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Archive for July 16, 2008

TDF – Transition Days

July 16, 2008 at 9:58 pm · Filed under acoralsea and tagged: , ,

The Tour is now out of the Pyrenees and heading into the next few transition days before reaching the Alps. Barloworld got hit with more bad news when two riders crashed out of the race.

The managers of 17 of the top pro teams unanimously voted to leave the pro racing circuit in favor of staying with the grand tours, saying there is no benefit in sticking with an organization, the UCI, that does nothing for them, costs more than the tours and that is in disagreement with the tours. Read more

Three spectators were hit by a team car at the finish of Stage 11. The team car has yet to be identified.

Back tomorrow. G’night.

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TDF – Stage 11: Go Tell It in the Mountains

July 16, 2008 at 8:59 am · Filed under acoralsea and tagged: , , ,

Lannemezan – Foix
Another doper caught:
Spain’s Moises Duenas Nevado (Barloworld) tested positive for the blood boosting drug EPO after the fourth stage and was immediately withdrawn from the race by his team. The 27 year old rider is the second Spaniard in less than a week to fail a drugs test. I tellya – it’s that Spanish clinic thing again!

Cadel Evans begins the day in yellow. However, the mountains almost always shake out the sprinters while the climbers get into their zone. CSC has been, for the most part, leading the charge and chasing Oscar Pereiro – who nearly flies off the road!

Moinard (Cofidis) appears poised to take the stage. But, this *is* the Tour, anything can happen. The riders have already climbed a Cat 3, the Cat 1 at Col de Portel, and have another Cat 3 at Col del Bouich before the finish at Foix.

COL DE BOUICH: 1. Moinard, 2. Ballan, 3. Arvesen, 4. Velo (perfect name)

CSC and Silence Lotto lead the peloton as the riders are nearing the end of the downhill run toward flatter ground into Foix. Moinard holds his lead by 17 seconds; but, there are about 12km to go.

The peloton swallows Pereiro and spits him out!

Moinard lost his scant 5 second lead and the new leaders, Elmiger and Arvesen, need to figure out who’s going to help whom. 2km to go…can Arvesen hold on? YES!

No change in GC

Stage results
1 Kurt-Asle Arvesen (Nor) Team CSC – Saxo Bank 3.58.13 (42.19 km/h)
2 Martin Elmiger (Swi) AG2R La Mondiale
3 Alessandro Ballan (Ita) Lampre
4 Koos Moerenhout (Ned) Rabobank 0.02
5 Alexandre Botcharov (Rus) Crédit Agricole 0.11
6 Pierrick Fédrigo (Fra) Bouygues Telecom 0.14
7 Filippo Pozzato (Ita) Liquigas
8 Benoît Vaugrenard (Fra) Française des Jeux
9 Fabian Wegmann (Ger) Gerolsteiner
10 Marco Velo (Ita) Team Milram

GC standings
1 001 EVANS, Cadel AUS SIL 46:42:13 00:00:00
2 017 SCHLECK, Frank LUX CSC 46:42:14 00:00:01
3 191 VANDEVELDE USA TSL 46:42:51 00:00:38
4 115 KOHL, Bernhard AUT GST 46:42:59 00:00:46
5 131 MENCHOV, Denis RUS RAB 46:43:10 00:00:57
6 011 SASTRE, Carlos ESP CSC 46:43:41 00:01:28
7 041 KIRCHEN, Kim LUX THR 46:44:09 00:01:56
8 173 COBO ACEBO ESP SDV 46:44:23 00:02:10
9 171 RICCO, Riccardo ITA SDV 46:44:42 00:02:29
10 104 EFIMKIN, V RUS ALM 46:44:45 00:02:32

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