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Besides the carnaval festivities which we celibrated last weekend, each year during the month of February, the Algarve welcomes hundreds of sportsloving fans who come and witness the “Volta ao Algarve”, the Tour of the Algarve for professional cycle racers. This year, the 36th edition took place between 17th of February and today, 21st February. More than 200 cyclists and 23 national and international teams challenged each other to win this race. This race is the only race in the world of “class 2.1″ which succeeds in inviting the majority of the “Pro Tour” racing teams.

Two times winner of the Tour de France, winner of the Tour of Spain and Giro d’Italia, Spanish rider Alberto Contador, who won this race last year, insisted on participating in this year’s edition as well. As a matter of fact, I believe it was his first race after more than 206 days without competition. Last Wednesday, during the first stage in between Faro and Albufeira, in his first day of competion, Contador was attacking constantly. Last Friday, during the third stage in between Castro Marim and Malhao, he won his first race of 2010, and today, he became second in the time trial between Lagoa and Portimao as well. He didn’t win today’s stage only because UCI had made some problems regarding his team’s special time trial bikes. Alberto Contador has won this 36st edition of the Tour of Algarve for the second year in a row, which proofs he is currently the best professional cycle racer of the world. I am already looking forward to this year’s Tour de France where he will meet with 7 times winner Lance Armstrong.

This years overall results:

1) Alberto Contador.

2) Luis Sanchez.

3) Tiago Machado.

4) Levi Leipheimer.

5) Samuel Gonzalez.

Having been a cycle race fan all my life, it was pretty normal for me that I was following this year’s event pretty closely. Obviously, I also took some pictures.

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Next Saturday, the 2009 Tour de France takes its start in Monaco. Having been a cycle fan all my life, there is no doubt that I will be following this year’s event pretty closely. As has been in the past for the last decades, a lot of words have already been written, a lot of press coverage has been spent even before the first stage takes off. But seldom has it been like this year.

First of all, because the boss himself, seven times winner Lance Armstrong has returned to professional cycling again. Despite him being the outsider, I am personally convinced that he returns to France in order to make a serious attempt to win the event for the 8th time. Armstrong is part of the strongest team in professional cycling as far as the big events are concerned (Giro, Tour & Vuelta), but the Astana team was banned for participating last year for the stupid reason that in 2007, a couple of their riders had been guilty on doping. The French ASO (Amoury Sports Organisation), the organisor of the Tour de France, didn’t even listen to the arguments of Belgian Johan Bruyneel, the new boss of the Astana team. He had changed the whole team, put in place one of the most complete anti-doping controlling systems, new management, new directors, he had changed everything but the sponsor’s name.

ASO, considering themselves as being more catholic than the Pope, decided to ban Astana last year. So watch out for their revenge this year! I honestly believe (and hope) that the Astana team will win this year’s event. I’d even say more: I hope they will get the whole podium with winner (Armstrong or Contador), second (Contador or Armstrong) and third: (Leipheimer or Klöden). We’ll only know for sure about this Sunday July 26th. But it would be another first: never in the rich history of the Tour de France did one team win the whole podium. I only hope nobody of the riders will have serious accidents.

However, the “pre-Tour de France winner of 2009″ is undoubtedly the Belgian Quick-Step team. A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about Tom Boonen who was caught on cocaine during an out of competition test. You can read my story here. Just like he was caught last year. Last year, ASO banned him from participating of the 2008 Tour de France. Knowing the French a little bit, there was going to be no doubt at all that they were going to take the same decision: banning Tom Boonen from this year’s Tour as well.

Guess what: they took the same decision. A decision that is now being contested by the Belgian Quick-Step team. The day before yesterday, a French court (with French judges, being pretty “chauvinistic”, declared themselves not to be able to come to a verdict. Now the Belgians are going to proceed before the French Olympic Committee in order to get a permission for Tom Boonen to take the start in Monaco next Saturday. Pretty short notice. A couple of the “judges” over there are lawyers working for ASO! I don’t think the  new Belgian champion will participate in this year’s Tour. I can be wrong, but call it a “gut-feeling”.

However, there can be absolutely NO DOUBT at all that the Quick-Step team has gained a lot of advantages and publicity out of Boonen’s mistake.

First of all, they were furious, which is completely normal. But: the whole European sports press was covering this story, giving Quick-Step a lot of publicity.

Secondly: the team suspended Tom Boonen for a couple of weeks of participating in other races. Word goes around that he had to pay a € 250.000 fine to the team. I also have a “gut-feeling” that Tom Boonen will be “convicted” to stay in the Quick-Step team for the rest of his career. Just like ASO, the Belgian Quick-Step manager Patrick Lefevre pretends to be more catholic than the Pope as well. He is a good leader, and has a big impact on his riders’ lives. But… he knows nothing about doping. Although he’s not from Barcelona (Fawlty Towers’ Manuel). And he doesn’t want to know anything about it… And, he can’t afford to lose his champion to another team. So he will have “convinced” Tom Boonen that he’s got no other chance than stay with his team. At a much lower monthly salary than before. Still being overly paid, but then again, he’s a sports star as well! So Quick-Step is spending less money to their star!

And thirdly: the whole European sports press is curious whether or not Tom Boonen will take the start next Saturday. Giving Quick-Step a whole lot of additional press coverage again.

But then again, as soon as this Tour takes the start, ALL riders and ALL their teams will have become no news anymore. As the whole world will be focussing on Lance Armstrong only!

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