Tour de France 2009

Coverage of the 2009 Tour de France, cycling's most popular event of the year. Follow Tour de France riders and news of bio passports, teams, and more. The 2009 Tour de France starts on Saturday July 4th and runs through Sunday July 26th 2009. It is the 96th Tour de France and will be made up of 21 stages covering a total distance of 3,500 kilometres.

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Polls

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67%

33%

Who's the stronger Team Katusha rider?

12 votes so far

Leader:
Gert Steegmans

54%

46%

Can Robbie McEwen lead Team Katusha to a strong Tour de France finish?

28 votes so far

Leader:
Yes, Katusha is a team to watch

No, Lance Armstrong is a machine during the Tour de France, no one can stop him

52%

Yes, Levi Leipheimer is now the stronger rider

48%

Will Levi Leipheimer beat Lance Armstrong in the 2009 Tour?

44 votes so far

Leader:
No, Lance Armstrong is a machine during the Tour de France, no one can stop him

48%

42%

How will Lance Armstrong do in the 2009 Tour de France?

231 votes so far

Leader:
He'll do well but not win

Yes, Piet Rooijakkers is moving up in the ranks

72%

No, Piet Rooijakkers doesn't have the legs

28%

Will Piet Rooijakkers have a break out year in 2009?

25 votes so far

Leader:
Yes, Piet Rooijakkers is moving up in the ranks

Articles

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2009 Tour de France in Pictures

Written by

John on

Stage 21 (Final Stage) Yellow Jersey holder Alberto Contador of Spain and Astana passes L'Arc de Triomphe during Stage Twenty One of the Tour de France on July 26, 2009 in Paris, France. (Getty Images) more pics » Yellow Jersey holder Alberto Contador of Spain and Astana (L) rides with White Jersey holder Andy Schleck of Luxembourg and Saxo Bank during Stage Twenty One of the Tour de France on July 26, 2009 in Paris, France. (Getty Images) more pics » Mark Cavendish of Great Britain and Team Columbia-HTC crosses the finish line to win Stage Twenty One of the Tour de France on ... Read Full Story

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Sprint finish right up Cavendish's alley

From: www.ap.org

Mark Cavendish of Great Britain, a cycling sprint specialist, was in unfamiliar territory on Saturday when he presented the game ball before the Missouri-Illinois football game. "It took me three hours to understand what was actually going on," Cavendish said. The opening stage of the Tour of Missouri was more like it. The 24-year-old Cavendish, who won six stages of the Tour de France in July, prevailed in a sprint finish of the 75-mile circuit race, beating J.J. Haedo of Saxo Bank and Thor Hushovd of Cervelo Test to the line with a time of 2 hours, 43 minutes and 56 seconds over a ... Read Full Story

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Gilbert heads up Belgian world champs team

From: www.afp.com

Philippe Gilbert will lead the Belgian cycling team at the upcoming world road race championships it was announced by coach Carlo Bomans on Monday. Bomans explained that Gilbert would be their main hope because he believed that the route for the road race on September 27 in Mendrisio, Switzerland, would be too tough for 2005 world champion Tom Boonen. "There will be just one team leader at the start, the other riders will there to help him," said Bomans. "The course is both tiring and very short (13.8 kilometres). "The two climbs come very quickly for the riders who will have barely been able ... Read Full Story

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Cycling Evans says escape chances non-existent

From: www.afp.com

Australia's Cadel Evans admits he will be given few chances from the handful that remain on the Tour de France to make amends for his morale-crushing performance on this year's race. The two-time runner-up languishes in 29th place at 38min 20sec behind leader Alberto Contador following Thursday's 18th stage time trial. In the 40.5km race against the clock Evans finished 12th, 1:14 behind stage winner Contador but ahead of Lance Armstrong, world champion Bert Grabsch of Germany and fellow Australian Michael Rogers. In the wake of a disappointing three days in the Alps, where a stunning collapse saw him lose over 30 minutes to ... Read Full Story

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Ivanov wins as drama unfolds on 14th stage

From: www.afp.com

The battle for temporary command of the yellow and green jerseys on the Tour de France provided some thrilling racing, and score-settling, on the 14th stage from Colmar to Besancon Saturday. Russian Sergei Ivanov of Katusha came over the finish line solo after decisively attacking his group of 11 breakaway companions 11km from home. It was only 5min 36sec later, when Italy's Rinaldo Nocentini, racing for AG2R, crossed with all the race favourites, that he was confirmed as still being in possession of the race leaders' yellow jersey. "I want to say thanks to the whole team for keeping me in the yellow today," ... Read Full Story

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2009 Tour de France Route Map

Source: Tour de France official site

List of Riders in the Tour de France 2009

Cyril Dessel of Ag2r (BBC)
Ag2r-La Mondiale
    Manager: Vincent Lavenu
    Cyril Dessel (France)
    Jose Luis Arrieta Lujambio (ESP)
    Lloyd Mondory (France)
    Stephane Goubert (France)
    Vladimir Efimkin (RUS)

Agritubel
    Manager: David Fornes
    Brice Feillu (France)
    Christophe Moreau (France)
    David La Lay (France)
    Eduardo Gonzálo (Spa)
    Geoffroy Lequatre (France)
    Maxime Bouet (France)
    Nicolas Vogondy (France)
    Romain Feillu (France)
    Sylvain Calzati (France)

Alberto Contador of Astana (Epoch Times)
Astana
    Manager: Johan Bruyneel
    Alberto Contador (Spa)
    Andreas Kloden (Ger)
    Dmitriy Muravyev (Kaz)
    Gregory Rast (Swi)
    Haimar Zubeldia (Spa)
    Lance Armstrong (USA)
    Levi Leipheimer (USA)
    Sergio Paulinho (Por)
    Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr)

Bbox Bouygues Telecom
    Manager: Jean-René Bernaudeau
    Pierre Rolland (France)
    Pierrick Fedrigo (France)
    Thomas Voeckler (France)
    William Bonnet (France)
    Yukiya Arashiro (JPN)
    Yuri Trofimov (RUS)

Caisse D’Epargne
    Manager: José-Miguel Echavarri
    David Arroyo Duran (ESP)
    Jose Ivan Gutierrez Palacios (ESP)
    Luis Leon Sanchez Gil (ESP)
    Luis Pasamontes Rodriguez (ESP)
    Oscar Pereiro Sio (ESP)
    Xabier Zandio Echaide (ESP)

Carlos Sastre of Cervelo (Telegraph)
Cervelo TestTeam
    Manager: Theo Maucher
    Andreas Klier (GER)
    Brett Lancaster (AUS)
    Carlos Sastre (ESP)
    Hayden Roulston (NZL)
    Heinrich Haussler (GER)
    Inigo Cuesta (ESP)
    Jose Angel Gomez Marchante (ESP)
    Thor Hushovd (NOR)
    Volodymyr Gustov (UKR)

Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne
    Manager: Éric Boyer
    Amael Moinard (France)
    Bingen Fernandez (ESP)
    Christophe Kern (France)
    David Moncoutie (France)
    Leonardo Duque (COL)
    Remi Pauriol (France)
    Samuel Dumoulin (France)
    Sebastien Minard (France)
    Stephane Auge (France)

Koldo Fernandez (Daylife)
Euskaltel-Euskadi
    Manager: Miguel Madariaga
    Alan Pérez (Spain)
    Amets Txurruka (Spain)
    Egoi Martínez (Spain)
    Gorka Verdugo (Spain)
    Igor Antón (Spain)
    Juanio Oroz (Spain)
    Koldo Fernández (Spain)
    Mikel Astarloza (Spain)
    Rubén Pérez (Spain)

Francaise Des Jeux
    Manager: Marc Madiot
    Anthony Geslin (F)
    Benoit Vaugrenard (F)
    Christophe LeMevel (F)
    Jerome Coppel (F)
    Jussi Veikkanen (Fin)
    Sandy Casar (F)
    Yahueni Hutarovich (Blr)

Garmin - Slipstream
    Manager: Jonathan Vaughters
    Bradley Wiggins (GBr)
    Christian Vande Velde (USA)
    Dan Martin (Irl)
    Danny Pate (USA)
    David Millar (GBr)
    David Zabriskie (USA)
    Julian Dean (NZl)
    Ryder Hesjedal (Can)
    Tyler Farrar (USA)

Alessandro Ballan (SDamy)
Lampre - N.G.C.
    Manager: Giuseppe Saronni
    Alessandro Ballan (ITA)
    Angelo Furlan (ITA)
    Daniele Righi (ITA)
    Marco Bandiera (ITA)
    Marco Marzano (ITA)
    Marzio Bruseghin (ITA)
    Massimiliano Mori (ITA)
    Mirco Lorenzetto (ITA)
    Simon Spilak (SLO)

Liquigas
    Manager: Roberto Amadio
    Alessandro Vanoti (Italy)
    Alexandr Kuschynski (Rus)
    Brian Vandborg (Den)
    Daniele Bennati (Italy)
    Fabio Sabatini (Italy)
    Franco Pellizotti (Italy)
    Frederik Willems (Bel)
    Roman Kreuziger (Cze)
    Vicenzo Nibali (Ita)

Jerome Pineau (Cycling Fans)
Quick Step
    Manager: Patrick Lefevere
    Carlos Barredo Llamazales (ESP)
    Jerome Pineau (France)
    Stijn Devolder (BEL)
    Sylvain Chavanel (FRA)

Rabobank
    Manager: Harold Knebel
    Denis Menchov (Russia)
    Grischa Niermann (Germany)
    Joost Posthuma (Dutch)
    Juan Antonio Flecha (Argentina/Spain)
    Juan Manuel Garate (Spain)
    Laurens Ten Dam (Dutch)
    Oscar Freire (Spain)
    Robert Gesink (Dutch)
    Stef Clement (Dutch)

Silence-Lotto
    Manager: Marc Sergeant
    Cadel Evans (AUS)
    Greg Van Avermaet (BEL)
    Johan Vansummeren (BEL)
    Jurgen Van den Broeck (BEL)
    Matthew Lloyd (AUS)
    Mickael Delage (France)
    Sebastian Lang (GER)
    Staf Scheirlinckx (BEL)
    Thomas Dekker (NED)

Simon Geschke of Skil Shimano (Skil Fan)
Skil-Shimano
    Manager: Iwan Spekenbrink
    Albert Timmer (NED)
    Cyril Lemoine (France)
    Jonathan Hivert (France)
    Kenny Robert Van Hummel (NED)
    Piet Rooijakkers (NED)
    Simon Geschke (GER)

Team Columbia - Highroad
    Manager: Bob Stapleton
    Bernhard Eisel (AUT)
    George Hincapie (USA)
    Kim Kirchen (LUX)
    Marcus Burghardt (GER)
    Mark Cavendish (GBR)
    Mark Renshaw (AUS)
    Maxime Monfort (ITALY)
    Michael Rogers (AUS)
    Tony Martin (GER)

Team Katusha
    Manager: Stefano Feltrin
    Alexandre Botcharov (RUS)
    Danilo Napolitano (ITA)
    Filippo Pozzato (ITA)
    Joan Horrach Rippoll (ESP)
    Mikhail Ignatiev (RUS)
    Nikolay Trusov (RUS)
    Serguei Ivanov (RUS)
    Stijn Vandenbergh (BEL)
    Vladimir Karpets (RUS)

Fabian Wegmann of Milrom (BBC)
Team Milram
    Manager: Gerry Van Gerwen
    Christian Knees (Ger)
    Fabian Wegmann (Ger)
    Gerald Ciolek (Ger)
    Johannes Fröhlinger (Ger)
    Linus Gerdemann (Ger)
    Markus Fothen (Ger)
    Niki Terpstra (Ned)
    Peter Velits (Svk)
    Peter Wrolich (Aut)

Team Saxo Bank
    Manager: Bjarne Riis
    Andy Schleck (Lux)
    Chris Anker Sørensen (Den)
    Fabian Cancellara (Swi)
    Fränk Schleck (Lux)
    Gustav Larsson (Swe)
    Jens Voigt (Germany)
    Kurt-Asle Arvesen (Nor)
    Nicki Sørensen (Den)
    Stuart O’Grady (Aus)

News

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Kazakhstan's government fund pledges $22 million for trouble-ridden...

ALMATY, Kazakhstan (AP) — Kazakhstan's state sovereign fund pledged $22 million in financial backing to the Astana cycling team Friday, ensuring the squad stays alive and Tour de France champion Alberto Contador remains in its ranks. Astana's ...

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Contador sticks with Astana in 2010

Contador enjoyed Tour de France glory with Astana earlier this year. STORY HIGHLIGHTS Alberto Contador signs preliminary agreement with Astana for 2010 Two-time Tour de France champion linked with several teams for next season Contador will stay with

From p.moreover.com ()

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Contador to stay at Astana

Tour de France winner Alberto Contador of Spain has reached a preliminary deal to stay with the Astana team until the end of 2010.He had spoken to rival teams after a successful but troubled year, mar...

From asiapacificnews.net ()