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The odds-on favorite

Even though I’ve been to the Tour de France many times over the years, there’s more excitement around the start this year than ever before. The 100th anniversary of the Tour, with the prologue in Paris, is bringing cycling fans and the sport’s past luminaries out in droves. For Lance Armstrong, however, it is important to stay focused on the task at hand: starting the 2003 Tour de France with a powerful statement of his intention to win again. On the first day of the Tour, riders only race for 6.5km, but they are among the most important kilometers in the entire race. The prologue is the

Lance Armstrong is the odds-on favorite to take a fifth Tour de France, but he’s not expected to win Saturday’s opening time trial. He did win the prologue last year and in 1999, but both of those stages were on hilly courses that suited the Texan’s power-based strengths. That won’t be the case in Paris, where most of the 6.5km course is on long, straight, flat city streets. The only hill is just half-a-kilometer long, and comes right at the start. Armstrong will be trying to win, of course. He knows that even more than being a race between specialists, the prologue is a battle of prestige

When the gang at Team Saeco sends out a press release, it’s not just a piece of puff pastry – there’s usually some real meat for anyone hungry for news about the squad. And the following question-and-answer session with team leader Gilberto Simoni shows that the Spaniards aren’t the only ones talking a good game at this year’s Tour. – Editor Q: The Tour has been defined as more than just a sporting event and even more than a show. It has been defined as a mental state. Do you agree? Do you feel it in that way? A: Some riders have much more experience of the Tour than I have, but I agree

Fred Rodriguez

The Tour de France really begins the night before the prologue with the opening ceremonies. Tonight's was held in front of the Hotel de Ville in Paris.

Johan Bruyneel and Lance

McGee

Jean-Marie Lebanc and Bernard Hinault

Jan Ullrich has his eyes on L'Alpe d'Huez this year.

Franco-American unity at the Hotel de Ville.

Big crowds welcome Tour 2003

Kelme

Levi Leipheimer

Tyler Hamilton

Tyler 2

Rodriguez wants to win a stage.

For those of you keeping track of the Tour de France at work, we’re giving you another window to hide when the boss walks in. Beginning with Saturday’s prologue time trial in Paris, VeloNews.com, in cooperation with AFP and Art Movies Inc., will be offering an Interactive FlashVersion of Tour coverage to supplement our exsisting coverage of the Tour de France. Rest assured, that the graphics and bells and whistles are in addition to VeloNews.com's already strong coverage. We'll begin every day with live reports from the road by John Wilcockson, Andrew Hood and Rupert Guinness. As soon as

test

Rogers at the Tour of Germany

Hall inductees pose in front of Tony's.

Don Cook at the grand re-opening.

Don Cook scaled a pine tree to snap the group-ride shot.

Wildflowers everywhere.

Ready to rumble, Armstrong on his way to meet the press

Armstrong gets in a quiet training ride on Thursday

Rodriguez says he is starting this Tour healthier than his last two.

Tanned...

rested...

...and ready.

Clean car, fresh stickers

Hi Bob;I have been working in a bicycle shop for the last three years. Lastweek my manager walked up and said it was my last day. He gave no explanation,no written reason.Don’t they have to give me warnings before terminating me?Thanks in advanceTim SPortland, ORTim;When in doubt, go to an expert. In this case, I consulted with Oregonemployment lawyer, Liz Farrell, an excellent attorney (and pretty goodex-wife!). Her response follows:Oregon is what is called an "at-will employment" state (versus a "cause"state). At-will employment means that your employer may take whatever adverseemployment

“I can’t think of a better way to spend July,” quips Armstrong.

Dear VeloNews;If the Olympic Games hadn't developed at the beginning of the 20th century - during the heyday of bicycle racing - track events probably wouldn't have been included at their current level, ayway. At this point in history, outside of Europe, track cycling remains a marginal sport, at best. What gets cut isn't too tough to call. The IOC defers to the UCI, and we all know Hein Verbruggen's devotion to the almighty TV audience. Events have to be short, exciting and easily comprehensible to the non-cyclist. The five women's events (match sprint, 500-meter time trial, Keirin,

Well, it’s officially July, and I think we all know what that means. Yep, that’s right, in a matter of weeks I’ll be moving into a stylin’ new loft in downtown Boulder, Colorado, courtesy of the county’s affordable housing program. Okay, I admit it. July probably means something else to most of you. By now most of you have probably figured out which TV you’ll be spending your July mornings in front of. Me, I’ll be watching right here in the conference room of VeloNews global headquarters. Come to think of it, in the spirit of the upcoming Tour de Lance maybe I should have Comcast drop by

Four days after suffering one of the worst crashes you’ll see in a downhill race, ITS-Santa Cruz rider John Waddell remains unconscious in a Quebec City hospital. But according to Waddell’s team director Derin Stockton, the 22-year-old Aussie rider is getting a little better each day and a full recovery is very likely. “After the crash they did a CAT scan right away and all the signs were good,” said Stockton, who stayed behind to look after his rider while the rest of the pro gravity circuit moved on from Mont-Ste-Anne to Grouse Mountain in preparation for the next stop of the World Cup

It is hard to believe that it’s been ten years since consummate professional Sally Zack suddenly left cycling at the zenith of her career to take on a a completely new challenge by becoming a cross-country ski racer. Of course, when one becomes acquainted with all of her achievements in so many cycling disciplines and reads of her passion to continue to “live, love and learn” from the back of her 1992 Shaklee cycling card you begin to understand the restless nature of this woman. You may also understand why it took us a few weeks of serious looking to track her down. We found her and the

Jan gets a boost before the Tour

Does she live near Boulder??????

Waddell

Zack of the North

It started as kids’ alternative to moto cross and, 40 years later, it stands on the threshold of becoming an Olympic sport. According to an announcement released by the International Olympic Committee on Monday, BMX is now slated to join the Olympic program in 2008 in Beijing, replacing two yet-to-be-named track events that will be pulled. According to IOC president, Jacques Rogge, one women's and one men's BMX race will be added. Rogge called BMX a ``new, spectacular event.'' ``We believe that this introduction will definitely enhance the Olympic program,'' he said. The two new races

A violent high-speed crash at Fitchburg may have cost Aussie Henk Vogelshis season, but he was miraculously spared something for more preciousto him and to his family — his life.Early on in stage 3, Vogels and Navigators teammate Jeff Louder brokeclear of the field to help drive a small breakaway group. As the groupneared the bottom of the long, fast descent down Wachusett Mountain, theywere nearly caught by the peloton when Vogels apparently glanced behindhim to assess their lead and clipped his wheel with another rider, sendinghim flying head first into the guardrail, shattering his helmet

There is nothing better than racing your bike when you feel good, and nothing worse than racing your bike when you feel bad. Finally I felt good after a month of feeling terrible on the bike. One of my friends wrote me to say that I need to talk more about suffering and so forth. I guess when I am suffering the most, it is most convenient to ignore it and think about something cool. When you are riding good, suffering is easy to do, easy to talk about. When suffering is a daily affair, getting out of bed knowing the day will be a struggle, glamorizing it seems a little excessive. Most of

Liége-Bastogne-Liége was a big boost

Telekom’s Giuseppe Guerini earned his team’s first stage win at this year’sTour de France as he soloed to victory in the final kilometers of the famousclimb to L'Alpe d'Huez. But the 29-year-old Italian’s moment in the sunwas almost … almost ended when an enthusiastic fan stepped into the roadwith hopes of recording the moment for posterity. Happily, Guerini emerged only shaken from his close encounter of the weirdest kind, to win the Tour’s most famous alpine stage. Finishing in fifth place, just 25 seconds behind the day’s winner, the U.S. Postal Service’s Lance Armstrong not only

We've compiled a list of all the teams and the equipment they are riding in the 2003 Tour de France. It's all top of the line and it's all the latest. Some of the teams are even riding never before seen equipment. AG2RFRAME: DécathlonFORK: TimeDRIVETRAIN: Campagnolo Record 10-speedCRANKSET: Campagnolo RecordWHEELSET: Décathlon PentaPEDALS: TimeHANDLEBAR: ITMSTEM: ITM AlessioFRAME: DeRosaFORK: MizunoDRIVETRAIN: Campagnolo Record 10-speedCRANKSET: CampagnoloWHEELSET: CampagnoloPEDALS: LookHANDLEBAR: Deda Newton 31STEM: Deda Newton 31 BianchiFRAME: BianchiFORK: Bianchi carbonDRIVETRAIN:

Raimondas Rumsas looks set for a two year ban from cycling after it was revealed Monday his "B-sample" had confirmed the presence of the banned drug EPO during the Giro d'Italia. The 31-year-old had demanded it be tested earlier this month so he could prove his innocence but Rima Berloviene, senior doping control specialist at the Lithuanian Sports department, announced it had confirmed he had taken EPO. Valentinas Rutkauskas, secretary general of the Lithuanian Cycling Federation, told the Baltic News Service that Rumsas could face a two year ban from the sport and a fine, adding that

THE FIRST Maurice Garin, the first winner, poses with his bicycle.

Didier Rous

Rous dedicated his win to his La Boulangère teammate Fabrice Salanson

Green in pursuit

Could race founder Henri Desgrange have known when he decided to distinguish the Tour de France leader with a yellow-colored racing jersey that he was creating such an icon? The idea came to Desgrange during the 1919 Tour on the rest day in Luchon. It was the first Tour after the five-year hiatus caused by World War I, and on stage 7 of that race, July 10, Desgrange announced his decision in the sports paper that he owned and edited, L’Auto. It wasn’t until a week later, however, before the start of stage 11, in Grenoble, that the first maillot jaune was given at 2 a.m. to Frenchman Eugène

Finishing third, Perras gets Canada's jersey

presented by A lot can happen over the course of 23 days in July, especially if you're talking about France and the world's biggest bike race. If you want to stay informed about the events surrounding the centenary edition of the Tour de France, check in with VeloNews.com and be sure to sign up to have our Tour Daily e-mailed to you every day from the evening before the prologue all the way to that final sprint down the Champs-Elysées. As always, we'll keep your name and address private and send you only the newsletter you're requesting.

Once a Tour de France racer himself, and then a journalist, Jean-Marie Leblanc has been the director of the Tour de France since 1989. In this interview, the distant heir to Tour founder Henri Desgrange’s legacy discusses the Tour and its future as it celebrates its centennial year. Q What significance does the centennial of the Tour de France have for you? A In the year of its 100th birthday, the Tour acts as a timely and ceremoniousevent. With the exception of the Olympic Games, there are no other large,100-year-old sporting events. The Tour de France is strongly rooted inthe culture of

When he sits down after dinner on a cool mid-May evening in Gerona, Spain, a relaxed Lance Armstrong is ready to answer questions from two journalists on a conference call. Behind him is another day in a meticulous training program that’s aimed at netting him a fifth Tour de France trophy in July. It begins with a hearty breakfast, to stock up for a multi-hour ride in the Catalan hills. Later, he watches live coverage of the Giro d’Italia, where some of his likely opponents are competing. “They go so slow there,” he says, “I think yesterday they finished almost at 6. So it works perfect. I’m

There’s only one favorite for the Tour de France, and everyone else isfighting for the podium. Or so goes conventional wisdom. We went aroundthe pro peloton this spring and asked people what they thought about Armstrong’schances.David Millar, Cofidis“Five he’ll get, but six is pretty difficult. There’s always somethingphysically or psychologically that seems to happen. That’s how it usuallyworks. We’ll wait to see. I think he’d be a big man if he walked away atfive, quit on top. I think it would almost be disrespectful if he tookthe sixth. Merckx, Anquetil, all those guys could have gotten

YELLOW JERSEY DOWN Luis Ocaña crashed out of the 1971 Tour while wearing the jersey

NEAR THE END Hinault abandoned while wearing yellow in 1980