A great representation of the Tour!

I love them all.

Waiting for the second part.

The end....

Picture 22: FREE TIBET !!!

I wish we could see EXIF data on the shots...

very good pictures

Picture 9 : what is the trick to be focused both on the foreground and on the background ?

Very nice pictures. I hope next year we could see more Colombian riders participating and winning mountain stages.

Aurélien: a wide open aperture and a very large lens.

You have a great "eye" thanks for sharing, yes exif data would be appreciated, especially for #9 :-)

@ Aurélien: You can do this effect (tilt shifting) with image editors - check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tilt-shift_miniature_faking

@ Aurelien: I think in this case you mean "out" of focus. In which case Will's post would be right on. In order to accomplish the opposite you would need a closed aperture and a slower speed shot, which in case of speeding cyclists would be next to impossible. In any case I think picture #9 looks very unnatural, and probably was PhotoShopped to accentuate the effect of the guy in the yellow jersey (the leader of the race?) riding with the pack.

The effect on #9 is done in-camera, not photoshop. It is called a "tilt-shift effect", http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tilt-shift_photography

Also, if the EXIF data were in the original images, I would pass them along. Alas, there is no data.

Fantastic photography, and well-presented: all on one page, easy to scroll instead of some über-fancy Shockwave nonsense.

Thank you.

Very amazing photos!
Its very hard sport.

Alex
http://www.recentnews.co.uk

@4: i wonder if evans will be sporting his 'free tibet' baselayer at the olympics. probably not.

It is a great sporting event. Phil Liggett as commentator is without equal.
On one stage he exclaimed "This man knows how to suffer!" about the leader
of a stage.

FANTASTIQUE!

Why has it take Boston.com to show it should be done? Shame on Reuters and every other online news service...

I personally believe that picture 9 may be Photoshopped. How else could their be two plains of focus in the one image? The plant in the foreground is in focus as is the mid plane section.

Oh, and how lovely not to be made to put up with any Flash-crap.

Tour de Drugs

Jon T: There is one plane of focus, but is not parallel with the film plate, it is tilted so things at different distances can be in focus at the same time. Read Alan Taylor's comment above.

too bad there was not a picture of the great belgian win on the last day on the Champs Elysees. That was some sprint!

But very nice photos of an amazing sport!

Wow that was some pretty wild racing indeed it was.

JT
www.Ultimate-Anonymity.com

I see tan lines. Hahaha.

Exquisite shots which captured the majestic beauty, the savage falls, the muscle, the power behind cycling. . . . the teams pulling for one another. Magnificent sport. shelley duffy

I always try to focus on the pictures themselves and not impose my thoughts/opinions on others, but I had to respond to this one. #19/booger: the "tour de drugs" is no different from major league boozeball or the narcotics football league. Actually, the tour is better, IMO, better because anyone caught is immediately disqualified, not like the whiners in MLB and NFL. who get multiple chances to break the law.

Thanks for the amazing blog boston.com!

Do you think they feel pain when they crash with the amount of drugs they take before each stage. Rename it " le drug tour de france "

michael,

professional cycling is the ONLY sport which has the balls to eliminate doping. michael your NBA-NFL-MLB teams will never put forth real effort to stop doping because they are scared of losing TV revenues. You have to get caught doping four times in baseball before you get a real suspension...what a joke.

Carlos Sastre & CSC-Saxo Bank had the strongest team and deserved the crown. Sastre was the only GC contender willing to attack on the famed Alpe d'Huez.

Absolutely fascinating pictures -- my favorite is the "B&W" of the shadow. I would *love* to have a print of that! As usual, bravo, AT and Big Picture!

What awesome pictures! Thank you for posting them.

26 comments is probably as far as any posting has gone without someone whining about how "subject" is a waste of his/her tax dollars. I fully expected to see a comment about it here, even considering the subject matter.

Tour De France is timeless and all the problems with drugs etc. will pass away and the majesty of the sport of cycling will prevail again.

Fantastic scenery and the pictures are great. Thanks

Great shots and very impressive. You made a very nice summary of what happened every turn and I like the way you have posted it. Tour de France rules!

Nice blog boston.com

Regardless of the topic, this blog rocks! Thanks for taking the time to put theses images together. Fantastic cycling images from a wonderful event.

First and foremost, thanks VERY much for more gorgeous pictures of Le Tour. There is no other sporting event comparable in the world. Congratulations, Carlos!

Thanks, also, Charlie, for explaining how cycling is superior to any other sport out there for enforcing drug policies. Doping in cycling is big news because cycling officials *make* it big news to humiliate the dopers, and hopefully intimidate others from making bad decisions. You won't see that in any other sport in the world. It would certainly be appreciated if those who are uninformed in the sport would refrain from making derogatory comments.

Hey.. Its nice Shots...Thanks

they are the best i just wish there were some of cadel evens

@18 and others. This is actually very simple to do in-camera with a filter and some Vaseline. I also believe that Cokin used to make filters to do this as well. One needn't use Photoshop. But this certainly isn't a tilt-shift, as there are two planes of focus. It could be a Lens Baby, but I think it's more likely something smeared on a clear filter.

One of the best, if not the best, sporting events plus sightseeing events I know!

Hey az joe - there are 4 pix with Cadel in them! 2 pictures are close ups of Cadel. Also that's Cadel riding in the yellow jersey on 19th July (girl waving in wheat field), and also that's Cadel rounding the corner just ahead of Schleck in yellow on 23rd July. Cadel rode an awsome race - especially against the strength of CSC team.

Great photos. 'Woman in a wheat field' is my favourite.

About #9, as Jon says there are two areas in focus, apart from the middle section of riders, the bush in the foreground being in focus too throws it out a little. Interesting effect. As a model photographer, I try and do the opposite and make models look like the real thing.

Excellent pictures, closer to the human spirit of the Tour. After the ever-present Graham Watson pics, these are a great perspective.
I second the comment about hoping for more Colombian riders in future tours: vamos muchachos!

Very interesting how the cyclists can manage to ride while the heat roast them to the bones.

The pictures are amazing !

Great photos. But I think some photos from the Alpe D'Huez stage should be posted as well, considering that was the toughest stage of the tour.

Great photos. I've been there for the tour and these give it a different and very positive slant on the real thing

I luv them and they are sooo cooolll! AWESOME GUYS

Nice Photography thumbs up
I only miss a shot of Gert Steegmans fininshing in Paris. that was a great sprint.

These are some really great cycling shots. So much detail providing the perfect picture of how much efforts are made to do this sport for three weeks in a row. Wow.

Some days ago I had a seven day series of pictures featuring the cycling stage of Germany's Ironman 2008. Have a look here and tell me what you think: http://shun.aminus3.com/image/2008-07-21.html

Ninth photo, of peloton on sixteenth stage, is photoshopped to make it look like there's very little depth-of-field. Arty-farty. Otherwise, great gallery.

Amazing pictures, thanks! One correction: on picture 2, it's rye growing in the field, not wheat.

extremely beautiful pictures! very well done!!

The Tour does not have a "pack." Leave the original word in the translations please. It's "peloton." And I miss seeing the final podiums.

I have no 'rye' comment other than Kris should have tuned into SBS if it's the 'full picture' that's needed! These are wonderful images!!

Fabulous photos, thanks for putting them up for us to enjoy.

I now feel sad that I existed during the tour on a paulty diet of small, poor quality pics on cyclingnews.com - what a difference to see the best of the best shots in a large size !

thanks again !

Just seeing the great pictures raised my heart rate!

Awesome stuff!

~matt

http://www.wheeltags.com

Fabulous photos. Thanks! Can't wait 'til the next one.

Oh thank you for the beautiful pics. Siting the location of the photos helps me decide where to rent a house next year when i learn of the tour route.

waaaw...there'r great photo.. I love all...

Yes great photos.

Commentary was very good and post race interviews also ifull of info.

Would be good to have speed, watts etc up on SBS screen similiar to motor racing???

AWESOME PICTURES!!!

LOVELY PICTURE,VERY EVRY NICE.
GROETEN UIT NEDERLAND

BEST GROUP OF BIKES PIX I HAVE EVER SEEN!!

Maravilloso, poético, épico y muy muy humano. Muchas lecciones para entender la vida en este casi indispensable evento, queridos amigos del mundo

Photos like this make me realize what an art photography is. Capturing droplets from a water bottle being thrown away is incredible.
These shots are amazing.

Great to see such fantastic shots - as others have mentioned the photos from news sites are quite frustratingly pathetic by comparison. Awesome, thank you!

yes epo riders

As good as it gets!!

EPO or not , If there was no epo there shoud be some other drug like coke remember tommekke boonen !
To win a race like the tour the france its not possible clean !
Otherwise if you believe its possible take a (race)bike en try to ride in 1 hour 40km
En than try it for 6 houres , than you finish your trip at 60 km /h !
Good luck !

did I see juan baldez handing out coffee on the mountain pass?

Amazing pictures.
Greetings from Belgium

@Alain Delmotte

I agree... but actually these people train themselves you know.

Doping is particularly frustrating in sports which require nothing else than power and endurance. Cycling is definitely one of these. Conclusion: If you dope you're successful. IMO the fact that Armstrong won the title like 6(?) times in a row proves that there is no clean winner. It is well received that they try to catch dopers but they should try harder.
But of course nothing will ever change, money talks

I was there for 14 days and it was as every year amazing. And these pictures show exactly the athmosphere of this world class cycling event. Anyone interested in cycling parts of these stages, feel free to contact me on geert.de.thaye@telenet.be (home mail) as our agency organises these kinds of trips for cycling fanatics. Take care & regards from Belgium. Geert.

Thank you so much for sharing your talent with all of us who couldn't be there.

I appreciate your fresh eye. I see many pictures of the tour that are similar and quite frankly a bit boring.

I learn so much from professionals like you. Keep up the great work.

Probably the most beautiful shots I've ever seen on Tour de France. Congratulations to the photographers…

Brilliant. They bring together all the thrills and spills of this year's excellent TdF.

Please continue that way of presenting sports. I hope you will do the same for the Olympics.

Antoine Parisis
www.etri.be

"VIVE LE TOUR DE FRANCE"

Well, the water bottle and the two lonely escape riders taken from the wood with the cheering lady a third sum it up. Great Eye is your Indian Name.

Great photography! Almost makes you feel like your there.

Tom

wondermooi, ik heb er van genoten

Absolutely amazing photo's. Thank you for sharing such a moment in history.

with or without drug, it is a wonderful show and an impressive effort
very beautiful pictures.

¹þ¹þ ÕæºÃ¿´

Beautiful!!!

Very beautiful pics of the tour the France,

Very , very beautifull pictures !
Reality prints !
Real sport !!

zeer mooie fotos
Gefeliciteerd Rik Wallez.

Verry nice pictures here.
Get me more on bysurf_64@hotmail.fr please.

Johan, from biarritz. FRANCE.

mooie foto's ,mooi in beeld gebracht

Excellent pictures, I was there in France cycling to some of the stages and standing on the road side waiting for the TDF to zoom past. These photos have captured everything that makes up the TDF

Cheers

Mooie sport...schitterend land !
Wonderbaarlijke foto's ! Bedankt !
Vive la France ! Vive le vélo !
Let's go for a clean tour !
Let us save the nature !

Van deze foto's mogen er meer gepost worden...
Het is top...

LANCE IS COMING BACK BIGGER AND BADDER THAN EVER!

Great pictures of a wonderful event, again.
Love the ones of the descent of Bonette-Restefond moonscape.
Doug 40; I like #9 because it makes the riders look like models, a bit like a Chapman Brothers piece.

Schitterend in beeld gebracht,renners en omgeving.Je blijft kijken opnieuw&opnieuw,steeds zie je iets nieuws.