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Jul. 7th, 2007 02:12 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysobelle10am EST. Enrico Degano of Barloworld, an Italian on a South African team, rolls down the time trial ramp in Londonand thus begins the 2007 Tour de France.
Theres no Tour champion riding this year. Floyd Landis, still fighting for his name, will hopefully be back next year. Jan Ullrich, after the train wreck and insinuations of Operacion Puerto, didnt ride in 06 and has since retired. Ivan Basso, under his own cloud of suspicion, has been pulled. In a vaguely familiar way, of course, this is exciting: last year, with Lance Armstrong retired, the field was wide open for a new champion. And now, here we are again. There are a lot of big names to look to this year, and many of them are American: David Zabriskie, 05s Prologue winner and current US National Champion, who later crashed out so spectacularly in the team time trial. George Hincapie, Lances former lieutenant and the King of the one-day Classic races. Levi Leipheimer, whos been burning up races worldwide, and is now on
Team Discovery after leaving Gerolsteiner. Internationally, theres CSCs Australian rider Stuart OGrady, who hasOW!just taken a spectacular fall, falling from best time to last. Fabian Cancellara of Switzerland, current World Time Trial Champion. David Millar of England, returning to form after a two-year doping ban. Alejandro Valverde, from whom we might have heard great things last year had an horrific fall not shattered his collarbone. Big Tom Boonen, a very strong sprinter, of Belgium. Thor Hushovd of Norway, whose most spectacular Stage finish last year involved him flat on his back, he and his Maillot Jaune covered in rivers of blood when a fans sign sliced open his arm at the finish line. Alexandre Vinokourov, a favourite who couldnt even ride last year once Operation Puerto forced most of his team to withdraw.
Its absolutely glorious watching this mornings time trial. Each rider starts individually, speeding past the Houses of Parliament, Big ben (yes, I know its th
Theres no Tour champion riding this year. Floyd Landis, still fighting for his name, will hopefully be back next year. Jan Ullrich, after the train wreck and insinuations of Operacion Puerto, didnt ride in 06 and has since retired. Ivan Basso, under his own cloud of suspicion, has been pulled. In a vaguely familiar way, of course, this is exciting: last year, with Lance Armstrong retired, the field was wide open for a new champion. And now, here we are again. There are a lot of big names to look to this year, and many of them are American: David Zabriskie, 05s Prologue winner and current US National Champion, who later crashed out so spectacularly in the team time trial. George Hincapie, Lances former lieutenant and the King of the one-day Classic races. Levi Leipheimer, whos been burning up races worldwide, and is now on
Team Discovery after leaving Gerolsteiner. Internationally, theres CSCs Australian rider Stuart OGrady, who hasOW!just taken a spectacular fall, falling from best time to last. Fabian Cancellara of Switzerland, current World Time Trial Champion. David Millar of England, returning to form after a two-year doping ban. Alejandro Valverde, from whom we might have heard great things last year had an horrific fall not shattered his collarbone. Big Tom Boonen, a very strong sprinter, of Belgium. Thor Hushovd of Norway, whose most spectacular Stage finish last year involved him flat on his back, he and his Maillot Jaune covered in rivers of blood when a fans sign sliced open his arm at the finish line. Alexandre Vinokourov, a favourite who couldnt even ride last year once Operation Puerto forced most of his team to withdraw.
Its absolutely glorious watching this mornings time trial. Each rider starts individually, speeding past the Houses of Parliament, Big ben (yes, I know its th
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Date: 2007-07-08 07:30 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-07-08 10:49 pm (UTC)I was writing on my laptop, then synching the document to my treo. didn't work the second time. gr.