Tour de France 2012

[Wowbagger]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012/jul/19/tour-de-france-bradley-wiggins

If that's an accurate report, it sounds like tempting providence to me. All sorts of things can go wrong between now and the Champs Elysées.

Do you actually think that "tempting providence" has any influence on professional world-class sport?
What next - will you be checking they don't tread on any cracks on their way to the start?

I think that Matt has discovered the supernatural chink in the great rationalist's armour. 

What it exhibits is Wiggins' state of mind. Psychologically, he's in Paris already. That's a very dangerous place for his mind to be. It won't be "in the bag" until he's crossed the finishing line and I hope his psychologist is working on this.

I have very bitter personal experience of competitors relaxing too soon and not winning titles when they were clearly the best, on paper, in the competition. Having said that, my teams have also been the beneficiaries when other, supposedly better, teams have stalled through over-confidence.

[Eccentrica Gallumbits]

I reckon Wiggo's 'burns are a tribute to Jonathan Vaughters.

I reckon he's the long lost son of John McCririck.

[fuzzy]

Perhaps not the right thread, but it will do.

It struck me yesterday evening how many yoofs and not-so-yoofs there were in the park practising their fupbol and how futile it was. Even though the fupbol season hasn't started yet, there they are, all in their kit, attending orgnised club training sessions and yet England remains stubbornly useless at the so-called Beautiful Game. We cyclists, however, are out in far smaller numbers yet those ladies and gentlemen at the pinnacle of Brishsh cycling are indeed the best in the world.

I feel immensely proud of having instigated the WARTY and of its undoubted contribution to the successes of Messrs. Hoy, Wiggins, Cavendish et al, not to mention Mlles. Cooke and Pendleton.

It is all the fault of the Bearded One and we are not worthy

[bobb]

I don't see why playing football is futile? And I don't see what the perfermance of the England national team has got to do with it either!

And as for England being "stubbornly useless" - they're not really. They regularly get to the quater final stages (and occassionally semi finals) of major competitions and their results are comparable and even favourable compared to many other national sides. Just because they don't win the world cup and Euro champs every single time (as the general public seems to expect) doesn't make them useless.

[clarion]

England are consistently adequate at football, and there is no reason for us to expect more of them.

I'm pleased by the building enthusiasm for cycling, and I hope it gets reflected in increased numbers of people actually getting out there and doing it, whether with a club or to get the shopping, I don't care, so long as they are riding safely and legally.

On the subject of Wiggo sidies, many of you know that TGL is our expert in that department.

[mattc]

T'was ever thus; or have things got worse re the mountain crowds?

The race has got more popular - I'm sure I've seen statistics. Of course Le Tour WANTS to get more popular.

I actually like the fancy dress - if they stay out of the way of the riders. Clearly it's possible to put on a show without interfering with the MAIN show - everyone loved the Devil (where's he got to this year? )

[LittleWheelsandBig]

Recovering from treatment, I vaguely recall.

[Exit Stage Left]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012/jul/19/tour-de-france-bradley-wiggins

If that's an accurate report, it sounds like tempting providence to me. All sorts of things can go wrong between now and the Champs Elysées.

Do you actually think that "tempting providence" has any influence on professional world-class sport?
What next - will you be checking they don't tread on any cracks on their way to the start?

I think that Matt has discovered the supernatural chink in the great rationalist's armour. 

What it exhibits is Wiggins' state of mind. Psychologically, he's in Paris already. That's a very dangerous place for his mind to be. It won't be "in the bag" until he's crossed the finishing line and I hope his psychologist is working on this.

I have very bitter personal experience of competitors relaxing too soon and not winning titles when they were clearly the best, on paper, in the competition. Having said that, my teams have also been the beneficiaries when other, supposedly better, teams have stalled through over-confidence.

Wiggins isn't using a single competence to win the Tour. Yesterday's stage marked the end of a phase when he was most vulnerable to attack, not least from his team-mate Froome. Brad no longer needs to provide leadership or bluff his opponents, that's why he was so relieved. The next interesting event is the final TT. Will Wiggo 'gift' the stage to Froome? Froome will go off a minute before Wiggins, and needs to secure his second place. Wiggins is unlikely to sit up in the last minute to gift the stage to Froome, but he owes Froome. It's possible that Froome is stronger and hungrier, so he may take some time out of Wiggins.

[L CC]

Excellent. A YACF Wiggo-based sideburn contest.

Count me in.

:swoon:

[LEE]

Perhaps not the right thread, but it will do.

It struck me yesterday evening how many yoofs and not-so-yoofs there were in the park practising their fupbol and how futile it was. Even though the fupbol season hasn't started yet, there they are, all in their kit, attending orgnised club training sessions and yet England remains stubbornly useless at the so-called Beautiful Game. We cyclists, however, are out in far smaller numbers yet those ladies and gentlemen at the pinnacle of Brishsh cycling are indeed the best in the world.

I feel immensely proud of having instigated the WARTY and of its undoubted contribution to the successes of Messrs. Hoy, Wiggins, Cavendish et al, not to mention Mlles. Cooke and Pendleton.

It's about high-quality coaching from a young age.

GB Cycling has the best coaching structure in the world.

British Football has about the worst.

GB Cyclists are taught the best techniques for winning.

GB Footballers are not taught technique, they are encouraged to run about a lot and hope the ball bounces off one of them, fortuitously, into the net.  It's a form of technique based on Brownian Motion and the National Lottery.

[Exit Stage Left]

I don't see why playing football is futile? And I don't see what the perfermance of the England national team has got to do with it either!

And as for England being "stubbornly useless" - they're not really. They regularly get to the quater final stages (and occassionally semi finals) of major competitions and their results are comparable and even favourable compared to many other national sides. Just because they don't win the world cup and Euro champs every single time (as the general public seems to expect) doesn't make them useless.

Sky are more analagous to Chelsea, or Man City. Lots of money from a sponsor with deep pockets, and the best riders that money can buy. Cavendish's success was more immediately obvious to the kids, I started to get a lot more positive comments when he started winning. G.C. riding is a lot more complicated to explain. I'll be interested to see if there's a more positive attitude from motorists on the Mersey Roads 24, you sometimes get a 'thumbs-up' when you're marshalling at 4am from night-clubbing returnees.

[bobb]

I love Tommy V's KoM Colnago!

[Exit Stage Left]

I was wondering last night if having a fixed cut-of time might invigorate the racing. At present a rider is disqualified if they come in more than 20% later than the winner. That's a strong disincentive for attacks, as vigorous riding might eliminate team-mates. Equally, those who have attacked one day need to recover the next, and can't know if an attack might put them over the time limit. I can see that the problem would be longer road closures.
My favourite moment of the Tour was when Nibali was evicted from yesterday's break by Valverde.

[Peter]

I love Tommy V's KoM Colnago!

I'm really pleased by Bradley's success and that of the British riders generally but I've enjoyed Thomas Voeckler's exploits most.  I'll look out for that bike!

[citoyen]

Excellent. A YACF Wiggo-based sideburn contest.

http://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=61528.0

[Exit Stage Left]

I was wondering last night if having a fixed cut-of time might invigorate the racing. At present a rider is disqualified if they come in more than 20% later than the winner. That's a strong disincentive for attacks, as vigorous riding might eliminate team-mates. Equally, those who have attacked one day need to recover the next, and can't know if an attack might put them over the time limit. I can see that the problem would be longer road closures.
My favourite moment of the Tour was when Nibali was evicted from yesterday's break by Valverde.

The cut-off regulations are a lot more complex than I thought, I've got a new-found respect for the driver of the autobus.
http://www.faqs.org/faqs/bicycles-faq/part1/section-24.html

[MattH]

T'was ever thus; or have things got worse re the mountain crowds?

The race has got more popular - I'm sure I've seen statistics. Of course Le Tour WANTS to get more popular.

I actually like the fancy dress - if they stay out of the way of the riders. Clearly it's possible to put on a show without interfering with the MAIN show - everyone loved the Devil (where's he got to this year? )

I agree - the crowds and spectacle are part of it. From a rider's perspective and my experience on PBP and Paris-Roubaix, it makes a big difference having cheering spectators lining the roads.
But lining is the operative word; it is a road race, not some bastardised MTB/cyclocross hybrid where the winner has to have ridden over the prone bodies of the morons who weren't fast enough to get out of the way of a fast moving group of cyclists. It's not even as if they weren't aware that the riders were about to come through - the caravan, motorcycles, big red car and helicopters are a bit of a giveaway.

[Pingu]

My favourite moment of the Tour was when Nibali was evicted from yesterday's break by Valverde.

I think that Nibbly's sneak attack in the fog shows why team radios should be banned.

[TimC]

Go Cav you beauty!!

[Karla]

F*** me that was a good win, how fast is that man again?

[bobb]

Jesus fuck! The speed of Cav in the overhead shot!!

[Gus]

That was an epic finish 

[TimC]

Just awesome. If Cav wasn't favourite for the Olympic road race before, he is now. But talk about leaving the chase late - I was sure Nick Roche had got it. Big hand to Brad and EBH. Wonderful!

[TheLurker]

My oh my.   That was breathtaking.

[jogler]

His soubriquet is well earned n'est pas....ManxMissile