Congratulations to Cadell Evans who today became the first Australian to win the prestigious 3 week Tour de France cycling race.
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Congratulations to Cadell Evans who today became the first Australian to win the prestigious 3 week Tour de France cycling race.
Congrats indeed. Can't believe how bad Schleck burned himself out in the mountains, though Evans kept pace with him.
I don't think the Schleck brothers had a choice.
All the commentators here were saying the Schlecks knew they had to put as much time as possible between themselves and Evans before the final time trial, because they knew Evans is a far superior sprinter.
57 seconds was never going to be enough gap going into the time trial stage.
Mate, 3,430.5 kilometres over 22 days, I don't give a s**t whether some or all of them are using performance enhancers.
No one has ever pointed the finger at Evans.
If some of them are cheating, it only makes his victory more deserved.
This tour had absolutely the highest number of crashes I have ever seen. I was surprised there was anybody left at the end to ride the last stage. Man was it hard to watch this year!
Soapboxmom
I also thought it was hilarious to see both the Schlecks standing taller than Evans on their podium lower levels.
Will Armstrong be stripped of his titles may now be the question of the day:
Judge throws out Lance Armstrong's lawsuit aimed at halting doping probe - CNN.com
It certainly would!
Ive followed Lance Armstrongs career for many years,and I dont believe for a moment that he has ever been guilty of doping. He has undergone every test devised hundreds of times and has never ever had a problem.
Increasingly cyclists are resorting to "blood doping" which is replacing the blood with fresh via a partial or full blood transfusion.This gets rid of lactic acid etc and restores the cyclists energy.Currently this appears to be undetectable as no drugs are involved.Its highly dangerous though as one cyclist recently found out.His body was found in his hotel room with the apparatus attached!
I love the tour, it is a long as the Olympics and getting to watch the same competitors strive day after day through differing terrain with geographical and historical commentary in a physical game of chess is wonderful, I admit to being sleep deprived when it finishes.
The greatest competition on earth in my opinion....doping probably but there is a seemingly serious constant effort to keep it clean which is all we can reasonably expect.
Viva !
I thoroughly recommend it to anyone who has yet to saviour the feast that is this epic race.
Armstrong faces lifetime ban, loss of 7 Tour titles after dropping doping charges fight
Published August 23, 2012
Associated Press
- http://global.fncstatic.com/static/m...ng%20Fight.jpg
July 6, 2010: Lance Armstrong grimaces prior to the start of the third stage of the Tour de France cycling race in Wanze, Belgium. (AP)
DEVELOPING: U.S. Anti-Doping Agency chief executive Travis Tygart says the agency will ban Lance Armstrong from cycling for life and strip him of his seven Tour de France titles for doping.
Armstrong on Thursday night dropped any further challenges to USADA's allegations that he took performance-enhancing drugs to win cycling's premier event from 1999-2005.
Armstrong says USADA doesn't have the authority to vacate his Tour titles. However, Tygart told The Associated Press that USADA can do it.
Tygart called the Armstrong case a "heartbreaking" example of a win-at-all costs approach to sports.
Read more: Armstrong faces lifetime ban, loss of 7 Tour titles after dropping doping charges fight | Fox News
wow.......
Armstrong is a cancer survivor and a winner. No one can take away the wins he has made. He is just tired of fighting the legal battle and who can blame him. As it was reported this morning, any of the runners-up who might be given the awards have all been involved in drug enhancements - according to a story on CBS this morning. I was happy to see that Nike is supporting Lance Armstrong as his efforts have contributed greatly to a cancer fund.
Oh, I did not watch the races but it has to be quite an accomplishment to win, so congrats to Cadell Evans.
I remember when that creep Landis came to Dallas. My hubby has been a dedicated cyclist for years. A normal Saturday included a century(100 mile bike ride) Landis came to our local bike shop and club begging for those donations to defend himself and swearing he was totally innocent. He damn well ought to be refunding all of our dear fellow cyclists he conned!Quote:
Feds won't pursue charges if Landis agrees to repay donors
Published August 24, 2012
Associated Press
SAN DIEGO – Cyclist Floyd Landis says he has reached an agreement with federal prosecutors over allegations that he fraudulently solicited donations for a defense fund he set up to fight doping charges.
Court documents show Landis is scheduled to appear before a federal judge Friday morning for a "deferred prosecution" hearing.
Landis tells ESPN.com that at the hearing he will agree to repay all the donors within three years, and prosecutors will agree not to pursue charges. The Floyd Fairness Fund exceeded $1 million.
ESPN says the document Landis will sign says that he raised money under false pretenses by saying he was innocent of doping. He later admitted that he did use performance-enhancing drugs.
Landis was stripped of his 2006 Tour de France title.
Read more: Feds won't pursue charges if Landis agrees to repay donors | Fox News
He won 7 tours during 1999-2005 so bloods collections should be from that period and not 4-5 years later... If there is no prove that he used any illegal doping substance during 1999-2005 he shouldn't lose the 7 titles... :judge:Quote:
In a June letter to Armstrong, a copy of which was obtained by CNN, the USADA said it collected blood samples from Armstrong in 2009 and 2010 that were "fully consistent with blood manipulation including EPO use and/or blood transfusions."