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Preeminent cycling journalist Samuel Abt’s distinctive voice has told the stories of countless champions and decisive turning points in the most famous international races since the late 1970s. In this collection of articles originally published in The New York Times and the International Herald Tribune, Sam profiles three decades of cycling, culminating with the retirement of Lance Armstrong following the 2005 Tour de France. Featuring vivid color photos by Graham … More >>

Up the Road : Cycling’s Modern Era from LeMond to Armstrong

Sponsored Teams Again

The 1960s saw a return to sponsored teams and commercialism yet the Tour still offered lots of intrigue and drama. The Tour was the most watched event in cycling and the sponsors badly needed the publicity. The Tour’s biggest rivals, Poulidor and Anquetil, truly disliked each other and this drew fans in.

Anquetil Rules

For many years, Anquetil was the greatest time-trialist in history. He won 12 of these tests in the Tour de France and even set a world record before he first won the Tour. Anquetil had a bit of a reputation as a rebel. He once said that his idea of training included “a few whiskies, blonde cigarettes and a woman.” His wayward ways extended into his private life. He an affair with a doctor’s wife, a woman named Jeanine, and when he learned that she couldn’t bear him a child, he persuaded her to let him have a baby with her adult daughter, a woman named Annie. They had a child named Sophie. Of course, Annie and Jeanine began to quarrel. Annie moved out and Jeanine invited her son and his wife, Dominique, to move in. Anquetil promptly seduced Dominique and a son, Christopher.

Anquetil took his wild ways to his cycling events. Most riders always go for a ride on the rest day because their bodies are so used to cycling. Jacques Anquetil, however, liked to enjoy life. He would go to a picnic and enjoy himself on big portions of barbecued lamb and lots of drink.

Anquetil, the five-time winner, sat out 1965 and returned in 1966. But this would be his last Tour.

Tragedy Strikes, Doping Raises its Ugly Head

In 1967, tragedy struck and this would be the year the Tour would first become tainted by a doping scandal. Tom Simpson was the best British rider of his day. Sadly, he fell victim to doping but actually died due to the heat as he crossed Mont Ventoux. His death led to the first drug testing in 1968.

Tom Simpson was a very well regarded racer. His sole goal in life was winning the Tour. Simpson knew he had to deliver. He turned to drugs, something that wasn’t new to the Tour. For some time now many riders had been using a life-threatening cocktail of drugs: amphetamines as a stimulant, Palfium to kill the pain in their legs and then sleeping pills at night to counteract the amphetamines.

Cycling began to grapple with this problem The first races were staggeringly long and tested the limits of human endurance. Stages in the early Tour could take over 17 hours to complete. From the beginning riders took various substances to allow them to complete their ordeals. When the Pélissier brothers withdrew from the 1924 Tour and gave their famous interview to Albert Londres they described the long list of drugs they took. “We run on dynamite,” Henri Pélissier said.

Before World War Two amphetamines were synthesized and athletes immediately understood the advantage they gave. Through the fifties it was clear to observers that riders were doping. There were pictures of racers with dried foam on their faces or of riders driven mad by a combination of heat and amphetamines stopping in the middle of a race to find relief in a fountain. After riding until he collapsed Jean Malléjac lay on the ground still strapped to his bike, his legs convulsively pumping the pedals. Others would remount their bikes and go the wrong way. Sometimes one could almost follow the route of a race by the trail of syringes left by the side of the road. Roger Rivière crashed in 1960 because he had taken so much of the opiate Palfium to kill the pain in his legs that he couldn’t feel the brake levers. Bahamontes said that he loved a good hot day in the mountains because the riders juiced up on amphetamines couldn’t take the heat.

Was Tom Simpson a bad person or a hero? He was neither. He knew that riding without dope wasn’t possible,

The day after Simpson’s death. the peloton agreed to ride if one of Simpson’s British teammates would be allowed a ceremonial stage victory to honor Simpson’s memory.

Merckx Rules the Road

Eddy Merckx of Belgium won in 1969, a stunning debut that earned him the nickname “cannibal,” a rider ready to devour everything it takes to win. Merckx flew into Paris with a 17 minute lead. Merckx dominated the cycling world, winning 250 major races, one a week for six years. Without a doubt he was the most complete and capable rider alive.

In 1975 Merckx was finally beaten by Bernard Thevenet. Merckx had been punched and knocked from his bike by a jealous French fan. This is the first year that the race finishes along the Champs Elysees

France celebrated Thevenet’s second win in 1977. He was a bit of a wonder boy, with seven more home wins until the last, in 1985.

The race’s next hero was a blunt Frenchman from Brittany, Hinault, who would become the third man to win five Tours. The years between 1978 and 1984 became known as “le blaireau” (the badger’s) golden era.

Then France cheered a new hero, a sophisticated bespectacled young Parisian called Laurent Fignon. Fignon rode into his home city of Paris in yellow, beating Hinault by 10 minutes and proving that 1983 had been no fluke.

Winners

* 1960 Gastone Nencini (Ita)

* 1961 Jacques Anquetil (Fra)

* 1962 Jacques Anquetil (Fra)

* 1963 Jacques Anquetil (Fra)

* 1964 Jacques Anquetil (Fra)

* 1965 Felice Gimondi (Ita)

* 1966 Lucien Aimar (Fra)

* 1967 Roger Pingeon (Fra)

* 1968 Jan Janssen (Ned)

* 1969 Eddy Merckx (Bel)

* 1970 Eddy Merckx (Bel)

* 1971 Eddy Merckx (Bel)

* 1972 Eddy Merckx (Bel)

* 1973 Luis Ocana (Spa)

* 1974 Eddy Merckx (Bel)

* 1975 Bernard Thevenet (Fra)

* 1976 Lucien Van Impe (Bel)

* 1977 Bernard Thevenet (Fra)

* 1978 Bernard Hinault (Fra)

* 1979 Bernard Hinault (Fra)

* 1980 Joop Zoetemelk (Ned)

If you liked this article, you’ll find more Tour de France history articles and this year’s Tour schedule at:

Tour de France stags & schedule & history

2007 tour de france

World’s greatest bicycle race – Le Tour du France

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Like the Avignon Festival of France, Adelaide Festival of Australia, Edinburgh Festival of the United Kingdom and others, Hue Festival, staged in Hue – Vietnam’s ancient capital, is preparing for its biennial cultural and tourism event

With the theme “Cultural Heritage with Integration and Development” and in celebrating the Millennium Anniversary of Thang Long – Hanoi, Hue Festival 2010 is going to be a grand, impressive and spectacular event with hundreds of exceptional cultural and tourism programs to enhance the unique cultural values of Vietnam and Hue ancient capital. The Festival will promisingly be a rendezvous for ancient cities and world – cultural – heritage cities, a prominent arts and cultural forum of Vietnam and the region, in association with the expansion of international exchanges, socio-economic development and the promotion of Vietnamese tourism development.

To promote the continued success of this nationwide and world-class cultural event from the Festivals of 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008 and together with the goal of improving arts quality and professionalization, Hue is ready to welcome hundreds of thousands domestic and international visitors to Hue Festival 2010, to be held from June 5 to 13, 2010 in its beautiful and ancient city. (Hue Festival 2008 attracted 150,000 domestic and 30,000 international visitors from 75 nations and territories).

The charming and alluring space of Hue Citadel by night will continue to serve as the centre of Hue Festival. Here, visitors will be able to admire diverse arts performances, the royal palace by night, attend banquets, watch exciting and smart royal games. In addition to the Citadel, the satellite towns and many other places within Hue City, including An Dinh Palace, Nguyen Van Troi Park, Thuong Bac Park, 3-2 Park, Nguyen Dinh Chieu Pedestrian path, Thuan An Resort, Lang Co Beach, Thanh Toan Tile Roofed Bridge, Phuoc Tich Pottery Village in Phong Dien District, Nam Dong Town, A Luoi District, the Memorial Park of the nation’s hero Quang Trung – Nguyen Hue, the Huyen Tran Princess sacred precinct, and other locations will also serve as festival venues with splendid, magnificent and lively arts performances, traditional playgrounds, gastronomy areas from early morning until late at night.

Hue Festival 2010 opening ceremony will be on June 5, 2010 at the Ngo Mon Square and the closing ceremony on June 13, 2010 on the Huong River with innovative and impressive performances. In order to warm up and welcome Hue Festival 2010, the most fascinating, interesting and diverse forms of fringe activities will take place prior to the opening ceremony.

Hue Festival 2010 will be a show place for the most exceptional art performances in Vietnam, especially Hue royal arts and other exotic performances from different Vietnamese sub-cultures; arts performances with cultural nuances of the five continents represented by many countries and territories from around the world (including France – main partner), Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Cambodia, Central Africa, China, Denmark, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Laos, Mexico, Mongolia, Russia, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom and United States of America, etc.). Hue Festival 2010 will continue the tradition of re-enacting unique royal festivities of Hue Ancient Capital with large scale, well-staged and interesting performances. The Festival will include the participation of a great number of artists, actors and the public in the Nam Giao Offering Ritual, Royal Palace by Night, and Legend of Huong River. On the occasion of the Millennium Anniversary of Thang Long and the historical event where
Nguyen Phuc Lan Lord selected Kim Long to be the capital city of the Southern Kingdom, Hue Festival 2010 will include a performance of the ‘Itinerary to reclaim the country’s land” on stage, and re-enact the ‘Navy manoeuvre under the dynasty of Nguyen Phuc Lan Lord’, and others. The Ao Dai Fashion Show will be a special program within a glamorous and great setting, showing colorful designs against the charming and elegant features of Hue ancient city. ‘The Oriental Night’ will display the splendid beauty and the uniqueness of Asian ethnic costumes. ‘Hue traditional wedding’ will be a connection to the gastronomy festival serving ‘Hue vegetarian dishes’, and much more, with an aim to entice tourists to try Hue cuisine.

From the mysterious Citadel to local neighborhoods, from temples, palaces, tombs to ancient towns and craft villages of Hue, a large number of tourist, cultural and diverse festival activities will take place. Tourists will have a chance to discover diversified living arts of the Hue people, enjoy fantastic tours to communities and lagoons such as ‘Lang Co – the World’s Most Beautiful Bay’, ‘One day, one night, one adventure’, ‘Tam Giang, Sun and Wind’, ‘Discovering Green Nam Dong’, and others. They can make pilgrimages to Hue’s famous pagodas, wallow in traditional and folk festivals, visit the mysterious tombs of Kings, poetic landscapes of the ancient capital, and enjoy Hue’s delicious food and beautiful music on the romantic Huong river.

Hue Festival 2010 promises to be a season of festivities with new, special, impressive and charming activities for tourists from far and near.

Welcome to Hue Festival 2010 for the experience of exciting adventures and charming discoveries.

The growing concern for the environment has made people look into the possibility of using bicycle as their means of transportation. The use of bicycles will allow people to save on petrol while keeping the environment free from harmful smokes that are released through the air as by-products of fuel.

However, the benefits of bicycle riding are somehow counterbalanced by the dangers of bicycle riding. Bicycle riders most often have problems with visibility and these can sometimes lead them to accidents especially if they encounter aggressive and irresponsible vehicle drivers.

If you happen to be caught in this situation, meaning you had an accident while riding or driving a bicycle and you are not at fault then you can claim compensation for the bicycle accident. Bicycle claim compensation may not be so well known but bicycle drivers and passengers who get knocked off their bicycles can claim compensation from the accident, just like victims of other vehicles accidents.

If you are a victim of a bicycle accident then you can file a bicycle compensation claim against the owner of the vehicle who was at fault. The said owner will have a course of action against his insurance company.

Bicycle claim compensation can include the personal injuries suffered by the bicycle rider from the accident. He can also claim compensation for any expenses he may have spent for the repair or replacement of his bicycle and even for his clothes and bike accessories which were damaged as a result of the accident. Aside from that, a bicycle rider who has been hurt in a bicycle accident and who can not work for a period of time due to the accident can also claim the income lost as a result of that accident.

Bicycle drivers can also claim compensation for road injuries as a result of the negligence of other people. People who are responsible for keeping public roads safe for drivers and passengers as well as passers by can also be liable for damages and the bicycle driver can also file a compensation claim against them.

However, victims of bicycle accidents will only be able to claim proper compensation for such accidents if they are represented by a well-experienced solicitor who will help them get proper compensation claim from those who have been negligent and who caused the accident.

Most drivers are covered by liability insurance and this will answer for the compensation claim being sought for by the bicycle driver who figured in the accident. The bicycle driver who was injured in the accident also need not pay his chosen solicitor since the insurance company of the person at fault will pay for the legal fees as well as any settlement that will be agreed by the parties.

Whatever injury you may have suffered while driving a bicycle and whether it was caused by another vehicle which was at fault or a poorly-maintained road, it is always advisable to see a solicitor who can give you the best advice and plan of action in such bicycle compensation claim.

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1. Illegal performance enhancing drugs in your water bottle.

2. Unknown green pills in your pockets.

3. A pizza delivery to you from another bicyclist.

4. Beer holders on your bicycle.

5. A motorized bike.

6. Illegal aerodynamic enhancements.

7. Illegal advertising emblems.

8. Sharp spoke projections on your wheels to damage the wheels of competitors.

9. A water squirt gun.

10. Killer bees.

Here are ten useful tips of advice from a bicycle accident lawyer to follow if you have been in an accident. You can also learn more about how to handle a bicycle accident in Oxnard, or any city, by calling the Law Offices of R. Sebastian Gibson at any of the numbers which can be found on our website at http://www.SebastianGibsonLaw.com  and learning how we can assist you.

Obviously, if you have had an accident, and you are reading all of this advice, it may have been a few hours since the accident. However, if you ever have another accident, or if it’s only been a few hours since you were hurt, here’s what you should do from the start.

First, take a look around and determine if you or anyone, are hurt. If so, taking steps like trying to prevent further injury or loss of blood are the most important thing you can do. Even if some other driver caused you to be injured, it’s just good manners to help the other driver if they are hurt. They may even be so thankful that they admit their fault to you. The worst thing you can do is get angry or start a fight.

Second, make sure everyone is safe from being injured further. If you are in the middle of traffic, and you are dizzy, sit down away from traffic. If your vehicle is a traffic hazard and you have accident warning devices like flares or triangles, put them out on the road to warn other drivers and get away from the car. Let the police an other emergency personnel investigate the scene with the vehicles in place and move them more safely at a later point.

Third, call the police. Accident reports are extremely helpful if the police will do such a report. Let the police know you are injured immediately. Answer the police questions honestly. But if you are dazed or confused, let them know you need medical treatment and answer only what you feel sure about. Remember, your statements can and will be used against you if you admit fault, and it will be too late and too fishy to later say you didn’t know what you were saying at the scene. Police know that your best recollection is immediately after an accident.

Fourth, get the other driver’s information including their names, addresses, driver’s license numbers, make and model of their vehicles, license plate numbers, and their insurance company name and policy number. If there are witnesses, get their names, addresses and telephone numbers as well. If the other driver makes any admissions of fault, write those down as well.

Fifth, if you have a camera on your cell phone or in the car and you aren’t too injured, take some photos of the vehicles and the scene. If you can’t do it right away, do it after you are released from the hospital.

Sixth, if you are hurt, obtain medical treatment. Don’t decline the ambulance or hospital examination to save your insurance company money or to be stoic. Take your valuables out of your car if you can and get checked out at the hospital. If you are not hurt, don’t get treatment you don’t need. However, remember, after an accident, you may feel a rush of adrenaline that causes you to only start feeling symptoms of pain a few hours later. If you have a health plan that requires you to obtain permission first, call them and find out where you are allowed to seek treatment.

Seventh, call a good bicycle accident attorney as soon as you have had your initial treatment, so the attorney can gather other important evidence and prevent the insurance company from taking advantage of you and obtaining such things as recorded statements that you feel fine, when many of your symptoms have yet to manifest themselves. A good bicycle accident lawyer can save you from making a great deal of mistakes and can shoulder much of the hassle of knowing what to do about car repairs, car rentals, medical treatment, witness statements and the like. If you think you will save money by not having an attorney, think again. A good bicycle accident lawyer can almost always obtain much higher settlements, obtain reductions of medical bills and insurance liens and prevent you from making costly mistakes. Also, most bicycle accident attorneys advance costs of obtaining police reports, medical records and the like and are paid and reimbursed for these costs only out of any settlement.

Eight, you will need to report the accident to your insurance company, but since they will want to take a recorded statement from you, just like any other driver’s insurance company, it’s good advice to retain an attorney first. And if the other driver did not have insurance, remember that it is your own insurance company that will be your adversary. You will also need to report the accident to the Department of Motor Vehicles and your lawyer can give you the form for this.

Ninth, do not agree to settle your claim privately with the person at fault for the accident. This almost never works out to your advantage. Don’t agree not to call the police. Police reports that determine the fault for an accident are golden. Your agreement to not involve the police only affords an opportunity for the other driver to change his story and blame you when the police will no longer investigate the accident.

Tenth, don’t pay a traffic ticket without a fight if you weren’t at fault or agree to accept a small payment for your vehicle repairs without knowing that the amount will in fact cover the cost of all the repairs.

If you’ve had a bicycle accident in Oxnard, Long Beach, Santa Monica, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Camarillo, Ojai, Morro Bay, Paso Robles, Cambria or San Luis Obispo, or anywhere in Southern California, we have the knowledge and resources to be your Oxnard Bicycle Accident Lawyer and your Ventura Bicycle Accident Attorney. Be sure to hire a California law firm with auto, motorcycle, truck, bicycle, pedestrian, car, bus, train, boat and airplane accident experience, wrongful death experience and insurance law expertise who can ensure you are properly represented and get the compensation you deserve.

If you have a personal injury legal matter, a dog bite or if you’ve lost a loved one in a wrongful death accident, call the Law Offices of R. Sebastian Gibson, or visit our website at http://www.SebastianGibsonLaw.com  and learn how we can assist you.

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