Maybe the sunflowers lining the today's course will put a smile on everyone's face, and even brighten Lance's day? They'll need it, too, as they head into the Pyrenee's, where the asphalt melts beneath the blistering summer sun and threatens to suck the tyres right off their rims.
Gee, Mr Lindsey can't seem to drive the steamroller fast enough. Good thing its opinion, rather than reporting. I, and everybody else here, can do better with a simple fact-check through easily googleable sources than this yahoo apparently can. First, if the agreement was penned in 2004 (as is stated) to grant stock in 2007, then taking ownership of said stock in 2007 was fulfilling the contract. If the stock grant was in the form of options, then not taking ownership in 2007 when it was worth virtually nothing would have meant forfeiting a tax advantage by being able to declare it as a loss. But since we don't know anything, even from publicly available filings (hmmm...I'd think a journalist would be able to figure it out since the various business databases cited are public records and searchable for the articles of incorporation as well as ownership records). Second, I wonder if anybody watched the tours he won, where he dehydrated and bonked, caught his handlebars on a spectator on one of the uphill finishes, got caught behind field sprint crashes (went down on several occasions with minor scrapes). Third, if anyone reads the WSJ articles, the information in them can be found through other sources...heck, viewing them if you have the annoying BING toolbar installed on IE will even link you to the passages in the WSJ article that are direct from other publications...some as old as ten years. I'd love to do a line by line analysis of this, but I already get frustrated doing that with most crap coming out of Fox news and CNN these days. I'll wait until somebody reputable reports, like Bonnie Ford herself, rather than someone cherry-picking her reporting (hell, he couldn't even get what she reported cited correctly). This needs to be shuttled off the the Lance Armstrong thread.
Epic break and finish up "Jalabert" hill. I kind of felt bad for Vino when Contador attacked Schleck without having to do so. Brought back memories of last year when Contador did the same to Kloden, leaving him behind and riding with the Schelck brothers to the finish. Great stage again today, great counter attack by Vino, and even more impressive is that Cavendish was able to nick second place on the stage ahead of Thor and Petacchi. Thor will probably regain green in the mountains by picking up the small points, but Cavendish has shown he can win a sprint from a less than opportune position, on a stage that wasn't really made for a sprinter with that Cat 3 climb at the end. Showed that he can seriously compete for stage wins and green perhaps next year being able to win like Zabel/Cippolini were able to when they didn't have 3-4 guys leading them out over the final 2k.
What a great effort by Vinokurov! Somewhat like a basketball game with all the drama in the last two minutes.
Even though he's on Astana I was yelling at him to keep going. After yesterdays catch I was really hoping he could stay out front. Very impressive.
One thingI dont get in the coverage, why do they keep showing where Radio Shack i(I assume this is Lance) but dont show where Contador is? I mean I get it Lance is american but he is out of the overall. The funny part is they show the yellow and white jersey and they are the same person.
Love the TDF... Hubba Hubba! http://www.socaltrailriders.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=106739
Are you referring to the Shack Tracker? The little balloon with a pointer? They do show Contador and Schleck and Vino for that matter. Seriously, if not for Lance, I wonder if VS. would have even signed an extended contract to air the Tour. I was bored with the Tour after Lance retired. Doped or not, he made the races really exciting! I got excited when he came back last year. This year I was bummed when he dropped out of contention but I must admit, Andy is really making this race exciting. The duel between he and Conti is great. And Menchov sneaking up there is great! Looks like I'll stay tuned in!
It would be cool if the Megavalanche ran at the same time as the TDF. I'd love to see VS cover both. They could easily intersperse MTB Downhill footage. I'd love to hear Phil Ligget announce a downhill race. Spot of bother anyone?
Cause Radio Shack is a sponsor? "He's turning himself inside out." no "His pedaling is not as smooth as last year." no "The breakaway has lasted for 120 km" no "We rode the climb earlier." no "The peloton has slowed for a natural break." no "X has cracked!!" no "They're doing 35 mph on the flats." close "I've never seen so many crashes." YES! Anyway I'm going to join the Marines, buy a Cadillac, get some Whale insurance, and search for my sunglasses from Mt Whitney to an LA quarry. (Why would anyone take sunglasses into a cave?)
Contador's an A$$. Nothing like taking advantage of a mechanical by your opponent, who'd just dropped you like a bad habit. He's not going to have any friends in the peloton, or in the crowd. Schleck's recovery, making up a minute after the mechanical in the final 2k and riding the rest of the stage at the front wearing the yellow... Ulrich waited for Armstrong, and Armstrong waited for Ulrich, as did the other contenders over the last 20 years when this happened. Riis will be pissed. Never rooting for Contador again...I hope Schleck can destroy him on the Tourmalet finish in a few days.
If it wasn't before, it's now personal.... It's the first time I've heard Schleck talk about revenge! Stay tuned....
Can't wait to catch up tonight on the DVR. What happened today??? 1.CONTADOR Alberto1ASTANA72h 50' 42" 2.SCHLECK Andy11TEAM SAXO BANK72h 50' 50"+ 00' 08" 3.SANCHEZ Samuel181EUSKALTEL - EUSKADI72h 52' 42"+ 02' 00" 4.MENCHOV Denis191RABOBANK72h 52' 55"+ 02' 13" 5.VAN DEN BROECK Jurgen101OMEGA PHARMA - LOTTO72h 54' 21"+ 03' 39" 6.GESINK Robert195RABOBANK72h 55' 43"+ 05' 01" 7.LEIPHEIMER Levi25TEAM RADIOSHACK72h 56' 07"+ 05' 25" 8.RODRIGUEZ OLIVER Joaquin77KATUSHA TEAM72h 56' 27"+ 05' 45"9 .VINOKOUROV Alexandre9ASTANA72h 57' 54"+ 07' 12" 10.HESJEDAL Ryder54GARMIN - TRANSITIONS72h 58' 33"+ 07' 51"
Because it's French TV (VS has no control of the coverage for the most part) and they are mesmerized by his downfall.
For all of you who are critizing Contador, it would be nice if you refresh your memory. The only reason why Scleck was in yellow was due to the 40 seconds he got on the stage with the cobblestones. If you remember correctly, Contador was involved in a crash and got split. Cancellara dropped the hammer and towed Andy to the finish. Did they wait for anybody? Nope. Did also Andy wait for Lance when he flatted on that same stage? Nope. Mechanicals and crashes are part of bike racing. If everybody had to wait every time there is a mechanical, we would not have any racing. I repeat, let's review the head to head between Andy and Contador during this Tour: Prologue: Contador up by over a minute; Cobblestones stage: Andy up by 40 seconds due to split in the group because of a crash; mountain stages Andy by 10 seconds in the Alps, Contador by 10 seconds up Mende; today: Contador up by 40 seconds due to mechanical. If you look at the history of the Tour, races have been won-lost due to mechanicals and crashes. That is racing. Ask Eddy Merck if he waited for Luis Ocana back in the early 70s, after the Spaniard crashed in the last descent and lost the yellow jersey to Merck.
Errrr....so Eddy, did you wait for Luis Ocana back in the early 70s, after Luis crashed in the last descent and lost the yellow jersey to you??? Eddy says "No!"
