Cycling... aka the Tom Boonen topic ;-)

[Dutchman]

The Italian Danielo CUNEGO (Lampré cycling team) won the 43rd Amstel Gold Race today in the province of Limburg in the south of the Netherlands. The Belgian rider Tom Boonen (Quick Step team) did not take part in this race.
We will wait to see his future exploits coming wednesday in the Classic Liège-Bastogne-Liège and next Sunday in la Flèche Wallone.

Cunego, le coup de maître
Pour sa première participation, l'Italien Damiano Cunego (Lampré) a remporté the Amstel Gold Race 2008 today, devant Frank Schleck et Alejandro Valverde. Cousin Karsten Kroon (Rabobank cycling team) was beaten in the sprint for the finish and came as fourth over the finish-line. Even not too bad, better next time.
contributed by your sportsreporter Dutchman.



picture copyright Eurosport.fr

[Linda]

We will wait to see his future exploits coming wednesday in the Classic Liège-Bastogne-Liège and next Sunday in la Flèche Wallone.

Sorry to correct you but the Flèche Wallone (Waalse Pijl) is on wednesday and Liège-Bastogne-Liège (Luik-Bastenaken-Luik) is next sunday Hans.
On sunday the cyclists pass through Bastogne, Luzery, Foy and Noville around noon...hope to catch a glimpse of that on tv

[Dutchman]

Thank you Linda for the correction. I will only be able to see Liège-Bastogne-Liège on TV on next sunday then.
Does Tom Boonen take part in one of the two races you've mentioned ?

[Dutchman]

Les résultats de la Flèche Wallone (Arrow of Wallony) of wednesday april, 23 on next link:

http://www.eurosport.fr/cyclisme/la-fle ... 1730.shtml

Vainqueur de la Flèche Wallonne mercredi, Kim Kirchen (High Road) avait davantage de peps dans le mur de Huy que trois jours plus tôt sur l'Amstel. Le Luxembourgeois signe ainsi sa première victoire majeure dans une classique.



Kim Kirchen, winner of the Arrow of Wallony - picture copyright eurosport.fr


Tomorrow the classical cycling-race Liège-Bastogne-Liège.

http://www.eurosport.fr/cyclisme/liege- ... 3592.shtml

[Linda]

Tom Boonen did not participate in "the Arrow" and neither will he start tommorow in Liège
But Mr. Boonen did manage to get on the frontpage of the newspapers this week anyway...he got caught driving too fast so he had to turn in his drivers licence for 2 weeks...not good Tom!

[Dutchman]

We will wait to see his future exploits coming wednesday in the Classic Liège-Bastogne-Liège and next Sunday in la Flèche Wallone.

Sorry to correct you but the Flèche Wallone (Waalse Pijl) is on wednesday and Liège-Bastogne-Liège (Luik-Bastenaken-Luik) is next sunday Hans.
On sunday the cyclists pass through Bastogne, Luzery, Foy and Noville around noon...hope to catch a glimpse of that on tv

When these young men in their twenties who will be cycling today sunday april 29 through Bastogne, Luzery, Foy and Noville around noon, will they ever have a minute to think about the terrible battle who took place there, and how many other young men, some not older than twenty years, have been killed here in december 1944 ? Do they even know about the Battle of the Bulge ?

[Dutchman]

L'Espagnol Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d'Epargne) a remporté Liège-Bastogne-Liège en devançant Davide Rebellin (Gerolsteiner) et Franck Schleck (CSC). C'est le deuxième succès de Valverde sur la Doyenne des Classiques après sa victoire en 2006 et sa 2e place l'an passé.



http://www.eurosport.fr/cyclisme/liege- ... 4391.shtml

[Ronald]

Tom Boonen got caught with the use of cocaine... hmmm.. he'll give comments tomorrow. I'm curious what he's going to say.

[Linda]

Well the press conference didn't make us much wiser did it? Quick Step doesn't dump Tom and Tom has apologized, that's about it...
Personally I don't think Tom took cocaine to improve his sport performances, there's other stuff for that...he's just going through a party animal stage in his life at this moment...what do you want? You're young, handsome, succesfull, rich and you're worshiped as a god in Belgium
I can forgive him this once ...but Tom no next time anymore please!

[Ronald]

[Dutchman]

For one cyclist who is got with forbidden stuff, how many are not got and "go through the small hole of the needle" and remain unpunished ?. There will always stay some suspicion on some cycling teams.

And isn't the president of the International Cycling Union not a Belgian ?? A certain Mr. Vanderbrugge, if I'm not mistaken ??

http://www.lequipe.fr/Cyclisme/breves20 ... t_Dev.html

[Ronald]

And isn't the president of the International Cycling Union not a Belgian ?? A certain Mr. Vanderbrugge, if I'm not mistaken ??

what are you trying to say? hmmm?

[Lieutenant Norgård]

I think this is very sad for the sport. I do not belive he took it to imporve his performance, but this is not good for the sport. Again, one of the biggest profiles is caught with drugs. And Boonen will now have to spend much of his career with a suspicious thought from the other riders and the audience, including me..

[Dutchman]

And isn't the president of the International Cycling Union not a Belgian ?? A certain Mr. Vanderbrugge, if I'm not mistaken ??

what are you trying to say? hmmm?

The rule must be the same for all cyclists and for all cycling teams from all countries. Caught with cocaine, Tom Boonen should not be allowed take part in the Tour de France 2008. It is true that the famous "pot Belge" *)has a long tradition in "mijn platteland, mijn Vlaanderen land" **) (title of a song of Jacques Brel). It is hard to say, me too I like your "national Tommeke", but it is the only way to fight the use of forbidden drugs with efficiency.

"Selon les termes de cette charte, chaque équipe s'engage à ne pas aligner un coureur susceptible de porter atteinte à l'image de l'épreuve". (selon le journal de sport Français l'Equipe du 11/06/08)

*) a cocktail of some illicite substances prescribed by a so-called doctor to some cyclists some ten years ago (or even more) to improve their endurance.
**) translation: "my flat country, my Flanders"

[Dutchman]

LATEST NEWS :

The decision has been taken: Tom Boonen is banned from the Tour de France 2008 by Tour director Christian Prudhomme.

Read it all on next link:

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/11062008/ ... -tour.html

Linda prepares her handkerchief for wiping her tears because of the sadness that her "national Tommeke" has been ousted. All our deepest sympathy with her.
Personally I feel sorry for Tom Boonen, but the Tour de France management applies the rules issued by the U.C.I.



Six time stage winner in the Tour de France Tom Boonen (Quick Step team) photo Eurosport.uk