sport - 4.7.2003 - 3.12.2003

Brand: Heras wants to Liberty

Wow. That would be a bombshell for the next Tour. Not only strong, motivated rivals who finally want to beat Armstrong, but also his strongest helper as a new competitor? Armstrong should already be thinking about how he'll get through a Tour like that. After all, Heras was not insignificant in some of his successes. And in the mountains, he's one of those who – if he's in good form – can definitely keep up. Even if he looked a bit thin against Armstrong and Ullrich in the mountains at the last Tour.

So let's summarize who could have ambitions for the throne: Hamilton certainly after his gigantic fourth place last year. Vinokurov definitely, his dominant third place and his fighting spirit last year were a clear sign. Beloki will certainly maybe still be a bit wobbly after his crash, but motivated for sure – after all, he kept up fantastically until his crash last year. And of course Jan Ullrich, who probably finally wants to break Armstrong's streak.

And then all the up-and-comers and the second tier – if one of them rides a good Tour, he can mix it up well. I'm thinking of the Euskatel captains for example, or Heras. I'm starting to get really excited about the next Tour, it could be really exciting.

At RADSPORT-NEWS.COM - News Overview you can find the original article.

Pharma Company Becomes Main Sponsor of BDR

Doping Drugs Becoming Cheaper?

Teufelsgrinsen

At RADSPORT-NEWS.COM - Nachrichten-Gesamtübersicht you can find the original article.

Interview with Danilo Hondo: "I Think About the Green Jersey"

Well - the green jersey could be almost more exciting next year than the yellow one. After all, with Hondo, Petachi, McEwen there are three young top riders, with O'Grady and Zabel two old hands, that will certainly provide plenty of excitement. Let's see how next year's Tour with its significantly changed profile will affect the sprinters. After all, the high mountains come late, which means the entire front part is sprinter work. And after the work then into the high mountains, right away with a mountain time trial. And the points winner is ultimately the one who also finishes in Paris ...

At RADSPORT-NEWS.COM - Nachrichten-Gesamtübersicht you can find the original article.

Uproar over TV doping confession in Italy

Wow.

At RADSPORT-NEWS.COM - Nachrichten-Gesamtübersicht you can find the original article.

Phonak wants to know: With nine newcomers to the Tour

Not bad: Tyler Hamilton with Oscar Sevilla in his corner as support, that could provide some excitement at the next Tour. After all, Tyler Hamilton has defended a good fourth place and certainly has ambitions for more.

At RADSPORT-NEWS.COM - Nachrichten-Gesamtübersicht you can find the original article.

Simoni challenges Armstrong to Giro-Tour duel

Will Armstrong accept the challenge? I don't think so. The next Tour would put him at the top of all Tour riders if he wins it, and I don't think he'll want to unnecessarily risk this opportunity.

At VeloNews: The Journal of Competitive Cycling there is the original article.

Gerolsteiner: Bölts becomes Sports Director

Good. Perhaps Bölts will then ride along in the Tour again - albeit then in the car of the sporting director.

At RADSPORT-NEWS.COM - News Overview you can find the original article.

Phonak: Seville becomes Hamilton's right hand

That promises a lot for the next tour. After all, Hamilton was fourth in the tour despite injuries, and Sevilla is no slouch either.

At RADSPORT-NEWS.COM - Nachrichten-Gesamtübersicht you can find the original article.

Zabel irritated after Ullrich's return: No break clown

I can understand that the idiotic reporter questions annoy him. After all, he has been searching for top positions in the world rankings for a long time, mostly in first or second place. A racing team can consider itself fortunate to have such a good racing driver. And Zabel is anything but a man for just a few races - he always does a full program throughout the year. How a reporter comes up with the assumption that there is no room for Zabel in the Telekom squad is really a mystery to me. But that's how it is, when reporters don't know anything useful to report, they just invent some nonsense to get themselves in the spotlight.

At RADSPORT-NEWS.COM - Nachrichten-Gesamtübersicht you can find the original article.

Cycling World Championships: Bronze in time trial for Peschel

Not bad for someone who had their lung punctured during the tour

At tagesschau im Internet you can find the original article.

World Rankings: Zabel ahead of Bettini again

That's how it should be

At RADSPORT-NEWS.COM - News Overview you can find the original article.

Ullrich allegedly agreed with Telekom after all

In with the potatoes, out with the potatoes, back in again ...

At tagesschau im Internet you can find den Originalartikel.

Heras inches closer to Nozal with uphill ITT looming

Wow, this is getting really exciting. But somehow I'd wish Nozal would win more than Heras.

At VeloNews: The Journal of Competitive Cycling you can find the original article.

Heras slips into the golden jersey at Spain tour

And Menno, poor Nozal! That's really bitter.

At tagesschau im Internet there's the original article.

From helper to Vuelta winner in six weeks

Nice. That's what makes cycling exciting when lesser-known riders perform so outstandingly. Not always just the usual suspects up front ...

At RADSPORT-NEWS.COM - Nachrichten-Gesamtübersicht you can find the original article.

RTL raises the stakes in poker over tour rights

Lucky. If I imagine having to watch the Tour on RTL, I feel sick. What on earth does RTL think they can do better? Their commentators are even worse than the already appallingly bad public broadcasters' commentators. Best to watch the Tour with the sound off anyway, but with RTL the constant commercial breaks would be even more annoying ...

At RADSPORT-NEWS.COM - News Overview you can find the original article.

Interview with Udo Bölts

I think it's great the way he's starting it, not letting his career fade out like a Cipollini, but stopping the way he's always been known: as a workhorse among cyclists. And perhaps he'll get one more chance to finish things off at the Rhineland-Palatinate Tour. He'd deserve it.

At RADSPORT-NEWS.COM - Nachrichten-Gesamtübersicht you can find the original article.

Vuelta: Virenque disqualified

So, he just let himself get dragged along. And everyone had been raving about his comeback, and then something like this ...

At RADSPORT-NEWS.COM - Nachrichten-Gesamtübersicht you can find the original article.

Zülle gives up Vuelta: "Never again a grand tour"

Ouch, that's quite a motivation slump. And this at a time when Phonak is buying up louder-sounding names to compete in the Tour next year.

At RADSPORT-NEWS.COM - News Overview you can find the original article.

Doping supply to Belgian professional cyclists confessed

It's interesting when athletes get doped by veterinarians - quite a mess, really.

Teufelsgrinsen

At tagesschau im Internet you can find the original article.

Trouble at Bianchi

More talk about money than about cycling again.

At RADSPORT-NEWS.COM - Nachrichten-Gesamtübersicht you can find the original article.

Ullrich: Poisoned Infusion Responsible for Tour Fever

Yikes. That's not good, stuff like that. But it's pretty crazy what performance athletes will do to themselves. Us ordinary folk find infusions disgusting and unpleasant, and they're having protein run straight into their veins.

At RADSPORT-NEWS.COM - Nachrichten-Gesamtübersicht you can find the original article.

Vuelta: Zabel leads Telekom

That's what I like about Zabel: there's no fatigue, no talk of giving up before things have really started, and no complaining – just hard and good work, great performances, and – almost always – a grin in interviews.

At RADSPORT-NEWS.COM - News Overview you can find the original article.

Ullrich: I Would Have Ended My Career With Tour Victory

Oh boy, is Ullrich already thinking about quitting? And what's this about him saying he wouldn't give up so much to save a team - wasn't Coast in trouble, and wasn't he too? Has he already forgotten about that? Well, I'm not sure that's the right attitude...

At RADSPORT-NEWS.COM - Nachrichten-Gesamtübersicht you can find the original article.

Gerolsteiner has interest in Beloki

Wow - CSC with Jaksche and Voigt as new signings, that would be something. And Beloki at Gerolsteiner - that would be quite a bombshell. Beloki would certainly be a highly motivated rider for the overall classification next year at the Tour - and an Armstrong being attacked by Gerolsteiner, Telekom and Bianchi will definitely work up a sweat.

At RADSPORT-NEWS.COM - Nachrichten-Gesamtübersicht you can find the original article.

Erik Zabel can still win

So well then, it works

At tagesschau im Internet you can find the original article.

Aldag wins "Giro" in Bochum

Pretty cool how Aldag got away from both Zabel and Ullrich

At RADSPORT-NEWS.COM - News Overview I found the original article.

Jaksche before move to Gerolsteiner

Wow, if they manage to sign Jens Voigt now, they won't just have good people, but also seasoned veterans in the team. And if Udo Bölts gets involved as sports director, then Gerolsteiner could arrive in Paris next year with more than 3 people.

At RADSPORT-NEWS.COM - Nachrichten-Gesamtübersicht I found the original article.

ONCE ends cycling engagement after 15 years

Too bad. Hopefully a new sponsor for the team will be found soon. :-(

At RADSPORT-NEWS.COM - Nachrichten-Gesamtübersicht I found the original article.

ONCE racing team threatened with closure at end of season

That would really be a shame. Once is simply an old team that has repeatedly delighted with good riders and good performances.

At RADSPORT-NEWS.COM - Nachrichten-Gesamtübersicht I found the original article.

Peschel discharged from hospital

It seems like it turned out okay after all - at least they probably wouldn't send him home if his second lung were still out of order.

At RADSPORT-NEWS.COM - Nachrichten-Gesamtübersicht I found the original article.

Well, that was it, the 2003 tour ...

... thrilling right to the end. A devilishly close yellow jersey. And a victory for Armstrong that he really had to work for. The 2004 Tour can be like that as well.

I'm wondering, though, what they want to name after Alexandre Vinokourov in Kazakhstan now, since he did finish in third place.

Dangerously close this time trial ...

... in this weather. As Jan Ullrich had to find out - a crash, and the stage win (he probably couldn't have taken the tour win today anyway) was gone. But that's cycling for you: it's not just speed that matters, but also skill. And unfortunately Jan Ullrich didn't look as good as Lance Armstrong there, and that cost him seconds. But still, he put in a super time - because despite the crash, Lance Armstrong only managed to gain just 11 seconds, and that's saying something. This year Armstrong really wasn't given anything for free, not even the final time trial.

Of course it's a shame anyway, but I think Jan Ullrich can be more than satisfied with his performance. We haven't seen him perform this well in a long time. And in next year's Tour he might finally break Armstrong's winning streak.

Oh, and of course an incredible performance by David Millar, he really deserved that stage win, because Lance Armstrong couldn't catch him either!

And then there was Tyler Freaking Hamilton, who just managed to take second place in this stage and thereby lap the two Euskatel riders in the overall standings. Incredible performance!

Uwe Peschel crashed and seriously injured

A couple of ribs broken and one seems to have pierced into a lung. Let's hope the doctors can get it under control, because the loss or severe impairment of a lung would end his athletic career. :-(

The weather today combined with the track is really very dangerous. Let's hope no more serious crashes happen.

Today the tour only in the ticker ...

... but it wasn't boring. A tremendous solo effort by Tyler Hamilton (yes, the one with the damaged shoulder) over two category-one mountains. Completely alone since the second one (Col Bargarguy). And then still riding the long flat descent into Bayonne solo. Wow. And he still takes almost two minutes from the rest of the field at the end. How much strength does he have left?

surprised face

Oh, and Zabel wins the sprint of the main field. 17 points on the way to the green jersey. Slowly but surely the squirrel gets fed.

Stage 16: Tyler Freaking Hamilton takes Stage 16!

Tyler freaking Hamilton. Yeah, that fits. For Tour de France 2003 there's the original article.

Hondo about to switch to Gerolsteiner

Well, if they're setting themselves up like that for sprints, then I expect Gerolsteiner to take over the green jersey next year!

Here's the original article.

The tour was already tough today...

... as Vinokourov had to painfully notice, he lost over 2 minutes. That's tough. But Armstrong also had to work hard. That he ultimately won at the finish line and put 40 seconds into Jan Ullrich is certainly also because he was probably riding mainly on adrenaline. After all, this was Armstrong's first crash in the Tour and not exactly a minor one, so the body's own doping certainly works very well. Incredible what these riders can pull off, even when they crash like Majo and Armstrong.

I think it's good that Ullrich waited for Armstrong. Okay, some will certainly argue that Ullrich waited too long, but ultimately he just gave Armstrong back what he had received from him back then. Simply a very nice gesture that shows these two riders really want to know who is stronger, not just who gets more luck.

And one thing is certain: the tension remains high until the last stage, because the overall victory will probably be decided on Saturday in the time trial. And that's also nice after Tours where the outcome was sometimes almost decided in the first week.

Cycling News.com

Ugh. Mud-slinging. They should face each other on the Tour rather than in the courtroom.

Here's the original article.

Image of Joseba Beloki after the bad crash and the surgery

Wow, bandaged and wrapped up, but at least laughing. That's something. By the way, a really nice Tour 2003 blog where I found the image.

More tour blogs (or related):

Here's the original article.

Vinokourov's day was today ...

... in any case, his attack towards the end was top-class. Well-placed and well-executed. With that, he made an impressive showing and reiterated his claim to a podium place in Paris. And Armstrong now has to fight on two fronts. That will take energy, even if he has something planned for tomorrow - he will have to work hard for it. The main rivals now just 15 and 18 seconds behind the yellow jersey - the Tour hasn't been this exciting in many years.

This tour is way too exciting for me...

... at least if it continues the way it did today, with Jan Ullrich and Alexandre Vinokourov constantly attacking and keeping pace with Armstrong. The Euskatel riders Majo and especially Zubeldia attacking, and Armstrong who is really being driven into the ground. That costs strength. If this continues, it will be a very tough Tour for Armstrong. And then this final attack by Jan Ullrich on Armstrong! Wow!

Time trialing can be exciting after all ...

... as today's stage of the Tour shows. Jan Ullrich with a mercilessly good time, basically a demolition of the opposition. Tyler Hamilton with a fantastic time with a broken collarbone - if he hadn't crashed at the start of the Tour, I believe he would have given the favorites a serious scare this year. Vinokourov with arguably his best time trial of his career. And Lance Armstrong way behind Jan Ullrich - who took 1 minute and 35 seconds from him! And now the Pyrenees are coming! And another time trial! That makes the whole Tour as exciting as it hasn't been in years! Ullrich just 34 seconds behind Armstrong in the general classification, and Vinokourov still only 51 seconds behind Armstrong!

Wow. I'm running out of exclamation marks.

Above and Below Lie So Close Together...

... as Alexandre Vinokourov and Joseba Beloki had to experience today. Alexandre Vinokourov wins his first stage victory and closes the gap to Lance Armstrong to just 20 seconds, Joseba Beloki crashes badly and ends the Tour in an ambulance. On one hand, you're pleased about this year's very interesting Tour with many attacks, on the other hand, bad crashes are simply the price riders sometimes have to pay. In this case, it was probably just softened asphalt that tore at Joseba Beloki's rear wheel. Hopefully it looked worse than it actually is, so that he has to end this Tour but not his career :-(

Still, big praise for Alexandre Vinokourov for a great ride to the finish - the attack came at exactly the right time, his strength was already clearly visible, he saved everything well for the final attack. Wow.

Tour de France: Beloki must give up after crash

Phew, at least it all sounds like repairable fractures and no serious permanent damage — given the speed at which the fall likely happened, it could easily have been much worse. Let's hope Beloki can show Armstrong his teeth again in next year's Tour.

Here's the original article.

Today's top rider of the Tour for me: Tyler Hamilton

That's clear to me. To stay with Armstrong on such a grueling stage with a broken collarbone and keep up so well, even attacking at times, is already a superb performance. Though also a bit crazy. But you probably have to be that way if you want to ride the Tour...

Aldag is simply impressive

So today's stage was simply fantastic. Aldag was in the breakaway group from the start, got caught up at one point, then attacked hard and scored a fantastic second place on the stage. Great stuff.

And Virenque also impressed with his stage win and taking the yellow jersey - even if it's probably only for one day. Good on him.

That's the kind of Tour I love, with surprises and strong performances. Excellent.

Mass crash at 55 km/h

So (and with third place for Zabel in the sprint) today's stage of the Tour ended. Ouch. Jimmy Casper didn't look good at all, I hope it's not too serious. It almost looked like a game of dominoes, the way the riders all tumbled. That hurts just watching it.

You know that a tour stage is just not that exciting right now...

... when commentators report for 10 minutes about the technique of peeing in cycling races (of course including an anecdote).

Sport in the Odd Summer

Another Tour casualty (with a few nice links)

You can find the original article at Ligne Claire.