05 July 2008
Been a while but July is finally here!
Well, what’s been happening since my last entry...
Not much really, which is why I have not been boring you about it, but a new Month brings a new sporting event which I love to watch and follow. No not the tennis even if we had a Brit (alright, a Scot) doing well in the Men’s Singles and a Brit getting into the finals of the Girls Singles we, as a nation, can burden them to the hilt with the national divine right that a British player should win at Wimbledon each and every year. Even if the last British man to win at singles title was in the 1930's and the last British women was in the 1970's. But let’s not forget that a Brit did win the title in the Mixed Doubles last year but as he is the lesser Murray, we don't like to talk about it much. So bloody British!
I wander off into a sporting rant so back to my point.
I wish to draw your attention to Le Tour de France 2008 which starts today and as I type is 57 km into the race. This year should be the most open race in years and hopefully the most Drugs Free (my fingers and crossed) There is not defending champion in the line-up. The reason for is are lengthy and tedious to the majority of people but it boils down to a team punishment for previous years doping scandals (2007 Alexandre Vinokourov & Andrey Kashechkin). The Astana Team have defended their position without success saying that the 2007 team and the 2008 team are not the same as they have made major management changes by replacing it with Johan Bruyneel, the former directeur sportif of the defunct Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team. Bruyneel had the mandate to start afresh with the team, so he hired a number of former Discovery riders including 2007 Tour de France winner Alberto Contador and third place finisher Levi Leipheimer.
Previous problems and scandals aside I will be watching with the same enthusiasm as always and will be cheering on Mark Cavendish and Bradley Wiggins (Team Columbia)for a couple of Stage Wins through bunch sprints and David Millar (Team Garmin-Chipotle).
As for the General Classification, my bet would be on Cadel Evans (Silence-Lotto) who was second overall last year not that it means it is going to be a easy ride for him or anyone else for the GC. I will be catching up on the days events via the ITV4 evening programme every evening 19.00 - 20.00 hrs BST.
Not much really, which is why I have not been boring you about it, but a new Month brings a new sporting event which I love to watch and follow. No not the tennis even if we had a Brit (alright, a Scot) doing well in the Men’s Singles and a Brit getting into the finals of the Girls Singles we, as a nation, can burden them to the hilt with the national divine right that a British player should win at Wimbledon each and every year. Even if the last British man to win at singles title was in the 1930's and the last British women was in the 1970's. But let’s not forget that a Brit did win the title in the Mixed Doubles last year but as he is the lesser Murray, we don't like to talk about it much. So bloody British!
I wander off into a sporting rant so back to my point.
I wish to draw your attention to Le Tour de France 2008 which starts today and as I type is 57 km into the race. This year should be the most open race in years and hopefully the most Drugs Free (my fingers and crossed) There is not defending champion in the line-up. The reason for is are lengthy and tedious to the majority of people but it boils down to a team punishment for previous years doping scandals (2007 Alexandre Vinokourov & Andrey Kashechkin). The Astana Team have defended their position without success saying that the 2007 team and the 2008 team are not the same as they have made major management changes by replacing it with Johan Bruyneel, the former directeur sportif of the defunct Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team. Bruyneel had the mandate to start afresh with the team, so he hired a number of former Discovery riders including 2007 Tour de France winner Alberto Contador and third place finisher Levi Leipheimer.
Previous problems and scandals aside I will be watching with the same enthusiasm as always and will be cheering on Mark Cavendish and Bradley Wiggins (Team Columbia)for a couple of Stage Wins through bunch sprints and David Millar (Team Garmin-Chipotle).
As for the General Classification, my bet would be on Cadel Evans (Silence-Lotto) who was second overall last year not that it means it is going to be a easy ride for him or anyone else for the GC. I will be catching up on the days events via the ITV4 evening programme every evening 19.00 - 20.00 hrs BST.
# posted by Ollie Jones @ 11:54 
