Author Topic: TdF 2011 general discussion thread - likely to contain spoilers  (Read 80360 times)

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
Re: TdF 2011 general discussion thread - likely to contain spoilers
« Reply #25 on: 05 July, 2011, 05:23:30 pm »
Well, that was a properly exciting finish to the stage today. A few people laying a few cards on the table, and a thoroughly deserving winner. I think I've just about caught my breath now.

d.
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

Re: TdF 2011 general discussion thread - likely to contain spoilers
« Reply #26 on: 05 July, 2011, 07:52:50 pm »
Thor Hushovd!

An absolutely sensational ride.
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andygates

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Re: TdF 2011 general discussion thread - likely to contain spoilers
« Reply #27 on: 05 July, 2011, 07:57:52 pm »
Thor Hushovd!

An absolutely sensational ride.

Hell yes. 

Mustn't underestimate Evans's work with mechanicals and having to gnaw up the peloton, nor the delightful sight of Contador in pain (not as a gloat: as a sign that he's not full of horse testicles).

More from the hot Thor/Cav bromance tomorrow...
It takes blood and guts to be this cool but I'm still just a cliché.
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Re: TdF 2011 general discussion thread - likely to contain spoilers
« Reply #28 on: 05 July, 2011, 08:06:05 pm »
But where was Andy Schleck?????

Re: TdF 2011 general discussion thread - likely to contain spoilers
« Reply #29 on: 05 July, 2011, 08:20:27 pm »
Fuck.  Just about to go and watch it on the record list and BBC News 24 just blurted it out. 
I've avoided everything else.  Fuck.

Re: TdF 2011 general discussion thread - likely to contain spoilers
« Reply #30 on: 05 July, 2011, 08:20:40 pm »
Thor Hushovd!

An absolutely sensational ride.

Absolutely.  I really enjoyed that finish today.

Re: TdF 2011 general discussion thread - likely to contain spoilers
« Reply #31 on: 05 July, 2011, 08:52:39 pm »
What a nasty uphill drag at the end. Christian Prudhomme must have been killing himself laughing when he came up with that one. An inspired choice of finish.
I think you'll find it's a bit more complicated than that.

Re: TdF 2011 general discussion thread - likely to contain spoilers
« Reply #32 on: 05 July, 2011, 09:39:01 pm »
What a nasty uphill drag at the end. Christian Prudhomme must have been killing himself laughing when he came up with that one. An inspired choice of finish.

There's a story behind that.

The finish of stage 4 is the Mur de Bretagne, which is a lot steeper than most roads in France for the reasons outlined by Graham Robb in his excellent book 'The Discovery of France'.



Quote
"The chief engineer in the Limousin, Pierre Tresaguet, had insisted that a limit should be placed on [road] gradients. ... The old road east of Morlaix still includes a needless climb of 15 per cent (1 in 7) because the blundering military Governor of Brittany, the Duc d'Aiguillon, preferred straight lines to the more accommodating curve of the older road that runs alongside. Thanks in part to Tresaguet, it is unusual now to find a climb in excess of 8 per cent (1 in 12). This was thought to be the steepest gradient that a fully laden mule could manage. British mountain roads seem to rise in fits and starts like step pyramids. French mountain roads go much higher, but more steadily, and can comfortably be climbed for hours by a fully laden cyclist."

"To judge by the army handbook of 1884, it is fortunate that most road building was left to civil engineers:
Gradient on which troops can still march in good order: 25 per cent;
Gradient manageable by mounted horses and light carriages: 33 per cent;
Gradient manageable by mules: 50 per cent;
Escarpment that an infantryman can still cross by using his hands: 100 per cent (completely vertical)"




Re: TdF 2011 general discussion thread - likely to contain spoilers
« Reply #33 on: 05 July, 2011, 10:52:24 pm »
Lovely comment from Harmon just now:
"They're not the quickest calculators, the Schlecks."

 ;D

d.


That was really funny.  Harmon and Kelly having quite a chuckle about it.

But where was Andy Schleck?????

I know. He was bad in the Tour of California, then the Tour de Suisse and now this. It's either one of the longest bluffs in sporting history or he really hasn't got it this year.


fuzzy

Re: TdF 2011 general discussion thread - likely to contain spoilers
« Reply #34 on: 05 July, 2011, 11:18:50 pm »
"To judge by the army handbook of 1884, it is fortunate that most road building was left to civil engineers:
Gradient on which troops can still march in good order: 25 per cent;
Gradient manageable by mounted horses and light carriages: 33 per cent;
Gradient manageable by mules: 50 per cent;
Escarpment that an infantryman can still cross by using his hands: 100 per cent (completely vertical)"
Quote

Just like every Military Handbook ever published- written by someone who wasn't the Infantryman who had to march the graident in good order ::-)

mattc

  • n.b. have grown beard since photo taken
    • Didcot Audaxes
Re: TdF 2011 general discussion thread - likely to contain spoilers
« Reply #35 on: 06 July, 2011, 09:01:42 am »
Was it wrong to enjoy Contador's air punch as he crossed the line?

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---------
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fuzzy

Re: TdF 2011 general discussion thread - likely to contain spoilers
« Reply #36 on: 06 July, 2011, 09:10:54 am »
Was it wrong to enjoy Contador's air punch as he crossed the line?



No. Especially after seeing the phot finish;D

Re: TdF 2011 general discussion thread - likely to contain spoilers
« Reply #37 on: 06 July, 2011, 09:22:15 am »
I actually felt a bit sorry for him. First all the booing, then losing all that time and now being pipped on the line by a paedophile. He's not having much luck. All he did was eat a dodgy burger  :P
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citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
Re: TdF 2011 general discussion thread - likely to contain spoilers
« Reply #38 on: 06 July, 2011, 10:17:50 am »
Was it wrong to enjoy Contador's air punch as he crossed the line?

No. Especially after seeing the phot finish;D

I thought it looked like Cadel had edged it, but then Contador celebrated and he didn't, so I assumed they both knew that Contador had won and I was a bit disappointed. But then they showed the photo...

I believe the word is "schadenfreude".  ;D

d.
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

Mr Larrington

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Re: TdF 2011 general discussion thread - likely to contain spoilers
« Reply #39 on: 06 July, 2011, 10:42:18 am »
I trust Roman Feillul's blantant drafting of his team car has been properly punished by les comissaires.

Oh, hang one, he's French, isn't he...
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Re: TdF 2011 general discussion thread - likely to contain spoilers
« Reply #40 on: 06 July, 2011, 10:50:37 am »
I'm just surprised Cav wasn't docked points for not de-materialising to let Fellul through in the sprint at the end of day 3.
I think you'll find it's a bit more complicated than that.

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
Re: TdF 2011 general discussion thread - likely to contain spoilers
« Reply #41 on: 06 July, 2011, 10:52:27 am »
Quote
Jury decisions
* Vacansoleil sport director Hilaire Vander Schueren, fined 200CHF for an infraction “concerning the circulation of the vehicle”
* John Gadret (Ag2r), fined 100CHF for “peeing in public”
* Cofidis sport director Didier Rous fined 200CHF for “comportement incorrect” from the team car
* Matteo Tosatto (Saxo Bank-Sungard), Insausti Izagirre (Euskaltel-Euskadi), José Gutierrez (Movistar), John Gadret (Ag2r) – all fined 30CHF each for “bidden collé” – sticky water bottles – for taking pulls from team cars
* Sport directors Brad McGee (Saxo Bank-Sungard), Gorka Gerrikagoitita (Euskaltel), Yvon Ledanois (Movistar) and Vincent Lavenu (Ag2r) – all fined 50CHF each for above infraction

Tour de France Notebook, stage 4: Farrar’s breakthrough, Van Garderen close to white

Obviously a glitch in the system there - how did the Frenchman Gadret manage to get a fine?

d.
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

Re: TdF 2011 general discussion thread - likely to contain spoilers
« Reply #42 on: 06 July, 2011, 11:30:27 am »
Two fines for Gadret, including
Quote
* John Gadret (Ag2r), fined 100CHF for “peeing in public”
which would seem a little unfair.  Presumably it was blatant.

Re: TdF 2011 general discussion thread - likely to contain spoilers
« Reply #43 on: 06 July, 2011, 11:44:17 am »
I've done it loads of times on audaxes, but never been fined.

Re: TdF 2011 general discussion thread - likely to contain spoilers
« Reply #44 on: 06 July, 2011, 12:23:00 pm »
I've done it loads of times on audaxes, but never been fined.

Yebbut, there wasn't a crowd of spectators across the road at the time, was there?  ;)
"He who fights monsters should see to it that he himself does not become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." ~ Freidrich Neitzsche

bloomers100

  • ACME's Head of Sexual Health and Family Planning
Re: TdF 2011 general discussion thread - likely to contain spoilers
« Reply #45 on: 06 July, 2011, 12:59:10 pm »
I recorded the ITV4HD version last night to find that they no longer transmit in HD suddenly and all I got was a screen telling me so. Be careful if you use a generic satellite recording device. The first few days were okay obviously been an issue over licensing perhaps.

LEE

Re: TdF 2011 general discussion thread - likely to contain spoilers
« Reply #46 on: 06 July, 2011, 03:02:18 pm »
Thor Hushovd!

An absolutely sensational ride.

Hell yes. 

Mustn't underestimate Evans's work with mechanicals and having to gnaw up the peloton, nor the delightful sight of Contador in pain (not as a gloat: as a sign that he's not full of horse testicles).

More from the hot Thor/Cav bromance tomorrow...

It was quite unusual to see Contador in so much pain, unable to drop a heavy-weight sprinter,  wasn't it?

It doesn't look like he had much in the tank and I'm wondering if Wiggins is holding back in order to test his new skinny physique on big climbs. 
To think Wiggins has dropped almost 2 stone in weight since last year (incredible really) but not lost power must result in an improvement on the mountains (and he wasn't that bad to begin with).

Re: TdF 2011 general discussion thread - likely to contain spoilers
« Reply #47 on: 06 July, 2011, 04:00:04 pm »
Contador still came a gnat's whisker from winning the stage.  He just went a little too early, I think.  No-one was going to look serene on that finish.  There were comments during the Giro that he looked as if he was struggling, and he won that comfortably enough.  I still can't see anyone (apart from CAS) taking the win from him.

Re: TdF 2011 general discussion thread - likely to contain spoilers
« Reply #48 on: 06 July, 2011, 04:13:30 pm »
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citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
Re: TdF 2011 general discussion thread - likely to contain spoilers
« Reply #49 on: 06 July, 2011, 04:36:27 pm »
Did you watch Jeremy Roy's stats when he broke away with Voeckler near the end? Frightening!

d.
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."