Author Topic: Tour de France 2012 (Read 143819 times)

fuzzy · « **Reply #150 on:** 04 July, 2012, 08:27:03 am »

Nice pics Mr B. A good plan watching from a bar

fuzzy · « **Reply #151 on:** 04 July, 2012, 08:29:50 am »

PS Mr B,

Did you ride the course before taking up spectator station? If so, what time were you there (just checking to see if I can get a Forumite Spot bagged

)

citoyen · « **Reply #152 on:** 04 July, 2012, 08:37:00 am »

Quote from: LittleWheelsandBig on 04 July, 2012, 08:00:38 am

In the hope that I might see some clean performances. There is always hope...

I'm reserving judgment on Sagan. If he carries on like that in the proper hills, that's when I'll start getting suspicious.

For now, I'm just enjoying the spectacle.

d.

Karla · « **Reply #153 on:** 04 July, 2012, 02:40:05 pm »

Quote from: fuzzy on 04 July, 2012, 08:29:50 am

PS Mr B,

Did you ride the course before taking up spectator station? If so, what time were you there (just checking to see if I can get a Forumite Spot bagged )

No, I'm afraid not. I did appear on the Eurosport live coverage though.

fuzzy · « **Reply #154 on:** 04 July, 2012, 03:06:47 pm »

Quote from: Mr Bunbury on 04 July, 2012, 02:40:05 pm

Quote from: fuzzy on 04 July, 2012, 08:29:50 am
PS Mr B,

Did you ride the course before taking up spectator station? If so, what time were you there (just checking to see if I can get a Forumite Spot bagged )

No, I'm afraid not. I did appear on the Eurosport live coverage though.

Both SWMBO and I appear in the ITV4 coverage (if you know exactly when to pause the picture and what we were wearing and can discern our blurred images) and SWMBO can be seen through the gaps in the backdrop behind Gary Imlach as he does his last piece to camera before the end of the highlights programme

I may have spotted you as I wandered the streets during the event but will never know $:-\$

Karla · « **Reply #155 on:** 04 July, 2012, 04:32:53 pm »

Quote from: fuzzy on 04 July, 2012, 03:06:47 pm

Both SWMBO and I appear in the ITV4 coverage (if you know exactly when to pause the picture and what we were wearing and can discern our blurred images)

Yeah, ditto.

If the mystery me was wearing a red, white and black Clifton CC jersey, it was me. If not, it was someone else.

Biff · « **Reply #156 on:** 04 July, 2012, 09:06:29 pm »

Quote from: citoyen on 04 July, 2012, 08:37:00 am

Quote from: LittleWheelsandBig on 04 July, 2012, 08:00:38 am
In the hope that I might see some clean performances. There is always hope...

I'm reserving judgment on Sagan. If he carries on like that in the proper hills, that's when I'll start getting suspicious.

For now, I'm just enjoying the spectacle.

d.

Spot on.

Honest John · « **Reply #157 on:** 05 July, 2012, 11:19:27 am »

Quote from: citoyen on 04 July, 2012, 08:37:00 am

Quote from: LittleWheelsandBig on 04 July, 2012, 08:00:38 am
In the hope that I might see some clean performances. There is always hope...

I'm reserving judgment on Sagan. If he carries on like that in the proper hills, that's when I'll start getting suspicious.

For now, I'm just enjoying the spectacle.

d.

Indeed. A combination of travelogue and soap opera, with the added bonus of being able to say "I've been up that/down that/along those cobbles/through that town/drunk in that bar" every now and then.

Nuncio · « **Reply #158 on:** 06 July, 2012, 12:14:02 pm »

Quote from: citoyen on 03 July, 2012, 04:37:50 pm

Sagan makes me smile. Robbie Hunter doesn't.

d.

This made me smile. From comments here, I can't imagine Robbie Hunter having a ~~bell~~ ringeklokke on his handlebars.

Was yesterday's stage so boring that even we don't have anything to say about it?

citoyen · « **Reply #159 on:** 06 July, 2012, 12:20:00 pm »

Quote from: Nuncio on 06 July, 2012, 12:14:02 pm

This made me smile.

Superb!

Quote

Was yesterday's stage so boring that even we don't have anything to say about it?

Tyler Farrar found it so boring, he decided he'd rather have a nice lie-down. Again.

d.

matthew · « **Reply #160 on:** 06 July, 2012, 12:26:17 pm »

Well it looked like he was trying to lean on another rider to stay upright so that when he had to brake because another rider came across his line and his support didn't brake he fell over.

Well done Griple (sp) for staying upright , uncliping both feet, and still getting back to the sharp end.

Unfortunately Sky blew their effort to get Wiggo up front out of harms way and were about two men short in the lead out train to launch EBH and Cav at the right point.

eeymsmo · « **Reply #161 on:** 06 July, 2012, 12:26:42 pm »

Quote from: citoyen on 06 July, 2012, 12:20:00 pm

Tyler Farrar found it so boring, he decided he'd rather have a nice lie-down. Again.

And after that he had lots of energy again -
http://youtu.be/lMeMr1pzGcA

citoyen · « **Reply #162 on:** 06 July, 2012, 12:40:09 pm »

Karsten Kroon's verdict on yesterday's stage:

Quote

@KarstenKroon
That was the easiest day in my life as a pro. I will not tell you the SRM data my friends, it's embarrassing. The Tour is Freaking Hard!

Quote

@KarstenKroon
OK then my friends. 139 Watts average. If you try that at home you will fall off your bike. (because you're going to slow not exhaustion..)

mattc · « **Reply #163 on:** 06 July, 2012, 12:45:03 pm »

Heh! Well I suppose that fits with Wiggo's comments. "I was losing fitness just cruising back in the pack all week, so we decided to do a bit of work for Cav today." <or similar>

I guess that on flat stages they only have to ride hard during the more technical sections, i.e. where there is some benefit to be at the front, thus (hopefully!) avoiding crashes. And in the last 10km (which are often also technical this year, it seems.)

A week of mountains should please them.

fuzzy · « **Reply #164 on:** 06 July, 2012, 12:54:20 pm »

Quote from: matthew on 06 July, 2012, 12:26:17 pm

Well it looked like he was trying to lean on another rider to stay upright so that when he had to brake because another rider came across his line and his support didn't brake he fell over.

It looked to me as if Petachi may have hit Tylers front wheel. Tylers tub was haning off the wheel in the slo mo immediatly he started to fall.

Nuncio · « **Reply #165 on:** 06 July, 2012, 12:56:47 pm »

Bw used the word 'de-training'. It was unclear as to whether it meant
a) taking the edge off his fitness, or
b) leaving Cav to his own devices.

mattc · « **Reply #166 on:** 06 July, 2012, 12:58:36 pm »

That reminded me of Marcus Brigstocke's excellent rant last week [about train announcements]

I don't want to "de-train", I don't want to "disembark"

I just want to get off.

</OT sorry... >

spesh · « **Reply #167 on:** 06 July, 2012, 12:59:08 pm »

Quote from: mattc on 06 July, 2012, 12:45:03 pm

Well I suppose that fits with Wiggo's comments. "I was losing fitness just cruising back in the pack all week, so we decided to do a bit of work for Cav today." <or similar>

I guess that on flat stages they only have to ride hard during the more technical sections, i.e. where there is some benefit to be at the front, thus (hopefully!) avoiding crashes. And in the last 10km (which are often also technical this year, it seems.)

A week of mountains should please them.

Considering that drafting behind another rider is supposed to save around 30% of the nominal power output for a given speed, barely ticking over while in the peloton is quite plausible.

Also, prior to winding up for the chasing down of the breakaways, hasn't the peloton been riding at a somewhat slower pace than they would have been say, 10-12 years ago?

mattc · « **Reply #168 on:** 06 July, 2012, 01:06:10 pm »

Quote from: spesh on 06 July, 2012, 12:59:08 pm

Considering that drafting behind another rider is supposed to save around 30% of the nominal power output for a given speed, barely ticking over while in the peloton is quite plausible.

"for a given speed" is the key there!

Gus · « **Reply #169 on:** 06 July, 2012, 04:58:16 pm »

Nasty crash today, I'm sure there will be more abandons tomorrow. Just seen that Hesjedal been taken for x-ray, think Gesink are going that way too

citoyen · « **Reply #170 on:** 06 July, 2012, 05:03:50 pm »

Quote

@millarmind: Oh sweet jesus that was scary. Approx 70km/h pile up, like a tidal wave of debris smashing towards us, could do nothing but brake and pray.

Quote

@millarmind: Knee caps smashed, chainring in chest, thigh + ankle bruised. Didn't even notice this scratch... http://yfrog.com/nvgutchj

"This photo has been removed" - I'm not surprised, it was pretty gory...

d.

spesh · « **Reply #171 on:** 06 July, 2012, 07:17:29 pm »

Quote from: citoyen on 06 July, 2012, 05:03:50 pm

Quote
@millarmind: Oh sweet jesus that was scary. Approx 70km/h pile up, like a tidal wave of debris smashing towards us, could do nothing but brake and pray.

Quote
@millarmind: Knee caps smashed, chainring in chest, thigh + ankle bruised. Didn't even notice this scratch... http://yfrog.com/nvgutchj

"This photo has been removed" - I'm not surprised, it was pretty gory...

d.

Utter carnage all round today.

Nuncio · « **Reply #172 on:** 06 July, 2012, 11:41:57 pm »

Quote from: citoyen on 03 July, 2012, 10:53:31 pm

Alex Txurruka (never heard of him, I just like the photo)
Amets Txurruka, iirc. You'll see a lot more of him in the mountain stages.

d.

Sadly not. One of many of today's abandonments.

Rig of Jarkness · « **Reply #173 on:** 07 July, 2012, 09:06:15 am »

From David Millar's Twitter.

Neat pattern but too wide apart for chainring teeth. What else could have caused them ?

Justin(e) · « **Reply #174 on:** 07 July, 2012, 09:27:40 am »

Quote from: Rig of Jarkness on 07 July, 2012, 09:06:15 am

Neat pattern but too wide apart for chainring teeth. What else could have caused them ?

Self harm?

Broken souvenired epo bottles?