Tour de France 2015 (Contains Spoilers)

[andrew_s]

What are the bits sticking out from the back of the saddles on many bikes ?

GPS transponders, so that the commentators (and teams) can tell where all the bikes are, with who's in the breakaways and accurate time gaps

[Pingu]

The aftermath of today's big crash from the perspective of a (polyglot) mechanic on the ground.

http://youtu.be/7raIxrzodt4

Sometimes, seeing these crashes from a distant helicopter shot, it's easy to forget these are fragile human beings hitting hard ground at 60km/h.

Jo thanks for that link, that is chaos!

+1

The mechanics are unsung heroes of a team sport.

[Veloman]

Spartacus is out. Broken vertebrae.

Just left the hospital with a huge disappointment #TDF2015 is over broke some bones on my back again as in spring. #L3/L4right side

https://twitter.com/f_cancellara/status/618135375576461312

Bugger. What a bloody shame.

+1 to that comment Tim.

An absolute professional in every sense of the word and a lousy way to both lose yellow and exit the race.

[Ruthie]

Oh, that's nasty.  A real shame. 

[spesh]

Laurens Ten Dam had his dislocated shoulder popped back in and carried on - against doctor's orders. Mind you, he needed a little bit of assistance at dinner...

https://twitter.com/RGUpdate/status/618149446589751296

[Ivo]

Laurens Ten Dam had his dislocated shoulder popped back in and carried on - against doctor's orders. Mind you, he needed a little bit of assistance at dinner...

https://twitter.com/RGUpdate/status/618149446589751296

His DS had already put his bike on top of the team car and reported an abandon. Laurens refused this and requested a bike. He announced yesterday evening that he wants to go flat out on the cobbles today.

[Nuncio]

Yellow jersey's a poison pill this early on.

But it will probably only be for a day.

[mrcharly-YHT]

Laurens Ten Dam had his dislocated shoulder popped back in and carried on - against doctor's orders. Mind you, he needed a little bit of assistance at dinner...

https://twitter.com/RGUpdate/status/618149446589751296

What's harder than Bruce Willis dying hard?

TDF riders!

[LEE]

Good Grief!  Chris Froome can spin up hills can't he?  He's like a bloody egg-whisk on steep climbs.

I wonder what his cadence was on the final 1km yesterday.

[LEE]

Laurens Ten Dam had his dislocated shoulder popped back in and carried on - against doctor's orders. Mind you, he needed a little bit of assistance at dinner...

https://twitter.com/RGUpdate/status/618149446589751296

It appears that his Twitter feed is being encrypted

Also his surname appears to be an anagram of Tandem, maybe that's a hint about how to carry on.

[Vince]

You don't speak Dutch?

[T42]

The wearer did say he would rather be wearing it than chasing his opponents wearing it.

Even if he was not wearing it and was ahead time-wise, he could expect constant attacks anyway, so might as well benefit from having his team car in pole position and letting other teams chase breakaways.  I also believe a previous winner quite recently tool the yellow early on and ended wearing it at the end.

Yup, and appeared on Oprah a few years later.  Oh, wait, recently...

Point taken re Froome & attacks.  Someone more lowly who took it would be heading for trouble.

[Veloman]

Yup, and appeared on Oprah a few years later.  Oh, wait, recently...

I was thinking of Nibali last year.

Brailsford has commented that positioning of following vehicles is pretty important today over the pave and he is very happy for the team to have the yellow jumper.

Day 4 and so far a different wearer of the yellow jumper each day.  Let us what happens today!

[D.A.L.E.]

Good Grief!  Chris Froome can spin up hills can't he?

That's what drugs do for you.

[Mr Larrington]

Yup, and appeared on Oprah a few years later.  Oh, wait, recently...

I was thinking of Nibali last year.

Brailsford has commented that positioning of following vehicles is pretty important today over the pave and he is very happy for the team to have the yellow jumper.

Day 4 and so far a different wearer of the yellow jumper each day.  Let us what happens today!

Or "yellow tunic", as Pinky and smegging Perky on ITV4 seem to have renamed it

[Nuncio]

I thought that the gap to Froome looked more than a second but apparently it was 0.07 secs within the time (1 second, I assume) for which gaps are counted.  So that's the margin by which Tony Martin missed out on the Yellow tunic for a second consecutive day. I don't think he's ever worn it, has he, never having won the prologue/first stage?

[mrcharly-YHT]

Good Grief!  Chris Froome can spin up hills can't he?

That's what drugs do for you.

And I thought Australians were the worst for tall poppy syndrome.

[D.A.L.E.]

Good Grief!  Chris Froome can spin up hills can't he?

That's what drugs do for you.

And I thought Australians were the worst for tall poppy syndrome.

Speaking of Australians, remember when noted climber Simon Gerrans dropped him on a similar climb?

It's not tall poppy syndrome at all. If any rider from any other team had improved as much as he has, you'd never hear the end of it.

[mrcharly-YHT]

Good Grief!  Chris Froome can spin up hills can't he?

That's what drugs do for you.

And I thought Australians were the worst for tall poppy syndrome.

Speaking of Australians, remember when noted climber Simon Gerrans dropped him on a similar climb?

It's not tall poppy syndrome at all. If any rider from any other team had improved as much as he has, you'd never hear the end of it.

That is *exactly* what tall poppy syndrome is!

"Rider x has improved a lot, must be taking drugs".

[Mr Larrington]

I notice that Quemeneur is using crosstop brake levers today.  What's that all about, eh?

[Karla]

Der Panzerwagen gewinnt!

[Veloman]

What a fantastic stage and what a fantastic result!

[Mr Larrington]

This is a song about a superhero named Tony!
</Pixies>

[spesh]

Good result - now Pinky & Perky can STFU about Martin just missing out on the 'yellow tunic'.

[TimC]

Brilliant stage! I bet we get some fabulous pictures from the photogs around the cobbled stretches.