Tag: Tour de France teams

The bicycle was introduced in the 19th century in Europe by German Inventor Karl von Drais. He is credited with developing the first bicycle. He introduced it to the people in Paris in 1818. It is supposed to originate from the human-powered vehicle called Draisines. Drais invented a walking machine that would help him get around the royal gardens faster. It was known by many names, including the “velocipede,” “dandy horse,” “hobby-horse,” “draisine” and “running machine. It had no pedals and its frame was a wooden beam. It had two same-size in-line wheels with the front one steerable and mounted in a frame which was straddled. In 1839, Kirkpatrick MacMillan, a Scottish blacksmith, allegedly completed construction of a pedal driven…

  2009 Tour Quick Facts 3,459.5 km raced at an average speed of 40.316 km/hr 180 starters and 156 classified finishers. Lance Armstrong came out of retirement and vied with Alberto Contador for supremecy within Astana. Contador, in scintillating form, was not to be denied victory in 2009. The Schleck brothers provided the principle challenge to Contador. Armstrong lacked the punch he had in previous Tour rides and finished a very credible third. Armstrong was later stripped of this third place when his extensive doping was revealed. Final 2009 Tour de France General Classification 1. Alberto Contador (Astana) 85 hr 48 min 35 sec 2. Andy Schleck (Saxo) + 4 min 11 sec 3. Lance Armstrong (Astana) + 5 min…