Sunday, July 27, 2008

Tour de France 2008 - Stage 21 - Paris

What an amazingly great Tour to watch and follow! I am so proud of our guys from Garmin putting it all out there and proving they are meant to be there. They most certainly earned some respect from doubters and as I keep telling them, I am a very happy and very honored fan.

I find myself glued to the Tour and this year the gift of watching everyday was granted after my apendicitis attack aftter Will's 2nd place in stage 3. Then when I got released from the hospital, I come home that morning to see C attacking on Super Besse! Amazing and thrilling stuff. I am more than thrilled for C. He just opened up an entirely new chapter in his career and I am super excited for him. He's mastered a transition from super domestique to overall GC contender. As the Versus' commercials says - he just served notice! Way to go C!!! Really honored by you and the team. You guys took back this tour and gave us fan one amazing ride!

This year was exciting. Even including some of the dumbasses that tried to cheat. They were caught and kicked out. There will always be someone trying and as long as we catch them and dump them, I will believe. Christian, Will, Danny, George, and so many others give us hope and allow us to believe that what we see is real and these guys step up and go beyond to prove they're clean. Kudo's men! Not only are you clean but you are winners in so many more ways than just being there at the finish line. Thank you for being you and doing what you do and giving this fan complete enjoyment and pleasure in knowing you and following you and this incredible sport!

Huge Kudo's to CSC as well! Wow. I love Jens!, Stuey, Fabian, Little Andy, and love seeing Carlos on top of the podium. I am really happy for them and love that each on that team do it for each other. The bond and dedication is real and awesome watching. They even had Jens! in full team mode this year and that says a lot. To watch him kill it on the front. To watch Stuey ride up and take over. To watch Fabian come out of a break to hammer nails in. To see Kurt win a stage. To watch little Andy attack time and time again for his brother Frank and Carlos - all while attaining the White Jersey. I love the team. I love the guys. I am thrilled for them and I believe they are the best Team out there. (I look forward to the day my garMEN give them a run for their money! Watch out as I may need help recovering from that battle! Tee hee hee.)

I can not wait for John to get back from Paris. I look forward to it on every visit but this year, this Tour - I am sitting on the edge of my seat with excitement. The first hand stories and pride and giddiness for C - you can't beat it. For years I've been a fan and this year, watching his confidence build day after day (just like his form) was inspiring once again. C is an amazing cyclist, an awesome guy, and an all around sweetheart! I can not wait for the stories and pictures to share in all the fun. Again, C - thank you and WAY TO GO!!! 5th!!! Overall!!!!

AmeliaBurton: Tour de France: How do they pee? And other interesting facts.
VN: How Garmin-Chipotle keeps its riders fresh for the Tour

Live Chatter: CN - VN - DP - PdC1 - PdC2 - Post Race

Stage 21 - Sunday, July 27: Étampes - Paris/Champs Élysées, 143km
Results
1 Gert Steegmans (Bel) Quick Step 3.51.38 (37.04 km/h)
5 Thor Hushovd (Nor) Crédit Agricole
6
Julian Dean (NZl) Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30
13 Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Team CSC - Saxo Bank
30
Christian Vande Velde (USA) Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30 0.07
32 Kanstantsin Siutsou (Blr) Team Columbia
37
George Hincapie (USA) Team Columbia
38 Adam Hansen (Aus) Team Columbia
61 William Frischkorn (USA) Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30 0.14
62
Carlos Sastre Candil (Spa) Team CSC - Saxo Bank
63 Stuart O'Grady (Aus) Team CSC - Saxo Bank
65 Andy Schleck (Lux) Team CSC - Saxo Bank
68
Frank Schleck (Lux) Team CSC - Saxo Bank
104 Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30 0.24
105 Trent Lowe (Aus) Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30
119 Thomas Voeckler (Fra) Bouygues Telecom
129 Danny Pate (USA) Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30
134 David Millar (GBr) Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30 0.34
136 Martijn Maaskant (Ned) Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30 0.36
139 Jens Voigt (Ger) Team CSC - Saxo Bank (broken seat <3k) 0.14
Final General classification
1
Carlos Sastre Candil (Spa) Team CSC - Saxo Bank 87.52.52
2
Cadel Evans (Aus) Silence - Lotto 0.58
3
Bernhard Kohl (Aut) Gerolsteiner 1.13
4 Denis Menchov (Rus) Rabobank 2.10
5 Christian Vande Velde (USA) Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30 3.05
6 Frank Schleck (Lux) Team CSC - Saxo Bank 4.28
12 Andy Schleck (Lux) Team CSC - Saxo Bank 11.32
17 Kanstantsin Siutsou (Blr) Team Columbia 24.55
35 George Hincapie (USA) Team Columbia 1.08.15
37 Jens Voigt (Ger) Team CSC - Saxo Bank 1.11.55
47 Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30 1.33.22
65
Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Team CSC - Saxo Bank 1.57.09
68 David Millar (GBr) Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30 1.59.39
77 Trent Lowe (Aus) Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30 2.13.41
95 Danny Pate (USA) Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30 2.36.29
97 Thomas Voeckler (Fra) Bouygues Telecom 2.38.13
99 Thor Hushovd (Nor) Crédit Agricole 2.45.20
108 Adam Hansen (Aus) Team Columbia 3.04.52
109 Stuart O'Grady (Aus) Team CSC - Saxo Bank 3.07.46
110 Julian Dean (NZl) Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30 3.07.57
133 Will Frischkorn (USA) Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30 3.30.47
134 Martijn Maaskant (Ned) Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30 3.31.30
144 Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Team Columbia 3.54.52
145 Wim Vansevenant (Bel) Silence - Lotto 3.55.45

Garmin: Tour stage 21: Dean 6th in Paris!
CSC-SaxoBank: ???
BruceHildenbrand: There is Only One You Know
ThroughThePrism: The Withdrawal Starts
PEZ: Carmichael Sez: The Long Journey to Yellow
TheEpochTimes: Carlos Sastre Wins the 2008 Tour de France
SpinninWheel: Tour de France 2008 Stage 21: ???

VN: Fresh Korn - The world's most beautiful stretch of cobbles
WillFrischkorn: First This: & And now This:

GrahamWatsonPhotos: Stage 21
TeamCSCSaxoBank: Tour de France
TeamGarminPhotos: Tour de France

VeloNews TV:
Tour de France 2008: Stage 21 race highlight.
Stage 21: Post race w/ Garmin-Chipotle's David Millar.
Stage 21: VN TV RD w/ Team Columbia's George Hincapie.
Stage 21: VN TV RD w/ Garmin Chipotle's Julian Dean.

Versus:
The Phinney Family: Part 2
White Jersey Podium for Andy Schleck
The Stage Winners of the Tour de France: Part 1 & Part 2
Making Sense of the Tour - The Feed Zone
Jonathan Vaughters: Close-up
Carlos Sastre - The Road to Yellow
Christian Vandevelde Interview
Andy Schleck Interview
George Hincapie Interview

CV TV (formerly TBR):


Other Videos:
Tour2008_TV2.dk: Jens Voigt (must love Jens! - see middle of the page)
YouTube_pbandfiona: Jens Voigt Interview (2008 TdF - Making others suffer on his wheel)

3 comments:

Erik W. Laursen said...

I kinda don't know what to do with my free time now that July is essentially over.

Nikki said...

I thought I might be in mourning again this year but work is keeping me very busy after missing almost 3 weeks of work! Now we know I'd have been pretty distracted anyway with C kicking ass but still.

You should join us over at Podium Cafe as they're keeping the giggles going with all the fun laughs!

Plus I have Elk Grove to look forward this weekend so live racing fun is keeping my spirits up!

Hope all is going good Erik! More crits soon?

Nikki said...

For others reading, stage 12-14 will be up at some point this week. I basically have the links done but some video's changed addresses so I'm trying to update those before posting. :-)

Other than those updates though, I'm taking a couple days off from bloggin' and like today's 13 hour work day, it's going to be a busy and very long week.