The Official 2009 Tour de France Thread

[Wanker]

So is anyone following the Tour de France this year? Of course the big story is how Lance Armstrong is making his 'triumphant return,' though it seems a little mediocre at this point. With a small amount of preparation and training compared to many of the regulars, he stands a small chance to win the entire race. He landed in 10th place after the first time trial in Monaco, with everyone else on his team placing above him.

The heavy favorites this year are Sastre, Cancellara, Contador and maybe even Kloden. Cancellara is in the lead, having won Stage 1 by 26 seconds and finished Stage two near the front of the pack. Cavendish won in a sprint in Stage 2 but none of the sprinters are ever expected to win the Tour. Most of them are lucky to even make it to the end.

Anyways, this thread is dedicated to discussing potential favorites or winners, upcoming stages, and generally anything that has to do with the Tour de France--the most physically grueling endurance event ever made.

[Crudo]

lol nobody cares about this

[Alf™]

I do. I'm obviously cheering on Evans.

[andyneverstoppingmachine]

Andy Schleck seems cool

[Wanker]

Schleck is definitely a contender for the yellow jersey. Team Saxo Bank knows what they're doing. All I'm hoping for in this Tour is that Armstrong and Leipheimer each win a stage.

Though I believe that the yellow jersey usually lines up with who can climb those mountains the best. Either Sastre, Evans or Contador. Monday will most likely tell who the best sprinter is because of how flat the stage is. But once the race gets into the mountains, it belongs to the climbers.

[andyneverstoppingmachine]

Cavendish is a pretty sick sprinter innit he

[Wanker]

Yeah he came from nowhere at the end of stage 2 and flew past everyone else. I almost couldn't believe it.

[Alf™]

His team did an amazing job for him, what a lead in, and how couldn't he win it.

[Wanker]

Today's stage was interesting. It was mostly flat and there was crazy amounts of wind. A group of 20 or so riders broke off from the peloton and finished over 30 seconds before the main field. Cavendish won the sprint at the finish again and Armstrong went from 10th place to 3rd place since he was in the leading group. Calcellara is still wearing the yellow jersey.

Tomorrow is the team time trial. I'm damn sure that team Astana will win though Saxo Bank, Garmin Slipstream and Columbia are good contenders. I can't wait since it's been four years since they're even had a TTT. Should be a good one.

[Alf™]

big move by armstrong and the rest of them

he is going to need more moves like that to get up over contador and the like

[TakeWarning]

See I want Evans to win...but I think Astana are just too strong, and Cadel doesn't really take the race by the scruff of the neck when he needs to.

[Alf™]

Cadel is almost gone now you would think, after a horrible time trial by his Lotto team. What an idiot for staying with them, what a weak team.

Astana dominates, and Armstrong just misses out on taking the yellow.

[Wanker]

Yeah, Cancellara is in the lead by 0:00.something.

We'll see how this all goes down in the mountain stages.

[TakeWarning]

Yeah Silence-Lotto are ****.

I don't think he'll come back from the position he's in.

[Wanker]

Nocentini is still in the lead by 6 seconds after today's stage ahead of Contador and 8 seconds ahead of Armstrong. Armstrong attacked a couple of times early on in the stage in order to stay out of trouble especially in the descents. There were two big climbs and 2 of the original 13 riders in the break stuck it out to the end.

Tomorrow's a rest day and then stage 10 is a 120-mile sprinter's stage.

[ThePatient]

I love it. Lance Armstrong is making all of France suck his balls by barely training for it this time, and still being right there to possibly win it. What are they going to accuse him of this time? Body double perhaps? Designing his own super steroid? Taking Mario Kart-esque shortcuts?

[TakeWarning]

I don't think he'll go out for the win. I think Astana will try and set up the win for Contador.

[Jaymz Hetfield]

Lance should stop being a good teammate and just whoop Contador and everyone else's ***. We all know he can....he needs to quit dicking around.

[Wanker]

^^ I agree. He was looking really good on the big climb today and I kind of wonder why he didn't attack to put some distance between him and Contador. The rain really put a damper on today's stage.

Maybe once the race heads into the Alps then Armstrong will make a move for a stage win or something.

The really big news though is Levi Leipheimer leaving the Tour because of a broken wrist. It went from Astana having 4 members in the top 10 to 3 members. He's a big name and I just hope the team won't suffer because of his crash.

[TakeWarning]

It's been well boring so far this year. I know the tour organisers designed it so that the third week would be the most important, but because of that the second week has been dull as all hell.

[andyneverstoppingmachine]

Contador is goin nuts

[Wanker]

It's pretty much official now that Armstrong will be supporting Contador for the remainder of the race.

[stevensonmat2]

more like tour de bore

[Wanker]

That's what it's come to.

[Jaymz Hetfield]

Can't believe Lance is laying down and taking it like this. He must know that he didn't train hard enough and that he'll get his own team next year to dominate the tour once again.

[Alf™]

Can't believe Lance is laying down and taking it like this. He must know that he didn't train hard enough and that he'll get his own team next year to dominate the tour once again.

What do you mean laying down? Contador showed that he is better than every other rider on the tour the other day, when he powered away and riders like the Schleck's and Lance could not keep up.

[Wanker]

This is true. I honestly don't see how people could have thought that Armstrong could've have won another Tour after being retired for 3 and 1/2 years. Contador has been racing and training that entire time and has simply become better than Lance, especially at climbing the mountains. Contador for the win.

[superpeer]

Poor Cancellara, would've been cool if he won. I hope Contador isn't going to be another Armstrong and make the tour boring for 5 years again.

Cadel is almost gone now you would think, after a horrible time trial by his Lotto team. What an idiot for staying with them, what a weak team.

Evans was just shitty himself, it's not his team's fault. >:[

[Alf™]

yeah evans wasn't at his best on this tour, but this isn't helped by him basically riding by himself through the mountains with no team support

astana have showed what a good team does for you

[Wanker]

Yeah, they did that until Contador screwed over Kloden up the mountain the other day. It would've been perfect if the three big riders from Astana all got podium spots, but now Andy Shleck is threatening that.

[andyneverstoppingmachine]

what's crazy is that Levi might be in the mix too if he didn't break his wrist

Astana seems pretty untouchable

[Wanker]

I hear that Armstrong's team next year will be Radioshack...

Couldn't he have gotten a sponsor that sounds a bit more majestic?

[andyneverstoppingmachine]

well he rode all those years for us postal service lol

[TakeWarning]

And then Team Discovery Channel.

[Wanker]

Meh, at least the US Postal Service carried the connotation of moving a little.

[andyneverstoppingmachine]

wow, what a finish by Colombia and Cavendish

sick

great tour

[Wanker]

This years Tour has got me anxious for next year. It'll be Armstrong vs. the Schlecks vs. Contador... maybe Lance will train his *** off and get into good enough shape to win again.

[Ando!]

any other big names on radioshack 2010?

[Alf™]

Nothing has been announced yet.

[ridethelib]

There was a guy from my town in the race, tyler farrar

i think he placed like 155th or something back there like that

[Wanker]

That's awesome.. I think that merely finishing the race is a huge accomplishment.

2000+ miles with mountainous terrain is no picnic.

If Lance gets some really good domestiques then he'll do great next year.