Tour de France (1 Viewer)

Gazolba

Well-Known Member
Anyone following the tour? I'm not a cyclist but I enjoy watching the various stages on TV. I like seeing the French countryside and all the picturesque villages they go through and laughing at the idiot spectators who dress up in weird costumes and try to run along with the riders. My favourite part though is the sprint at the end of each race or when there is a breakaway seeing if they can hold out as the peloton approaches.
 

Covstu

Well-Known Member
Yes it's been awful weather so far. Great TT by Thomas and apparently the first Welshman to be in yellow! Would love to see Porte win it but cannot see past Froome again.

Now another kick off to Tram Sky saying their ski suits were breaking the rules!
 

SkyblueBazza

Well-Known Member
Yes it's been awful weather so far. Great TT by Thomas and apparently the first Welshman to be in yellow! Would love to see Porte win it but cannot see past Froome again.

Now another kick off to Tram Sky saying their ski suits were breaking the rules!
Just curious as to why if you are British you would be rooting for an Australian riding for an American team...as opposed to a Briton riding for a British team?

Do you root for Ferrari in F1? South African in the cricket? NZ in the rugby? Germany in the football?

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jimmyhillsfanclub

Well-Known Member
I'm watching.......got my TV at the ready in the workshop for live coverage all month.....

Mental 1st 2 stages....what with Valverde smashing his kneecap, horrible weather, Cav actually being happy about 4th....certainly eventful.

I don't like (or trust) the sky team.....but do like some of their riders. They are very strong this year....probably the strongest team ever.

Froome recovered well yesterday after crashing, then being given a kids bike to ride for about 8K before they gave him a full size one.....albeit without a bottle.....I bet some sky support staff got a right bollocking last night.

Some nice little pipe-opener climbs in today stage.

He probably needs to find some more form & power yet, but would love to see Cav win another stage to put him up alongside one of the greatest ever.
 

ddsdube

Well-Known Member
I enjoy watching it every year. ITV do a great highlights show (the only good thing they do!) and I get my own back on the missus for all the reality Tv crap she normally has on.

I think it'll be close this year, froome doesn't have the form coming in. Would love to see Cav break the record but he didn't seem to have the legs yesterday after being ill.


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CJ_covblaze

Well-Known Member
Been watching the stages on ESPN when I can but when I'm back I'll watching it religiously. Love the TDF and the Giro.
 

Covstu

Well-Known Member
Just curious as to why if you are British you would be rooting for an Australian riding for an American team...as opposed to a Briton riding for a British team?

Do you root for Ferrari in F1? South African in the cricket? NZ in the rugby? Germany in the football?

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It's not about whether he is British or not, personally cannot stand Team Sky if that's okay with you? Don't watch F1 either, support England in cricket but technically I am Scottish and dislike rugby. I think Germany are a Great footballing nation. Personally I think it's okay to appreciate non British talent particularly in an individual sport.

I think Porte is a great rider and should be destined for GC but didn't get much of a chance playing second fiddle to Froome and co and hopefully that American team can give him that opportunity.
 
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Gazolba

Well-Known Member
Mark Cavendish does not seem to be doing that great so far. I'll always be rooting for him in the sprints. I'd like to see him get a few more stage wins.
 

SkyblueBazza

Well-Known Member
It's not about whether he is British or not, personally cannot stand Team Sky if that's okay with you? Don't watch F1 either, support England in cricket but technically I am Scottish and dislike rugby. I think Germany are a Great footballing nation. Personally I think it's okay to appreciate non British talent particularly in an individual sport.

I think Porte is a great rider and should be destined for GC but didn't get much of a chance playing second fiddle to Froome and co and hopefully that American team can give him that opportunity.
Interesting...thanks.

Personally I can't fathom it tbh.

Its just that I am English so anybody English I want them to win coz they're representing the country. After England comes British...so in the Euros last yr...I was willing Wales to do well apart from against us, & more so once we were out.

I can see how it does get slightly confused by commercialism - like "Team Sky" (/ Williams in f1) only fly the flag in a small way...but I still prefer them to foreign teams.

For me it's a bit like Arsenal fans dumping England for Sanchez's Chile in a head to head.

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CJ_covblaze

Well-Known Member
Personally I think it's okay to appreciate non British talent particularly in an individual sport

It's not really an individual sport really is it? The team element is huge.

Mark Cavendish does not seem to be doing that great so far. I'll always be rooting for him in the sprints. I'd like to see him get a few more stage wins.

He's had glandular fever in the last few weeks and has only been in training for 6 weeks. Can see him winning one or two tops. Sagan should win the green jersey easily. Kittel, Demare and Mathews to fight it out for the podium.
 

Covstu

Well-Known Member
Interesting...thanks.

Personally I can't fathom it tbh.

Its just that I am English so anybody English I want them to win coz they're representing the country. After England comes British...so in the Euros last yr...I was willing Wales to do well apart from against us, & more so once we were out.

I can see how it does get slightly confused by commercialism - like "Team Sky" (/ Williams in f1) only fly the flag in a small way...but I still prefer them to foreign teams.

For me it's a bit like Arsenal fans dumping England for Sanchez's Chile in a head to head.

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But they don't really represent their countries except in the world championships so I cannot understand the arguement. Riders move from team to team regularly and therefore for me cycling isn't about what country you come from it's about what you bring as a rider. You don't sit at the side of the road and cheer England do You?
 

Covstu

Well-Known Member
It's not really an individual sport really is it? The team element is huge.



He's had glandular fever in the last few weeks and has only been in training for 6 weeks. Can see him winning one or two tops. Sagan should win the green jersey easily. Kittel, Demare and Mathews to fight it out for the podium.
Agree to a certain point but the individual takes the plaudits, the team take second fiddle on that aspect
 

jimmyhillsfanclub

Well-Known Member
Whats this Belgian loony doing?
van Keirsbulck attacked from the off & absolutely nobody followed him......he's escaped to over 12 mins now......looking likely hes gonna end up riding about 200K by himself, only to be heartbroken in the final push....
 

Covstu

Well-Known Member
Whats this Belgian loony doing?
van Keirsbulck attacked from the off & absolutely nobody followed him......he's escaped to over 12 mins now......looking likely hes gonna end up riding about 200K by himself, only to be heartbroken in the final push....
Got to love random attacks, totally no sense to them but trying to stretch the field a little. They just run out of juice at the last 10k and disappear in the pack.
 

jimmyhillsfanclub

Well-Known Member
Yeah....he just went like a bat out of hell......then realised he was all alone & couldn't stop looking back in panic....

.....now hes just settled in to TT mode.....13 mins & growing.
 

Nick

Administrator
I dont know much about it, but whats up with that in a race? Unless people are saving their energy and will hammer him at the end?
 

jimmyhillsfanclub

Well-Known Member
I dont know much about it, but whats up with that in a race? Unless people are saving their energy and will hammer him at the end?

cos the stage is over 200K long mate......and now hes got to ride it all by himself.......if a few riders had gone with him, they can work together & it makes life a little easier......but hes on his bill and so cannot take turns to rest in the slipstream of other riders.

The longer he goes though, the more interesting the tactics in the peleton become......

Sky trains hit the front now....looks like they not letting him stretch it any further than 13 mins.
 

jimmyhillsfanclub

Well-Known Member
NOTICE: Just realised I may be spoiling the highlights for those of you not lucky enough the watch live......

Let me know if you want me to shut the fuck up.
 

Nick

Administrator
cos the stage is over 200K long mate......and now hes got to ride it all by himself.......if a few riders had gone with him, they can work together & it makes life a little easier......but hes on his bill and so cannot take turns to rest in the slipstream of other riders.

The longer he goes though, the more interesting the tactics in the peleton become......

Sky trains hit the front now....looks like they not letting him stretch it any further than 13 mins.

Ah so he's going to be hammered and watch them all fly past him.
 

Liquid Gold

Well-Known Member
Down to 6 mins now with 91Km to go. I expect we'll see the teams start to bunch up ready to drag him back shortly.
 

Covstu

Well-Known Member
Ah so he's going to be hammered and watch them all fly past him.
Breakaways are a funny one, generally they rarely succeed particularly in this case with 200km to go. It can stretch the pack however as its usually a bid to speed up the peloton, Team Sky are bossing this race in the Peloton so it might get others to try and speed this up to catch the pack. He isn't a threat to the overall GC so you are not going to see the main contenders chasing him down with urgency but equally he cannot keep up that pace indefinitely against a 70 strong peleton so he will be caught.
I remember Voeckler breaking away about 5 years back in the tour and no one got near him so they can work but rarely. Equally it depends on the course itself, hilly terrains mean more difficult to breakaway and stay away.

Still its always a claim to fame in the race where they would probably be nameless!
 

jimmyhillsfanclub

Well-Known Member
Yep.....down to under 2 mins now.....about 30K to go.....just put him out of his misery.

Still, as Covstu says.....we'd probably never have heard of this guy but for today......he has won KOM pts. & can tell his grandkids that although he didn't get to wear yellow, he was technically tour leader for a few hours.
 

wingy

Well-Known Member
...Ha ha....I had just noticed a rather fit female cycling fan in the tour crowd just after my previous post about todays highlights......

.....it was a highlight of sorts. :)
Suspected as much, unfortunately read the thread just too late to tune into ITV4+1.:-o
 

henry the wasp

Well-Known Member
Kicked off the tour. And rightly so. Boardman and that twat Millar defending him on itv4 was laughable.
Demare should have been relegated for cutting up bouhanni. Shambolic sprint.
 

CJ_covblaze

Well-Known Member
Kicked off the tour. And rightly so. Boardman and that twat Millar defending him on itv4 was laughable.
Demare should have been relegated for cutting up bouhanni. Shambolic sprint.

Too right. Completely out of order. He's always had a strong will to win and nothing else matters to him but I'm surprised what he did. Guessing the stewards have had a polite word with Demare too.
 

Gazolba

Well-Known Member
Does anyone else get the feeling that the rest of the riders have it in for Cavendish?
I think they have been very annoyed that he was winning so many sprints.
I hope he's able to continue with the tour, but it looks doubtful.
I have to say "well done" to the officials for disqualifying Sagan.
 
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Covstu

Well-Known Member
Does anyone else get the feeling that the rest of the riders have it in for Cavendish?
I think they have been very annoyed that he was winning so many sprints.
I hope he's able to continue with the tour, but it looks doubtful.
I have to say "well done" to the officials for disqualifying Sagan.
Yep not the first time he has been shafted at the end but this was blatant! Absolutely ridiculous that he cut off his path and the elbow come flying out. Shame such a great rider but this cannot be accepted
 

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