Featuring
- 8 member teams
- Possible echelon-inducing stages following a start in the Vendee and a couple of Brittany stages (starts in Brest and Fougeres)
- 31km TTT on Stage 3
- Double Mur de Bretagne climb on the Brest stage
- Another unconscious PBP nod with a start at Dreux
- Cobbles Baby! - 21.7kms worth on stage 9 Amiens to Roubaix.
- A Col de la Madeleine/Croix de Fer/Alpe d’Huez stage
- a partly unpaved climb to the Plateau des Glières on the Le Grand Bornand
- a 65km-long mountain stage (ie the stage is that length, it's not a single mountain)
- a 31km hilly TT on the penultimate day
Can't wait.
It's not about attention span per se, it's about making it more TV-friendly.
Interesting and very hilly route. However, the stages are too short. As Michele Ferrari has often pointed out, Froome’s relative weakness is endurance. A difficult Tour for Froome would be one with many long climbing stages, taking the race away from aerobic fitness to endurance. It’s a pity the audience no longer has the attention span for that sort of thing.
We @ P@nd3m1c Pr0duckt10nzTM® sense an opportunity here, albeit 4 different reasons. Though Bethany (8 ) is already on record as saying that if W Barguil knacks himself out from riding the Giro there will be Trouble.Bethany(VIII) Fixed. :)
Edit: I'm going to have to modify my table-generating SCIENCE to cope with Bethany (8 )'s advancing years, because smileys.
It's not 1903 any more. People want to be able to watch the race as it happens, not just read about it in the newspaper a day or two later.
It's not 1903 any more. People want to be able to watch the race as it happens, not just read about it in the newspaper a day or two later.
It might also be a tactic to reduce dependency on pharmaceuticals.
We @ P@nd3m1c Pr0duckt10nzTM® sense an opportunity here, albeit 4 different reasons. Though Bethany (8 ) is already on record as saying that if W Barguil knacks himself out from riding the Giro there will be Trouble.
Edit: I'm going to have to modify my table-generating SCIENCE to cope with Bethany (8 )'s advancing years, because smileys.
Any links for a detailed route yet? The main TdF site only has the start/finish towns and a thick line on a map.
Any links for a detailed route yet? The main TdF site only has the start/finish towns and a thick line on a map.The details (road numbers etc) do not get released until quite late in the spring.
We @ P@nd3m1c Pr0duckt10nzTM® sense an opportunity here, albeit 4 different reasons. Though Bethany (8 ) is already on record as saying that if W Barguil knacks himself out from riding the Giro there will be Trouble.
Edit: I'm going to have to modify my table-generating SCIENCE to cope with Bethany (8 )'s advancing years, because smileys.
Not sure if the organisation behind Ride London and the London/Surrey classic will be happy that their rides are on the same day as the final stage of the Tour.
I see a stage starting in Brest and a stage finishing in Paris. Unfortunately these are not one and the same. :facepalm:
What the heck is this about:
"
It was announced that three, two and one bonus seconds, would be given to the first three riders to cross a specific kilometre of the race, determined in advance. It will have an impact on the general classification, but not the points.
" [From wiki ]
Some sort of tribute? ???
Your link appears to be a football match from 1970.
We @ P@nd3m1c Pr0duckt10nzTM® sense an opportunity here, albeit 4 different reasons. Though Bethany (8 ) is already on record as saying that if W Barguil knacks himself out from riding the Giro there will be Trouble.
Edit: I'm going to have to modify my table-generating SCIENCE to cope with Bethany (8 )'s advancing years, because smileys.
Bethany's mum is a total skank. #justsayin'
Bethany [8]: | Tell me something I don't know, Mr Wiseguy! |
Team Dimension Data (@TeamDiData) Tweeted:
Here it is, our 2018 @LeTour team! 🖐🏽
#BicyclesChangeLives
Full Details: https://t.co/RUp4Zrt3Ak https://t.co/6fVJACAHOr https://twitter.com/TeamDiData/status/1012634209175908352?s=17
Nice video
Team Dimension Data (@TeamDiData) Tweeted:
Here it is, our 2018 @LeTour team! 🖐🏽
#BicyclesChangeLives
Full Details: https://t.co/RUp4Zrt3Ak https://t.co/6fVJACAHOr https://twitter.com/TeamDiData/status/1012634209175908352?s=17
Nice video
i’m confused. I had assumed that [8] was reference to the age of Bethany, but she was that last year so it can’t be that. Is it reference to her position amongst her siblings perhaps? Please someone to be telling me what it’s all about
Bethany's mum is a total skank. #justsayin'
Bethany [8]: Tell me something I don't know, Mr Wiseguy!
"i’m confused"
i’m confused. I had assumed that [8] was reference to the age of Bethany, but she was that last year so it can’t be that. Is it reference to her position amongst her siblings perhaps? Please someone to be telling me what it’s all about
Bethany's mum is a total skank. #justsayin'
Bethany [8]: Tell me something I don't know, Mr Wiseguy!
I’m familiar with Pandomodim Production’s coverage of le Tour, but the status of Ms Beffenee is somewhat confusing I.Quote"i’m confused"
Kinnell! Wait till you start reading the race coverage . . .
Probably for the best, tbh.*
edit. * if it actually happens
Team Sky 'confident' Chris Froome will race in Tour de France
Team Sky respond to French report Tour organisers attempting to ban Froome from competing in 2018 race
The Froome situation has only arisen because of UCI corruption/incompetence
Mere posturing for PR purposes. Prudhomme knows his ban will not stand. The Froome situation has only arisen because of UCI corruption/incompetence (their leak to Le Monde and The Guardian), without which Froome’s AAF would be confidential as the UCI’s rules require. Is he now to be punished by ASO for a breach of his own privacy? Imagine how that would sit with WADA, whose rules via the UCI Froome has followed to arrive at this mess.
Lappartient and Prudhomme are cowards who should be standing up for the rule of law rather than kowtowing to ignorant public opinion in France and elsewhere. But they are self-serving cynics and now it seems in cahoots into the bargain. It’s they who have harmed the reputation of cycling.
This latest move makes me wonder if Prudhomme knows Froome will be cleared of wrongdoing by the UCI earlier than expected, before the Tour starts.
And he's back in as UCI drop case.That's the doping case that's been dropped. ASO have still got to decide on whether they'll let him race and given that they'd initially refused based on an allegation, there's no guarantee that they'll change their minds.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/44679483 (https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/44679483)
i’m confused. I had assumed that [8] was reference to the age of Bethany, but she was that last year so it can’t be that. Is it reference to her position amongst her siblings perhaps? Please someone to be telling me what it’s all about
Bethany's mum is a total skank. #justsayin'
Bethany [8]: Tell me something I don't know, Mr Wiseguy!
Bethany [8]: | Last year: Bethany (7) innit! Then I had a birfday it was wik there was CAEK an kumquats innit cept mi mum got pist on wite litening teh fukn c-o-w ne way dont care bout sily old C Froome onli W Barguil an G Thomas onli that 4 mi bff 5 she stil fancis him sumfin rotn lol xXx bethany |
Bethany's Mum: | Befny! 'oo u torkin' to? I warned u! |
Bethany [8]: | Jus' sum geezer tryna sell mi dubbl-glazin' Mum innit! (Aside) She'll believe ne old rubbish when she's off her tits liek wot she is now lol! Tell Super D to leave teh hats @ home! |
Well no, actually he didn't, so that's not why it has arisen.Quote from: Samuel DThe Froome situation has only arisen because of UCI corruption/incompetence
No. It's only arisen because Froome doped.
a significant number of expert and scientific reports were submitted on behalf of Mr Froome. ...UCI
Mr Froome then filed his explanation for the abnormal result on 4 June 2018, together with significant additional expert evidence. ...
WADA informed the UCI that it would accept, based on the specific facts of the case, that Mr Froome’s sample results do not constitute an AAF. ...
Well no, actually he didn't, so that's not why it has arisen.Quote from: Samuel DThe Froome situation has only arisen because of UCI corruption/incompetence
No. It's only arisen because Froome doped.
2009
1st Stage 2 Giro del Capo
1st Anatomic Jock Race
4th Road race, National Road Championships
9th Gran Premio Nobili Rubinetterie
2010
2nd Time trial, National Road Championships
5th Time trial, Commonwealth Games
9th Overall Tour du Haut Var
2011
2nd Overall Vuelta a España
1st Stage 17
Held Jersey red.svg after Stage 10
3rd Overall Tour of Beijing
2012
2nd Overall Tour de France
1st Stage 7
Held Jersey polkadot.svg after Stage 7
3rd Bronze medal olympic.svg Time trial, Olympic Games
4th Overall Vuelta a España
Anyway, as I've said before, the Salbutamol is a red-herring. It doesn't account for his ridiculous transformation from zero to greatest rider of his generation.this is starting to sound very like your assault on dear Sir Bradley. You assured us he was going down, despite no one finding him guilty of anything. How is that working out?
Anyway, as I've said before, the Salbutamol is a red-herring. It doesn't account for his ridiculous transformation from zero to greatest rider of his generation.this is starting to sound very like your assault on dear Sir Bradley. You assured us he was going down, despite no one finding him guilty of anything. How is that working out?
Is it actually that 'ridiculously' zero to hero though?
wikiQuote2009
1st Stage 2 Giro del Capo
1st Anatomic Jock Race
4th Road race, National Road Championships
9th Gran Premio Nobili Rubinetterie
2010
2nd Time trial, National Road Championships
5th Time trial, Commonwealth Games
9th Overall Tour du Haut Var
2011
2nd Overall Vuelta a España
1st Stage 17
Held Jersey red.svg after Stage 10
3rd Overall Tour of Beijing
2012
2nd Overall Tour de France
1st Stage 7
Held Jersey polkadot.svg after Stage 7
3rd Bronze medal olympic.svg Time trial, Olympic Games
4th Overall Vuelta a España
He had the opportunity to explain it away, and it seems the UCI have accepted it.
Possibly, but they could easily have told Sky 6 months ago that Froome would be denied a place if the case was unresolved. Doing so less than a week before the start smacks of deliberate malice.Is it possible that they knew they could force a decision out of the UCI? If so, all's well that ends well!
The fact that a Frenchman hasn't won le Tour for over 30 years must be making ASO wonder why they continue with it ..... the original concept to stage the event to sell newspapers seems to have run its course as l'Equipe (effectively the successor paper) survives on football coverage.
Just perhaps if Froome doesn't/didn't start they may get a French winner ...
Rob
The most likely winner without Froome is Italian.
They might try, but I dint think Thomas is good enough. For one thing he struggles to stay upright.
Is it actually that 'ridiculously' zero to hero though?
wikiQuote2009...2012
Errr....Yes.
Sadly I could not attend. I take it you were there? Should I expect imminent updates to this:Anyway, as I've said before, the Salbutamol is a red-herring. It doesn't account for his ridiculous transformation from zero to greatest rider of his generation.this is starting to sound very like your assault on dear Sir Bradley. You assured us he was going down, despite no one finding him guilty of anything. How is that working out?
Did you miss the DCMS hearing Matt?
The UCI/WADA had better have a very acceptable (to the general public) reason and had better publish it quickly and widely or Froome still presents a major risk to public order and safety during the Tour, which may well be a good reason for ASO to exclude him.
...
...
Also there has to be pretty or grandiose scnery for Polo to commentate. That's more important to some viewers (in UK you don't have all the "all around the tour" stuff and the "célébration du terroire" which probably makes as much tele viewing as the racing itself).
Cycle racing is probably one of the most boring of spectator events unless seen on TV, if ever I am able to watch the TdF on TV it is the wonderful French countryside that grips my interest.
...
Also there has to be pretty or grandiose scnery for Polo to commentate. That's more important to some viewers (in UK you don't have all the "all around the tour" stuff and the "célébration du terroire" which probably makes as much tele viewing as the racing itself).
I'm pretty sure that most years there are more minutes of pretty scenery than of real action - even on the UK coverage!
Is it actually that 'ridiculously' zero to hero though?
wikiQuote2009...2012
Errr....Yes.
Well the early part of his career was in Africa, which is not your typical route to the yellow jersey (AFAIA), but he clearly had talent prior to the SKY era. Perhaps for Froome everything simply 'coalesced' at the right time, seems to have done. :P
Anyway...
So why did they bother doping him up? Surely it would be more effective to dope a better rider than the Laterne Rouge.
Sadly I could not attend. I take it you were there? Should I expect imminent updates to this:Anyway, as I've said before, the Salbutamol is a red-herring. It doesn't account for his ridiculous transformation from zero to greatest rider of his generation.this is starting to sound very like your assault on dear Sir Bradley. You assured us he was going down, despite no one finding him guilty of anything. How is that working out?
Did you miss the DCMS hearing Matt?
https://dataride.uci.ch/iframe/EventResults/120460?competitionId=42784&disciplineId=10
Yeah, bet you don't get the cookery classes, local specialities, music, song and dance that France3 puts out for at least a couple of hours a day that is outside the mainstream race coverage
...and Petacchi's
A poorly researched set of predictions from the mirror on the likely outcome:
link (http://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/latest-news/the-mirror-has-tried-to-write-a-tour-de-france-preview-and-its-the-best-thing-youll-read-today-384881)
Cycle racing is probably one of the most boring of spectator events unless seen on TV, if ever I am able to watch the TdF on TV it is the wonderful French countryside that grips my interest.I think that sailing would run it pretty close. They don't even follow the same course for much of the race and only come together at the marks. Even if you are a sailor it can be pretty subjective who is in the lead, and if you are watching it IRL then the action is probably taking place a long way off unless you are on a boat and even then you can't work it out easily. None enthusiast stand no chance at all.
The Clinic? The Comic?
How absurd. Are you saying that their "Racing" forum is about racing??
A poorly researched set of predictions from the mirror on the likely outcome:
link (http://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/latest-news/the-mirror-has-tried-to-write-a-tour-de-france-preview-and-its-the-best-thing-youll-read-today-384881)
The Clinic? The Comic?
The Clinic is a sub-board on the Cycling News forum where doping issues are to be debated instead of clogging up the racing-related threads. From observation, it is a morass of conspiracy theorising, every debating fallacy under the sun and outright abuse, and occasionally a rational debate breaks the surface for a few minutes. :demon:
OK, so I might be exaggerating for comic effect, but the last time I looked, it seemed to be Clinic regulars accounting for the vast majority of suspensions and bans issued by the moderators for the entire forum. Which gives some indication of the quality of debate in there. If the mods and admin get any renumeration over what they are paid for their regular work for CN, it is nowhere near enough.
Not to be confused with Cycling Weakly, which, as you may be aware, is otherwise known as The Comic. ;)
Hope this helps.
None for him, I suspectAlas; I think you're probably right, but one lives in hope.
The Times had quite a witty headline for their TdeF preview article.
Will Froome take the Fifth?
None enthusiast stand no chance at all.Bit like union then.
No Reichenbach either, chiz.
O noes part deux! The Watchfinder-General is back >:(*Whimpers*
O noes part deux! The Watchfinder-General is back >:(
Heaping misery upon misery, the fussy elephant is back too. Make my misery complete, ITV4, why don't you, and re-run the Money Supermarket ad as well >:(
I find myself supporting Froome for the first time. He's been so stitched up in the salbutamol saga. It takes strength of character to put up with it.
Well I didn't expect all the GC riders to be finding such creative ways to fall off or break things...
Watching Dutch Eurosport, sound off, with the BBC 5 live commentry, there was a lag of about 300m... which made things surreal...
J
Where was Cav?
Yeah, sadly I think we've seen it from Mr C. I'll be mildly surprised if Kittel does much either. Gaviria will hopefully be this year's man.
Where was Cav?
G Imlach: | O hai! I am TV's G Imlach and I am excellent! And welcome 2 teh 2018 Tour ov France! |
Bethany [8]: | O hai! I am Bethany [8] and I, also, am excellent! |
Omnes: | Yay! 'tis Bethany [8] and her merry quips! |
G Imlach: | Shut it, u clamouring molluscs! There is room onli 4 1 merry quipster on this prog. and that is me, G Imlach! However, some muppet has chosen 2 start teh race @ audax o'clock. Who would do such a ghastly thing, eh? EH? |
Evil C Boardman: | Aha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Also ha ha! |
Bethany [8]: | At least it gives me an hour or 2 b4 mi mum wakes up. Off her tits agane last nite teh fukn c-o-w! |
EC Boardman: | Wot, liek C Froome, sniff sniff aha ha ha ha ha ha? |
G Imlach: | Drugs! C Froome! TV's Wooden D Friebe! |
C Froome: | I never done nuffink! It musta been 2 otha fellas! Assmar! |
Nice C Boardman: | WADA? WANKAS, moar liek! Can ov worms inside a can ov worms! |
Omnes: | What did he just say? |
SD Millar: | O hai! I am TV's Super D Millar and I am not only excellent but also haz teh fabulous hair! Rodeo! |
Omnes: | What did he just say? |
G Imlach: | Who will win, NC Boardman, if not C Froome? |
NC Boardman: | R Porte, M Landa, |
G Imlach: | Thank u, NC Boardman! [Aside] Idiot!!1! |
NC Boardman: | Stage 1. Wind! |
Omnes: | Fck! Off! |
NC Boardman: | No, wait! Come back! I haz SCIENCE! |
G Imlach: | 2 slo, Niec C! It iz tiem 4 teh colemantators! |
N Boulting: | O hai! I am TV's *** Boulting and I am excellent! [Indicates map] I haz a map! |
SD Millar: | O hai! I am... wait a sec! I already doned this bit. C me point @ ***'s map! [Points @ ***’s map]. |
Omnes: | Just as long as u don't keep ur "fabulous" hair under a wankhat, Super D! |
SD Millar: | Fck off! Your all gay!!1! |
N Boulting: | Known unknowns! Unknown unknowns! Predictably unpredictable! CP Sagan! |
Omnes: | U utter tit, ***! |
N Boulting: | Salt! An epicure's delight! |
Bethany [8]: | This iz going 2 be teh longest 3 weeks ov mi life, isn't it? |
N Boulting: | TD Gendt! Racing beast, tactical radish, futile break! Ect and, moreover, ect! |
TD Gendt: | Shut! Up! |
Enfin | |
C Prudhomme: | OK! Off u fck! |
SD Millar: | C 3 French no-hopers form teh futile break! It's gonna be 1 ov those days. Iz lunchtiem yet? |
N Boulting: | No. No, SD Millar, it is not. |
SD Millar: | Piss! |
N Boulting: | Wind! Not. |
SD Millar: | Wind! Gels! Ammo belt! |
Omnes: | What did he just say? |
SD Millar: | Motivated pelican! Cat and mouse game! |
M Kitteh: | U called? Also, miaow! |
T Orslanda Jr: | Hurrah! |
N Boulting: | Bonus sprints? Seconds away? Qualification thingummy-wossnames? |
SD Millar: | |
Bethany [8]: | I wish I'd said that! |
N Boulting: | Geology prep! Scenery! M Smith and his captive TG Hart! |
SD Millar: | Lunchtiem! Yay! |
Grams: WHOOOOOOSH!!1! | |
M Smith: | Thank u *** mi guest iz TG Hart Tour ov California G Thomas! |
TG Hart: | Mumble drone Dauphiné blah predictably unpredictable Vuelta! |
Omnes: | FFS! They're all @ it! |
TG Hart: | Big engines! |
Omnes: | Kill! Him! |
Bethany [8]: | Oh-oh, mi mumz wokin up! Tiem 2 go round 2 5’s! |
Grams: WHOOOOOOSH!!1! | |
5’s Mummy: | Air, hellay, Bethany! Do have a kumquat! |
T Orslanda: | Yay! |
Bethany [8]: | Fankumissispoulidorfeatherstonehaugh! |
5's Mummy: | Syrah! |
5: | O hai bef'ny anyfink hapnin yet? |
Bethany [8]: | Crap joaks, mostly. |
5: | Haz G Thomas bin on? [Huge sigh] He's so yummalicious! |
G Thomas: | FFS, not agane! I mite haz 2 fall off mi biek, retire from teh race and go 2 teh pub! |
Bethany [8]: | No. No, he haz not. Just M Smith and TG Hart droning onanonanonanonanon & making me wish SD Millar would wear a wankhat @ us 4 lite releef! |
M Smith & TG Hart: | Wibble France R Bardet W Barguil mountain Hackney M Cavendish E Merckx DI2 break futile Wind rinse and repeat! |
N Boulting: | We're baaaaaaaaack! Wind! |
SD Millar: | [Snoring] |
N Boulting: | M Cavendish? |
SD Millar: | M Cavendish! England expects! Focus M Kitteh A Greipel teh goriler ov 3b! |
Omnes: | Munkeh!!1! |
N Boulting: | Lead-out trane M Renshaw EH Boson? |
SD Millar: | Yes. [Enormous jaw-cracking yawn] |
N Boulting: | GV Avermaet R Porte! |
GV Avermaet: | Shut! Up! |
N Boulting: | Unexpected expectations! Salt! Vendée Globe! FFS, Super D, save me!!1! N Bouhanni? |
N Bouhanni: | Oi! Wnkr! Want some? |
SD Millar: | Ur such a wnkr, N Bouhanni, that ur not even on teh race! Cofidis focus behaviours C Vasseur! |
N Bouhanni: | He can fck off as well! |
[Later] | |
N Boulting: | Whales! Boats! W Barguil! |
SD Millar: | Heeeeeeeeeeeeeee's shit! Well, this year. |
Bethany [8]: | Watch ur step, Super D! U still owe me, remember! |
SD Millar: | Ulp! |
[Laterer] | |
SD Millar: | Chateau! Fixer-upper! |
NF Knowles: | U called? |
Omnes: | Fck! Off! |
N Boulting: | Big Australian diesel engines! |
SD Millar: | Cobblestones! |
ML Maire: | Aieeeeeeee! Flashbacks! |
N Boulting: | Right, lunch! |
M Smith: | WTF? U already had lunch! |
N Boulting: | No, M Smith. No, we haz not. Just cocktails. |
Grams: WHOOOOOOSH!!1! | |
M Smith & TG Hart: | Heat swimming pool drone Worlds Vuelta cliché 4 sure incredible S ["Poisonous term" - Ed.]anel R Porte pavé GV Avermaet! Intermediate sprint? |
Omnes: | WTF? Bring back 1-man translation engine M Rendall! |
[More laterer] | |
N Boulting: | F Craddock crash bang wallop feed zone! Crazy sport! |
CP Sagan: | U got that rite *** hah hah aha ha! Crazy! |
N Boulting: | [Improving desperately] Intermediate migrating bird mussels oysters sprint Cavendish! Minty! |
SD Millar: | Electric motors ptui! |
N Boulting: | |
Omnes: | This ^^^^. |
N Boulting: | F Craddock. All sorts ov trub. |
F Craddock: | Can I go hoam? |
R Úran: | No. No, you cannot! |
Omnes: | Who said that? |
Bethany [8]: | Watch it, u lot! That's mi dad ur diss... oops! |
Omnes: | Surely u jest, Bethany [8]? |
Bethany [8]: | When I maek a joak I wiggle mi ears. U c mi ears wigglin'? Well, do ya, punks? |
Omnes: | |
N Boulting: | Tiem 4 TV's rnser 2 Deep Thought, M Rendall! |
M Rendall: | O hai mi M Rendall blong sieg heil! Mi tellim histoire do mãn rénaïsso loris del geen vitessimo! |
N Boulting: | G Imlach? |
M Rendall: | Nyet! F Rabelais Greekish habit Pantagruel pantograph Gargantua hattifattner mēt teh fedäraussprung blong mi kuzin perfetto! Vladimir Putain! |
SD Millar: | Has he gone yet? |
N Boulting: | J Degenkolb finger. Nails. |
SD Millar: | Fingernail ba-dum tish? |
Omnes: | Don't give up ur day job, Super D! |
N Boulting: | Look, see, a Frenchman there, riding a bicycle strapped 2 teh roof ov hiz car! |
SD Millar: | |
N Boulting: | Well, if he hadn't doned it we wouldn't hav seed it!* |
SD Millar: | |
N Boulting: | Dog! Dog on teh pitch! Always a Labrador! |
SD Millar: | Isn't he teh new president ov Mexico? |
[Laterer] | |
N Boulting: | Harmonious coöperation! |
SD Millar: | Wasn't that Teh Datsuns' first single? |
N Boulting: | Get! Out! |
SD Millar: | [Sulks] |
N Boulting: | Mountain! Sprint! Wooo! |
K Ledanois: | Yay! Spottyjumper! |
W Pigs: | Ur not Danish! |
K Ledanois: | Ssssssh! |
SD Millar: | Time spent in reconnaissance is sometimes wasted. They fiddle with something at teh back of teh room and traffic islands. Disappear! |
N Boulting: | F Craddock. All sorts ov trub. |
F Craddock: | Can I go hoam? Plz! |
Bethany [8]: | Don't even think about it, sonny! |
SD Millar: | Teh 2 riders off teh front r all out. Or all in. |
Omnes: | Ur turn 2 spike hiz covfefe toda, ***? |
Y Offredo: | Tiem bonus! 3 sec... oh! Arse! |
MP Cousin: | LOL @ Y Offredo! |
F Craddock: | Can I go hoam? Plz! |
N Boulting: | Crash! Yoicks! |
SD Millar: | R Porte. Y he there? Tw@! |
N Boulting: | A Demare! |
N Bouhanni (via e-mail): | Oh boo fukn hoo! |
N Boulting: | Crash! Yoicks! T $ky rider! |
5: | Nooooooo! Not G Thomas????!1? |
SD Millar: | No. No, not him. 4 a change. |
5: | Phew. Ooooooh, poneys! |
SD Millar: | Crash! C Froome!!1! |
C Froome: | Noes! Mi jumper iz dirty! |
TP Fairy: | O hai! O hai, |
N Quintana: | Piss! |
N Boulting: | Sprint! SprintEEEE! |
F Gardenia: | Yay! Winnage! Shinyjumper! |
CP Sagan: | Arse! Also, crazy! |
M Kitteh: | Piss! Also, miaow! |
Bethany [8]: | Well, that was interesting! |
EC Boardman: | A hahahaha ha ha. Ahahaha ha! |
Yeah, sadly I think we've seen it from Mr C. I'll be mildly surprised if Kittel does much either. Gaviria will hopefully be this year's man.
Be careful; prophets that are too successful sometimes come to sticky ends, biblically speaking. Otherwise congratulations on your first stage success. I hope you had some money on it!!
O hai! P@nd3m1c Pr0duckt10nzTM® iz bak.
O hai! P@nd3m1c Pr0duckt10nzTM® iz bak.I thought this had been discussed and resolved, but here I find this the ambiguity is perpetuated. PP really ought to get its shiz together given the level ov the subscription fees it collects....[/td][/tr][/table]
Bethany [8]:.
Bethany [8]: | OK i dose this 1 more tiem. During teh last Tour ov France i was Bethany (7). Now iz 1 year later and im Bethany [8]. Its not liek I lied about mi age 2 join teh French FOREIGN Legion or sumfink! |
Bethany's Mum: | Where u bin, u dirty stop-out? Hangin out wif dat posh bint an her tooffe-noze dor'er? |
[FX: Double-forte slap] | |
Bethany [8]: | Owwwwwwwwwwwww! [Aside] Fukn c-o-w! Ne1 kno if i can put mislef up 4 adopshun? |
WTF is this?
Bethany [8]: OK i dose this 1 more tiem. During teh last Tour ov France i was Bethany (7). Now iz 1 year later and im Bethany [8]. Its not liek I lied about mi age 2 join teh French FOREIGN Legion or sumfink! Bethany's Mum: Where u bin, u dirty stop-out? Hangin out wif dat posh bint an her tooffe-noze dor'er? [FX: Double-forte slap] Bethany [8]: Owwwwwwwwwwwww! [Aside] Fukn c-o-w! Ne1 kno if i can put mislef up 4 adopshun?
WTF is this?
Ah, my bad. I had it in my mind for some reason that Bethany [8] was Bethany [8] last year and as you say, she was Bethany [7] last year ( I checked!). I’ll make an entry in the ‘I’m a Div’ thread later :(
Bethany [8]: OK i dose this 1 more tiem. During teh last Tour ov France i was Bethany (7). Now iz 1 year later and im Bethany [8]. Its not liek I lied about mi age 2 join teh French FOREIGN Legion or sumfink! Bethany's Mum: Where u bin, u dirty stop-out? Hangin out wif dat posh bint an her tooffe-noze dor'er? [FX: Double-forte slap] Bethany [8]: Owwwwwwwwwwwww! [Aside] Fukn c-o-w! Ne1 kno if i can put mislef up 4 adopshun?
What's going on with Chavanel's ginormous jockey wheel?
Alrighty. So this is why I'm suddenly admiring Froome's sang froid in coping with his stitch-up. He was accused of being 100% over the salbutamol limit, but when dehydration was taken into account it was actually 20%. The WADA guy responsible said that he'd made "a terrible blunder" when he calculated the threshold. Inhaling salbutamol has no known performance benefit. Salbutamol isn't a banned substance, it's a restricted one. Froome claims that he's been asthmatic since childhood - i.e. he's not being treated for a new condition which has magically appeared since he joined Sky. (I assume he wouldn't make this claim falsely, as it's probably easy to verify?) We would never have known about the salbutamol reading if someone at the UCI hadn't leaked it. And much of Froome's criticism is blowback from the hamfisted way in which way Sky handled the jiffy back case...it's not fair to blame Froome for that.
http://road.cc/content/news/244597-scientist-behind-wada-salbutamol-rules-sided-froome
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/jul/05/team-sky-tour-de-france-rival-education-first-chris-froome-jonathan-vaughters
Alrighty. So this is why I'm suddenly admiring Froome's sang froid in coping with his stitch-up. He was accused of being 100% over the salbutamol limit, but when dehydration was taken into account it was actually 20%. The WADA guy responsible said that he'd made "a terrible blunder" when he calculated the threshold. Inhaling salbutamol has no known performance benefit. Salbutamol isn't a banned substance, it's a restricted one. Froome claims that he's been asthmatic since childhood - i.e. he's not being treated for a new condition which has magically appeared since he joined Sky. (I assume he wouldn't make this claim falsely, as it's probably easy to verify?) We would never have known about the salbutamol reading if someone at the UCI hadn't leaked it. And much of Froome's criticism is blowback from the hamfisted way in which way Sky handled the jiffy back case...it's not fair to blame Froome for that.
http://road.cc/content/news/244597-scientist-behind-wada-salbutamol-rules-sided-froome
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/jul/05/team-sky-tour-de-france-rival-education-first-chris-froome-jonathan-vaughters
Fairness is the last thing to expect from fans. Being accused of doping is like being accused of kiddie-fiddling: you can be proven innocent ten times over but some people will have so much fun persecuting you they won't stop.
How is one chap managing to still be increasing his lead while he’s all on his ownsome. It’s one hell of a ride.
This salbutamol story seems clear and you have nothing to say about it.
Inhaling salbutamol has no known performance benefit.
Inhaling salbutamol has no known performance benefit.
Who's to say he inhaled it? The most convincing explanation I've read for his high reading was that he used a nebulizer - which is banned outright.
Once again, the potential whys and wherefores do not matter. There are too many of them in any case, and they're easy to spin into any story that you like. All that matters is that Chris Froome had a substance in his urine that was prohibited from being there, and that as a professional athlete he has a strict responsibility for keeping out of his body.
France Télévision's soundtrack has got its balls in a knot: they just told the story of Chavanel's wheels four times in a row.well, they are BIG wheels ;D
At which point? How about in the team but the night before (http://www.velonews.com/2018/01/commentary/commentary-the-simplest-explanation-for-froomes-salbutamol-test_454985). Team buses have been known to contain plenty of things they shouldn't.
France Télévision's soundtrack has got its balls in a knot: they just told the story of Chavanel's wheels four times in a row.well, they are BIG wheels ;D
Froome's psychology is worth thinking about. If he's trying to pull an Armstrong and be a systematic doper and win numerous GTs, knowing that he could be busted in 20 years when his samples are retested with better technology, and lose his titles and be sued for millions...if he's doing that it suggests stunning expertise in barefaced lying and a serious personality disorder. He just doesn't come across like that. OK, psychopaths are often very charming and popular and are never suspected by their friends and family...but even so, I just don't detect any narcissism in Froome. Even the friendly psychopaths display a lot of narcissism.He’s a top level professional cyclist, I think a serious personality disorder is a given ;D
What we've learned recently, I think, is that his demeanour and protestations of innocence look exactly the same, whether on the subject of this innocent salbutamol result or earlier accusations that he was improbably good in the 2011 Vuelta and his bilharzia story was a lie and he's the biggest cheat since Lance.
bla
At which point? How about in the team but the night before (http://www.velonews.com/2018/01/commentary/commentary-the-simplest-explanation-for-froomes-salbutamol-test_454985). Team buses have been known to contain plenty of things they shouldn't.
Do the pharmacokinetics. Doesn't hold water. If he was giving that kind of level at the end of the day from a dose the night before then they have really screwed the calculations. Are you trying to find evidence that agrees with a preconceived opinion?
This thread has gone downhill. How about we stick to the race?
G Imlach: | O hai! I am TV's G Imlach, and I am excellent! |
NC Boardman: | O hai! I am TV's Niec C Boardman, and I, also, am excellent! |
Bethany [8]: | O hai! I am Bethany [8] and I haz a headache! Mi mum iz a fukn c-o-w innit! |
G Imlach: | Here iz a shiny BRITONS' pound, little gril. Go fone sum1 who cares! |
Omnes: | Oh dear, G Imlach! U reely shouldn't hav doned that... |
G Imlach: | So, C Froome A Yates R Porte! |
C Froome: | Sketchy! |
A Yates: | Sketchy! |
NC Boardman: | CP Sagan metronomicable! |
Omnes: | Isn't it a bit early for covfefe, NC? |
G Imlach: | Team tiem trial G Thomas? |
NC Boardman: | Yes, no and maybe. |
G Imlach: | Thank u, Niec C! [Aside] Idiot! Over 2 teh colemantators... |
N Boulting: | O hai! I am TV's *** Boulting! Son ov a SCIENTIST, daughter ov darkness, 2 4 teh priec ov 1! |
SD Millar: | O hai! I am TV's Super D Millar, and I am... |
Omnes: | Hat! Hat! Wanky baseball cap! U utter div, Super D! |
SD Millar: | I hate u all! |
N Boulting: | FFS! Now I'll hav 2 cope wif Mr Grumpyknickers all day! |
[...] | |
C Prudhomme: | Fckity-bai, grubby cyclists! |
SD Millar: | Wind! S ["Poisonous term" - Ed.]anel? |
N Boulting: | Wind! Cofidis! |
SD Millar: | F Craddock! At teh back. Teh silly. |
N Boulting: | Château! Clemenceau! Historize us, Super D! |
SD Millar: | |
N Boulting: | S ["Poisonous term" - Ed.]anel! Hi-status individual! Fish ponds! |
M Kitteh: | Did sum1 sa "fish"? I liek fish! Also, miaow! |
SD Millar: | Snottyjumper F Gardenia? CP Sagan! |
[...] | |
N Boulting: | Look, see, another sonically-challenged Frenchman with a punk rock electric guitar! Tiem 4 drinkies & nibbles! |
V Nibbles: | What did I do? |
M Smith: | O hai I am TV's M Smith excellent tremendous mi prisoner toda iz P Kennaugh sa helo 2 teh niec boys & grils P Kennaugh! |
P Kennaugh: | O hai clouds o bai $ky team bus o hai *** & Super D! M Smith, y u pointing that revolver @ me? |
N Boulting & SD Millar: | |
M Smith: | They've buggered off! TV's Wooden D Friebe & M Cavendish! |
M Cavendish: | Mumble wind biek Bora Quick Step mutter sassumfrassum Rick Rastardly! |
M Smith: | M Cavendish record E Merckx stage win? |
P Kennaugh: | Yes, no, CP Sagan! Disqualibobificationism: fail! |
Bethany [8]: | Yes, P Kennaugh, that's what I said. Last year, when I was still calling miself "Bethany (7)"! |
@johnlordknox (via Twitter): | Is CP Sagan really nuts?* |
P Kennaugh: | Yes. Yes, he is.+ |
CP Sagan: | C!!1! I told u I was crazy! |
[...] | |
N Boulting: | We're baaaaaaaaack! R Porte! Trek Segafredo! |
P Kennaugh: | Can I go now? I haz a plane 2 catch! |
M Smith: | Tip 4 teh win, or u stay here! |
P Kennaugh: | TD Windmill R Porte R Bardet not C Froome! Plz 2 untie me! |
SD Millar: | [Snoring] |
NC Boardman: | Belgian BEER! Night out inna glass! |
N Boulting: | It's mi birthday on Wednesday hint hint#! |
NC Boardman: | London Marathon! Surgical gloves! Vaseline! Coat plz! |
N Boulting: | Oi oi! Wot CP Sagan up to? |
Omnes: | Ur job 2 tell us, ***, u doppo! |
NC Boardman: | Wind! Sunglasses! Even when it ate'nt sunny! |
N Boulting: | 2CVs inna bicycle stylee! |
NC Boardman: | Looks liek Nobby & Dick's Auto Salvage (Finchley) 2 me! |
SD Millar: | [Advanced snoring] |
Bethany [8]: | Not much happening, then? |
Omnes: | Teh uzhul. SD Millar iz aslepe, *** & Niec C are talking utter nonse & teh Watchfinder-General iz getting on everyone's tits! |
Bethany [8]: | Ta! Gotta stay in 2da coz mi mum's bein a fukn c-o-w agen... |
N Boulting: | Y Lampaert! Nun moar Belgian! |
SD Millar: | T Grmay! Abandonnement! Perhaps he iz not well? |
A Demare: | Being ill didn't stop me last year, u gr8 ponce! |
T FdJ: | Yes it did! And it stopped us 2, u massive tw@! |
N Bouhanni (via Snapstagram): | Mi crocogator iz weeping copiously on mi behalf! |
[...] | |
N Boulting: | |
SD Millar: | |
N Boulting: | R Molard crash road rash magic spray? |
SD Millar: | I went mouldy once. Motorbike. Hostipal. Uncool! |
Omnes: | Unexpected side-effect ov wankhattery, Super D? |
SD Millar: | Fck! Off! |
[...] | |
N Boulting: | Jumpers CP Sagan shiny snotty rainbow national Sagan 2! |
Omnes: | Wait... wot? There's 2? Ov them? |
S ["Poisonous term" - Ed.]anel: | Nevva mind him, wot about me! 6 tiems tiem-trail champion ov France, 18 Tours, gaining over teh pelican and... Aargh! I'm covered in bees! |
Bethany [8]: | What did he just say? |
SD Millar: | A bee. On hiz arm. Closest thing 2 xitement we get until teh sprint sprint sprintEEEE. |
[...] | |
N Boulting: | Combativité! Super Combativité! TD Gendt W Barguil chiz chiz! |
Bethany [8]: | Watch urself, ***! A bit ov teh old ultra-violence nevva hurt ne1, exept teh recipient! U betta tell G Imlach 2! |
N Boulting: | TB Hansgrohe! Full bifter! |
Omnes: | U akshually kno wot a "bifter" iz, ***? |
CP Sagan: | Points! Points 4 meeeeeeeeee! Crazy! |
A Demare: | Noes! Pwned! |
N Bouhanni (via Twitchat): | Prostrate wif grief, I iz! I bet u paid full-priec 4 a DFS sofa 2! |
[...] | |
SD Millar: | Crash! |
N Boulting: | LL Sanchez! |
LL Sanchez: | O-NOES! EX-TER-MIN-A-TED AL-READ-Y! |
T AS-TA-NA: | ON UR BI-EK U DOG! |
LL Sanchez: | FCK! OFF! |
j Birdsong: | Melancholy Supremes lyric goes here ==> |
[...] | |
N Boulting: | Core strength! Athlete! CP Sagan! |
SD Millar: | Not in mi day. Thank fck! |
N Boulting: | Wind! |
Omnes: | Shut! Up! |
N Boulting: | S ["Poisonous term" - Ed.]anel sprint inevitable inevitability! |
SD Millar: | |
Omnes: | Our father. Which art in Evans. Hollowtech b thi naem. Give us this minit shitverts, b4 we rise up and tolchock *** robustly about teh gulliver! |
Shitverts: | Buy! Shopping is power! Buy McShit! Debt is freedom! Buy peanuts! Get jailed jump bail join teh Air Force if u FAIL! Buy boiler maintenance from a penguin with a scarf on! Buy insewerants from horrible stage school brats and a bona-fide tw@ with a stupid moustache! Buy! |
Omnes: | On 2nd thorts... |
[...] | |
A Yates: | Iz just mi paranoia kicking in or iz Cofidis knocking every1 in2 teh gutter? Also, owwwwwww! |
LL Sanchez: | U TELL ME!!?! |
N Boulting: | Wheel change! A Demare! |
N Bouhanni (via wol): | LOL and, moreover, roffle! |
[...] | |
N Boulting: | Vendée! So mani people it cud b Yorkshire! Bonerfication sprint, Super D! |
SD Millar: | Tactics, Tic-Tacs. Yes, no and maybe. |
N Boulting: | Thank u, Super D! [Aside] Idiot! |
S ["Poisonous term" - Ed.]anel: | Yay! Boner 4 me! That was hard fnarr fnarr! |
G Thomas: | And boner 4 me also! Pls be upstanding lol! |
5: | Ai'm sure Ai don't know what u mean, |
G Thomas: | Er, ask ur mam? |
[...] | |
TP Fairy: | O hai! O hai, M Kitteh! Stab, stab, stabEEEEE! |
M Kitteh: | Arse and, moreover, miaow! |
[Enfin] | |
N Boulting: | Crash! F Gardenia! Who's left CP Sagan S Colbrelli J Degenkolb A Greipel teh goriler ov 3b! |
Omnes: | Munkeh!!1! |
SD Millar: | J Alaphilippe! |
J Alaphilippe: | RAAAAWWWWWWWRR... oh. Piss! |
CP Sagan: | Cool! Shinyjumper! Snottyjumper! Very 'appee! |
Omnes: | Wait... what! He nevva said "crazy"! Has he gone mad? |
J Degenkolb: | I wuz robbed! CP Sagan knifecrimed me! He shot me! He threw a shoe @ me and poked me wif a stick! He used Novichok! He... |
N Boulting & SD Millar: | That's biek racing! |
Omnes: | Ne moar profundities ud liek 2 share, u 2? |
N Boulting & SD Millar: | Fck! Off! |
+27This thread has gone downhill. How about we stick to the race?
Yeah. About 7 fucking pages ago.
Bethany [8]: | Search me, m8 ill get 5 mi bff 2 aks her mum shes ded clevva an speeks loadsa langwiches xXx bethany |
5’s Mummy: | Air, hellay! Vivalda tells me you have a question about pronunciation. Mai friend Arnold* recommends this: Click, tap or othairwise engage with this site (https://forvo.com/word/niki_terpstra/). Yours, Syrah Poulidor-Featherstonehaugh (Mrs) |
I agree.
Can we all agree to keep doping matters on the 'Sky....gaming the system' thread?
Bethany [8]: | o hai team tiem trail 2da rite @ least its a skool da txt me if nefink hapens,,,,,,,,,,,,, xXx bethany |
G Imlach: | O hai! I am TV's G Imlach and I am excellent! Team tiem-trail 2da & no graft & corruption in bringing teh race 2 a town where teh mayor is C Prudhomme's b-i-l o noes! |
ML Maire: | I do hope, G Imlach, that u r not implying French local politics is rife with sleaze? |
G Imlach: | Perish teh thort! TV's Niec C Boardman, SCIENCE us! |
G Boardman (from a safe distance): | I'm not playing! |
NC Boardman: | Socks! Hats! Handlebars! Y I hav 2 wear this waistcoat? |
G Imlach: | [Whistles innocently] T $ky, winnage G Thomas! M Rendall! |
Omnes: | Where were u yesterda, M Rendall? |
EC Boardman: | He dunt work on Sunda! |
Omnes: | 4 religious reasons? |
EC Boardman: | Noes, he's just teh idle fckr! A hahahaha! Ha ha! Ha! |
M Rendall: | U gîtški, Gaiztok C Taxtakishi! G Thomas! |
G Thomas: | R teh littul grilz @ skool? |
M Rendall: | Si oui ja da igen hände hoch Tommy Robinson! Tutum est! |
G Thomas: | Wind! Try 2 win stage! 4 sure! Shinyjumper! |
Omnes: | Interview teh biek, M Rendall! It'd maek moar sense than either ov u! |
M Rendall: | Fck! Off! |
[...] | |
N Boulting: | O hai! I am TV's *** Boulting & I am excellent! Welcome 2 Cholet, where teh Wombles come from! |
E Beresford: | ??? |
SD Millar: | O hai ect ect. Put out moar flags! |
N Boulting: | Look, see, T $ky! C Froome G Thomas! |
SD Millar: | Discipline! |
Bethany's Mum: | C mi website 4 available services, prices do not include VAT! |
SD Millar: | |
[...] | |
SD Millar: | ...TM Scott! Yates brothers! |
S Yates (via avian datagram): | Hold on! Iz something sum1 4got 2 tell me? |
SD Millar: | Errr... wind, predictable unpredictability & T $ky! Down 2 6 riders! Yoicks! |
ML Maire: | R Porte! Yes, u, boy! Tuck ur elbows in! |
R Porte: | Eeep! |
N Boulting: | R Bardet French hope shinyjumper Champs Elysées! |
M Pingu: | Up teh chimney wif him lol and, moreover roffle! |
R Bardet: | Bof, u Ingleesh! |
M Pingu: | Ur ded, R Bardet! D-E-D! |
[...] | |
N Boulting: | T $ky... won't know if they haz teh winnage until teh final team haz finished! |
Omnes: | :facepalm: |
[...] | |
Bethany [8]: | o hai gang wots occurrin? |
Omnes: | T $ky fastest so far. Out ov 2. |
Bethany [8]: | huh AND ive got maffs next maek a gril hapi y dont u? |
Omnes: | Oooooooooh, tetchy! |
[...] | |
N Quintana: | O hai mi naem iz |
M Landa & A Valverde: | Who teh daddy now, |
M Rendall: | G Thomas klengen Plang blong T $ky parlak dres? |
G Thomas: | Er, wait & see, taek it as it comes, long way 2 go yet. [Aside] What did he just say? |
[...] | |
T BMC: | Ha! Taek that, T $ky! Shinyjumper 4 GV Avermaet? |
G Thomas: | Pub! |
[After teh resignation ov Bloody Stupid Johnson] | |
N Boulting: | Look, see, a fox with a bunny-wunny in its mouth! |
Omnes: | U sure it not disgraced former defence secretary Liam Fox roffle bit ov political Stuffs Mrs Thatch mi naem's Ben Elton! |
N Boulting: | What did they just say? |
SD Millar: | TQ Step! WTF? F Gardenia Blues Explosion lol! |
J Spencer*: | Fck! Off! |
[...] | |
Bethany [8]: | skool's out wots hapnin? |
N Boulting: | GV Avermaet P Gilbert CP Sagan? |
SD Millar: | GV Avermaet P Gilbert CP Sagan! |
Bethany [8]: | wot about mi Da... R Urán? |
N Boulting & SD Millar: | Who? |
Bethany [8]: | *%#^*%! |
SD Millar: | CP Sagan! He's blowed up! |
TB Hansgrohe: | No prisoners! |
CP Sagan: | Meh! In teh house ov mi father are many jumpers! Crazy! |
G Thomas: | We're in here, CP Sagan! Ur round! Hic! |
[Enfin] | |
N Boulting: | P Gilbert! P Gilbe...GV Avermaet! Liek I sed all along! |
TJV Garderen: | Hold on! I'm on teh same tiem as GV Avermaet and u never mentioned me once! And me with this terrible pain in all teh diodes down mi left side! |
G Imlach: | Well that's put teh cat among teh penguins! |
M Kitteh: | Eh? Also, miaow! |
TD Windmill: | Great job... 4 sure... c what happens... |
5: | [Swoons] soz g thomas but ur dumped! |
G Thomas: | Thank fck 4 that! Trebles all round! |
Fair chance he might get to be inyellowhospital by middle of next week
Very good by P Pr0duckt10nz™®. Remind me why this isn’t syndicated in the major cycling newspapers?
Very good by P Pr0duckt10nz™®. Remind me why this isn’t syndicated in the major cycling newspapers?
Something to do with:
- lawyers, and
- Bethany's mum
Fair chance he might get to be inyellowhospital by middle of next week
FTFY :demon:
Elizabeth Beresford makes a guest appearance on Pendemic Producionz! Yaay!more like the ghost of E Beresford
What's the M.Pingu about? Something from the live stage presumably?
What's the M.Pingu about? Something from the live stage presumably?
https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=103844.msg2188937#msg2188937
At what point would T $ky drop Froome as their GC contender and back Thomas instead? I'm not suggesting it should happen, or even that it could happen, but with Thomas being 3" of the lead and Froome 55", I'm just curious if you think they have a contingency plan should things not change.
What's the M.Pingu about? Something from the live stage presumably?
https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=103844.msg2188937#msg2188937
:D Well remembered!
At what point would T $ky drop Froome as their GC contender and back Thomas instead?
TOCOTOCOTOCOTOCOTOCOTOCOTOCOTOCOTOCOTOCO
G Imlach: | O hai, TV's G Imlach ect ect & after teh frantic xitement ov teh team tiem-trail we retun 2da 2 teh mind-numbing tedium ov teh roa... wait, WHAT? Who wrote this rubbish? |
EC Boardman: | A hahahaha! A ha ha ha! And, moreover, ha! |
G Imlach: | Go! Away! TV's Niec C Boardman: summarise! |
NC Boardman: | Win GV Avermaet P Gilbert TD Windmill lose D Martin |
Bethany [8]: | wot about mi Da… R Urán? |
TJV Garderen: | Oi! Here I am, branez teh size ov a planet and u gits ignore me agane! |
G Imlach & NC Boardman : | |
Bethany [8]: | u hold 'em, TJV Garderen, an' ill kick 'em in teh nutz! |
G Imlach: | Yoicks! TV's Wooden D Friebe, interview TD Windmill or die trying! |
TD Windmill: | Long way 2 go... taek it as it comes... anything can happen... |
Omnes: | :facepalm: |
5: | [Faints] |
N Boulting: | O hai! TV's *** ect ect! Football beach wind! |
SD Millar: | O hai! TV's Super D ect ect! No wind template stage cookie cutter! |
N Boulting: | C Prudhomme has not yet started teh stage so here iz sum history! Dead bloke! |
SD Millar: | Vortex! |
N Boulting: | Shipbuilding! |
SD Millar: | (Improvising desperately) R Wyatt! E Costello! |
Omnes: | :facepalm: |
N Boulting: | Salt, salt! Poney! |
5: | Sidesaddle 2! I think mai mummy does that! |
Bethany's Mum: | An' thass not all she duz from wot I 'eard! |
5's Mummy: | Aim sure Ai don't know don't know what u mean! |
N Boulting: | Cofidis! Punished 4 rubbish team tiem-trail? |
SD Millar: | Cofidis very rubbish! Futile break TV tiem! |
T Pelican: | Oi! C Prudhomme! Get! On! With! It! |
C Prudhomme: | Waiting 4 M Burghardt. He fell off. During teh rollout! Roffle! |
T Pelican: | LOL @ M Burghardt! |
M Burghardt: | Wnkrs! |
C Prudhomme: | Get out ov mi site, u useless basket cases! |
C Vasseur: | T Cofidis! Get out ov mi site, u useless basket cases! |
T Cofidis: | Who, us? |
C Vasseur: | Yes, u! |
T Cofidis: | Piss! |
N Bouhanni (via smoke signal): | U should ov picked me! I'd have won every stage! Including teh team tiem-trail! AND punched J Degenkolb! |
A Demare: | Roffle! Luser! |
N Boulting: | France Belgium break football! Lunch M Smith M Rogers. He's Australian u kno! |
[...] | |
Omnes: | M Smith, sa after me: I must learn teh difference between "Calvary" and "Cavalry"! |
[...] | |
M Rogers: | ... and as I got older I went slower but longer! |
Omnes: | Fnarr and, moreover, fnarr! |
Bethany's Mum: | Hell-oooooo, big boy! |
[...] | |
M Smith & M Rogers: | SD Brailsford You-See-Eye small town mayor parochial tea-wee* C Froome! |
[...] | |
Omnes: | (https://farm1.staticflickr.com/836/41511788730_d4b6a5ea8a_t.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/26ffLxm) |
[...] | |
N Boulting: | We're baaaaaack! Did u miss us? |
Omnes: | (https://farm1.staticflickr.com/836/41511788730_d4b6a5ea8a_t.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/26ffLxm) |
A Greipel: | Teh break iz getting above itself! TD Gendt! Discipline those miscreants! |
Omnes: | [Waking up] MUNKEH!1! |
TD Gendt: | Yeth, mathter! |
[Grams: WHOOOOSH!!1!] | |
SD Millar: | TD Gendt: speed ov teh race-horse, strength ov teh cart-horse, branez ov teh rocking-horse! |
N Boulting: | Will teh pelican contest teh intermediate sprint sprint sprintEEEE, Super D? |
SD Millar: | Yes. No. Maybe. Dunno. |
N Boulting: | Thank u, Super D! [Aside] Idiot! |
[...] | |
Bethany [8]: | skools out wots hapnin? |
Omnes: | Futile break, tractors, dancing paysans, TD Gendt being a headbanger. Uzhul stuffs. |
N Boulting: | Tiem 4 teh daily dose ov doubleplusgood antidote 2 Newspeak, M Rendall! |
M Rendall: | Aujourd'tag nos spikim ub La crown green Baulypela brrrm vroom W Williams Monaco Gestapo utterly 2 DETH! Gron racy Bugatti In-ger-lund ichiban! |
Omnes: | U lie, M Rendall! Any fule kno green was given 2 teh BRITON Charles Jarrott 4 teh 1900 Trophée Gordon Bennett 2 offset his race number 13#! |
N Boulting: | Did u taek notice ov teh multifaceted wonderfulness ov teh France – le history, la géography, les châteaux, l'architecture, Baudelaire, Proust, Debussy, Eiffel, Vauban, Johnny Hallyday, la mer wot iz wet, teh mice who eat cheez and teh grilz who r priti – as teh rider, Super D? |
SD Millar: | No. |
N Boulting: | Sometiems I h8 this job... |
[...] | |
N Boulting: | Crash! Soz, no, I am seeing thingz! |
Omnes: | Starting ur birthday celebrations early, ***? |
[Cut 2 shot of T AS-TA-NA mob-handed inna ditch] | |
N Boulting: | Ha! |
T Gallopin: | Noes! Doored by mi own team car! |
Omnes: | LOL @ T Gallopin! |
T Gallopin: | It's not funny! |
Omnes: | Oh! Yes! It! Is! |
SD Millar: | Teh pelican iz teh very big powerful cat+! |
M Kitteh: | I think u already kno mi op!on on this matter, Super D! Also, miaow! |
[...] | |
SD Millar: | Break! Not so futile? |
N Boulting: | Yes. No. Maybe. Dunno. |
SD Millar: | Thank u, ***! [Aside] Idiot! |
[...] | |
TQ Step: | I say, would u crook-backed ruffians mind awfully sharing sum ov teh work? |
T Pelican: | |
[...] | |
N Boulting: | N Terpstra! He's fab! He's amazing! He's awsum! He's W Shaekespeare J Hendrix EO Aquitaine & BJ Bond all rolled in2 1! He's... going backwards. Oh! |
SD Millar: | Crash! Pelican in pieces! R Urán off teh back! |
Bethany [8]: | NOES!!1! |
T Pelican: | O hai, futile break! |
CP Sagan: | Winnage! Crazy! |
A Greipel: | Winnage? |
Omnes: | MUNKEH!1! |
F Gardenia: | Ha! Lusers! |
M Kitteh: | MIAOW!!1! |
Bethany [8]: | So did mi Da... R Urán get back on^? |
N Boulting & SD Millar: | Who? |
Bethany [8]: | Mi revenge will b medieval in its severity, u utter tw@ts! |
What's the M.Pingu about? Something from the live stage presumably?
https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=103844.msg2188937#msg2188937
Quite an exciting stage today with a near cock-up in catching the break.
It's all about Gaviria now. It's funny how the days of sprints being dominated by the really big guys on the end of long trains have disappeared.
Yes, but look what was the first thing he did after crossing the line...He ate some Haribos.
That is the mark of a champion.
What's with Sagan's choice of jersey? I could understand him preferring his World Champion's jersey to the green one ...
... but then he switched back to Green. Anyone want to predict his choices over the 3 weeks?? Is there some logic behind all this?
Don’t forget Marion Rousse!
Jalabert is easy to listen to except for his bias against Sky … but that applies to many French commentators.
Boulting - whoever he is - sounds like a right twat. I'm glad we just have Jalabert and A.N. Other in the studio, with le Petit Thomas on the motorbike up front and another bod called Thierry or Nicolas or summat at the back.
Site requires registration. I’m not about to sign up only to be told I’m in the wrong country.All they want is an email address. They've never spammed me.
Boulting - whoever he is - sounds like a right twat. I'm glad we just have Jalabert and A.N. Other in the studio, with le Petit Thomas on the motorbike up front and another bod called Thierry or Nicolas or summat at the back.
One of the advantages of being deaf and the subtitles being so poor if that I don't have to worry about how bad the commentator is because I only get to see one word in 5 and hear one word in 50 ;DBoulting - whoever he is - sounds like a right twat. I'm glad we just have Jalabert and A.N. Other in the studio, with le Petit Thomas on the motorbike up front and another bod called Thierry or Nicolas or summat at the back.
I like Ned. When he first started, he was completely clueless about cycling, but after a good ten years in the job, he is... marginally less clueless now. He's good for ITV because a large chunk of its audience will be people who don't follow pro cycling outside the Tour, so he will often ask the idiotic questions they want to ask - such as why doesn't Sagan/Cav ever win the yellow jersey?
I started following pro cycling on Channel 4 in the 80s when Gary Imlach was just as clueless as Ned. But he's been doing it so long now that he's acquired enough knowledge to pass for someone who knows what they're talking about.
I learnt most of what I know about pro cycling from Liggett and Sherwen's commentary, which explains why I'm still clueless.
Chavvers not using his big pulley today.How strange. Maybe he sees it as a weight penalty on a climbing day.
Wrong team and rider.
It was Gesbert, not Gilbert.
G Imlach: | O hai! TV's ect! Football boo l'Equipe boo! Wooden D Friebe, interviews! |
Riders (Various): | Hills GV Avermaet P Gilbert J Alaphilippe hills! |
NC Boardman: | O hai ect! G Thomas! Wind! |
N Boulting: | O hai! 20 winners 2da Brittany B Hinault! |
SD Millar: | O hai! Hoam ov French cycling! Lorient U-boat bomb bang boom beware! |
N Boulting: | France iz absolutely revelling in teh sheer Frenchness ov being French 2da*! |
Omnes: | What. Did. He. Just. Say? |
N Boulting: | TD Gendt break S ["Poisonous term" - Ed.]anel? |
SD Millar: | TD Gendt! |
M Burghardt: | O hai! I shall coff avoid crashing coff coff 2da coff bi riding coff coff up teh zorst ov C Prudhomme's coff coff car. Oh! I coff cannot breathe! |
Omnes: | LOL @ M Burghardt! U need salbutamol, m8? Want a tea-wee roffle? |
M Burghardt: | Fck! Off! |
C Prudhomme: | Scram, u benighted puddings! |
[After no small amount ov footling about] | |
N Boulting: | Break! S ["Poisonous term" - Ed.]anel S Calamityjane! |
S Calamityjane: | Did he call me "Sue" agane? I will kill u, TV's *** Boulting. 2 DETH! |
SD Millar: | Break gone brute force. Which TD Gendt haz. |
N Boulting: | TD Gendt iz not in teh break, Super D! |
SD Millar: | [Improvising desperately] And timing, obv. Which TD Gendt haz not. |
Omnes: | U 2 been sampling ***’s birthday gin already? |
Bethany [8]: | o noes! i 4got ur birthday, ***! i orders u sum tqt off ov moonpig roffle! |
[...] | |
N Boulting: | ... E Gesbert in teh break... twisted firestarter lol! |
ETF Gesbert: | Shut! Up! |
[...] | |
N Boulting: | Lunchtiem! Set 'em up, |
[...] | |
M Smith & M Rogers: | Blah. M Matthews abandoned! Wooden D Friebe, interviews! |
GV Avermaet: | Bad. |
CP Sagan: | [Looking even more bewildered than uzhul] M Matthews iz abandon? Y he do that? But he not win snottyjumper neway because I, CP Sagan, win it! |
[...] | |
M Smith: | Closed town monks princess Rasputin! Swimming pools ha ha ha? |
M Rogers: | |
Omnes: | This Unit hereby endorses this product, service or sentiment! |
[...] | |
M Smith: | Nostalgia! Quimper Dr Teeth Anglophone trial blazer! |
M Rogers: | Yes! R Millar SO Grady SD Millar spikim Ing! |
C Boardmen: | What about us? |
M Smith & M Rogers: | |
[...] | |
N Boulting: | Intermediate sprint sprint sprintEEEE! Look, see, F Gardenia haz outsprant CP Sagan! |
SD Millar: | |
[...] | |
N Boulting: | Look, see, S ["Poisonous term" - Ed.]anel haz launched teh assault attack on teh 1st climb! |
S ["Poisonous term" - Ed.]anel: | Combativité LOL! Not bad 4 teh old git, hein? |
SD Millar: | He's going long! Going 4 teh stage win! |
N Boulting: | Long, and quite deep! |
Omnes: | Snk! Fnarr! Chortle! |
Bethany's Mum: | O RLY? Hell-ooooo, big boy! |
N Boulting: | M Cavendish! In trub! Will TD Data send riders back 2 help him? |
A Demare: | No team wud be that Stupidz! |
T FdJ: | Wnkr! |
N Bouhanni (via cuneiform tablet): | LOL @ A Demare & hiz amnesia! |
[...] | |
SD Millar: | ... & S ["Poisonous term" - Ed.]anel iz not going 4 teh stage win! |
ETF Gesbert: | Hullo clouds hullo $ky team car hullo ditch! Whoopsie! |
Omnes: | Ur top-tube descending 5k1llz r no match 4 C Froome's, ETF Gesbert! Haz u a misfire 2da, eh? |
ETF Gesbert: | Fck! Off! |
[...] | |
N Boulting: | Cha-Va! Wa-Wa! W Barguil made hiz impact quite a few years ago! |
G Thomas: | Yes. Yes, he did. On me! |
[...] | |
N Boulting: | M Kitteh! In trub! Fat cat? |
M Kitteh: | Shut! Up! Mi! Aow! |
Bethany [8]: | o hai skools out wots hapnin? |
Omnes: | Hie thee 2 a distascope, Bethany [8]! S ["Poisonous term" - Ed.]anel out front... |
N Boulting: | ... C Froome!!1! Mechanical! Drama! Xitement! Really wild things! |
T Things: | Who, us? |
[...] | |
SD Millar: | Crash! A Yates! Off teh back! Disaster, doom and other Stuffs beginning wif "D"! |
N Boulting: | ... oh! It was M Nieve! As u were... |
[...] | |
SD Millar: | ...and teh roads round here r very good! |
ML Maire: | U looking at teh saem pictures as me, Super D? That 1 haz grass in teh middle! |
SD Millar: | [Improvising desperately] I said S ["Poisonous term" - Ed.]anel's attack woz doomed all along! |
[...] | |
SD Millar: | Break doomed liek I bin saing all teh lieulong day! P Gilbert J Alaphilippe! |
N Boulting: | Yes. Also GV Avermaet C Froome V Nibbles and, 4 all I kno, Jarlin J Jarlinsson teh Colombian Viking! |
JJ Jarlinsson (via Gob): | U kno I'm not actually in teh race this year, ***? |
N Boulting: | Piss! I had a tenner on u 4 teh spottyjumper! |
[After much speculation on teh destination ov teh spottyjumper] | |
T Skujins: | Yay! Spottypoints! |
S Calamityjane: | Arse! |
S ["Poisonous term" - Ed.]anel: | I unblock mi nose @ ur spottyambitions, T Skujins! |
T Skujins: | Not so fast, S ["Poisonous term" - Ed.]anel! U haz 4got teh bonerfications! And so has ***! |
N Boulting & S ["Poisonous term" - Ed.]anel: | Oh. Piss! |
[...] | |
SD Millar: | Look, see, teh pelican has S Calamityjane & T Skujins in its mitey beek! |
J Alaphilippe: | RAAAWWWRRR! Bonerfications! |
GV Avermaet: | Yay! Bonerfications! |
T Skujins: | Cock! |
[On teh final climb] | |
N Boulting: | P Gilbert! GV Avermaet! S Colbrelli! J Alaphilippe! |
CP Sagan: | U lot really haz no idea, haz u? Also, tomorrow is another day! |
Omnes: | Wait... what? He hasn't sed "crazy" all da!!1! Iz he ill? |
NC Boardman: | CP Sagan, liek I sed all along... |
S ["Poisonous term" - Ed.]anel: | Wot u mene T Skujins pwns teh combativité 2da? FFS! |
Any chance you can break that out into a different thread? Everytime I think someone has added something about the TDF, it turns out to be a combination of perl and bad typing has been dumped into the thread... Maybe it makes sense to people who have been around for a while, but it seems to be incomprehensible gibberish.
J
Teh 'highlights'. On ITV4. Now...
Or +1 @ 23:00 BST. Anyone with a recorder device for anbaric distascope has Shirley set a 'Record wiv Series Link'? For sure, yes.
Sod that. It's the best reportage we have.No it's not. It's gibberish garbage. :hand:
Sod that. It's the best reportage we have.No it's not. It's gibberish garbage. :hand:
Sod that. It's the best reportage we have.No it's not. It's gibberish garbage. :hand:
Go write your own, then.
Any chance you can break that out into a different thread? Everytime I think someone has added something about the TDF, it turns out to be a combination of perl and bad typing has been dumped into the thread... Maybe it makes sense to people who have been around for a while, but it seems to be incomprehensible gibberish.
J
Teh 'highlights'. On ITV4. Now...
Or +1 @ 23:00 BST. Anyone with a recorder device for anbaric distascope has Shirley set a 'Record wiv Series Link'? For sure, yes.
TV's G Imlach, who is excellent, has made a point of telling us for the last couple of days that tonight's highlights would be later because foopball. The message didn't filter down to ITV4's Deputy Assistant Acting Vice-Spod i/c Button-Pressing though, because even with series link my box recorded "Pawn Stars" anyway. Fortunately I noticed it doing so, because even if you've watched the live coverage the highlights often has TV's Nice C Boardman, who is excellent, Explaining Complicated Stuffs for members of the swinish multitude liek me. Or (sadly infrequently) TV's Evil C Boardman tormenting G Boardman 4 teh lulz. Sketchy!
I bet those of you who don't like Pandemonium Productions also don't get Mornington Crescent. Well, each to there own, and while PP MAY contain a modicum of gibberish, it's easy to avoid if you don't like that sort of thing.
I bet those of you who don't like Pandemonium Productions also don't get Mornington Crescent. Well, each to there own, and while PP MAY contain a modicum of gibberish, it's easy to avoid if you don't like that sort of thing.
What is there to get?
Sod that. It's the best reportage we have.No it's not. It's gibberish garbage. :hand:
Sod that. It's the best reportage we have.No it's not. It's gibberish garbage. :hand:
No, it's bloody brilliant. And you have the option not to read it. For me, it's pretty much the only reason I'm back on YACF after a year or so away. Mr L sums up both the excellence and the ridiculousness of the TdF perfectly, and parodies the pomposity of the event without disrespecting it.
Sod that. It's the best reportage we have.No it's not. It's gibberish garbage. :hand:
No, it's bloody brilliant. And you have the option not to read it. For me, it's pretty much the only reason I'm back on YACF after a year or so away. Mr L sums up both the excellence and the ridiculousness of the TdF perfectly, and parodies the pomposity of the event without disrespecting it.
"Wha . . .!!? Whatddyamean you've been away for a year or so young Timothy? Shows how observant I am. May I be the first to welcome you back then! Or . . . perhaps I'm not?"
Just in case anyone might be suffering withdrawal symptoms at the non-appearance of P@nd3m1c Pr0duckt10nzTM®'s daily summary I should like to point out that Chairman & CEO Mr. D. Larrington, MC, BSO & Bar. Maire of Mortagne-au-Perche and Emperor of Ice Cream. Keeper of the Imperial Bear is otherwise engaged in UCIllegal activities for the weekend (extended), involving funny lie-down type bicycles and other stuffs which, in the right hands (really?), go shitloads faster than the baked soot currently being propelled around France by the Pelican.
Just in case anyone might be suffering withdrawal symptoms at the non-appearance of P@nd3m1c Pr0duckt10nzTM®'s daily summary I should like to point out that Chairman & CEO Mr. D. Larrington, MC, BSO & Bar. Maire of Mortagne-au-Perche and Emperor of Ice Cream. Keeper of the Imperial Bear is otherwise engaged in UCIllegal activities for the weekend (extended), involving funny lie-down type bicycles and other stuffs which, in the right hands (really?), go shitloads faster than the baked soot currently being propelled around France by the Pelican.
I'm not even going to attempt anything in a similar styleeee. No. No I'm not.
Normal service should be resumed next week. Ish.
The difference being that you only have to ask.Sorry, that wasn't intended as a complaint exactly, more an attempt at humour....
There's nothing a total knob like me likes to do more than let someone in on the secret. This isn't the Freemasons . . .
The difference being that you only have to ask.Sorry, that wasn't intended as a complaint exactly, more an attempt at humour....
There's nothing a total knob like me likes to do more than let someone in on the secret. This isn't the Freemasons . . .
I like Mr Larrington's contributions, even if I probably don't get all the references. I think trying to explain them would be more hassle than it is worth.
The ITV highlights show is pretty boring, it's just filled with guys racing each other on bikes - they've edited out all the helicopter shots of the countryside. There was nothing in yesterday's that I recognised from PBP - did I miss anything?
The ITV highlights show is pretty boring, it's just filled with guys racing each other on bikes - they've edited out all the helicopter shots of the countryside. There was nothing in yesterday's that I recognised from PBP - did I miss anything?
Really super boring stage today. even the riders look bored. Boring roads.
Really super boring stage today. even the riders look bored. Boring roads.
Really super boring stage today. even the riders look bored. Boring roads.
Really super boring stage today. even the riders look bored. Boring roads.
I'm surprised half the peleton didn't climb off a quarter of the way through citing boredom. Maybe some did - no doubt they'll spend the next half a decade banging on about how boring it was. Losers :P
Cav gave up with 30 metres to go. No aggression. Pipe and slippers time.
More Tour de Bore tomorrow. It goes to Dreux.
Sunday's Roubaix stage should more than make up for it.
"Tour de France" simply refers to the fact that the Compagnons travel throughout France; every six months to a year they are required to change work locations. This is unrelated to the Tour de France cycling competition. The word compagnon (companion) is derived from the Old French compaignon, a person with whom one breaks bread.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compagnons_du_Devoir
Jesus wept. France TV went wawa and showed us the last km with the commentary from 4 km earlier. That after they'd told us three times that a bloke at the back had fallen over.
But I’ll be able to tell my grandchildren that I witnessed the stage with 4 failed solo breaks, which must be something of a rarity.... and were 3 from the same team? Even more crazy!
More Tour de Bore tomorrow. It goes to Dreux.Perumsably the teams were licking their wounds and girding loins for Sunday. But maybe 1 rest day is enough and today will kick-off again? I'm not counting on it, but will be watching the highlights ...
Sunday's Roubaix stage should more than make up for it.
Things can get suddenly very interesting if there is a crossword on a straight road.
TdF winner in choir from SE (5,6).Is that a prediction...?
It's not possible to race for three weeks without recourse to drugs, and days like today used to be more common, often through the Champagne region. Today's was across the Beauce, known as the bread-basket of Paris.
TdF winner in choir from SE (5,6).
Needs must, I suppose. The weaker rider will have to look for opportunities to claw back time they lost through lack of ability on climbs. I suppose that is why you rarely see them on truly challenging events....although of course one person's nice day out is another's challenge.
A lot depends on size. Riding all day in the wind is no big deal to a big rider from the plains, the kind who dominate Paris-Roubaix. The cooling effect of the wind enables them to shed the heat that comes with power. I had my highest heart rates bridging to faster groups on flatland Audaxes.
The reverse is true in the hills, as power is accompanied by low speeds, with low cooling effect. Extreme thinness in the likes of Froome brings the advantage of less weight to haul up the hills, but it also brings more blood vessels into closer contact with the skin. A taller rider can't get rid of the heat as well as a smaller one, as volume is a cube function, while surface area is a square function.
So the spectating experience is different for a rouleur. Part of the interest is in seeing how close to cracking the 6 foot + GC contenders come. This year's Tour has the least solo TT miles since 2015, and the second least since 2000. So the Froome model of a strong TT rider who's stick thin to manage the climbs might not suit.
The Peloton contains a number of competing constituencies, and it's partly up to Froome as the Patron to accommodate them all. That's also the role of the UCI rider's rep. Jens Voigt filled those shoes for many years. It's currently Bernie Eisel, who's not riding this Tour. I wonder if anyone deputises for him?
That is a quiet staggering amount of bollocks. Even for you!
QuoteThat is a quiet staggering amount of bollocks. Even for you!
Indeed, and even more quite than quiet I would say. ::-)
QuoteThat is a quiet staggering amount of bollocks. Even for you!
Indeed, and even more quite than quiet I would say. ::-)
Sorry, autocorrect kicked in whilst I was carefully counting my blood vessels and measuring my height...
TdF winner in choir from SE (5,6).
TdF winner in choir from SE (5,6).
Even I got that!
I can’t verbally explain how much i don’t want to do the stage of tomorrow.
Yes, momentarily. You can see him look down at itHe talks about, without Bad Swears, in the post race interview on ITV4.
Tweet from De Gendt:QuoteI can’t verbally explain how much i don’t want to do the stage of tomorrow.
https://twitter.com/DeGendtThomas
The Tour de France is abnormal, compared to any other stage races, for the amount of serious falls in the first week. Year in year out. Most important race of the year, and such nonsense. Most boring more likely, as a result.
Is it me or is there an abnormally high number of crashes in this years race?
J
A wee taster (https://www.velonews.com/2018/07/tour-de-france/sky-deploying-full-on-roubaix-approach-for-cobbles_472276) for tomorrow.
A wee taster (https://www.velonews.com/2018/07/tour-de-france/sky-deploying-full-on-roubaix-approach-for-cobbles_472276) for tomorrow.
God, they have to taste it, now? (Wonders what Salbutamol tastes like....)
in Nidd if you're not careful.
Tweet from De Gendt:QuoteI can’t verbally explain how much i don’t want to do the stage of tomorrow.
https://twitter.com/DeGendtThomas
Having done the Paris-Roubaix sportiv, I can completely agree with that. Having done it once, I would not wish riding on the Pavé on anyone.
J
that should,really be spoilererd. ::-)(click to show/hide)
FFS. They shouldn't be racing here. Should have been a mountain stage.
This stage is beginning to look like a battling tops game with the winner being the last one standing.FFS. They shouldn't be racing here. Should have been a mountain stage.
Balls. Its brilliant.
Porte crashed out on a mountain stage last year.
Cavendish crashed out on a flat stage last year.
Anyone spot the spoof soigneur? Sector 4 about 100m in.Yep, oi larfed :thumbsup:
Yellow jersey and holding up a 12" white pram wheel. ;D
They spoke about that on ITV4 earlier, not having the fine touch as they are used to. Also that there is dust in the side of the tyres and tarmac which causes them to drop.
“His collarbone isn’t broken. There are no broken bones. He’s been to hospital in Cambrai and is now on his way to Annecy. His bag is waiting for him there.”https://twitter.com/ridemediaHQ/status/1018503620612927488
Ochowicz on Porte.
“The doctor of the ambulance, said that it could be broken – ‘It looks like it’s broken’.”https://twitter.com/ridemediaHQ/status/1018521915751845888
– Fabio Baldato on Richie Porte's accident and #DNF.
“We’ll go on... we’ll try to have some fun also because otherwise we can all cry to the end."
The vast majority are riding rim brakes. Look at the photo above, for instance!
What do the neutral service people carry?
Adam Yates is through the most obvious obstacle, and we now have to see if he can build up enough of a cushion to compensate for his poor time trialling.
The vast majority are riding rim brakes. Look at the photo above, for instance!
Some were still riding discs, but I suspect most would have changed to rim brakes, so they can get a wheel from anyone. Those who normally ride discs would have a change in lever response to deal with.
Adam Yates will be found out at the end of the first set of mountains. This is the fucking Tour.
Adam Yates is through the most obvious obstacle, and we now have to see if he can build up enough of a cushion to compensate for his poor time trialling.
I bet he can lay a mean hedge though.
Hardly any of them have been riding discs on any stage though! This is one of those times the commentators are just making shit up.
I thought for a group of men who are paid to ride bikes, they would be better at keeping them up right...
I've just watched the Eurosport hilights, and it's like a compilation video of great cycle crashes!
Of those in the top 10 of the GC currently, how many of them are sprinters who aren't really going to be in GC contention by the time we've hit the lumpy stuff?
J
According to Fr. commentary it takes about 30 sec longer to change a disc wheel than a standard. That much less to make up if you're on standard.
The team standings seem to be based on the aggregate time of the first three riders, so the sprinters' teams are the best represented. Sky have been visible at the front of the peloton, as they've been keeping Thomas and Froome out of trouble, and their work has benefited others. So the by-product might be some much-needed goodwill for them.
The team classification is considered less important than the individual general classification, and it is rare that a team starts the Tour with the main goal of winning the team classification. If during the race a team is in a good position to win the team classification, the team may change tactics in order to win.[3]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Team_classification_in_the_Tour_de_France
When Lance Armstrong lost hopes of winning in 2010, he instructed his teammates to keep an eye on their main rivals for the team classification, and his Team RadioShack won the team classification.[3]
A good performance in the team classification may help a team to qualify for the next Tour de France. In 2010, a system was set up to determine which teams qualify as UCI ProTeams, and the team classification in the Tour de France was part of this system.[
I think you mean WorldTeam
Teams do care. As the position in the team standing equals the order in which the cars follow the peloton. First team = first car. And that is rather important on stages with narrow roads, like yesterday's, or mountain stages.
The team standings seem to be based on the aggregate time of the first three riders, so the sprinters' teams are the best represented. Sky have been visible at the front of the peloton, as they've been keeping Thomas and Froome out of trouble, and their work has benefited others. So the by-product might be some much-needed goodwill for them.
I doubt it.
They were doing OK in the team standings until yesterday, when their 3rd rider was over 12 minutes down - a combination of a number of crashes, and some dropping back for Egan Bernal, apparently. I wonder if the riders have any idea where their team lies on the team classification. I suspect they neither know nor care.
Porte crashed out on a mountain stage last year.
The difference being that you only have to ask.OK, so why does Mr Chavanel get his name bleeped? I get that it's the Scunthorpe effect, but I bet there's more of a story than that...
There's nothing a total knob like me likes to do more than let someone in on the secret. This isn't the Freemasons . . .
It's quite difficult researching this stuff. It took me a while to find out that Bernie Eisel is the UCI rider's rep.
The difference being that you only have to ask.OK, so why does Mr Chavanel get his name bleeped? I get that it's the Scunthorpe effect, but I bet there's more of a story than that...
There's nothing a total knob like me likes to do more than let someone in on the secret. This isn't the Freemasons . . .
QuoteIt's quite difficult researching this stuff. It took me a while to find out that Bernie Eisel is the UCI rider's rep.
Slow times in the hedging business? ::-)
The difference being that you only have to ask.OK, so why does Mr Chavanel get his name bleeped? I get that it's the Scunthorpe effect, but I bet there's more of a story than that...
There's nothing a total knob like me likes to do more than let someone in on the secret. This isn't the Freemasons . . .
The first 4 letters are a somewhat derogatory term. Mr L. would need to explain further but it's probably just in the interests of 'being excellent to one another' (http://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=232.0) and it stuck. For the same reason we never mention '***lls', you know, the ones that dwell beneath bridges or p*nct*res for fear of invoking the faeries...
Black puddings are found the world over and the international championships are held in Mortagne-au-Perche (Normandy) every year. Cynics say you get a certificate and medal for turning up from overseas. That is cynical view because Mortagne is special. The Chevaliers for the Boudin Noir are proud men who know a good pudding – La Confrerie du Goute-Boudin – I’ve attended the fete. Favoured locally is boudin served with pomme puree (made with meat stock and local butter) and apple puree made from Normandy apples, set off with Pommeau or Calvados.
The 2011 contest is coming up – March 18-19 – so if you’re travelling through Normandy around those days, it might be ‘worth a detour’ as the Guide Michelin used to say.
If any black pudding was to be considered seriously for protected status then it would have to be the Bury Ring, a shining jewel of a ‘boudin’ from Lancashire. Some of London’s poshest butchers sell Bury Rings – try Dring’s on Greenwich’s Royal Hill for example. They sell 60 of these family made Bury delicacies every week – I’m encouraged.
I see that SD Millar hasn't spent the last year improving his rest day monologue delivery then...
O hai! P@nd3m1c Pr0duckt10nzTM® iz back
SD Millar:Attack from teh pelican! W Barguil!
La Course was a much better finish.Yes and we need more La Course. Didn't get to see much of the Rosa, but it looked like there was some good racing there too.
That was the worst stage I can remember in terms of expectations versus GC action delivered...
Really? It seems to happen every year that there are several stages where someone could be reasonably expected to go on the offensive, but nothing happens.
The Barguil move was odd. Was there any need to precede the deliberate time loss with a brief flyer off the front?
La Course was a much better finish.
It'll all kick off today. Movistar have no choice.
It'll all kick off today. Movistar have no choice.
They've got Marc Soler in the break. That looks like a statement of intent.
Turns out that Thomas Voeckler is a pretty decent commentator. He’s on one of the motorcycles for France Télévisions and reads the race well from that vantage point.
Did you see the bloke on the tightrope?
Yeah there has been some great images of the Alps today and there is some racing happening too
So many pretty areas...still more visitors per annum than any other country. 89 million last year.
Adam Yates will be found out at the end of the first set of mountains. This is the fucking Tour.
.
Anyway, Cav won't finish the Tour, let alone win a stage.
Did you see the bloke on the tightrope?
Did you see the bloke on the tightrope?
Second day running. *** thinks this is the start of a trend, and also "beautiful madness". I think he drank his lunch before the start of today's stage.
The C Boardmen reckon the cutoff time for the poids lourds is about 27:30. Much hitting of F5.
poids lourdsSurely TIR? That's the term used by Assos for the XXXL gentleman.
Big bunch @ 27:25, including Rowe, Colbrelli, Higgs Boson, Demare, Degenkolb, Kristoff & Greipel. Terpstra, Groenewegen, Gallopin all more than 29' down. 165 starters today, letour.fr showing 161 finishers so far, none of whom is either Cav or Kitteh. Lawson Craddock is in, though :thumbsup:
Sorry.Big bunch @ 27:25, including Rowe, Colbrelli, Higgs Boson, Demare, Degenkolb, Kristoff & Greipel. Terpstra, Groenewegen, Gallopin all more than 29' down. 165 starters today, letour.fr showing 161 finishers so far, none of whom is either Cav or Kitteh. Lawson Craddock is in, though :thumbsup:
Cav, Kittel, Renshaw and Zabel are all officially OTL (they're listed under Withdrawals rather than under the main stage results, except Cav, who probably still hasn't finished yet). The commissaires have applied their discretion/are looking at a different rulebook to me to allow the rest of the late finishers to stay in the race.
ETA: apparently they made a late rule change yesterday so the cut-off was 15% not 13%. For some reason, they didn't think to include me on the circulation list for the official memo announcing this.
But what if the other teams want Sky to control the race, so that their sprinters and domestiques aren't spat out of the back.
<snippage>That would be difficult to police because other than the young rider, identifying a person as a sprinter or climber is subjective.
An obligation for each team to field a sprinter, a young rider and a pure climber might also help.
But what if the other teams want Sky to control the race, so that their sprinters and domestiques aren't spat out of the back.
Faut le pousser du côté où il veut tomber - Papet
<snippage>That would be difficult to police because other than the young rider, identifying a person as a sprinter or climber is subjective.
An obligation for each team to field a sprinter, a young rider and a pure climber might also help.
Maybe it's disappeared because of radios...riders can't use their initiative.
None for him, I suspect
Thought it was Alaphilippe.
I reckon that Voeckler could have a future as a standup comedian.
Sagan to win Paris sprint ;)
I doubt if any commentators think of it as bias, but rather as just presenting it for their own people.
That's a lot of booing going on on this climb, and I'm spotting a lot of big guys in hivi's that seem to be wrestling the crowd.
Watching it on Dutch Eurosport, the commentators are making no effort to hide their bias. One of them just shouted "Come on Steven!" in English. I'm assuming they are supporting Kruijswijk.
J
I doubt if any commentators think of it as bias, but rather as just presenting it for their own people.
Was pleased to see the gendarmes going for that bloke who threw something at Froome. They need to supply them with cattle prods.
I thought poordeadV Nibbles had come together with the motorbike where the road narrowed at the start of the barriers, but would like to see it again.
I've just rewound the live coverage. Bardet is up the road a bit with two police bikes side by side behind him and Froome trying to get through. Then it cuts to G and Nibbles disappearing into the smoke. Back to another aerial shot which shows G slowing suddenly before cutting back to Nibbles on the deck being helped up by a couple of spectators. It doesn't actually show Nibbles going down but he's right at the point where the barriers start. *** and Super D blamed the motorbikes and the pinch in the road though.
All very inconclusive unless there's more footage or more information from Nibbles. But you'd hope they'd learned something from the Froome/Porte farce on Mont Ventoux two years ago :(
Obviously he trained a bit harder and lost a bit more weight this year.
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Diez-QNW0AExar0.jpg)
Aksherly the clothes don't match...this prisoner must be another miscreant.
Nibali out confirmed:
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/vincenzo-nibali-out-of-the-tour-de-france/ (http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/vincenzo-nibali-out-of-the-tour-de-france/)
There used to be a neutral motorbike that carried a shedload of bottles (Coca Cola branded?) Whatever happened to that?It's now Powerbar branded.
As a neutral [and repressed Englishman]...I thought Geraint Thomas being booed on the podium was ...quickly frankly...disgusting.
As a neutral [and repressed Englishman]...I thought Geraint Thomas being booed on the podium was ...quickly frankly...disgusting.
Aside from the whole Sky thing, don't under-estimate just how disliked Brits are on the Continent now, post #brexit.
Gaviria
Obviously, having a name beginning with G is bad strategy.
P.S.
I think the no feeds/bottles rule is for the last1520km of a stage, but pre-announced exceptions for mountian finishes is fairly common
All these abandons and out of times are down to ASO designing a course for Bardet, and hoping that Froome wouldn't be there. Nobody's going to bite the hand that feeds them though.
Where's Eisel, as UCI rider's rep? Failing his presence, it must fall to Thomas to do something about this chaos. I don't think he's got the experience, or the gravitas though.
Froome would ordinarily be called on, but I can quite understand why he wants ASO and the UCI to stew in their own juice.
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Diez-QNW0AExar0.jpg)
Aksherly the clothes don't match...this prisoner must be another miscreant.
All these abandons and out of times are down to ASO designing a course for Bardet, and hoping that Froome wouldn't be there. Nobody's going to bite the hand that feeds them though.
Where's Eisel, as UCI rider's rep? Failing his presence, it must fall to Thomas to do something about this chaos. I don't think he's got the experience, or the gravitas though.
Froome would ordinarily be called on, but I can quite understand why he wants ASO and the UCI to stew in their own juice.
Recovering from brain surgery.
You can't call this race at all.
Word is that Nibbles suffered a fractured vertebra and won't be starting tomorrow.
What a scandalous cock-up...for a GC contender and winner of all 3 tours to be forced out by a broken bone on a stretch where lots of extra security was promised...his season has been ruined by failure to manage an entirely predictable crowd of drunks...what a fucking shambles.It was an ordinary fan with a camera, rather than a runner or drunk. The camera strap was swinging about, and snagged Nibali's handlebar.
It was an ordinary fan...
Who is left to contest the Champs-Élysées sprint?
Who is left to contest the Champs-Élysées sprint?
Who is left to contest the Champs-Élysées sprint?
Andrea Pasqualon, Max Richeze, Roberto Ferrari, Timothy Dupont, Thomas Boudat... All the big names! ;D
It's now Powerbar branded.
(http://www.roadbikereview.com/reviews/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Mavic-neutral-water.jpg)
I tend to read the tour as if it's an Audax ....
The Tour de France and Audax share a common root in Henri Desgrange. He's the bloke whose ideal Tour would have only one finisher, and introduced 'Touristes Routiers' into the race to spice it up.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henri_Desgrange
The Tour was run with Brevet cards, the cut-off times were fixed, and if you didn't make a controle in time, you were out. The components were essentially the same as a randonee.
Some people judge Audax as a race, I judge the Tour as an Audax. This Tour is like the Pendle 600, as opposed to the Two/Three Coasts 600s. The Pendle assumes a high attrition rate, The Coasts are more inclusive.
I don't want everyone to finish the Tour, it has to be demanding. In the past, with 9 man teams, you could afford to lose a prologue specialist, or a sprinter. The specific circumstances of this Tour are tending to lose too many riders.
The Tour de France and Audax share a common root in Henri Desgrange. He's the bloke whose ideal Tour would have only one finisher, and introduced 'Touristes Routiers' into the race to spice it up.I was thinking the other day as they were discussing the abandonments that they could 'cull' those that drop off the back like they do the stragglers in Stephen King's The Long Walk. You'd soon run out of sprinters after a few mountain stages, but by bringing the cut-off point closer and closer to the winning time you'd ensure a single winner. ;D
Amaury Sport Organisation is a company that owns, designs and organises top international sporting events. Specialised in the ‘non-stadia’ events, it has in-house knowledge of professions linked to organisation, media and sales of sports events.
A.S.O. organises 250 days of competition per year, with 70 events in 21 countries.
A.S.O. is involved in 5 major sports including cycling with Le Tour de France, motor sports with Le Dakar, sailing with Le Tour Voile, mass events with the Schneider Electric Marathon de Paris and golf with the Lacoste Ladies Open de France.
Amaury Sport Organisation is a subsidiary of the Amaury Group, media and sport group that owns the newspaper L'Equipe.
He gets used a lot. But you don't see it unless one of the leaders is on a stretch which team cars can't get to.It's now Powerbar branded.
(http://www.roadbikereview.com/reviews/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Mavic-neutral-water.jpg)
That's not an overabundance of bottles to hand out. Assuming the bike is symmetrical, it's only 8-10 bottles. I'm guessing there is more in the big box on top, but he'd have to stop to access.
Or is this like the neutral service bikes and he goes from stage to stage often without actually being used. ?
J
a 1990s BMW K75
I've never got into 'dot-watching', although it was useful when I was filming Wheels of Fire's recent record, apart from between Pitlochry and Inverness, where the signal is absent.
I've never got into 'dot-watching', although it was useful when I was filming Wheels of Fire's recent record, apart from between Pitlochry and Inverness, where the signal is absent.
Most racers user Irridium based trackers so no issues with absent signal.
It's a late one, maybe even 1994 like my K75RT. The seat has been modified, and the ABS removed, but that ABS was unreliable, so it's a common enough mod.Mine's a 94 K11LT, out of commission because a fox ate the wiring. As it's a cool day and a flat stage I'm now declaring radio silence and going outside to tinker with it.
There are lots of K's at PBP, K75s are more favoured, as they are smoother. Here we are prior to PBP 2015.
(https://scontent-lht6-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/11222909_885278164843128_7917876394205780481_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=d79aba0d172e287f47d282122ff2d665&oe=5BE4083F)
Hmm. P'raps the UCI should introduce fines for spectators? Can you imagine the fun they'd have making up the rules for that? Why they could use up 3 good size forests just for variations on, "Running beside a rider without due care and attention." :)Word is that Nibbles suffered a fractured vertebra and won't be starting tomorrow.
Spectidiots are not a new thing: ...
Hmm. P'raps the UCI should introduce fines for spectators? Can you imagine the fun they'd have making up the rules for that? Why they could use up 3 good size forests just for variations on, "Running beside a rider without due care and attention." :)
It did cross my mind that one or two of the riders forced to abandon because of spectidiot (as neologisms go that's a good un) stupidity (tautology?) might consider suing said spectidiot(s) for medical costs and, where the rider is a serious contender for a prize in the race, "lost earnings".
I also happen to think a rider punching the lights out a spectidiot who's impeding the race or imperilling rider safety should automatically win that day's combativity prize, a 10s time bonus and E1000 in used twenties.
It's the UCI. I think you'll find it has to be at least as complicated as that. More complicated if at all possible. :)Hmm. P'raps the UCI should introduce fines for spectators?
....
It doesn't have to be that complicated.
...appropriate acts of pugilism by riders get put forward for consideration for Le Prix Bernard Hinault. ;)A much better idea, providing the rider still gets the 1,000 notes and the 10s time bonus.
...smoke candle...Oh FFS!
Quote from: T42...smoke candle...Oh FFS!
That BMC bike in the lone breakaway was lovely though.
Today's theory.
Sky want Thomas in yellow because that way he does all the media stuff, saving Froome. Froome has to be ahead of Demoulin if he is to be able to resist the time trial on stage 20. But if he's in Yellow, it's a. Lot harder cos of the media obligations. So Thomas does his duty, does his days in Yellow. And in so doing he protects Froome. Add this to the stuff previously said about stage 17. Froome is still sky's number 1.
J
I want one of those BMC things. Only 12 grand.
Today's theory.
Sky want Thomas in yellow because that way he does all the media stuff, saving Froome. Froome has to be ahead of Demoulin if he is to be able to resist the time trial on stage 20. But if he's in Yellow, it's a. Lot harder cos of the media obligations. So Thomas does his duty, does his days in Yellow. And in so doing he protects Froome. Add this to the stuff previously said about stage 17. Froome is still sky's number 1.
J
Yep, I reckon that’s pretty much it :-)
The patron of the peloton didn't use to be automatically the Maillot Jaune. ISTR in the 70's it was Patrick Sercu who was the natural leader. The other VIP was the driver of the Omnibus (as the grupetto was once known). Some will recall Eros Poli who could calculate the delay before the stage winner had crossed the line and set the pace to get his group home with minimal losses inside the deadline. Perhaps the carnage among the sprinters has something to do with the organisation of the omnibus. In the past there were of course sprinters who never expected to stay beyond the first week (Cipolini for example).
NB Desgrange was not responsible for what you lot call Audax. His form was the group form with group captains now under the administrative umbrella of the UAF in France. In the early days there was a lot of friction between Audax riders and the individual form.
The touriste routier category was eventually phased out just before WWII. For Desgrange the touriste routier came closest to his ideal of the athletic endeavor. A man on his own with no help from teammates, battling the competition, terrain and weather for the love of the sport. In the end he enjoyed their participation in “ his ” Tour stating that they add great color the story of Le Grand Boucle .
Some will recall Eros Poli who could calculate the delay before the stage winner had crossed the line and set the pace to get his group home with minimal losses inside the deadline. Perhaps the carnage among the sprinters has something to do with the organisation of the omnibus. In the past there were of course sprinters who never expected to stay beyond the first week (Cipolini for example).
The patron of the peloton didn't use to be automatically the Maillot Jaune. ISTR in the 70's it was Patrick Sercu who was the natural leader. The other VIP was the driver of the Omnibus (as the grupetto was once known). Some will recall Eros Poli who could calculate the delay before the stage winner had crossed the line and set the pace to get his group home with minimal losses inside the deadline. Perhaps the carnage among the sprinters has something to do with the organisation of the omnibus. In the past there were of course sprinters who never expected to stay beyond the first week (Cipolini for example).
I thought the patron was supposed to be the old fart that had been doing the race the longest?
Edited: Or was it a joke?
J
The patron of the peloton didn't use to be automatically the Maillot Jaune. ISTR in the 70's it was Patrick Sercu who was the natural leader. The other VIP was the driver of the Omnibus (as the grupetto was once known). Some will recall Eros Poli who could calculate the delay before the stage winner had crossed the line and set the pace to get his group home with minimal losses inside the deadline. Perhaps the carnage among the sprinters has something to do with the organisation of the omnibus. In the past there were of course sprinters who never expected to stay beyond the first week (Cipolini for example).
I thought the patron was supposed to be the old fart that had been doing the race the longest?
J
Watching this weeks GCN tech show on YouTube, they mention that on stage 9 team sky had 50 "volunteers" along the course with food, water, and spare wheels. Sky have already claimed to have had similar numbers out on the Zoncolan, and as I predicted earlier I think they will do the same on stage 17 of le tour. Which makes me wonder. Will the UCI bring in a limit on the number of non riding team members along the course? The smaller teams just don't have as many bodies to compete with this strategy.
J
They passed the Tintin rocket today!
(https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2767/4326543398_917153a199_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/7AjEBQ)
IMG_0924 (https://flic.kr/p/7AjEBQ) by The Pingus (https://www.flickr.com/photos/the_pingus/), on Flickr
Today's theory.I hadn't considered the media circus angle! Makes perfect sense.
Sky want Thomas in yellow because that way he does all the media stuff, saving Froome. Froome has to be ahead of Demoulin if he is to be able to resist the time trial on stage 20. But if he's in Yellow, it's a. Lot harder cos of the media obligations. So Thomas does his duty, does his days in Yellow. And in so doing he protects Froome. Add this to the stuff previously said about stage 17. Froome is still sky's number 1.
If he ISNT loyal, then he's being sneaky and grabbing as many seconds as he can get away with before Froome+Brailsford start letting his tyres down.
The Lemond-Hinault rivalry was different because Hinault had promised to help Lemond win....then attacked him.It's early days yet!
The last few decades taes us back to Eddy. No more to be said.
The last few decades taes us back to Eddy. No more to be said.
But Sagan is paid more than Froome – or anyone! – so probably sees little appeal to living like a monk in the mere hope he can be a grand tour GC winner (something I ultimately doubt anyway).I think he did give the weight loss for better climbing a go a few years back, and found he lost flat road form whilst not gaining very much on the hills. You may remember Tinkov slagging him off as an overpaid prima domma.
The last few decades taes us back to Eddy. No more to be said.
I know this is 'old news' comparatively but thats why your camera strap goes round your neck, hence why its called a neck strap, am I making too much sense here?? Or am I just overthinking?What a scandalous cock-up...for a GC contender and winner of all 3 tours to be forced out by a broken bone on a stretch where lots of extra security was promised...his season has been ruined by failure to manage an entirely predictable crowd of drunks...what a fucking shambles.It was an ordinary fan with a camera, rather than a runner or drunk. The camera strap was swinging about, and snagged Nibali's handlebar.
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DiiZdkEX4AAqvau.jpg)
(from here: https://twitter.com/diegoalvarez12/status/1020035493734559749 )
...thank the team, thank the sponsors, chuck in one or two "for sure"s and a "there is still a long way to go" or an "anything can happen" and move on to the next journo to tell them exactly the same thing.Marginal gains innit? Expend no more than the absolute bare minimum of energy on activity not directly related to the winning of races including all that tedious answering the same damned question asked by 20 different journos. :)
A. Schleck: To know who's the leader of a team you look at the rack on the mechanic's car. The one on the right at the front is the leader's, because it can be got at the fastest. Just now it's Thomas's bike so he's leader.
Jaja: Bollocks.
Le Petit Thomas: And anyway the mechanic sits at the back.
A. Schleck: Piss.
Can't disagree with that, Croft. Was only saying same to Tors in the shop yestre'en. Tors. said he would love to see Peter win a Grand Tour - and so would I, though I suspect he may be a good climber "for a sprinter" and not quite have the dancing-on-the-pedals ability of the specialist. I think Cav. once won a "mountain" stage in the Tour Of Britain, though I'm not sure. He could certainly climb (as they all can) when compared with a club cyclist. But the specialists are special - though less special than Eddy!
Peter
Jaja & Cie were being charitable, then.
Speaking of Majka's beans, Jaja said "the wind'll clobber him" about a minute before it did.He's not dead yet, though.
Sky's Gianni Moscon kicked off the tour. Moscon was suspended by Sky for six weeks for a racist slur against a French rider last year.
I wonder how the GeraintJ & ChrisF conundrum will pan out post pyrenees and TT. At least it's adding interest...
N Boulting: ...hoam town ov L Jalabert, teh professional gobshite!
The highlights prog said Moscon was kicked off the race for "hitting" Elie 'Twisted Firestarter' Gesbert but only as a last-second news ticker thing.
Sky's Gianni Moscon kicked off the tour. Moscon was suspended by Sky for six weeks for a racist slur against a French rider last year.
... Moscon was suspended by Sky for six weeks for a racist slur against a French rider last year.
I wonder how the GeraintJ & ChrisF conundrum will pan out post pyrenees and TT. At least it's adding interest...
By then it will be over.
In fact, it'll be clear by next Friday. GT is a pretty decent TTr. If he gets through the Pyrenees without losing time he's won.
C Prudhomme: | Et votre point, c'est quoi exactement? Bof, u Ingleesh! |
I wonder how the GeraintJ & ChrisF conundrum will pan out post pyrenees and TT. At least it's adding interest...
By then it will be over.
In fact, it'll be clear by next Friday. GT is a pretty decent TTr. If he gets through the Pyrenees without losing time he's won.
Moscon gets thrown off the race for throwing a punch at a French rider. Last year Bouhanni got a meaningless time penalty and a paltry fine for throwing a punch at a New Zealander. Surely there could not be an ulterior motive at work? Especially considering who Moscon rides for :demon:
C Prudhomme: Et votre point, c'est quoi exactement? Bof, u Ingleesh!
NB: above may contain traces of unfounded conspiracy theory
Jaja & Cie were being charitable, then.
Speaking of Majka's beans, Jaja said "the wind'll clobber him" about a minute before it did.He's not dead yet, though.
Then he was listening to Eurosport to know how to read the race. Richard and Jackie were well ahead of him! (Not surprising really).
Moscon gets thrown off the race for throwing a punch at a French rider. Last year Bouhanni got a meaningless time penalty and a paltry fine for throwing a punch at a New Zealander. Surely there could not be an ulterior motive at work? Especially considering who Moscon rides for :demon:
Stage 15: Millau > Carcassonne
However, he included Wiggins’s inane but sinister ramblings in full. Makes up for the later omission?
...the racist thing with Reza...Would have had him dismissed instantly and walked off site with his kit in a carrier bag in the company I work for. I thought at the time that Sky should have dumped him for that, no matter how good at riding up hills he is. Keeping dick-heads on the pay-roll is never worth the trouble they cause regardless of how good they are at the "job".
Bradley was riding the Prutour by the time that Lance came to preeminence in 1999. I'd say that anyone competing on the national stage can't be described as 'a young rider'.
The only significant UK rider of Bradley's build in his youth was Sean Yates, who was indeed a friend of Armstrong's, and was on the Sky payroll in 2012.
Slightly OT. Do I remember a 'night of the long knives' in T $ky around that time? Where people were declared guilty by association and asked to leave?
Before Athens I wanted to stop [road] cycling,' said Wiggins as he prepared to depart for Australia, reed-thin after several months of the most intensive road training he has ever done. 'I'd got sick of the road scene in the early season. I'd been ill, there had been pressure because I was not performing. I hit a bit of a low in April. The Cofidis affair started coming out, the first rumours about David Millar started coming out in L'Equipe , and I thought, "For God's sake, not Dave as well. 'I'd always looked up to Dave as a person with similar build, similar physical power to me, and I'd thought I can do what Dave's doing one day on the road, I'm as powerful as him and I just need a few years of concentrated road riding as well. It all started coming out and by the Tour it was all out about him. I thought that after Athens was all over if I won I would be totally satisfied with what I had achieved and I could stop.'I got a bit pissed off about it all, a bit embittered towards the professional scene. I felt a bit embarrassed to be part of it really, especially when I came back into the British team. They were shell-shocked by it [the Cofidis affair and the Millar revelations] because they knew nothing about it, they'd just invested a bit more time in Dave the previous two years.' He has met Millar since the 28-year-old Scot's dramatic fall from grace, and feels more sympathy than bitterness towards him. 'I feel sorry for him in many ways. He's lost an awful lot. He was an icon in the world of cycling, he had that sort of rock-star persona, and everyone liked him.'
It always struck me that operating a ZTP for prior doping was a foolish PR stunt.
Moscon gets thrown off the race for throwing a punch at a French rider. Last year Bouhanni got a meaningless time penalty and a paltry fine for throwing a punch at a New Zealander. Surely there could not be an ulterior motive at work? Especially considering who Moscon rides for :demon:
C Prudhomme: Et votre point, c'est quoi exactement? Bof, u Ingleesh!
NB: above may contain traces of unfounded conspiracy theory
Repeat offense is more a logical reason in Moscon's case. Fielding him for a major ride is going to be a liability since he had a few issues already and by now will be closely watched by the jury.
Bouhanni's got previous as well
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/jul/23/chris-froome-happy-sacrifice-fifth-tour-de-france-geraint-thomas
Though it still depends on how G does in the pyrenees...
However, he included Wiggins’s inane but sinister ramblings in full. Makes up for the later omission?
The most interesting part of @SirWiggo's contribution yesterday was what he did not say - one of the viewer questions asked who were his heroes when he was a young rider. He mentioned Indurain and Museeuw, but there was one name he conspicuously left out - a rider who he has cited numerous times in the past as one of his great inspirations...
Brailsford was arrested along with David Millar.Is that actually correct? As I recall from DM's book, he was dining with Brailsford when he was arrested, and Dave was the main person to visit him and give advice while he was under police detention. (and then paid for psychologist Peters to come down and advise Millar!)
(In the book, Millar paints the other Dave as still being very anti-doping at that stage. )
'Racing Into The Dark'? Just about to start it. I'll keep you posted . . .
Brailsford spent four years as a sponsored amateur in France.
Riders knew that turning pro meant taking drugs, so either you accepted that, or came home with your tail between your legs.
FFS! Somebody change the record . . .
Slightly OT. Do I remember a 'night of the long knives' in T $ky around that time? Where people were declared guilty by association and asked to leave?
Or have I been sniffing the Harpic again?
Leinders was recommended to him by a member of his team staff, Stefan de Jongh, who had been doped by Leinders whilst a rider in Rabobank. Michael Rasmussen was doped by him too, and Rasmussen revealed that Leinders ran the doping programme.
Funnily enough, as soon as Leinders was appointed (on a 'consultancy' basis) Froome went from mid-pack nobody to greatest GT rider of generation and Sky went from being nowhere to a non-stop GT winning team (bar Froome's crash out in '14)
I'm sure it's just coincidence.
Leinders was given a lifetime ban 3 years ago as it was deemed he had:
"“possessed, trafficked, and administered banned performance enhancing substances and methods without any legitimate medical need, including EPO, blood transfusion paraphernalia, testosterone, insulin, DHEA, LH and corticosteroids to athletes under his care, and was complicit in other anti-doping rule violations.”
Didn't we agree to keep the doping in other threads?
Didn't we agree to keep the doping in other threads?
Back to the racing, here's something that Pawel Poljanski of Bora–Hansgrohe tweeted today. "After sixteen stages I think my legs look little tired.”
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DiYZ0sHXUAEnUCh.jpg:large)
There are now a large group of riders back at the medical car, rinsing their eyes out with water.BBC
This is awful. There is usually a farmers' protest during the race but this goes beyond that.
The blocks have been replaced by a solid wall. I'm not sure how that's supposed to help if you hit your head on it.a) you'll hit a wall with a glancing blow, whilst the chances are that a block will be a square on impact
Look at the drop and landing area in this photo. (https://www.velonews.com/2018/07/tour-de-france/holm-on-tour-stage-16-crash-gilberts-scream-was-a-good-sign_473011) Gilbert is lucky to be alive and kicking.
Mrs P and I did tomorrow's climb to the Col de Portet in 2013. Some stretches of the road were unpaved and there were cows cooling in the tunnel near the top. A Frenchman on a mountain bike expressed his surprise at us being up there on our road bikes :thumbsup:
I presume the road's been improved since then.
That was a phenomenal bit of descending by Alaphilippe. I wish I could do that. His lean angle on some of those high-speed sweepers was insane. I knew it was over for Yates even before he crashed under the pressure. He’d have needed a full minute on Alaphilippe to survive that descent.
Look at the drop and landing area in this photo. (https://www.velonews.com/2018/07/tour-de-france/holm-on-tour-stage-16-crash-gilberts-scream-was-a-good-sign_473011) Gilbert is lucky to be alive and kicking.
The team is more important than the ego of a single member. Something Nigel Mansell found out to his cost, but it did lead to him being the only person ever to achieve world champion status in both F1 and Indy Car. Apologies, I'll collect my anorak on my way out.
Orders ≠ desires
And by Emerson Fittipaldi, who did it in between the two. And by Jacques Villeneuve, who did it afterwards.The team is more important than the ego of a single member. Something Nigel Mansell found out to his cost, but it did lead to him being the only person ever to achieve world champion status in both F1 and Indy Car. Apologies, I'll collect my anorak on my way out.
It'll be handed to you by Mario Andretti, who did it first.
It'll kick off today.
I have a hunch Sky might use Froome to launch attacks to wear out Dumoulin in order to preserve GT's lead. Something about Froome's body language during the last interview I saw tells me he's dejected.
It'll kick off today.
I have a hunch Sky might use Froome to launch attacks to wear out Dumoulin in order to preserve GT's lead. Something about Froome's body language during the last interview I saw tells me he's dejected.
I didn’t kno that.The team is more important than the ego of a single member. Something Nigel Mansell found out to his cost, but it did lead to him being the only person ever to achieve world champion status in both F1 and Indy Car. Apologies, I'll collect my anorak on my way out.
It'll be handed to you by Mario Andretti, who did it first.
And by Emerson Fittipaldi, who did it in between the two. And by Jacques Villeneuve, who did it afterwards.The team is more important than the ego of a single member. Something Nigel Mansell found out to his cost, but it did lead to him being the only person ever to achieve world champion status in both F1 and Indy Car. Apologies, I'll collect my anorak on my way out.
It'll be handed to you by Mario Andretti, who did it first.
(Montoya got pretty close, too.)
They have in the past held Indycar races in Britain*, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Brazil, Argentina, Japan, Australia, Canuckistan and Transmuralia, so at least they're trying a bit harder than their pals in throwball and rounders.Veering further OT: wasn't there also a race at Silverstone way back when?
* hence the "Indy circuit" moniker for the short circuit at Brands.
Sky need to do something - if they do nothing, Dumoulin could win the TT and overtake Thomas and Froome for yellow. Same is true of Roglic, who put 2 minutes into Dumoulin in the TT at the end of the Giro last year.
My suspicion is that Sky will try to send Froome up the road and make Dumoulin and Roglic chase. Thomas can just sit on Dumoulin, and if he cracks can try to bridge to Froome. They can't risk sending Thomas up the road, because they can't be sure he won't blow up, but they definitely need to gain time.
Nah, the Giro TT where Roglic hammered Dumoulin was the mid-race one in 2016, when TD had just suffered a jour sans and Roglic had the benefit of running on dry roads. I don't think any of the top four will put more than a handful of seconds into each other in the TT.Fair enough - Roglic is a bit of a wild card (he hadn't been riding GC then either, so could have been comparatively fresh). This article seems to have a bit more research though and demonstrates that Dumoulin has the pedigree to beat Froome by enough time in the TT:
[1] his nearest team mate is in p26, down in the second arrow of the grid, but he has a team sky rider in P23 just ahead of him to mark him off.
I, for one, will be a bit pissed off if T $ky throw GT under the bus for Froome.
I, for one, will be a bit pissed off if T $ky throw GT under the bus for Froome.
He’d have needed a full minute on Alaphilippe to survive that descent.Nah. Yates was matching him on the descent and would have held off until the finish.
Apparently only once in the last 10 years has the yellow jersey holder been overturned at this stage, and that was Cadel Evans from Voeckler in 2011.But in 2008, stage 17 was the stage that Sastre took over from Schleck F, who went on to only finish 5th...
Sky need to do something - if they do nothing, Dumoulin could win the TT and overtake Thomas and Froome for yellow. Same is true of Roglic, who put 2 minutes into Dumoulin in the TT at the end of the Giro last year.
My suspicion is that Sky will try to send Froome up the road and make Dumoulin and Roglic chase. Thomas can just sit on Dumoulin, and if he cracks can try to bridge to Froome. They can't risk sending Thomas up the road, because they can't be sure he won't blow up, but they definitely need to gain time.
My money is that Thomas will be the super domestique to help Froome. Froome is going to give it full gas from the off, there's going to be a team sky person every 1km or so on the climbs to fuel them, when Froome hits the top of the climbs, he's going to power straight over, no 10 second ease up breather to recover before the descent, no easy spinning while he puts a jacket on to descent, the Zoncolan was the test run, today is deployment. It's going to be cold, calculated, and executed with precision.
Dumoulin is on his own with no backup[1]. Sky have a team of 2. That 2 is going to beat the 1 every day.
Either Froome crosses the line and has pulled out a lead to 3-5 mins, or he's going to crash out trying. If sky are lucky, Thomas will still be in P2, but if they have to burn him completely to keep Dumoulin at bay, they will.
I'm happy to be wrong about this. But it's my prediction.
J
[1] his nearest team mate is in p26, down in the second arrow of the grid, but he has a team sky rider in P23 just ahead of him to mark him off.
He’d have needed a full minute on Alaphilippe to survive that descent.Nah. Yates was matching him on the descent and would have held off until the finish.
They have in the past held Indycar races in Britain*, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Brazil, Argentina, Japan, Australia, Canuckistan and Transmuralia, so at least they're trying a bit harder than their pals in throwball and rounders.Veering further OT: wasn't there also a race at Silverstone way back when?
* hence the "Indy circuit" moniker for the short circuit at Brands.
Transmuralia ROFL ;D
Bardet has Latour pulling him up. He's a great descenders....odds on he goes before the summit
Wot no GC perturbations yet?
Well, Soler dropped off from the Valverde group back to the peloton so it looks like Movistar are going to do something. Dumoulin is on his own. He'll try to profit from AG2r and Movistar attacks.
Primoz goes, Froome follows.
As expected, GT using Dumoulin to grind him back to Froome. Dumoulin has no choice.
Who?
Who?
Peter Sagan... Green Jersey... sometimes wearing rainbows?
J
Froome is slippingoff the podium today
Who?
Peter Sagan... Green Jersey... sometimes wearing rainbows?
J
I was being facetious
Froome is slippingoff the podium today
Dumoulin climbing it
Is sagan rolling again?
J
That was a class ride. It makes SDBs decision easier ::-)
Froome just about still in 3rd I think
.Edit, no off pod
Re-edit: right first time
As an aside, I assume that Segan has to complete to be awarded the sprint prize or has he now done enough to win even if he has to abandon.
As an aside, I assume that Segan has to complete to be awarded the sprint prize or has he now done enough to win even if he has to abandon.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BlqXXFzBb8i/ ::-)
https://www.instagram.com/p/BlqXXFzBb8i/ ::-)
What's the French word for "gammon"?
https://www.instagram.com/p/BlqXXFzBb8i/ ::-)
What's the French word for "gammon"?
Another online troll speaks:I'm not sure how this affects Le TdeF 2018. :-\
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/tygart-says-wada-lost-credibility-in-chris-froomes-salbutamol-case/
Another online troll speaks:I'm not sure how this affects Le TdeF 2018. :-\
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/tygart-says-wada-lost-credibility-in-chris-froomes-salbutamol-case/
The GC riders can't win a hilly stage on their own. They have a train of domestiques who shelter them until the final climb. All the intermediate climbs are won by the Polka-dot challengers.Sure, but the likes of Indurain and Anquetil didn't gain time on the climbers in the mountains. Typically they hung on as best they could and then destroyed them in the TTs. Indurain won 5 Tours de France without winning a single road stage (the one he won was in 1989). Thomas has won more road stages this year than Indurain did in his career!
The GC greats have often been tall, and principally TT riders, think of Anquetil and Indurain. They have had phenomenal 'engines', take a look at the history of the Hour record.
Sure, but the likes of Indurain and Anquetil didn't gain time on the climbers in the mountains. Typically they hung on as best they could and then destroyed them in the TTs.
This one is looking like an epic snoozefest unless les paysans decide to kick off again. Sole excitement so far has been Lawson Craddock, of all people, trying it on.
You can hardly complain that Thomas is taking road stages.
In most of the 90s Tours there was a prologue, Team TT and 2 individual TTs to go at. This year it's a Team TT, and a hilly 32km TT, designed to disadvantage pure testers. So the GC contenders are going to have to win road stages.
Very few of the podiums have consisted of people I wouldn't think of as too thin, or too musclebound. The Arras/Roubaix stage was the exception, and that had other freakish elements in it.
I don't see how people can complain about the extreme physiques of the GC riders and then enthuse about freak-shows such as yesterday. TTs are one leveller, but those aren't dramatic enough for casual viewers.
More birdwatching brilliance from *** as he starts babbling about storks while we look at a pair of herons :facepalm:I saw that and thought it was a shame that they weren’t Pelicans ;D
Lots of pro riders climb on the tops. I think it depends on how spinny you are at that point - if you are pulling on the bars then you need more leverage, but if your upper body is relaxed then you can hold on wherever (or not if you are Egan Bernal!).The exact opposite being Dan Martin. unusually for a "flea-like" climber, he has a very stampy style when seated, with quite a low cadence. It looks almost - ALMOST - as inelegant as Froome's style. IMO of course!
Anyone speaking of "Tour De Frances" had better mend their ways the day after I lead the Panzers down Whitehall.
FX: […], Ju 87 in a dive, J Hendrix doing 'Wild Thing'
Hopefully that will mean "accident at work?" shitverts will be reduced to below 30 per hour.
These ads sound amazing. However, I bet you don’t have Bernard Hinault advertising Easy Shower. It’s like CP Sagan’s Hansgrohe ad except no story is even attempted and the camera lighting is like something you’d see on a takeaway menu.
Don't have my copy of Steven Pinker's Language Instinct to hand, but pretty sure Tour de Frances is correct, as 'Tour de France' is the single entity you are making plural. It's similar to why we say Mickey Mouses (if you saw two at Disney, say) rather than Mickey Mice.
I can't remember a single shitvert in more tours than I care to remember that's actually been for either a sponsor's The Product*or anything cycling-related. Except someone pumping up a tyre in the current godaddy.com one and the Watchfinder-General pedalling around at 6 rpm.
* not even Dingovision
Now I come to think of it, I did see a shampoo ad the other day featuring notable Tour drop-out M Kitteh...It's caffeine flavoured shampoo from Germany. $Deity alone knows what effect caffeine is supposed to have on yer bonce. For myself, now where did I put my tinfoil hat?, I think it's a cunning plan by the Germans to get even more caffeine* into their riders without the UCI/WADA/whoever sussing what's going on. The shampoo thing is merely an elaborate distraction op. being run by the Bund Deutscher Radfahrer cos it's not a real product at all. I mean, how can it be? Really? Caffeine flavoured shampoo? S'gotta be a blind. No one would fall for such obvious guff would they? Even P. T. Barnum would be appalled.
Shitverts. The mute button is your friend.
Having been out of the UK for over four years, I’m a bit shocked now at the adverts.Daytime TV watching demographic innit. Naff all to do with their time, inactive, sit inside watching the telly. C'mon, a little bet won't harm you... You don't want the family to struggle to pay for your funeral now do you?... Did you trip over a pavement? You could claim ComPenSayShun...
Why so many gambling adverts? Is that now legal?
Why so many funeral adverts? If you’re dead, why worry about your funeral?
I am shocked about the loan adverts and personal injury lawyer adverts too. Are we turning into the US?
Now I come to think of it, I did see a shampoo ad the other day featuring notable Tour drop-out M Kitteh, or a fairly convincing lookalike. But I've no idea what The Product is for half the sponsors of the Tour teams.
Still waiting for GC action...
My favourite was Gewiss (light switches) - Ballan (garage doors). First trade team jersey I bought...Marc Zeepcentrale (Marc's Soap Central)
No. Looking at app graphic occasionally.
No. Looking at app graphic occasionally.(click to show/hide)
Kruisjike attacked. He's the bait for a Roglic counterattack
Groupetto just arrived - OK.So Sagan in time? Good-oh.
Jelle Vanendert was even further back and abandoned about halfway through the stage. He probably wouldn't have made the time cut anyway.
Don't have my copy of Steven Pinker's Language Instinct to hand, but pretty sure Tour de Frances is correct, as 'Tour de France' is the single entity you are making plural. It's similar to why we say Mickey Mouses (if you saw two at Disney, say) rather than Mickey Mice.
No, that can’t be right. There’s only one Mickey Mouse.
It was only a couple of years ago that Froome went head to head with Crazy P for the stage win and time bonuses after the pelican accidentally blew itself up.
If you translate it you wouldn't say 'Tour of Frances' for more than one (might be interesting for other reasons I suppose).
Now I come to think of it, I did see a shampoo ad the other day featuring notable Tour drop-out M Kitteh, or a fairly convincing lookalike. But I've no idea what The Product is for half the sponsors of the Tour teams.
Via the magic of Wikinaccurate and JFGI:(click to show/hide)
Since the cessation of activity at the end of 2013 of his team Vacansoleil, which participated three times in the Tour de France (from 2011 to 2013) without winning a stage, sporting director Hilaire Van der Schueren has been busy with Wanty-Groupe Gobert. He is a dinosaur in the professionhttps://www.letour.fr/en/team/WGG/wanty-groupe-gobert
No Alpine stages, even though we do have Alpes Maritimes.So, you can pluralise both - Tours de Frances?
No Alpine stages, even though we do have Alpes Maritimes.So, you can pluralise both - Tours de Frances?
Shouldn't it be Les Tour de France?
#NotALinguist
Team Wanty-Gobert have easily the silliest name, and they're also the only teamname that I don't recall once in commentary or news.
Their website has some uninspiring text, such as:QuoteSince the cessation of activity at the end of 2013 of his team Vacansoleil, which participated three times in the Tour de France (from 2011 to 2013) without winning a stage, sporting director Hilaire Van der Schueren has been busy with Wanty-Groupe Gobert. He is a dinosaur in the professionhttps://www.letour.fr/en/team/WGG/wanty-groupe-gobert
;D Dinosaur lost in translation? German version has urgestein which I think is veteran...
There’s no guarantee it wasn’t ASO’s translation. Their translations are generally amateurish, as is their unbelievably bad letour.fr website and a lot else. Not exactly a showcase of French competitiveness.
Offredo's brakes stopped working at some point and he finished the TT without.
Interviewer: wasn't there a spare TT bike on the car?
YO: no comment
Must have been during the shitverts over here. But we have had the tale of T Dumoulin's missing skinsuit, Evil C Boardman speculating about the time limit and *** and Super D being non-commital about vultures.
It's caffeine flavoured shampoo from Germany. $Deity alone knows what effect caffeine is supposed to have on yer bonce. For myself, now where did I put my tinfoil hat?, I think it's a cunning plan by the Germans to get even more caffeine* into their riders without the UCI/WADA/whoever sussing what's going on. The shampoo thing is merely an elaborate distraction op. being run by the Bund Deutscher Radfahrer cos it's not a real product at all. I mean, how can it be? Really? Caffeine flavoured shampoo? S'gotta be a blind. No one would fall for such obvious guff would they?
Plenty of boos along the way.Nah, they're cheering Froooooooooooome, I'm sure of it ;)
Now, my understanding is that tomorrow by tradition is a none racing day for the GC contenders and the only people that will be getting excited are the sprinters and whomever it is that wants to target the stage win. But is this the law, or is it just convention. It’s a flat road stage so realistically any break is going to get shut down pretty quickly, but what would happen if Domoulin and team staged a successful break? Would he be told to stop it, or is it just the fact that it is virtually impossible,to stage a successful break on a flat road,stage that no one bothers?
Question: moto cam zoomed in on GT's down tube and it seemed all square and looked like it had a solar panel in it. ???
Any of you clever clogs can enlightenen me?
Question: moto cam zoomed in on GT's down tube and it seemed all square and looked like it had a solar panel in it. ???It's the access panel for a di2 junction box located inside the frame.
Any of you clever clogs can enlightenen me?
Question: moto cam zoomed in on GT's down tube and it seemed all square and looked like it had a solar panel in it. ???
Any of you clever clogs can enlightenen me?
It's caffeine flavoured shampoo from Germany. $Deity alone knows what effect caffeine is supposed to have on yer bonce. For myself, now where did I put my tinfoil hat?, I think it's a cunning plan by the Germans to get even more caffeine* into their riders without the UCI/WADA/whoever sussing what's going on. The shampoo thing is merely an elaborate distraction op. being run by the Bund Deutscher Radfahrer cos it's not a real product at all. I mean, how can it be? Really? Caffeine flavoured shampoo? S'gotta be a blind. No one would fall for such obvious guff would they?
Agreed. A really fun tour to watch. Pro cycling really does need some sort of financial equality between teams, however.
Lotto-Jumbo seem to be developing into genuine GC contenders, but I can't see them ever toppling Sky as they just don't have the same depth to their squad. It was probably a mistake letting George Bennett do the Giro this year - an extra mountain domestique of his calibre might have made a big difference for them at the Tour. Mitchelton-Scott are not too far off either, but obviously have the same problem.I wonder what they could have done with both Yates twins? (of course having let them both peak for this race, not the Giro!) They might have used the same "old 1-2" tactics on the long climbs that the Sky duo used to totally clobber Tom. Over 3 weeks I think Sky would still be on the top step, but it might have been a hell of a scrap - especially in the Alpes before the littl'uns tired themselves out!
If Landa does go to AS-TA-NA, whither Fuglsang, who was also a bit Rubbish is this year's Tour?
Agreed. A really fun tour to watch. Pro cycling really does need some sort of financial equality between teams, however.
+1
Lotto-Jumbo seem to be developing into genuine GC contenders, but I can't see them ever toppling Sky as they just don't have the same depth to their squad. It was probably a mistake letting George Bennett do the Giro this year - an extra mountain domestique of his calibre might have made a big difference for them at the Tour. Mitchelton-Scott are not too far off either, but obviously have the same problem.
Quintana was a disappointment again. His Giro win looks more and more like a fluke with every passing year. Movistar need to get behind Landa as their sole team leader and build a team around him. Although the rumour is that Landa is already dissatisfied and is off to Astana. In which case, they need to back Soler, because he looks like more of a potential GC threat than Quintana these days.
Hooray for G Thomas, the big cry baby :)
Agreed. A really fun tour to watch. Pro cycling really does need some sort of financial equality between teams, however.
Totally disagree with Dan Martin winning the combativity award.
It should have gone to Moscon.
Agreed. A really fun tour to watch. Pro cycling really does need some sort of financial equality between teams, however.
Totally disagree with Dan Martin winning the combativity award.
It should have gone to Moscon.
But you have to make it to the finish to collect so, although Moscon deserved an honourable mention in despatches, he can't get a post-humorous award.
I’ve just had a thought.
Ok, I warned you all.
That nice Welsh chap who is wearing the snazzy yellow pullover has something of a reputation for crashing at the most inopportune moments. Indeed, it was all the talk earlier on when people were saying thinks like it he’s not crashed yet.
I just thought I’d mention it because I don’t think he’s crashed yet has he?
I did warn you that I’d had a thought.
He's won the Vuelta as well and the 6 GT podiums to his name suggest it wasn't a fluke (though the field was fairly thin that year). But he definitely needs to change something to get back to where he was.
Does anyone else find the last day dull?
Does anyone else find the last day dull? I think 1989, when the wrong guy won (from the French point of view) was the end of a competitive last day, wasn't it?
G!! Glad Froome made the podium.
Wonder what happened with the timing mismatch.
Spectidiocy has been elevated to new depths. Riding along the closed side of the dual carriageway, FKWs. The French equivalent of being a dick . . .
Mic drop by G \o/ ;):thumbsup:
My previous post may contain traces of sarcasm, irony and (if you dig really, really really deep, we're probably talking North Sea oil well deep here) trace levels of humour. :)It's caffeine flavoured shampoo from Germany....It's not caffeine flavoured, it actually contains caffeine....
Oh well, that's that for another year....Less than a month to go before the Vuelta and if the staff of Pandemic piss-off on their annual holibobs and neglect to report on it I shall be deeply narked. Again.
Less than a month to go before the Vuelta and if the staff of Pandemic piss-off on their annual holibobs and neglect to report on it I shall be deeply narked. Again.
Is that a waiter bell, Basil?
Do I understand that Chris Boardman won't be doing any more TV stuff? (I was watching the live broadcast but my husband got bored and made me turn it off.)
Did G forget Luke Rowe when he was trying to name his team?
Husband wants to know how come Lawson Craddock made it to Paris when half the sprinters didn't.
Here endeth the questions. May I add my appreciation for Pandemic Productions' take on the Tour. Thank you.
Based on the end of the highlights yes CB has decided not to do more tours as there are other things he wants to do.
A lovely last-second "save" by Geraint on the podium though...."Oh yeah...and the Wife". I think all of us blokes breathed a collective sigh of relief, on his behalf, at that one.Dr Beardy (Mrs) noted that with a several degrees of ice included. I forgot to make mention of her on our wedding day some 34 years ago, and I doubt I'll EVER be allowed to forget that fact. EVER. In fact when I'm d.e.d. and go, she'll probably arrange regular seances just to make sure I don't forget it EVER again. :facepalm:
Based on the end of the highlights yes CB has decided not to do more tours as there are other things he wants to do.
Mainly his work with Andy Burnham in Manchester, judging by his tweets.
Presumably also he's involved with all the sciencey gubbins at his new wind tunnel facility.
Also suspect he's quite jaded with traipsing round France in the back of a truck for three weeks.
What next for Geraint Thomas, I wonder?
There was one occasion during the live coverage when *** asked Nice C about women's racing and Nice C launched a five-minute monologue on the subject without deviation, hesitation or repetition. I wouldn't be at all surprised to find him doing a fair bit in that area too.
The Welsh dragon does not appear on the flag because when the first Union Flag was created in 1606, Wales was already united with England from the 13th century. This meant that Wales a Principality instead of a Kingdom and as such could not be included
Nice C?
Nice C?
Now that the Boardman twins have stepped down, will we see Bethany, who will be (9), take their place on the Anbaric Distascope?
Thomas started at the same time as Froome, is as physically fated, and is praised for his self-deprecation. But it's that peculiar form of modesty that's held him back. That's pretty general in the UK."fated" ? You mean like Macbeth??
The result is a good one for Sky, as a Froome victory would have been greeted with a yawn. There's no doubt that Thomas will be sports personality of the year, and Team Sky is more likely to survive.Hence Much-Discussed Factoid: an English-born rider has yet to win a Grand Tour
There's a sense in which neither Wiggins nor Froome were ever seen as 'true Brits'. which tells us a lot about how nationality is viewed.
I do wonder if Geraint could have kept it together if Froome hadn't been there as a backstop for most of Thomas's time in yellow.
Nice C?
I missed the live TV, as at a family bash.
Welsh flags all round, which is understandable. I actually didn't know this (from t'interwebs)...QuoteThe Welsh dragon does not appear on the flag because when the first Union Flag was created in 1606, Wales was already united with England from the 13th century. This meant that Wales a Principality instead of a Kingdom and as such could not be included
Perhaps it's time to insert a dragon (or green)...
I'm sure Nicole Cooke won the women's (version of the) Tour de France a few years ago.True. Somewhere in her book is a disgusted comment regarding press reports about Bradley Wiggins becoming the first British rider --- etc
What next for Geraint Thomas, I wonder? Given his performance in the TT before putting on the metaphorical and literal brakes, I wonder if he could have a serious go at the Worlds TT in September. Or will he still be recovering?
I read in the Graun (so it must be true) that Geraint Thomas was at the same secondary school as Gareth Bale and Sam Warburton.And Luke Rowe.
Luke Rowe went to Llanishen High School (as did Elinor Barker).I read in the Graun (so it must be true) that Geraint Thomas was at the same secondary school as Gareth Bale and Sam Warburton.And Luke Rowe.
What next for Geraint Thomas, I wonder?I hadn't forgotten about the post-tour criteriums, just assumed GT wouldn't be interested.
What next for Geraint Thomas, I wonder?I hadn't forgotten about the post-tour criteriums, just assumed GT wouldn't be interested.
https://www.nieuwsblad.be/cnt/dmf20180731_03642259 (https://www.nieuwsblad.be/cnt/dmf20180731_03642259)
I wonder what could have induced him to go to Surhuisterveen before returning to Wales. The quality of the racing no doubt.
Those post-Tour crits are not races, but a staged kind of cycling promotion. The winner is known beforehand, yet every 'hero' of the past Tour de France or Giro d'Italia gets to ride at the front for a while as well, in a solo escape, just to harvest the applause of the public.What next for Geraint Thomas, I wonder?I hadn't forgotten about the post-tour criteriums, just assumed GT wouldn't be interested.
https://www.nieuwsblad.be/cnt/dmf20180731_03642259 (https://www.nieuwsblad.be/cnt/dmf20180731_03642259)
I wonder what could have induced him to go to Surhuisterveen before returning to Wales. The quality of the racing no doubt.
Those post-Tour crits are not races, but a staged kind of cycling promotion.
Forums are read by more than one reader...
I have a feeling Nuncio knows this already and is being slightly mischievous.
Like Mornington Crescent, you're not really supposed to spoil the fun by explaining how it works.
Those post-Tour crits are not races, but a staged kind of cycling promotion.
I have a feeling Nuncio knows this already and is being slightly mischievous.
Like Mornington Crescent, you're not really supposed to spoil the fun by explaining how it works.
Bit of an aside but Kimmage's book seemed to indicate that the post-Tour crits developed a lot of the doping culture. Riders were using amphetamines to race on but also to get them through the long drives between each race.
And what was Bouhanni's sentence for actually hitting another rider Jack Bauer during a Tour stage again?
And what was Bouhanni's sentence for actually hitting another rider Jack Bauer during a Tour stage again?
Fined 200 Swiss Francs (£156 at current exchange rates) and a 60s time penalty.
Word is that Monsieur Chauvin put in one hell of a character reference in Bouhanni's defence. ;)
Thomas and Froome will be riding the Tour of Britain:
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/aug/16/team-sky-geraint-thomas-chris-froome-ride-tour-of-britain
(this should probably go in a ToB/Vuelta thread but there isn't one).