For those privileged and masochistic enough to take it on, the Tour de France offers private agonies in the most public of settings.
For Lance Armstrong, the price of torture has always been offset by the spoils of victory, as he wheeled an inexorable path toward seven titles and a permanent etching in history.
Yet as he returns after four years to the scene where his legend was created, Armstrong does so with less in the way of obvious tangible recompense for his muscle-wracking output.
Incredibly, this man who blitzed the field for so long with his iron spirit and metronomic cadence enters the 2009 Tour – which starts in the principality of Monaco on Saturday – without any realistic possibility of … Details
Anything can happen over the next three weeks, but here we take a look at the riders most likely to be in the spotlight throughout the Tour de France. Below is a guide to what are expected to be the most pivotal and exciting stages, and a breakdown as to what the different colored race jerseys signify.
Five riders to watch
Lance Armstrong (Astana) &ndash There is a fascination about this man and everything he does that transcends sport. Even though it would take an extraordinary set of circumstances for him to stand any chance of winning the Tour, all eyes with be on Armstrong to see how much his years away from the sport have taken out of him.
Alberto Contador (Astana) – The Tour favorite could not possibly ask for a more experienced or accomplished rider than Armstrong to help him on his quest for glory. A magnificent climber, Contador will look to establish himself in the mountains and wrap up the title.
Cadel Evans (Silence Lotto) – The Australian is … Details
The overall winner of this year’s Tour de France, which begins Saturday, will be the rider with the best set of lungs over 21 days of racing. That’s likely to be a contest between the spindly Spaniards Alberto Contador and Carlos Sastre, along with a cast of dark horses that could, at least in theory, include seven-time winner Lance Armstrong.
But behind the leaders, the future growth and maturation of American cycling may rest on the gigantic quads of a kid you’ve never heard of.
Tyler Farrar, a 25-year-old who races for the American Garmin-Slipstream team, is a mellow sort who wears a Tibetan tattoo on his wrist with the Buddhist mantra “inner peace.†But don’t let his placid exterior fool you. Cycling experts say he may be the fastest American ever to enter the race … Details
As the teams gathered here for Saturday’s start of the 2009 Tour de France, two prominent riders and one team director today expressed disapproval of the organizer’s intention to ban the use of radio communication during two stages in the middle week of the race, claiming that it threatens their safety.
“Next they’ll be asking us to ride for two days without helmets, or without cables in our brakes,” said the veteran German rider Jens Voigt, twice a wearer of the Tour’s yellow jersey, during a press conference given by his Saxo Bank team.
Since the mid-1990s, team directors have used radios to keep in contact with their riders, providing them with a stream of tactical instructions and information concerning the state of the race. By banning the devices during a flat run from Limoges to Issoudun on 14 July and a much hillier affair including two first‑category climbs between Vittel and Colmar three days later, the organisers are clearly hoping to reintroduce an element of old-fashioned spontaneity and uncertainty… DetailsÂ