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Post by RacerX on Jul 10, 2002 10:14:08 GMT -5
Just checking to see if we have any cycling fans around?
I personally have never watched it, but for the past few years, I'd read the results.....I confess, only because Lance Armstrong is in it, and from Texas. Whoo-whoooo. LOL!
OK, just thought I'd throw it out there.....anyone....anyone??
Later, RacerX
OK, OK, I know it's not as exciting as World Cup Soccer, or "Anti-Depression" for Women..... ;D
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Post by pabs on Jul 10, 2002 14:21:07 GMT -5
I used to follow it when I was a kid because we had a couple of guys that were damn good: Luis Herrera and Fabio Parra. I think Parra ended up 3rd at some point. They both had great battles in the mountains against Bernard Hinault.
I remember watching guys like Laurent Fignon, Bernard Hinault, Miguel Indurain, and Greg Lemmond.
Recently, we have been barely keeping up with it because Lance is from Austin (as you already know Rx) so everyone here is crazy about cycling now. Besides, finally there seems to be another Colombian capable of taking the fight to Lance (yeah right). His name is Santiago Botero and he races for the Kelme team. He lost over 2 minutes in yesterday's stage so we'll see what happens.
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Post by dani on Jul 10, 2002 21:42:00 GMT -5
I actually think cycle racing is awesome! Unfortunately I can't seem to find coverage of the tour anywhere on the tele! It's the first year in a while that I haven't seen a little bit at least! Can someone help me, what channels are broadcasting it in the USA?
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Post by Danny Boy on Jul 10, 2002 22:44:27 GMT -5
My satellite system has a South African Sports Channel (5 of them + ESPN2) they are showing every day live. I have only started to watch it from last year and did not realise how good it was. Sorry I cant help with the US channels.
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Post by Henrik on Jul 11, 2002 16:24:32 GMT -5
I have to admit to being an ex-fan of the Tour de France. I began watching it closely a bit over ten years ago, but since a few years the whole doping thing has just become too much.
When I first really discovered I was home from work sick for a week, and there was nothing else to watch on TV. I became fascinated by the tactics, and the guys in the Alps totally blew me away. Miguel Indurain was simply too much, how he would leave everybody standing going up a classic hill climb. The worse was he would just keep sitting. Later, climbers like Richard Virenque would also impress me, but not in the same way. Although they would have incredible speed going up, they always had to do it "dancing" as they say in French. Indurain would just pedal!!
Nowdays I get a fleeting glimpse of it, only to see Lance rule the field. No offense, but I believe that cancer of the testicles is a common side-effect of doping.....
It's no longer a sport, and perhaps it wasn't back in the days of Indurain, Lemond, Hinault etc., but I have just gotten disgusted by it.
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Post by pabs on Jul 15, 2002 19:03:10 GMT -5
WOOHOO!!!!! Santiago Botero won today's timed stage!!!! Henrik remember we were talking about this a few days ago? He beat Lance by 11 seconds. It's the first time that a Colombian has won a timed stage in the tour!!! Herrera and others won stages before (typically in the mountains) so this is pretty remarkable. He's supposed to be pretty strong in the mountains too so we'll see if he can take the fight to lance.... GO BOTERO!!!!!!
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Post by Henrik on Jul 16, 2002 1:12:44 GMT -5
Hey Pabs! Yeah I saw that this morning. Great stuff Botero, especially since he is not a timed stage specialist like Lance. I think since Lance began winning the TDF, this is the first time he has NOT won one of the timed stages...Is his reign over? Let's see what Botero can do now in mountian stages.
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Post by Henrik on Jul 19, 2002 1:57:24 GMT -5
Oh well, Lance just ended the TDF yesterday. I was hoping that perhaps he was not as superior this year, following the timed stage he didn't win. I also thought the Spanish teams would be able to put up a fight against the US Postal. Lance and his team killed the opposition yesterday in the first mountain stage of the Tour. Sorry Pabs, I guess Boteros exploit from the other day may soon be forgotten....
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Post by Danny Boy on Jul 19, 2002 2:59:10 GMT -5
Henric, You have to admit it was as impressive piece of riding; the scenery was awesome as well . Hopefully I will be there in mid/late August as I am going to Barcelona for a couple of weeks and plan to do some site seeing to the north of that wonderful city.
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Post by Topcontender on Jul 19, 2002 7:50:57 GMT -5
Yeah Lance dropped a big bomb yesterday. I looked at the updates and saw he was up to only see that he gained liked 1:47 and has an overall lead of 1:12. That is fast
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Post by PK on Jul 20, 2002 1:55:01 GMT -5
Lance really is one of the greatest athlete's of all time. Again in the mountains yesterday he proved he is in a class of his own...
on a side note i have decided to move to the Pyrenees. I say this every year at this time but this time i mean it ;D
Go Stuart O'Grady!!!!!!!
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Post by Danny Boy on Jul 23, 2002 0:10:48 GMT -5
I think it was on the 3rd day? Stuart was in a lot of distress at the back of the field, he had a heart rate of 220 for over an hour. However come the end of the race, he was right up there with the leaders, top man. All of those guys are really fit.
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Post by pabs on Jul 25, 2002 14:08:13 GMT -5
Well if it wasn't for that day when he broke and lost like 15 minutes, Botero would be fighting for second place at least. He showed some great stuff in the last couple stages. I think he can put up a fight next year.
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Post by Danny Boy on Jul 25, 2002 22:33:11 GMT -5
Pabs; The English commentators were talking about the Columbian commentator yesterday. They said that he had come over late and could not get into the official press room, so at every stage he sits outside with a portable TV and does the commentary from there with a sat phone. Hope the weather stays sunny .
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Post by pabs on Jul 29, 2002 12:07:46 GMT -5
LOL danny...I had no idea that was the case. I followed the tour on France's TV5 anyways but that's too funny...
Colombian commentators are just too much anyways. You should listen to them narrate a F1 race...you'd swear there's lots of action going on....almost like a footie or basketball match.
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