The Tour De France 2008

[medpal]

Its this time of the year when one of the most controversial, most read, most viewed and one of my favourite sports event happens.

Yes folks its cycling time again :clap:

The tour de france is back :yahoo:

here with i am starting the official thread.

If you are new and wanna catch some history do check FunEnclave - View Single Post - Le Tour de France 2007 (The official Thread)

This thread will track 2008 edition.

This time around the controversy has struck before race was even planned out completely.

Defending Champion and Giro D Itallia 2008 winner Alberto Contador will not be able to participate as his team Team Astana have not been invited because of multiple drug involvements last year.

That will ensure we will have new champion this year.

The Tour 2008 :

​

The Stages:

This time around there will not be any prologue stage. The time trials have been shortened.

here are the stages

​

The riders :

SILENCE - LOTTO (SIL)​

Sporting Manager : DAMIANI Roberto
TJALLINGII Maarten, DOCKX Bart, VANSEVENANT Wim, VAN SUMMEREN Johan, POPOVYCH Yaroslav, MC EWEN Robbie, HOSTE Leif, CIONI Dario, BRANDT Christophe, AERTS Mario, EVANS Cadel

TEAM CSC SAXO BANK (CSC)
Sporting Manager : ANDERSEN Kim​

KROON Karsten, BAK Lars, VOIGT Jens, SORENSEN Nicki, SCHLECK Frank, SCHLECK Andy, O’GRADY Stuart, GUSTOV Volodymir, CANCELLARA Fabian, ARVESEN Kurt-Asle, SASTRE Carlos

EUSKALTEL - EUSKADI (EUS)
Sporting Manager : CARBAYEDA Xavier​

HERNANDEZ Aitor, AZANZA Jorge, VERDUGO Gorka, TXURRUKA Amets, SANCHEZ Samuel, PEREZ Ruben, OROZ Juan José, MARTINEZ Egoi, ISASI Inaki, ASTARLOZA Mikel, ZUBELDIA Haimar

CAISSE D’EPARGNE (GCE)
Sporting Manager : UNZUE Eusebio​

ZANDIO Xabier, KARPETS Vladimir, SANCHEZ Luis-Leon, PORTAL Nicolas, PEREIRO SIO Oscar, LOPEZ GARCIA David, GUTIERREZ José Ivan, GARCIA ACOSTA Vicente, COYOT Arnaud, ARROYO David, VALVERDE Alejandro

TEAM COLUMBIA (THR)
Sporting Manager : HOLM Brian​

PINOTTI Marco, GRABSCH Bert, SIUTSOU Konstantsin, LÖVKVIST Thomas, HINCAPIE George, HANSEN Adam, EISEL Bernhard, CIOLEK Gerald, CAVENDISH Mark, BURGHARDT Marcus, KIRCHEN Kim

BARLOWORLD (BAR)
Sporting Manager : VOLPI Alberto​

SABIDO Hugo, CACCIA Diego, LONGO BORGHINI Paolo, HUNTER Robert, FROOME Christopher, DUENAS NEVADO Moises, COOKE Baden, CHEULA Gianpaolo, CARDENAS Félix, AUGUSTYN John-Lee, SOLER HERNANDEZ Juan Mauricio

LIQUIGAS (LIQ)
Sporting Manager : MARIUZZO Dario​

FRANZOI Enrico, CORIONI Claudio, WILLEMS Frederik, QUINZIATO Manuel, NIBALI Vincenzo, KUSCHYNSKI Aleksandr, KREUZIGER Roman, FISCHER Murilo Antoniobil, CHICCHI Francesco, BELTRAN Manuel, POZZATO Filippo

LAMPRE (LAM)
Sporting Manager : BONTEMPI Guido​

SANTAMBROGIO Mauro, BONO Matteo, TIRALONGO Paolo, SZMYD Sylvester, RIGHI Daniele, NAPOLITANO Danilo, MORI Massimiliano, MARZANO Marco, BRUSEGHIN Marzio, BALLAN Alessandro, CUNEGO Damiano

CREDIT AGRICOLE (C.A)
Sporting Manager : BEUCHERIE Serge​

HINAULT Sébastien, HALGAND Patrice, RENSHAW Mark, PAURIOL Rémi, LE MEVEL Christophe, GERRANS Simon, FOFONOV Dmitriy, ENGOULVENT Jimmy, BOTCHAROV Alexandre, BONNET William, HUSHOVD Thor

QUICK STEP (QST)
Sporting Manager : DEMOL Dirk​

HULSMANS Kevin, BOONEN Tom, VAN IMPE Kévin, VAN DE WALLE Jurgen, TOSATTO Matteo, STEEGMANS Gert, ROSSELER Sébastien, DE JONGH Steven, CARRARA Matteo, BARREDO Carlos, DEVOLDER Stijn

AG2R-LA MONDIALE (ALM)
Sporting Manager : BIONDI Laurent​

USOV Alexandre, MONDORY Lloyd, VALJAVEC Tadej, RIBLON Christophe, GOUBERT Stephane, GADRET John, ELMIGER Martin, EFIMKIN Vladimir, DUPONT Hubert, ARRIETA Jose Luis, DESSEL Cyril

GEROLSTEINER (GST)
Sporting Manager : HOLCZER Hans-Michael​

WROLICH Peter, FROHLINGER Johannes, WEGMANN Fabian, SCHOLZ Ronny, LANG Sebastian, KRAUSS Sven, KOHL Bernhard, HAUSSLER Heinrich, FOTHEN Markus, FÖRSTER Robert, SCHUMACHER Stefan

AGRITUBEL (AGR)
Sporting Manager : LEPROUX Denis​

RAVARD Anthony, COUTOULY Cédric, MOREAU Christophe, LEQUATRE Geoffroy, LELAY David, JALABERT Nicolas, GONZALO RAMIREZ Eduardo, FEILLU Romain, CASPER Jimmy, BICHOT Freddy, VOGONDY Nicolas

RABOBANK (RAB)
Sporting Manager : BREUKINK Erik​

NIERMANN Grischa, HORRILLO Pedro, WEENING Pieter, TEN DAM Laurens, TANKINK Bram, POSTHUMA Joost, MOERENHOUT Koos, LANGEVELD Sebastian, FREIRE Oscar, FLECHA Juan Antonio, MENCHOV Denis

BOUYGUES TELECOM (BTL)​

Sporting Manager : MAUDUIT Philippe​

VOECKLER Thomas, TSCHOPP Johann, TROFIMOV Yury, SPRICK Matthieu, PINEAU Jérôme, LEFEVRE Laurent, FLORENCIO Xavier, CLEMENT Stef, FEDRIGO Pierrick

TEAM MILRAM (MRM)
Sporting Manager : ALGERI Vittorio​

ONGARATO Alberto, GRIVKO Andriy, VELO Marco, VELITS Peter, TERPSTRA Niki, SCHRÖDER Björn, MÜLLER Martin, LANCASTER Brett Daniel, KNEES Christian, GRABSCH Ralf, ZABEL Erik

FRANCAISE DES JEUX (FDJ)
Sporting Manager : MADIOT Marc​

MONNERAIS Cyrille, GERARD Arnaud, VAUGRENARD Benoît, ROY Jérémy, LE BOULANGER Yoann, JEGOU Lilian, GILBERT Philippe, DI GREGORIO Rémy, DELAGE Mickaël, CHAVANEL Sébastien, CASAR Sandy

SAUNIER DUVAL - SCOTT (SDV)
Sporting Manager : FERNANDEZ Joxean​

PIEPOLI Leonardo, PASSERON Aurélien, JUFRE POU Josep, GOMEZ Angel, DEL NERO Jesus, DE LA FUENTE David, COBO ACEBO Juan Jose, BERTOGLIATI Rubens, RICCO Riccardo

COFIDIS CREDIT PAR TELEPHONE (COF)
Sporting Manager : VAN LONDERSELE Francis​

SCHEIRLINCKX Staf, DUCLOS-LASSALLE Hervé, MONFORT Maxime, MONCOUTIE David, MOINARD Amaël, HARY Maryan, DUQUE Leonardo, DUMOULIN Samuel, BRARD Florent, AUGE Stéphane, CHAVANEL Sylvain

GARMIN CHIPOTLE (TSL)
Sporting Manager : WELTZ Johnny​

LAURENT Christophe, FARRAR Tyler, VANDEVELDE Christian, PATE Danny, MAASKANT Martijn, LOWE Trent, HESJEDAL Ryder, FRISCHKORN William, DEAN Julian, BACKSTEDT Magnus, MILLAR David
So let the excitement and fun begin.

 

[medpal]

In India

Ten Sports and Neo Sports are going to telecast live the tour.

 

[Safin]

Greatest Sporting event

 

[paraman]

I am posting a pdf file of the route. I look forward to this event with great anticipation every year. Its like getting a free sightseeing tour of France. The quaint little villages, the Pyrenees mountain ranges etc look picturesque. Never got to see this till Ten Sports began telecasting it. Big thanks to Ten Sports. Just hope that the event will be drug-free!

 

[Aces170]

And I think is one of the most grueling sports there, thanks to lance armstrong who made it famous worldwide

 

[-nsan-ty]

Greatest Sporting event

You missed Controversial in between.

Anyways, Pereiro Sio FTW

 

[tifosi]

Yeah it's sad, with the controversy around Astana. So thats two really strong riders in Contador and Levi Leipheimer, out of the tour even before it started :|