Worlds biggest stadium...3531.5km long with standing room only on both sides.

Ive been watching quite a bit of the tour this past week, those guys are freeks seeing them in the mountains last night...tonight they ride over a 2115m+ peak starting from a 186m elevation start, well worth watching.

The drug issue is always going to be there, regardless i think its the greatest sporting endevour on the planet. The talk about australia entering a team in future comps is quite interesting, but it would be a costly endevour to pull off curently there are 9 aussies (10 really,) entered in this years event. Ive noticed so many australian flags on the side of the roads more so than last year, it would be inspiring for the guys see that as they drag them selves up yet another hill.

Hope Cadel goes one better this year.

He has a 1 second lead. First Aussie in 26 years to wear the yellow jersey

After Phil Anderson, Stuart O'Grady wore it during the early stages of Le Tour around ten years ago. Anyway, Cadel is our best shot in yonks because the bloke can climb and he goes well in the time trials. It's a handy combination.

Who likes SBS's coverage? I'm a big fan of Gabriel Gate.

Yeah what a great night/morning.

Cadel is the 5th Aussie to wear the yellow, Brad McGee and Robbie Mc Ewen have also worn the yellow jersey. His team need to get behind him now to take him all the way to Paris in it

i need a rest break as well..last night was a killer.

Gabriel is funny what a great gig hes got

Has anyone been busted for drugs yet?

yes on day 6 i think..the B sample is due in soon

a spanish guy i think...?

another went last night...EPO again

and another.....i see a trend forming

I went to see the Prologue last year in London. I was in the Pyrennees last week to see it for real. Absolutely awesome seeing the speed those blokes are going up the mountains.
Its very odd spectating experience. We got to the bottom of the cols about 4-5 hours before race was due to come past. On the Col d'Aspin, we only walked up about 3km before deciding that we had a good spot. Col du Tourmalet (2115m) we got up about 6.5km, still over 10km from the top. Its weird fighting with young children and old ladies for some of the crappy keyrings that the caravane throws out. I did get the stuff that you, the yellow satchel, the big green hand, the polka dot cap and the white bucket hat. Actually, I got 3 white hats, as they had the name & date of the stage on each day. We also got to the start at Lannemezan, the first time Cadel was in yellow.
On the rest day after the stage over the Col du Tourmalet, a group of us gave it a go ourselves. 16.9km long, 1275m from the bottom to the top. Took me over 2 hours...might do a little bit more training and take a lighter bike (and lighter me) next time!

How long did it take the riders to do the same?

Under an hour, and they'd done 100 odd km before they got there. As a guide, a mate who does half ironman triathlons (at just outside world championship qualifying times) did it in 1 hour 9 minutes 13 seconds. Mine was an hour 9 seconds slower!

that guy going flat out up the hill (Riccardo Ricco) got nailed for EPO. I rember remarking when he was making his breaks mid climb that he gotta be on drugs...turns out he was.



try EPO......


these days the modern tour is a 3 weeks test for pharmaceutical companies to avoid detection from World doping agencies...and its a real shame.....on the upside at least they get some practice in before the Olympics...

each team should be forced to hire an independent medical examiner who reports their findings direct to the UCI/ASO and then through to the teams. every rider, every day.

So who won?