MetaFilter posts tagged with TourDeFrance

Bikes as art as bikes as art as etc

ardgedee — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 08:01:29 -0800

The bike racing world has a tradition of attention-getting designs, but some spectators at this year's Tours of California or France might have done double-takes at some of the art on Lance Armstrong's rides. As it turns out, Trek and Nike have commissioned custom designs promoting Livestrong, and as I write this Lance is cycling into Paris on a bike covered with butterfly wings, courtesy of Damien Hirst. Along with the Hirst piece, TdF fans have been able to see Armstrong riding art by Shepard Fairey, Yoshitomo Nara, and Mark Newson. If you happen to be in Paris, you can attend the Stages (warning: Autoplay Flash video/audio) exhibition, which opened on the 17th and features some of the bikes and commissioned art by Ed Ruscha, Raymond Pettibon, Andreas Gursky, and more. After the show's over, the bikes will be auctioned off with proceeds benefiting the Lance Armstrong Foundation.

Live Strong

Bluecoat93 — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 16:04:56 -0800

Thirty-seven year old Lance Armstrong has announced that he will end his 3-year retirement from professional racing to try for a record eighth victory in the Tour de France.

The Black Pantanis

afx237vi — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 13:18:30 -0800

Up to now, no black cyclist has ever competed in the Tour de France. One man hopes to to change that. Last month Nicholas Leong, a Singaporean photographer and supporter of the Major Taylor Association (previously: 1, 2), travelled to Eldoret in Kenya, a place better known for producing world-class distance runners. There, he found two Kenyan cyclists and took them to France to tackle one of the Tour's most iconic climbs: Alpe d'Huez. The two cyclists were 26 year old Zakayo Ndbri and 24 year old Mwangi Samwel. On their first attempt at the Alpe, Ndbri won a semi-pro race with a time of 46 minutes. Samwel finished a few seconds behind in 3rd place. A week later, Ndbri raced again and finished with a time of 42'10", which would have placed him 11th in the 2004 uphill time trial of Alpe d'Huez. Although Africans are still a rarity in professional cyclin, cycling remains a popular sport in parts of the continent. Races include Burkina Faso's Tour du Faso (pictures and article), Gabon's Tropicale Amissa Bongo and Côte d'Ivoire's Tour Ivoirien de la Paix.

Raise one for the red lantern

ardgedee — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 13:32:09 -0800

As the Tour de France concludes, let's spend a moment commemorating the derrière garde of world-class cycling, those bad enough to come in last but never bad enough to fail, les Lanternes Rouge. If Wim Vansevenant can retain his tenacious hold on 145th place in Sunday's stage he will be the worst cyclist to complete the Tour de France for three consecutive years and set a Tour record. You can, indeed, win by losing. Vansevenant is currently 3 hours, 54 minutes and 51 seconds behind the leader but only 53 seconds behind the 144th placed rider, Bernhard Eisel. While Carlos Sastre and Cadel Evans fight tooth-and-nail for the yellow jersey on the final promenade through the Champs-Élysées fans will be eagerly rooting for Evan's teammate Vansevenant to strike a third blow for the good enough. Those fascinated by the slow end of the train can get their daily fill of news at the Tour de France Lanterne Rouge blog whose author gently reminds those who would mock anybody for finishing last in a 21 day long bike ride of 3,559 kilometers (2,211 mi): "You couldn't hang on his wheel for thirty seconds."

Landis Guilty

yhbc — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 11:38:34 -0800

Say It Ain't So, Floyd. Landis found guilty of doping, must surrender 2006 Tour de France title. previously on MeFi: the original thread about his apparently heroic stage comeback, and the first thread about the doping

"Addicted to speed, I mean"

ardgedee — Sun, 27 May 2007 05:47:13 -0800

Bjarne Riis, current coach of premier cycling squad Team CSC, used drugs to win the Tour in 1996. His protege, Ivan Basso, was suspended from Team CSC before last year's Tour for suspicion of doping. Team Discovery hired Basso to fill Lance Armstrong's seat as captain, but Basso quit shortly before he had a chance to win his second consecutive Giro d'Italia, and is out for the season, if not permanently. The conclusion of Floyd Landis's appeals to reinstate his 2006 Tour victory will wait until some time after this year's Tour de France. Jan Ullrich capped a good but unsatisfying career by retiring early and under a cloud. Several of Ullrich's former Deutch Telekom/T-Mobile teammates, including Erik Zabel, admitted to doping, and the team masseur claims to have personally administered EPO to Ullrich. Ullrich, Basso, numerous other leading riders, and the majority of some team rosters continue to be under suspicion as the Operación Puerto EPO lab investigation grinds onward. It might be the best time ever to market a competition road bike called the Addict. (previously, previously, oh-so-very previously, )

Floyd Landis sample might not be his

cccorlew — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 14:59:40 -0800

A wee bit of a problem More mistakes come to light in the French lab that screwed Floyd out of his Tour win

Floyd Landis' Defense Online

fixedgear — Thu, 12 Oct 2006 15:20:37 -0800

Floyd Landis' Defense Onilne. Two pdfs of his defense, one zip file with a dozen documents supporting his claim.

Tour de France Magnum Photo Essay

OmieWise — Fri, 28 Jul 2006 06:55:46 -0800

Magnum photos of previous Tours de France. A Flash (Friday) evocative photo essay of Tours gone by. With soothing accordian music and light narration to help you forget your doping woes.

Tour winner disgraced?

beagle — Thu, 27 Jul 2006 07:34:56 -0800

Landis tests positive for doping.

TdF Joux-Plane Spoiler

Wolfdog — Thu, 20 Jul 2006 11:03:11 -0800

Today's Tour de France stage was legend-making.

Rest is difficult.

OmieWise — Mon, 10 Jul 2006 10:39:53 -0800

The 10th day? A day of rest. Thank goodness for Caroline Yang's TdF photos. Ever wondered why McEwan rides so hard to stay in Green? What Ukrainian joy looks like? When you can wear socks with sandals? She's also got some decent shots of speed skating (oh, and real blood sports, like weddings).

"Doping Scandal Rocks Tour"

dizzycow — Fri, 30 Jun 2006 06:48:27 -0800

Big news in the cycling world. Favorites Basso, Ullrich out of the Tour de France. Should make for an interesting July.

Minor changes to your screenplay

RockyChrysler — Thu, 08 Dec 2005 14:21:43 -0800

An open letter to Lance Armstong.
Subject: Minor changes to your screenplay. You mean once he starts winning, he just keeps winning? There's never a serious doubt that he'll keep winning? It gets a little predictable, Lance. Think about this for a second: Rocky lost in the first movie, and that's the only one that was any good.

Back to the Future

Elpoca — Tue, 23 Aug 2005 20:14:07 -0800

Lance Armstrong has won the 1999 Tour de France !

Eki the ageless wonder

RockyChrysler — Thu, 23 Jun 2005 21:55:14 -0800

Team Discovery has announced its roster for the 2005 Tour de France. Sadly, team member, Russian Cyclist of the Century, Olympic Gold and Silver Medalist and “ageless wonder” Viatcheslav Ekimov (b. 1966) was injured recently while training with Lance in Texas (free reg. req.) and will not compete in his 15^th Tour this July. Eki, age 39, domestique to both LeMond and Armstrong, and a three-time stage winner at the Tour, is just two Tour-finishes shy of the record: 16.

Quest for 6 - Lance and the Le Tour

Max's Daddy — Sat, 03 Jul 2004 00:07:05 -0800

Lance Armstrong - Le Tour de France It is that time of the year again T-Minus 8 Hours until the kick off of the Greatest Cycling Event in the World.....2004 Le Tour De France. Lance Armstrong is the Favored again to Win his 6TH Title in a row! In order to watch, listen and follow the race check out: Lance's official Fan club website or Le Tour's Official Daily Posting and Standing, lastly those of you who will need their daily fix without a computer Daily Results can be sent to your wireless phone via text messages. This will be a very exciting time from July 3 to July 25, one prologue and 20 stages and will cover a total distance of 3,390 kilometers or 2,106.5 miles. Go Lance.....Wear Yellow Live Strong!

Tyler wins Stage 16!

monju_bosatsu — Wed, 23 Jul 2003 18:04:46 -0800

Tyler Hamilton on his win today in State 16 of the Tour de France. [via the brilliant notd tour blog]

Blake — Fri, 26 Jul 2002 08:03:32 -0800

Great feat, but not a great athlete. Let the Cyclist bashing continue.
As a follow up to the pointless Bicycles and cars don't mix column, Ron Borges over at MSNBC wonders if Lance Armstrong is even an athlete.
He says Athletes must do more with their bodies than pump their legs up and down. For his money, being the greatest athlete in the world involves strength, speed, agility, hand-eye coordination, mental toughness and the ability to make your body do things that defy description. Anyone who has ever been in a bike race (Road or MTN) knows it does indeed take all that and more. Anyone who writes about sports, rather than participating, would of course have no clue it takes more than moving your feet up and down.

Kikkoman — Tue, 17 Jul 2001 09:38:14 -0800

Le Tour So, is there any chance the Tour De France will become more popular with US viewers? Or even that our own Tour will reach the interest levels displayed in Europe? I was absolutely on the edge of my seat during Armstrong's rush today, and I'm nothing of a biker.