Live for Love

一個月來忙碌的準備 行程一改再改 全家的夏日旅行 終於即將開始   2010関東 江戶風情 東京都 / 鎌倉 / 奧日光 夏日旅行

Saxo Bank rider tries all he can to drop yellow jersey as the race's best two riders fight out the Tour's toughest stage Andy Schleck (Saxo Bank) won the seventeenth stage of the Tour de France between Pau and the Col du Tourmalet after he and Alberto Contador (Astana) escaped halfway up the legendary climb. Contador, having done very little work as Schleck tried all he could to drop him, allowed Schleck to take the sprint but made sure he finished in the same time. Joaquin Rodriguez (Katusha) escaped a select group of chasers to finish in third ahead of Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Transitions). With everything to play for, the race came down to a one on one battle between the two top riders of the race on the Tour’s toughest mountain.

Spaniard chimes in on cycling's "unwritten rules" Spaniard Carlos Sastre (Cervélo TestTeam) went out on the attack today in an attempt to seize his final chance at a stage victory in the 2010 Tour de France. The last day in the Pyrénées also gave the 2008 Tour winner an opportunity to reflect on recent events in cycling, and took time to speak his mind on those that have recently cried foul. “Today was full of action and inspired a lot of talk. For some it has been a crazy day, for others it was a day filled with stupidity, and for a few it was a day of bravery and courage... As far as I was concerned, it was a day to enjoy myself on my bike,” Sastre said candidly of the Tour's last mountain stage. Sastre had his sights set on reaching the Col du Tourmalet at the front of the race, and staying there until he hit the finish line. He ended up missing the first group of seven that formed the break of the day, but refused to write himself off and began what ended ...

A sixth win for France as Lance Armstrong and Christophe Moreau go on one last attack Pierrick Fédrigo (Bbox Bouyges Telecom) won the sixteenth stage of the Tour de France between Bagnères-de-Luchon and Pau as he outsprinted the rest of an nine-man breakaway. Sandy Casar (Française des Jeux) was second, with Ruben Plaza (Caisse d’Epargne) in third at the end of the 199.5km stage across the Pyrénées. The breakaway group included seven-time winner Lance Armstrong (RadioShack) and Christophe Moreau (Caisse d’Epargne), two of the oldest riders in the race, and finished 6’45” ahead of the peloton. A long breakaway that formed in the early kilometres, on the climb of the Col de Peyresourde, finally built a stage winning lead on the Col du Tourmalet. After a lone attack from Carlos Barredo (Quick Step) the stage came down to a sprint, which Fédrigo comfortably won.

That is the Question Andy Schleck (Saxo Bank) unshipping his chain just as things were hotting up on the hors category Port de Balès cost him his yellow jersey; it may have cost him the race. The boos and whistles that could be heard as defending champion Alberto Contador (Astana) pulled on his first yellow jersey of the race were testament to the fact that many felt that the Spanish rider was wrong to take advantage of his rival’s misfortune. Tradition dictates that if the yellow jersey suffers from a crash or a mechanical problem his rivals don’t attack him, so does this mean that Contador should have waited for Schleck? In 2003, when Lance Armstrong’s handlebar caught the string handle of a souvenir bag held by a spectator he went crashing to the ground, also bringing down Iban Mayo. Jan Ullrich, who’d been sitting in third wheel managed to get around the two falling riders; but rather than capitalising on Armstrong’s bad luck in the closest Tour in years, the German eased his...

Champion of France takes breakaway stage as drama on final climb sees Alberto Contador seize the lead Thomas Voeckler (Bbox Bouyges Telecom) won the fifteenth stage of the Tour de France between Pamiers and Bagnères-de-Luchon. The French champion was part of a ten-man breakaway that escaped in the mid part of the 187.5km stage; he dropped the rest of his companions on the steep slopes of the hors category Port de Balès and stayed away on the descent to take a solo victory. Alessandro Ballan (BMC Racing) outsprinted Aitor Perez (Footon-Servetto), both also members of the breakaway, for second place, 1’20” behind. After a fast start to the stage a breakaway finally escaped, with the French champion holding on to take the home nation’s fifth stage of the race. Behind Voeckler, high drama on the Port de Balès saw a mechanical for yellow jersey Andy Schleck (Saxo Bank) capitalised on by his rivals. “I knew I was better than the fourth place in the stage to Station des Rousses,” said a...

Frenchman is last survivor of long breakaway, holds off the big boys as they play cat and mouse behind Christophe Riblon (AG2R-La Mondiale) won the fourteenth stage of the Tour de France between Revel and Ax 3 Domaines as the last man standing from a day-long breakaway. He finished alone 54 seconds ahead of Denis Menchov (Rabobank) and Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel-Euskadi), who’d escaped from a select group of riders on the final kilometres of the climb at the end of the 184.5km stage. After a long breakaway the stage looked like it would go to the overall contenders but the Frenchman, who took the silver medal in this year’s World Championship Madison on the track, held on to take his biggest victory to date. “I was really disappointed with my start of the Tour because I wanted to do something overall, and it did not work,” said Riblon after his victory. “Especially the last two days were very difficult, and I was almost depressed.