No Tour for Astana

The Astana-Wuerth team has decided to pull out of the Tour de France as five of its riders are named in a doping investigation in Spain. The team, formerly known as Liberty Seguros, is led by Kazakh Alexander Vinokourov, who was fifth last year.

Story Eurosport

Basso, Ullrich out of Tour

Ivan Basso and Francisco Mancebo joined Jan Ullrich on the sidelines of the Tour de France after organisers dumped two of the race's top riders. Ullrich had already been suspended by his T-Mobile team Friday morning when Tour director Christian Prudhomme announced the exclusion of Giro victor Basso.

Full details

Report: Basso, Ullrich fingered

Ivan Basso and Jan Ullrich have been named in the judicial inquiry into Spanish doping, radio Cadena Ser reported on the eve of the Tour de France. The two Tour favourites were listed, among 54 others, as having contact with Dr. Eufemiano Fuentes after a judge lifted a gag order on evidence files.

Story Eurosport

Odds to Win 2006 Tour de France From PinnacleSports.com

Current Odds: *All Odds Subject to Change* Odds to Win 2006 Tour de France Ivan Basso 11/10 Jan Ullrich 9/4 Alejandro Valverde 11/1 Alexander Vinokourov 13/1 Floyd Landis 14/1 Cadel Evans 25/1 Levi Leipheimer 30/1 Yaroslav Popovych 30/1 George Hincapie 35/1 Francisco Mancebo 50/1 Iban Mayo 73/1 Andreas Kloeden 85/1 Michael Rasmussen 85/1 Damiano Cunego 100/1 Oscar Pereiro 100/1 Andrey Kashechkin 100/1 Carlos Sastre 100/1 Haimar Zubeldia 100/1 David Millar 100/1 Denis Menchov 100/1 Georg Totschnig 100/1 Paolo Savoldelli 100/1 Valdimir Karpets 100/1 Santiago Botero 100/1 Gilberto Simoni 100/1 Danilo Di Luca 100/1 Bobby Julich 100/1 Joseba Beloki 100/1 Eddy Mazzoleni 109/1 Aitor Gonzalez 150/1 For a complete list of odds, please visit http://www.pinnaclesports.com .

An interview with Chris Carmichael, June 29, 2006 by cyclingnews

Chris Carmichael is best known for serving as Lance Armstrong's personal coach and trainer during his seven wins at the Tour de France. However, Carmichael was also a professional cyclist, racing with the 7-Eleven team and the 1984 U.S. Olympic team. Since hanging up the bike as a pro, Carmichael went on to develop revolutionary coaching techniques and in 1999 founded Carmichael Training Systems. Now that Carmichael is not all-consumed by preparing Lance for Le Tour, Cyclingnews' Mark Zalewski got his personal predictions for this year's race and to hear about how you can do the Tour.

Link

The pretenders to the throne- Preview By Eurosport

If you are a fan of the tour and following the stars this preview will not be informative. But it's till interesting

Preview by eurosport

Dean to ride for Credit Agricole

New Zealand cyclist Julian Dean has been selected in the French team Credit Agricole for next week's Tour de France.

After riding the tour in 2004, Dean missed last year's Tour after breaking his elbow in the Giro d'Italia.

The tour begins on Sunday morning (NZT) with a 7.1 kilometre prologue time trial and is set to be the most open in seven years after the retirement of Lance Armstrong.

Verdict for Vinokourov's team likely Friday

Vinokourov, who has not been named in the inquiry, said: "We will use every means at our disposal to start the race." The court's hearing is scheduled for tomorrow, with a verdict likely on Friday morning.

Source Guardian

Astana-Würth asked to pull out

Alexander Vinokourov's 2006 Tour hopes are in jeopardy after organisers asked his Astana-Würth team to pull out of the race. Astana - born of the troubled former Liberty team - were told on Monday to declare they would forfeit the race or risk action to have them removed from the race line-up.

Story Eurosport

Bad Timing: Ullrich name allegedly resurfaces - El Pais

Interesting that these allegations came up now days before the tour!!!

Article by eurosport

Hunter feels Tour de France is wide open

In an exclusive interview with Business Day, SA’s best cyclist Robert Hunter, who leaves for Europe tonight to join his Phonak team in France, spoke about the race he believes will be “wide open and much more exciting” without the presence of seven-time winner Lance Armstrong.

Full Story

Cycling: Scared and scarred, Millar will mount up saddled with regrets

Very interesting article about David Millar.

Timesonline article

Lance's favorite to win the tour

Discussing his successor, Armstrong, the 34-year-old Texan who is now devoted to fighting cancer, had until recently gone back and forth all spring between Jan Ullrich and Ivan Basso.

"As far as my favorite, I change my mind every week," he admitted during the Giro d'Italia last month. "The way Basso is riding the Giro, he's really impressive. Perhaps too impressive - he's spending too much energy.

"Ullrich has looked good during the Giro," he continued. "He's my favorite. I think the course suits him."

Then, in an e-mail message this month, Armstrong went even further in discussing the chances of Basso, the Italian leader of the CSC team, and Ullrich, the German leader of T-Mobile.

"I have been impressed by the way that Ullrich has looked of late," Armstrong wrote. "Wow." He spoke before Ullrich won the nine-day Tour of Switzerland this month, showing power in the mountains and dominance in a long time trial.

Full story

Ullrich feeling better than ever

"This time every second will count from the first day onwards. I'm going to grab every chance to take the yellow jersey," Ullrich was quoted as saying in German magazine Super Illu on Sunday.

Ullrich, who won the Tour in 1997, said he was feeling "better than ever" going into the race, which begins on July 1.

"I feel that this time I can start the Tour not with 80 percent but with 95 percent of my form," he said.

Full Story

LeMond: Lance threatened me

In an interview with French Sports daily L'Equipe, three-time Tour de France winner Greg LeMond has claimed Lance Armstrong threatened him after criticising his involvement with a doctor linked with a drugs scandal.

"All that I can say, is that the last four or five years haven't been very pleasant for me. His biggest threat against me was that he would find ten people to testify that I took EPO. Evidently, he didn't find anyone."

Story on Eurosport

TDF '06 Route Analysis: 'Le' T Minus 7 Days

Interesting analysis of the stages by Randall Butler

Full Story

Team milram annouces riders

I guess they are going to try to win the green jersey for Zabel

Mirko Celestino (Ita), Ralf Grabsch (Ger), Andriy Grivko (Ukr), Maxim Iglinsky (Kaz), Christian Knees (Ger), Fabio Sacchi (Ita), Björn Schroder (Ger), Marco Velo (Ita),
Erik Zabel (Ger)

Tour de France list of riders

The official site of tdf published today the provisional starting list of riders

List

Johan Bruyneel 's letter about future of DC

The passing of the Armstrong torch is a critical moment for Discovery and its millions of fans. With that scenario in mind, Johan Bruyneel — Discovery team sports manager and the architect of Armstrong's success — released this open letter to cycling fans explaining how the team will build on its historic past in an uncertain future.

Letter

Basso's teammate Julich claims Ullrich passionless

Julich also backed his teammate to win and claimed Ullrich lacked passion.

"He doesn't love what he does .... He does the minimum to obtain the maximum," Julich said of the German. "Ivan does the maximum to obtain the maximum. He lives for the bike, he loves the bike."

Full Article

Vinkourov's team gets green light for Tour de France

Cycling's ruling body UCI said on Thursday that the Astana-Wuerth team, implicated in a doping scandal in Spain, could remain in the Pro-Tour and thus start the tour de france

Ullrich to have strong team at Tour de France

German T-Mobile Team announced the eight riders who will have to help Jan Ullrich to win the 2006 Tour de France.
Guiseppe Guerini (Ita), Sergey Honchar (Ukr), Matthias Kessler (Ger), Andreas Klöden (Ger), Eddy Mazzoleni (Ita), Michael Rogers (Aus), Oscar Sevilla (Esp), Patrik Sinkewitz (Ger), Jan Ullrich (Ger).

More:
Article by cyclingpost
Article by velonews

Riis says Vande Velde pick was last-minute choice

Christian Vande Velde earned his Tour de France ticket at the expense of Paris-Roubaix champion Fabian Cancellara when Team CSC manager Bjarne Riis made a last-minute decision to switch Cancellara for Vande Velde ahead of Monday's announcement of the nine-man Tour squad.

Story by Velonews

Euskaltel-Euskadi ready for the Tour de France

Euskaltel-Euskadi's team manager Julián Gorospe revealed the line-up of the Spanish formation for the 2006 Tour de France, hoping to achieve a stage victory.
The selection:
Iker Camano (Esp), Unai Etxebarria (Esp), Aitor Hernandez (Esp), Inaki Isasi (Esp), Inigo Landaluze (Esp), David Lopez (Esp), Iban Mayo (Esp), Gorka Verdugo (Esp), Haimar Zubeldia (Esp).

Story by cyclingpost

Discovery Channel unveil Tour team

The Discovery Channel team unveiled its first ever roster picked for the Tour de France without Lance Armstrong, who retired last year.
George Hincapie, Yaroslav Popovych, Paolo Savoldelli and Jose Azevedo will be the team leaders, and will be supported by Jose Azevedo, Egoi Martinez, Pavel Padrnos, Viatcheslav Ekimov, Benjamin Noval, and Jose Luis Rubiera.

Vladimir Gusev and Michael Barry have been named as reserves.

Story

Jan Ullrich: closing in on top form

Is Jan Ullrich's win in the Tour de Suisse a sign of what is to come in July, or will this represent the high point of his season, as it did back in 2004? Cyclingnews' Shane Stokes listened to what he had to say at the post-race press conference on Sunday.

Story

Team CSC: Basso heads team CSC for tour

Giro d'Italia winner Ivan Basso will lead Denmark's Team CSC in the Tour de France.
Other CSC team members are: Spain's Carlos Sastre, Jens Voigt of Germany, Australia's Stuart O'Grady, Frank Schleck of Luxembourg, Italy's Giovanni Lombardi and the US trio of Bobby Julich, Christian Vande Velde and David Zabriskie.

Tour de France records

Eddy Merckx is still the Tour de France victory king with a record 34 stage wins for the Cannibal.
Lance Armstrong most wins with 7.
Ullrich aims to equal Raymond Poulidor's record eight times for most times on the podium.
Many more records such as wins by nations, by age etc.... compiled by eurosport
Tour de France records

OLN's coverage of TDF

OLN has complete coverage of the 2006 Tour de France airing from July 1 to July 23.
For the sixth consecutive year, OLN follows the Tour de France at every stage including: nine flat stages, four medium mountain stages, five mountain stages and two individual time-trial stages. The 23-day race - which includes only two rest days - will cover nearly 3,600 kilometres. Incorporated into each broadcast, live race commentary by Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwin and reporters Craig Hummer and Frankie Andreu, offer insight and context on individual racers, teams, equipment and terrain throughout the Tour. For the primetime rebroadcast of the morning races, Al Trautwig and Bob Roll join the lineup, providing commentary and perspective on the day's events.
Day 1

Tour de France Special, Sat., July 1 at 8:30 a.m. ET/5:30 a.m. PT (repeat at 3p.m. ET/ 12 noon PT)
Tour de France Prologue Stage,
Strasbourg - Strasbourg, day total: 7.1 km,
Sat., July 1 at 11:30 a.m. ET/12 noon PT (repeat at 3p.m. ET/ 12 noon PT)


Day 2

Tour De France: Stage 1,
Strasbourg - Strasbourg, day total: 184.5 km,
Sun., July 2 at 8:30 a.m. ET/5:30 a.m. PT (repeat at 3p.m. ET/ 12 noon PT and one-hour encore presentation repack at 8 p.m. ET/9 p.m. PT)


Day 3

Tour de France: Stage 2
Obernai - Esch-sur-Alzette, day total: 228.5 km,
Mon., July 3 at 8:30 a.m. ET/5:30 a.m. PT (one-hour encore presentation repack at 8 p.m. ET/9 p.m. PT)


Day 4

Tour de France: Stage 3,
Esch-sur-Alzette - Valkenburg, day total: 216.5 km,
Tues., July 4 at 8:30 a.m. ET/5:30 a.m. PT (one-hour encore presentation repack at 8 p.m. ET/9 p.m. PT)


Day 5

Tour de France: Stage 4,
Huy - Saint Quentin, day total: 270 km,
Wed., July 5 at 8:30 a.m. ET/5:30 a.m. PT (one-hour encore presentation repack at 8 p.m. ET/9 p.m. PT)


Day 6

Tour de France: Stage 5
Beauvais - Caen, day total: 225 km
Thurs., July 6 at 8:30 a.m. ET/5:30 a.m. PT (encore presentation repack at 8 p.m. ET/9 p.m. PT)


Day 7

Tour de France: Stage 6
Lisieux - Vitré, day total: 189 km
Fri., July 7 at 8:30 a.m. ET/5:30 a.m. PT (encore presentation repack at 8 p.m. ET/9 p.m. PT)


Day 8

Tour de France: Stage 7
Saint Grégoire - Rennes, day total: 52 km
Sat., July 8 at 8:30 a.m. ET/5:30 a.m. PT (repeat at 3p.m. ET/ 12 noon PT and encore presentation repack at 8 p.m. ET/9 p.m. PT)


Day 9

Tour de France: Stage 8
Saint-Méen-le-Grand - Lorient, day total: 181 km
Sun., July 9 at 8:30 a.m. ET/5:30 a.m. PT (repeat at 3p.m. ET/ 12 noon PT and encore presentation repack at 8 p.m. ET/9 p.m. PT)


Rest Day

Tour de France: Rest Day, Bordeaux
Stage 8 encore presentation repack to air Mon., July 10 at 8:30 a.m. ET/5:30 a.m. PT and 8 p.m. PT/9 p.m. PT


Day 10

Tour de France: Stage 9
Bordeaux - Dax, day total: 169.5 km
Tues., July 11 at 8:30 a.m. ET/5:30 a.m. PT (encore presentation repack at 8 p.m. ET/9 p.m. PT)


Day 11

Tour de France: Stage 10
Cambo-les-Bains - Pau day total: 206.5
Wed., July 12 at 7:30 a.m. ET/4:30 a.m. PT (encore presentation repack at 8 p.m. ET/9 p.m. PT)


Day 12

Tour de France: Stage 11
Tarbes - Vald'Aran-Pla-de-Beret day total: 206.5 km,
Thurs., July 13 at 6:30 a.m. ET/3:30 a.m. PT (encore presentation repack at 8 p.m. ET/9 p.m. PT)


Day 13

Tour De France: Stage 12
Luchon - Carcassonne, day total: 211.5 km
Fri., July 14 at 8:30 a.m. ET/5:30 a.m. PT (encore presentation repack at 8 p.m. ET/9 p.m. PT)


Day 14

Tour de France: Stage 13
Béziers Méditerranée - Montélimar, day total: 230 km
Sat., July 15 at 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 a.m. PT (encore presentation at 3 p.m. ET/12 noon PT, with an encore presentation repack at 8 p.m. ET/9 p.m. PT)


Day 15

Tour de France: Stage 14,
Montélimar - Gap, day total: 180.5 km,
Sun., July 16 at 8:30 a.m. ET/5:30 a.m. PT (encore presentation at 3 p.m. ET/12 noon PT, with an encore presentation repack at 8 p.m. ET/9 p.m. PT)


Rest Day

Tour de France: Rest Day, Gap,
Stage 14 encore presentation repack to air Mon., July 17 at 8:30 a.m. ET/5:30 a.m. PT and 8 p.m. PT/9 p.m. PT


Day 16

Tour de France: Stage 15,
Gap - L'Alpe d-Huez, day total: 187 km
Tues., July 18 at 7 a.m. ET/4 a.m. PT (encore presentation repack at 8 p.m. ET/9 p.m. PT)


Day 17

Tour de France: Stage 16
Bourg d'Oisans - La Toussuire Les Sybelles, day total: 182 km
Wed., July 19 at 6:30 a.m. ET/3:30 a.m. PT (encore presentation repack at 8 p.m. ET/9 p.m. PT)


Day 18

Tour de France: Stage 17
Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne - Morzine-Avoriaz, day total: 200.5 km
Thurs., July 20 at 7:30 a.m. ET/4:30 a.m. PT (encore presentation repack at 8 p.m. ET/9 p.m. PT)


Day 19

Tour de France: Stage 18
Morzine-Avoriaz - Mâcon, day total: 197 km
Fri., July 21 at 8:30 a.m. ET/5:30 a.m. PT (encore presentation repack at 8 p.m. ET/9 p.m. PT)


Day 20

Tour de France: Stage 19
Le Creusot - Montceau-les-mines, day total: 56 km
Sat., July 22 at 8:30 a.m. ET/5:30 a.m. PT (encore presentation at 3 p.m. ET/12 noon PT with an encore presentation repack at 8 p.m. ET/9 p.m. PT)


Day 21

Tour de France: Stage 20
Sceaux-Antony - Paris Champs-Élysées, day total: 152 km
Sun., July 23 at 7:30 a.m. ET/4:30 a.m. PT (encore presentation at 3 p.m. ET/12 noon PT, with an encore presentation repack at 8 p.m. ET/9 p.m. PT) .

Source

An interview with Alejandro Valverde

No Tour for Comunidad Valenciana in the tour

RawFlow Provides p2p Delivery For Streaming Of Tour de Suisse

Interview with Boonen: Winning is easy when you are having fun

Tour of Switzerland: Bennati happy in yellow

Dauphiné wrap-up by cyclingnews

Tour of Switzerland: Boonen takes opening stage win

Dauphine Libere: Leipheimer wins on road to Tour

Tour of Switzerland: Boonen looking for more

Christian Vande Velde: The tough road to the Tour

Ready or not here comes Jan

Shootout in the Tour de Suisse

Turpin holds on for stage win

Preview: Tour de Suisse 2006

An interview with George Hincapie

Official Tour De France Guide Released

World’s top three professional cycling teams sign up for Tour of Britain

Menchov wins, Leipheimer leads

zabriskie wins again, Landis closes the gap on Gilbert

Dauphine Libere : Gilbert goes the distance alone, takes overall lead

Interview with Klöden

Ullrich hints at retirement

"Maybe I can ride for another one or two years if I am still motivated," 32 year-old Jan Ullrich German TV station ZDF on Sunday. The German also said that anything other than victory at next month's Tour de France would be disappointing.

Dauphiné Libéré 2006 Wegmann breaks sprinters

Dauphine Libere : Zabriskie wins, Hincapie impresses

Cunego undecided over Tour

Dauphiné Libéré 2006, perfect preparation for the tour?

Sevilla declares his innocence

WADA Repudiates Vrijman Report

Landis reconnoiters Tour climbs

No TdF for Schumacher

Road Market Still Strong, But How Long Can it Last?

Ullrich to ride Swiss Tour