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Tour de France: Harvey Goes Heavy on Americans.
Ian Harvey is the Toko Brand Manager and lives in Heber, UT. He's a former Olympian in biathlon and has been a tremendous supporter of the US Ski Team.
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\r\nIan Harvey’s Picks
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\r\nGC
\r\n 1. Lance Armstrong
\r\n 2. Jan Ullrich
\r\n 3. Tyler Hamilton
\r\n 4. Mayo fourth
\r\n 5. Heras fifth
\r\n 6. Leipheimer sixth
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\r\n 3 Americans in top 6!
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\r\nGreen Jersey
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\r\n 1. O’Grady – I’d have picked Pettachi, but I think he’s going to drop out.
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\r\nPolka Dot Jersey
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\r\n 1. Virenque – I hate this guy, but I have to pick him
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\r\nWhite Jersey
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\r\n 1. Rodgers – Surprise finisher will be 10th overall
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\r\nSTAGE PICKS
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\r\nThe Prologue: Stage Zero: Saturday July 3rd
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\r\nThe 2004 edition of the Tour gets underway with its classic send-off, the prologue with le tour actually beginning in… Liege, Belgium. That’s right, the same namesake of the oldest World Cup classic, Liege-Bastogne-Leige opens the tour with a six-kilometer TT along the banks of the river Meuse. Suiting powerful time triallists, the flat course offers riders the first chance at a psychological edge over their competitors. Who’ll strike first? Pick the TT winner.
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\r\nLannemezan- Plateau De Beille: Stage 13: Saturday July 17th
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\r\nCycleSport is calling stage thirteen “the second day of pain.” The 205 kilometer ride comes at the heels of yesterday’s six hour stage. It’s a classic Pyrenean stage with pairs of category three, category two and category one climbs before a final classic summit finish. The roads are also notoriously poor – narrow, twisting, questionably surfaced. Make sure not to pick this year’s Joseba.
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\r\nBourg D’Oisans- Alpe D’Huez TT: Stage 16: Wednesday July 21st
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\r\nOne of the truly legendary rides, the author believes Alpe D’Huez will be the Tour’s moment of truth. Lance has ridden the fifteen point five kilometer climb ten times in May to “get to know every centimeter of it.” But is he even the favorite? That’s for you to decide. For climbers and the overall GC, Stage 16 has the makings of an epic day.
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\r\nMontereau-Paris: Sprinter’s Dream: Stage 20: Sunday July 25th
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\r\nThe mountain goat and wearer of the maillot jeune will probably be rolling leisurely up the Champs-Elysees. For the sprinters and the green jersey boys though, this is as good as it gets. Expect a bunch sprint to end the 163 kilometer stage and final Tour day. A corner 400 meters out begins the drive to the line. Who has enough petrol left in the legs for this slightly uphill finish to a 3,000 kilometer event?
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\r\nStages:
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\r\nPrologue
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\r\n McGee
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\r\nStage 13
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\r\n Armstrong
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\r\nStage 16
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\r\n Armstrong
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\r\nStage 20
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\r\n Pettachi
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Written By: IHarveyDate Posted: 6/30/2004Number of Views: 331
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