Tour de France (No spoiler): I'm a lifelong cyclist and bicycle racing fan. The Tour de France was epic this year. It isn't official until tomorrow, so I won't spoil it, but it was...

JohnSwanda Loc: San Francisco

I'm a lifelong cyclist and bicycle racing fan. The Tour de France was epic this year. It isn't official until tomorrow, so I won't spoil it, but it was decided today with one of the greatest cycling performances I have seen. It's stage 20. You can find highlights on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHU4tRQZ6_0

dancers Loc: melbourne.victoria, australia

I used to watch it every day......after the Armstrong business I gave up, disgusted!

jbk224 Loc: Long Island, NY

John, my wife would say that you and I are the only ones in the US who watch the Tour.
I agree with you that yesterday's stage was one of the most unbelievable I have ever seen.
While I am not a cyclist, I became hooked on Le Tour with, am I allowed to say it? Lance Armstrong in 1999. It may sound crazy, but the reason I first watched was that I loved revisiting the places that my wife and I traveled. I always rented a car and drove all over the place-- taking excursions just to see the countryside. After the debacle, I stopped watching as no one really drove me to watch. I relented a couple of years ago and started again. This Tour was outstanding! I'm waiting to watch the ride into Paris right now (NY Time). And, the new winner will hopefully generate the same excitement that I had when watching Lance!

JohnSwanda Loc: San Francisco

jbk224 wrote:

John, my wife would say that you and I are the onl... (show quote)

I belong to a bicycle club with lots of cyclists who follow bicycle racing. Back in the '80s I got to photograph the Coors Classic stage race for several years for VeloNews magazine, in the era of Greg LeMond and Bernard Hinault. Shooting a big international stage race from he back of a moto is one of the most exciting things I ever did, especially on roads I regularly rode myself.

jbk224 Loc: Long Island, NY

You are the real deal!!!!!! I have enough trouble taking good pictures just standing up!
I enjoyed Adam Blythe's commentary this Tour. Having been a Tour competitor adds quite a bit. In fact, I thought that Christian VDV and Chris Horner were terrific this year. I could do less of Paul Burmeister.

Effate Loc: El Dorado Hills, Ca.

dancers wrote:

I used to watch it every day......after the Armstrong business I gave up, disgusted!

There has not been one person on the box in the Tour de France since at least 1996 (Bjarne Riis, admitted)and since many winners have admitted or been kicked out who haven’t used some form of performance enhancement blood doping or drug. This happened in every tour through the Lance era. Chris Horner (now announcing) said after more intense testing (post Lance era) the peloton got noticeably slower (stated this after winning the Tour of Spain at age 40). Lance’s crime was his adamant denial and throwing his accusers under the bus. He was undoubtedly the best racer in an era where ALL the top contenders used. Everyone wanted a clean sport but it’s like standing in a football stadium, everyone wants every one to sit down but they don’t want to be the first and miss something. A photo of Lance and Levi I took at the Nevada City Classic during his comeback (gave it a little “Livestrong” treatment).

(Download)

JohnSwanda Loc: San Francisco

Effate wrote:

There has not been one person on the box in the To... (show quote)

I can remember a Nevada City Classic in, I believe, 1979, when Greg LeMond, then a junior, was allowed to race with the seniors and won the race, lapping the field a couple times. I especially hated Armstrong for the way he threw LeMond under the bus when he spoke out against the doping. I do think Armstrong was a scapegoat in a sense since everyone was doping then, but he was the doping leader for his team, requiring teammates to dope.

Jerry Coupe Loc: Kent, WA

JohnSwanda wrote:

I'm a lifelong cyclist and bicycle racing fan. The Tour de France was epic this year. It isn't official until tomorrow, so I won't spoil it, but it was decided today with one of the greatest cycling performances I have seen. It's stage 20. You can find highlights on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHU4tRQZ6_0

I concur with other posts, that this years Tour has been excellent and the Time Trial yesterday is one for epic memories. I missed the very early stages, but from about #4 on, everyday has had an exciting finish with a sprint or some amazing break away wins.

I was a huge Amstrong follower and was so disappointed when the story of his doping and the pressure he put on teammates to dope came out. I would say that it seems like the riders get faster every year and I still have nagging doubts about PEDs being used still. Testing always lags behind new chemistry...

Effate Loc: El Dorado Hills, Ca.

Jerry Coupe wrote:

I concur with other posts, that this years Tour ha... (show quote)

I’m sure you’re right, The Netflix film Icarus sheds some light on the subject. Lance and Bruyneel probably put pressure on teammates but didn’t tie them to the table and Landis (after getting caught) sounded like a Sam Smith song (I’m not the only one) when he started his sniveling.

JohnSwanda Loc: San Francisco

Jerry Coupe wrote:

I concur with other posts, that this years Tour ha... (show quote)

At least they are doing a lot of testing. Does anyone think NFL players aren't still juicing to get the size they do?

jbk224 Loc: Long Island, NY

👍

Effate Loc: El Dorado Hills, Ca.

JohnSwanda wrote:

At least they are doing a lot of testing. Does anyone think NFL players aren't still juicing to get the size they do?

I’m sure it has permeated most sports (since introduced in the 60’s by Eastern European Block (Oh, no another Russian hoax, just kidding let’s not get political). Maybe cornhole (sport?, come one ESPN) is clean.

JohnR Loc: The Gates of Hell

dancers wrote:

I used to watch it every day......after the Armstrong business I gave up, disgusted!

Was Armstrong only the one on drugs ???? I suspect it was a perfectly level playing field and they all were on drugs so why pick on the one guy? I reckon he who came 2nd, 3rd etc were just as bad but haven't been picked on

jbk224 Loc: Long Island, NY

There were many doing blood doping. Technically it is not 'drugs'; but enhances performance nonetheless. Armstrong was vilified because he aggressively countered that he ever did anything wrong--was tested constantly-- and never caught! It was only through testimony from peers and associates that all came out. And then he continued to fight! I think his legacy would be somewhat different if he immediately said 'mea culpa--sorry'! Who knows. One thing I do know though is that saying 'his name' during the Tour is worse than Harry Potter's 'He Who Must Not Be Named'!!!

JohnSwanda Loc: San Francisco

JohnR wrote:

Was Armstrong only the one on drugs ???? I suspect it was a perfectly level playing field and they all were on drugs so why pick on the one guy? I reckon he who came 2nd, 3rd etc were just as bad but haven't been picked on

That's why they declared there was no winner for the years Armstrong's wins were taken away.