Listen in as Versus commentator and Vision Quest head coach Robbie Ventura talks about the upcoming 2008 Tour de France. What are the riders doing that you don't see on TV? What happens to the riders' bikes after each stage? Which riders will be good to watch? Which stages will be the most exciting? Robbie weighs in on all these topics plus gives us a preview of some of the topics that he'll discuss during this year's Tour.

Listen now.

from Allen Lim, PhD
It’s done. All the training, planning, preparation, running around like a crazy person, thinking, and talking is done. All we have left is staying cool, having some fun, banking some extra sleep, checking out the individual time trial course in Cholet, driving to Brest, dealing with the media, getting two short rides in, and making sure we’ve got all our new equipment and clothing in order before kitting up for the big start on Saturday. Okay, maybe there’s still a lot to be done in this final week before the Tour. The important thing, however, is that the guys are all wicked fit right now, morale is great, and we are all ready to go.

from Bruce Hildenbrand
The 2008 Tour de France begins this Saturday, July 5th in Brest. With no clear favorite for the yellow jersey, this could be the most exciting Tour in years. Americans will be well-represented by Jonathan Vaughter's Garmin-Chipotle team which recently dropped the 'Slipstream' moniker when it signed GPS-maker Garmin as its title sponsor.

The boys in argyle will be utilizing a whole host of CycleOps Power products most notably PowerTap hubs and Pro Series trainers. CycleOps Power will be following our favorite team from the start of the Tour through the Pyrenees mountains, the Alps and finally to Paris as we chronicle the ups and downs of the world's greatest bike race.

from CycleOps Power
The guys in argyle wrapped up their final preparations for the Tour with a week in Girona, Spain. Magnus Backstedt, Julian Dean, Will Frischkorn, Ryder Hesjedal, Trent Lowe, Martijn Maaskant, David Millar, Danny Pate, and Christian Vande Velde were all present with a full support staff of 18 people in Girona to make sure everyone was ready.

The Stillwater criterium has been coined the 'toughest criterium in America.' With its famous (or shall we say 'infamous') Chilkoot Hill averaging 14% grade, it is certainly no walk in the park. The rest of the course offers no reprieve. After racers sprint off the finish line to tackle the 250+ yard climb (think 2.5 football fields), they turn a corner and continue ascending to the top of the course. They then face a screaming descent where they have to navigate 4 90-degree corners at speeds of up to 45 miles per hour. Good bike-handling skills are essential, and riders have to stay alert as they maneuver their bikes at such high speeds. Plus, riders who stay with the main field, are doing very little coasting to recover.