2011 Tour de France Tours: Add Basso to List of Potential Yellow Jersy Contendors

www.tdf-tours.com
www.spyns.com

Ivan Basso dreams of
2011 Tour de France victory.

I hope all of our 2011 Spyns TDF clients are biking hard to prepare for such epic climbs as Mont Ventoux, Alpe d'Huez and the Col de Croix de Fer. Although I regret Lance Armstrong's retirement from pro cycling, he tended to steal the spotlight from many strong riders. Case in point: Italian rider Ivan Basso. As we gear up for Spyns 2011 Tour de France trip packages, the list of would-be winners is growing. As much as I'd like to say Cadel Evans has a chance of winning this year (my co-worker Vicky is the only Australian I know who supports Cadel), the 34-year old rider doesn't have a snowball's chance in hell in my opinion.

Getting back to Basso...the Giro d'Italia winner won the GP Lugano today and confirmed his plans for early season dominance. "I have no intention of arriving at the Tour [de France] empty handed," Basso told La Gazzetta dello Sport last month. "I have to try to bring home something beforehand." Italy's Ivan Basso began his season at the Tour de San Luis in Argentina last month. Today's win in Lugano, Switzerland - ahead of Fabio Duarte and Giovanni Visconti - was his first since the one-day GP Carnago in August.


Last May, Basso won the Giro d'Italia, one of three Grand Tours. His Liquigas team-mate Vincenzo Nibali won the Spanish Grand Tour, the Vuelta a España. This year, Basso will likely skip the Giro d'Italia to try to win the Tour de France. The responsibility of defending the Giro d'Italia title will be in Nibali's hands. Basso admitted in October that he wants to win the Tour de France for his former trainer Aldo Sassi. Sassi died in December after suffering with brain cancer since last April.

Whereas Armstrong focused almost exclusively on the Tour de France, I believe Basso often made the mistake of winning the Giro. As an Italian, I can understand that he'd want to dominate on his home turf however the races are just months apart so he'd often arrive too exhausted to win the Tour de France. This year may be different as so many riders adopt the Armstrong technique of concentrating on just one major race per season.


"This one is for Aldo Sassi. We were on our roads in Lugano, near my home," said Basso today. "However, he wants another win." Basso also won the Giro d'Italia in 2006. He twice finished on the Tour de France podium behind Lance Armstrong (3rd in 2004, 2nd in 2005). Following a doping suspension, he returned to finish the 2009 Giro in fourth and to win it last May. He maintained his fitness through July at the Tour de France, but a fever knocked him out of contention mid-way through. He wants to continue to try to win from now until the end of April, when he will likely take a break before preparing for the Tour de France.


"I said that I wanted to have a good spring," he added. "You have to have some luck in these races, also condition. I'll start Tirreno with more motivation and confidence." Basso's next objective is the Tirreno-Adriatico stage race, March 9 to 15. It starts and ends with a time trial and features three difficult mountain legs. After Tirreno, he will continue with two more stage races: Tour of Catalonia, March 21 to 27, and Tour of the Basque Country, April 4 to 9. At the end of April, he will race the one-day Ardennes Classics, Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège.

Spyns clients will have to wait and see whether Contador, Schelck, Basso, Evans (no chance sorry Vicky!), Wiggins or Cavendish win the coveted yellow jersey at the 2011 Tour de France.

Spyns is an active travel company based in Whister, BC (Canada) and Beaujolais France. Spyns specializes in 2011 Tour de France packages for both riders and non-riders. We specialize in providing clients with Tour de France bike and non-biking packages with Paris grandstand seats and VIP access. Spyns offers active holidays to Europe including trips to the 2011 Tour de France. For more information about Spyns 2011 Tour de France tours, please go to http://www.tdf-tours.com/ or http://www.spyns.com/. You can also call us toll-free at 1.888.825.4720.

Tour de France Travel Package Tours: We're Coming to an Economic Watershed

www.tdf-tours.com
www.spyns.com

As Spyns Tour de France clients worldwide dream of Alpe d'Huez stages, Paris Grandstand seats, and gourmet French cuisine, I expect things to get a lot more volatile on the Euro-Dollar front. Thanks to the Greek implosion last year, we were treated to an exchange rate of 1 Euro = US$1.18. The Euro closed yesterday at $1.37 - 16% higher than last spring. This isn't a particularly good trend for a Eurozone looking to export its way back to financial growth. The Euro aside, an economic watershed is coming. Let's call it Lehmans part 2. 

I believe we've reached a watershed point in the economic crisis for several reasons: 

• Voters are losing faith in their governments and central bankers who under-report unemployment and exaggerate false debt-fueled growth
• Loose monetary policy has created massive stock market bubbles
• The US is heading for budgetary armageddon
• Inflation is on the rise worldwide except in the US
• Commodity prices like oil are on the rise

I am astounded at naïveté of governments and central banks continuing to report lowering unemployment when the economic reality is so different. Voters know things are bad because they have friends and family suffering. Just last week, France reported a "marked" decline in unemployment. It was later revealed the adjustment was due to the unemployed falling off the radar when benefits lapsed. This is common. US employment is reported at just 9% when the number is much higher - closer to 15% in fact. When reporting growth, governments are bending over backwards to avoid reporting contractions and so are skewing the numbers. Britain is currently in another recession yet the media reports soaring consumer confidence.

I'm at a loss to understand the US Federal Reserve's current strategy. The Fed is printing money to purchase US treasury bills. This is keeping government debt artificially low, allowing the US government to borrow even more. It's a bit like paying your mortgage with a credit card. And then paying the credit card bill with another credit card. You can't afford the house. Nor can the US government afford trillon-dollar deficits. With all the money flying around it was inevitable a large chunk of it would push up stock prices. Not a surprise then the Dow Jones has almost doubled from its post-crisis lows. 

Political paralysis regarding US debt is another problem. It was unrealistic to expect President Obama to cut government spending in a meaningful way just a year from the 2012 presidential elections. Obama seems to have little aptitude for leadership on this issue and the Congress is deadlocked along party lines. He's purely a campaigner, not a leader. Moreover, no one is talking about slashing the holy trinity of costs: healthcare; pensions; and military spending. The canary in the mine in my opinion is what's happening with state and municipal budgets. The fed isn't paying their debts so an adjustment is underway as mayors and governors slash spending. Wisconsin is a good example of what happens when you try to legislate wage caps on government workers. Look to states with the biggest drops in home prices (California and New Mexico for example) and subsequently drops in tax revenue to cut spending. 

Inflation has always been a thorny issue. History certainly repeats itself yet governments  continue to delude themselves and lie to their voters. If anyone is dying to read a good book about economic cycles, try "This Time It's Different" by Rogoff. It certainly feels like the 70s in Great Britain with increasing inflation and now an oil shock due to unrest in North Africa and the Middle East. I've always found it strange that negative economic indicators are always "short-term anomalies" whereas good news is "a trend". The Bank of England maintains near-zero interest rates when commodity prices, oil, and inflation are all ticking higher. These were similar conditions to the 1970s 20% inflation. Will history repeat itself? 

In closing, I think we're in for another downturn. The US, UK and most of Western European countries failed to make the post-crisis structural reforms nessary to ensure future prosperity. Deficits ballooned, failed banks simply got bigger (often on borrowed government funds), unemployment rose, and trade deficits with emerging economies continued to rise. While this may have little to do with the 2011 Tour de France, the outcome will have an impact on consumer spending on such things as Tour de France tours.

Spyns is an active travel company based in Whister, BC (Canada) and Beaujolais France. Spyns specializes in 2011 Tour de France packages for both riders and non-riders. We specialize in providing clients with Tour de France bike and non-biking packages with Paris grandstand seats and VIP access. Spyns offers active holidays to Europe including trips to the 2011 Tour de France. For more information about Spyns 2011 Tour de France tours, please go to http://www.tdf-tours.com/ or http://www.spyns.com/. You can also call us toll-free at 1.888.825.4720.

Tour de France Trip Packages: Will Tour de California Suffer Post-Armstrong?

http://www.tdf-tours.com/
http://www.spyns.com/

Do not go gently into that
goodnight Lance...

Love him or hate him, Spyns former clients know Lance Armstrong could bring out a crowd. As the superstar exits, an obvious question hangs over the Amgen Tour of California pro cycling race. Has the event grown enough to thrive without him? Unlike the Tour de France, California's race can't count of die-hard fans as cycling was a fairly recent phenomenon. Lance Armstrong's decision to retire from cycling, announced Feb. 16 in an interview with the Associated Press, leaves the sixth annual race without its biggest draw.


The seven-time Tour de France winner's presence increased crowds the past two years in Sacramento, Calif., with an estimated 75,000 turning out to watch a 2.4-mile prologue in 2009 and close to 100,000 lining city streets to view the 104.3-mile opening stage last year. But the eight-day race, set for May 15-22, has grown in stature. It survived a move from February to May last year, when it began competing for riders with the Giro d'Italia, and it is viewed as good preparation for the Tour de France in July. "I quite frankly think the race has gotten bigger than just one individual," said John McCasey, executive director of the Sacramento Sports Commission. "We're talking about the biggest name in the sport, but I think at the end of the day, people will be all wrapped up in the event itself."

The Tour of California has added Lake Tahoe for the first time, returned to a midrace trek down Highway 1 and thrown in a demanding climb up Mount Baldy in the next-to-last stage. Stage 2 goes from Squaw Valley to the state Capitol, with the third stage starting in Auburn, Calif., and finishing in Modesto. "We would have definitely loved to have Lance here," said Carol Chaplin, executive director of the Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority. "There is some disappointment, but there are going to be so many different aspects of the tour and tremendous athletes who are going to take the spotlight whether he's here or not."

Andrew Messick, president of AEG Sports, which owns the race, didn't address how Armstrong's absence might affect the event. "We respect any athlete's decision to retire on their own terms," he said in a statement. "We have enjoyed having Lance compete in the Amgen Tour of California and wish him well in the future." Gene Albaugh, city manager of Nevada City, Calif., which hosted the Stage 1 start last year and will be a Stage 2 pass-through city in May, said Armstrong will be missed in the foothills. "He's a legend here," Albaugh said, noting Armstrong's victory in the 2009 Nevada City Bicycle Classic. "Some people come to see Lance. Others, the love of the race itself is incentive to get out and watch. We'll never forget him up here, that's for sure."


As Spyns clients gear up for our 2011 Tour de France trips, numbers don't seem to be adversely affected by Lance's absence. I personally saw thinner crowds last year for the Paris finish whereas in 2009, when Lance was in a combative mood vying for the yellow jersey, people were standing on the Champs Elysees 4-5 deep. I believe the lingering financial crisis, a higher euro, and recent doping scandals are having a more adverse effect on demand than Lance's absence. But he will be missed.

Spyns is an active travel company based in Whister, BC (Canada) and Beaujolais France. Spyns specializes in 2011 Tour de France packages for both riders and non-riders. We specialize in providing clients with Tour de France bike and non-biking packages with Paris grandstand seats and VIP access. Spyns offers active holidays to Europe including trips to the 2011 Tour de France. For more information about Spyns 2011 Tour de France tours, please go to http://www.tdf-tours.com/ or http://www.spyns.com/. You can also call us toll-free at 1.888.825.4720.

Tour de France Trip Packages: Spyns Asks: Is the Tour de France Too Big?

www.tdf-tours.com
www.spyns.com

Barcelona hopes to host
the TDF's Grand Depart in 2014.

As Spyns gears up for its 2011 Tour de France tours, I wonder if professional cycling's largest race is just too grandiose. We're three years away from the "Grand Depart" in 2014 and already regions as far-flung as Scotland and Catalonia are jockeying to win. It reminds me of the circus surrounding Olympic Games bids.


Tour de France organsisers the Amaury Sport Association (ASO) have stated that Barcelona has mounted a bid to host the Grand Départ of the 2014 Tour de France, and have also confirmed that Scotland is among other places also negotiating to host the start of the race, without specifying which year. Reports earlier this year suggested that EventScotland would be bidding to host the beginning of the 2017 race.

In a communication issued yesterday, organisers confirmed that the Mayor of Barcelona, Jordi Hereu, had officially presented the city’s bid for the 2014 race, and added that the fact the city had hosted the 1992 Olympic Games and the start of the 2005 Dakar Rally, also owned by the ASO. “All this makes the city a strong candidate,” said ASO, “but it will be facing competition from many foreign communities which have shown interest in organising the Grand Départ, including Scotland, the city of Florence and the Liguria region (Italy), the city of Salzburg and Tyrol (Austria), Utrecht (Netherlands) and Kraków (Poland).” Barcelona has hosted the Tour de France three times, but never the Grand Départ, and indeed it was a Scot who took the race by the scruff of the neck the last time the Tour de France visited the Catalan capital.


Barcelona is clearly the favourite. If I were a TDF truck driver from Bayonne, I'd rather schlep it down to Barcelona rather than dealing with the logistics of getting to the UK or Austria. Scotland is simply too far away as is Salzburg. The advantage to starting in Barcelona is being able to transport everything overland back to France for the various stages. However, starting in Barcelona would mean a rather large trip back to north eastern France for the early stages.


On Stage 5 of the 2009 race, David Millar, who lives up the coast in Girona, put in a stunning solo breakaway in filthy weather that saw him ride ahead of the peloton through the wide streets of Barcelona, packed with fans, only to be caught on the slopes of Montjuic tantalisingly close to the finish, Thor Hushovd taking the win. As Spyns 2011 Tour de France trip clients know, this July’s race gets under way on French soil in the Vendée, while next year sees a foreign Grand Départ, hosted by the Belgian city of Liège. The 2013 race, which will be the 100th edition, seems almost certain to begin in Corsica. The island poses its own logistical issues because the dockworkers and ferry operators strike so often.

Spyns is an active travel company based in Whister, BC (Canada) and Beaujolais France. Spyns specializes in 2011 Tour de France packages for both riders and non-riders. We specialize in providing clients with Tour de France bike and non-biking packages with Paris grandstand seats and VIP access. Spyns offers active holidays to Europe including trips to the 2011 Tour de France. For more information about Spyns 2011 Tour de France tours, please go to http://www.tdf-tours.com/ or http://www.spyns.com/. You can also call us toll-free at 1.888.825.4720.

Tour de France Tours 2011 Spyns: Contador 4th in Portugal

www.tdf-tours.com
www.spyns.com

Yes he looks like a Tron extra.
Contador during a recent
timetrial.

Alberto Contador (who I've now nicknamed "AC") is a bit like the Portuguese economy - rumous of his death have been greatly exaggerated. Contador declared himself pleased with his return to competitive action after finishing fourth in the Volta ao Algarve on Sunday. Given what the man has been through in the past months, 4th is a more than respectable showing.

Contador was cleared by the Royal Spanish Cycling Federation (RFEC) last Tuesday after testing positive for the banned substance Clenbuterol at last year's Tour de France, and less than 24 hours after that ruling he was turning out for new employers Team Saxo Bank-Sungard in Portugal. In a bit of irony, Saxo Bank previously sponsored Contador's arch-rival Andy Schleck (codename "Bambi").


The three-time Tour de France winner had not raced since being provisionally suspended by the International Cycling Union (UCI) in September following his positive test, but despite a lack of competition he still went into today's final-day time-trial in second place and with a chance of retaining the Volta ao Algarve title that he had won the past two years. It was not to be for Contador, who could only finish 15th on the day, 45 seconds behind stage and overall winner Tony Martin, but the 28-year-old was nevertheless happy with his five-day showing in Portugal.
'The time trial did not go all that well, but it's already been a triumph just to be here,' he said.
'I'm very happy, although one always likes to do better. I think that it was a good performance for my first race. I read in some newspaper that I'd gone 205 days without competing, and that's too much.' He added: 'The performance was very good, because the people who were here in the time-trial were specialists, like Tony Martin. Those that finished in front are very strong riders.'


Contador felt he had 'nothing to lose' as he chased a third successive Algarve title, saying: 'I've done it differently to other years, when I came here with a lot of pressure to win the race. This year, in contrast, I've not been able to train too much, but this will also be better for me, because I always start the year too strong and then I've had to measure my breaks. 'This year, however, I will take things calmer.' Contador will join his team-mates for a training camp in Mallorca on Tuesday before then taking part in the Tour of Murcia from March 4-6. The RFEC's ruling on Contador may not yet be the end of the matter, with the International Cycling Union (UCI) and World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) having the right to challenge the decision with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). We can only hope the decision is faster than Europe's (neverending) bailout. Stay tuned for Spyns 2011 Tour de France trips to see if Contador wins yet another yellow jersey.

Spyns is an active travel company based in Whister, BC (Canada) and Beaujolais France. Spyns specializes in 2011 Tour de France packages for both riders and non-riders. We specialize in providing clients with Tour de France bike and non-biking packages with Paris grandstand seats and VIP access. Spyns offers active holidays to Europe including trips to the 2011 Tour de France. For more information about Spyns 2011 Tour de France tours, please go to http://www.tdf-tours.com/ or http://www.spyns.com/. You can also call us toll-free at 1.888.825.4720.

Spyns 2011 Tour de France Tours: Contador Strong (but not infallible) in Tour de Algarve

www.tdf-tours.com
www.spyns.com

Contador's strong showing in the
Algarve proves he's still a force to be
reckoned with in the pro cycling.

Team Sky's (Britain) Steve Cummings won the third stage of the the Volta ao Algarve to move top of the general classification standings with two stages remaining. Cummings, 29, edged out Tejay van Garderen (HTC-Highroad) and three-time Tour de France champion Alberto Contador (Team Saxo Bank-Sungard).

Contador returned to racing this week after being cleared of doping by the Royal Spanish Cycling Federation. Birkenhead-born Cummings now holds a six-second advantage over the Spaniard. Cummings was among a select group of riders who attacked on the Alto do Malhao during the 179-kilometre third stage from Tavira to Malhao in Portugal, before outpacing his two rivals at the summit.


He may have been cleared by the Spanish federation (RFEC) for his positive test for Clenbuterol at the Tour de France, but Alberto Contador (Saxo Bank) is not out of the woods just yet. He’s still waiting for the UCI and the World Anti-doping Agency (WADA) to decide whether they will appeal the decision before the end of March, but he also could face new and more serious doping accusations.



Professor Gerard Dine, one of the founders of the biological profile which became the French “longitudinal profile” and the international “biological passport” used by the UCI, thinks Contador’s samples should be re-analyzed in order to detect plasticizer traces. The presence of plasticizers in a sample would strongly suggest blood bag use. Asked if new analysis were possible, the French anti-doping expert told Sport24.com: “If the method [of plasticizer detection, Ed.] is validated, we can think that there will be a retroactive process. Then, [Contador] could be incriminated not because of Clenbuterol but because of an auto-transfusion.”

As Spyns former clients well know, doping is professional cycling's "dirty little secret" and I can only hope that Contador is cleared. Following the Floyd Landis debacle, drug-free Tour de France champions will reinforce the positive aspects of pro riding and perhaps our Tour de France business.

Spyns is an active travel company based in Whister, BC (Canada) and Beaujolais France. Spyns specializes in 2011 Tour de France packages for both riders and non-riders. We specialize in providing clients with Tour de France bike and non-biking packages with Paris grandstand seats and VIP access. Spyns offers active holidays to Europe including trips to the 2011 Tour de France. For more information about Spyns 2011 Tour de France tours, please go to http://www.tdf-tours.com/ or http://www.spyns.com/. You can also call us toll-free at 1.888.825.4720.

2011 Tour de France Package Tours Spyns: Armstrong Retires (Again)!

www.tdf-tours.com
www.spyns.com

Au revoir Lance! It was fun
while it lasted.

As Spyns clients prepare for our 2011 Tour de France trips, Lance Armstrong retires..for good!If Armstrong had stayed retired after winning his seventh consecutive Tour de France in 2005, Floyd Landis might not have released a bunch of e-mails that brought chaos to Armstrong's life last spring. In those e-mails, Landis accused Armstrong of doping, but was only trying to finagle a way onto Armstrong's RadioShack team by threatening to go public. I question Landis's intelligence and perhaps even his sanity. He has consistently shown a lack of judgement like publishing a book entitled, "Positively False" only to admit he doped in the 2006 Tour de France. 


In an unfortunate twist, those e-mails attracted the attention of federal prosecutor Jeff Novitzky, who is leading the investigation into whether Armstrong and others on the U.S. Postal Service team in 2002 used performance-enhancing drugs. And yet, it is impossible not to attach Armstrong's name to competitive greatness and to meaningful charity work through his Livestrong Foundation. If you think only about the sport, about the blue-eyed squint and the man who stood up, pushed those pedals down, who swerved and sped across an open field, hopped back into the peloton, avoided a crashed colleague with such instinctive power and creativity that you rubbed your eyes and wondered, "Did I just see that?" Or if you grinned a little and pounded your fist in appreciation when he turned to stare at a competitor just before leaving the guy gasping and sweating and suddenly staring at the blank spot where Armstrong and his bike had been. This is the Armstrong legacy.


If you also scrutinize the world of cycling and doping, of the decade-long parade of punished and admitted performance-enhancing miscreants, it's easy to wonder, "Was Armstrong so much better or was he winning on an equal playing field?" Although Armstrong has never failed a drug test and steadfastly refutes anyone who says he has doped, it's hard not to wonder since all of his top challengers — notably Jan Ullrich and Ivan Basso — have been drug tarnished. Bob Stapleton, co-owner of the rival HTC-Highroad team, said Armstrong's career, how he beat cancer, how he started Livestrong, is a legacy wrapped more in good than bad.

"I think the story is so extraordinary," Stapleton said, "that it is the results on the bike and with cancer that will be remembered 20 years from now. Whatever happens with the grand jury, it may call into question some of the magnitude of his athletic success but as an overall historical figure not much." He also points out that Armstrong had respect from his peers. "He was just a beast on the bike," Stapleton said, "a ferocious competitor and if he proved unstoppable it was because he did the work to improve." And maybe, just maybe, doping or no doping, this is the real key: Armstrong won on an even playing field.

Former Spyns clients have nothing but respect for Lance Armstrong's achievements. Arrogant: yes.  Prima donna: yes. Doper: who knows? Cycling may never see his equal but the Armstrong legacy will survive.

Spyns is an active travel company based in Whister, BC (Canada) and Beaujolais France. Spyns specializes in 2011 Tour de France packages for both riders and non-riders. We specialize in providing clients with Tour de France bike and non-biking packages with Paris grandstand seats and VIP access. Spyns offers active holidays to Europe including trips to the 2011 Tour de France. For more information about Spyns 2011 Tour de France tours, please go to http://www.tdf-tours.com/ or http://www.spyns.com/. You can also call us toll-free at 1.888.825.4720.

Spyns 2011 Tour de France Tours: Contador Cleared!

www.tdf-tours.com
www.spyns.com

"I'm back baby. Bring on
the 2011 Tour de France."

And let them eat crow! As Spyns prepares for its 2011 Tour de France trips, we were all looking to a win by baby-faced Andy Schleck. But Alberto Contador may yet compete in the 2011 Tour de France. Contador's lawyer Andy Ramos Gil confirmed on Tueday afternoon that the competitions committee of the Spanish National Cycling Federation has upheld Contador's appeal and is free to ride with immediate effect. That doesn't necessarily mean that Contador, who has been suspended since last September when the positive test from the Tour was revealed, is completely out of the woods yet. The World Anti-Doping Authority (WADA) is free to appeal the new decision as is cycling's world governing authority the International Cycling Union (UCI).

I have long bashed the Spaniard but applaud his pluck. Anyone who has seen Contador race knows he is a fierce competitor and he refused to accept the ban. It appears the competitions committe has absolved Contador on article 296 of the UCI regulations which says that a rider can be exonerated if he can prove that he inadvertently ingested a product through no fault or negligence on their part. Contador and his team have, in fact, not been able to prove this - no part of the allegedly contaminated meat he ate in Pau remained - but equally the federation feel that neither has it been proved with any certainty how, when and where Contador was supposed to have deliberately taken clenbuterol. In short Contador has been given the benefit of the doubt by his own fedration, possibly not the most surprising result of this or any other season.

Spanish newspaper El País is reporting that the four lawyers on the committee may also have been swayed by a tweet posted last Thursday night by Spanish prime minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero that said “there are no legal grounds for sanctioning Contador”. The committee also studied WADA's decision not to appeal against the dismissal of similar charges against German table tennis player Dimitri Ovtcharov, who tested positive for clenbuterol after a tournament in China when it was proved his food was contaminated.

This will make for a very interesting 2011 Tour de France.

Spyns is an active travel company based in Whister, BC (Canada) and Beaujolais France. Spyns specializes in 2011 Tour de France packages for both riders and non-riders. We specialize in providing clients with Tour de France bike and non-biking packages with Paris grandstand seats and VIP access. Spyns offers active holidays to Europe including trips to the 2011 Tour de France. For more information about Spyns 2011 Tour de France tours, please go to http://www.tdf-tours.com/ or http://www.spyns.com/. You can also call us toll-free at 1.888.825.4720.

Spyns 2011 Tour de France Tours: Contador Singing "Blame it on the Grain"

www.tdf-tours.com

"Eat this RFEC!"

www.spyns.com

Spyns former clients couldn't be described as Alberto Contador fans, however, we the man has talent. He's also proving to be quite the Spanish scrapper. A "disgusted" Alberto Contador hit out at the Spanish federation whom he accused of buckling to pressure from anti-doping authorities after it proposed he serve a one-year ban from cycling. The future of the three-time Tour de France champion has hung in the balance since he announced last August he had tested positive for traces of the banned substance clenbuterol during last July's race. Despite repeatedly denying taking any banned substances, blaming the result on food contamination, it increasingly looks like stage racing's biggest talent will be banned.


As Spyns prepares for its 2011 Tour de France trips, the Spanish cycling federation (RFEC) made a proposal last month to ban Contador for a year, an offer which was seen by experts as a compromise deal. This would make Andy Schleck the favourite to win the 2011. He's also a favourite among Spyns former clients. Contador, however, immediately vowed to appeal the ban as he had done nothing wrong. He now believes the RFEC was pressured into making the proposal by the International Cycling Union (UCI) and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and feels "let down" by his federation's failure to clear him. "The UCI and WADA exerted a lot of pressure before that proposal" from the RFEC was made on January 26," the Spaniard said in an interview with the Spanish news agency EFE on Thursday.


"The RFEC knows I've always advocated an anti-doping stance. Everyone knows what's going on, but now I'm in a position where I'm facing a ban. It really makes you lose confidence" in the system. "I'm disgusted... I feel really let down by the attitude of the federation. This case has become way too politicised and it has prejudiced my case." He added: "The federation has our entire dossier. It is a long and comprehensive work which clears everything up. "They could have consulted an article which proves my innocence, but they haven't and for that I am disappointed," he told EFE. A defiant Contador said he would fight any future ban all the way: "I'm ready for whichever battle comes up." The RFEC is soon expected to confirm the length of Contador's sanction.


If however the Spanish cycling authorities fail to ban Contador, the UCI, which is understood to want to apply the anti-doping rules to the letter, would likely appeal to the Switzerland-based Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in a bid to ban the Spaniard. The 28-year-old, who is also a former winner of the Giro d'Italia and Tour of Spain, would then lose his 2010 Tour de France victory. Clenbuterol is a banned weight loss/muscle-building drug which is also used to fatten cattle. Contador claims he ate a steak that was contaminated by the drug. The substance was banned by the European Union in 1996 but it is still administered illicitly by some cattle farmers.

Did he or didn't he? That is the question. As we prepare for our 2011 Tour de France tours, Contador is fighting for survival and shows no signs of giving up.

Spyns is an active travel company based in Whister, BC (Canada) and Beaujolais France. Spyns specializes in 2011 Tour de France packages for both riders and non-riders. We specialize in providing clients with Tour de France bike and non-biking packages with Paris grandstand seats and VIP access. Spyns offers active holidays to Europe including trips to the 2011 Tour de France. For more information about Spyns 2011 Tour de France tours, please go to http://www.tdf-tours.com/ or http://www.spyns.com/. You can also call us toll-free at 1.888.825.4720.

2011 Tour de France Tours: Schleck "I'm the 2011 Tour de France Favourite"

www.tdf-tours.com
www.spyns.com

Awwwwwwww!

Spyns former clients have always had a soft sport for baby-faced Andy Schleck. As we prepare for Spyns 2011 Tour de France trips, we ask: is Andy Schleck the favorite to win this year's Tour de France? When the route was unveiled in October, he and Alberto Contador were said to be the top riders in the field. But with Contador's status for the race in doubt because of a doping suspension he could receive, Schleck could be the guy in the peloton with a giant bull's-eye on his back. Even Schleck knows that.

"If we review the ratings in recent years, it is normal that I [am] considered the favorite," Schleck told Spanish Web site as.com. The interviewer then asked if he'd be the favorite even if Contador were allowed to race: "I think so. I do not know what will happen with Contador. I'm going to concentrate on the Tour and not the other opponents." It's clear that Schleck, who along with his brother Frank left Saxo Bank last season to form their new Luxembourg-based team Leopard-Trek, knows he is overdue for a Tour victory after finishing second the last two years. The 2011 route is climber-friendly, which will benefit both him and Contador. With both in the field it would be a duel to the finish. If Contador is out, Schleck's fate would be in his own hands, er legs.

Spyns believes that only a European could come up with a name like Leopard-Trek. I can only imagine the jerseys. Also in the as.com interview, Schleck touched on the broken collarbone Frank suffered in a crash during Stage 3 of the 2010 Tour. The injury knocked him out of the race and it left Andy without his top wingman the rest of the way. "I had a good tour overall, won two stages, but I also had very bad luck," Andy said. "One of those setbacks was the fall of Frank. [Without] it, we could have a very different career."

Unfortunately, Contador won't be around to make the 2011 Tour de France even more interesting for Spyns tour clients. Pity that but we'd like to see Schleck earn a well-deserved yellow jersey.

Spyns is an active travel company based in Whister, BC (Canada) and Beaujolais France. Spyns specializes in 2011 Tour de France packages for both riders and non-riders. We specialize in providing clients with Tour de France bike and non-biking packages with Paris grandstand seats and VIP access. Spyns offers active holidays to Europe including trips to the 2011 Tour de France. For more information about Spyns 2011 Tour de France tours, please go to http://www.tdf-tours.com/ or http://www.spyns.com/. You can also call us toll-free at 1.888.825.4720.

Spyns 2011 Tour de France Tours: 38-Year Old George Hincapie Prepares for Retirement...Maybe

www.tdf-tours.com
www.spyns.com

Hincapie and Armstrong share a
laugh while riding for team
Discovery.

As Spyns' clients prepare for our 2011 Tour de France tours, another tour veteran is planning his retirment...and no it's not Lance Armstrong. George Hincapie (team BMC) gears up for his 18th season as a pro, he is quietly hatching plans for retirement. Not that the veteran American is ready for the rocking chair yet — Hincapie still hopes for a shot at making history at the Tour de France. “I am thinking 2012,” Hincapie told VeloNews. “It really depends on what the team would want me to do, but it would be nice to do one last Tour and call it quits.”


Hincapie, who turns 38 this summer, already holds the record for the most Tour appearances by an American, with 15 through 2010. Others who match that mark include Viatcheslav Ekimov, Lucien Van Impe and Guy Nulens. Joop Zoetemelk holds the record with 16 Tours, between 1970 and 1986, finishing all 16 he started. Hincapie is expected to start his 16th Tour this July, but he abandoned his first. If he retired in 2012 with “one last Tour,” that would put him on track for a record of 17 starts in the Tour.

Hincapie is not waxing poetic about his cycling career just yet, and says his move to BMC in 2010 has helped him stay motivated and hungry despite the demands of professional cycling.
“I am just really excited about this team, it came from being a small team, they were sort of courting me, giving me the two-three year plan to become a ProTour team, then all of sudden we hired guys like Cadel, it just skyrocketed,” Hincapie said. “What Jim (Ochowicz) and Andy (Rihs) sort of presented to me happened a lot quicker. For me to be part of that has been a special deal, I would like to see it through as long as possible. I still feel good, I feel like I can give a lot to the team as far as racing goes, I still enjoy doing it.”

Hincapie remains one of the most respected riders in the pack, especially among a new generation of Americans moving up through the ranks. Hincapie has taken on the role as elder statesman and mentor to younger pros and often plays host to riders at his home in South Carolina looking for mild off-season weather conditions. He regularly trains with Craig Lewis and saw visits this winter from Ted King and others. “I like (helping young riders). When I was getting started, I had guys like Sean Yates, Steve Bauer and Phil Anderson who really took me under their wing. It was really special to me and it helped me a lot,” he said, adding that he vows to return the favor. “I know how hard this sport is when you get thrown into the pro peloton. The racing gets exponentially harder real fast.”

Spyns is an active travel company based in Whister, BC (Canada) and Beaujolais France. Spyns specializes in 2011 Tour de France packages for both riders and non-riders. We specialize in providing clients with Tour de France bike and non-biking packages with Paris grandstand seats and VIP access. Spyns offers active holidays to Europe including trips to the 2011 Tour de France. For more information about Spyns 2011 Tour de France tours, please go to http://www.tdf-tours.com/ or http://www.spyns.com/. You can also call us toll-free at 1.888.825.4720.

2011 Tour de France Bike Tours: Cavendish the "Man to Beat" at 2011 Tour de France

www.tdf-tours.com www.spyns.com

A British rider has yet to win the Tour de France. Spyns asks, "Will the 2011 Tour de France finally give us a British yellow jersey winner?" Ask Mark Cavendish. With an impressive 15 stage wins in four years at the Tour de France, it may be a while before Mark Cavendish's reputation as the fastest man on two wheels is challenged. But barely a month into the new cycling season, his rivals are planning to redress the balance in the big bunch sprints of the three-week Tours and selected one-day classics. While the sprint 'train' of Cavendish's HTC-Highroad team has raised the bar in the lead-up to race finales, it has inevitably inspired the competition, with Garmin and Team Sky now among the main challengers.

Germany's Andre Greipel and American Tyler Farrar have been knocking at Cavendish's door in recent years and events off the bike mean they are hoping for a bigger slice of the pie. Farrar's Garmin team recently merged with Cervelo, attracting the likes of world champion Thor Hushovd and Heinrich Haussler to Garmin-Cervelo and creating a quality-packed outfit that, on paper, will challenge Cavendish's dominance.  Greipel was Cavendish's teammate for two years, during which time the Briton's success left the German in a second-string side. Frustrated with the lack of opportunities, he has since moved to Omega-Pharma.

Next week's Tour of Qatar and the ensuing races will give the sprinters an early chance to experiment and lay down some early markers. Yet Australian Mark Renshaw, Cavendish's final lead-out man, believes it will take a lot to beat his winning combination with the Isle of Man rider. "On paper they (Garmin-Cervelo) have a great sprint team but on paper they don't have a great lead-out team," Renshaw told AFP. "I dedicate myself completely to Cav. If they can do that, they're going to be a force to be reckoned with. But until Tyler (Farrar) or Thor (Husdhovd) or whoever steps over and dedicates themselves completely to one of the guys, it's going to be hard."

Having suffered defeat to Cavendish on all three Grand Tours, the 26-year-old Farrar is hoping the merger with Cervelo bears fruit. "We're such a strong team. On paper we're pretty incredible when it comes to the classics and sprints, and hopefully that's going to translate into a lot of big wins," Farrar, who broke his wrist on stage two of the 2010 Tour de France, told AFP. The big question mark surrounds Greipel, who has yet to compete in many big races, having been deprived by Cavendish's domination while they both raced for HTC. In Greipel's first outing with his new team he failed to defend his crown at the Tour Down Under in Australia, which he has won twice, and failed to bag a stage win. He concedes it will take time for his own sprint train to come together, but he expects Garmin-Cervelo – if they can get their tactics right – to be formidable.


"It's early days, we have to improve a few things but I think we'll see in the future that Omega-Pharma Lotto has a lead-out train," said the German. "If they all pull on one rope, Garmin-Cervelo will be unbeatable. Farrar, Hushovd, Haussler – if they are going for sprints for Farrar or Hushovd, there's not so many teams who can be faster." Cavendish has shown in the past he can win without a sprint train, coming off Renshaw's wheel on the 11th stage of the 2010 Tour de France – after which the Australian was barred for headbutting – to take his third win of the race. Ominously for his rivals, HTC-Highroad sports director Allan Peiper believes it is a tactic to be explored. "As good as a lead-out train is, it's only as good as the final man who's finishing it off," Peiper told AFP. "In my opinion, when they're at the top of their game, Mark (Renshaw) and Cav are pretty much untouchable, with or without a train. "A lot of respect to the other teams, like Garmin and Sky – they have great execution, but don't quite have the guy to finish it off." It will certainly be an exciting field of riders for Spyns 2011 Tour de France trips.

Spyns is an active travel company based in Whister, BC (Canada) and Beaujolais France. Spyns specializes in 2011 Tour de France packages for both riders and non-riders. We specialize in providing clients with Tour de France bike and non-biking packages with Paris grandstand seats and VIP access. Spyns offers active holidays to Europe including trips to the 2011 Tour de France. For more information about Spyns 2011 Tour de France tours, please go to http://www.tdf-tours.com/ or http://www.spyns.com/. You can also call us toll-free at 1.888.825.4720.

2011 Tour de France Trip Packages: Canadian Team Sets Tour de France 2013 Goal

www.tdf-tours.com
www.spyns.com

Svein Tuft: Canada's new great
white hope.

As a Canadian travel company, Spyns is always fiercely proud when fellow Canadians enter the Euro-dominated world of professional cycling. Case in point: Svein Tuft (who could sound more like an action hero we ask). As Spyns prepares for its 2011 Tour de France tours, Tuft and his teammates are preparing for the 2013 Tour de France.

The tattoo in dark letters on Svein Tuft’s right forearm reads: We will never be here again. If Tuft wants to savour the ride, it’s understandable, since it’s hard to imagine a pro cyclist taking a more unlikely path. He was a Grade 10 dropout who logged thousands of kilometres in the woods of B.C. and Alaska on a bike he purchased for $40 at a second-hand store. He welded a trailer to the bike to carry supplies and his dog Bear, 80 pounds worth of fierceness and loyalty. This wasn’t training for the Tour de France. Tuft didn’t even know what it was. His first pro bike race didn’t happen until he was 23. Biking, to him, was a way to reach the mountains — he couldn’t afford a car. He barely had any money.

Tuft went into the wilderness to learn about himself. He hardly took any equipment — just a wool blanket and a tarp on his early trips. “That started everything for me,” said Tuft. “It was about exploring and the freedom of travel. I had nothing in those days and I will still say to this day, ‘That was living.’ I had no plan. I didn’t have BlackBerrys or cellphones or things to pay off. I had no money, but what I had was all I needed.” Tuft sounds like a throwback to the coureurs de bois days, that’s a good thing, since he’ll need those adventuresome qualities in his new role. He’s the leader on Team SpiderTech powered by C10, a new Canadian cycling team being unveiled Friday in Toronto that has big plans for the future — reaching the Tour de France by 2013.

Team leader Steve Bauer, the Canadian cycling great who wore the yellow jersey for 14 days in the Tour de France, couldn’t believe his good fortune when Tuft became available, after his previous team failed to get a Professional Continental license. Bauer’s team is the first Canadian entry to gain such a license. In Tuft, they are getting a guy who has won prologues on the world tour, captured silver in the time trial at the 2008 worlds and was seventh at the Beijing Olympics. Tuft could get more money by signing with a team one rung higher on the world tour, but this is clearly a guy who bleeds maple syrup.

“It’s always been my dream,” said the 33-year-old from Langley, B.C. “I want to grow with these guys as they make the steps. I love seeing Canadian talent doing well. It’s great to be at the very top level and do your stuff, but man, it’s so much more satisfying to be part of something you feel good about and you can really get behind.” The fellowship of the wheel is an important element for Tuft, who, continuing on that Lord of the Rings theme, could be viewed as the team’s Aragorn. This is a unique guy, not your typical athlete, and he’s eager to share what he’s learned with the younger riders on Team SpiderTech — but, maybe more importantly, still feels he’s learning himself. Where he once slept in his tent on the side of the road, he now lodges in first-rate hotels. The $40 bike has been replaced by sleek pieces of technology worth thousands of dollars.


None of this impresses Tuft. He loves bike racing, but also looks forward to retreating to the mountains in B.C. in the off-season. His tattoo is a reminder of what’s important to him. “What’s really of value is experiences and also being in the state of mind to enjoy those experiences,” said Tuft. “To me, that’s so key, because I’ve been places where the head’s just spinning outta control. And it’s the most beautiful place. And you’re just focused on whatever’s going on in your life or people. It’s like you’re not even there. To me, it’s just a sad way to go through life. Because at the end of the day, all you have are those experiences and those people in your life that are important to you. I want that.”

Canadian Olympic great Clara Hughes, who did research on Tuft for her work as a colour commentator for CBC at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, came away a huge fan. “I don’t think there’s another Svein Tuft on this planet,” said Hughes. “The fact he’s been able to channel that free spirit, that tough-as-nails persona that he is into something like road cycling is just awesome. He’s doing the sport in his own way, on his own terms, and that’s something I really respect and admire.” He certainly has the genes. His grandfather Arne finished sixth for Norway in the men’s 50-kilometre cross country ski race at the 1936 Winter Olympics. Tuft developed a great work ethic growing up. Maybe he didn’t have a choice. His father ran a general contracting business and expected the kids to chip in. “He’d put you to work if he saw you idle.”

When he went off on his adventures, Tuft supported himself with all kinds of jobs, from building log homes to hay baling in the Fraser Valley to working on farms in Chilliwack, which generally paid $12 or $15 an hour plus a big dinner. "You do that for three, four days and you’re really set to go, man.” Tuft was working at a place that salvaged wire rope and cable chain when he told the foreman he was going off for his first bike race. “There was nothing that would tell me that was a feasible thing to do, but here I am and I’m amazed what I’ve been able to do in such a short period of time,” he said. “For me, it’s never been about getting the riches. . . . I want the chance to do that work and show what I can do.” He’ll definitely be getting that.

Spyns is an active travel company based in Whister, BC (Canada) and Beaujolais France. Spyns specializes in 2011 Tour de France packages for both riders and non-riders. We specialize in providing clients with Tour de France bike and non-biking packages with Paris grandstand seats and VIP access. Spyns offers active holidays to Europe including trips to the 2011 Tour de France. For more information about Spyns 2011 Tour de France tours, please go to http://www.tdf-tours.com/ or http://www.spyns.com/. You can also call us toll-free at 1.888.825.4720.

2011 Tour de France Trip Packages: Will He or Won't He? Armstrong yet to Commit to Tour de California

http://www.tdf-tours.com/
http://www.spyns.com/

Armstrong: Too cool for
California?

Spyns former clients may ask: is Lance Armstrong's halo now tarnished? the seven-time Tour de France winner has not entered the Tour of California, but changes in the event's drug test program revealed Wednesday open the door for him to do so. Organizers of America's biggest cycling race, to be contested May 15-22, will have the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) administer drug tests for the event rather than the International Cycling Union.


The switch, which sees USADA handle competition tests as well as pre-event random drug tests that start February 15, led the US race to rescind a practice used last year that barred competitors who were being investigated for doping. A US grand jury has spent months looking into doping in pro cycling. Armstrong and several of his associates were compelled to testify since Floyd Landis, an admitted dope cheat who forfeited his 2006 Tour de France title, accused Armstrong of doping. Spyns clients have seen Landis go from A-list pro rider to the cycling world's equivalent of a crack whore, turning tricks streetside, and telling anyone with a microphone he was abducted by aliens and, oh yeah, Lance is also a crack whore!


Armstrong, who was thought to be looking at the Tour of California as a possible close to his fabled career, has continuously denied taking performance-enhancing drugs but might have been banned under the old under-investigation restriction. "Every athlete is entitled to full and due process before being removed from the playing field," said US Anti-Doping Agency chief executive Travis Tygart. Andrew Messick, the Tour of California president, said there is no entry from Armstrong or his RadioShack team. This isn't very good news for an event that requires Lance's star power to attract A-list advertisers. If we've learned anything over Lance's long Tour de France career, Armstrong = ratings.


Armstrong, 39, is coming off a 67th-place showing in last week's Tour Down Under in Australia, what he says was his final race outside the United States. Three months of out-of-competition random drug testing for blood and urine is part of the tougher drug test plans implemented in the switch to USADA testing, Messick said. "It is our intention to be a positive force in the sport of cycling and fighting to ensure that our race is clean is an essential step," Messick said. "The Tour is taking great strides in supporting clean athletes and actively advancing efforts for the integrity of competition," Tygart said.


Cycling has been dogged by doping scandals much too long. I vote to leave Lance Armstrong's legacy in peace and move on. Hopefully the 2011 Tour de France will be a squeaky clean event. Just tell Andy Schleck to stay away from Contador's famous tainted meat.

Spyns is an active travel company based in Whister, BC (Canada) and Beaujolais France. Spyns specializes in 2011 Tour de France packages for both riders and non-riders. We specialize in providing clients with Tour de France bike and non-biking packages with Paris grandstand seats and VIP access. Spyns offers active holidays to Europe including trips to the 2011 Tour de France. For more information about Spyns 2011 Tour de France tours, please go to http://www.tdf-tours.com/ or http://www.spyns.com/. You can also call us toll-free at 1.888.825.4720.

Spyns 2011 Tour de France Trip Packages: German TV To Drop Live TDF Coverage

Jan Ullrich: "Retirement is bliss!"

http://www.tdf-tours.com/
http://www.spyns.com/

Is this the 2011 Tour de France's "jump the shark" moment? As Spyns gears up for our 2011 Tour de France trips, Germany’s main broadcasters said Wednesday they are set to end live broadcasts of the Tour de France in 2012. Blaming a drop in viewing figures for the decision, German broadcasters ARD and ZDF said they will not renew their contract with the European Broadcasting Union to screen the event live and will only air highlights in the future from cycling’s showcase stage race in 2012. There is probably a cycling fanatic named Ziggy in Bavaria weeping uncontrollably.

Name a German comedian...you can't! When I searched the terms "German Comedy" on youtube, the results were less than spectacular. We at Spyns 2011 Tour de France tours (shameless plug) submit the following two reasons why Germans don't appreciate the Tour de France:

Reason One: It is French
Reason Two: Jan Ullrich retired in 2007 

The German networks say live broadcasts over several hours can no longer be justified because fewer Germans are watching the race live. Both ARD and ZDF pulled the plug on live broadcasts during the 2007 Tour after a series of doping affairs. Live coverage was resumed in 2008, but with current champion Alberto Contador facing a one-year ban for an alleged doping offence, the latest problems in the sport are believed to be a factor in the broadcasters’ decisions.

Cycling’s popularity in Germany has dropped since the 1990s, when millions of Germans tuned in to watch Jan Ullrich win the race’s yellow jersey in 1997. Ullrich ended his career in February 2007 after being sacked by T-Mobile when he was linked to the Operation Puerto blood-doping scandal. We at Spyns say, if you're gonna have a sting, call it "Operation Puerto"!

Spyns is an active travel company based in Whister, BC (Canada) and Beaujolais France. Spyns specializes in 2011 Tour de France packages for both riders and non-riders. We specialize in providing clients with Tour de France bike and non-biking packages with Paris grandstand seats and VIP access. Spyns offers active holidays to Europe including trips to the 2011 Tour de France. For more information about Spyns 2011 Tour de France tours, please go to http://www.tdf-tours.com/ or http://www.spyns.com/. You can also call us toll-free at 1.888.825.4720.

2011 Tour de France Trip Packages: Schleck Sees Basso as Main Competition

http://www.tdf-tours.com/
http://www.spyns.com/

Spyns votes Andy Schleck as most likely to 
win the 2011 Tour de France.

With Alberto Contador fighting a one-year ban and Lance Armstrong retired, we at Spyns believe Andy Schleck is a shoe-in for the yellow jersey. This is a completely self-serving analysis because I simply wanted to show this picture of Vicky Johnstone, Spyns Director of Guest Services, standing next to the baby-faced Schleck (with brother in background sporting his trademark Oakleys) in the Pyrenees in May 2010. 

There is no shortage of talent gearing up for the 2011 Tour de France. Following Contador's ban, Luxembourger Andy Schleck sees Ivan Basso as Tour de France rival number one for July. "He has class, experience, works like no other and is improving at the Tour, twice already on the podium," Schleck told Italian newspaper, La Stampa. "He will be the opponent most marked."

Basso won the Giro d'Italia last year and in 2006. He has finished on the podium twice at the Tour de France, third in 2004 and second in 2005, and this year, he wants to aim for the win. He will likely skip the Giro in May and let Liquigas-Cannondale team-mate Vincenzo Nibali lead. Schleck will be the favourite at the Tour de France, though. He finished second the last two years, both times to Spain's Contador. Contador, however, will likely lose his third title from last year and serve a doping suspension for failing a doping test at the race. Last year's yellow jersey and trophy may end up at Schleck's home. Clearly the young rider wants to win outright rather than because someone else was eliminated. Who remembers that Óscar Pereiro won following Floyd Landis's disqualification in 2006?

"I have not thought of yet," said Schleck. "I wanted to win the Tour on the road by beating Alberto. And maybe I would have succeeded, without the mechanical incident last year. Winning like this, though, is not the best. "I still hope that Alberto can prove his innocence and can race the next Tour, where I would like to beat him." Good lad that Schleck! Schleck and his brother Fränk will lead new Luxembourg team, Leopard Trek. Besides the Tour, Andy Schleck will aim for the Ardennes Classics."Before, I will aim for Amstel Gold, Liège-Bastogne-Liège and also Flèche Wallonne. But the Tour is the Tour. Milano-Sanremo? It's not made for me, too fast and too dangerous. The Giro? Sooner or later I will, but this year I will aim for the Tour. I am still too young to aim for two major stage races in a row."

To prepare for the season, Schleck has worked in the gym and has gained weight. When we met him last year in the Pyrenees, Vicky commented, "He has the legs of an 11 year old girl." I put him at no more than 140 pounds. "I worked more on strength and power, with rides not as long, but more intense, also doing a lot at the gym. That's why I got three kilos of weight [7lbs], I hope it's muscles. I also have corrected my position on the bike for time trials." General opinion is that Schleck is a weaker time trialer. Andy and Fränk will make their race debut at the Mallorca Challenge in February. Their next race will be the Ruta del Sol stage race in southern Spain.

Spyns 2011 Tour de France trip clients look forward to seeing them both in July.

Spyns is an active travel company based in Whister, BC (Canada) and Beaujolais France. Spyns specializes in 2011 Tour de France packages for both riders and non-riders. We specialize in providing clients with Tour de France bike and non-biking packages with Paris grandstand seats and VIP access. Spyns offers active holidays to Europe including trips to the 2011 Tour de France. For more information about Spyns 2011 Tour de France tours, please go to http://www.tdf-tours.com/ or http://www.spyns.com/. You can also call us toll-free at 1.888.825.4720.