Category: Racing

Tour de France sculpture

The long winding road leads to the yellow jersey. A sculpture in France.

Photo by spud murphy at flickr.com

Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2006/07/02/tour-de-france-sculpture/

Vinokourov team may not race in Tour de France

(Updated July 29 — Astana-Wurth gets green light to race — CyclingNews) Tour de France organizers are seeking to ban the Astana-Wurth cycling team from the bike race this year after published reports link several members to a blood-doping probe in Spain. …

Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2006/06/27/vinokourov-team-may-not-race-in-tour-de-france/

Spanish newspaper links Jan Ullrich, others, to doping probe

True or false, proven or unproven, this is going to be a huge distraction to German cyclist Jan Ullrich and some other cyclists in the Tour de France.

The Spanish newspaper El Pais reports that documents found in a raid during the Operation Puerto blood-doping probe relate to Ullrich, the winner of the 1997 Tour de France and a favorite this year.

Says Ullrich: “That has nothing to do with me.” …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2006/06/26/spanish-newspaper-links-jan-ullrich-others-to-doping-probe/

Great Divide mountain bike race — like an off-road RAAM

Now that the last of the Race Across America cyclists have straggled across the finish line in Atlantic City, mountain bikers are leaving Roosville, Montana, for the Great Divide Race at noon Friday.

While the RAAM racers gain our admiration by cycling 3,042 miles cross-country in 9 or 10 days, consider what the Great Divide racers try to accomplish:

With no support or team members, the mountain bikers race from the Canadian to the Mexican border. They cross 2,490 miles of mountain terrain carrying their own gear for cooking, camping and bike repair. The route comprises 200,000 feet of climbing. …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2006/06/23/great-divide-mountain-bike-race-like-an-off-road-raam/

RAAM cyclists roll to the finish

Searing desert heat; stiff Kansas winds; long grades and steep hills; and night after day after night cycling is coming to an end for the bicyclists in the Race Across America.

The teams started rolling across the finish line at the Boardwalk in Atlantic City on Monday, 3,042 miles and about 5 1/2 days after leaving Oceanside, California. The solo riders began coasting across the finish line last night, nine days after leaving the West Coast. …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2006/06/21/raam-cyclists-roll-to-the-finish/

Armstrong wants anti-doping chief Dick Pound punished

Lance Armstrong is not letting the controversy over last year's doping allegations die quietly.

In response to a report that concluded the World Anti-Doping Agency acted irresponsibly in the mishandling of urine samples from the 1999 Tour de France, Armstrong is seeking discipinary action against WADA chief Dick Pound. (Updated June 22) …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2006/06/19/armstrong-wants-anti-doping-chief-dick-pound-punished/

Jan Ullrich back in top form; wins Tour de Suisse

Note to top contenders in the 2006 Tour de France bike race: Der Kaiser is back.

German cyclist Jan Ullrich is this year's Tour de Suisse champion, winning on the strength of his individual time trial ride on Sunday after staying near the top of the standings through the mountain stages in recent days.

The team leader for T-Mobile won the 19-mile time trial from Kerzers to Bern by 22 seconds over second place finisher, Cadel Evans of Davitamon Lotto. …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2006/06/18/jan-ullrich-back-in-top-form-wins-tour-de-suisse/

How RAAM cyclists are different than the rest of us

I may be nothing more than a recreational bicycling hack, but my style of cycling has more in common with elite racers in the Tour de France than those competing in the Race Across America.

Basically, my rides begin and end on the same date and in the same time zone. Not so the RAAM, which is passing through Missouri and into Illinois on Saturday. Cyclists who started this race on Sunday in California stay on their bikes as long as possible without sleep on their way across the continent to Atlantic City, New Jersey.

They are a completely different breed. Race reports from RAAM writer Danny Chew are so bizarre they can't be fiction. Consider …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2006/06/17/how-raam-cyclists-are-different-than-the-rest-of-us/

Fallout from Spanish blood-doping probe

It's been slightly more than two weeks since Spanish authorities sprung a trap that netted a bicycling team manager, the assistant director of another team, a doctor, and several others in a blood doping probe.
Looking at the news so far, it's striking how many cyclists not implicated in the probe have fallen victim in the run up to the Tour de France because of their association with some teams. …

Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2006/06/15/fallout-from-spanish-blood-doping-probe/

Le Tour de France logo

Bicycle race begins July 1

Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2006/06/13/le-tour-de-france-logo/