Claudine, Oui c'est Francais

Tag I'm it....

Just back into town from a super fun weekend and wedding of John's cousin Bobbie. More to come on that but first I was tagged by Andrea.....

Five items in my freezer

• Ice Cream 
• Far too many frozen juice concentrates that I keep buying when they are on sale and never drink them....
• Otter pops
• frozen chicken
• Puff Pastry

Five items in the closet (we don't really have a hall closet)

• Puzzles, I love me a big over 1000 piece puzzle
• My lettermans jacket from 1989   
• Table linens
• Blank envelopes left over from our wedding
• a whole lot of other junk

Five Items in My Car

• 8-foot table 
• Starbucks cup
• Satellite radio
• Umbrella that I never ever use
• Christmas lights

Five items in my backpack, or purse

• Cell phone
• iPOD
• Palm pilot
• lots of liquid Advil
• 3 sets of keys

Five people I tag: I don't have 5 bloggers that I know, and the one that I know the best tagged me......

Creepy Mustache Guy

Big news today in the world of Cycling. Floyd " I have a creepy porn star mustache" has just been announced that he has been accused of doping in the Tour de France. In Stage 16 he was horrible and fell back 8 minutes from the leader, finishing the stage in over 10 minutes longer than the stage winner. The next day Floyd came out from the start of the stage and led the entire way picking up the 8 minutes and sitting in 2nd place. It was talked about as one of the greatest moments in tour history and will never be forgotten. 

So yesterday on Eurosport.com, one of my daily website visits I found a article that a tour rider has tested positive to doping after stage 17. Cyclists are the most tested athletes in all of sports, they are tested at random unannounced times, they have to tell the UCI of their whereabouts at all time and there is also random testing throughout the Tour de France and by all stage winners and jersey holders. So if Floyd won the stage on 17 he would have been tested.

The initial report came out on Wednesday, on Thursday morning the rider was still unknown but it was said that Floyd would not be riding in either the Grand Prix of Denmark or the Criterium in the Netherlands. And then on Thursday mid morning it was announced that Floyd Landis was the rider in question. His A sample is said to have levels of "unusual level of Testosterone/Epitestosteron ratio" they still need to check the B sample, but they say if A is positive than B will be as well.  So the question is if he will be able to keep his Tour de France title. If he is found guilty I don't think he should be able to keep it.

Martha's Rules

So I am using my time to listen to the "Martha's Rule's" book that I downloaded onto my Ipod read by Martha. I bought the book the day it came out of course, but never got around to reading it. The Queen Bee and my mentor and idol.....Martha's Stewart. And it is such a added plus that Martha is reading it....

Starting your own business is all about passion, so says Martha.

So back to my super long day that will get me home at about the same time I go to bed, which is early by the way.  I will listen to my idol and let her lead my way. But what if my passion is TO BE Martha.....

On another note my friend Andrea wants to start a Circle Journal, check it out here and join in on our fun. It may just be the two of us and that may be pathetic..... But we will have fun anyway

l'Alpe-d'Huez

It is my second favorite part of the tour, the first is the finish on the Champs-Elysees in Paris. L'Alpe-d'Huez, stage 15 is where history is made. I found this article on the Paceline.com the official home of Lance and the Discovery team and this paints the picture perfactly!

"Starting tomorrow the Tour de France heads into the Alps for three grueling days that will more than likely decide the winner of this year’s race. There are many famous climbs in this region, and many tales of cycling lore are told of the battles fought on the roads of these mountains.

However, no mountain brings about the reverence and awe that the mere mention of its name seems to stir in cycling fans around the world. Bring up the words “L’Alpe d’Huez” and see the reaction of enthusiasts and professional cyclists alike: it’s a spectacular climb with almost mystical powers.

It certainly isn’t the longest climb at 13.8 kms (8.6 miles). It isn’t the steepest at 7.9 percent. And it isn’t the highest either coming in at 1860 meters (3576 feet). But it might be the most aesthetically pleasing of the Alpine climbs with its 21 numbered switchbacks; the curves numbered in descending order, just to give the riders a glimmer of hope that they are almost to the end."

"the Look"

Lance looking back at Jan Ullrich on Alpe-d'Huez. Most people thought he was looking at Jan and asking him if "are you coming or not" At the end of the 2005 Tour he told Phil Liggett in a interview that he wasn't looking at Jan but looking back for his team mates. I still like the Jan story :)

Tour day 14, Stage 12

Stage 12 in the south of France leaving the the city of Luchon near the Spanish border and arriving in the city of Carcassonne. It is 211.5km and after the last two days, it is really pretty flat in comparison. With a few cat 4 & 5 climbs and a cat 2 climb at the beginning. With today being Bastille day the French weer I'm sure hoping to win the stage, but...... the Discovery Channel rider Yaroslav Popovych won the stage and is now in 10th place. "Popo" as Lance calls him won the Mauillet Blance last year as the best young rider. 

Super excited that Popo won today, still no site of Lance, but maybe he will be there soon....

Happy Bastille Day

Happy Bastille Day!

And even happier news I am now on vacation and heading to the beach.

Drink Champagne and have my favorite Tuna Nicoise for lunch or dinner to celebrate.

Tour day 13, Stage 11

Leaving the town of Tarbes located at the base of the Pyrenees, only 30 minutes away from the ski slopes, and ending the day in the Spanish city of Pla-de-Beret. This is the first time the tour has ever touched into Spain. This stage is harder than yesterdays with 206.5km and one HC climb and four Cat. 1 stages.  Watching these riders go up hill with such ease is an amazing thing to watch.

Floyd Landis (Creepy mustache) announced on Monday that his hip is "Dead" after a car accident a few years ago. He said that is very pain-full and that after the tour he would have to have a hip replacement. Most likely he will not be able to ride again after that. Well today he finished the race third and moved up the GC and is now wearing the Yellow Jersey. Things are not looking good for Georgie Hincapie, he is in 40th place and is now 23minutes behind the leader. (Lance they need you)

Tour day 12, Stage 10

Now is the time for the good stuff! The first mountain stage! Starting in the city of Cambo-les-Bains in the heart of the Basque region and known for it natural healing spas. This stage runs through and up Col de Soudet in the Pyrenees. The Col de Soudet is a HC category climb and is 1540m high. The second climb is the Col de Marie Blanque, named after a woman, Marie, who had very pale skin almlost white. The tour arrives in the city of Pau, it's is the Tour's 60th visit to this city, only two city's have been visited more, one of course is Paris. 

When the tour starts to head into the mountains, some riders fall out of the Peloton. There is a time that you have to finish the stage, if you do not finish in time you will be dropped from the rest of the tour. Today Iban Mayo and American Levi Leipheimer fell off early. Levi looked horrible, he says that he has been sick though. Juan Miguel Mercado the Spanish rider of Agritubel and Cyril Dessel of AG2R broke away and were never seen again. The peolton was over 9 minutes away. At the finish the two sprinted to the line and Mercado won by a bit. Mercado won the stage, but

Dessel was able to take the Yellow jersey and the Polka Dot king of the mountain Jersey. Hincapie now sits in 19th place 6minutes 15seconds from the leader. Discovery needs to get it together if they want to stay in this. Lance is rumored to be going over for the last week, that should help.

Tour day 11, Stage 9

From the famous city of Bordeaux to the city of Dax located just kilometers from the Atlantic Ocean. This is a vary flat stage of 169.5 km's so will favor the sprinters, the day before they head into the mountains. The finish was a sprinting fight between Tom Boonen of Quickstep, Robby McEwen of Davitamon-Lotto Oscar Freire of Rabobank and Erik Zabel of team Milram.  Oscar Freire was the stage winner finishing with a total time of 3hours, 35minutes, 24 seconds.  Serguei Honchar of T-Mobile is still in the leaders Yellow jersey. The Discovery team is still holding court.

Rest day, Tour 101

I am going  through withdrawals  today with no live tour on, there is a recap show on and I do have all of last years on tape in case of emergency. I thought I would answer some of the major questions of the tour, not that anybody asked though.....

What do the different jersey colors mean:

Yellow jersey, the Maillot Jaune in French and as it is mostly know. This jersey is highly coveted and awarded at the end of every stage for the race GC leader. This rider has covered the overall distance in the least amount of time and time bonuses as well for finishing 1st, 2nd or 3rd are intermediate sprint time bonuses all add up to their overall time. The very first tour was in 1903 but the Yellow Jersey did not appear until 1919. Lance has won the Jersey 83 times in his 7 winning tours,One of Lance's nicknames is Mellow Johnny, a play on the Maillot Jaune. The winner at the end of the tour wins $575, 000, which as a tradition is then given back to the supporting riders and divided between them.

Green Jersey, the points jersey is awarded to the best all around finisher. Most of the points are awarded on the flat stages, normally in the first half of the tour so the Jersey is a favorite with the Sprinters. Riders like Tom Boonen and Robbie McEwen actually focus on winning the Green Jersey more so than the Yellow.

Polka Dot Jersey, or King of the Mountains, is awarded to the rider that most consistently reaches the summits of each stage. Each mountain or hill is ranked with a 1 to 5 category, 5 being the lowest. The largest mountains, such as the infamous l'Alpe-d'Huez is a category HC which is extremely difficult and is a a 10% grades for 15 to 20kms.

White Jersey, Maillot Blanc, the best young rider jersey is for the best place GC rider under 25 years old. Last year Discovery rider Yaroslav Popovych won the jersey.

Stage winners, each stage winner does get to stand on the podium but there is no official jersey awarded to them. They do get a trophy, flowers and sometimes other little items that are relative to the town in which the tour has ended.

GC, The GC means the General Classification which is ranked in order behind the Yellow jersey and us updated everyday after each stage. Some days there is no change in the top few finishers, but after the first two time trials it is usually changed a lot.

Don't you feel enlightened now, I bet you can't wait for the next rest day on the 17th