TdeF 2013

[eck]

Ligget and Sherwin are just appalling twats.

According to Ligget (within a minute of being on air), today is the warmest day of the Tour so far.
Well, fancy that! 

[Karla]

I was just about to use that to start a new thread of Phil&Paul-isms, but now you've beaten me to it 

[eck]

  Sorry Mr B. But you're right, please feel free to start a new thread of Phil 'n' Paul-isms. I'm sure there will be another one along any minute now.

[TimO]

On the ITV coverage, they just mentioned that Belkin Procycling was formed from what was the Rabobank team, but I saw Rabobank team cars on the Noordwijk Classic in Noordwijk last week, and looking things up, it seems that it was the Men's Team that they pulled out from funding, and they still sponsor the Rabobank-Liv Giant woman's professional road racing team.

I guess that this reflects a lesser use of drugs (possibly) in the professional women's teams, and more likely simply the much lower profile of women's professional cycling.  I never really understand why women's cycling has such poor support (presumably largely with the sponsors), hence the debacle which the Tour de France Féminin became in recent years.

[TimO]

That was an interesting finish!  I thought that the small group was going to be entirely swept up, but Bakelants just managed to stay ahead, although I was convinced that he was going to be caught, since he was repeatedly looking behind himself, rather than just putting everything he had into it, which is all you can really do in that situation.

Not surprisingly, Kittel hasn't managed to stay in yellow, although he does retain his green jersey, for the time being. He's now at 142 position, over 17 minutes down on the leader!

[Veloman]

Ligget and Sherwin are just appalling twats.

Yesterday Liggett said "Voigt has found the elixir of youth" 

Yeah, Phil. Its called EPO.

?

Voigt and EPO?

A rider who I would put my money on as being clean.

[Ewan Houzami]

....Not surprisingly, Kittel hasn't managed to stay in yellow, although he does retain his green jersey, for the time being. He's now at 142 position, over 17 minutes down on the leader!

This is setting out to be a far more interesting opening week than the usual prologue TT, followed by three stage wins for Cavendish etc formula. Maybe the organisers could try shaking up the usual order of things like this every third year or so.

[Veloman]

....Not surprisingly, Kittel hasn't managed to stay in yellow, although he does retain his green jersey, for the time being. He's now at 142 position, over 17 minutes down on the leader!

This is setting out to be a far more interesting opening week than the usual prologue TT, followed by three stage wins for Cavendish etc formula. Maybe the organisers could try shaking up the usual order of things like this every third year or so.

That's the advantage of starting somewhere hilly like Corsica which TDF has never visited before

[andygates]

Plucky Break Holds Out To The Last Second.

That's movie stuff, that is. I can see why he's sleeping in yellow. 

[pcolbeck]

That was excellent !the whole breakaway coul have eaten the pack if they hadn't started fannying about with 2km to go.

[Hot Flatus]

Ligget and Sherwin are just appalling twats.

Yesterday Liggett said "Voigt has found the elixir of youth" 

Yeah, Phil. Its called EPO.

?

Voigt and EPO?

A rider who I would put my money on as being clean.

Hamilton would advise against that bet, I'm afraid.

[Veloman]

Ligget and Sherwin are just appalling twats.

Yesterday Liggett said "Voigt has found the elixir of youth" 

Yeah, Phil. Its called EPO.

His book was a good read. No mention of JV.

Possible not every rider was doping, or do you assume 100% doping?

?

Voigt and EPO?

A rider who I would put my money on as being clean.

Hamilton would advise against that bet, I'm afraid.

[Hot Flatus]

Hamilton has said that Voigt not knowing about the doping on CSC is the most ridiculous thing he has ever heard. He's convinced Voigt doped. I would consider it highly unlikely that Voigt has always been a clean rider.

May I ask why on earth you think he is?

[Sergeant Pluck]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URw93Xt0hGI

Why do people do it??? Dogs off the lead as the peloton bears down at full tilt.

He's convinced Voigt doped

That would be sad if so

[Hot Flatus]

I think it is interesting how we accord some people the benefit of the doubt that we don't accord to others.

[Sergeant Pluck]

It's more that I don't believe it's necessarily the case that every rider that competed in that era doped. I suppose the fact that Jens was never really a contender for the upper ranks in the big tours, to me, means that he might have had less incentive to take the risk.

[Hot Flatus]

Unfortunately, it seems clear that the salient point is....there was no risk.

Think about Armstrong's '500' tests. How many of them positive?

[David Martin]

Several.

[LittleWheelsandBig]

Not officially/ not at the time.

[David Martin]

/not that were made public

[woollypigs]

Did anyone hear the total f'up that Phil did today. Kept calling the leading rider the wrong name and then when he figured out that he was doing so used an other name. Couldn't even see the nice big circle with an R in and figure out that he still was on the wrong donkey. He had to re-record the last few km's with the right name on.

[Hot Flatus]

/not that were made public

Exactly.

No risk, unless you were stupid.

[robgul]

How many people on yacf are in Nice for the TTT on Tues?  Seems like every second person here is British.

Rob

[Frank9755]

When I was in Gran Canaria in January, I saw the women's Rabobank team out riding a few times.  A fine sight they were, too!  I did wonder at the time about what I'd heard about them withdrawing sponsorship.

One day we overtook a few of them.  They were basically just rolling back to their hotel at the end of a ride. 

On the ITV coverage, they just mentioned that Belkin Procycling was formed from what was the Rabobank team, but I saw Rabobank team cars on the Noordwijk Classic in Noordwijk last week, and looking things up, it seems that it was the Men's Team that they pulled out from funding, and they still sponsor the Rabobank-Liv Giant woman's professional road racing team.

I guess that this reflects a lesser use of drugs (possibly) in the professional women's teams, and more likely simply the much lower profile of women's professional cycling.  I never really understand why women's cycling has such poor support (presumably largely with the sponsors), hence the debacle which the Tour de France Féminin became in recent years.

[clarion]

Wow, if a bank thinks you're bad for it's image, you really are a bit stymied.