A one-week summer job might not be everyone's idea of a lifetime experience, unless that job is working behind the scenes at the 2011 Tour de France.
Bike-maker Cannondale is running a contest this spring to choose one person to work with Team Liquigas-Cannondale during one week of the Tour, which rolls out July 2 through July 24.
To win, contestants must submit a one- to two-minute video ….
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2011/05/06/contest-work-with-pro-cycling-team-at-tour-de-france/
Update: Feb. 15, 2011 — After proposing a one-year ban on cyclist Alberto Contador, the Spanish Cycling Federation has overturned that proposal and he is free to race again.
Contador appealed their findings that he had intentionally used clenbuteral, a performance-enhancing drug, during the Tour de France. Instead, they chose to believe his story that he accidentally ingested it in some clen-tainted steak.
Contador says he's ready to ride the Volta ao Algarve on Wednesday for his new team, Saxo Bank. The International Cycling Union says it's waiting to receive the full dossier on the investigation before offering its opinion on the Spanish board's flip-flop. ….
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2011/02/15/alberto-contador-update-cleared-of-all-charges-hes-free-to-compete/
L'Etape du Tour is the Tour de France for the common man. The mass participation event enables weekend warriors on bicycles to test their performance against the stars of cycling.
Because of the growing popularity of the cycling event, bike race organizer ASO is expanding the event to two stages. Explaining at the l'Etape website:
“It became very difficult to refuse riders because of our 10,000 limit. In organising 2 races, we would like to offer all riders the possibility to ride the Champions routes, on the historic Tour de France stages. … These 2 races, with very different profiles and landscapes ….
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2010/10/21/tour-de-france-wannabes-fulfill-their-dreams-at-2011-letape-du-tour/
The 2011 Tour de France will return to the high ground again next year, paying homage to the Alps in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the bicycle race's first visit there.
At the route announcement in Paris on Tuesday, Tour organizers revealed the 98th Tour will feature six mountain stages and four summit finishes. There's just one individual time trial (Stage 20, Grenoble, 41 km) and a team time trial (Stage 2, Les Essarts, 23 km).
The Alps are such a fixture in the modern-day Tour de France that it's hard to believe that there was a time when the cyclists didn't visit the region ….
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2010/10/19/the-alps-featured-in-2011-tour-de-france/
UCI provisionally suspends the Spanish cyclist
With all eyes focused on the grand jury investigating allegations that Lance Armstrong used performance-enhancing drugs, now comes shocking news that Alberto Contador failed a doping control test during the closing stages of the 2010 Tour de France.
Three-time Tour champion Contador, through a spokesman, says that food contamination must be the culprit. He reiterated that position at a press conference on Thursday near his home in Spain.
The UCI, pro cycling's governing body, has “formally and provisionally suspended” Contador. It says further study is needed before any conclusion can be drawn.
The failed drug test was taken on July 21, a rest day in the Pyrenees for the peloton. The next day, Stage 17, saw Andy Schleck attack Contador numerous times on the Col de Tourmalet in an attempt to win back an 8-second deficit ….
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2010/09/30/contador-failed-drug-test-at-tour-de-france-claims-food-contamination/
French pro cyclist Laurent Fignon died at age 50 on Tuesday after battling cancer for the past year.
Although he won the Tour de France in 1983 and 1984, he was best known to Americans as the cyclist who lost the Tour to Greg LeMond by 8 seconds in 1989 on the final day of the race.
On a visit to France during the early 1990s, I had the opportunity to grab a photo of Fignon riding at the head of the peloton with Miguel Indurain (in yellow, of course) and Claudio Chiappucci (in the polka dot jersey). He was easy to recognize with his receding hairline and long blond hair.
Talking to my French brother-in-law later….
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2010/09/01/laurent-fignon-1960-2010/
Here are some numbers that might be remembered as the books close on the 2010 Tour de France:
3 — The number of career Tour de France championships won by Alberto Contador
0 — The number of stage wins by Alberto Contador in the 2010 Tour de France
28 — The number on the jerseys worn by Lance Armstrong's RadioShack team at the start of the final TdF stage and on the podium in Paris. Represents 28 million people living with cancer worldwide. The high commissioners of cycling threatened to disqualify them for this egregious breach of protocol. ….
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2010/07/26/2010-tour-de-france-by-the-numbers/
No one can beat Mark Cavendish if he can see the finish line from the front of the peloton.
He proved that again on Sunday when he won the final stage of the 2010 Tour de France in Paris.
The HTC-Columbia sprinter passed Alesandro Petacchi and Thor Hushovd on the Champs-Elysees, marking his 5th stage win at this year's Tour. It was his 15th career win at the Tour.
Decked out like a yellow canary, Alberto Contador finished comfortably in the pack to retain his lead and win his second consecutive Tour de France championship, the third of his career …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2010/07/25/cavendish-wins-in-paris-contador-takes-3rd-tour-de-france/
For just a moment on the road from Bordeaux to Paullac, it looked as if Andy Schleck was riding himself back into the lead in his battle with Alberto Contador for 2010 Tour de France championship.
Schleck attacked hard in the early part of the 32-mile individual time trial course, gaining 6 seconds on Contador at the first time check and coming with 2 seconds of regaining the yellow jersey.
That was as close as Schleck was going to get, however. Either Contador increased his tempo or Schleck began running out of gas, but Schleck started slipping back.
At the finish, the defending champion had beat his younger rival by 32 seconds ….
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2010/07/24/schleck-battles-in-itt-but-comes-up-short-to-contador/
Another mass sprint and another victory for Mark Cavendish at the Tour de France as the HTC-Columbia's speedster weaved through his rivals to win in Bordeaux on Friday.
While competing teams drove their sprinters toward the finishline, Cavendish coolly emerged from the pack and easily won his 4th stage of this year's Tour; the 14th of his career.
Meanwhile, there was no change in the overall standings as yellow jersey wearer Alberto Contador prepares for Saturday's individual time trial in anticipation of Sunday's championship in Paris. He still leads Andy Schleck by 8 seconds ….
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2010/07/23/cavendish-takes-4th-win-at-tour-de-france/
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