Archives
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Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Below is our Guide
to Live Coverage of the 2007 Tour de France
Allez, Saul! American Saul Raisin's inspirational
new book, "Tour de Life: From Coma to Competition," written with
Dave Shields, is now available for purchase online. Amazon.com
has it in stock: list it as being in stock but reports say
they send you an email saying you won't get it until September.
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ADVERTISEMENT
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Notes:
- Many of you are asking "What happened to the Versus link?" The
short answer: 1. Versus has "asked" that it be removed. 2.
They carry a big stick. More, no doubt, on that later.
Chris: "Quick
Step Finishes 1-2, Crash Mars Finale" Stage 2 Report
here.
Today's stage is the longest of the Tour de France at 237km.
It only features one category 4 climb, meaning another bunch sprint is likely.
The stage segues back into France as the riders begin to head south.
One can only hope that the weather improves so the riders do not have
to cope with another dodgy finish like yesterday.
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- Eurosport's coverage of today's stage
is scheduled to begin at 14:45 CET (8:45am U.S. Eastern).
- Be sure to reload this page occasionally
during the race for the latest
live race coverage links and information.
The most recent notices always appear
at the top of this Live Guide.
- Welcome
to today's live coverage guide
for Stage 3 of the 2007 Tour de France.
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Live video streaming:
Serbian TV
(starts at 16:25 CET)
(10:25am U.S. Eastern)
(Requires
Real Player
)
(limited coverage)
(French, Europe only)
(more links to come)
Live audio streaming:
Live tickers:
(French with live graphics)
News and photos:
(cycling news)
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Copyright
© 2007 www.cyclingfans.com
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Monday, July 9, 2007
Notes:
Live video stream flash:
We have another stream for you:
Serbian TV
(Thanks, Bernie!) It's a
Real Media
stream.
- The Versus live video stream is playing the Tour.
- The Eurosport live audio streams are playing today's stage
of the Tour de France.
On May 12, 2004, during the first stage of the Vuelta a
Asturias, Alberto Contador experienced a bleedout in his
brain that led to a crash and nearly ended his life. In her latest
entry to Alberto Contador: A Fan's Tour de France Notebook, Rebecca
Bell profiles the remarkable Discovery Channel rider:
(click graphic to open)
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Chris: "McEwen's
Comeback" Stage 1 Report
here.
Today's stage transitions into France and then Belgium. It
is another flat one designed for the sprinters, with no categorized climbs
along the route. The finish is in the Belgian town of Gent, where
Robbie McEwen makes his European home. Thus, all eyes will be on
McEwen to see if he can repeat yesterday's success on his home roads.
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- Eurosport's coverage of today's stage
is scheduled to begin at 14:45 CET (8:45am U.S. Eastern).
- Many more links to come today and during the next couple of
days. Stay tuned...
- Be sure to reload this page occasionally
during the race for the
latest live race coverage links and information.
The most recent notices always appear
at the top of this Live Guide.
- Welcome
to today's live coverage guide
for Stage 2 of the 2007 Tour de France.
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Live video streaming:
Serbian TV
(starts at 16:25 CET)
(10:25am U.S. Eastern)
(Requires
Real Player
)
(limited coverage)
(French, Europe only)
(more links to come)
Live audio streaming:
Live tickers:
(French with live graphics)
News and photos:
(cycling news)
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Copyright
© 2007 www.cyclingfans.com
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Sunday, July 8, 2007
Notes:
- Rebecca Bell covers Alberto Contador for us:
(click graphic to open)
- We've added a link to BBC Radio's coverage of the Tour de
France. They were just talking about the benefit to
Kent of having the Tour there. (Thanks for
the BBC links, Bernie. Let us know when "Fawlty Towers"
or "To the Manor Born" comes on. Or "Coupling"
for that matter...)
Chris: "An estimated
million people showed up to line the streets and watch all 189 riders
pass by such famous sites as Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, Westminster
Abbey, and Downing St." Prologue report
here.
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- Reader Neal wrote in with some information on watching the
Tour de France using peer-to-peer ("P2P") software. Thanks,
Neal. At this time, however, we aren't supporting P2P solutions.
Bernie in the U.K. writes: "I have never seen crowds for a bike
race here like this before, brings tears to your eyes...."
- To fully use the Live SRM Telemetry feature, you
may need to install or update your "Java Runtime Environment".
There is a link for that at the bottom of the Live SRM Telemetry
page.
- The link for the Eurosport France live audio stream
has been updated.
- L'Equipe's live ticker/graphics has been added
to the Live Guide.
- Live SRM Telemetry data is available today for
Levi Leipheimer and Egoi Martinez
of Discovery Channel , among others, though the data is
often incomplete. So don't be alarmed, for example, if a rider's
heart rate is at 0...
- The Versus live video streaming has begun.
- Eurosport's live coverage of today's stage of the
Tour de France has begun.
- Many more links to come today and during the next
couple of days. Stay tuned...
- Be sure to reload this page occasionally
during the race for the
latest live race coverage links and information.
The most recent notices always appear
at the top of this Live Guide.
- Welcome
to today's live coverage guide
for Stage 1 of the 2007 Tour de France.
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Live video streaming:
(limited coverage)
(French, Europe only)
(more links to come)
Live audio streaming:
Live tickers:
(French with live graphics)
News and photos:
(cycling news)
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Copyright
© 2007 www.cyclingfans.com
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Saturday, July 7, 2007
Below is our Guide
to Live Coverage of the 2007 Tour de France
Ready for a Tour: Tour time is finally here
and I want to take this opportunity to introduce you to, and
thank, the dedicated individuals who help put together our "Live
Guides," articles and other features. - Pete Geyer, Editor
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Bernie S.
U.K. Correspondent
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Bernie, who is semi retired, cycled
competitively in his teens. When he went with his wife to
the 1989 Kelloggs Tour, he told her "I used to do this sport." She
suggested he get a bike. He did and his interest blossomed again.
He then discovered the internet and satellite TV and realized
he can watch cycling all season long. He stumbled upon cyclingfans.com
and offered his help.
Bernie's knowledge of racing extends from the pros
deep into the amateur ranks in Europe. Just when I think
I have a handle on all the races out there, Bernie not only introduces
me, and no doubt many of you out in cyberspace, to another lesser-known
event, but he also finds live video streaming for it. Bernie
is a big reason why cyclingfans.com is the number one destination on
the internet for cycling fans looking for live streaming. (Some
80-100 days of live race video expected this season.)
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Mike Kunnecke
U.S. Correspondent
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Mike, that photo is so....21st Century. Did
you invent Web 2.0 or something?
Mike
(www.geekonabike.com)
started road racing in 1973 while living in Atlanta Ga.
He likes to tell of being in the team van at the Cross Florida
Tour with team owner Gene Dixon (Twilight Criterium promoter)
when John Eustice (New York Crit promoter) dropped out &
hitched a ride. Gene & Mike had already dropped. While still in
Atlanta, Mike also began racing track at the newly constructed East
Point Velodrome, coached by Dave Chauner whose win in the Milk Race
final stage was the first real success by an American in Europe. While
working & racing for Louisville Cycle, Mike moved to Dayton, Ohio
and picked up the newest form of bike racing: cyclocross. After a 20-year
hiatus, now in Arizona Mike began racing again. This time on mountain
bikes, which he continues to this day, although mainly endurance events.
Hey Mike, I rode my bike to school in 5th grade.
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Sarah
U.S. Correspondent
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Sarah has been a cycling fan since 2003 when
she jumped in head first
blogging
about the Tour de France. A goal of hers is to get
to see some pro races in person. Sarah likes to root
for the underdogs, the riders who probably won't ever win a Grand
Tour. If a Frenchman, Sylvain Chavanel in particular, wins
the 2007 Tour, all of France, and Sarah, will celebrate. Sarah
just completed her master's degree in Library and Information Science.
Feel free to stop by the reference desk where she works for
race updates during the Tour. (Right, Sarah?)
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Rebecca Bell
U.S. Correspondent
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Rebecca is from Kansas City, Missouri, site
of the start of September's inaugural Tour of Missouri. She is
a musician and plays the harpsichord, pipe organ and piano. She
performs with symphony, chamber orchestra and opera and is involved
with recording and education.
Rebecca is also co-editor with Nicky Orr of
chechurubiera.info
, a superb online magazine for fans of Chechu Rubiera of
Discovery Channel. The site is a great mix of racing news and culture.
During the Tour, Rebecca will be writing about Alberto Contador
for cyclingfans.com while Nicky and chechurubiera.info follow
Chechu's progress at the Tour of Austria Tour
of Qinghai Lake (Nicky reports that Chechu has re-scheduled. Thanks,
Nicky).
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Christine Grein
Contributing Photographer
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If you haven't yet seen Christine's website
of pro cycling photography, run, don't walk, run to see
www.capture-the-peloton.com
.
I have not seen a more complete database of superb
rider photos anywhere on the internet. Christine often
captures riders in pre-race moments in a way that simply makes
you smile.
When not at the races, Christine is studying
Italian, Spanish and English philology.
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David O'Nyons
Contributing Photographer
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David O'Nyons is a registered photographer
with the Sports Journalists Association and the Association Internationale
Presse Sportive. Since 1999, he has supplied images of
pro am cycling to the cycling press worldwide, to newspapers as
well as companies, teams and individuals.
David supplies images to cyclingfans.com. You
can see more of his superb work, as well as contact him for commissioned
work, at
www.sports-pictorial.com
.
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Chris Geyer
U.S. Correspondent
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Chris visited me in Paris in June, 2005 and
I can say that I spent five hours up on the Eiffel Tower talking cycling
and other subjects with the yellow jersey of the Tour de France
(see photo at left). Chris no doubt remembers the snobby tourist
who stared disapprovingly at Chris wearing the jersey. Chris
stared right back at him. (Chris, you should have asked the
guy if he wanted your autograph...)
Chris, who is in college majoring in communications,
returned to Paris last month for several weeks before returning
stateside just before today's start of the Tour de France.
So, two trips to Paris. Both in June. Uh,
bro, the Tour takes place in July. You'll get it right one
of these years.
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Pete Geyer
Publisher/Editor/Photographer
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Earlier this year I did the math and realized
that I have seen 18 consecutive Tours de France (starting with
Greg LeMond's amazing comeback in 1989) as the French see them,
on French television and roadside (with my camera since 1998).
So as a cycling fan, I have been spoiled with 18 consecutive
years of great live television coverage of the Tour, radio broadcasts
and new book releases, all in French.
When I went to the 2003 Paris-Nice prologue to
test out a new digital camera, I started becoming more familiar
firsthand with many other races on the pro calendar, "from Paris-Nice
to Paris-Tours." I launched cyclingfans.com in 2004 initially
as a "photo blog" but it soon morphed into this Guide to Live Race
Coverage which serves thousands of cycling fans the world over, offering
quick and easy access to live video, audio, graphics and text tickers
all season long. If you've just joined us for the Tour de France,
I hope you'll stick around beyond July because this beautiful sport
has much to offer year-round.
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A big thank you too to our advertisers and everyone
else who helps to make this happen and that includes those of
you who occasionally email us leads on live coverage and tips, those
of you who help pass the word about what we do, as well as all you
cycling fans out there who frequent cyclingfans.com to follow the races.
Enjoy the 2007 Tour de France. Ciao, Pete
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U.K. Media Round-Up for the Tour's
Grand Départ
by Bernie S.
The Tour start here in the UK is being met with
anticipation and apprehension. Anticipation because this is only
the third time the Tour has reached these shores and the first time
for a Grand Depart.
Apprehension because of the very recent failed
car bombings in London and the influx of the estimated two million
spectators in and around London and Kent. As usual come Tour time
the papers here are full of information about what the race is about
with explanations of the role of the Green Jersey and the
King of the Mountains because it is a fact
that the average Brit does not have any real interest in bike racing,
our summer (!) sport is Cricket . I remember
Max Sciandri (honorary Brit because he was born in Derby)
commenting that the pro peloton did not like coming to Britain because
they did not trust the road closures as the average joe in a car did
not understand the mechanics of this. Twice in the Tour
of Britain apparently the bunch were met by cars coming the
other way. The Tour of course insists on complete road closure.
There is lots of speculation about who might
win the Prologue which is a complete flat out blind round some
of the tourist sites of London with the patriotic papers thinking
it amounts to a Bradley Wiggins win. I am
not so sure and my own money would be on Fabian Cancellara
who showed in the Tour de Suisse and the Swiss
National Championships that he is flying. And he's
World Champion to boot.
There are lots of column inches about the various
Brits who are and have taken part in the Grande Boucle but our
best ever Tour rider will be missing, Robert Millar.
And a new book that I have just finished will tell you why.
"In Search of Robert Millar" by Richard
Moore is just that, a trawl through Millar's career from his
Glasgow upbringing, his amateur days with the ACBB
club in Paris to his Tour stage wins, then his disappearance off
the radar. It is to my eyes an affectionate book by an author who like
me misses Millar's take on cycling matters. The emails from Robert to
the author at the end of the book speak volumes about his attitude to
this sport now. His sacking as British coach by Chris Boardman's coach
will be grist to conspiracy theorists.
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Notes:
- Can local favorite Brad Wiggins reach his goal of
winning today's prologue? Fabian Cancellara or David Millar
may have something to say about that.
- Many more links to come today and during the next
couple of days. Stay tuned...
- Eurosport's live
coverage should begin at around 16:00
CET (10:00am U.S. Eastern).
- Today's prologue begins at 15:00 London time (10:00am
U.S. Eastern). The last rider will depart shortly after
18:00 London time (1pm U.S. Eastern).
- Be sure to reload this page occasionally
during the race for the latest
live race coverage links and information.
The most recent notices always
appear at the top of this Live Guide.
- Welcome
to today's live coverage guide
for the prologue of the 2007 Tour de France.
|
Live video streaming:
(limited coverage)
(more links to come)
Live audio streaming:
Live tickers:
News and photos:
(cycling news)
|
|
Copyright
© 2007 www.cyclingfans.com
|
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Coming up later this week:
Our 2007 Tour de France
Live Guide (video, audio, tickers)
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Saul Raisin to Return to Competition
Saturday
Saul Raisin, Crédit
Agricole
Copyright
©
Pete Geyer
/cyclingfans.com
If not for the accident
that nearly cost him his life, Saul Raisin
very likely would be set to ride his first Tour
de France starting Saturday. Instead, as his Crédit
Agricole teammates compete in the Tour's London prologue,
Saul will return to competition at the Porcupine
Hill Climb. "This isn't an 'I'm back' race," Raisin
said. "But it's going to be a huge test for me physically and mentally."
More
(deseretnews.com)
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Eindhoven Team Time Trial photos
Discovery Channel, 2007 Eindhoven
TTT
Photo Copyright
©
David O'Nyons
Once again there will not be a Team Time Trial
in the Tour de France. But cycling's top teams
did square off in the ProTour Team Time
Trial event in Eindhoven, The Netherlands, last
week. The event was won by Team CSC
ahead of Tinkoff Credit Systems, Milram
and Discovery Channel.
Contributing photographer Dave O'Nyons was there and
you can see his photos at:
www.sports-pictorial.fotopic.net
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Official jewels collection, Giro d'Italia
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