after this stage all is clear

Cyclist Goes for Record 10th Straight Loss at Tour de France
Written by Chris Finch

Tim Guftuson eyeing 10th straight loss.

PARIS, FRANCE -- All eyes in the cycling world turn to Europe for the sport's
biggest event, The Tour de France. Lance Armstrong is the overwhelming
favorite to win his seventh French race. But another American has his sites
set on a record of his own, a 10 race losing streak.

Tim Guftuson has been riding in the tour for nine years, and he has never won.
A streak he hopes to extend to ten.

"The key to losing is in the mountains," Guftuson said. "Once you start
climbing those things, watch out. You can't coach that. I don't have my
own personal mountain to train on."

And it is a lack of sophisticated equipment and common sense that Guftuson
says keeps his streak alive.

"If I had all that scientifical stuff the other guys had, who knows, I might
have won one."

In fact, his bike is a Huffy his mother bought for him from K-Mart when he was
16 years old. A gift he says inspired him to be a loser.

"My friends keyed "Loser" into the bike's handlebars. Even my mom laughed
about it. I figured I would become the greatest loser ever."

Before the race starts, the big question is not whether anyone is bad enough
to lose to Guftuson, but whether he has the will to lose for a tenth time.

"It's hard. Sometimes I think, 'hey, I can pass that guy. I can beat his
time,'" he said. "But then I remember I'm not just doing this for me, I'm
doing it for America."

His spirit has garnered many fans from around the world. Some even say he has
changed their lives. Molly Wong runs in two marathons a year. She says
Guftuson is her favorite cyclist and he drives her to succeed.

"Honestly, I don't know any other cyclist besides him and Lance Armstrong. But
Lance left his wife, for that (explicative) Sheryl Crow, after she helped him
beat cancer," Wong said. "His willingness to keep losing is special. I've
never won a marathon and thanks to him, I never want to win."

According to Guftuson, the road to losing is paved with heartache, bloodstains
and loneliness, but it is all worth it when he crosses the finish line in
Paris. A line that is usually blocked by traffic because the race ended
earlier and the streets are reopened.

"When you make that traditional ride into Paris and cars are honking and
people are laughing and pointing, you can't help but feel a sense of pride."

Pride that Tim Guftuson hopes to one day to instill in his children.

"I don't have a girlfriend or anything, but if I were to have children, I hope
they would be the best losers they could be too."

Lance and his Team have first Probs

And now coming into the mountains, Lance's BEST part, he is 2:18 behind in 3rd place. The announcers said, and I agree, he gave the yellow jersey away to remove some of the pressure and will easily take it back when he is ready.
Yesterday the Discovery Team had problems, today they rode like a Team again!!
Lance is in a VERY good position to win his 7th Tour and retire knowing he is on top and will NEVER, well at least not for a VERY long time, be threatened for total number of Tour wins!
The GREAT Eddie Mercyx(sp) won 5, Lance is already at 6 and soon will have number 7!

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Lance and his Team have first Probs

I hope someone else wins. Le tour is as boring as Formula 1 was when Schummacher was winning all the time. As much as i admire Armstrong for coming back after getting cancer it's time for someone else to win. I don't think Ulrich has it in him anymore.

Remember Marco Pantani, i always thought he deserved to win.

The time for somebody else to win is when somebody else rides faster, better, stronger than Armstrong. Do not succumb to the mindless pursuit of novelty for its own sake. Every stage of the Tour is a drama, and every rider is a winner. Besides, Lance won't be around next year.

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THE MOTHER OF FOOLS IS ALWAYS PREGNANT

I'M TROLLING FOR FOOLS. THIS MUST BE THE PLACE!

I agree Sir Ulli.

Barring accident, I think Armstrong has it. It's unheard of to be a minute up (on those that count) after the first stage. And the fact that Lance passed Jan was really something.

I'm not too keen on either Amstrong nor Ullrich. I do have hopes for a CSC rider to win though chances are a bit slim.

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after the first Stage all is clear

Jan Ullrich has get over one Minute to Amstrong

so i think this is over Amstrong will win again

Greetings from Germany NRW
Ulli

push

one Day left

Greetings from Germany NRW
Ulli

I'm sorry, but after the exposure of the extensive use (or I should rather call it "abuse"!) of EPO, Tour de France has lost it's appeal to me!

I believe it would be safe to say that over 80% of the World's top atheletes use SOME KIND of performance enhancer! NO sport is exempt, just some are MUCH more obvious than others. Heck even military pilots use speed to stay awake to fly the planes for hours at a time.

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I think Jan Ulrich is a strong rider, but unless he's changed his gearing, the hills just take too much out of him.

I'm thinking Lance has a chance again this year, but last year it was a pretty narrow win.

I'm sorry, but after the exposure of the extensive use (or I should rather call it "abuse"!) of EPO, Tour de France has lost it's appeal to me!

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"I'm trying to maintain a shred of dignity in this world." - Me

I hope someone else wins. Le tour is as boring as Formula 1 was when Schummacher was winning all the time. As much as i admire Armstrong for coming back after getting cancer it's time for someone else to win. I don't think Ulrich has it in him anymore.

Remember Marco Pantani, i always thought he deserved to win.

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I think Lance Armstrong will do it one more time! He is motivated this year more than other years and will have a very good Team around him AGAIN.
Also he KNOWS the other riders, just like they know him, but he is MOTIVATED! He is NOT going to ride another year, the others might. They can hold back and explode next year with no LA to out kick them or out mountain them or out time trial them or out whatever them! There has been no other rider to consistently be #2 over the years, Yes I think Jan Ulrich will do well, but no I don't think he will win. Next year who knows?.

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as you know at 02.07 le Tour 2005 is starting


Offical side

what did you think, did Amstrong win again, ore someone else like Jan Ulrich..

and a German Side


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