the Tour of France
As I am a great fan of cycle-racing and the Tour of France, I will give each day the name of the winner and the yellow and green sweater : - first stage : winner : Alejandro Valverde (Spain-25.4.1980) + yellow sweater. Second place and green sweater : Philippe Gilbert (Belgium-5.7.1982) - second stage : winner Thor Hushovd (Norway-18.1.1978) yellow sweater : Valverde - green sweater : Kim Kirchen (Luxemburg 3.7.1978) Many Tour-greetings. A demain :love:

Thanks for the update, Marthe. I still haven't found the channel it's playing on ;angry: , but I'll keep looking.

Gaff, you are welcome. Here is a picture of Philippe Gilbert. Yesterday he felt but he was not hurt. It was the fault of Eric Zabel. Gilbert was very disappointed because he had the condition to win a stage.

Being tripped up by another rider is the nasty part of bicycle racing, isn't it? That is too bad for Gilbert that it happened. Perhaps he'll have a chance to win a stage or maybe one of the guys from Boonen's regular team.

Yes Gaff, yesterday they had the chance. It was a stage for the sprinters, for boys like Gilbert and the guys from Boonen team namely Stijn Devolder and Gert Steegmans. But they had not counted on possible escapers. And that was the case with 4 riders which I do not know. So one of them Dumoulin (France) won the third stage and Feuillu (France) took the yellow sweater. Today it is a ride against the clock (29,5 km). I do not know if Stijn will be strong enough. It seems that in this ride there will be a first separation among the favourites for the final stage. I don't know if the Belgians are strong enough. Stijn had fever and a sore throat and I suppose that Gert misses Tom Boonen. The big favourite today is Fabian Cancellara, a master in time-riding.

I just now found the channel it is playing on. Yeah! Thanks for keeping me updated. Now, I can watch and share a bit more with you, Marthe.

Gaff, that is great. So you know that yesterday Schumacher won the first individual time-trial. (fourth stage) and took the yellow jersey. But everybody here in Belgium, are not pleased with the fact that he participates at the Tour, because last winter he was caught on the use of amfetamines. Yesterday he told that he was ashamed of it. He also said that he felt sorry that Tom Boonen was excluded in the Tour and that he was not ??? Last news : Soler the mountain-king of last year has given in, he has a fracture on the right hand and a wound on his left wrist, due to a bad fall. What a strange tour ! Have you seen that there are two American in the top ten. Number 6 Vandevelde and number 7 Hincapie. Not bad at all.

I do like George Hincapie and hope he does well. Drugs are such a major issue in sports. I think of Floyd Landis from 2006 which was so disappointing from my perspective. Perhaps in the long run, it is good they are cracking down, but I know it's disappointing that Shumacher is allowed to ride and Boonen not.

Hi Marthe and GG, we also get into the Tour down here in Aus. although not as "keenly" as you marthe! :happy Obviously we back the Aussie team of Cadel Evans and Robbie McEwen. :clap: Especially after Cadel's amazing efforts last Tour............he did us Aussies so proud. My hubby and I love to watch the scenery of the french countryside and villages going by. It is like a "free" trip to france! We can watch on free to air. Susie D.

Isn't viewing the countryside a nice aspect of watching the Tour? My sister says she would like to go watch it some year. I did get to see the Olympic Bicycle Race in 1984. Not quite the Tour, but fun to watch. It went right through a neighborhood I lived in during the late seventies.

Gaff, that must have been great watching the Olympic Bicyle Race. Like your sister I would also like to go watch the total Tour and follow it for three weeks. France is not so far and we can take our holidays during the Tour. We already spoke of it. But on one condition : Tom Boonen must be there. And Gaff I remember the Tour from 2006 like yesterday. I remember the stage with Landis. He was so fast that day when he took the yellow jersey and I was so happy for him, but afterwards I was also very disappointing. But Gaff there are very good American riders, remember Armstrong who won the Tour seven times. Hi Susie, with Cadel Evans you have a big favourite in the Tour. He is very strong. He is also well-known in Belgium and in the poll for the winner he is at the top. And Robbie McEwen is also very talented. He has the Belgian nationality I think. And yes the french countryside is amazing. Susie what is 'keenly' ?

According to the French newspaper 'Le Monde' there were blood-tests on 3 and 4 July and 10 riders have abnormal bloodresults. Are we going to have another 'dope' Tour. And Gaff this afternoon I heart on the radio that Philippe Gilbert will quit ? What a Tour ;angry:

I certainly hope it's not a "dope tour". Is Gilbert hurt or is he involved in the drug problem? I was reading on George Hincapie's site that part of his reasoning for switching teams is that his new team is making a real effort to clean up the sport. I hope that it is true and that they can.

No drug problem for Gilbert, bud he has an open injury on his bottom (a strange place). It is very painful and he can not take 'corticoiden'. That is forbidden. Yesterday evening he said that he will try to hold out. That is great for the team of Hincapie 'Columbia' and there are a lot of strong riders like Kirchen and Cavendish. Hopely that it is the true that they trying to clean up the sport.

Well, I'm glad to hear he was not involved in the drug issue and I hope his backside heals up and he can keep his seat in the race. They were just talking on the show about one rider who was eliminated for a bad drug test. Basically, they said this will happen if they are cleaning up the sport and more is to be expected for riders to get the message.