Tour De France 2009

Originally Posted by Dark Star

^^What really ? I was planning to get Airtel DTH, since that was the only viable option in the new society we are shifting.. It seems I have look around for alternatives

Anyway when the new series of TDF will start ?

Originally Posted by xXx

you watch TDF as a sitcom

...wahahahaha

The first scandal of TDF 2009.

Doping and cycling are so much intervowen together that controversy does not die out. Year after year a big name gets caught and our confidence in cycling as a pure sports gets depresed again.

Thomas Dekker of Silence Lotto team (earlier used to race for Team Rabobank) been found using EPO in his old samples about two years old.

UCI has a new rule that they can retest a cyclists samples for 8 years with new techniques (only limited by quantity of the sample) to find out newer smarter synthetic drugs to boost performance.

And the first fish caught in net is Thomas Dekker.

Dekker positive for EPO
Published: Jul. 1, 2009
Haunted by his past? Dekker gets popped for a nearly two-year-old sample.
Photo: Graham Watson

Silence-Lotto's Thomas Dekker will miss the Tour de France after testing positive for the banned blood-booster EPO, his team announced on Wednesday.

The sample was originally taken on December 24, of 2007, when Dekker was a member of the Rabobank team. The sample was re-tested using new techniques, which resulted in a positive test for EPO.

"He found out on Wednesday morning that fresh analysis, carried out in May at the behest of WADA, on urine samples from a random doping control had turned up positive for EPO," the team said in a statement.

Under the World Anti-Doping Code, drug testers have the option of storing and re-examining old samples, as long as there is a sufficient quantity to allow a follow-up - or B sample - test.

The WADA code provides for an eight-year statute of limitations on earlier doping violations.

Cycling's international governing body, the UCI, said in a statement issued Wednesday that it had "instructed (Monaco's) Cycling Federation, to which Mr Dekker is affiliated, to open disciplinary proceedings on this matter."

"The UCI's request is based on two elements of evidence collected within the biological passport programme: Mr Dekker's haematological profile and a laboratory report indicating the detection of recombinant EPO in a urine sample.

"According to a panel of scientific experts, the haematological profile established from blood samples collected from Mr Dekker in 2008 and 2009 demonstrates convincing evidence of the use of the prohibited method of enhancement of oxygen transfer."

It was that suspicion of blood doping that prompted the UCI to have new tests on Dekker's 2007 urine sample.

The 24-year-old Dekker, who was slated to arrive in Monaco on Wednesday for Saturday's opening stage of the Tour, will be replaced on the Silence-Lotto roster by British rider Charley Wigelius.


Team manager Marc Sergeant was quick to point out that the alleged violation did not occur while Dekker was a member of the Silence-Lotto team.

"I am sorry this happened, of course," said Sergeant, "It's important to remember that this occurred when he was a member of Rabobank, but it still doesn't make the news any less disappointing."

Oddly enough, Dekker's move to Silence was in part prompted by the Rabobank team's decision to leave him off of its Tour de France squad in 2008. The team cited "abnormal blood values" from that year's Tour de Suisse as justification for its decision.

Dekker admitted two years ago that he had collaborated with the infamous Luigi Cecchini, an Italian physician who has been linked to allegations of doping.

That guy is no big fish

some twitters to follow for Tour De France:

Some news agencies / channel.
velonews
ESPN Cycling
Cycling Weekly


Teams
Livestrong
Team Astana
Team Slipstream


Players
Levi Leipheimer
Ivan Basso
Flloyd Landis
Chris Horner
Ekimov
Lance Armstrong
Robbie McEwen
Robbie Hunter
Christian Van De Valde
Cadel Evans
Carlos Sastre
David Zabriske


Few hobby Blogers
TDF Lantern ROuge
Tour France
TdF Blog

If you have somthing to add please do so.

nice i guess ill start watching TDF from now on.. seems interesting

Wasn't landis banned
Don't tell me he is back for the tour now If he is back, as well get Vino back too

Who is the favorite to win this time around..? Last time I believe that the guy Ivan Basso was making some headlines..

@safin : nope landis is still banned but there is always interesting to have his point of view.

Pre tour Interview by Johan Bruyneel.

PRE-TOUR TIME WITH JOHAN BRUYNEEL



It's Tour Time for Team Astana and Johan Bruyneel is ready for the action to begin. Johan talks about selecting a Tour team, planning for certain stages and fills us in on his family, too. Best of luck at the Tour, Johan!



Cathy: Seems like you’ve gotten a lot of flack for the team selection, I would gather mostly from the Americans. But there is a lot that goes into picking the right combination of guys I would think—it isn’t only about the level of someone’s fitness I have to presume. Can you share with us some of the factors you weigh when selecting a team?

JB: Oh yes, the response has been quite interesting, especially on my twitter account! And I knew that some people would be upset with the decision. It was a tough decision to make, but I guess that it’s also a good “problem” to have – Better more talent than a lack of talent, right? There are a lot of factors that go into a decision and I’ll go into a few of them with you …

Team spirit or chemistry – whatever you want to call it. Somewhat very underestimated, but if I don’t think a rider will gel well with the team or possibly disrupt the atmosphere then I’m very cautious. It’s amazing how the mood of a team can really affect the outcome of a race.

Obviously I look for riders who have experience riding a three-week Grand Tour. We don’t bring anyone to the Tour that hasn’t ridden the Vuelta or Giro before; and even better if that rider has been on a winning team in those situations, meaning he knows how to handle his job in the bigger situations.

The team needs to be balanced and with that I mean – we can’t have 9 excellent climbers. We need good climbers, but also people that can ride on the front, chase down the breaks, keep everything in control. We have a TTT this year, and we’ve seen how important those can be, so you need to figure that in as well.

Of course, you need to also factor in how the rider has been performing this year, injuries the rider has sustained throughout the season and the effect it may have in the tour and sponsors. It’s no surprise that the team is 95% funded by the title sponsor, so you need to take that into account when making decisions.

There’s a lot that goes into it and it’s not a decision that I take lightly.



Besides you, who else gives feedback to the process?

JB: I’ll talk things over with the other directors going to the Tour; this year Alain, Dirk and Eki. It’s interesting to see everyone’s viewpoints and analysis of the riders. Nowadays, they see the riders more than I do, so it’s important that I talk with each one.



You’ve picked a powerful team—many other directors probably wish they had your “problem” of too much talent! Can you comment on the caliber of this particular team compared to some of your others?



JB: Six riders who have finished in the top ten of the Tour de France. Four of those six have been on the podium. Two of those four have won the Tour! Not too bad! It’s certainly one of the stronger teams, if not the strongest team on paper, but as you know, the paper doesn’t mean much unless you win. So let’s not get over-confident here and forget about our rivals. We need to stay focused and not worry about where this team compares to others.



The cycling news sites and cycling fans are almost foaming at the mouth for some internal strife to develop between Alberto and Lance. I have a hard time imagining that either of them would act less than professional. The goal afterall is for someone on the team to win, not for everyone on the team to lose! Do you worry about personality clashes or do you feel content that two potential leaders won’t be a problem?



JB: I’m not worried. You’re right when you talk about the media wanting to see this dramatic situation develop. They like to create things, analyze every move, every word. We can’t get caught up with what they write. We need to stay focused and I believe the team will do just that. We’re all professionals here and we buy into the common goal – putting a rider on that top step. If someone doesn’t buy into that, then it’s best that that rider stays home.



It’s always true in cycling that the racing itself settles most matters of whom is the leader. Do you have some stages in mind that you think will shake things out for Team Astana? And do you ever target specific stages that you especially want a team rider to win?



JB: Cathy, you know I can’t give all my secrets away! We’ve done some training on a few stages and obviously the TTT will be important for the entire team. And then there are some other stages that I have in mind. I look at each individual stage, but ALWAYS keep in mind the big picture. But if I tell you everything now, it’ll take away from the July fun!



What a difference a year makes! One year ago no Tour at all for us, now back with two Tour champions! Sometimes it must seems a little surreal to you?

JB: If you told me last year, that I would be going to the Tour this year with Lance and Alberto, I would have told you to go see a doctor! But it’s great – great for the sport, sponsors, fans. And also great for the global cancer mission, led by the Lance Armstrong Foundation. I guess this proves that you can never really script life!



It was a good win by Alberto in the Spanish championships. Besides the fact that he won, how did you think he seemed that day—is he calm about the Tour and is he looking forward to racing?

JB: Alberto was very strong for the Spanish Championships and is looking great for the Tour. I’m very happy how we planned his season. He is calm, but very focused on the race. I think his win added to his confidence in time-trials, where he’s made some nice improvements with the help of Steve Hed, Trek, SRAM and Giro. This is also a new time-trial bike, so it was also important for him in terms of feeling comfortable and “one” with the bike.



Ok, that's all good to know. So can you update us on your book, too -- what languages are you published in now?

JB: Yes, the new paperback book just came out in the US. It has a new cover with Lance and I also added an afterword. So many people wanted to know about last year so I thought we should just add it to the book. So besides English, which is in the US, Canada, UK and Australia; we also have Dutch for both the Belgians and Hollanders; Japanese, German and I believe it just came out in the Czech Republic! (Editor Note – You can purchase Johan’s book in the multiple languages on his website - :: Johan Bruyneel::)



Can you also tell us how your family is, especially how the children are doing, plus we hope Eva is feeling good too!

JB: Thanks for asking about my family. They are absolutely wonderful. School just ended for Victoria so she is very happy to be spending her days in the pool. She loves to swim. Christian is a wonderful baby – Looks like another Bruyneel! (laughing) All three will actually meet me in Monaco for a few days. It will be nice for them and also give me the last opportunity to spend some time with them before the race begins. That’s really the worst part about July – you don’t see your family. But we’ll make up for it in August!

source : :: Astana Cycling Team ::

Top Contenders for this years tour.

this is the view of espn team.

Here is a look at the top contenders for the 2009 Tour de France with quick takes from two retired American cyclists, Versus analyst Frankie Andreu and Saxo Bank technical director Bobby Julich, who each raced in the Tour de France nine times.

Alberto Contador (Spain), 26, Astana
This stellar talent has only raced the Tour once over the past three years, forced off the start line in 2006 and 2008 when his team was disinvited because of circumstances beyond his control. But Contador took full advantage in 2007 as Discovery Channel team leader, hanging on in the final week after presumptive victor Michael Rasmussen was fired by his team for evading drug testing.
Contador went on to capture cycling's other two Grand Tours in Italy and Spain within a 14-month span, establishing himself as the best stage racer in the world, and has clearly focused on improving his time-trial skills. The biggest question for the mild-mannered Spaniard this year is whether his team, which includes three other men who have stood on Tour podiums, will be unified behind him, or whether -- despite the official line -- he'll have to fend off an internal challenge from a certain seven-time Tour winner.
Contador has raced sparingly this season and put all his chips on the line for the Tour. He also could be trying to leverage his next contract if Astana dissolves because of financial instability; he's already had informal contact with teams including Caisse d'Epargne and Garmin.

Frankie Andreu's take: "Absolutely the favorite."
Bobby Julich's take: "He's a killer. Watching him this year, he seems to have no weaknesses. The only thing he has to worry about is that there are so many chiefs on this team."

Denis Menchov (Russia), 31, Rabobank
One of the toughest-minded riders in the peloton, Menchov will be trying to pull off what no man has done since Marco Pantani in 1998: the Giro d'Italia-Tour de France double. The wear and tear isn't easy to survive. If the racing is as conservative as it was last year (and we're betting against that), all Menchov would have to do to land on his first Tour podium is stay on the leaders' wheels -- something he's superb at -- and perform well in the last time trial and the climb up Mont Ventoux. He may also find himself continuing to fend off questions about an ongoing doping investigation in Austria that has touched his team.
Menchov is a two-time winner of the Tour of Spain, once outright (2007) and once via the doping disqualification of Roberto Heras (2005). His narrow, dramatic win in Italy was built on strong rides in two mountain stages and a win in the difficult long time trial midway through the race. Menchov started the Rome time trial on the final day with a 20-second lead, then suffered every rider's Armageddon scenario, crashing on rain-slicked cobblestones in the final kilometer. He was saved by a quick-witted mechanic who swapped out his bike in a move worthy of a NASCAR pit crew and wound up winning the race by 41 seconds.

Andreu: "If he has the same kind of form he had in the Giro, he'll be a factor."
Julich: "You can get away without having an above-average team in the Giro. You can't in the Tour."

Carlos Sastre (Spain), 34, Cervelo Test Team
Don't underestimate the late kick of this defending champion, who is almost always in the mix. Sastre took control of last year's Tour with one acceleration away from the pack on Alpe d'Huez. Then, amid open questioning of his psychological strength and time-trial ability, Sastre made his lead stick by limiting his losses on the second-to-last day.
Sastre knew his star was setting at Saxo Bank, where younger standouts like brothers Andy and Frank Schleck were set to supplant him, and surprised some by jumping to the first-year team sponsored by a well-established bike manufacturer. He laid low early in the season before emerging to log two impressive mountain-stage wins at the Giro, earning him a fourth-place finish. Cervelo will try to help previous green jersey winner Thor Hushovd excel in the sprints, but the roster is constructed to support Sastre. The non-selection of Aussie talent Simon Gerrans, a stage winner at the Giro and Tour, reflects Sastre's desire to stack the team with domestiques who have no ambitions of their own.

Andreu: "I think he'll be good. Top 5."
Julich: "Having [Mont] Ventoux on the last Saturday is to his advantage."

Lance Armstrong (United States), 37, Astana
If this megacelebrity, cancer crusader and boss emeritus of the peloton weren't in the race, Contador might have been appointed winner by acclamation. Nominally starting in a support role, Armstrong is widely expected to try to assert himself and show he deserves to be Astana's most protected rider. At the very least, he is one heckuva Plan B if Contador flags.
Do we really know where Armstrong's form is at this point? It was impossible to judge early in the season, as he was coming back from three years away from the sport and invested his energy into helping Levi Leipheimer win the season's first major race in California. The Texan had a so-so day at Milan-San Remo, then broke his collarbone for the first time in his career in a minor stage race in Spain in late March. His expectations for the Giro -- once a major target -- had to be scaled back. He appeared to get stronger as that race went on, but he still hasn't been tested in a Tour-level mano-a-mano.
Will his first race in France since his comeback nine months ago play out without controversy of some kind, on or off the bike? Unlikely, but then again, he has vast experience in dealing with it.
Andreu: "Uncharted territory. He's never done a three-week race before the Tour."
Julich: "Every time I've doubted Lance in the past, he's proved me wrong. Obviously, he made some amazing progress in the Giro."

contd in next post......

...... contd from previous post.

Cadel Evans (Australia), 32, Silence-Lotto
Will this able rider muster the aggression needed to convert his back-to-back runner-up finishes into a win? Evans' well-documented stumbles with the media last year were widely viewed as a negative response to pressure, but give credit where credit is due -- he has missed the top step of the podium by a combined 81 seconds the last two years, pretty good for a guy who was supposedly cracking.
Evans had two strong time-trial performances at the recent Dauphine Libere tuneup race but faltered in the mountain stages, in part because of the apparent ad hoc partnership between Contador and ostensible rival Alejandro Valverde, who is not starting the Tour because of doping allegations.
If divisiveness fells Astana, fatigue hampers Menchov, Sastre fails to put two good days together, Christian Vande Velde isn't quite recovered from his injury and neither of the Schleck brothers is up to the task, Evans might sneak through on sheer consistency. But he'll probably have to take a risk somewhere to make a difference, even though it may not be in his nature.

Andreu: "Who knows. He doesn't take things into his own hands."
Julich: "Again, it boils down to team. It's amazing that he's been able to do what he's done with next to no help when it really matters."


Andy Schleck (Luxembourg), 24, Saxo Bank
Frank Schleck (Luxembourg), 29, Saxo Bank
Most observers think the younger of the two Schleck brothers is better positioned to vie for a Tour win this year, even though he has a thinner résumé at this point. Neither raced the Giro this year; Andy concentrated on the classics and came away with a win in the prestigious Liege-Bastogne-Liege event, along with succeeding his brother as road champion of his tiny bike-mad nation. At last year's Tour, Andy had a morale-crushing bonk on the first serious climbing stage in the Pyrenees but rallied the rest of the way to take Best Young Rider honors in a competitive field.
Frank was sidelined by a training crash in March and has struggled with a knee problem, but he came back to win the Tour of Luxembourg and survived an agony-of-defeat-caliber crash in the Tour of Switzerland. In the offseason, he also survived an inquiry over past payments to Operacion Puerto's central figure, Dr. Eufemiano Fuentes; authorities followed the money but could not establish a direct connection to doping. Frank's disastrous time trial on the penultimate day of the 2008 Tour, which dropped him from second to fifth overall, raises some doubts about his mettle under pressure.
Saxo Bank's situation is somewhat complicated by the fact that time-trial specialist Fabian Cancellara likely will be in the hunt for the yellow jersey early in the race. This much is certain: There will be no such thing as sibling rivalry between the Schlecks once the race gets going. Each would toil tirelessly for whoever winds up as the chosen one.

Andreu: "Andy Schleck is an underdog favorite with a great chance to make the podium. He's got great climbing ability, and his time trialing is improving. The experience from last year should really help him."
Julich: "Andy is a cold-blooded killer, a warrior, a hunter with no fear and the brashness of youth that helps you 10 times over in this sport."

Christian Vande Velde (United States), 33, Garmin-Slipstream
What Vande Velde did last year, finishing fifth in the Tour and moving up to fourth after the doping disqualification of Bernhard Kohl (originally in third place) was either a career trip or a sign that he can compete for the podium after a decade spent largely as a support rider.
The question is whether he can build on that result so soon after a jarring crash early in the Giro left him with fractures in five vertebrae, his pelvis and one rib. Vande Velde logged some quality miles in his legs at the Tour of Switzerland, and given his aversion to hype, it may be better for him to come in under the radar and try to peak for the all-important last week. But he is a far longer shot than he would have been had his spring not been so rudely interrupted.

Andreu: "He'll have his hands full trying to repeat in the top 5."
Julich: "He was definitely stronger than I thought he would be in Switzerland. I see the desire of a leader, even though he may not be where he wants to be yet [physically], and that's half the battle."

source : Top contenders for 2009 Tour de France - ESPN

My take is on one of the best rider right now Alberto Contador, Sastre will be there to challenge and so will be one the schelks.

I have not much to look out for Lance Armstrong, he is a fighter , a great rider and above a wonderfull strategist but i feel his age will be a great factor here.

Plus I believe his main aim is to Promote his new team from next year LIVESTRONG - NIKE TEAM .