and I predict he will win the Tour de France this year. That is all.

[img][650:406]http://www.ivanbasso.it/photogallery/2006/47.jpg[/img]

[img][332:500]http://floydlandis.com/gallery/albums/album02/ABC_0095.sized.jpg[/img]


USA wins again.

Aw, hell no... I do not like Floyd Landis. But yes, that is what some folks are saying. I choose not to listen.

Jan ain't got a chance in hell though.

I don't really like him either but I love the stories about him being out in Colorado when he was 17 or so and he would come up behind these world class riders who were training and he would start screaming at them, "COME ON YOU PUSSIES LET'S GO! LET'S GO!!" and go right past them up a 12,000 foot mountain.

All those dudes are animals.

Yeah... that makes me like him even less.

i go away for a week and this place descends to talk of roses, soccer, cycling, hockey, and the dixie chicks. oh yea, nothing really changed.

Derris, regarding your boy Floyd....

http://pezcyclingnews.com/?pg=fullstory&id=4073

Dauphine '06 St4: The Giant Awakes
Thursday, June 08, 2006 11:58:22 AM PT

by Richard Pestes

Today’s Ventoux mountain stage at the Dauphine was more than just the first big mountain stage of the race, it was also the first climbing test for the TDF hopefuls looking to check form before July. Our crystal ball has been wrong before, but when it comes to who’s got form, the Giant of Provence never lies.

It’s a classic test in the June run-up to Tour de France, the 8 stage Dauphine Libere race around southern France serves up some warm days, many of the same roads, and the last key kms of racing for Tour contenders. Dave Zabriskie looked super in yesterday’s TT, and that’s usually a sign of things to come, but after losing 8:10 today, it’s pretty clear today’s incline was Dave’s decline.

The big story was Levi Leipheimer, driving the pace on the lower slopes and then shredding what was left of the group as he left the trees for the lunar-scape of the top of the huge climb. Riding a hard but steady tempo, he looked poised to win the stage, but had to settle for the race leader’s jersey when his passengers – Denis Menchov of Rabobank, and Chrisophe Moreau of Ag2r jumped away with 300 meters to go. But is Ventoux a peak too early for Levi’s July plans? Stay tuned for that answer.

Discovery Channel’s George Hincapie looked great after yesterday’s TT, landing himself in 5th on gc at today’s start. Word out of Greenville was that George’s training has gone very well since the Roubaix accident, his ride yesterday was proof of that, so there was much baited breath at the bottom of the Ventoux to see how George’s legs would take the change in gradient. He hung in on the lower slopes, but wasn’t up to the pace set by Levi, but rode solid tempo to come in 3:03 down for the day. You can bet no one’s worried at the team hotel tonite though, as no one knows better than Disco how ‘good’ form in the Dauphine becomes ‘great’ in July.

Floyd Landis was expected by many to make a run for the cup today, being placed in 3rd on gc this morning, and a better climber than the Phillipe Gilbert and Zabriskie ahead of him. But when Floyd stepped up, the Giant stepped on… him. From the front group at the bottom, he ended up riding in tempo and losing 9:30 in the final kms. He’s clearly still training for July.


What about the rest of the notables?
• Alexandre Vinokourov: 13:10 lost – I guess shouts of ‘venga venga venga’ don’t have the same effect through a barred window…
• Alejandro Valverde: The Spanish Tour hope looked good on the Ventoux, riding with confidence and finishing 18th with Hincapie at 3:13 down.
• Wim Van Huffel – The Belgian from Davitamon Lotto was a climbing sensation in the ’05 Giro and has clearly been pegged for the Tour this year. He lost 5:12 for 33rd place today, but he’s one to watch.
• Oscar Sevilla made a big show of attacking the lead group on the low slopes, no doubt in defiance of his team’s delay in putting him on the Tour squad. He looked good for a few kms before blowing up, but still got 11th on the day. Take that T-Mobile mgmt!
• Thomas Voeckler – the 2004 maillot jaune hero is a worthy mention for sure as he’s been present in so many breaks this year – the plucky Frenchman seems on a one-man mission to save the face of French cyclists by racing like… well, an Italian.

That's just pure sexist....

no guy on obner would ever make a post simply to glorify the beauty of a female! we are much more mature then that!!!!!

:roll eyes:

vinokourov.



'nuff said

He's good, I'll give him that, but he ain't gonna win. They're saying Voeckler might have a chance to win too, but I doubt that as well.

BUMP

What's up Dana?

Show some love.

She's too busy having a Tour de France party.

ok, I give.... I love your boy Floyd, Derris. He showed remarkable courage, tenacity and professionalism on this Tour. He totally deserved the win.

Yep, got pics from the party... I'll post a link tomorrow.

Suffice it to say, much champagne was consumed on my part.

Simply amazing what he was able to do. This will most likely be his last race ever since he will have hip replacement surgery in the coming months. No one has ever come back after having that done but what a way to go out.

The single best one day performance ever on Thursday. Historic.

did he do a wheelie?

Double Can Can with a tailwhip into a superman.

Competely sick dude.

<--may or may not be distantly related to Floyd Landis.

Either way, good to see him win.

Absolutely. The guy rode like there was no tomorrow. Amazing. Unfortunately, I feel like history will only place him as a footnote since this year was all about shakeups. The guy deserves to be heralded though, and the fact that he has perhaps continued the interest in US Cycling should be commended as well.

He doesn't have the most um....aerodynamic ears I've ever seen. Surprising that doesn't create too much drag.

Actually, when he reaches fast speeds, they kinda act like little wings, creating lift allowing him to avoid the roughest of road conditions with a nice comfort zone between the road and bike...

Stand-by for lift-off

I think his facial hair is what makes him stand apart. Considering many riders shave their legs and arms, body hair, especially facial hair, is impressive.

Pics from party:
http://flickr.com/photos/59781675@N00/s ... 210215021/

There better have been some Kraftwerk played

No Kraftwerk, but I did put it on my last summer mix cd I made.

Dana eerily resembles - I mean, EERILY - my ex wife. If you pixillated out your face, I wouldn't have been able to tell you apart from her in a photo. Weird.

Speaking of bikes, I just got my junker out of the shop newly tuned. That's all I got.