The Tour and the terror Jul 23, 2008
The 1992 Olympic road cycling champion, Italian Fabio Casartelli, died in 1995 from cardiac arrest and massive head injuries after crashing in the Pyrenees ... Andy Schleck, brother of Frank Schleck, lost a crucial nine minutes in the Pyrenees during this race because of a hunger knock, Mr Chapman said. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Sport)
Cavendish makes Tour history, Evans still in yellow Jul 18, 2008
"It was a difficult finish and there was a lot of wind at the end but that just shows the strength of our team," added Cavendish, who admitted that struggling to get over the Pyrenees mountains had left him depleted. "I didn't win with the same margin I did on my previous stage wins, and that shows how tired I am now, but I still managed to win nonetheless. I'm really happy.". (Sydney Morning Herald -- Sport)
McEwen minds his mate Jul 18, 2008
As the Tour farewelled the Pyrenees and began the west to east journey through southern France towards to the Alps - which the race enters on Sunday with stage 15 from Embrun to Prato Nevoso in Italy - Evans was still first overall, but by one second on Luxembourg's Frank Schleck (CSC). Come the Alps, Evans expects to be fully recovered from his injuries suffered in a crash last Sunday. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Sport)
HOPE VS. DOPE: Tour's drug busts are good news/bad news Jul 18, 2008
The word going into today's stage was that Cavendish, 23 and riding in his second Tour, was knackered from the Pyrenees, and still bruised by a scary spill in Stage 10 that left him in a ditch ... As the 2008 Tour makes its way from the Pyrenees to the Alps, I believe there are more reasons to celebrate than despair. (SportsIllustrated.CNN)
Second Spaniard to fail dope test, Evans remains in yellow Jul 17, 2008
Evans, riding for Silence, rode in with the main peloton 14:51 later following a bizarre final stage in the Pyrenees mountains which saw him retain his 1sec lead over CSC's Frank Schleck. Still in third place overall is American Christian Vande Velde, at 38, with Gerolsteiner rider Bernhard Kohl of Austria in fourth at 57. (The Star Online, Malaysia -- Sports)
Doping issues plague Tour Jul 17, 2008
The trek featured one tough category one climb, the last big ascent in the Pyrenees. WINNER: Norwegian champion Kurt-Asle Arvesen just beat Swiss rider Martin Elmiger and Italy's Alessandro Ballan in a photo finish for his first Tour stage win. (News & Observer -- Sports)
Arvesen wins 11th stage Jul 17, 2008
Evans, the Silence Lotto team leader and a pre-race favorite in the three-week event, led Frank Schleck of Luxembourg by one second heading into the rolling 11th stage through the Pyrenees foothills. Evans leads his top rivals by nearly 15 minutes. (SportsIllustrated.CNN)
The chase continues Jul 16, 2008
After 10 stages and more than 46 hours of racing, competitors took a rest day Tuesday after two punishing days in the Pyrenees in which Evans captured the yellow jersey for the first time in his career. Several rivals wilted up the Tourmalet and Hautacam passes, narrowing the field of likely competitors for cycling's ultimate prize when the three-week race ends in Paris on July 27. (News & Observer -- Sports)
Tour de France rivals have mixed fortunes Jul 15, 2008
Having fallen hard on his shoulder the day before, Evans had been expected to struggle in the Pyrenees. Instead, it was Valverde who wilted Monday up the daunting passes of Tourmalet and Hautacam. (San Francisco Chronicle -- Sports)
Cycling: Moving day for yellow jersey Jul 15, 2008
HAUTACAM, France --- A bruised and sore Cadel Evans of Australia took the yellow jersey Monday at the Tour de France after Leonardo Piepoli of Italy won a punishing climb through the Pyrenees to capture the 10th stage ... 9-mile ride from Pau to Hautacam featured famed Tour ascents up the Tourmalet and Hautacam, among the most difficult in the Pyrenees, and so hard they do not have a classification. (The Augusta Chronicle)
Schleck mulls Tour de France strategy amid one-second deficit to leader Evans Jul 15, 2008
After 10 stages and more than 46 hours of racing, competitors took a rest day Tuesday after two punishing days in the Pyrenees in which a teary-eyed Evans captured the yellow jersey for the first time in his career. Several rivals wilted up the Tourmalet and Hautacam passes in the 10th stage, narrowing the field of likely competitors to take home the prized shirt when the three-week race ends in Paris on July 27. (International Herald Tribune -- Arts)
From long shot to contender Jul 14, 2008
The Italian showed his strength in the Pyrenees yesterday by winning the ninth stage of the Tour de France while Luxembourg's Kim Kirchen kept the yellow jersey ... He is expected to ride today for the demanding second day in the Pyrenees. (Boston Globe)
Cadel apologises for his French faux pas Jul 14, 2008
"I don't need problems with them," Evans told Breakaway before the Tour ventured into the Pyrenees Mountains. Bali backlash. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Sport)
TOUR DE FRANCE Italian 'Cobra' strikes in mountains Jul 14, 2008
The Italian showed his strength in the Pyrenees on Sunday by winning the ninth stage of the Tour de France ... 5-mile ride through the Pyrenees from Pau to Hautacam that includes two above-rated climbs and a mountaintop finish. (San Francisco Chronicle -- Sports)
* LEDE TOUR FRANCE: Columbia train Cavendish to win Jul 14, 2008
McEwen, left to battle on his own for prestigious stage wins, has been struggling since Silence-Lottos decision to put all their men behind Evans bid for the yellow jersey, an objective that will be put to the test in the high mountains of the Pyrenees ... But Columbias efforts in recent days may cost them in the Pyrenees, into which the 31-year-old Evans will take a possible advantage over his Spanish rival ... We pulled through and now well try and get through the Pyrenees as best we... (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
Ricco wins again Jul 14, 2008
9-mile mountain-stage ride from Pau to Hautacam ascends the Tourmalet and the Hautacam, among the most difficult in the Pyrenees and so hard that they do not have a classification in cycling's ranking system ... 2-mile trek through the Pyrenees from Toulouse to Bagneres-de-Bigorre that included two category 1 climbs ... The Italian showed his strength in the Pyrenees on Sunday by winning the ninth stage of the Tour de France cycling race while Luxembourg's Kim Kirchen kept the yellow jersey. (News & Observer -- Sports)
Cavendish gets his 1st Tour victory Jul 13, 2008
Though the ascents are less formidable than the famed and forthcoming stages in the Pyrenees and the Alps, they may give the first indication of how the favorites will fare in the next two weeks. Australian Cadel Evans second last year is the highest-placed rider among the prerace favorites. (San Diego Union-Tribune -- Sports)
Ricco wins 9th stage as Tour de France enters Pyrenees; Kirchen stays overall leader Jul 13, 2008
Riccardo Ricco won the ninth stage of the Tour de France on Sunday, and Kim Kirchen of Luxembourg retained the overall lead as the race veered into the Pyrenees mountains. The Italian captured his second stage victory this year by finishing about a minute ahead of the main pack that included Kirchen. (International Herald Tribune -- Travel)
Italy's Ricco wins 9th stage of Tour Jul 13, 2008
Riccardo Ricco of Italy has won the ninth stage of the Tour de France as riders entered the Pyrenees mountains. It was his second stage victory in this race. (International Herald Tribune -- Travel)
Cavendish sprints to second Tour stage victory Jul 13, 2008
This was the last chance for the sprinters for a while, with riders entering the high mountains of the Pyrenees on Sunday. The 139-mile ninth stage from Toulouse to Bagneres-de-Bigorre includes two especially demanding climbs. (SportsIllustrated.CNN)
Cavendish wins second stage Jul 13, 2008
It was the last chance for the sprinters for a while as the riders enter the high mountains of the Pyrenees on Sunday. Cavendish, who abandoned the Tour during the eighth stage last year, said he was not afraid of the mountains and planned to try to make it all the way to Paris, although he doubted he could take the green jersey of top sprinter this year. (The Age, Australia -- Breaking News)
Tour win for Cavendish Jul 13, 2008
Ahead of two days of tough climbing in the Pyrenees, the yellow jersey battle took a virtual back seat on this rain-lashed stage leading the peloton gradually towards the foot of the mountains. Early attacks were kept on a tight leash, and it took the determination of Laurent Lefevre of Bouygues Telecom to finally break the peloton's resistance. (iAfrica.com)
Evans recovers after crash on Tour's ninth stage Jul 13, 2008
Evans rejoined the peloton with around 80 km to ride in the 224km race, the the first of three days in total in the Pyrenees mountains. Porte later told France 2 television: "He's got numerous scrapes on his elbow, thigh and hip but they're mostly superficial. "He's a bit worried about being able to climb properly. (Sydney Morning Herald -- World)
Caledonia man one of only four U.S. foie gras producers Jul 6, 2008
It reminded Gasset of home near the Pyrenees Mountains 50 miles from Spain. The couple met in Africa. (Winona Daily News, MN)
Our Tour de France Jul 5, 2008
But on a cycling vacation with his wife, Wayne Tefs finds out why even the world's top riders are likely to huff and puff their way up the Pyrenees this month and why the agony is worth it ... It's a sunny June morning just outside of Foix, but my wife and I wear arm warmers as we cycle onto the first gentle slopes of the Pyrenees ... All lovely places with challenging routes, but none quite the challenge of the Pyrenees. (Globe and Mail)
I won't do an Indurain: Evans Jul 4, 2008
The 2008 race is also missing Danish climber Michael Rasmussen, the long-time leader in 2007 whose attacks in the Pyrenees often prompted Contador to follow, but left Evans struggling to follow suit ... Their absence has left Silence-Lotto leader Evans as the favourite, with Spaniard Alejandro Valverde of Caisse d'Epargne tipped to provide his biggest challenge once the going gets tough in the Pyrenees then Alps. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Sport)
Tour de France Begins Drug-Tainted Race With 2007 Champ Out, Evans Favored Jul 4, 2008
Like two years ago, the Alps follow the Pyrenees in this year's race. There are 21 stages, one finishing across the French border in Italy, and the traditional finale on the Champs Elysees in Paris is on July 27. (Bloomberg -- Europe)
Tour de force Jun 29, 2008
"There's a very hard climb up a mountain called Super-Besse before we go into the Alps and Pyrenees. The favourites will have to ensure they don't lose time on the climbs. "There's a new climb in Italy, which is about 12 kilometres, before the second rest day and it has a mountain-top finish. Then it's right into the mountains for the big stuff. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Sport)
Trees climb mountains to escape global warming Jun 27, 2008
French scientists who examined plant records for six mountainous regions, including the western Alps and northern Pyrenees, said their findings point to the dramatic affect climate change is having on plant life ... The surveys showed how the distribution of 171 different plant species varied with time across six mountain ranges, including the Western Alps, the Northern Pyrenees, the Massif Central, the Western Jura, the Vosges and the Corsican range. (guardian.co.uk)
Climbing Trees: Plants Move Uphill as World Warms Jun 27, 2008
An analysis of forest species in six French mountain ranges (the western Alps, northern Pyrenees, Massif Central, western Jura, Vosges and the Corsican range) shows that more than two thirds of them moved at least 60 feet (18. 5 meters) higher on the mountainsides per decade during the 20th century. (Scientific American)
Seeing the world Jun 6, 2008
His sole companions are Katie and Kerr-Mutt, his pair of Great Pyrenees dogs, and Max, Tom and Fey, the team of Suffolk Punch horses. The horses often rock the wagon at night while Lee tries to sleep. (Muscatine Journal, IO)
Exhibitions preview May 17, 2008
He builds bird boxes in inaccessible parts of the Pyrenees mountains in France or creates fake mists to enhance the surrounding landscapes. The resulting images are all very beautiful and ethereal, yet the manipulations he creates suggest darker intentions at play all the same. (Guardian Unlimited -- Arts)
'Miracle Woman' pens her story May 14, 2008
It is located at the foot of the Pyrenees Mountains. It is the town where the Blessed Mother Mary appeared to St. Bernadette in a place called the Grotto, where the healing waters of a spring still flow. (Chippewa Falls Chippewa Herald, WI)
Home for the castoff - Llama sanctuary takes in once trendier pack, guard animals Apr 21, 2008
Missoula District Judge John Larson said his llama, a vigilant gelding named TV, works as a team with the donkey, Augustus, and three Great Pyrenees dogs to safeguard the flock on his ranch south of Lolo ... The Pyrenees pick up on the sound and they know something is up. (Missoulian, MT)
US honors those who fought in Spanish Civil War Apr 21, 2008
"They took a heroic stand, and then had to live in fear after losing their livelihoods," said Anita Toney, whose father, Anthony Toney, abandoned his art scholarship in Paris and walked across the Pyrenees mountains that divide France and Spain to join the fight. This monument makes right that historical injustice, said Spanish Ambassador Carlos Westendorp y Cabeza at the unveiling, after thanking the veterans for risking their lives for his country. (Fresno Bee -- State)
Kenneth Carson\87 Apr 15, 2008
He crossed the Pyrenees Mountains to neutral ground in Spain with Chuck Yeager, the fastest man in the world. Ken was a farmer, worked for Freitag Implement and then at Standard of Beaverdale. (Fort Madison Daily Democrat, IO)
Tour of Pa. will be tough 450-mile test for young racers Apr 13, 2008
"The mountains may not be the Pyrenees or the Alps, but they will be good tests of stamina and grit. On a scale of 1 to 10, this will be an 8 or a 9.". The riders are up-and-coming competitors at the beginnings of their careers, similar to competitors in the NCAA basketball tournament who aspire to play in the NBA.. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA)
Stone Johnnies Apr 6, 2008
With many of the sheep came Basque sheepherders from the French and Spanish Pyrenees mountains. They called the rock markers Rock Boys, a possible origin for Stone Johnny. (Montana Standard, MT)
Pat Battle Blogs from Lourdes Apr 5, 2008
Get breaking news, daily headlines and more. POSTED: 1:33 pm EDT March 22, 2008UPDATED: 11:06 am EDT March 30, 2008. (WNBC.com, NY)
Vivian Watts Feb 19, 2008
The Prairie Star: Montana Ag Newspaper. Barlow waits for wool sheep to lamb; travels for veterinary work. (Great Falls Prairie Star, MT)
French team to visit state for talks on bear habitat Feb 18, 2008
But that's nothing compared to the struggle of the Pyrenees brown bear, a beleaguered cousin whose numbers have dwindled to fewer than two dozen in the mountains that separate France and Spain ... Servheen has worked with Jean-Jacques Camarra, a brown bear biologist in the French Ministry of the Environment, for two decades, accompanying him into the Pyrenees and hosting him on previous visits to the Northern Rockies ... French officials have reintroduced a handful of European brown bears into... (Missoulian, MT)
last week's questions Jan 25, 2008
However it is a great town with plenty going on, top class restaurants, easy access to Barcelona by train (12 return) or if you hire a car, to the foothills of the Pyrenees and the nicer bits of the Costa Brava. Not necessarily a huge amount warmer than the UK, but generally a lot brighter. (Guardian Unlimited -- Travel)
Midwife to Europe's modernity Jan 13, 2008
Or should he focus on the musicians, and the everyday people across the Iberian peninsula and on the other side of the Pyrenees against whom they so often fought ... For example, he informs us based on the perception of contemporary leaders and chroniclers that the Pyrenees Mountains dividing Spain and France constituted a natural border between a relatively enlightened Muslim Andalus and the still semi-barbarian Europe ... As he describes it, the two sides were "effectively checkmated at the... (Boston Globe)
Pyrenees Natives Threaten to Storm French Streets to Block Power Pylons Jan 9, 2008
Pyrenees Natives Threaten to Storm the Streets to Block Pylons ... Jan. 9 (Bloomberg) -- Montferrer, a village in the French Pyrenees surrounded by jagged cliffs and river-carved valleys, is no place for Electricite de France SA to erect giant steel towers in the name of a pan-European power network, says Rene Pastor ... Opposition across the Pyrenees has blocked plans to build more power lines to Spain for 25 years, preventing Electricite de France, Europe's biggest power producer, and Spanish... (Bloomberg -- Europe)
Australian No.1 Stosur out of Open Dec 25, 2007
Geneva-based Mauresmo played little in the late stages of last season, instead concentrating on training that included cycling in the Pyrenees Mountains. Agencies. (The Star Online, Malaysia -- Sports)
December Geosphere media highlights Dec 22, 2007
Characterization of fluvial architectural elements using a three-dimensional outcrop dataset: Escanilla braided system, South-Central Pyrenees, Spain Richard Labourdette, TOTAL/Montpellier 2 University, Geoscience Technologies Department of Structural Geology, Sedimentology, and Geology Laboratory, Avenue Larribau, PAU, Cedex 64 018, France; and Richard R. Jones, Geospatial Research Ltd., Department of Earth Science, University of Durham, Durham DH1 3LE, UK. Keywords: three-dimensional methods,... (EurekAlert!)
Benedicto 'Ben' Urralburu Dec 17, 2007
He spent his early years tending to the family s animals and enjoying rural life in the Pyrenees Mountains. After completing service in the Spanish Army in the 1940s, Ben followed an independent streak and immigrated to the United States in 1952. (Montrose Daily Press, CO)
2008 Spanish Vuelta route unveiled Dec 6, 2007
The route also includes three straight mountain finishes in the Pyrenees, beginning with the 224-kilometer (139-mile) seventh stage, the longest of the race, ending with a 4-kilometer (2. 5-mile) ascent into Andorra. (International Herald Tribune -- Sports)
A field guide to sparkling wines from around the world Dec 1, 2007
In the northern foothills of the Pyrenees mountains lies one of two French locales that claim a sparkling tradition predating Champagne ... Moet on chose Victoria's Yarra Valley as home to its Australian project in 1985, while vineyards in Victoria's Pyrenees mountains and in Tasmanian Pinot Noir regions like Pipers River are growing fruit for refined, small-production sparklers in a style faithful to Champagne. (San Francisco Chronicle)
Like a speeding bullet world's fastest trains Nov 16, 2007
In fact, Spain is literally moving mountains to build a rail link between Barcelona and the French border: The route requires a tunnel through five miles of the Pyrenees chain. High-speed rail is generally defined as public transport by train that exceeds 124 mph. (MSNBC -- Travel)
Inquiry: Rasmussen shouldn't have been in Tour Nov 13, 2007
In a statement, Rabobank conceded that "serious errors of judgment were clearly made,'' mainly by the chairman of the team's board of directors, Theo de Rooij, who quit after the Tour.At a press conference last week, Rasmussen denied doping accusations and also denied lying to Rabobank, saying the team knew where he was before the Tour.In an e-mail to his team about tickets for a training trip to the Pyrenees mountains in late June, Rasmussen wrote: "I prefer if we can keep the trip quiet, as I... (MSNBC -- Sports)
Inquiry says Rasmussen should not have been allowed to ride in Tour de France Nov 13, 2007
In an e-mail to his team about tickets for a training trip to the Pyrenees mountains in late June, Rasmussen wrote: "I prefer if we can keep the trip quiet, as I am supposed to be in Mexico at the time," Vogelzang said ... Rasmussen said he flew to the Pyrenees on June 25 to train for the mountain stages. (International Herald Tribune -- Sports)
'Tis the festive season (almost every week) Nov 6, 2007
Others, such as the Hot Sauce and Fiery Foods Festival in Jindivick, the Ouyen Vanilla Slice Festival, the Portarlington Mussel Festival, the Pyrenees Pink Lamb and Purple Shiraz Festival and the Talbot Yabbie Festival, are brilliant ideas whose time has come ... Taste of Tatura Festival (2) High Country Harvest Festival, Mansfield (7-10) Tastes of Rutherglen (8-16) Pyrenees Pink Lamb and Purple Shiraz Festival, Avoca (10) Harcourt Applefest (14-16) Talbot Yabbie Festival (22). (Sydney Morning Herald -- Entertainment)
Tour 2008 changes should suit Evans Oct 26, 2007
Welcome to The Sydney Morning Herald. Cadel Evans, in action during this year's Tour de France. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Sport)
Waldo the Great Pyrenees and Gus the Goose Oct 14, 2007
Every waking minute is concentrated on "watching" after Waldo the Great Pyrenees, a collie-sized, black and white, shaggy dog that has to concentrate on 150 sheep he and a dog buddy are guarding ... "You need a few Great Pyrenees dogs," his friend counseled ... Thus Hayne became owner of several of the handsome black and white pups, which originally came from Siberia before rising in status to be the guard dogs of nobility in the Pyrenees Mountains between France and Spain. (Orangeburg Times and Democrat, SC)
Winemakers Take to the Hills as Global Warming Threatens to Harm Grapes Sep 25, 2007
We are moving into cooler areas of Catalonia, which has the great advantage of having the Pyrenees 200 kilometers from here,'' Miguel A. Torres, 64, says in an interview at Mas Rabell de Fontenac, a 14th-century farmhouse near the company's headquarters in southern Catalonia ... By having these cooler nights and the influence of the Pyrenees, I'll get that here. (Bloomberg -- Europe)
Soul survivor Sep 19, 2007
"Oh, they have technology better than ours, but they didn't paint like Renoir, they don't dance like Mick Jagger, they don't write like Samuel Johnson or William Faulkner. They are envious of us. We have the most beautiful planet - the Rockies, the purple fields of the United States, the Lake District, the Pyrenees, the turquoise seas of the tropics. They don't have that. They may have gelatinous pools and crystal mountains and they've got the technology to flip from planet to planet or... (Guardian Unlimited)
Life Expectancy For Americans Climbs Sep 13, 2007
The tiny country of Andorra, in the Pyrenees mountains between France and Spain, has the longest life expectancy, at 83 and a-half years. More Stories. (KWTX.com, TX)
'Basque land not for sale' - bombers hit holiday homes Aug 18, 2007
The farmers felt the Pyrenees had become increasingly fashionable for rich newcomers ... "Certain terrorist forces are using the problem of house prices as a cover to commit terrorist acts," said Jean-Jacques Lasserre, head of the Pyrenees-Atlantiques regional council. (Guardian Unlimited)
U.S. slips once again in life expectancy rankings Aug 15, 2007
Andorra, a tiny country in the Pyrenees mountains between France and Spain, had the longest life expectancy, at 83. 5 years, according to the Census Bureau. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Health)
Eta terrorist accused of abandoning son, 12 Aug 10, 2007
But French and Spanish police now know that the burly explosives expert, has returned to Europe after a secret holiday with his young son, in a remote part of the Pyrenees, went seriously wrong. A shepherd on the French side of the Portal; pass high in the Pyrenees found the boy in the dark, bedraggled and disorientated. (Guardian Unlimited -- World)
Bear dies in Pyrenees car crash Aug 10, 2007
Franska, a Slovenian bear introduced into the French Pyrenees last year in a conservation scheme that infuriated local farmers, has died in a car accident. The female bear was killed near Lourdes yesterday in a dawn collision with a car on a mountain road. (Guardian Unlimited)
Silver sets standard for Evans Jul 31, 2007
Evans was pleased with his time trial performance and was looking forward to taking on the Pyrenees ... "The Alps weren't easy, but the Pyrenees there's going to be some good racing out there the next couple of days.". (Sydney Morning Herald -- Sport)
Evans gains strength from tainted Tour Jul 30, 2007
" Entering the final stage in Paris overnight, Evans trailed overall leader Alberto Contador by 23 seconds, having shaved 1 minute, 27 seconds off the Spaniard's lead in the preceding day's 55km time trial from Cognac to Angouleme. Though content with his effort in the race's penultimate stage, Evans was resigned to finishing in second place before pushing off for Paris. Upon reflection, the Australian identified the crucial 15th stage - a 196km climb from the Pyrenean town of Foix to... (Sydney Morning Herald -- Sport)
The BMX kid who rode to the top of the world Jul 30, 2007
The 174-centimetre Evans, totally outnumbered, stood tallest in the the Alps and then the Pyrenees ... Rasmussen's Rabobank team withdrew him after he won last Wednesday's final mountain stage in the Pyrenees and then sacked him for lying. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Sport)
