Cycling Betting Tips - Giro d Italia, Tour de France, Lance Armstrong

Armstrong holds off another challenge; Serrano wins stage

2005-07-21T23:53:00.000-07:00

Tour de France challengers gave their last gasp and Lance Armstrong hardly broke a sweat. The hilly 18th stage was more difficult than it looked on paper, but the result was the same for the six-time Tour champion. He easily answered what were likely the final attacks of his cycling career to retain his stranglehold on the yellow jersey.

The accelerations came on the steepest road in this year's Tour, the 10-percent grades of the sudden, but short climb to an airstrip above the town of Mende in France's Massif Central. Spanish rider Marcos Serrano won the stage after breaking away early. Armstrong rolled across the line 12th beside rivals Jan Ullrich and Ivan Basso to maintain his comfortable lead with just three stages to go.

Thursday's stage was run under baking sun and had five climbs, including the steep final ascent that winds up from Mende to a nearby aerodrome. That ascent is not that long - 1.9 miles - but climbs at a very steep gradient averaging 10.1 percent.

Armstrong will now be able to enjoy what will essentially be a three-day victory parade to Paris, where hundreds of thousands of fans will greet the Tour peloton Sunday in the annual spectacle on the Champs Elysees. Armstrong only needs to avoid a major mishap or illness to win the Tour for an unprecedented seventh time.

The Texan seems keen to enjoy his final days in the peloton. He's been chatting with other riders in the easier part of the stages and spending more time signing autographs for fans. But it's all over for Armstrong on Sunday.

Another hilly route through central France awaits Friday before the time trial on Saturday that should fix the finishing order for the leading riders for good before Sunday's final ride into Paris. Saturday's time trial stage at St. Etienne presents Armstrong's last chance to grab a stage victory in this year's Tour, but he'd be just fine with winning a seventh Tour even without taking a stage.

2005 Tour de France Betting Game Odds from: PinnacleSports

Betting Propositions:

Will Jan Ullrich finish Top 3 in Tour de France? YES -273 NO +253
Will Lance Armstrong have NO stage wins? YES +201 NO -221
Will Alexandre Vinokourov finish in Top 6 of Tour de France? YES +122 NO -132

For live 2005 Tour de France Betting Game Odds and Lines, just click here: PinnacleSports . There are wide array of 2005 Tour De France betting propositions to choose from including odds to win the 2005 Tour de France, stage by stage head-to-head matchups and many more.

Prediction: Bet on McEwen or Hushovd to win the next stage.
for more 2005 Tour de France Betting Tips, Odds, Picks and Predictions, click here: Tour de France Betting
Technorati: Lance Armstrong, Ivan Basso, Jan Ullrich, Tour de France, 2005 Tour de France, Tour de France 2005, Cycling, Cycling Betting, cycling betting tips, Andreas Kloden
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Just four more to go for Armstrong

2005-07-21T20:33:00.000-07:00

There was a double celebration inside Lance Armstrong's air-conditioned Discovery Channel team bus after the longest stage in the Tour de France. Paolo Savoldelli won the 148.8-mile 17th stage from Pau to Revel, while Armstrong moved closer to an unprecedented seventh Tour victory.

There were hugs at the finish line for their teammate, who won as part of an early breakaway, but the real party will be Sunday in Paris for Armstrong's crowning moment on the Champs Elysees. With four relatively easy stages remaining and the major climbs already in the history books, only a crash or illness could deny Armstrong.

His lead time of 2:46 over Ivan Basso of Italy and CSC remained unchanged. Michael Rasmussen, a Dane with Rabobank, remained third, 3:09 behind, with Jan Ullrich, a German with T-Mobile, fourth, 5:58 behind. With two stages and a time trial remaining, only a catastrophic crash is likely to keep Armstrong from winning his seventh title when the cyclists ride into Paris on Sunday.

The Discovery Channel team had been criticized during the early stages of this Tour for not giving Armstrong his usual dominant support, but as this Tour nears the end, the team's collective haul is unprecedented. Until this year, no teammate of Armstrong's had won a stage. Now Hincapie and Savoldelli have won, while Armstrong, uncharacteristically, has not won a stage, though he is favored in the time trial Saturday.

Armstrong claimed the yellow jersey for the 79th time, tying five-time Tour de France champion Bernard Hinault. The only rider who has more is Eddy Merckx, who won 111 yellow jerseys from 1969 to 1977.

Behind the scenes, the champagne is on ice. Discovery Channel representatives are putting the finishing touches on a huge bash Sunday night at the exclusive Paris Ritz hotel.

More than 600 guests along with riders, family and friends will attend the private soiree. Among the VIPs expected are 2004 Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry, actor Will Ferrell, director Steven Spielberg and of course, Armstrong's rock star girlfriend Sheryl Crow.

As he's done the last few years, Armstrong will stay overnight in a private suite in the palatial Hotel de Crillon with the Texas flag flying in honor.

2005 Tour de France Betting Game Odds from: PinnacleSports

Betting Propositions:

Will Jan Ullrich finish Top 3 in Tour de France? YES -154 NO +144
Will Lance Armstrong have NO stage wins? YES +183 NO -203
Will Floyd Landis finish in Top 6 of Tour de France? YES +780 NO -860

For live 2005 Tour de France Betting Game Odds and Lines, just click here: PinnacleSports . There are wide array of 2005 Tour De France betting propositions to choose from including odds to win the 2005 Tour de France, stage by stage head-to-head matchups and many more.

Prediction: It will be another stage win for breakaway riders. Bet on Mayo, Botero or Savoldelli again.
for more 2005 Tour de France Betting Tips, Odds, Picks and Predictions, click here: Tour de France Betting

Technorati: Lance Armstrong, Ivan Basso, Jan Ullrich, Tour de France, 2005 Tour de France, Tour de France 2005, Cycling, Cycling Betting, cycling betting tips, Andreas Kloden

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Armstrong on cruise control; Lance maintains lead as Tour heads toward Paris

2005-07-20T23:55:00.000-07:00

The spectacular view atop the Col d'Aubisque high in the Pyrenees was obscured with clouds Tuesday, but for Lance Armstrong, it was the sunniest day of the three-week Tour de France. The craggy mountain pass marked the final difficult challenge in Armstrong's farewell Tour. From here to Paris, where the 92nd Tour ends Sunday, it's figuratively downhill all the way.

Coming out of the Pyrenees, Armstrong finished a meaningless 36th in a group of his main rivals to maintain his lead of nearly three minutes in the overall standings of least elapsed time. He easily answered attacks by two of those rivals, Ivan Basso and Jan Ullrich, in the mountains today.

Oscar Pereiro, the Spanish rider who was beaten by Armstrong teammate George Hincapie in Sunday's epic mountain stage, won as part of a four-man breakaway. He was still smarting before this 16th stage about the 15th, on Sunday. He finished second then, when Hincapie pulled away in the last few hundred meters to win the two-man sprint after six trying climbs in the Pyrenees.

During a 70-kilometer descent into Pau that was led by Cadel Evans, an Australian with Davitamon, Pereiro caught him, then punctured, had his rear wheel replaced and went on to catch Evans again. In a four-man group with Xabier Zandio, a Spaniard with Illes Balears, and Eddy Mazzoleni, an Italian with Lampre, they steamed into Pau more than two minutes ahead of any pursuit and launched a sprint to the line, which Pereiro won by half a wheel.

Archrivals Basso - second overall at 2:46 behind - and Ullrich tried to shake Armstrong on the long, 10-mile climb up the Aubisque, but the six-time champion easily kept pace. With no major shakeups in the overall standings, Armstrong knows he's one day closer to an unprecedented seventh victory and one day closer to retirement.

Armstrong is relishing his final week as a professional. He's taking quiet moments with teammates, enjoying more time with the fans, stopping to pose for pictures, sign autographs and even entertaining more questions from the media as the sometimes frosty relationship with the European press shows signs of warming up.

Moments after wrapping up the post-race podium ceremony, Armstrong was already looking ahead to Saturday's decisive time trial in St. Etienne when he's expected to widen his lead and perhaps win a stage for the first time this year.

2005 Tour de France Betting Game Odds from: PinnacleSports

Betting Propositions:

Will Jan Ullrich finish Top 3 in Tour de France? YES -177 NO +167
Will Lance Armstrong have NO stage wins? YES +192 NO -207
Will Floyd Landis finish in Top 6 of Tour de France? YES +415 NO -455

For live 2005 Tour de France Betting Game Odds and Lines, just click here: PinnacleSports . There are wide array of 2005 Tour De France betting propositions to choose from including odds to win the 2005 Tour de France, stage by stage head-to-head matchups and many more.

Prediction: Next stage is a sprinter's stage so it will be a toss-up between McEwen, Hushovd and McGrady. Bet on McEwen to win.
for more 2005 Tour de France Betting Tips, Odds, Picks and Predictions, click here: Tour de France Betting
Technorati: Lance Armstrong, Ivan Basso, Jan Ullrich, Tour de France, 2005 Tour de France, Tour de France 2005, Cycling, Cycling Betting, cycling betting tips, Andreas Kloden

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Tour now a race for second; Basso concedes

2005-07-19T23:39:00.000-07:00

Lance Armstrong is hoping the final week of the 2005 Tour de France will be as uneventful as the first two. Armstrong enjoyed the Tour's second rest day Monday to recharge the batteries and only wants to avoid trouble in the six-stage ride between the Pyrenees and Paris.

On Sunday, Armstrong rolled out of two punishing days in the Pyrenees to tighten his grip on the yellow jersey. Basso and the other skinny climbers couldn't crack Armstrong in Sunday's brutal six-climb stage and eternal threat Jan Ullrich ceded more time to sit fourth at 5:58 back. Armstrong's opening two weeks of the Tour have gone flawlessly. He's been able to respond to attacks from all sides, even when his Discovery Channel team left him vulnerable in the high mountains. The final, six-stage run into Paris favors Armstrong, whose main concern will be to avoid crashing or falling ill.

Even Tuesday's final climbing stage through the Pyrenees favors Armstrong's position. The last major climb comes about 40 miles from the flat run to the finish line, giving Armstrong plenty of time to reel in any dangerous riders who might slip away.

Wednesday's and Friday's stages tip riders looking for a lone stage win while Thursday's stage to Mende, with a short, but steep finishing climb, could give Armstrong some trouble only if he has a bad day.

Saturday's time trial in St. Etienne will give Armstrong a chance to take a stage victory that's eluded him so far this year while Sunday's finale on the Champs Elysees will be Armstrong's final - and the team hopes triumphant - exit.

Even Armstrong's rivals admit the Tour is now a race for second. Italy's Ivan Basso is happy to be in second place behind Armstrong in the Tour de France, saying the Texan is almost impossible to beat although he has not given up all hope of catching him.

Basso failed to gain time on Armstrong during the mountain climbs of the Pyrenees but he did move past Jan Ullrich of Germany and Michael Rasmussen of Denmark. Rasmussen is now third, 3:09 behind Armstrong, and Ullrich is fourth at 5:58.

The 92nd Tour de France continues Tuesday with the 112.1-mile 16th stage from Mourenx to Pau, looping over the final serious climbs of the 2005 Tour. The course climbs the 5,640-foot Col d'Aubisque just past the midway mark and then rolls along mostly flat roads to the finish in Pau, which will host its 59th Tour stage.

2005 Tour de France Betting Game Odds from: PinnacleSports

Betting Propositions:

Will Jan Ullrich finish Top 3 in Tour de France? YES -151 NO +141
Will Thor Hushovd win the Green Jersey? YES -121 NO +111
Will Floyd Landis finish in To 6 of Tour de France? YES +360 NO -400

For live 2005 Tour de France Betting Game Odds and Lines, just click here: PinnacleSports . There are wide array of 2005 Tour De France betting propositions to choose from including odds to win the 2005 Tour de France, stage by stage head-to-head matchups and many more.

Prediction: Bet on Armstrong, Basso or Leipheimer to win the next stage.
for more 2005 Tour de France Betting Tips, Odds, Picks and Predictions, click here: Tour de France Betting

Technorati: Lance Armstrong, Ivan Basso, Jan Ullrich, Tour de France, 2005 Tour de France, Tour de France 2005, Cycling, Cycling Betting, cycling betting tips, Andreas Kloden

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Hincapie bolts out of supporting role; wins Tour's 15th stage

2005-07-17T22:11:00.000-07:00

George Hincapie has ridden with Lance Armstrong through all the Tour de France wins. Hincapie has shepherded Armstrong through heat and cold, windy mountaintops and broiling black top, he has ridden first on Armstrong's team or last, has always done what was asked. For six years Hincapie has been the only constant teammate, always in the background as Armstrong broke cycling records and made history.

Sunday, with the temperatures climbing to 96 degrees, with six mountains to climb, with hundreds of thousands of Basque fans swarming the roads wearing bright orange shirts and howling for any Spaniard in the race, Hincapie created the greatest day of his cycling career.

Outsprinting Spain's Oscar Pereiro in the final 250 meters, Hincapie won his first stage at the Tour and became only the eighth American in history to do so. Hincapie, 32, finished the 127.7-mile ride in the Pyrenees in 6 hours 6 minutes 38 seconds, and when he crossed the finish line Hincapie put his hands over his face.

Armstrong and Italy's Ivan Basso finished together, 5:04 behind Hincapie. Armstrong, 33 and aiming for his seventh straight Tour victory before he retires, is first overall. Basso, a CSC rider who finished third last year, moved into second, 2:46 behind Armstrong while Danish climbing expert Mickael Rasmussen dropped from second to third and now 3:09 behind the leader. Armstrong's nemesis, 1997 Tour winner Jan Ullrich, dropped an additional 1:24 to Armstrong Sunday and is fourth, 5:58 behind. Two other Americans - Levi Leipheimer of Gerolsteiner and Floyd Landis of Phonak - are sixth and seventh.

Basso echoed the mood of the peloton - that Sunday's massive climbing stage was the last realistic chance for Armstrong's pursuers to gain significant time on him.

Hincapie, a lanky 6-foot-3, 175-pound New Yorker who married one of the podium girls (the young women who present stage winners with their flowers and with kisses on the cheek), said his first Tour stage win was the most important of his career.

This stage ended with a six-mile climb to the top of this ski resort. With about two miles left only Hincapie and Pereiro were left at the front. While Hincapie isn't known as a climbing specialist he said he has worked hard at that aspect of the sport.

2005 Tour de France Betting Game Odds from: PinnacleSports

Betting Propositions:

Will Jan Ullrich finish Top 3 in Tour de France? YES -127 NO +117
Will Thor Hushovd win the Green Jersey? YES -111 NO +101
Will Floyd Landis finish in To 6 of Tour de France? YES +360 NO -400

For live 2005 Tour de France Betting Game Odds and Lines, just click here: PinnacleSports . There are wide array of 2005 Tour De France betting propositions to choose from including odds to win the 2005 Tour de France, stage by stage head-to-head matchups and many more.

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Armstrong extends lead at Tour de France

2005-07-17T20:05:00.000-07:00

Lance Armstrong has beaten the odds his entire life, so the story line didn't change in Saturday's heated battle over the Pyrenees when the tables were turned against him.

Jan Ullrich's T-Mobile team ganged up on Armstrong in the grueling 137-mile 14th stage, but the six-time champion answered every challenge to tighten his grip on the yellow jersey with just a week to go in the 2005 Tour de France.

Austrian rider Georg Totschnig held on from an early attack to win the stage on a mountain-top finish while Armstrong left a trail of suffering bike racers in his wake as he crossed the line second at 56 seconds slower.

It didn't look like it was going to be so easy for Armstrong on the knee-busting nine-mile ascent up the Port de Pailheres, the day's first of two punishing climbs as temperatures soared into the 90s. Armstrong, 33, was quickly isolated without teammates when Ullrich's helpers, Andreas Klöden and Alexandre Vinokourov, upped the pace.

Armstrong turned on the turbos up the final five-mile charge to the ski station at Ax-3 Domaines, whittling the lead group of 11 riders down to just Armstrong, Basso and Ullrich. Armstrong then dropped the struggling Ullrich, now fourth overall at 4:34 back, and put serious distance on Rasmussen. The only rider strong enough to follow was Basso, the promising Italian who finished third last year.

Rasmussen, the skinny Danish rider who started the stage just 38 seconds back, couldn't follow Armstrong's accelerations midway up the final climb. On both mountains, Armstrong responded powerfully to attacks by Basso and Alexander Vinokourov of Kazakhstan, with T-Mobile. Armstrong, Basso and Ullrich were together with just a few kilometers to go, when Armstrong accelerated, leaving Ullrich behind. Then Armstrong sprinted for second place and the 12 bonus seconds.

Sunday's six-climb 15th stage has all the ingredients for an Armstrong epic. So far winless in this year's Tour, Armstrong hinted he'd like to win the stage in what will be his final mountain-top finish in his racing career.

Armstrong won't be going home until Sunday, when the Tour de France ends in Paris. If he has his way, he'll be wearing the yellow jersey all the way to the Champs Elysees.

2005 Tour de France Betting Game Odds from: PinnacleSports

Betting Propositions:

Will Lance Armstrong win Stage 15?
YES +133 NO -143

Will Thor Hushovd win the Green Jersey?
YES -112 NO +102

Will Yaroslav Popovych win the White Jersey?
YES -300 NO +270

For live 2005 Tour de France Betting Game Odds and Lines, just click here: PinnacleSports . There are wide array of 2005 Tour De France betting propositions to choose from including odds to win the 2005 Tour de France, stage by stage head-to-head matchups and many more.

Prediction: Sprinters Stage! With the withdrawal of Tom Boonen, Robbie McEwen now has no legitimate challenger for the green jersey. He'll definitely win Stage 13.
for more 2005 Tour de France Betting Tips, Odds, Picks and Predictions, click here: Tour de France Betting
Technorati: Lance Armstrong, Ivan Basso, Jan Ullrich, Tour de France, 2005 Tour de France, Tour de France 2005, Cycling, Cycling Betting, cycling betting tips, Andreas Kloden

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Armstong loses teammate, but stays in front

2005-07-15T22:13:00.000-07:00

Lance Armstrong kept the yellow jersey in the Tour de France, but one of his key teammates was left black and blue after crashing out early in Thursday's hilly romp out of the French Alps.

David Moncoutie gave the French something to cheer about with a solo victory on Bastille Day, but Manuel Beltran, one of Armstrong's eight Discovery Channel teammates, fell in the 116.2-mile 12th stage.

The 34-year-old Spaniard crashed face-first when another rider clipped his front wheel. Beltran tried to continue for another 10 miles, but Tour doctors ordered him into an ambulance.

The crash occurred on the last of three days in the Alps, covering 187 kilometers, or 116 miles, over five minor climbs from Briancon to Digne-les-Bains in the lower Alps of Provence. Another victim of crashes, Tom Boonen, the ace Belgian sprinter for Quick Step and the leader in the points competition, also withdrew today. He won two early stages in the 21-stage Tour and then began suffering from a series of falls, including one Wednesday .

Brain scans at a hospital in Gap, France, revealed no major injuries, but Beltran was being held overnight for observation. The hard crash left him dazed with cuts and scrapes and a possible concussion.

With the Tour set to turn upward into the Pyrenees for three decisive climbing stages starting Saturday, Beltran's departure couldn't have come at a worse time.

The featherweight Beltran (5-10, 132) is one of Armstrong's most reliable climbers. The 11-year pro has been part of Armstrong's dominant team effort since 2003 and helps set a blistering pace on the steep climbs that prevents other riders from attacking.

Beltran, 34, is the first Armstrong teammate to abandon the Tour since 2001. In a testament to the team's fortitude, all nine members have finished the Tour in 2000 and 2002-04. In 2001, American racer Christian Vande Velde broke his arm in a crash. In 1999, two riders were forced out with injuries.

Despite the setback, Armstrong was in firm control Thursday and maintained his comfortable lead to his major rivals. Climbing specialist Michael Rasmussen remained close at second at 38 seconds back.

2005 Tour de France Betting Game Odds from: PinnacleSports

Betting Propositions:

Will Robbie McEwen win Stage 13? YES +206 NO -226
Will Thor Hushovd win the Green Jersey? YES -116 NO +106
Will Ivan Basso finish Top 3 in Tour de France? YES -130 NO +120

For live 2005 Tour de France Betting Game Odds and Lines, just click here: PinnacleSports . There are wide array of 2005 Tour De France betting propositions to choose from including odds to win the 2005 Tour de France, stage by stage head-to-head matchups and many more.

Prediction: Sprinters Stage! With the withdrawal of Tom Boonen, Robbie McEwen now has no legitimate challenger for the green jersey. He'll definitely win Stage 13.
for more 2005 Tour de France Betting Tips, Odds, Picks and Predictions, click here: Tour de France Betting

Technorati: Lance Armstrong, Ivan Basso, Jan Ullrich, Tour de France, 2005 Tour de France, Tour de France 2005, Cycling, Cycling Betting, cycling betting tips, Andreas Kloden

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Yellow Jersey Still in Place, Armstrong and His Team Endure Rival's Attack

2005-07-14T23:58:00.000-07:00

Lance Armstrong had priorities Wednesday in the Tour de France, and Alexander Vinokourov was not among them. When Vinokourov went on a long breakaway over two major mountains in the Alps and went on to win the 11th stage, Armstrong didn't blink.

So one day after he aggressively took back the yellow jersey by finishing second in the first stage in the Alps, Armstrong toned it down. He maintained his overall lead in the race and a healthy gap over his main rivals, and he moved one day closer to capturing his seventh consecutive Tour when the final stage concludes, in Paris, on July 24.

Because Wednesday was the last big climbing day until Sa turday, it provided an opportunity for Armstrong's opponents to regain a lot of lost time, or at least attempt to. The stage included the Madeleine, 25.4 kilometers (15.8 miles) to climb at a grade of 6.1 percent, and rated beyond category in terms of length, steepness and general difficulty. And the Telegraph, 12 kilometers (7.45 miles) at 6.7 percent, rated first category, a notch below beyond category. And then the piece de resistance, the Galibier, rated beyond category with 17.5 kilometers (10.9 miles) to climb at a grade of 6.9 percent amid desolate fields full of scree and boulders. It seemed inevitable that someone not named Armstrong would try to conquer all these heights and get right back in the race.

That man turned out to be Vinokourov, a hero in his native Kazakhstan. After his T-Mobile team was outperformed by Armstrong's team in the first Alpine stage on Tuesday - Vinokourov finished 5 minutes 18 seconds behind Armstrong - he vowed that the race was not yet lost.

Vinokourov recaptured some luster for himself and his team by going on the offensive on Wednesday and, at the end, beating Santiago Botero, of Colombia and Phonak, in a sprint to the finish line. Vinokourov's final time was 4 hours 47 minutes 38 seconds, a second ahead of Botero. One minute 15 seconds after Vinokourov came a group of major riders, including Armstrong and everyone else in the top 10 over all.

The result left Armstrong still 38 seconds ahead of Mickael Rasmussen of Denmark and the Rabobank team and 2:34 ahead of Christophe Moreau, of France and Credit Agricole. Vinokourov moved up to 12th place over all from 16th, but still trailed Armstrong by a formidable 4:47.

The final Alpine portion on Thursday, a 116.2-mile run from Briancon to Digne-les-Bains, takes the riders over five easier ascents. The Tour then races across southern France before entering the Pyrenees on Saturday.

2005 Tour de France Betting Game Odds from: PinnacleSports

Odds to win Stage 12:

A. Valverde +2100

A. Vinokourov +2600

C. Moreau +2100

D. Moncoutie +2100

L. Armstrong +3800

M. Boogerd +2500

L. Brochard +1650

S. Chavanel +3300

M. Rasmussen +7500

J. Voigt +10000

For live 2005 Tour de France Betting Game Odds and Lines, just click here: PinnacleSports . There are wide array of 2005 Tour De France betting propositions to choose from including odds to win the 2005 Tour de France, stage by stage head-to-head matchups and many more.

Prediction: It's certain that the big names will guard each other for possible breakaways. Pick lesser known riders who are good on the mountains like Botero, Boogerd or even Voigt to win Stage 12.
for more 2005 Tour de France Betting Tips, Odds, Picks and Predictions, click here: Tour de France Betting

Technorati: Lance Armstrong, Ivan Basso, Jan Ullrich, Tour de France, 2005 Tour de France, Tour de France 2005, Cycling, Cycling Betting, cycling betting tips, Andreas Kloden

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Lance plays it safe; jersey only on loan

2005-07-12T23:43:00.000-07:00

Lance Armstrong and his Discovery Channel team had a great loss, which, in the world of bike racing, was as easy to understand as the long train of friendly riders that shepherded its leader away from the uncertainty of the day before.

In the overall Tour de France standings, Armstrong willingly surrendered the yellow jersey to a breakaway group that won't challenge him in the long run. Really, he just lent it to Jens Voigt of CSC for a few days. At least, that's the way it seems if Discovery stays as strong as it was in the last stage over a pair of difficult climbs.

When the last stage began, it was expected that the triple threat of T-Mobile - Alexander Vinokourov, Jan Ullrich and Andreas Kloden - would attack early and often to find out if Discovery's surprising difficulties the previous day would continue.

But there were also plenty of riders in the peloton who weren't buying into Armstrong's vulnerability. Unlike Saturday, when Armstrong's team fell away and he was isolated among a large group looking for his hide, the Discovery team rode as a platoon throughout the day. T-Mobile never attacked, and neither did any of the other real challengers to Armstrong's title defense.

Armstrong is in third place overall now, behind Voigt and Christophe Moreau, but, following a rest day, the route climbs into the Alps with a brutal stage that is all uphill the final 14 miles. It's worth a bet that Armstrong arrives at the starting line Wednesday morning wearing the yellow once again.

For their part, the Discovery riders were embarrassed by Saturday's performance and probably more than a little chastised by Armstrong afterward. It was apparently very wrong to assume that one bad day would lead to another, however.

Discovery organized itself at the front of the peloton early in the stage, and Armstrong was never without company. For most of the race, he had all eight of his teammates around him, very nearly riding a team time trial at the head of the pack.

It was a display of strength so overwhelming that T-Mobile never attempted a single attack. After Le Grand Ballon, a Category 2 climb, and Le Ballon d'Alsace, a steep Category 1 climb, were scaled, even the sprint teams couldn't push past Discovery's control of the main group.

So, it was a great day for Mickael Rasmussen of Rabobank, who got away to win the stage, and an excellent day for Voigt, who took the yellow and holds a 2-minute, 18-second advantage over Armstrong. Not that he expects to keep it.

That would have to be Ivan Basso of CSC, who climbed well in the Tour last year but has shown little thus far. The attack on Armstrong will more likely come from T-Mobile, if its challengers can stay on the bike. Ullrich crashed on an early descent yesterday, tumbled over his handlebars, and had to scurry to rejoin the main group.

In the big picture, it was even better for Armstrong and Discovery than it was for either Rasmussen or Voigt. It was a day to put aside their own questions and to remind the rest of the peloton that the bear hasn't been skinned yet.

The others better be ready for them as well.

2005 Tour de France Betting Game Odds from: PinnacleSports

Betting Propositions:

Will Michael Rasmussen win the King of the Mountains? YES -253 NO +233
Will Tom Boonen win the Green Jersey? YES +105 NO -115
Will Lance Armstrong win the 2005 Tou de France? YES -157 NO +147

For live 2005 Tour de France Betting Game Odds and Lines, just click here: PinnacleSports . There are wide array of 2005 Tour De France betting propositions to choose from including odds to win the 2005 Tour de France, stage by stage head-to-head matchups and many more.

Prediction: Jens Voigt will not be able to conquer the Alps. He will relinguish the yellow jersey to Armstrong.
for more 2005 Tour de France Betting Tips, Odds, Picks and Predictions, click here: Tour de France Betting

Technorati: Lance Armstrong, Ivan Basso, Jan Ullrich, Tour de France, 2005 Tour de France, Tour de France 2005, Cycling, Cycling Betting, cycling betting tips, Andreas Kloden

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Armstrong gives up overall Tour lead

2005-07-11T19:09:00.000-07:00

Lance Armstrong smiled at the end of the hilly 106.2-mile ninth stage despite losing grip of the yellow jersey Sunday. Why? Because new race leader Jens Voigt isn't considered a major threat, and without the weight of the leader's jersey, Armstrong will be free to take flight in the Tour's first difficult mountain stage Tuesday.

Armstrong could afford to play king-maker in Sunday's transition stage across the hilly Alsace region in eastern France when non-threatening racers chased a bit of glory ahead of Monday's rest day.

Danish climber Michael Rasmussen won the 106.3-mile stage from Gerardmer to Mulhouse in a gutsy solo attack. Voigt, a big German rider expected to fade in the bigger mountains, snatched the yellow jersey after pulling away from the main pack. Armstrong, 33, didn't lose any time to the overall challengers and crossed safely in the main bunch in 28th place at six minutes, four seconds off the winning time.

Voigt is now first by 1 minute 50 seconds over Christophe Moreau, a Frenchman with Credit Agricole and his companion during a long chase after the stage's winner, Mickael Rasmussen, a Dane with Rabobank. Armstrong ranks third, 2 minutes 18 seconds behind Voigt, with Ramsmussen fourth, 2:43 behind.

The reshuffling does not mean that Armstrong has been derailed in seeking his seventh consecutive victory in the Tour de France before he retires. Voigt and Moreau are both veteran, solid riders who have trouble passing through the highest mountains and are not considered threats to the American.

Letting the yellow jersey slip away ahead of the Alps will take pressure off Armstrong's Discovery Channel team. On Sunday, the team bounced back after leaving the six-time Tour champion to fend for himself in Saturday's hilly stage. Had Armstrong flatted in Saturday's gripping, attack-riddled finale, he could have lost minutes while waiting for a teammate to arrive and swap bikes.

Doubts about the team were erased when it resumed its familiar position at the front of the lead group. Alexandre Vinokourov and other dangerous rivals were kept in check over the difficult Ballon d'Alsace climb, the hardest so far in this year's Tour.

The remaining 175 riders take the day off Monday, but things heat up Tuesday for the decisive 119.6-mile 10th stage. The course pushes deep into the French Alps and finishes with a steep climb to the posh ski area at Courchevel. Armstrong is poised to regain the yellow jersey if he has a strong day ahead of the likes of Vinokourov, Ivan Basso and Jan Ullrich.

2005 Tour de France Betting Game Odds from: PinnacleSports

Betting Propositions:

Will Michael Rasmussen win the King of the Mountains? YES -267 NO +247
Will Tom Boonen win the Green Jersey? YES +135 NO -145
Will Lance Armstrong win the 2005 Tou de France? YES -146 NO +136

For live 2005 Tour de France Betting Game Odds and Lines, just click here: PinnacleSports . There are wide array of 2005 Tour De France betting propositions to choose from including odds to win the 2005 Tour de France, stage by stage head-to-head matchups and many more.

Prediction: The French Pyrenees is now coming. Armstrong will regain the yellow jersey and expect Jens Voigt to falter in the mountains.
for more 2005 Tour de France Betting Tips, Odds, Picks and Predictions, click here: Tour de France Betting

Technorati: Lance Armstrong, Ivan Basso, Jan Ullrich, Tour de France, 2005 Tour de France, Tour de France 2005, Cycling, Cycling Betting, cycling betting tips, Andreas Kloden

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Grand Entrance for German, but Not Much of a Finish

2005-07-09T20:00:00.000-07:00

Of the 16 Germans competing in the Tour de France, only Fabian Wegmann was adventurous, optimistic or foolhardy enough to think that the ideal way to enter his home country on Friday was alone at the head of the race, alone by far.

Undoubtedly, he even saw himself remaining alone at the end of the 142 miles from Luneville in eastern France to Karlsruhe in western Germany, not far from his home in Freiburg. So Wegmann, 25, who rides for the German team Gerolsteiner, tried. He spent nearly 93 miles, about three and a half hours in intermittent rain, ahead of the pack in a solo breakaway.

When he sped over the Rhine from France and was greeted by large and enthusiastic crowds of his fellow Germans, Wegmann had fulfilled part of his ambitions. But the second part, that scene where he cruised, still alone, over the finish line, would have to wait for another day. Wegmann was caught by the pack with 14 miles to go, setting up the mass sprint that the mainly flat topography dictated. The first man across the line was Robbie McEwen, an Australian with Davitamon-Lotto and the winner of a similar sprint on Wednesday.

Finishing a bicycle wheel ahead of Magnus Backstedt, a Swede with Liquigas-Bianchi, and a full length ahead of Bernhard Eisel, an Austrian with Francaise des Jeux, McEwen was timed in 5 hours 3 minutes 45 seconds. That was an average of about 28 miles an hour despite rain and cool, breezy weather. Wegmann finished a very undreamlike 126th.

There was no change in the overall leadership, where Lance Armstrong remained in the yellow jersey by 55 seconds over a Discovery Channel teammate, George Hincapie. Alexandre Vinokourov, a Kazakh with T-Mobile and one of Armstrong's main challengers, remains in third place, still 1:02 behind.

Armstrong, who is seeking his seventh consecutive Tour victory before he retires, finished 53rd on Friday, ending up with the same time as McEwen since he was part of the pack that was in an unbroken line behind him. Armstrong sounded relieved afterward that the weekend stages would include climbing strenuous enough to break up the pack and probably discourage mass sprints.

McEwen, who would prefer to see field sprints, admitted that the huge crowds packed into the last five miles of Friday's seventh stage had made the racing a little dangerous. But he described the number of spectators as 'out of this world'.

Wegmann shared the feeling, despite his 126th-place finish. In his fourth year as a professional, he has won two small races this year in Germany and finished in the top 10 in a handful of others. By passing first over the day's two small hills, he won the climbing jersey for the stage.

Saturday's eighth stage brings the hardest climb so far, the 3,736-foot Col de la Schlucht. It is not as hard as the monstrous ascents to follow in the Alps and Pyrenees, riders who are carrying injuries, who are fatigued and out of form - or who don't have Armstrong's climbing talents - could fall behind.

2005 Tour de France Betting Game Odds from: PinnacleSports

Betting Propositions:

Will Michael Rasmussen win the King of the Mountains? YES +360 NO -400
Will Tom Boonen win the Green Jersey? YES -156 NO +146
Will Lance Armstrong win the 2005 Tou de France? YES -259 NO +239

For live 2005 Tour de France Betting Game Odds and Lines, just click here: PinnacleSports . There are wide array of 2005 Tour De France betting propositions to choose from including odds to win the 2005 Tour de France, stage by stage head-to-head matchups and many more.

Prediction: Next stage is another sprint stage. Expect all teams to setup their sprinters for the last 100 meters. Pick Boonen to win this stage.
for more 2005 Tour de France Betting Tips, Odds, Picks and Predictions, click here: Tour de France Betting

Technorati: Lance Armstrong, Ivan Basso, Jan Ullrich, Tour de France, 2005 Tour de France, Tour de France 2005, Cycling, Cycling Betting, cycling betting tips, Andreas Kloden

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Armstrong keeps yellow jersey, avoids crash at finish line

2005-07-08T22:33:00.000-07:00

Christophe Mengin's dream lasted three and a half hours and ended painfully: Instead of the one-day victory he yearned for in the Tour de France while his countrymen watched, he wound up sprawled on the road with nearly a dozen other riders spilled on top of and around him.

Lance Armstrong managed to sidestep the crash and stay on his bike during the cold rain that accompanied the sixth stage of the race. He finished a safe and sound 32nd, retaining the leader's yellow jersey but losing a chunk of time to Alexandre Vinokourov, a Kazakh with the T-Mobile team and a major challenger to Armstrong's bid to win a seventh successive Tour.

For Armstrong, it was an acceptable day, considering the dangerous circumstances. For Mengin, a 36-year-old Frenchman who rides for the Francaise de Jeux team, it was a day that will haunt him. He was leading the pack after a long breakaway when everything went wrong near the end of the 124-mile trek from Troyes to Nancy in eastern France.

Lorenzo Bernucci was better placed and sped off to his first victory as a professional. He was timed in 4 hours 12 minutes 52 seconds, a speedy 29 miles an hour in the foul weather. Vinokourov was awarded the same time and now trails Armstrong by 1 minute 2 seconds. He is in third place in the overall standings, after beginning the day in seventh. George Hincapie, Armstrong's Discovery Channel lieutenant, remains in second place over all, 55 seconds behind.

Despite the pileup near the finish line, the worst injury seemed to be Mengin's puffy left eye. That was not the souvenir he sought, of course, when the day began. A native of the village of Villey le Sec, through which the racers whizzed 16 miles from the end, Mengin was looking for regional glory when he sped away from the pack by himself 14 miles after the start.

He ranked 142nd in the 188-man field at the start of the race, so he was seeking a stage victory, not trying to take the yellow jersey from Armstrong. In a professional career that began in 1995, Mengin has five victories, one in a Tour stage in 1997.

If Mengin is thinking about the stage, the weather forecast is for continuing hard, cold rain. Now, he knows what to expect and what to do in order to win another Tour stage. On Friday the peloton crosses the border to go to Karlsruhe in Germany over a 228.5-km ride.

2005 Tour de France Betting Game Odds from: PinnacleSports

Stage 5 - To win Stage:

Tom Boonen YES +296 NO -326
Robin McEwen YES +390 NO -430
Thor Hushovd YES +910 NO -1010

For live 2005 Tour de France Betting Game Odds and Lines, just click here: PinnacleSports . There are wide array of 2005 Tour De France betting propositions to choose from including odds to win the 2005 Tour de France, stage by stage head-to-head matchups and many more.

Prediction: Next stage is another sprint stage. Expect all teams to setup their sprinters for the last 100 meters. Pick Boonen to win this stage.

for more 2005 Tour de France Betting Tips, Odds, Picks and Predictions, click here: Tour de France Betting

Technorati: Lance Armstrong, Ivan Basso, Jan Ullrich, Tour de France, 2005 Tour de France, Tour de France 2005, Cycling, Cycling Betting, cycling betting tips, Andreas Kloden

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Armstrong grudgingly wears yellow jersey

2005-07-06T22:49:00.000-07:00

Cycling tradition says the Tour de France yellow jersey should be earned, but Lance Armstrong woke up Wednesday morning believing he wasn't worthy. After watching replays of Dave Zabriskie's crash about one mile from the finish line in Tuesday's team time trial, Armstrong was in no mood to wear it during the 113.4-mile fifth stage despite taking the lead the previous day.

Zabriskie was leading the Tour by two seconds, but crashed Tuesday and fell to ninth at 1:26 back. Armstrong moved into the yellow jersey by 55 seconds ahead of teammate George Hincapie after his Discovery Channel team won Tuesday's team time trial ahead of Zabriskie's Team CSC. The winning difference was just two seconds, a margin so small that Armstrong wasn't sure he'd be in the yellow jersey had Zabriskie not fallen.

Armstrong was right about that, but only in cases when the race leader crashes out of the race or doesn't start the next day. Five-time Tour great Eddy Merckx, for example, rejected the yellow jersey in 1971 when Luis OcaÃ±a broke his leg in a fall and wouldn't wear it until finishing the next day's stage.

Armstrong's mutiny was different because Zabriskie, although crashing, finished Tuesday's stage and started Wednesday's. Tour de France officials quickly got wind of Armstrong's impromptu revolt and gave a simple order. Although Armstrong signed in before the stage wearing his Discovery Channel's blue and grey jersey, he stopped before the official start of the stage and put on the distinctive race leader's yellow jersey.

Armstrong safely crossed the line in 45th place with the same time as the winner to retain the yellow jersey. This time there won't be any doubts. Zabriskie, of Salt Lake City, became the third American to wear the yellow jersey in Tour history after beating Lance Armstrong in the opening stage time trial.

Emboldened by his team's strong third-place performance in Tuesday's team time trial, 1997 Tour winner Jan Ullrich is sounding more confident. Ullrich crashed into a team car during a training ride, an incident that contributed to his poor performance in the opening stage when Armstrong passed him during the time trial. A shard of glass nearly cut a major artery in Ullrich's neck during that unfortunate accident.

Constantino Zaballa, a Spanish rider on the Saunier Duval team, was the first rider to abandon the 2005 Tour. He crashed hard in Tuesday's time trial and wasn't able to carry on with pain in his left knee, leaving 188 riders in the race.

The 92nd Tour de France continues with the 123.4-mile sixth stage from Troyes to Nancy across France's champagne region. It's hilliest stage so far in this year's Tour, with four relatively easy rated climbs that could serve as a springboard for a successful breakaway.

2005 Tour de France Betting Game Odds from: PinnacleSports

Stage 5 - To win Stage:

Tom Boonen YES +274 NO -294
Robin McEwen YES +390 NO -430
Thor Hushovd YES +900 NO -1000

For live 2005 Tour de France Betting Game Odds and Lines, just click here: PinnacleSports . There are wide array of 2005 Tour De France betting propositions to choose from including odds to win the 2005 Tour de France, stage by stage head-to-head matchups and many more.

Prediction: It's a good day for breakaway riders. Pick longshots like Etxebarria, Karpets or Rasmussen.

for more 2005 Tour de France Betting Tips, Odds, Picks and Predictions, click here: Tour de France Betting

Technorati: Lance Armstrong, Ivan Basso, Jan Ullrich, Tour de France, 2005 Tour de France, Tour de France 2005, Cycling, Cycling Betting, cycling betting tips, Andreas Kloden

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Zabriskie crashes; Armstrong, back in familiar yellow

2005-07-06T22:20:00.000-07:00

Lance Armstrong snuck into the yellow jersey in Tuesday's fourth stage while Dave Zabriskie's dream-like three-day run atop the Tour de France turned into a nightmare.

The six-time Tour champion was back in his favorite color for the first time this year following his team's dramatic victory in the 41.8-mile race up the windy Loire Valley, but only after Zabriskie crashed with just about one mile left.

It appeared Zabriskieâ€™s Team CSC was going to hold off Armstrongâ€™s Discovery Channel in the team time trial, when all nine teammates ride together in a race against the clock. With 1.5 miles to go, Team CSC held a six-second lead over Discovery, but Zabriskie crashed moments later when his front wheel slipped out from underneath him, sending him sprawling to the pavement.

His teammates barreled ahead to chase the victory, falling two seconds short, while a dejected Zabriskie rolled across the line 1:28 slower, his yellow jersey torn and bloodied after the hard fall. X-rays revealed no broken bones for Zabriskie, but he suffered cuts and scrapes to his left leg, hip, elbow and knee. He also received two stitches in his left hand.

Armstrongâ€™s team was forced to play the waiting game, huddled inside the Discovery Channel bus waiting to see if their time would stand. When CSC came through two seconds slower, Discoveryâ€™s third consecutive team time trial victory was sealed. The teamâ€™s winning average speed of 57.32 kph broke the previous record of 54.93 kph set in 1995.

Armstrong, who started the day two seconds back in second place, would have taken the yellow jersey even if Zabriskie had not fallen, as long as Discovery Channel won. Armstrong, 33, is seeking his seventh consecutive Tour de France championship, and has pledged to retired after the Tour concludes in Paris on July 21, regardless of the outcome.

An American teammate, George Hincapie, is now in second place, 55 seconds behind his leader. Jens Voigt, a German with CSC, is third, 1:04 behind, with Bobby Julich, another American with CSC, in fourth place, 1:07 behind. Zabriskie fell to ninth place, 1:26 behind.

The winning ride also dealt another blow to Jan Ullrich, the 1997 Tour champion who lost 30 seconds to Armstrong despite his T-Mobile team finishing a surprisingly strong third. Ullrich struggled in the opening time trial as well and now sits 14th at 1:36 back.

With Armstrong now in the lead, his Discovery Channel team must decide its tactics. With another week of flat stages to go before arriving to the first critical climbing stage to Courchevel, Armstrong said they might be able to count on the strong sprinter teams to collaborate to control dangerous breakaways.

2005 Tour de France Betting Game Odds from: PinnacleSports

Stage 5 - To win Stage:

Tom Boonen YES +450 NO -510
Robin McEwen YES +191 NO -211

For live 2005 Tour de France Betting Game Odds and Lines, just click here: PinnacleSports . There are wide array of 2005 Tour De France betting propositions to choose from including odds to win the 2005 Tour de France, stage by stage head-to-head matchups and many more.

Prediction: It's another stage for the sprinters. Tom Boonen will win this stage again...

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Technorati: Lance Armstrong, Ivan Basso, Jan Ullrich, Tour de France, 2005 Tour de France, Tour de France 2005, Cycling, Cycling Betting, cycling betting tips, Andreas Kloden

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Armstrong guns for yellow jersey in today's time trial

2005-07-05T23:27:00.000-07:00

Belgian Tom Boonen pumped his muscular arms and pointed to himself in the classic sprinter's it's-all-about-me pose yesterday after rocketing past two other riders in the final frantic yards to win Stage 2 of the Tour de France.

Lance Armstrong stayed out of danger, finishing 63d, but in the same time as Boonen to retain second place overall, just two seconds behind American David Zabriskie, who retained the yellow jersey. Zabriskie, a 26-year-old from Salt Lake City who rides for a Danish organization, Team CSC, kept possession of the yellow jersey, the coveted shirt owned by the overall leader at the Tour de France. Having won it in Saturday's opening time trial, Zabriskie left Monday's 133-mile stage still holding a two-second lead over six-time defending champion Armstrong.

Armstrong's turn could happen as soon as today's team time trial. Team CSC - studded with stars such as Italian Ivan Basso, the Tour's third-place rider last year, and well-experienced time-trialer Bobby Julich along with Zabriskie, who is the current U.S. national team champion - feels as if it's ready to end the U.S. entry's hold on the crucial stage. For the last two years, wearing the uniforms of the U.S. Postal Service, Armstrong and his buddies have earned the Texan crucial seconds by demolishing the field. In the team time trial, each squad rides together and everybody's time counts.

While Monday's large and enthusiastic crowds had plenty of American fans waving banners not only for Armstrong and Zabriskie but also for Floyd Landis, who stands in sixth place, Levi Leipheimer (15th), Bobby Julich (11th) and George Hincapie (fifth), it was Belgian fans who were dancing at the finish line. For the second straight day young Belgian sprinter Tom Boonen crossed the finish line first.

Boonen, 24, was just ahead of Peter Wrolich of Austria and two Australians, Stuart O'Grady and Robbie McEwen. Though McEwen appeared to finish third, officials ruled he intentionally blocked O'Grady's route to the finish line, so O'Grady won the extra points for finishing third.Armstrong, Zabriskie and all the top Tour contenders - Basso, Jan Ullrich, Alexandre Vinokourov, Andreas Kloeden, Leipheimer and Landis - all finished in the main peloton. So Zabriskie kept his yellow jersey, Armstrong remained in second place and none of the contenders lost anything to six-time defending champion Armstrong.

The 92nd Tour de France continues Tuesday with the 41.8-mile team time trial, a unique discipline when entire teams ride together in a race against the clock. Rules dictate that the time is taken at the fifth man across the line, meaning riders are only as strong as their teammates.

Under controversial new rules introduced last year, time losses are limited based on placement rather than actual time forfeited. For example, the third-place team can lose a maximum of 30 seconds to the winner regardless of how much slower they cross the line.

Armstrong's Discovery Channel team has won two years running and will start as the favorites for the hat trick.

2005 Tour de France Betting Game Odds from: PinnacleSports

Stage 4 - Team to win :

Discovery Channel YES -120 NO +110
CSC YES +191 NO -211

For live 2005 Tour de France Betting Game Odds and Lines, just click here: PinnacleSports . There are wide array of 2005 Tour De France betting propositions to choose from including odds to win the 2005 Tour de France, stage by stage head-to-head matchups and many more.

Prediction: Team Discovery will win the time trial for the third consecutive time paving the way for Armstrong to reclaim he yellow jersey.

for more 2005 Tour de France Betting Tips, Odds, Picks and Predictions, click here: Tour de France Betting

Technorati: Lance Armstrong, Ivan Basso, Jan Ullrich, Tour de France, 2005 Tour de France, Tour de France 2005, Cycling, Cycling Betting, cycling betting tips, Andreas Kloden

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Team Discovery is the key to Lance's seventh aim at Tour's glory

2005-07-03T22:40:00.000-07:00

Though it's not all about the team at the Tour de France, the team matters. When Lance Armstrong began his ride for a seventh straight title with an 11-mile individual time trial on the Atlantic coast last Saturday, he will be on his own in a battle against rough pavement and tricky headwinds.

But as the 21-stage race progresses more than 2,220 miles across a country filled with cobblestone streets and unpredictable weather, brutal mountain climbs and rolling farmland roads lined with fans who want to touch a rider, offer food and drink, blow kisses or maybe a wad of spit, Armstrong will rely on his Discovery Channel teammates.

These eight men from six countries are chosen by team leader Johan Bruyneel for their strengths and a common willingness to shepherd Armstrong.The newcomers are Yaroslav Popovych, a 25-year-old Ukranian who is strong and filled with untapped potential, and Paolo Savoldelli, 32, of Italy.The stalwart is George Hincapie, 32, a loyal assistant to Armstrong in his previous six Tour wins.

Popovych joined the team after Floyd Landis, a 29-year-old American who had been an integral member of last year's winning U.S. Postal Service team, defected to Phonak, the Swiss team in need of a leader after Tyler Hamilton was suspended for failing a blood doping test last year. Landis predicted last month that Phonak would win the team time trial Tuesday. Whether it was a brave or foolish proclamation remains to be seen, since Armstrong's crew has dominated the event where an entire team's time is given to each rider.

And each of the three best riders for Germany's T-Mobile squad - Jan Ullrich, Andreas Kloeden and Alexandre Vinokourov - have finished in the top three individually in the Tour. Vinokourov said each T-Mobile rider was focused only on beating Armstrong and that it didn't matter who won the coveted yellow jersey that belongs to the Tour's winner.

Hincapie has been particularly fierce in this spring's prep races. He won the intense final stage of the mountainous Dauphine Libere by outriding Popovych. Bruyneel has chosen Armstrong's teammates as much for selflessness as for talent. Jose Azevedo, 31, from Portugal, finished fifth overall at last year's Tour even though he exhausted himself in the mountains playing defense for Armstrong.

Pavel Padrnos, 34, of the Czech Republic, will be Armstrong's bodyguard through the flat but dangerous early stages when the field is still large and accidents happen when too many riders bunch too closely in curves.

Climbers such as Azevedo and Spaniards Manuel Beltran and Benjamin Noval will take the lead in the mountains. Their job is to make sure none of the other contenders can break away and pick up major minutes on Armstrong. They will ride themselves into exhaustion to force a sneaky opponent back into the peloton.When the team is together, they speak a language their own, a mishmash of grunts and shouts, a Spanish word here, one in Czech there, mangled English everywhere. But on the road there is only one language: protect Armstrong. It is a language they all understand.

2005 Tour de France Betting Game Odds from: PinnacleSports

2005 Tour de France Matchups :

Lance Armstrong to win the Tour YES -187 NO +177
vs Jan Ullrich YES +906 NO -1106

For live 2005 Tour de France Betting Game Odds and Lines, just click here: PinnacleSports . There are wide array of 2005 Tour De France betting propositions to choose from including odds to win the 2005 Tour de France, stage by stage head-to-head matchups and many more.

Prediction: There's no stopping of Armstrong. He's way too powerful and aggressive in the mountain stages of the Tour. The rest of the field would have to slug it out for the other two podium spots.

for more 2005 Tour de France Betting Tips, Odds, Picks and Predictions, click here: Tour de France Betting

Technorati: Lance Armstrong, Ivan Basso, Jan Ullrich, Tour de France, 2005 Tour de France, Tour de France 2005, Cycling, Cycling Betting, cycling betting tips, Andreas Kloden

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Armstrong's View on Possible 7th Tour Win: No Big Deal

2005-07-01T18:53:00.000-07:00

The number is not really that important, Lance Armstrong concedes. Seven would be nowhere near as big as six. Six was monumental. When Armstrong, the 33-year-old American leader of the Discovery Channel team, won his sixth Tour de France last year, he broke the record he shared with other giants of bicycle racing.

Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, Miguel Indurain and Armstrong had all recorded five victories in the century-old Tour and Indurain and Armstrong had recorded them consecutively. The record fell when Armstrong cruised into Paris last July 25 an easy winner by more than six minutes. Now he stands alone and everybody, including Armstrong, acknowledges that a seventh victory, while satisfying, would be merely icing on the cake.

With that end in sight, Armstrong is relaxed. The American was nervous last year because he's facing a demon in going for a sixth victory. Now that he's not chasing history, he's not chasing the legend and not chasing the record, Armstrong will just be here to have a nice time and try to win again.

"The top" is Armstrong's obsession. For years he has built his season around only the Tour de France, knowing that victory in the world's biggest, toughest and richest bicycle race is to be at the top. Will he be there when the 2,240-mile Tour completes its three-week clockwise journey around France?

He looks as fit as ever despite a crash during a training ride last week. Armstrong says he has dropped the final couple of pounds he carried in the Dauphine Libere race early last month to reach his usual 170 pounds. His team, he insists, is better than ever and, as always, single-mindedly dedicated to his victory. His motivation is obvious.

Only glancingly does he mention two factors working against him. One is that he will face an exceptionally strong field of rivals and the other is his age. Since the Tour de France began in 1903, just six men have won it at the age of 33 or beyond. Armstrong will turn 34 in September. What really drives him, he acknowledges, is not so much winning as not losing. Time and again he has said that his ultimate motivation is the fear of losing. It is useless to argue with him that although a bicycle race has a winner, it cannot have "losers" since that would involve farcical numbers of everybody else in the race. In his reckoning, to finish second is to lose.

He minimizes the effect his pending retirement will have on his rivals. A major one, Jan Ullrich of the T-Mobile team from Germany, has said his goal is to win a Tour with Armstrong present. Ullrich won the race in 1997, while Armstrong was recuperating from cancer,and has finished second five times, three of them behind Armstrong.

This will be his last chance to unseat the American.

2005 Tour de France Betting Game Odds from: BODOG

2005 Tour de France Matchups :

Lance Armstrong -135
vs Field (Any other competitor) -105

For live 2005 Tour de France Betting Game Odds and Lines, just click here: PinnacleSports or BODOG. There are wide array of 2005 Tour De France betting propositions to choose from including odds to win the 2005 Tour de France, stage by stage head-to-head matchups and many more.

Prediction: There's no stopping of Armstrong. He's way too powerful and aggressive in the mountain stages of the Tour. The rest of the field would have to slug it out for the other two podium spots.

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Technorati: Lance Armstrong, Ivan Basso, Jan Ullrich, Tour de France, 2005 Tour de France, Tour de France 2005, Cycling, Cycling Betting, cycling betting tips, Andreas Kloden

When Armstrong cycles out, who's up next?

2005-06-29T23:42:00.000-07:00

"Men nearly always follow the tracks made by others and proceed in their affairs by imitation, even though they cannot entirely keep to the tracks of others or emulate the prowess of their models." - Niccolo Machiavelli, Italian Renaissance political thinker.

In a few weeks, with or without a seventh consecutive Tour de France title, Lance Armstrong will retire from a niche sport he single-handedly elevated in a country that has often regarded it as a recreation, not a competitive event.

Not by choice but by circumstance, Tyler Farrar, Tom Danielson, Dave Zabriskie and the other next-generation U.S. cyclists will attempt the impossible: following in the tire tracks of cycling's most accomplished, wealthiest, celebrated, photographed and scrutinized figure.

As Sir Lance prepares for the final Tour of his career, cycling prepares for a world that does not revolve around the cancer survivor. Although there can be only one Lance Armstrong, there is plenty of depth in U.S. cycling, featuring riders capable of continuing Armstrong's international success. None, however, is likely to have the same impact or leave a comparable legacy.

All of these factors contributed to Armstrong's legend, the once-in-an-era mystique that surrounds him. Farrar conceivably could exceed Armstrong's success on a bike but probably also won't have to face, or beat a life-threatening illness in the prime of his career.

According to the latest issue of Forbes magazine, Armstrong earned $28 million from June 2004 to June 2005, which tied him for ninth in athlete earnings, ahead of such names as Alex Rodriguez, Jeff Gordon and LeBron James. In star power - earnings plus other celebrity factors - Armstrong ranks third, only behind Tiger Woods and Shaquille O'Neal. No other cyclist is in sight.

Armstrong probably has established a standard that will be unattainable for future cyclists. The ubiquitous yellow LiveStrong wristbands that have spawned numerous imitators have become fashionable even for those who carry Louis Vuitton handbags.

And it's doubtful a future cycling champion will have a Hewlett-Packard computer named for him. Armstrong pedaled the sport to places it had never been before in the United States. His cancer foundation and the increased awareness it created about those afflicted with the disease also helped develop a generation of cycling enthusiasts who otherwise might have considered the Tour de France a travel promotion.

Those other Americans might never duplicate Armstrong's achievements, but they are capable of winning the Tour de France, Giro d'Italia, Vuelta a Espana and other major races.

Danielson, Farrar, Zabriskie, Floyd Landis or Levi Leipheimer might not be familiar names in this country, but those in the sport say they merit consideration as leaders for U.S. cycling. Danielson figures three American riders could be on the podium at the end of the Tour de France next month.

Before Armstrong, the last time U.S. cycling boasted a household name was Greg LeMond, who in 1989 won his second consecutive Tour de France and third in five years. But cycling in the United States did not sustain the momentum of LeMond's success.

Therein lies part of the problem facing the next generation of American cyclists. In this country, the only race that matters is the Tour de France. Everything else is just a race. When four of the top riders throughout much of the 2005 Dauphine Libere were Americans, for example, it received little or no attention on SportsCenter or in the print media.

2005 Tour de France Betting Game Odds from: BODOG

2005 Tour de France Matchups :

Lance Armstrong -120
vs Field (Any other competitor) -120

For live 2005 Tour de France Betting Game Odds and Lines, just click here: PinnacleSports or BODOG. There are wide array of 2005 Tour De France betting propositions to choose from including odds to win the 2005 Tour de France, stage by stage head-to-head matchups and many more.

Prediction: There's no stopping of Armstrong. He's way too powerful and aggressive in the mountain stages of the Tour. The rest of the field would have to slug it out for the other two podium spots.

for more 2005 Tour de France Betting Tips, Odds, Picks and Predictions, click here: Tour de France Betting

Technorati: Lance Armstrong, Ivan Basso, Jan Ullrich, Tour de France, 2005 Tour de France, Tour de France 2005, Cycling, Cycling Betting, cycling betting tips, Andreas Kloden

One last mountain to climb for Armstrong

2005-06-29T00:45:00.000-07:00

This, he insists, will be the last mountain.

At least, the last one he climbs competitively on two wheels. Whatever else life might hold for Lance Armstrong - assuming that quiet and normalcy are never an option - he won't be making his assaults on a sun-scorched roadside; won't hear the cheers; won't feel the pain; won't stand at the top of another podium with the world at his feet and a yellow jersey on his back.

No, this is it. Armstrong, the cancer survivor who has won the Tour de France a record six times, plans to retire from his sport after this year's race, which begins Saturday with a time trial on the French Atlantic coast. The Tour will close with its annual Paris arrival on July 24, following a twisting, clockwise route around the country that stretches for 2,227 miles.

Somewhere along the way, Armstrong will either win a seventh straight title, further fixing his name atop the list of the sport's immortals, or this one, finally, will slip away. But the outcome will not change his decision, according to Armstrong. If he returns to the capital in triumph, or is stuck somewhere amid the whirling pack, either way he will drop the proverbial kickstand and kick back.

For any other athlete, it would be an audacious way to exit. Most would give themselves the alternative of a gracious recession from the stage. Armstrong could have done that, too.

Even though he turns 34 in September, aging quickly by cycling standards, he could have let the retirement question linger. He could have scaled back with some domestic races, the sort of native son's farewell tour that his long years of European training have never really afforded him. He could have come back to Philadelphia one more time to reprise the national championship victory that seems so long ago now - before the cancer, before the comeback, before the Tours, before everything.

That is not Armstrong's way, however. He has never built his challenges with trapdoors. He will ride the 2005 Tour de France and that will be that. The biggest race in the world. The biggest potential elation. The worst potential embarrassment. He likes it when life is that definable and easy to understand.

If you ever want to beat me, here I am. Take your last shot. And, oh, do they want to beat him. The motivation now goes beyond chauvinism or mere competitiveness. They have all, at one time or another in the last six years, had to look up wearily from their handlebars to see Armstrong standing on the pedals, the road climbing before him, and toss a look of dismissal and farewell over his shoulder at them.

The brunt of it has fallen upon stolid Jan Ullrich of Germany, who has had the poor fortune to be the second-best Tour rider of his generation. For his trouble, which has included the trouble it took to finish second to Armstrong three times and then fourth last year, Ullrich has been mocked by fans who question his dedication.

This year, Ullrich's T-Mobile team is healthy and loaded, with two other all-round riders who could challenge Armstrong if the determined Ullrich falters again.

Ivan Basso, a young (27) Italian with the CSC team, was the only rider who stayed with Armstrong through the mountain passes a year ago when the others were disintegrating into the pack. He wasn't quite good enough to knock off the champion - finishing third overall - but he's back with a stronger team and his own desire to achieve his first Tour victory against the Texan who has issued this challenge.

Would winning it next year possibly be as sweet? No.

There are plenty of others, there always are, including a pair of Americans who once rode with Armstrong's U.S. Postal Service team. Even now that the sponsorship has changed, to the Discovery Channel, very little else has. Levi Leipheimer of Gerolsteiner, who has twice finished in the top 10 on the Tour, and Lancaster's Floyd Landis, who rides for Phonak, would each like to take the measure of their former boss.

Armstrong is giving them all the chance. They won't have to look hard to find him. He'll be near the front. All they have to do is go and get him. Win or lose, he wouldn't want the odds to be with him, or the risk to be lessened. As the pages of this chapter are turned on the climbs through the Alps and the Pyrenees, the story will become more compelling, too. More than ever, the brash American has drawn a deep line behind the rear wheel of his bike. Cross it, and him, only if you dare.

2005 Tour de France Betting Game Odds from: BODOG

2005 Tour de France Matchups :

Lance Armstrong -115
vs Field (Any other competitor) -125

For live 2005 Tour de France Betting Game Odds and Lines, just click here: PinnacleSports or BODOG. There are wide array of 2005 Tour De France betting propositions to choose from including odds to win the 2005 Tour de France, stage by stage head-to-head matchups and many more.

Prediction: There's no stopping of Armstrong. He's way too powerful and aggressive in the mountain stages of the Tour. The rest of the field would have to slug it out for the other two podium spots.

for more 2005 Tour de France Betting Tips, Odds, Picks and Predictions, click here: Tour de France Betting

Technorati: Lance Armstrong, Ivan Basso, Jan Ullrich, Tour de France, 2005 Tour de France, Tour de France 2005, Cycling, Cycling Betting, cycling betting tips, Andreas Kloden

Who Will Succeed Lance Armstrong?

2005-06-27T23:32:00.000-07:00

The year was 1993, and the speaker was Lance Armstrong, going on 22 years old, brash and zesty, peering over the horizon. At that time, the legendary Miguel Indurain was about to win his third of five successive Tour de France.

Armstrong spoke without envy about Indurain, his idol. He said the Tour will be more exciting if the Spaniard gave way to other riders. But Armstrong didn't blame Indurain because he was just so special â€“ Indurain just dominates. He could not have imagined that, three years later, he would be stricken by testicular cancer and that chemotherapy would then remodel his body from that of a winner of classics, or one-day races, into that of the winner of six Tours de France.

In a week he will go for No. 7 and then - win or lose - retire. About time too, some riders grumble. Armstrong's sentiment about Indurain is evergreen: the younger rider grows impatient waiting for the champion to clear the stage for the next generation.

Is there somebody like that who will sign in on Saturday, when the 92nd Tour de France sets off in the western Vendee region on its 3,584-kilometer, or 2,225-mile, journey for three weeks clockwise around the country? There is, and his name is Ivan Basso, the 27-year-old Italian who rides for the CSC team from Denmark and who finished third in the last Tour.

His weakness then was the time trial, the solitary race against the clock. After riding strongly in the mountains, Basso slipped from second place overall to third in the second of two time trials, 55 kilometers long, when he lost 2 minutes 50 seconds to Armstrong and, more important, 1:23 to Andreas Kloden, a German with T-Mobile who finished second overall, behind Armstrong. In the first time trial, 15.5 kilometers up Alpe d'Huez, Basso lost 2:23 to Armstrong and 1:42 to Kloden.

Crunch those numbers and see, if there had been no time trials, how close Basso would have come to victory - he finished 6:40 behind Armstrong - or to second place, 21 seconds back.

During the winter, CSC took Basso to Boston, where he worked in a wind tunnel, for $700 to $1,000 an hour, to refine his position on the bicycle and gain speed. The result was apparent in the Giro d'Italia in May, when Basso won a long time trial as well as a mountain stage.

The shortfall in time trials and the presence of two big climbing days in the Alps and three in the Pyrenees should benefit another rider, Iban Mayo, 27, the leader of the Euskaltel team from Spain.

Mayo, a splendid climber, tore up the field in the spring a year ago and then collapsed in the Tour after a demoralizing crash far before the mountains. He has been more circumspect, almost invisible, this season and may have caught on how to dose his efforts, as the riders say.

Kloden, second a year ago, is expected to be less of a challenge. An erratic rider whose work ethic is suspect, Kloden is usually content to avoid the spotlight while supporting his close friend, fellow German and T-Mobile teammate, Jan Ullrich.

Ullrich is, as always, an enigma. He was fourth a year ago, his first time off the final three-step podium in Paris after winning the Tour once, in 1997, and finishing second five times, in 1996, 1998, 2000, 2001 and 2003. The German's problems have ranged in past years from too much weight to illness to lack of training. None of them appears to be impeding him this year, as his third place in the just-concluded Tour of Switzerland showed.

But he won the same race a year ago and then struggled in the Tour. Fundamentally, at age 31, he may be past his peak. Still, Armstrong, who will turn 34 in September, is not taking Ullrich lightly. He made it clear that he regarded Ullrich as his major challenger.

One reason is that the T-Mobile team is, for the first time, dedicated to Ullrich. Left at home for the Tour for the first time in a decade was Erik Zabel, the fading sprinter who needed a couple of his eight teammates to help him near the finish line. Now T-Mobile will be packed with climbers to aid Ullrich. Foremost among them will be Alexandre Vinokourov of Kazakhstan, who was third in the 2003 Tour but missed the last edition because of a crash in the Tour of Switzerland, where he broke his shoulder.

Other challengers are less distinct but include Santiago Botero, a Colombian, and Floyd Landis, an American, both with Phonak; Roberto Heras, a Spaniard with Liberty Seguros; Russia's Vladimir Karpets and Spaniard Alejandro Valverde both with Illes Baleares, and USA's Levi Leipheimer with Gerolsteiner.

2005 Tour de France Betting Game Odds from: BODOG

2005 Tour de France Matchups :

Lance Armstrong -115
vs Field (Any other competitor) -125

For live 2005 Tour de France Betting Game Odds and Lines, just click here: PinnacleSports or BODOG. There are wide array of 2005 Tour De France betting propositions to choose from including odds to win the 2005 Tour de France, stage by stage head-to-head matchups and many more.

Prediction: There's no stopping of Armstrong. He's way too powerful and aggressive in the mountain stages of the Tour. The rest of the field would have to slug it out for the other two podium spots.

for more 2005 Tour de France Betting Tips, Odds, Picks and Predictions, click here: Tour de France Betting

Technorati: Lance Armstrong, Ivan Basso, Jan Ullrich, Tour de France, 2005 Tour de France, Tour de France 2005, Cycling, Cycling Betting, cycling betting tips, Andreas Kloden

Armstrong pedals Tour for the last time; seeks seventh straight yellow jersey

2005-06-21T23:26:00.000-07:00

With Lance's six time winning streak and Richard Virenque's record of the best climber victories, is there still potential for the Tour 2005 to be quite as exciting? Armstrong wants to finish his illustrious cycling career with a wave from the top step of the podium on the Champs-Elysees. The overwhelming favorite to win the 2005 Tour de France will be seeking a record 7th consecutive victory.

Okay, to be honest, this year's Tour is not a revolution, but the organizers installed new features that could be interesting. There is only one more individual time trial besides the prolog and not earlier than one day before Paris as a final showdown. Challengers, if you want to beat Lance you have to do it the hard way, in the mountains.

There will be stages on german soil and a pretty stage in the Vosges alongside a familiar figure of the Ballon d'Alsace, crossed for the first time one hundred years earlier. As for the mountains, the Cormet de Roselend and the Galibier in the Alps will be on the list as well as the Marie-Blanque and the Aubisque in the Pyrenees.

From the prolog in Fromentine to the finish line in Paris, about 3500 km need to be survived in the Tour De France 2005. A big major change in Tour 2005 are the time trials. Besides the Tour prolog at stage 1, there is only one additional individual time trial at stage 20 in Saint Etienne. A time trial that could be either too late or a last chance. The team trial on day 4 is very early in the race but could be a first cue on whos hot and whos not.

This year's Tour contains an unprecedented list of top-notch contenders. First and foremost is T-Mobile's Jan Ullrich. As Armstrong freely admits, the big German has more talent than anyone in the pro peloton. Jan has never finished lower than 4th place in the Tour, yet his habitual off-season weight gain and fitness loss has led many to question his desire.

This year it's different, 'Der Kaiser' is looking svelte and displaying his best form since his 1997 Tour victory. Will this be the year that the German Uber-talent finally turns the tables on Lance Armstrong?

Ivan Basso (CSC) is another challenger who is enjoying unprecedented levels of fitness. The young Italian showed he could climb with Lance Armstrong in the 2004 Tour, winning the 12th stage while other favorites fell by the wayside. This year he has shown marked improvement under the tutelage of former Tour winner Bjarne Riis. Basso's only weakness seemed to be races against the clock but his victory in the second time trial of the 2005 Giro d'Italia suggests he'll be a dangerous rival this year.

Levi Leipheimer (Gerolsteiner) will also mount a strong challenge. A former teammate of Lance Armstrong, Leipheimer has scored several top-ten Tour finishes. His ability to drop Lance on the steep grade of Brasstown Bald and his strong ride in the week-long Dauphine Libere stage race hint that Levi could win the world's most prestigious race.

Another American Floyd Landis (Phonak) was one of Armstrong's trusted Lieutenants in 2004 and rode phenomenally in the Tour's last week. His combination of climbing and time-trial prowess has earned him the position of Phonak team leader. He's shown he can beat Lance early in the season. Can he do it in July?

He'll team up with Santiago Botero, (Phonak) one of the few riders in the world who can boast of beating Lance Armstrong in a Tour time trial. Botero is not an explosive climber but has impressive endurance that makes him a serious threat during a long tour.

for more 2005 Tour De France Betting Tips, Odds, Picks and Predictions, click here: Sports Betting Index

Technorati: Lance Armstrong, Jan Ullrich, Ivan Basso, Tour de France, 2005 Tour de France, Tour de France 2005, Andreas Kloden, Cycling Betting, Cycling Betting Tips, Cycling

Win or lose, it's a final farewell bid for Armstrong at Tour de France 2005

2005-05-12T02:23:00.000-07:00

Lance Armstrong is clearly the most recognizable figure American cycling has ever known, a rider who managed to make people in the United States take notice of a sport that previously registered little, if any, interest in this country.

At a news conference last month, he said he is retiring after this Tour de France, a three-week race ending July 24. The cycling great will end a career in which he inspired millions by overcoming testicular cancer to win his sport's signature event a record six straight times. He said his will to win a seventh straight Tour de France is boosted by a dream to go out on top.

Speculation regarding Armstrong's future had grown in recent months, fueled by his comments about his children and his desire to increase efforts in raising awareness and funds for fighting cancer. Armstrong's new two-year contract with Discovery Channel team requires that he race just one more Tour de France. He says he will continue to work as an 'adviser and an ambassador' for the team.

While some believe cycling's popularity in America will fade after Armstrong retires, there are plenty of American riders eager to take up the cause of promoting the sport on this side of the Atlantic.

At the recent Tour of Georgia, Armstrong's teammate Tom Danielson led a sweep of the top six places by U.S. cyclists. Floyd Landis, who had the yellow jersey for a pair of stages, was third; Olympic medalist Bobby Julich fourth; and David Zabriskie sixth. Levi Leipheimmer was second while Armstrong failed to retain his title, finishing fifth.

The all-time roster of American superstar cyclists has two names: Armstrong and Greg LeMond, the three-time Tour de France winner. No one else even comes close to their stature. For cycling to keep progressing in this country, a single American star doesn't necessarily need to emerge because the U.S. has strength in numbers - or in cycling-speak, a peleton.

Julich has already won two major international races this year. George Hincapie, Armstrong's top lieutenant on what's known now as the Discovery Channel team, was second at the prestigious Paris-Roubaix race this month. Many other young U.S. riders seemed primed for breakthroughs.

But any comparisons to Armstrong shoud be quickly dismissed because there will never be another Lance Armstrong, and that's for sure.

for more Sports Betting Tips, Odds, Picks, Lines and Predictions, click here: SportsBettingIndex

Technorati:
Sport, Sports, Baseball, Tour de France, Lance Armstrong, Cycling, Cycling Betting, Cycling Betting Tips, Online Cycling Betting, Tour de France 2005

It's a three-man battle for 2005 Giro d'Italia

2005-04-19T23:56:00.000-07:00

Ivan Basso, Damiano Cunego and Gilberto Simoni. Take your pick because one of those three giants of Italian cycling will win the 88th edition of the Giro d'Italia. Basso due to his impressive third place podium finish at last year's Tour de France, Cunego because he is the defending champion and Simoni because he has not finished lower than third over the last four Giros.

Held annually for professional cyclists from around the world, the Giro d'Italia first took place on May 13, 1909 at Milan with 8 laps totaling 2448 kilometers. Luigi Gianna was the first winner. Along with the Tour de France and the Word Cycling Championship, the Giro d'Italia makes up the Triple Crown of Cycling. Along with the Tour de France and the Vuelta a España it is one of the three Grand Tours.

Whereas the overall leader of the Tour de France is awarded a yellow jersey, since 1931 the overall leader in the Giro sports the Maglia rosa (pink jersey). The Giro d'Italia has a daily competition called the Intergiro and the leader is awarded a blue jersey.

This year's Giro is slated on May 7-29 with 30 stages including the prologue at Regio Calabria. Cyclists will cover a distance of 3,465 kms. With five mountain stages, 2 individual time trials and 10 sprinter-friendly stages.

Although the 87th Giro was supposed to be a battle between 2003 winner Simoni and another former champion Stefano Garzelli, it was the unheralded Cunego, Simoni's Saeco team-mate, who took the final honours. With Marco Pantani dead a little less than a year, many cycling fans have embraced Cunego as the heir apparent in Italian cycling.

But Lampre-Cafitta's Cunego won't have an easy time repeating as Giro d'Italia champion, as his main rival will be CSC's Ivan Basso. Basso is not only with the immediate future of cycling, a World Champion, Tour de France podium finisher, and leader of Team CSC but a rider who transcends the tradition of sport. Despite being the odds–on-favorite to dethrone Lance Armstrong at the Tour de France in 2005, Ivan is an authentic individual whose soft spoken, down to earth demeanor is betrayed only by his fierce competitiveness.

In the 2004 Tour, Basso followed Lance Armstrong like a shadow in the mountains and finished 3rd overall. He managed to put his second Tour stage victory in the bag along the way and lost his entire deficit to Armstrong in the time trials, validating his ability in the hills.

For Simoni, it's all about taking the crown back. He has won the Giro in two separate occasions and would love to bag the pink jersey again for the third time. Simoni finished third last year and many believed that he has been ordered by team officials not to attack in the late stages and give the title to Cunego. Even Simoni in an interview said that had he really wanted to win the Giro, he would have attacked earlier on stage 19 or followed Garzelli on stage 18. Simoni said “he couldn't”. Experts hinted that the meaning of that was he was not allowed to attack in the later stages of the Giro in order to pave the way for a Cunego win.

Oh boy, this year's edition of the Giro d'Italia is probably the most hotly-contested among all the Giros. Let's see if Basso can win his first Grand Tour or will it be another pink jersey for either Cunego or Simoni?

2005 Giro d'Italia stages:

Saturday, May 7 - Prologue TT: Reggio Calabria, 1,150 m

Sunday, May 8 - Stage 1: Reggio Calabria - Tropea, 208 km

Monday, May 9 - Stage 2: Catanzaro Lido - S.M. del Cedro, 177 km

Tuesday, May 10 - Stage 3: Diamante - Giffoni Valle Piana, 210 km

Wednesday, May 11 - Stage 4: Giffoni Valle Piana - Frosinone, 197 km

Thursday, May 12 - Stage 5: Celano - L'Aquila, 215 km

Friday, May 13 - Stage 6: Viterbo - Marina Di Grosseto, 154 km

Saturday, May 14 - Stage 7: Grosseto - Pistoia, 205 km

Sunday, May 15 - Stage 8: Lamporecchio - Firenze ITT, 41,5 km

Monday, May 16 - Stage 9: Firenze - Ravenna, 139 km

Tuesday, May 17 - Rest Day-Ravenna

Wednesday, May 18 - Stage 10: Ravenna - Rossano Veneto, 212 km

Thursday, May 19 - Stage 11: Marostica - Zoldo Alto, 150 km

Friday, May 20 - Stage 12: Alleghe - Rovereto, 178 km

Saturday, May 21 - Stage 13: Mezzocorona - Ortisei, 217 km

Sunday, May 22 - Stage 14: Egna - Livigno, 210 km

Monday, May 23 - Stage 15: Livigno - Lissone, 207 km

Tuesday, May 24 - Rest Day - Lissone

Wednesday, May 25 - Stage 16: Lissone - Varazze, 207 km

Thursday, May 26 - Stage 17: Varazze - Limone Piemonte (Colle di Tenda), 194 km

Friday, May 27 - Stage 18: Chieri - Torino, ITT 31 km

Saturday, May 28 - Stage 19: Savigliano - Sestriere (Le Valli Olimpiche), 190 km

Sunday, May 29 - Stage 20: Albese con Cassano - Milano, 121 km

Cycling Betting Tips - Giro d Italia, Tour de France, Lance Armstrong

Armstrong holds off another challenge; Serrano wins stage

2005 Tour de France Betting Game Odds from: PinnacleSports

Betting Propositions:

Will Jan Ullrich finish Top 3 in Tour de France? YES -273 NO +253 Will Lance Armstrong have NO stage wins? YES +201 NO -221 Will Alexandre Vinokourov finish in Top 6 of Tour de France? YES +122 NO -132

For live 2005 Tour de France Betting Game Odds and Lines, just click here: PinnacleSports . There are wide array of 2005 Tour De France betting propositions to choose from including odds to win the 2005 Tour de France, stage by stage head-to-head matchups and many more.

Prediction: Bet on McEwen or Hushovd to win the next stage.

Technorati: Lance Armstrong, Ivan Basso, Jan Ullrich, Tour de France, 2005 Tour de France, Tour de France 2005, Cycling, Cycling Betting, cycling betting tips, Andreas Kloden

Technorati Profile

Just four more to go for Armstrong

2005 Tour de France Betting Game Odds from: PinnacleSports

Betting Propositions:

Will Jan Ullrich finish Top 3 in Tour de France? YES -154 NO +144 Will Lance Armstrong have NO stage wins? YES +183 NO -203 Will Floyd Landis finish in Top 6 of Tour de France? YES +780 NO -860

For live 2005 Tour de France Betting Game Odds and Lines, just click here: PinnacleSports . There are wide array of 2005 Tour De France betting propositions to choose from including odds to win the 2005 Tour de France, stage by stage head-to-head matchups and many more.

Prediction: It will be another stage win for breakaway riders. Bet on Mayo, Botero or Savoldelli again.

for more 2005 Tour de France Betting Tips, Odds, Picks and Predictions, click here: Tour de France Betting

Technorati: Lance Armstrong, Ivan Basso, Jan Ullrich, Tour de France, 2005 Tour de France, Tour de France 2005, Cycling, Cycling Betting, cycling betting tips, Andreas Kloden

Technorati Profile

Armstrong on cruise control; Lance maintains lead as Tour heads toward Paris

2005 Tour de France Betting Game Odds from: PinnacleSports

Betting Propositions:

Will Jan Ullrich finish Top 3 in Tour de France? YES -177 NO +167 Will Lance Armstrong have NO stage wins? YES +192 NO -207 Will Floyd Landis finish in Top 6 of Tour de France? YES +415 NO -455

For live 2005 Tour de France Betting Game Odds and Lines, just click here: PinnacleSports . There are wide array of 2005 Tour De France betting propositions to choose from including odds to win the 2005 Tour de France, stage by stage head-to-head matchups and many more.

Prediction: Next stage is a sprinter's stage so it will be a toss-up between McEwen, Hushovd and McGrady. Bet on McEwen to win.

for more 2005 Tour de France Betting Tips, Odds, Picks and Predictions, click here: Tour de France Betting

Technorati: Lance Armstrong, Ivan Basso, Jan Ullrich, Tour de France, 2005 Tour de France, Tour de France 2005, Cycling, Cycling Betting, cycling betting tips, Andreas Kloden

Technorati Profile

Tour now a race for second; Basso concedes

2005 Tour de France Betting Game Odds from: PinnacleSports

Betting Propositions:

Will Jan Ullrich finish Top 3 in Tour de France? YES -151 NO +141 Will Thor Hushovd win the Green Jersey? YES -121 NO +111 Will Floyd Landis finish in To 6 of Tour de France? YES +360 NO -400

For live 2005 Tour de France Betting Game Odds and Lines, just click here: PinnacleSports . There are wide array of 2005 Tour De France betting propositions to choose from including odds to win the 2005 Tour de France, stage by stage head-to-head matchups and many more.

Prediction: Bet on Armstrong, Basso or Leipheimer to win the next stage.

for more 2005 Tour de France Betting Tips, Odds, Picks and Predictions, click here: Tour de France Betting

Technorati: Lance Armstrong, Ivan Basso, Jan Ullrich, Tour de France, 2005 Tour de France, Tour de France 2005, Cycling, Cycling Betting, cycling betting tips, Andreas Kloden

Hincapie bolts out of supporting role; wins Tour's 15th stage

2005 Tour de France Betting Game Odds from: PinnacleSports

Betting Propositions:

Will Jan Ullrich finish Top 3 in Tour de France? YES -127 NO +117 Will Thor Hushovd win the Green Jersey? YES -111 NO +101 Will Floyd Landis finish in To 6 of Tour de France? YES +360 NO -400

For live 2005 Tour de France Betting Game Odds and Lines, just click here: PinnacleSports . There are wide array of 2005 Tour De France betting propositions to choose from including odds to win the 2005 Tour de France, stage by stage head-to-head matchups and many more.

Prediction: Bet on Armstrong, Basso or Leipheimer to win the next stage.

for more 2005 Tour de France Betting Tips, Odds, Picks and Predictions, click here: Tour de France Betting

Technorati: Lance Armstrong, Ivan Basso, Jan Ullrich, Tour de France, 2005 Tour de France, Tour de France 2005, Cycling, Cycling Betting, cycling betting tips, Andreas Kloden

Technorati Profile

Armstrong extends lead at Tour de France

2005 Tour de France Betting Game Odds from: PinnacleSports

Betting Propositions:

Will Lance Armstrong win Stage 15?YES +133 NO -143 Will Thor Hushovd win the Green Jersey?YES -112 NO +102 Will Yaroslav Popovych win the White Jersey?YES -300 NO +270

For live 2005 Tour de France Betting Game Odds and Lines, just click here: PinnacleSports . There are wide array of 2005 Tour De France betting propositions to choose from including odds to win the 2005 Tour de France, stage by stage head-to-head matchups and many more.

Prediction: Sprinters Stage! With the withdrawal of Tom Boonen, Robbie McEwen now has no legitimate challenger for the green jersey. He'll definitely win Stage 13.

for more 2005 Tour de France Betting Tips, Odds, Picks and Predictions, click here: Tour de France Betting

Technorati: Lance Armstrong, Ivan Basso, Jan Ullrich, Tour de France, 2005 Tour de France, Tour de France 2005, Cycling, Cycling Betting, cycling betting tips, Andreas Kloden

Technorati Profile

Armstong loses teammate, but stays in front

2005 Tour de France Betting Game Odds from: PinnacleSports

Betting Propositions:

Will Robbie McEwen win Stage 13? YES +206 NO -226 Will Thor Hushovd win the Green Jersey? YES -116 NO +106 Will Ivan Basso finish Top 3 in Tour de France? YES -130 NO +120

For live 2005 Tour de France Betting Game Odds and Lines, just click here: PinnacleSports . There are wide array of 2005 Tour De France betting propositions to choose from including odds to win the 2005 Tour de France, stage by stage head-to-head matchups and many more.

Prediction: Sprinters Stage! With the withdrawal of Tom Boonen, Robbie McEwen now has no legitimate challenger for the green jersey. He'll definitely win Stage 13.

for more 2005 Tour de France Betting Tips, Odds, Picks and Predictions, click here: Tour de France Betting

Technorati: Lance Armstrong, Ivan Basso, Jan Ullrich, Tour de France, 2005 Tour de France, Tour de France 2005, Cycling, Cycling Betting, cycling betting tips, Andreas Kloden

Technorati Profile

Yellow Jersey Still in Place, Armstrong and His Team Endure Rival's Attack

2005 Tour de France Betting Game Odds from: PinnacleSports

Odds to win Stage 12:

For live 2005 Tour de France Betting Game Odds and Lines, just click here: PinnacleSports . There are wide array of 2005 Tour De France betting propositions to choose from including odds to win the 2005 Tour de France, stage by stage head-to-head matchups and many more.

Prediction: It's certain that the big names will guard each other for possible breakaways. Pick lesser known riders who are good on the mountains like Botero, Boogerd or even Voigt to win Stage 12.

for more 2005 Tour de France Betting Tips, Odds, Picks and Predictions, click here: Tour de France Betting

Technorati: Lance Armstrong, Ivan Basso, Jan Ullrich, Tour de France, 2005 Tour de France, Tour de France 2005, Cycling, Cycling Betting, cycling betting tips, Andreas Kloden

Will Jan Ullrich finish Top 3 in Tour de France? YES -273 NO +253
Will Lance Armstrong have NO stage wins? YES +201 NO -221
Will Alexandre Vinokourov finish in Top 6 of Tour de France? YES +122 NO -132

Will Jan Ullrich finish Top 3 in Tour de France? YES -154 NO +144
Will Lance Armstrong have NO stage wins? YES +183 NO -203
Will Floyd Landis finish in Top 6 of Tour de France? YES +780 NO -860

Will Jan Ullrich finish Top 3 in Tour de France? YES -177 NO +167
Will Lance Armstrong have NO stage wins? YES +192 NO -207
Will Floyd Landis finish in Top 6 of Tour de France? YES +415 NO -455

Will Jan Ullrich finish Top 3 in Tour de France? YES -151 NO +141
Will Thor Hushovd win the Green Jersey? YES -121 NO +111
Will Floyd Landis finish in To 6 of Tour de France? YES +360 NO -400

Will Jan Ullrich finish Top 3 in Tour de France? YES -127 NO +117
Will Thor Hushovd win the Green Jersey? YES -111 NO +101
Will Floyd Landis finish in To 6 of Tour de France? YES +360 NO -400

Will Lance Armstrong win Stage 15?
YES +133 NO -143

Will Thor Hushovd win the Green Jersey?
YES -112 NO +102

Will Yaroslav Popovych win the White Jersey?
YES -300 NO +270

Will Robbie McEwen win Stage 13? YES +206 NO -226
Will Thor Hushovd win the Green Jersey? YES -116 NO +106
Will Ivan Basso finish Top 3 in Tour de France? YES -130 NO +120