Somebody got away with a very valuable piece of sports memorabilia.

The 2009 Tour de France is still a long way from here but fans of the sport are already feeling all giggly in anticipation for it. Some even can’t help themselves of grabbing a ‘’piece'’ of it right now that they decided to just steal one of Lance Armstrong’s bikes just for the heck of it.

You read it, the seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong lost his time-trial bike when it was stolen from the Team Astana truck during the night before the popular cyclist heads for Stage 1 of the Tour of California.

Although Armstrong, in his first competitive appearance in his native country since ‘’resuming'’ his cycling career last month, finished a strong 10th place during the Tour prologue in preparation for Stage 1 in California, you just know that he must be pissed after learning that somebody stole his bike in his first official comeback performance.

A few hours after the time trial, someone removed four bikes from the Astana truck outside the Sacramento hotel where Lance Armstrong’s Astana team was residing in.

His time-trial bike, which was closest to the door, was stolen along with three other bikes that belong to Armstrong’s teammates; Steve Morabito, Yaroslav Popovych and…

Read More » Holy Crap! A bike was stolen from Lance Armstrong!

Yes, he’s coming back.

Lance Armstrong, probably the most popular cyclist in the United States, since the country doesn’t really have that much, will ride the 2009 Tour de France after a long hiatus from the sport.

The Tour begins on the 4th of July and Lance Armstrong, probably celebrating his own Independence Day after finally ending his relationship with the singer Sheryl Crow, figured getting his ass back on a bicycle is the best way to let the rest of the world know that he’s back running his life. Hee hee.

‘’If you’ve been away for three or four years, it would be silly for anybody to think I could pick up where I left off,'’ Lance Armstrong said in a telephone interview from Tenerife in the Canary Islands.

‘’I can tell you I feel better than ever, I feel stronger than ever on Dec. 1. How that translates to racing, we’ll have to see. Mentally, in terms of motivation, this feels like 1998-1999 to me.'’

Armstrong, who’ll likely join 2007 Tour champion Alberto Contador in the Astana team, will be a part of one of the most star-studded lineups in France. Joining Armstrong and Contador is Germany’s Andreas Kloeden, American veteran Levi Leipheimer and top support rider Yaroslav Popovych.

The Astana cycling team, now considered by far the strongest multistage team EVER, is so ridiculously powerful they might…

Read More » Lance Armstrong will race the 2009 Tour de France

FINALLY, after all the doping scandals that have plagued this year’s Tour, we finally have a winner.

Of course, I won’t be surprised if this guy gets tested positive for dope as well but for now, Spain’s Carlos Sastre will be recognized as the winner of the 2008 Tour de France.

10 days have passed since we last saw another guy tested positive for performance enhancing drugs. And when the Tour concluded last Sunday with Carlos Sastre being crowned champion, guess what, another doping allegation came out of the woodwork.

He he… You read it. These doping scandals have tagged along with this year’s Tour from start to finish and it was only fitting that we have one last one before they crown a new champion.

This time, according to the head of France’s anti-doping agency Pierre Bordry, it was Dmitriy Fofonov who was tested positive for a ‘’very heavy dose'’ of…

Read More » Carlos Sastre wins the 2008 Tour de France

Because doping scandals have really been the flavor of this year’s Tour.

The 2008 Tour de France was rocked once again by a third positive doping scandal following the news that Italian biker Riccardo Ricco tested positive for banned substances. Surprised? Not us.

Riccardo Ricco, who won two climbing stages already, was taken into custody by French police amid scenes of chaos outside his Saunier Duval team bus before the start of stage 12. Ricco was expelled from the race and detained, leading to his team pulling off from the Tour and pausing all of its activities. His Spanish team initially took to the start line for the 12th stage from here to Narbonne, however, because of Ricco’s stupidity, the yellow-clad riders returned to the team bus.

‘’We’ve decided to suspend all cycling activities until we find out what has happened,'’ team spokesman Matxin Fernandez said. ‘’Ricco is not just any rider, he’s a top rider. So for the sake of our team and the Tour de France we have made this decision. We can’t act as though nothing has happened, we have to accept the reality.'’

Riccardo Ricco’s positive test for the banned blood booster erythropoietin (EPO) was confirmed by the French national anti-doping agency (AFLD), which is carrying out all tests on the race as the race is being held under the auspices of the…

Read More » The 2008 Tour de France is just full of Dope now

With only four more stages remaining, including this one, cyclists going for this year’s title should go all out.

And it shouldn’t matter too if the 2008 Tour de France has been plagued by steroids scandals, like the last few years. It’s a foot-race for the title people and the Bourg d’Oisans - Saint-Etienne 197 km climb should be exciting to say the least.

Stage 18 of the 2008 Tour de France could be the best possible day for breakaway riders. However, this will totally depend on the competition for the green jersey, and if sprinters will save the best for the Paris finale.

Interestingly, the last time the green jersey was a close contest like it is now was back in 2003, when eventual winner Baden Cooke and Robbie McEwen engaged in battle while their respective teams allowed breakaway groups to win the stage, leading their men home for the few remaining points on offer. It was on the equivalent stage of that year when McEwen took over the jersey, only for Cooke to regain it on the Champs-Elysees.

The second category climb of the Croix de Montvieux, which comes with…

Read More » Stage 18 of the 2008 Tour de France is on Thursday

Aside from Cadel Evans of course.

The 2008 Tour de France is almost ready to conclude despite all these doping scandals that have fucked it up for us already.

Of course, this year’s Tour is still something Cadel Evans to lose. He already has a firm grasp on that title and if everything works out as planned, I won’t be surprised to see this guy winning it. So who else will win this year’s Tour if Evans finds himself being tested positive for performance enhancing drugs? (Hey, you never really know right?) Hopefully, these guys won’t be tested positive for dope.

First we have Damiano Cunego. He has shown considerable growth as a rider since winning the 2004 Giro d’Italia, the type of results and maturity that is needed to win the world’s biggest cycling race.

The 26-year-old won the young rider classification in his only Tour de France appearance in 2006 but failed to live up to his earlier promise until he won the Giro di Lombardia last fall. Add to the fact that he is a former winner of the Giro d’Italia, the ‘’little prince'’ who rides for Lampre is a huge talent in stage racing, especially in the mountains. Next we have Alejandro Valverde. Known as the ‘Green Bullet’ in some circles, he might just be blasting his way to the top of the Tour de France podium.

The 28 year-old Spaniard from Murcia who was brilliant throughout 2006 has that same spark this…

Read More » Who are the 2008 Tour de France Contenders?

The show must go on.

The show must go on indeed for the 2008 Tour de France amidst all these doping scandals we have on the Tour this year. For those of you keeping score, we already have three. Amazing huh?

Despite that, organizers will still go ahead with Stage 16 of the 2008 Tour de France on Monday as it will be an epic in terms of length, altitude, and exposure. Not that this thing needs more exposure after all these doping issues surrounding it.

After a short stint in Italy, the Tour heads back to France on this 97-mile route crossing over the Col de Lombarda, a first-time ‘beyond classification’ climb, and the Col de la Bonette-Restefond, the highest paved pass in Europe.

Maxing out at 9,193 feet, the Bonette-Restefond climb is the highest point of the Tour, the race has only traveled south-to-north over the summit once before. With the exception of the summit approach to the Bonette, both of Stage 16’s climbs are well-suited to rhythm climbers. Attacks may begin near the crest of each pass but will likely be reeled in on the long descents 13 miles and 13.7 miles, respectively.

The possibility of poor weather will make this already trying stage even more…

Read More » Stage 16 of the 2008 Tour de France is STILL ON

Because quite frankly, you’ll never know who’ll win it even after the tournament is over.

It has been well documented that doping scandals have always plagued cycling’s premiere event. And these doping scandals can snatch the title away from whoever wins it, like last year when Michael Rasmussen should’ve been the winner but because of him getting his ass DOPED, the 2007 title was then literally handed over to Alberto Contador. Guess what, we already have THREE in the 2008 Tour de France.

Sad huh? The latest of which? Riccardo Ricco. The guy already won two stages of the Tour de France as people are probably starting to marvel his endurance in what is a very very grueling spot. When he was tested positive for performance enhancing drugs, it was all over.

The biggest question now is, who will will don the maillot jaune of best overall rider when the three-week race concludes in Paris? Who will be the next Lance Armstrong? Sure, whoever comes out the winner will probably be tested like crazy for dope anyway but hey, he’s a champion until proven DOPED eh?

The list of favorites boils down to just five men; Cadel Evans (Silence-Lotto), Damiano Cunego (Lampre), Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d’Epargne), Denis Menchov (Rabobank) and Carlos Sastre (CSC-Saxo).

But since Cadel Evans is the first guy we mentioned, let’s find out if this dude can…

Read More » Can Cadel Evans win the 2008 Tour de France?

Now THAT was only a matter of time.

After 10 stages of the 2008 Tour de France got off with just one steroids scandal, it seems the sport was finally free of doping issues until this year’s Tour concludes. When the 11th stage got here Wednesday, guess what, another doping scandal erupted.

You read it, after Kurt-Asle Arvesen won the 11th stage of the 2008 Tour de France, a much bigger news story (for some reason) came out after Spain’s Moises Duenas Nevado was tested positive for the banned performance enhancer EPO.

The arrest of Moises Duenas Nevado is this year’s second arrest for performance enhancing drugs. That’s probably why it left International Cycling Union president Pat McQuaid puzzled why their cyclists just keep on biting the ‘’enhancing'’ dust.

‘’I just can’t understand when are these guys are going to learn,'’ Pat McQuaid said. ‘’If the ‘B’ sample is positive, then all I can say is the guy’s a fool. The net is closing in.'’

‘’The Tour is the biggest event in the world and people will…'’

Read More » Doping Scandal hits the 2008 Tour de France AGAIN

Another uphill battle, that’s what this year’s Tour has in store for our cyclists on Monday.

After the Super Basse on Stage 6, the 2008 Tour de France will once again test the mettle of the top cyclists in the world when the tournament resumes on Monday for Hautacam, in what would be yet another tough mountaintop stage.

You read it, the top cyclists in the world will make that climb again as Stage 10 of the 2008 Tour de France is the second of four mountaintop challenges these cyclists will have to endure.

These ‘’uphill challenges'’ will resume on Stage 15 for Prato Nevoso and lastly on Stage 17 for the L’Alpe d’Huez. Unfortunately for these cyclists, many consider the Pau - Hautacam route as the hardest of the four mountaintop stages.

The Pau - Hautacam stage is regarded as the toughest because of its 156-kilometer length. This stage should see some real gaps too, separating the contenders from the pretenders, so to…

Read More » Stage 10 of 2008 Tour de France is one heckuva’ climb