow jersey and Sky, despite a trailing Mark Cavendish, were the fastest team overall.

Bradley Wiggins takes the yellow jersey.

Obviously Sky will be trying to win yellow, and this does not bode too well for Cavendish's chances of gaining the points jersey.  Peter Sagan has already shown his class on hill finishes and flat sprints and with the loss of one lead-out rider Sky may not be able to support Cavendish as they try to keep Wiggins in the yellow.

Tour de France Rules

The Stakes

Whether leaders of a team or merely a team-mate, the riders on the Tour de France try to excel, either individually or as a team. According to the stage profiles, changes in the general standings or some unexpected circumstance during the race, each rider adapts his objectives to the situation. The winners of the various prizes eventually share the honours and the money at stake with their team-mates. Enough to make (almost!) everybody happy.

Stage victory

 Les 20 stages and 1 prologue Tour de France 20120are divided up as follows: 9 flat stages, 4 hilly stages with 1 summit finish, 5 mountain stages with 2 high-altitude finishes and 2 individual time-trial stages.
Prize money: € 8,000 to the winner of each stage (€ 475,000 in total).

The Yellow Jersey

 It is worn by the leader of the general individual time classification.
Prize money: € 450,000 for the outright winner (€ 1,000,000 in total).


The Green Jersey

 It is worn by the leader of the points classification. The points can be won on intermediate sprints and at stage finishes.
Prize money: € 25,000 for the outright winner (€ 125,000 in total).



The Red Polka Dot Jersey

 It is worn by the best climber. Points for best climber classification are awarded at the top of any classified slope.
Prize money: € 25,000 for the outright winner (€ 107,000 in total).


The White Jersey

 It is worn by the best young rider aged 25 years or less in the general individual time classification.
Prize money: € 20,000 for the outright winner (€ 65,000 in total).


Most aggressive rider

 This distinction is awarded at the end of each stage by a jury made up of eight cycling specialists. An outright winner is designated after the last stage of the Tour.
Prize money: € 20,000 for the outright winner (€ 56,000 in total).

The team classification

 This classification is determined by adding the times of the best three riders of each squad in each stage.
Prize money: € 50 000 € for the winning team (€ 178,000 in total).



Best climber classification: double points for the final climb

Since the 2004 edition of the Tour de France, the competition for the Red Polka Dot Jersey includes a detail that adds a certain amount of spice to the race: for the final climb on a stage's profile, the points are doubled for Category 1, Category 2 and Top Category climbs. So the riders who lead this classification are undoubtedly the most courageous ones and the prize goes to those who remain out in front in this classification for the longest period of time.

Helmets must be worn at all times

All riders must wear a helmet for the entire duration of each stage and on each stage.

Falls in the last three kilometres

As has been the case since 2005, riders involved in a fall in the last three kilometres of a stage are given the same finishing time as the group which they belonged to. This rule is not applicable in time-trial stages and stages that finish at the summit of a climb.

(taken from the official Le Tour site)

Day One - Contador, Petacchi et al Hate Spectators

It was an astonishing first stage in the Vendee for the wrong reasons as the 2011 Tour de France began its 19 days of toil yesterday.  The peloton set off along beautiful French coastal scenery, a three man breakaway set off and stayed out until only a few kilometres from the end, then, with the pack together and rolling at top speed, the unexpected occurred.

Philipe Gilbert wins the opening stage

As the peloton swept past, a spectator inexplicably turned to watch them and stepped into the cyclists, she was struck forcefully and the rider ricocheted into the pack bringing down dozens of other riders and blocking the road.  When the chaos cleared, a group containing Alberto Contador, Roman Kruziger, Alessandro Petacchi and a host of other big names were a minute off the lead.  Worse was to come as a second crash at the head of the group halted them for a second time.

Philipe Gilbert for Omega Pharma Lotto sprinted over the line on a grade 4 hill finish and managed to make a clean sweep of the senior jerseys. A group containing Contador and Sanchez rolled over 1' 20" behind, a far larger margin that the one with which Contador one the TdF last year, he is going to have a huge struggle trying to make up time on the other top riders.  Philipe Gilbert entered the race as favourite, and some great form mixed with a dollop of good fortune has seen him atop the first day's standings.  Can he wear the yellow jersey all the way to Paris ? It is just possible.

Tour De France

Image by Petit Brun via Flickr

I like football, I love cricket, and I love the TdF as well, I am really excited for this year's race.  My stage by stage poster is up on the wall at work, I have done a cash sweep for the staff in which I've got Ivan Basso's Liquigas-Cannondale team and my wife is looking good with Leopard-Trek and their awesome line up of the Schleck brothers and Fabian Cancellara.

Running from Saturday July 2rd to Sunday July 24th 2011, the 98th Tour de France will be made up of 21 stages and will cover a total distance of 3,430.5 kilometres.  It is the most demanding, the most grueling event in sport, up and down mountains and through the beautiful countryside of France.  I'm all set for 21 days of pelotons and breakaways.

Pictured - Ivan Basso

2011, Tour de France teaser

Tour de France - Extra (Rémi GAILLARD)

I love Remi Gaillard's stunts, the real Tour de France starts this coming weekend, and some stages will look exactly like the French loon's mock-up.