Notes:  (latest notes always appear at the top, below sticky notes)

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- Thursday's Dauphine Libere Stage 5 departs Valence at 12:40 CET (6:40am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish on Mont Ventoux between 16:43 and 17:15 CET (10:43am and 11:15am U.S. Eastern).  Dauphiné Libéré live video streaming on Cycling TV is scheduled to begin at 15:45 CET (9:45am U.S. Eastern).  Dauphine Libere live coverage on Eurosport is scheduled to begin at 16:00 CET (10am U.S. Eastern).  We will list other sources of Dauphine live feeds as they become available.

- Dauphine LIVE now on Eurosport.

- Eurosport still with tennis...

- Dauphine LIVE on Cycling TV.  Link at right.

- Dauphine Libere:  Time Trial profile and partial Start Order and Times below...

Pick today's Time Trial winner and win!

- U.S. only:  Email the Editor with your pick for today's Time Trial winner and you could win the above-pictured poster celebrating 60 years of the Criterium du Dauphine Libere, a race won twice by Lance Armstrong.  Poster features, in addition to Armstrong, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Thevenet, Bernard "W" Hinault, Miguel Indurain and others.  In the event of multiple winners, I will randomly pick one poster winner.  Only picks received before 10:15am U.S. Eastern today will be considered.  Poster will be mailed to a U.S. address only.  -Pete

Dauphine Libere Stage 4 Time Trial Profile

- Dauphine Libere Stage 4 TT partial Start Order and Times:

Riders will depart at one-minute intervals with the final 20 riders departing at two-minute intervals.  

14:17 CET (8:17am U.S. Eastern): Devolder
14:52 CET (8:52am U.S. Eastern): Pereiro
14:59 CET (8:59am U.S. Eastern): Boonen
15:12 CET (9:12am U.S. Eastern): Gesink
15:17 CET (9:17am U.S. Eastern): Basso
15:24 CET (9:24am U.S. Eastern): Grabsch
15:52 CET (9:52am U.S. Eastern): Millar
15:54 CET (9:54am U.S. Eastern): Gutierrez
15:56 CET (9:56am U.S. Eastern): Vaugrenard
16:06 CET (10:06am U.S. Eastern): Valverde
16:08 CET (10:08am U.S. Eastern): Contador
16:10 CET (10:10am U.S. Eastern): Landaluze
16:12 CET (10:12am U.S. Eastern): Evans
16:14 CET (10:14am U.S. Eastern): Turpin
16:16 CET (10:16am U.S. Eastern): Trofimov
16:18 CET (10:18am U.S. Eastern): Pauriol
16:20 CET (10:20am U.S. Eastern): Terpstra

- Dauphine Libere Stage 4 Individual Time Trial (42.4km) from Bourg-les-Valence to Valence is scheduled to get underway at 13:25 CET (7:25am U.S. Eastern) when the first rider departs.  Dauphiné Libéré live video streaming on Cycling TV is scheduled to begin at 15:45 CET (9:45am U.S. Eastern).  Dauphine Libere live coverage on Eurosport is scheduled to begin at 16:00 CET (10am U.S. Eastern).  We will list other sources of Dauphine live feeds as they become available.

- We recommend you open our Twitter feed in a separate window now.  If ever we have a server outage, we will update on Twitter and direct you to a live coverage page on another server.

- Welcome to our live coverage guide for the 2009 Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré.

 Notes:  (latest notes always appear at the top, below sticky notes)

Follow cyclingfans on Twitter and never miss a race. Cyclingfans.com: The #1 source on the internet for live race coverage.

Dauphine Libere Stage 4 Time Trial Profile

- Wednesday's Dauphine Libere Stage 4 Individual Time Trial (42.4km) from Bourg-les-Valence to Valence is scheduled to get underway at 13:25 CET (7:25am U.S. Eastern) when the first rider departs.  Riders will depart at one-minute intervals with the final 20 riders departing at two-minute intervals.  (Full TT Start Order and Times to come.)  Dauphiné Libéré live video streaming on Cycling TV is scheduled to begin at 15:45 CET (9:45am U.S. Eastern).  Dauphine Libere live coverage on Eurosport is scheduled to begin at 16:00 CET (10am U.S. Eastern).  We will list other sources of Dauphine live feeds as they become available.

- Dauphine LIVE on Cycling TV.  Link at right.

- Dauphine Libere LIVE on Eurosport. 

Dauphine Libere Stage 3 Profile

- Dauphine Libere Stage 3 departs Tournus at 12:30 CET (6:30am U.S. Eastern) and is expected in Saint-Etienne between 16:54 and 17:29 CET (10:54am and 11:29am U.S. Eastern).  Dauphiné Libéré live video streaming on Cycling TV is scheduled to begin at 15:45 CET (9:45am U.S. Eastern).  Dauphine Libere live coverage on Eurosport is scheduled to begin at 16:00 CET (10am U.S. Eastern).  We will list other sources of Dauphine live feeds as they become available.

- We recommend you open our Twitter feed in a separate window now.  If ever we have a server outage, we will update on Twitter and direct you to a live coverage page on another server.

- Welcome to our live coverage guide for the 2009 Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré.

 Notes:  (latest notes always appear at the top, below sticky notes)

Follow cyclingfans on Twitter and never miss a race. Cyclingfans.com: The #1 source on the internet for live race coverage.

- Tuesday's Dauphine Libere Stage 3 departs Tournus at 12:30 CET (6:30am U.S. Eastern) and is expected in Saint-Etienne between 16:54 and 17:29 CET (10:54am and 11:29am U.S. Eastern).  Dauphiné Libéré live video streaming on Cycling TV is scheduled to begin at 15:45 CET (9:45am U.S. Eastern).  Dauphine Libere live coverage on Eurosport is scheduled to begin at 16:00 CET (10am U.S. Eastern).  We will list other sources of Dauphine live feeds as they become available.

- Dauphine Libere LIVE now on Eurosport.

- France 3 is geo-restricted.  Note that even in France, there is no national TV coverage of the Dauphine Libere until the weekend; coverage during the week is on regional TV and that rotates throughout the week.  (So for example, people in some French regions won't have the Ventoux stage on TV; those with computers will have to rely on internet streaming.)  Next up: Eurosport at 15:15 CET 9:15am U.S. Eastern), though they are giving priority to ATP tennis on the main Eurosport channel.  Stay tuned.

- Dauphine Libere LIVE now on Cycling TV.  Link at right.

Dauphine Libere Stage 2 Profile

- Dauphine Libere Stage 2 departs Nancy at 10:15 CET (4:15am U.S. Eastern) and is expected in Dijon between 15:46 and 16:25 CET (9:46am and 10:25am U.S. Eastern).  Dauphiné Libéré live video streaming on Cycling TV is scheduled to begin at 14:50 CET (8:50am U.S. Eastern).  Dauphine Libere live streaming on France 3 is also scheduled to begin at that time.  We will list other sources of Dauphine live feeds as they become available.

- We recommend you open our Twitter feed in a separate window now.  If ever we have a server outage, we will update on Twitter and direct you to a live coverage page on another server.

- Welcome to our live coverage guide for the 2009 Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré.

 Notes:  (latest notes always appear at the top, below sticky notes)

Follow cyclingfans on Twitter and never miss a race. Cyclingfans.com: The #1 source on the internet for live race coverage.

- Monday's Dauphine Libere Stage 2 departs Nancy at 10:15 CET (4:15am U.S. Eastern) and is expected in Dijon between 15:46 and 16:25 CET (9:46am and 10:25am U.S. Eastern).  Dauphiné Libéré live video streaming on Cycling TV is scheduled to begin at 14:50 CET (8:50am U.S. Eastern).  Dauphine Libere live streaming on France 3 is also scheduled to begin at that time.  We will list other sources of Dauphine live feeds as they become available.

- Dauphine Libere LIVE video streaming now via Eurosport. 

- Dauphine Libere LIVE now on Cycling TV.  Link at right.  (Subscription)

- Dauphine Libere live coverage on Eurosport is scheduled to get underway at 18:00 CET (12pm U.S. Eastern).  We monitor possible sources of live streaming throughout the stage each day of the race.

- Dauphine Libere Stage 1 TT:  Full Start Order and Times here.  (.pdf)

- LIVE now: Tour of Luxembourg Official Website -Live ticker

- Note:  The Dauphine Libere organizers have made a slight change to the start time today.  The first rider will depart at 16:09 instead of 16:20 CET.

- Select Dauphine Libere Stage 1 TT Start Order and Times:

First rider to depart: Frank (BMC): 16:09 CET (10:09am U.S. Eastern)

Gesink:  16:37 CET (10:37am U.S. Eastern)
Boonen:  18:19 CET (12:19pm U.S. Eastern)
Pereiro:  18:20 CET (12:20pm U.S. Eastern)
Millar:  18:28 CET (12:28pm U.S. Eastern)
Evans:  18:32 CET (12:32pm U.S. Eastern)
Contador: 18:33 CET (12:33pm U.S. Eastern)
Basso:  18:35 CET (12:35pm U.S. Eastern)
Grabsch:  18:37 CET (12:37pm U.S. Eastern)
Devolder:  18:38 CET (12:38pm U.S. Eastern)
Valverde:  18:39 CET (12:39pm U.S. Eastern)

- Dauphine Libere video clips:  We will be maintaining a list of Dauphine video clips here.  We've already listed some great historical footage of the race below, including one from 1983 where Greg LeMond gets a stage win and takes over the race lead:

(Click image to view clip.  More DL video clips listed below.)

10 Years Ago at Roland Garros

1999 French Open: Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf practice on the
Friday before the final weekend. Both were surprise winners
in the Finals.
photos Copyright © Pete Geyer/www.cyclingfans.com

- Roland Garros (French Open):  On the Friday before the Women's (Saturday) and Men's (Sunday) Finals of the 1999 Roland Garros tournament, I shot Andre Agassi's and Steffi Graf's practice sessions, on the same satellite court at different times of the day.  Graf went on to win her finals match in a stunner over Martina Hingis; it was Graf's first Grand Slam victory in 3 years.  The next day, Agassi came back from a 2 set to love deficit to stun Andrei Medvedev in five sets; it was Agassi's first Grand Slam victory in four years.  The two champions danced at the winners' ball, then began dating before marrying in 2001.  1999 was a big summer for Americans in Paris as the month following Agassi's historic victory, Lance Armstrong won his first Tour de France.  The 2009 Roland Garros Men's Final is today: Roger Federer vs. Robin Soderling...  -Pete

- Dauphiné Libéré Stage 1 Individual Time Trial in Nancy starts at 16:09 CET (10:09am U.S. Eastern) when the first rider departs.  Riders will depart at 1-minute intervals.  Dauphiné Libéré live video streaming on Cycling TV is scheduled to begin at 17:30 CET (11:30am U.S. Eastern).  Dauphiné live coverage on Eurosport is scheduled to begin at 18:00 CET (12pm U.S. Eastern).  We will list other sources of Dauphine live feeds as they become available.

- We recommend you open our Twitter feed in a separate window now.  If ever we have a server outage, we will update on Twitter and direct you to a live coverage page on another server.

- Welcome to our live coverage guide for the 2009 Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré.

- You know the Tour de France is right around the corner when Pierre Ballester and David Walsh publish another book about Lance Armstrong.  Obviously they didn't take the advice of esteemed International Herald Tribune reporter Sam Abt who suggested a couple of years ago it was perhaps time for them to "move on".  Of course, Walsh and Ballester's favorite subject was in retirement then.  He's back now and so are they.  Fair enough, except that early indications are that the book, "Le Sale Tour" (or The Dirty Tour), published today, is filled with wild speculation about Armstrong's reasons for returning to the sport, including future political ambitions, to make money, etc.  (Chicago Bulls basketball star Michael Jordan made more than $30 million in salary per year each of the last few years of his career, not including endorsements.  Armstrong is not taking a salary for riding for Astana but naturally is able to command high appearance fees.)  Ballester and Walsh also assert "(Tour de France organizer) ASO's new strategy is more turned towards business than the credibility of the sport".  Huh?  That has always been ASO's "strategy" and always will be for as long as they own the race.

Three years ago I asked Ballester, who once covered cycling, including Greg LeMond's comeback 20 years ago, for French sports daily L'Equipe, if he was a cycling fan.  He said no, his sport is rugby.  Funny, a former French rugby player last year stated that dope testing is virtually non-existent in the sport.  No wonder Ballester (and Walsh for that matter) likes rugby.  It is "clean" because no one is out to bust it.  Meanwhile, for over 10 years pro cycling, an easy target, is repeatedly targeted at every opportunity.

Will it ever end?  Not as long as there is money to be made tearing down the sport.

-Pete

 Notes:  (latest notes always appear at the top, below sticky notes)

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- Watch the Giro d'Italia Stage 21 On Demand on Universal Sports here.  (Over three and one half hours of coverage.  North America.)

- More Giro d'Italia Stage 21 videos to come...

2009 Giro d'Italia video clips

- Giro d'Italia LIVE video via Eurosport.

- Giro d'Italia LIVE video streaming on Rai. 

- Giro LIVE now on Universal Sports.  Link at right.

- Giro d'Italia LIVE now on Rai Sport Piu.  (First Rai link at right.)

- Giro Rome TT start order and times here. (.pdf)

Alberto Contador in the snow on Tour de France reconnaissance
at the Col du Petit-Saint-Bernard.  This mountain pass
will be featured in Stage 16.  But Contador will first race in the
Dauphine Libere which starts in one week.
photo courtesy T. Guillot/Le Dauphiné Libéré (more photos)

- 2009 Dauphiné Libéré:  This race starts one week from today.  We'll have pre-race coverage starting tomorrow, Monday.  Dauphine Libere official website here.  Race route.  Stages. 

- Tour of Belgium: Like the Giro, the Tour of Belgium finishes with an individual time trial today.  First rider to depart: Mathieu Criquielion at 13:20 CET (7:20am U.S. Eastern).  Race leader Lars Boom departs at 15:33 CET (9:33am U.S. Eastern).  Full start order and times here.  Live video, tickers and other links below.

- Giro d'Italia Stage 21 Individual Time Trial in Rome starts at 13:45 CET (7:45am U.S. Eastern) when the first rider, Evgeny Sokolov (BBox Bouygues Telecom) departs.  Race leader Denis Menchov will depart last, scheduled at 17:01 CET (11:01am U.S. Eastern).  Riders will depart at 1-minute intervals with the final 15 riders departing at 3-minute intervals.  Giro d'Italia live video streaming on Universal Sports is scheduled to begin at 8:50am U.S. Eastern.  Giro live coverage on Eurosport is scheduled to begin at 15:45 CET (9:45am U.S. Eastern).  The Rai Sport Piu web streams usually go live before television coverage.

- Tour of Belgium live video streaming is scheduled to begin at 14:10 CET (8:10am U.S. Eastern).  Links below.

- Watch the Giro d'Italia Stage 20 On Demand on Universal Sports here.  (Over three hours of coverage.  North America.)

- We recommend you open our Twitter feed in a separate window now.  If ever we have a server outage, we will update on Twitter and direct you to a live coverage page on another server.

- Welcome to our live coverage guide for the 2009 Giro d'Italia.