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...anyone who sells his time to someone else is a prostitute...
...and there's nothing more valuable than time, so if you are unfortunate enough to have to sell it to someone else-- please, try and get top dollar...
yes, normally this thread is a lot like Armstrong after the TdF-- it goes into hibernation for a year.
------------------------------------
anyway, I thought this was interesting, actually, I thought it was odd-- it's just a matter of time before we see pr from both Basso and Ullrich on their innocence [again].
Astana 5' cleared by Spanish court
http://www.velonews.com/race/int/articles/10588.0.html
actually I thought of that yesterday-- thinking that Ullrich would sign with Disco just in time for this race ... now that would be an uncomfortable situation ... having your head handed back to you by the very people who just signed you for the leadership of the team...???
...only the leader is now your boss...!?
a competition between Tom and Levi would be a piece of cake compared to a Basso/Ullrich situation
...and with Basso there's the Vuelta leadership problem-- since Basso is preparing for this race.
the best thing for Disco at the moment is to stop. <vbg>
"It would be impossible to race on mineral water alone."
-- Jacques Anquetil
http://www.eurosport.com/cycling/tour-de-france/2006/sport_sto932565.shtml
Disco will be at the Deutschland Tour.
http://www.durangoherald.com/asp-bin/article_generation.asp?article_type=sports&article_path=/sp...
Johan Bruyneel was recently interviewed on a Disco TdF podcast and he was saying that it wasn't necessary to win the TdF, but it was necessary to be ready for all the other races on their calendar.
In the good old days with Lance, the team generally went into hibernation after the tour.
He now expects the team to be ready all year long.
Tour de France rider fails dope test
PARIS, July 26 (Reuters) - A rider on this year's Tour de
France failed a dope test during the race, the International
Cycling Union (UCI) announced on Wednesday.
"The UCI received today a report of the anti-doping
laboratory of Paris stating an adverse analytical finding
following an anti-doping test carried out at the Tour de France
2006," the sport's governing body said in a statement.
Details of the rider were not released, although the UCI
said his team and national federation had been informed of the
test result.
cowards or drug dealers...?
-- heroin production from that region is transfered into Lebanon for processing and then sold into the markets to buy missiles to launch at Israel ... if the UN had any balls they would of enforced their own laws and declawed Hezbollah -- and we wouldn't be in this mess in the first place.
...as for Syria, Lebanon and the West Bank-- at one time (a little over 2500 years ago) it all belonged to the Jews. But through an unfortunate series of events they lost their faith and and eventually all of their land.
...and here lies the problem.
anyway, this is probably the wrong thread for this kind of discussion-- but nevertheless I'm a big supporter of Mr. Harper. I also support what the Americans are trying to accomplish in the Middle-East. I wish more countries would participate in the disarmament of this region ... It's about the only way I can think of to starve off the coming of the biblical armageddon (the book of Ezekiel, Daniel and Revelations)
I'll leave it at that--
see ya in the morning.
one of the scariest, at least for me, are the comments coming out of the UN
ISRAEL'S UN ambassador said he was "shocked" by accusations from UN chief Kofi Annan that the Jewish state may have deliberately targeted an observation post in Lebanon in an air raid that killed as many as four UN observers.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5215366.stm
I reckon the rapture index will move a notch or two just on that alone
http://www.raptureready.com/rap2.html
there comes a time when daytrading becomes detrimental to ones networth
I haven't made a trade since July 18th when I bought UTS Energy-- still holding my U-stocks, NG stocks and a driller
...and I'm proud to say after a week and a half of eating nothing but Kraft Dinners, I can finally afford to add some protein to my diet ... it's been a good couple of days.
IAC ... in the Canadian markets both the XEG and the XGD look pretty good-- but the volume in regards to energy is much higher. That would probably be explained by the move in natural gas over the last three days, but then again some of the best moves in the market today were coming from both copper and oilsand related stocks.
Anyway, gold stocks tend to lag, at least for now-- I can imagine at some point it'll be the only game in town.
L ... I haven't seen anything yet. The Deutschland Tour website hasn't posted anything on who's participating other than the 2 teams that are also sponsors ... and nothing in the way of news from Gerolsteiner, but I did check out CSC racing calendar and apparently they're participating, but no word on which riders.
It starts in 6-days-- not much time for recovery and as you were saying, 2-weeks after that is the Vuelta.
-------------------------
-- agreed on your Hincapie view
but with all this possible new talent somebody with a high profile will to get the axe, Paolo Savoldelli...? I think there will be a complete overhaul-- Discovery rides for the TdF, at least the official TdF website can be viewed in English which is something that can't be said for the Deutschland Tour.
yeah, that's also a good speculation-- thanks.
btw, cycling.tv is covering the Tour of Germany beginning the first of August
I guess it depends on what happens with Hincapie and his contract with Disco-- does he sign or resign?
Levi could very well be one of two things-- a negotiation ploy to limit a sky high contract deal with either Basso or Ullrich -- or a super domestique because George is on his way out.
Leipheimer's strength is the 1-week tours-- this suggests that he'll probably lead the "B-Team" while Danielson moves up to the TdF squad for next season.
...or there's still another big announcement.
The offer must have been terrific from Disco-- I can imagine that Gerolsteiner was initially interested in Leipheimer to sell bottled water in the California market -- will Gerolsteiner look for another American...?
Leipheimer to Discovery
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2006/jul06/jul25news2
Levi Leipheimer is leaving the Gerolsteiner team at the end of the season, and will sign for Discovery Channel, which is expected to confirm this later today. According to Gerolsteiner's bike sponsor Specialized, Leipheimer called them after the Tour to announce his transfer to the Discovery Channel team, effective January 1, 2007. "My best results, wins at the Tour of Germany and Dauphiné Libéré, happened on my S-Works Tarmac SL, but Discovery (Channel) made me an offer I could not refuse," he was quoted as saying, while further expressing his thanks for Specialized's support.
Gerolsteiner spokesman Mathias Wieland told www.Radsport-Aktiv.de, "We had agreed with Levi that we would sit down together after the Tour and make the decision. Levi wanted to know earlier, and told us that he was having discussions with other teams."
Leipheimer is expected to ride the Deutschland Tour, where he is the defending champion.
I was going through some of your links and eurosport and what not-- and I noticed that T-Mobile and the riders are the ones pushing their management out ... it's like they're a racing team with talent and big money, but without a racing license...?
...and Kloden contract is up...???
...Aldag the new DS...???
...is Bob Stapleton is the new manager...???
...Armstrong's old agent...???
...tranfer season as wide open as the TDF (no ? needed)
Btw, one of my favorite cycling videos of all time is Hell On Wheels, starring Zabel and Aldag.
-------------------------------
As for the ride-- I'll probably not do the whole thing (although I've done it before) the plan is get riding by 6AM and then have my wife leave Jasper in the early afternoon and gather what's left of me on the side of the road. I'll probably end up riding about 250km of it, before she finally catches up with me.
...as for downhill riding, my hands get sore from holding the brakes, my voice hoarse from screaming in fear. I'm not good at descending, pretty good cross country rider and great at climbing, which is what I'll be doing out there.
here's an old photo of my 21"MTB-- the only thing different about it today is the back wheel (I'm hard on wheels) and I upgraded the cranks-- I normally ride with 180mm length.
I normally ride a MTB when it's too cold to ride a road bike, essentially in the winter-- my transition bike, early spring/late fall is my cyclocross bike (pictured below)
...and I also own three road bikes <vbg>
South Korea buys into Canada's oil sands
SEOUL, July 24 (Reuters) - South Korea has made its first
foray into Canada's oil sands with a $270 million (C$310
million) acquisition of an early-stage project as the world's
No. 4 crude importer seeks to boost self-sufficiency in oil,
the energy ministry said on Monday.
Korea National Oil Corp. signed a deal to buy the BlackGold
lease in Alberta from major gold producer Newmont Mining Corp.
<NEM.N>, which put the asset on the block earlier this year,
South Korea's Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy said.
The lease has estimated recoverable reserves of 250 million
barrels.
Newmont had conducted a feasibility study on the property,
anticipating extra-heavy crude production of 35,000 barrels a
day using a technique called steam-assisted gravity drainage,
said Maureen Upton, spokeswoman for the Denver-based company.
The method involves pumping steam into the ground to heat
and loosen the tar-like bitumen in the oil sands, allowing it
to be pumped to the surface in wells.
South Korea joins a host of other Asian companies jumping
into Alberta's oil sands in a bid to secure energy supplies to
fuel their expanding economies.
Last year, Chinese state oil firms were among the most
prominent investors in the oil-sand resources, which rival
Saudi Arabia's conventional reserves in size but are more
expensive to develop.
Surging oil prices in recent years have made the oil sands
more economical to develop, fueling an investment boom valued
at as much as C$125 billion.
The industry has predicted Canada's production of
nonconventional crude will triple to more than 3 million
barrels a day in a decade.
"We don't think global oil prices are likely to fall below
$40 per barrel so the oil sands projects will be successful," a
South Korean energy ministry official said.
The ministry said KNOC would start building a facility in
2008. Production from the property, located 160 km (100 miles)
southeast of the oil sands hub of Fort McMurray, Alberta, would
start in 2010.
The volume would represent 30 percent of total daily
production of Korea's current crude assets abroad.
The ministry expects that once production begins, it could
raise the country's oil output self-sufficiency level by around
1.2 percentage point. The country aims to raise its
self-sufficiency to 18 percent in 2013 from 4.1 percent at
present.
South Korea produces 115,000 barrels a day from overseas
oil fields, of which state-run KNOC accounts for almost 35
percent.
The sale is slated to close in less than a month, Newmont's
Upton said.
The company is maintaining a stake in the burgeoning oil
sands industry with a sizable equity interest in Canadian Oil
Sands Trust <COS_u.TO>, which has the largest share of the
Syncrude Canada Ltd. mining and processing operation, she
said.
The interest had an equity value of $650 million at the end
of April, according to a company filing.
Shares in Newmont were up 31 cents at $50.98 in afternoon
trading on the New York Stock Exchange.
A Floyd story-- maybe it's an Ullrich story too...?
copied from that Outside Online link you so aptly posted:
No matter what happens, however, the Tour is certain to create more Floyd stories. Such as the one that happened last July.
It goes like this: A few days before the Tour started, Landis and Lim were training in a small town high in the Pyrenees of northern Spain. The training had gone longer than originally planned, and Landis awoke the last morning looking at a stormy forecast and a hellacious travel day. In order to make it to a pre-Tour Phonak team meeting in Tours, France, they were scheduled to drive two hours south to Barcelona, catch a plane for the two-hour flight to Paris, get picked up, then drive an additional two hours to Tours. Not a big deal under most circumstances, but on this morning, Landis didn't want to hopscotch all over Europe like some business traveler. He wanted one last, hard ride.
Lim awoke to the sight of Landis pulling on his biking gear. The trainer was confused. Didn't he have to pack up? Didn't he have a plane to catch?
"Not anymore we don't," Landis informed Lim.
Lim still didn't get it.
"What I'm saying is, Fuck it," Landis said. "I'll ride there."
And so Landis did. He pointed his front wheel north toward France and started pedaling. He rode up and over the Pyrenees and down the mountain roads, into the vineyards of Limoux, following the road signs north. Landis rode for six hours, covering 130 miles, then got off his bike, stripped off his mud-soaked jersey and shorts, and hurled them off a nearby cliff. Donning dry clothes, he climbed in the car to drive the rest of the way with Lim. "You know how I got to the Tour last year?" Landis asked. When Lim shook his head, Landis grinned. "Lance's private jet," he said.
---------------------------------------
In the next couple of weeks my wife and I are driving up to Jasper for a few days-- Jasper is about 400km straight West from my home in Edmonton. I'm packing 2 bikes, my MTB for the trails and my road bike for the ride home-- in the summer the winds blow predominantly from the West. Also, it's mainly downhill from Jasper to Edmonton so I'll be able to pedal most of the ride in my 53x12
Why would I do such a thing...? <vbg>
----------------------------------------
Getting bach to Ullrich, and his "weight problem," seems to me if he liked riding a bike, his weight would be a non-issue-- and he would of not felt the need to take a shortcut through the drug store.
My speculation is that he retires.
Ekimov retiring in September
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2006/jul06/jul24news
The oldest rider in the Tour de France, Viatcheslav Ekimov (Discovery Channel), will retire in September, according to his team. The 40 year-old was able to bid fans on the Champs-Elysées farewell as the Tour came into Paris on Sunday by riding ahead of the peloton and waving to the crowd. In the final lap, he also tried an attack, but it was unsuccessful. Ekimov finished his 15th Tour de France in 84th position, but will be remembered in recent years for his superb work for Lance Armstrong, who he helped to several of his Tour victories.
After retirement, Ekimov will take a role as a team director for Discovery Channel next year.
speaking of jokes, wasn't just 5-days ago that gold was trading above $676...?
down $70...???
Oscar's yellow jersey is flying out there...!
One other thing-- Armstrong was saying in the press that Ullrich best choice would be to accept the DNA test-- otherwise, the character will continue to be assassinated until this is done. If he doesn't want to give up his right to privacy, then he needs to retire in a hurry ... for now the pressure is on in a big way ... Basso, on the other hand, doesn't seem to be in the crosshairs, at least not as aggressively.
Ullrich says T-Mobile sacked him by fax
BERLIN, July 21 (Reuters) - Germany's T-Mobile Team has
sacked former Tour de France winner Jan Ullrich by fax after he
became embroiled in a doping investigation, the rider's
management said in a statement on Friday.
The statement said Ullrich, who received the fax on
Thursday, did not accept the decision.
"I am very disappointed about the fact the decision was not
communicated to me personally but by T-Mobile's lawyers in a
fax," Ullrich was quoted as saying. "The dismissal by T-Mobile
is not acceptable for me."
T-Mobile withdrew the 32-year-old German from this year's
Tour and suspended him following a doping investigation in
Spain.
just printed over the wires -- Ullrich fired via fax
yeah, yeah-- I'm here... and I see Oscar is in the line-up.
maybe conceding the race and quitting are the same...?
Hi Elisabeth ... I too should welcome you to the thread...
...and thanks for posting the photos, and...
Welcome aboard...!
...Riis sell him out like that.
but really, what else could he do...? Admit to giving him the injections...?
...a better speculation is the new Norwegian sponsors for Bjarne Riis' team ... and creation a Norwegian/Nordic team ... usually this means a much smaller budget with more focus on youth development than winning-- take the French teams for example, the French race the TdF not just to win the race, but more important, to be the best Frenchman in the race. The same thing can be said for the money that has flowed into Astana-- first for youth development and secondly, to be the best Kazak in the race.
...bet you the deal hinges on a buyout of Basso's contract to reduce the funding necessary to run the team.
from -- http://www.pezcyclingnews.com
New Sponsor For CSC?
ProCycling reports that the future of Team CSC could be in good hands. Reports in both Norwegian and Dutch news point to a big time offer from Norwegian sponsors for Bjarne Riis' team.
Nothing is known of the deal at the moment, namely the important: does the sponsor want to "create a Norwegian/Nordic team or [do] they want to buy into CSC"?
Riis was set to meet with the potential backers last week on the Tour's first rest day, but there was some difficulty getting people together. Riis had flown up to Berlin to see the finale of the World Cup (during the middle of the Tour mind you) with his son and had problems getting back in time due to flight delays.
Fallout Between Riis And Basso?
According to La Gazzetta Dello Sport, all is not rosy with Ivan Basso and his team manager/preparatore Bjarne Riis. La Gazzetta reports that their relationship is about as solid as Nick and Jessica's.
So of course when bad blood becomes news, then team transfer speculation becomes rife, and what team pops up? Oh you already know, who else? Discovery. Discovery probably planted the seeds of controversy, because as we've all seen, they need a viable Tour de France contender, and so long as Ivan Basso doesn't get nailed by the Operacion Puerto report, there ain't a much more viable Grand Tour contender at the moment.
Bjarne Riis dismisses the mess as hogwash: "His departure to Discovery is just one of those rumours that easily circulates on the Tour. I don't have Basso on the phone every day, but we are still regularly in contact."
What's Basso up to at the moment? He's training near his home in Varese, Italy. His plan for the rest of the season? He's looking to the Vuelta.
I googled your rumour because I thought you were full of...well, uh, here it is, from eurosport...
-----------------
Bjarne Riis has denied that suspended CSC team leader Ivan Basso is on his way to Discovery Channel following reports from the Italian press. According to the Gazzetta Dello Sport, relations between the 2006 Giro winner and his directeur sportif are rock-bottom in the wake of "Operacion Puerto".
Such is the bad blood between Basso and Riis, it has been suggested that the 28-year-old Italian is already planning his exit from the Danish team, with old rival Lance Armstrong's former team the likely destination.
But Riis has been quick to reject this development as pure speculation, claiming that the two still maintain a professional relationship. "His departure to Discovery is just one of those rumours that easily circulates on the Tour," he said. "I don't have Basso on the phone every day, but we are still regularly in contact."
Riis refused to comment about whether or not he has urged his rider to seek a DNA test to disprove his involvement. The Danish former Tour de France winner, however, said that he was waiting for the completion of the Tour before facing Basso and deciding the next step.
He said: "I've got to sit down and go through everything with him before I deliver my verdict. I'm simply waiting for the end of the Tour so that I can meet him."
In the meantime, Basso, who finished runner-up in the 2005 Tour and was earmarked as race favourite after his success in Italy in May, continues to train in his home region of Varèse.
The Italian now intends to ride the Vuelta in September: "If he feels ready for it, then why not?" remarked Riis, who added that he still holds high hopes of winning the Tour de France with the Italian in 2007.
http://www.eurosport.com/cycling/tour-de-france/2006/sport_sto927232.shtml
yes, Tom Danielson-- an excellent leader for Disco's second team-- and yeah, I did read Armstrong's comments on TD climbing abilities-- Lance says he's better than himself ... and he just recently won the Tour of Austria ... btw, TD is targeting the Vuelta, not just to finish in the top 10, but to win.
hopefully cycling.tv carries the race
...as for Basso-- another cover story about him in procycling -- they say he trains like Lance-- incredibly focused.
...as for the investigation, he'll probably get through it-- Ullrich on the otherhand won't, since there's more outside interest in his case including new fraud charges out of Germany ... what an awful way to end a career, in litigation-- German people must be really pissed and want to see this man pennyless ... even if he isn't guilty, he'll still needs to pay the lawyers.
< sigh >
Expect massive changes at Discovery Channel team, big enough that it will top the news headlines into the new year.
A very high profile team-- without a star...?
lol...!
I guess you can't post there because it's not in the free zone right...?
"No explanation" for Hincapie"
By Hedwig Kröner in La Toussuire
One of Lance Armstrong's best domestiques, George Hincapie, had hoped to perform well during this year's Tour de France, the first he was to race without his charismatic leader. The time seemed right for the New Yorker to step out of shadow of the seven-times Tour de France winner, and he was even hailed as possible candidate for the overall classification within his Discovery Channel team.
However, the 2006 Tour de France turned out quite differently for Hincapie - losing precious minutes in the first time trial around Rennes after one week of racing, the 32 year-old was also unable to find his rhythm in the mountains. Speaking to Cyclingnews at the start of the second Alpine mountain stage in Bourg d'Oisans, the American was looking forward to arriving in Paris this Sunday.
"I just don't feel good," Hincapie said. "I'm healthy, but I just can't go right now. I'll be glad when the Tour's over. Sometimes you don't have an explanation. I trained alright; and I arrived in the Tour in great shape. There's not much else I could do."
A Victim Of Bad Advice...!
Landis today showed us what Landis has always been about-- and why he couldn't ride as a support rider for anyone in the TdF.
He's naturally abrasive, single minded and tough, a perfect tour rider.
...he even gave the main group "the look" before hammering away at the base of the first climb...!
...so what was all this "defensive bullshit" all about...?
...because he wasn't surrounded by a decent team...?
...a decent team like Discovery...??? Armstrong likes to talk about his 7 glorious wins as a team effort-- but look at his team today without him in the lineup...?
...a team sport, yeah right...
I believe the mistakes weren't made by Landis; they were made by his DS, who had Landis riding outside his natural comfort zone. Landis should have never allowed Perriero to take yellow in the first place. Landis should have given "the look" a lot sooner to take ownership of this race ... and Landis should give his DS the boot for all the bad decisions that were made.
That said, this needless drama was fun to watch.
Take the dope away and who knows....?
well, since these guys are guilty by association-- and we already know what you think of Lance ... but according to Daniel Coyle, in his book "Armstrong's War" it was Eddy Merckx who introduced Ferrari to Armstrong-- and it was Ferrari who coached both Armstrong and Landis.
...so admit it, they're all "doped."
The sooner you legalise it, the sooner the widows of these riders can sue for malpractice.
--------------
here's a telling excerpt:
[Ferrari] drew the line, and came up with the threshold Armstrong already guessed he was.
Four hundred and seventy watts.
The number had an immediate effect; it soaked into him, it vibrated in the soft spring air. He was 470, 40 watts higher than this time last year, the same number he was last June, just before the
Tour. The same! It was a short test, which usually based higher, but still, it was promising news. To get to 6.7, he had to get 30 watts more powerful, and lose 5.5 kilos, and he had six months to do it.
(....) It was good to enjoy it, because the feeling wouldn't last. In fact, it was disappearing even now, evaporating as Armstrong leaned over to look at Ferrari's graph paper.
"What did Floyd get?" Armstrong asked Ferrari. The doctor pointed a pencil tip toward a line: Landis had 420 watts but he only weighed sixty-nine kilos (152 pounds). Landis was faster.
...again you're disregarding the "Voekler affect"
Oscar Pereiro is a different rider because of Phonak's conservative tactics ... in fact, Oscar shouldn't even be in this race, yet he's riding like he's won it. This climber will probably limit his losses in the TT and win, if he shows good aggression tomorrow.
-- big kudos to CSC for salvaging what should of been a complete disaster after Julich's crash -- even DZ is showing that he too could someday be a GC rider-- he's been terrific in the climbs.
-- anyway, great stage-- excellent drama, enjoyed every minute.
I'm still long CMT and CYS -- and I've also been buying UTS Energy ... fwiw, it looks a heck of a lot better on a shorter term chart
NFG driller-- Trican Well Services has a great chart-- double bottom -- high volume -- no news...?