Tour de France 2003
Well, that's it all over for another year. There were no surprises for Lance Armstrong today as he took his fifth title on the trot. But there was a big surprise for Robbie McEwen. He was 3rd but Baden Cooke was 2nd by a tyre's breadth and this means that Cooke takes the Green Jersey.
It really was tight between McEwen and Cooke with their rivalry almost spilling over into mindless violence as they leant on each other crossing the line. All the excitement meant that stage winner Jean-Patrick Nazon was a little overlooked.
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| Cough, cough |
I saw David Millar being interviewed on TV after today's stage. I could hardly understand a word. No, not because of his distinctive Scottish accent Rather, he coughed after virtually every second word. Now, I know he is trying to prove a point that his poor performances have been caused by a nasty chesty cough, but this was going too far and made the interview almost comical. I mean, you don't see Tyler Hamilton wandering about inserting his fist into the break in his collar-bone, do you?
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Joint venture |
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| David Millar and ex-Major Charles ingram today signed a lucrative joint advertising contract for Benelyn. "We both have a lot in common" quipped Ingram. "Well, we never win anything for a start" |
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Bad news, but not entirely unpredicted - at least here on Colin's Countdown - one of the riders has failed a drug test. The authorities have refused to name the guilty party as yet, but have revealed that it is "not one of the leaders". They have also indicated that due to the nature of the drugs involved the rider may have developed a nasty cough.
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| The party's over |
It has been an educational and interesting experience for me, tracking this amazing event and the amazing men who participate in it. It must be an incredible come-down for them when the tour comes to an end but no doubt they will all be back again next year. And I, for one, will certainly be following their fortunes.
9:28:09 PM 
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