2006 Tour de France

justfortherecor

Well its only a few days away now although the first week will be largely overshadowed by the latter stages of the world cup.

Anyone like to share their predictions for the 3 week cycling fest?

Personally I'm excited about seeing Jan Ullrich. Despite the usual worries over fitness and weight (the knee injury didnt help) he seems to be finding good form going into the race. His impressive victory in the ITT at the Giro and his recent success in the Tour de Suisse have shown he is almost at full fitness for the tour. His time trialling is brilliant as usual and if T-Mobile can control the pace a bit better this year he should be consistent in the mountain stages.

Of course Basso has looked mightily impressive as well, dominating the Giro. I just wonder though, has he peaked too early?

Anyways, I cant wait for it to begin! Roll on July!

crashoveroid

I have three i think will do damage Ullrich Landis and Miller & Savoldelli

Ullrich Landis & Savoldelli in the overall and Miller for the time trial's

Pherekydes

Basso is my prediction. Also, look out for Mayo, and maybe the mad Kazakh.

justfortherecor

Mayo? Well ever since the Euskatel team were investigated for doping a while back he's 'mysteriously' fell off the pace. His pathetic performance last year would make it even more circumspect if he did well this time.

crashoveroid

justfortherecor wrote:

Mayo? Well ever since the Euskatel team were investigated for doping a while back he's 'mysteriously' fell off the pace. His pathetic performance last year would make it even more circumspect if he did well this time.

That's a good point makes alot of sense

cerebus

Worrying rumours coming out about Ullrich from "Operación Puerto", the Spanish cycling/doping investigation currently unfolding.

Hope they prove to be false, as I have always been a fan of Ullrich.

(As an aside, the Spanish investigation seems to be pointing a lot of fingers at Tyler Hamilton as well - not just the blood-doping he was caught doing, but EPO, HGH and lots of other illegal performance enhancing things).

decies

On a similar topic good to see tg4 showing highlights each night of le tour around 11pm which is a lot better than last year when it was around 1-30am.
Thank god for small mercys:D

justfortherecor

cerebus wrote:

Worrying rumours coming out about Ullrich from "Operación Puerto", the Spanish cycling/doping investigation currently unfolding.

Hope they prove to be false, as I have always been a fan of Ullrich.

(As an aside, the Spanish investigation seems to be pointing a lot of fingers at Tyler Hamilton as well - not just the blood-doping he was caught doing, but EPO, HGH and lots of other illegal performance enhancing things).

Sure weren't like 150 riders included in that 'list'? There'll always be some speculation around the top riders though.

On another note look at this interview with David Miller

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/cycling/5111302.stm

I particularly love the quote: (when speaking about his chances in Saturdays prologue) "And anyway, there are very few guys who can beat me even if they're maxed out on drugs when I'm in top form in a prologue."

Does anyone else see the irony in this? He's a scumbag and I cant wait to see him exposed come Saturday. I can still remember his cocky demeanour 2 years ago when everything was going right for him. I absolutely loved seeing his world collapse around him. Couldn't have happened to a worse guy! Ok, maybe Virenque but the way he's revered in France that was never going to happen.

Pherekydes

I don't think Millar will get in the top 10 in the prologue. It's an extremely fast, non-technical course and people like Cancellara and Zabriskie are going to absolutely blast it. It will probably suit Ullrich, too, assuming he's still there. Have we any starters? Scanlon or Deignan or Roche?

decies

Thank you for your e-mail and query.

The half-hour highlights programme will be broadcast on TG4 every night in english.
Below please find further information on TG4's coverage of the Tour:



Tour de France 2006

LIVE and EXCLUSIVE ON TG4 and www.tg4.ie



TG4 has announced details of its exclusive live television coverage of Tour de France 2006, the most famous race in cycling.

The 93rd Tour de France will begin in Strasbourg on Saturday 1 July. It is an epic undertaking as a total of 198 riders from 22 teams cycle some 3,653 kilometres in 20 stages. This unique sports event holds many fond memories for Irish people after Stephen Roche won the tour in 1987 while Seán Kelly made 14 tour appearances.

The channel’s viewers will be able to follow live action from Tour 2006 from July 11th tracking the unfolding drama until the exciting conclusion in Champs Élysées in Paris on Sunday 24th July.

The 2nd and 3rd week of the Tour will be broadcast live on TG4 (see times below). There will be an average of three hours of live coverage each day as well as a 30 minute highlights package every night that will include previews, cyclist profiles, results and reports. Commentary will be provided by Páidí Ó Lionáird and Pádraic Ó Cuinn. This year, for the first time, the Tour will also be webcast live on www.tg4.ie and the website will also offer updates, statistics and other Tour data.

Welcoming the announcement, TG4 Sports Editor Rónán Ó Coisdealbha said; “We are thrilled to be showing the Tour for the second successive year. Following on the success of our inuaugural coverage of the Tour in 2005, we are confident that Irish viewers will continue to appreciate free to air access to the world’s most famous cycle race”.

TG4 has exclusive live television coverage in Ireland for the Tour de France up to Summer 2009.



TOUR DE FRANCE 2006 ON TG4

DATE ON TG4 STAGE
Saturday 1/07/06 Live 1:15pm – 4:45pm Prologue – Strasbourg (7.1 Km) Highlights @10:35pm
Sunday 2/07/06 The History of the Tour de France @ 9:30am
Sunday 2/07/06 Highlights at 11:00pm Stage 1 Strasbourg - Strasbourg (184,5 km)
Monday 3/07/06 Highlights at 11:25pm Stage 2 Obernai - Esch sur Alzette (228,5 km)
Tuesday 4/07/06 Highlights at 11:05pm Stage 3 Esch sur Alzette - Valkenburg (216,5 km)
Wednesday 5/07/06 Highlights at 11:00pm Stage 4 Huy - Saint Quentin (207km)
Thursday 6/07/06 Highlights at 11:00pm Stage 5 Beauvais - Caen (225km)
Friday 7/07/06 Highlights at 10:55pm Stage 6 Lisieux - Vitré (189km)
Saturday 8/07/06 Highlights at 10:30pm Stage 7 Saint Grégoire - Rennes / ind. time trial (52 km)
Sunday 9/07/06 Highlights at 10:35pm Stage 8 Saint Meen le Grand - Lorient (181 km)
Monday 10/07/06 Review of the 1st week @ 11:25pm Daily Highlights @ 11:55pm
Tuesday 11/07/06 Live 1:40pm – 4:30pm Stage 9 Bordeaux - Dax (169,5 km) Highlights @10:50pm
Wednesday 12/7/06 Live 11:15am – 4:30pm Stage 10 Cambo les Bains - Pau (190,5 km) Highlights @ 11pm
Thursday 13/07/06 Live 11:15pm – 4:30pm Stage 11 Tarbes - Val D'Aran Pla de Beret Bains (206,5 km) Highlights @ 11:30pm

Friday 14/07/06 Live 1:40pm – 4:35pm Stage 12 Luchon - Carcassonne (211,5 km) Highlights @ 11pm
Saturday 15/07/06 Live 1:15pm – 4:35pm Stage 13 Béziers - Montelimar (230 km) Highlights @ 11:15pm
Sunday 16/07/06 Live 1:15pm – 4:45pm Stage 14 Montelimar – Gap (180,5 km) Highlights @ 11pm
Monday 17/07/06 Review of the 2nd week @ 11:25pm Daily Highlights @ 11:55pm
Tuesday 18/07/06 Live 12:10pm – 4:40pm Stage 15 Gap - L'Alpe d'Huez (187 km) Highlights @ 10:55pm
Wednesday 19/07/06 Live 10:40am – 4:35pm Stage 16 Le Bourg d'Oisans - La Toussuire (182 km) Highlights @ 11pm
Thursday 20/07/06 Live 12:10pm – 4:40pm Stage 17 Saint Jean de Maurienne - Morzine (200,5 km) Highlights @ 11:30pm

Friday 21/07/06 Live 1:40pm – 4:40pm Stage 18 Morzine - Mâcon (197 km) Highlights @ 10:50pm
Saturday 22/07/06 Live 1:15pm – 4:45pm Stage 19 Le Creusot - Montceau les Mines / ind. time trial (57 km) Highlights @ 11:15pm

Sunday 23/07/06 Live 12:35pm – 5:15pm Stage 20 Sceaux / Antony - Paris Champs Elysées (154,5 km) Highlights @ 11pm
Monday 24/07/06 Highlights from the Tour de France @ 10:30pm Highlights @ 11:25pm

Daily highlights of the Tour de France will be broadcast on TG4 every night.




The route
Running from Saturday July 1st to Sunday July 23th 2006, the 93rd Tour de France will be made up of a prologue and 20 stages and will cover a total distance of 3,600 kilometres.

These 20 stages have the following profiles:
* 9 flat stages,
* 4 medium mountain stages,
* 5 mountain stages,
* 2 individual time-trial stages,



Distinctive aspects of the race:
* 3 mountain finishes,
* 2 rest days,
* 116 kilometres of individual time-trials (including the prologue)
* 22 Category 1, Category 2 and highest level passes will be climbed
* 9 new stop-over towns: Obernai, Saint-Grégoire, Saint-Méen-le-Grand, Cambo-les-Bains, Val d'Aran - Pla-de-Beret, Montélimar, La Toussuire Les Sybelles, Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne, Antony.



ENDS

More information - contact:
Rónán Ó Coisdealbha
TG4 Sport
Tel: 091-505043
Mobile: 087-2472841
E-mail: sport@tg4.ie

Information on Tour de France: www.letour.com

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