Pre 2010 Tour de France News
Armstrong hits back at Landis accusations in the Wall Street Journal
Lance Armstrong has hit back at the latest accusation by Floyd Landis in Saturday's edition of the Wall Street Journal, comparing his former teammate's credibility to a carton of sour milk. "Today’s Wall Street Journal article is full of false accusations and more of the same old news from Floyd Landis, a person with zero credibility and an established pattern of recanting tomorrow what he swears to today," Armstrong said in a statement published on the lancearmstrong.com site.
Link: Armstrong Hits Back At Landis Accusations In The Wall Street Journal | Cyclingnews.com
Explosive Landis revelations on eve of Tour
While the federal investigation into Floyd Landis's allegations against Lance Armstrong and the former US Postal team continues, media attention surrounding the details of his time in the squad gathers momentum. The Wall Street Journal published new revelations of alleged doping practices early Saturday, just prior to the start of the Tour de France.
Link: Explosive Landis Revelations On Eve Of Tour | Cyclingnews.com
Evans okay with not being a Tour favourite
Cadel Evans is the current world champion and has twice finished second in the Tour de France, yet he is not mentioned as a hot favourite for overall victory alongside Alberto Contador, Andy Schleck and Lance Armstrong.
Link: Evans Okay With Not Being A Tour Favourite | Cyclingnews.com
Florencio explains why he is out of the Tour
Xavier Florencio of Cervelo TestTeam has apologised for using an over-the-counter haemorrhoid treatment without first consulting the team doctor. The Spaniard broke internal Cervelo TestTeam rules and pulled him from their Tour de France line-up on Friday night. The Swiss-based team will now apparently start the Tour with only eight riders.
Link: Florencio Explains Why He Is Out Of The Tour | Cyclingnews.com
Dutch courage from Cancellara
Cancellara has a glorious history on the Tour's opening day, having won the prologue of the 2004 edition in Liège, the prologue of the 2007 edition in London and the opening stage of last year's Tour in Monaco.
Link: Dutch Courage From Cancellara | Cyclingnews.com
Spanish champions looking for Tour de France stage wins
The Caisse d'Epargne team will head into the Tour de France with a pair of Spanish national champions at the helm, leading the charge for stage wins and a high placing in the overall classification for leader Luis León Sánchez.
Link: Spanish Champions Looking For Tour De France Stage Wins | Cyclingnews.com
Landis' claims false: Armstrong
LANCE Armstrong has been forced to respond to former team-mate Floyd Landis' latest accusations as the Texan prepares to contest his last Tour de France, starting in Rotterdam tonight. Landis, the disgraced 2006 Tour, detailed allegations of rampant drug abuse in cycling - and again claimed seven-time Tour winner Armstrong was involved.
Link: Floyd Landis' claims false: Lance Armstrong | Herald Sun
Lance Armstrong's last ride
Lance Armstrong's legacy: In his final Tour de France, Armstrong, 38, is seeking his eighth championship and first in 5 years. After successfully battling testicular cancer that metastasized to his brain and lungs, he won seven straight Tours from 1999 to 2005; he finished third in 2009.
Link: Tour de France: Lance Armstrong's last ride | Philadelphia Daily News | 07/03/2010
Tour de France 2010 hits the road
The 3,600 km race will run across Holland, Belgium and France. Alberto Contador of Spain, America’s Lance Armstrong and Andy Schleck of Luxembourg are widely seen as favorites in the prestigious race to run until July 25 and traditionally finish on Champs Elysees in Paris.
Link: Tour de France 2010 hits the road : Voice of Russia
Bikes to be scanned after Tour de France stages
The Tour de France will see the debut of new measures to combat the threat of riders cheating with motorized bikes. From Saturday’s prologue onwards, UCI commissaires will choose a certain number of riders at the finish of every stage to have their bikes scanned for the presence of any kind of motorized assistance.
Link: Bikes To Be Scanned After Tour De France Stages | Cyclingnews.com
2010 Tour de France: The Prologue and the First Three Stages
The prologue of the 2010 Tour de France is an 8.9 km Time Trial through the city of Rotterdam. The route is very short and basically entirely flat, with no particularly tricky corners, so pure time trailers can expect to do well.
Link: Epoch Times - 2010 Tour de France: The Prologue and the First Three Stages
Lance Armstrong is good enough to go out on a high with a win, says rival Alberto Contador
LANCE ARMSTRONG begins his final assault on the Tour de France today and race favourite Alberto Contador admits the 38-year-old could yet win an eighth title. Armstrong announced earlier this week that this will be his last crack at the event he dominated from 1999 to 2005. The American won a record seven titles before retiring in 2005 but he made a shock comeback last year and finished third.
Link: Tour de France: Lance Armstrong is good enough to go out on a high with a win, says rival Alberto Contador - The Daily Record
Wiggins takes Tour de France prologue gamble
Bradley Wiggins (Team Sky), last year's fourth-place finisher, was not listed among the final twenty riders - as is traditional for team leaders - but 41st, a full two-and-a-half hours before the defending champion and last man, Alberto Contador (Astana).
Link: Wiggins Takes Tour De France Prologue Gamble | Cyclingnews.com
Contador begins Tour de France with target on his back
Alberto Contador might not like Lance Armstrong and vice versa, but the gifted young Spaniard clearly has learned something important from the man who has become his archrival.
Humility. Even as the wins piled up, reaching a record seven consecutive yellow jerseys from 1999 through 2005, Armstrong never once predicted he would prevail in the Tour de France. On the eve of the 97th Tour, which starts with a 5.4-mile prologue today in this sprawling, abnormally sultry port city that Friday felt more like Houston than Holland, Contador followed Armstrong's lead while also saying of the 38-year-old Texan's chances: "Absolutely (he can win), and on his own merit.
Link: Contador begins Tour de France with target on his back | Cycling | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle
Cancellara looks forward to cobblestones in the summer
Fabian Cancellara is looking forward to racing on the cobbles at the Tour de France on Tuesday and hopes to be wearing the yellow jersey during the stage after success in the prologue time trial.
Link: Cancellara Looks Forward To Cobblestones In The Summer | Cyclingnews.com
Who Will Win the 2010 Tour de France?
Three teams have a particularly good chance to field the winning rider in the 2010 Tour de France. They happen to be the teams of the top three finishers in the 2009 Tour: Alberto Contador’s Team Astana, Lance Armstrong’s Radio Shack, and Andy Schleck’s Saxo Bank.
One of those there riders, and also Andy Schlecks’s brother Frank, also at Saxo Bank, are the favorites for the top step of the podium at this year’s Tour.
Link: Epoch Times - Who Will Win the 2010 Tour de France?
Lance Armstrong is subject of new doping allegations by Floyd Landis on eve of Tour de France
Some 60 new Trek bikes were hawked for cash -- instead of given to riders -- to fund a doping program for Lance Armstrong's U.S. Postal Service team in 2004, disgraced cyclist Floyd Landis told the Wall Street Journal, according to a story in the newspaper's weekend edition.
Link: washingtonpost.com
Drug police stand sentinel at the Tour
Pick a big sporting event in this country. Make it one with a lot of tradition and wide national interest. Make sure the biggest stars are easily recognizable. If possible, give it an international field, bringing together competitors from many cultures. Let's make it the Masters, in fact, the annual, reverential celebration of colorful shrubbery and pale competitors.
Link: Bob Ford: Drug police stand sentinel at the Tour | Philadelphia Inquirer | 07/03/2010
Kimmage calls for UCI transparency
Rough Ride author Paul Kimmage has welcomed news that the International Cycling Union (UCI) and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) have agreed to allow the attendance of independent observers at this year's Tour de France. However the former professional has called for more to be done in order to clean up the sport of cycling, and pinpointed the Landis allegations as a perfect opportunity.
Link: Kimmage Calls For UCI Transparency | Cyclingnews.com
Kreuziger steps up to share leadership role at Liquigas
While Giro d'Italia champion Ivan Basso, who is returning to the Tour de France, arguably will be the most popular Liquigas rider in the eyes of the general public, his teammate Roman Kreuziger could well steal his show if the young Czech holds his promises. In the absence of other riders such as Franco Pellizotti or Vincenzo Nibali, Kreuziger intends to take full advantage of this year's Tour de France to finally prove his worth as a stage race contender.
Link: Kreuziger Steps Up To Share Leadership Role At Liquigas | Cyclingnews.com
Cavendish targets stages and the green jersey
Mark Cavendish refused to put a number on the number of stages he is targeting at this year’s Tour de France but the winner of six stages in 2009 said that he would aim for as many as possible as he targets the green points jersey.
Link: Cavendish Targets Stages And The Green Jersey | Cyclingnews.com
Basso: ready and relaxed
It has been five years since Ivan Basso was last at the Tour de France, and one could sense that it was a special moment for the Liquigas rider as he prepared for the first big show of the event in Rotterdam, the official team presentation held on Thursday afternoon.
Link: Basso: Ready And Relaxed | Cyclingnews.com
Teams show new jerseys at official presentation
The 22 teams riding this year's Tour de France showed their final starting line-ups at the official team presentation on Thursday evening, with some of them revealing the new look jerseys they will wear during the race.
Link: Teams Show New Jerseys At Official Presentation | Cyclingnews.com
Armstrong relaxed and confident at team presentation
Lance Armstrong continued to keep a low media profile as the hours tick down to the start of the 2010 Tour de France, only briefly speaking about his hopes, fears and ambitions for this year's race during the official team presentation.
Link: Armstrong Relaxed And Confident At Team Presentation | Cyclingnews.com
Last minute preparations for Tour de France contenders
The clock is counting down to the start of the Tour de France, and all of Rotterdam is ready for the sport's biggest event. The sun was shining on the riders as they took to the streets of the host town of the Grand Départ.
Link: Last Minute Preparations For Tour De France Contenders | Cyclingnews.com
