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Tour De France 2010

huntsman

huntsman

Anyone have any interest in the tour?

I started watching around 8 years ago, totally by accident, as I'd previously found cycling about as exciting as cricket, or perhaps bedroom tidying..!

Since then, I've watched two hours per day on every stage (the stage usually last about five hours)and never missed one for any reason.

The commentators, Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen are extremely knowledgeable and are continually passing snippets of info, rules, tactics, etc on to the viewers, and in a short time you start to learn what the race is really all about. I wouldn't miss it for the world!

Anyone else?
 
Can't say I have anything more than a passing interest. That's probably a good thing as I've lost enough sleep over the past month anyway.
 
huntsman ....... I love Road Racing !! And the Tour de France is the best. I'm 60 now and got into road racing in my early 20's. I've followed the tour from then. The wife and I had a Bicycle Shop for 25 years until we got tired of retail hell. I even built road frames. So I'll be following again this year. And yes I hope Lance pulls off a good one. At first I hated Lance. His ego was to big and he didn't really get how you have to work , live , eat, and hold to the traditions of road racing to become a true champ. I'm glad he made me eat my words !!

And the tour is a chess game on wheels ...... glad to know you're learning more about it and enjoying it. Do you ride ?

Eddy Merckx is my all time favorite rider !!

Peace,
P. Dreadie
 
P. Dreadie -

Well welll wellll!

Great to read of your interest and lovely to have a kindred spirit here...

I'm a committed fan of Armstrong, who is one of very few men I really do admire, and after reading his two books, I am humbled by what he has come though. A truly great man...

The cannibal however, is, as you suggest, the finest of all time, bar none. I've seen film footage of some of his early races and it's crazy to see what they went through!

I do ride, PD, though haven't in ages...perhaps it's time once again.

I was disheartened to see what happened on the cobbles in Belgium, as Lance was pulling time on Contador, but then had that flat tire which in essence has taken him out of the tour.

That said, down is NOT out, and the tour kicks uphill tomorrow...

I think Andy is really going to notice the gap his brother has left, Evans has no support crew which only leaves Alberto in a seemingly unassailable position. Lance will be on the podium as usual!!
 
Hey you do know your cycling history !! "The cannibal " haha I met him at trade shows several times. I was star struck ! Felt like a kid .. I got him to autograph everything I could get my hands on. Books , posters ..... I was amazed how thick his chest is !! That guy has some lungs ..... and he's super nice

Peace,
P. Dreadie
 
LOL!

He seems to have that presence with everyone, including Prince Albert of Belgium who was hanging onto his every word earlier in the week.

People like Eddie exude confidence which can only come from achievement...I think he's won 550plus races in his time. Incredible...

Well, that's the end of the sprinters' chances at points for a while, and although today is the traditional start of the tour, it's almost certainly the first time Lance has started the hills two mins behind the leader so I imagine he'll have to ride differently this time...? Possibly send someone forward to disrupt thing?

Who knows? It's sure going to be fun!
 
i've been watching here and there whenever i happen to be around and its on, its interesting to watch the strategy of the teams in the individual stage, and then overall as well. Really a pretty complicated race.......i'm just learning it too, but its pretty cool
 
I have watched every year since the late 80's. I am definitely pulling for Lance, but it seems like Contador is a lock at this point.
 
Man!

It doesn't rain until it pours....

Could Armstrong possibly have any worse luck?

Three falls, a flat tire during an attack and then yesterday's hold up which just squeezed him far enough back to force him to use his climbing energy on catching the chase...?!

Darn!


Hey, good to see more fans are following the tour! :lol:

Geo - it keeps growing on you, thanks to those canny commentators. Enjoy!

JayT - Contidor was certainly looking good until the first attack (by Liquigas?) which he countered, but when Andy accelerated he was unhinged. Weakness? Or perhaps he felt the chase unnecessary? Either way, it looks like we're in for a good battle up front, and Evans is always a threat, boring to watch he may be... :lol:
 
After Lance hitting the asphalt it doesn't look good for him, but the race isn't over until the fat lady sings. I'm hoping Lance can regroup himself and pull off another for one the record book. Le Mond did swat Fignon when NObody thought it could be done. But then that was about areo-bars ( 1st time used) and not a hard crash.

In the history of cycling many strange things have happened. I forget the year and the race , but Merckx hit a cow and was knocked out. He woke up , got back on the bike and won the stage.

Some of the younger riders do show a lot of talent and they may write more than one page in the history book .... but I'm still pulling for Lance.

Peace,
P. Dreadie
 
You're right about that Fat Lady, PD...

A wonderful feature of Le Tour is that there is far more to it than the obvious...little attacks when not expected, team tactics and of course weather changes all add depth, and I'm still watching Lance intently! :dance:

I did not know about Eddie and the cow, and while I was surfing to learn more, found this lovely page on Tour Trivia... :cool:
 
huntsman...... That link was super. I saw Eddy smoking at a trade show but didn't know he puffed away when he raced. Amazing ... but in those days maybe many cyclists did. It was a different time.

Yesterdays stage was great. Lance made up time showing he's still capable of riding. I'm still hoping for a miracle.

I will say Andy and Contador are going to give us many great tours in the years to come. I'm pulling for Andy over Contador simple because I don't care for Contador. His tactic of attacking his team captain last year left me with a bad taste. Don't know how he can erase that from my mind , it won't be simple.

Tactics like that get me. I had thought Hinault was a super champion , that is until he said he'd work for Le Mond , who had helped him in the years before. Then he attackes
Le Mond. A true champion should be a man of his word ! Your word is the only true mark of yourself.

Peace,
P. Dreadie
 
P. Dreadie said:
huntsman...... That link was super. I saw Eddy smoking at a trade show but didn't know he puffed away when he raced. Amazing ... but in those days maybe many cyclists did. It was a different time.

Yesterdays stage was great. Lance made up time showing he's still capable of riding. I'm still hoping for a miracle.

I will say Andy and Contador are going to give us many great tours in the years to come. I'm pulling for Andy over Contador simple because I don't care for Contador. His tactic of attacking his team captain last year left me with a bad taste. Don't know how he can erase that from my mind , it won't be simple.

Tactics like that get me. I had thought Hinault was a super champion , that is until he said he'd work for Le Mond , who had helped him in the years before. Then he attackes
Le Mond. A true champion should be a man of his word ! Your word is the only true mark of yourself.

Peace,
P. Dreadie
Click to expand...

Yeah, Baby!

Lance was looking really good there, I thought!

I really do wish he'd stayed with the pack for the tow uphill, but c'est life...

He has moved up 8 places in the GC, to 31st, and should really improve on that today, though there is only one first, one second and one third cat climb and no HC climb on this stage. Still, I expect tired legs to affect more of the inexperienced riders ahead of him in the GC...but let's see.

PD, I think Contador was the designated leader last year, not Lance, but yeah, I was also pissed to see the infighting, and there is definitely professional jealousy there...

I like both riders, but now Cadel rubs me up the wrong way and I was joyful to see him out of yellow, though sadly it seems he was riding in pain from a fractured elbow. Highly doubtful, as he plans to continue, but who knows?
 
Australian kicked out!

Boooo! Hisssss!

Superb sprinter Mark Renshaw was expelled from the Tour yesterday for head butting in the closing seconds of the sprint finish, and IMHO, HE WUZ ROBBED!

Julian Dean was leaning into him, (how's that not a professional foul?) which would have slowed him down and also thrown him off course, possibly resulting in an accident. He head butted Dean's shoulder in defence, not attack, and was rewarded with expulsion from the race, which is "a cycling event, not a gladiator ring", in the words of an official. Jeez!
 
Yesterday was much better to watch than the day before. That day ..zzzzzzz

Sprinting is not for the faint of heart !! Everyone's jammed up elbow to elbow and tossing their bikes from side to side ...... wrong move you lose or crash all around you. Wicked stuff !! I've seen far worse actions in amateur races here in Texas in my youth. I saw the head butting as more of a defensive move. I mean he didn't put an elbow under the other riders bars and lift up to toss him .....

But having said that I can understand the officials concern , I may not agree , but I understand. You really can't let stuff get started. This is the biggest race in the world. The eyes of the world are watching.

And the truth be know the action is so close and tight there is a lot of crap going on nobody can see that's not in the group fighting for a spot.

I did like the guy touching the hip with his hand to keep from getting pushed over .... that happens all day long in the field.

On the lighter side I love this ad ..... darn funny http://www.tindonkey.com/2010/07/great-ad-from-specialized.html

Peace,
P. Dreadie
 
Heh heh...that's great!

Semi seriously though, I wonder which of them will prevail in the mountains? I expect Alberto will be a lot faster in the time trial, but the pedal-dancing is what I enjoy....oh yeah, and the bear slaying!

Hey, Jimmy - lots of silly authoritarian decisions in the last six weeks or so, eh?

*nods wisely*
 
I'm sure both of us see Andy trying to break Contador on the mountains. That's the only thing he can do ..... and that'll be a hard task !! Should be some great racing !!

Contador is known to be better at TT's but sometimes the thought of owning the Yellow Jersey can make someone super man......

Peace,
P. Dreadie
 
Yeah,

It's certainly a two horse race for first PD, and I am looking forward to the tussle for third, because that's wide open. :) Both Astana and Saxobank are strong with good depth so we'll no doubt see the two leaders increase their lead, but pride will mean that the next 8 laces for the top ten are really up for grabs..

Good times...!
 
Stage 14 was great fun to watch. We did get to see some action that may change the placing. I did see what the first two placer's were doing as a bit strange. But it's their game and their tactics.


Peace,
P. Dreadie
 
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