Alberto says

"No-one has won the Tour de France yet and no-one has lost it, We have to get to Paris yet,'' he said.
"It's true that Chris is in impressive form and is a great climber, but there are still many stages left.''

evolution de velo

good video from L'equipe

watch here

"Shake and Bake Baby"

Mark "Carl Norton Jnr" Renshaw will reunite with Mark "Ricky Bobby" Cavendish. Shake and bake.

see here

Thomas Voekler

Thomas Voeckler, how ambition will you address the Tour de France?

With that I had the chance to do the Tour last year, I really feel that they have done everything in my field of expertise. I do not know what I could do differently or more on the Tour. I really have no specific goal in mind. I forbid me anything, I'll take the race day by day, have fun and have no regrets. Over the past four years I have had only good times. This year, maybe there will not be, maybe it will be. Honestly, I have no goal. It may come in the course of the race. Just like last year, the polka dot jersey was not a goal and it came after my stage victory. That's fine with me trying to get to the maximum day to day, depending on the legs of the journey, different rankings, team strategies, weather ...

Some will find yourself bored ...

To be honest, there is less excitement in 2003 for my first Tour, otherwise it would be the language of wood! I do not lose sight that this is the most important race of the year but for me it's a race, I have less eyes open ... Although this year, there no Olympics, no World Cup football and we feel that all eyes will be the Tour de France.

Pierre Rolland will be your leader, so you'll have a free electron role?

This is a proper role of law. It was the 20th (21st in 2009), 10th (2011), 8th (2012) at the age he has, he works all year for this, it is legitimate to have runners in his service . The role of free electron fine with me. In 2011, I ran as a favorite, it was huge. But the 2012 Tour with the polka dot jersey, it looks like me. It's not better, not worse, it's different but it looks like me.

It may take you favor in the early days ...

These are the riders who are racing. If people are motivated to move, it will move. If the big armada Sky decides to dictate the race, they have the means to do like last year and it will be difficult to illustrate.

It disappoints you?

Last year, they are first and second. Some blame their lack of panache but the goal is to win. It is perhaps not very romantic but the fact is that they were right. This is not my vision of the bike but it does not mean it is not good.

Do you have a favorite of your last ten Tours remember?

There are too many different things. There's something I'm proud of: when I see that in Tours in 1950 or 1945 there was exactly the same stage that I won with Aubisque, Tourmalet, Aspin, Peyresourde, I tell myself that I am happened to pass these four passes in front, to win this stage and that we can not take it away. My kids may have forgotten but when I'm 30 pounds heavier, I take my drink at the Café des sports, I always have to tell it! "

Alberto on Le Tour

Alberto Contador after the case of clenbuterol, will you take the Tour de France with a sense of revenge?

No, my feeling, it's just that I find the greatest race in the world. It is a great challenge, a goal to strive for winning the Tour de France. I want to come back and succeed. The Tour is a race where everything is bigger: the tension, the pressure, the media. So, it amplifies all difficult situations. Must be with the good times and the bad times. I think I'm in a good time. People encourage me on the roadside. This makes things easier.


But do you agree that Chris Froome is the man to beat?

Chris Froome is very strong, impressive since the beginning of the year. He managed great results, and it is the rider reference.

And the solution for the fight?

Legs (smiles). This is the only solution. The Tour will be complicated, with Froome, with other runners who will be on the Tour. Sky have a very strong team, a big working system. They are dominating. It will not attack anyone but how to enjoy every moment. The Tour will be different from last year.

Why? Because of the course?

It is a journey that invites more attacks than last year and there will be more aggressive riders. I think the Spanish riders like Joaquim Rodriguez, Valverde and me. We are attacking runners and we will bring the movement to the race. This will be a very balanced tour, maybe a little more for climbers. I think it is well suited to Joaquim Rodriguez, with short against the clock and many summit finishes. It can make a great Tour. The Pyrenees are gentle. After the result of the two against the clock, we can choose the tactics for the Alps.

Jan Ullrich

"Neither of us thought we were guilty of anything. I'm not better than Armstrong but no worse. The great heroes of the past are today people with flaws with which we must cope. " - Jan Ullrich

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