Bike World News

France’s sports minister has said Lance Armstrong will be “particularly monitored” in anti-doping checks at this year’s Tour de France. Roselyne Bachelot said the seven-times winner, who has come out of retirement to compete and has always denied taking banned substances, would be watched. “He will be particularly, particularly, particularly monitored,” she said. The head of France’s anti-doping agency says the American would be treated like anyone else when it came to dope tests. [He'll just receive three times as many tests as everyone else. - Ed.]

More Tour de France News:

• Armstrong will be one of the first to go down the start ramp at Saturday’s time trial. Some say it’s a little bit of gamesmanship, while others say it may give him an advantage as Monaco is sometimes subject to afternoon storms.  Skil-Shimano’s Kenny Van Hummel will be the first starter.
• Mark Cavendish (Columbia-HTC) is pledging to run all the way to Paris to take the green jersey away from Cervelo’s Thor Hushovd.
• Fabian Cancellara is said to be the favorite for the TT.
• As we announced on Friday morning, Tom Boonen won his case against the ASO and will race on Saturday. ASO management said, “The management of the Tour has no doubt that the great champion Tom Boonen will seize this new opportunity to establish himself as an example for behavior in this sport.”
• Boonen’s teammate Allan Davis, who would have had Boonen’s spot if he lost his case with the ASO, will be taking a holiday to Australia.
• Christian Vande Velde has had a rough spring, but still hopes to rock to boat at the Tour.
• Carlos Sastre is playing the role of underdog this year, sitting behind Lance Armstrong, Alberto Contador, the Schlecks, Denis Menchov and Cadel Evans. Of course, that’s about the same position he was in last year….

Other Racing News:

• Rabobank’s Theo Bos finally had his hearing before the UCI’s Disciplinary Committee on the incident at the Tour of Turkey that took down Barloworld’s Daryl Impey. He received a one month suspension.
• L’Equipe is theorizing that Alexadre Vinokourov’s return to Astana will result in the departure of Lance Armstrong and Johan Bruyneel from the team. They also predict a new team structure in September.
• The race routes for the 2010 Tour Down Under have been unveiled today.  The race will travel through South Australia’s Adelaide Hills, Barossa, Fleurieu Peninsula and the Clare Valley from 17 to 24 January.
• The TdU has made it clear that they would like to have Lance Armstrong back at the race.
• Joost van Leijen has signed a contract with Vacansoleil. The 25-year-old rider will start Aug. 1 as an intern to work with the Dutch team, from January 1, 2010.

Related Posts:

• 2009 Tour de France – Stage 5 News and Notes (0)
• 2009 Tour de France – Stage 3 Results (1)
• 2009 Tour de France – Stage 15 News, Notes and Quotes (0)
• Tour de France Rosters – Version 0.3 (0)
• Contador says that we’ll see the “real” Lance Armstrong at the Tour (0)