Bicycle Touring & More. Other outdoor activity

Last week's Dauphiné Libéré, which ended Sunday, is considered a warm-up throughout the excursion de France.

But the conqueror of that French bicycling race, Christophe Moreau, isn't the cyclist coming out of the stage zip who is being touted as a top contender for the Tour, which runs July 7-29.

It's Alexander Vinokourov, exposed to, the captain of the Kazakhstan-based Astana team. In spite of his 20th-place finish comprehensive, Vinokourov won two stages (a delay tentative and the steep irreversible stage), and wore the commander's jersey for identical condition. ...