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Chris Froome won the Tour de France - the Guardian: LINK ¤ the GUARDIAN

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• "Chris Froome - won the Tour de France !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

 

 

 

 

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• "for the gentleman - it was his fourth Tour victory !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

 

 

 

 

 

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• "Froome has an ability - to adapt to whatever - the Tour organisers !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

 

 

 

 

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• "presented to him - for the cycling’s greatest prize - the yellow jersey !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

 

 

 

 

 

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• "Chris Fromme said - "the Champs Elysees never disappoints - when you have spent"  !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

 

 

 

 

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• "three weeks - thinking about it at this moment - amazing !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

 

 

 

 

 

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• "the Frenchman Warren Barguil - won the polka-dot jersey - for the best climber in the mountains !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

 

 

 

 

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• "and Michael Matthews - won the green jacket - the points jersey - for the stage finishes !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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the thrilling Tour de France - the Guardian: LINK ¤ the GUARDIAN

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• "Christian Prudhomme - the head of the Tour de France - the amiable Frenchman !"

 

 

 

 

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• "has set himself the mission - of livening up the event - making it less predictable !"

 

 

 

 

 

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• "and - as far as possible - ensuring suspense is maintained - to the end !"

 

 

 

 

 

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• "but this time Prudhomme could not - have reckoned with Chris Froome !"

 

 

 

 

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• "those stages in the Alps - and Jura - carefully plotted - included new climbs !"

 

 

 

 

 

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• "steep climbs - short climbs - long climbs - magnificent backdrops - and spectacular hairpins !"

 

 

 

 

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• "the climbers chugging up - and down the slopes - with Froome sitting in the yellow jersey !"

 

 

 

 

 

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• "the excitement came from events - the organisers could not control !"

 

 

 

 

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• "a crash on Mont Ventoux - provided the most memorable image !"

 

 

 

 

 

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• "of the race - Chris Froome on foot - running up the mountain !"

 

 

 

 

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• "( because the crowd had doubled - after the stage had been truncated - due to high winds ! )"

 

 

 

 

 

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• "on a flat stage - in a mountainous Tour - the road to Montpellier !"

 

 

 

 

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• "a four-rider escape - with the green jersey of Peter Sagan - and the yellow jersey !"

 

 

 

 

 

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• "of Froome - fighting out the finish seconds - ahead of the bunch !"

 

 

 

 

 

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• "more dramatic was Froome’s attack - on the wide !"

 

 

 

 

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• "mainly straight plunge - off the Peyresourde to Bagnères de Luchon !"

 

 

 

 

 

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• "this is a sport of the open road - and there is only a certain extent !"

 

 

 

 

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• "to which it can be stage-managed - and "made for television"  !"

 

 

 

 

 

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• "the Tour - the world’s greatest bike race - discovered excitement - where it was least expected !"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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the Tour de France on the Mont Ventoux - the Guardian: LINK ¤ the GUARDIAN

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• "on the Mont Ventoux - the leading Froome - Porte - and Mollema !"

 

 

 

 

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• "crashed into a TV motorbike - that was held up by the crowd - on the road !"

 

 

 

 

 

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• "1.2km to go - the motorbike slammed on its brakes !"

 

 

 

 

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• "the road was blocked in front - the three just ran into the motorbike !"

 

 

 

 

 

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• "Froome’s bike was broken - but at the end of the day - he got to keep !"

 

 

 

 

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• "his leader’s yellow jersey - after the race jury ruled - that this was an exceptional situation !"

 

 

 

 

 

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• "and he would be credited - with the same time - as the two riders - he was with !"

 

 

 

 

 

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• "the crash on stage 12 - was caused by a large part - of the crowd !"

 

 

 

 

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• "encroaching on to the course - at the point just below - where the barriers began !"

 

 

 

 

 

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• "the sheer volume of fans - on the road - made it impossible for one of the television !"

 

 

 

 

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• "camera motorbikes to pass - and Porte collided - with the stationary machine first !"

 

 

 

 

 

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• "Froome went to the left of the motorbike - after which a second motorbike ran over the bike - breaking his frame !"

 

 

 

 

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• "ironically the accident came - after the organisers moved the finish !"

 

 

 

 

 

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• "lower down the mountain - for safety reasons - due to high winds !"

 

 

 

 

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• "in the race Froome had asked the Tour crowds - to show restraint - a call echoed by other riders !"

 

 

 

 

 

 

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• "with his team car - stuck behind a group lower down the mountain - and no spare bike in sight !"

 

 

 

 

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• "Froome gave his redundant machine - to a photographer - and was forced to take to his two feet !"

 

 

 

 

 

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• "plodding awkwardly in his stiff shoes - and plates - for some 45 seconds !"

 

 

 

 

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• "eventually Froome received a spare machine - from the neutral service car !"

 

 

 

 

 

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• "but it was visibly too small for him - and had the wrong kind of pedals - so he was barely able to move !"

 

 

 

 

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• "some 400 metres from the line - his team car did arrive - to give him a spare !"

 

 

 

 

 

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• "the race jury ruled that Froome - and Porte - were credited with the same time - as Mollema !"

 

 

 

 

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• "one estimate put the numbers at the finish - at 400,000 !"

 

 

 

 

 

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• "Richie Porte says - "he agrees that you come"  !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

 

 

 

 

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• "to the race - you have a good time !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

 

 

 

 

 

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• "but you do not need - to be running beside the riders !"

 

 

 

 

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• "you do not need - to be hitting riders - pushing riders !"

 

 

 

 

 

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• "you do not need - to take your selfy - and run along beside !"

 

 

 

 

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• "there is passion - and there is stupidity - and it is not such a fine line - between them !"

 

 

 

 

 

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• "most time there are friendly - and pleasant - French people !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

 

 

 

 

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• "who visibly enjoy - the thrilling race !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

 

 

 

 

 

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• "but at this part of the stage - there is a narrow street !"

 

 

 

 

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• "with foreign flags - and fans - that just wanted to be seen in TV !"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Interview with a Directeur Sportif - the Guardian: LINK ¤ the GUARDIAN

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• "after Froome’s Tour de France victory - his directeur sportif !"

 

 

 

 

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• "Nicolas Portal - explained his job !"

 

 

 

 

 

• "to understand the - physical - and mental state - of his riders !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

 

 

 

 

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• "he used his feelings - he had - when he was a rider !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

 

 

 

 

 

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• "it was not easy - to see the different conditions - of a rider !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

 

 

 

 

 

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• "he had to take decisions - for them - but it was important !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

 

 

 

 

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• "to have a dialogue with them - to take account of - everyone’s opinion !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

 

 

 

 

 

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• "for a rider - with everything that was going on !"

 

 

 

 

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• “it was impossible - to take in more than four - or five important bits - of information !”

 

 

 

 

 

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• "his job was - to think ahead - on their behalf !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

 

 

 

 

 

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• "anyone could give a clear opinion - that was easy !"

 

 

 

 

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• "but it was important - to understand the physical - and mental state - of his riders !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

 

 

 

 

 

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• "then there was a decision - but everything needed to be talked through !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

 

 

 

 

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• "afterwards putting things - on the table - about the reason !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

 

 

 

 

 

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• "there needed to be - a really good interaction - between both parties !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

 

 

 

 

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• "so it was possible - to move forward - as a group !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Nibali was unsportsmanlike - the Guardian: LINK ¤ the GUARDIAN

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• "Froome - after the finish bitterly criticised - Nibali !"

 

 

 

 

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• "who had made his stage-winning move - on the Col du Croix de Fer !"

 

 

 

 

 

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• "just as Froome made the briefest of halts - at the roadside !"

 

 

 

 

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• "to unblock a piece of stone - from his back wheel brake callipers !"

 

 

 

 

 

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• "Nibali was back behind overall - but his move provoked others - to react !"

 

 

 

 

 

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• "this action of Nibali - was very unsportsmanlike !"

 

 

 

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• "and not - what the Tour de France - is all about !"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Armstrong sued by Justice Department - the Guardian: LINK ¤ the GUARDIAN

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• "Lance Armstrong - was sued by the US justice department - to recover funds !"

 

 

 

 

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• "the justice department had joined a lawsuit - against Armstrong !"

 

 

 

 

 

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• "that US$ 31m - of taxpayers money - was handed over !"

 

 

 

 

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• "on a contractual promise - to play fair - and abide by the rules !"

 

 

 

 

 

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• "but Armstrong - "knowingly" violated - the agreement !"

 

 

 

 

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• "with the USPS - by taking banned substances !"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Lance Armstrong admitted - the Guardian: LINK ¤ the GUARDIAN

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• "Lance Armstrong - had admitted for the first time - that he had doped !"

 

 

 

 

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• "at all of his seven - Tour de France starts !"

 

 

 

 

 

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• "turning his back on years - of denials - and his storied career !"

 

 

 

 

 

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• "in a television interview - with Oprah Winfrey !"

 

 

 

 

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• "Armstrong said - it would not had been possible !"

 

 

 

 

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• "without - at that time !"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Tyler Hamilton unmoved - the Guardian: LINK ¤ the GUARDIAN

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• "Tyler Hamilton - a former team-mate - who testified against Armstrong !"

 

 

 

 

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• "said the disgraced cyclist - Lance Armstrong - was not 100% sorry !"

 

 

 

 

 

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• "he was in the process - of learning - what he had done with other lives !"

 

 

 

 

 

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• "it was a sad sight - to see Armstrong in that condition - after his confession !"

 

 

 

 

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• "but take a positive out of it - he has finally admitted - the truth !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

 

 

 

 

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• "he has finally - told the truth !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ROAD BICYCLE RACING - Wikipedia EN: LINK ¤ ROAD BICYCLE RACING

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• "the earliest road bicycle races are - the Tour de France - the Giro d'Italia - and the Tour of Flanders !!!!!!!!!!!!"