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Author Topic: Tour de France 2018  (Read 135211 times)

T42

  • Apprentice geezer
Re: Tour de France 2018
« Reply #575 on: 20 July, 2018, 04:17:20 pm »
Some asshole threw a smoke candle into the pack just now. That's not even aimed at any given rider, it's just done for a laff. I hope the peelers bounce the bastard.
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quixoticgeek

  • Mostly Harmless
Re: Tour de France 2018
« Reply #576 on: 20 July, 2018, 04:27:33 pm »
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
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TheLurker

  • Goes well with magnolia.
Re: Tour de France 2018
« Reply #577 on: 20 July, 2018, 04:32:48 pm »
Quote from: spesh on 20 July, 2018, 04:04:52 pm
Quote from: TheLurker on 20 July, 2018, 03:53:02 pm
Hmm. P'raps the UCI should introduce fines for spectators?
....

It doesn't have to be that complicated.
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. :)

Quote
...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.

Quote from: T42
...smoke candle...
Oh FFS!
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T42

  • Apprentice geezer
Re: Tour de France 2018
« Reply #578 on: 20 July, 2018, 04:36:21 pm »
Quote from: TheLurker on 20 July, 2018, 04:32:48 pm
Quote from: T42
...smoke candle...
Oh FFS!

Man dear, contain yourself. The man on the box said fumigène. What do you call them? Oh, flares. Bof.

In fact, bof for the whole stage. Boring.
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Exit Stage Left

Re: Tour de France 2018
« Reply #579 on: 20 July, 2018, 04:37:58 pm »
That BMC bike in the lone breakaway was lovely though.

All UCI fines are denominated in Swiss Francs by the way.
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Mr Larrington

  • A bit ov a lyv wyr by slof standirds
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Re: Tour de France 2018
« Reply #580 on: 20 July, 2018, 04:48:09 pm »
Have FdJ bunged the TV people a fat wad of used twenties to suddenly start calling them "Groupama", in the hope that everyone will forget last year's farce?
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Mr Larrington

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Re: Tour de France 2018
« Reply #581 on: 20 July, 2018, 05:30:50 pm »
Stage 13: Bourg d'Oisans > Valence

(click to show/hide)
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spesh

Re: Tour de France 2018
« Reply #582 on: 20 July, 2018, 05:35:46 pm »
Quote from: Exit Stage Left on 20 July, 2018, 04:37:58 pm
That BMC bike in the lone breakaway was lovely though.

Agreed.  8)

And about the most interesting thing of today's stage.  :demon:
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giropaul

Re: Tour de France 2018
« Reply #583 on: 20 July, 2018, 06:08:39 pm »
Quote from: quixoticgeek on 20 July, 2018, 04:27:33 pm
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 :-)
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quixoticgeek

  • Mostly Harmless
Re: Tour de France 2018
« Reply #584 on: 20 July, 2018, 07:29:22 pm »

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
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Nick H.

Re: Tour de France 2018
« Reply #585 on: 20 July, 2018, 07:54:19 pm »
I want one of those BMC things. Only 12 grand.
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quixoticgeek

  • Mostly Harmless
Re: Tour de France 2018
« Reply #586 on: 20 July, 2018, 07:57:00 pm »
Quote from: Porkins on 20 July, 2018, 07:54:19 pm
I want one of those BMC things. Only 12 grand.

I read that as 12 grams... I was about to make a comment about the laws of physics and the UCI weight limits...

I think that makes it bed time...

J
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mzjo

Re: Tour de France 2018
« Reply #587 on: 20 July, 2018, 07:57:58 pm »
Quote from: Giropaul on 20 July, 2018, 06:08:39 pm
Quote from: quixoticgeek on 20 July, 2018, 04:27:33 pm
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 :-)

Judging by G's interview on Eurosport (seen on RdP) he seems to be thinking along the same general lines (taking the jersey day by day and not thinking of Paris). The question is will he stay with Sky if the team insists on CF winning and everyone following orders (I bet CF has had that one written into his contract). G will be looking for a new contract before long and his value is going to be rising for other teams.

re Crowd violence: nothing new here. I wonder if CF is going to follow the example of Gino Bartali if hr thinks he won't beat G (1949, I think or 1950) when he led the Italian team out of the race claiming spectator agression. The real reason was that he couldn't stand Fausto Coppi beating him! In any case the TdF has always inspired a certain crowd reaction, just like football (or cricket in India) and the proximity of the riders in a free and open access spectacle is a danger that no-one can escape. (I personally would like to drag all spectators crowding riders by the ball behind the broom wagon but then I"ve always been a bit too moderate).

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.
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quixoticgeek

  • Mostly Harmless
Re: Tour de France 2018
« Reply #588 on: 20 July, 2018, 08:07:33 pm »
Quote from: mzjo on 20 July, 2018, 07:57:58 pm
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
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spesh

Re: Tour de France 2018
« Reply #589 on: 20 July, 2018, 08:09:24 pm »
Regarding the high-drop-out rate among the sprinters this year, it was noted elsewhere that shortening an Alpine stage without cutting down on the cols means that it is harder for small groups to link up to form the autobus and then work together to limit time losses.
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Exit Stage Left

Re: Tour de France 2018
« Reply #590 on: 20 July, 2018, 08:18:56 pm »
Quote from: mzjo on 20 July, 2018, 07:57:58 pm


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.

That's why I mentioned the Touriste Routiers.

http://www.cyclingrevealed.com/July06/July06_TR2.htm

They are the bridge to today's 'Transcontinental' riders, and Audax hard riders, who are often the same people as ride the Mersey Roads 24.

Quote
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 .

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Mr Larrington

  • A bit ov a lyv wyr by slof standirds
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Re: Tour de France 2018
« Reply #591 on: 20 July, 2018, 08:27:02 pm »
Quote from: mzjo on 20 July, 2018, 07:57:58 pm
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).

ISTR Cav saying l'autobus doing much the same on a heavy-duty Pyrenean stage in 2016 when it looked like a 50+ member bunch of sprinters, lead-out men and blown-up domestiques were in danger of being OTL.  It was, IIRC, the same day Adam Yates was attacked by the bouncy castle overhead banner thing.
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Charlie Polecat

Re: Tour de France 2018
« Reply #592 on: 20 July, 2018, 09:16:52 pm »
The hedger (AKA, ESL) said: "The Telegraph is best in the UK."

Maybe, but it is spiraling down fast to the bottom as it fully devolves into a trash magazine.

On another subject, ie, this one: I heard a radio programme today interviewing Lawson Craddock currently the lantern rouge of the TdF who grew up in Houston, Texas and cut his racing teeth at the local velodrome. Apparently at the outset of this year's campaign he asked people to donate $100 for every stage he completed towards refurbishment of this rather tired and worn out velodrome and he expected to raise maybe $2,100, but to date, over $100,000 has been realised.

I mention this because amongst all the negative comments and naysayers' accusations of drug abuse (maybe true, who really knows?), here is a little glimmer of light into one of humanity's better moments to come out of this year's TdF.
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Samuel D

Re: Tour de France 2018
« Reply #593 on: 20 July, 2018, 09:24:45 pm »
To appreciate how fast even the disqualified sprinters climb in the Tour de France, consider that Cavendish, Groenewegen, and Kittel completed the 4000+ metres of climbing on stage 10 in a time of 4:59.29.

That was the stage selected for this year’s Étape du Tour, which was won by Victor Lafay, a climber who’s good enough to have his own Wikipedia page at the age of 22 (and soon a pro contract). His time? 5:15:52.

Meanwhile, a friend took well over 9 hours, and he climbs better than most keen cyclists I know.
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Mrs Pingu

  • Who ate all the pies? Me
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Re: Tour de France 2018
« Reply #594 on: 20 July, 2018, 09:46:05 pm »
On a serious note, anyone know how I could watch the TdF highlights on a locked down work laptop, in Egypt next week?
No, thoughg not...
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Pingu

  • Put away those fiery biscuits!
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Re: Tour de France 2018
« Reply #595 on: 20 July, 2018, 09:55:21 pm »
They passed the Tintin rocket today!


IMG_0924 by The Pingus, on Flickr
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Peter

Re: Tour de France 2018
« Reply #596 on: 20 July, 2018, 10:32:58 pm »
Quote from: quixoticgeek on 20 July, 2018, 08:07:33 pm
Quote from: mzjo on 20 July, 2018, 07:57:58 pm
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

What an (un)astonishingly disrespectful remark!  Please list your palmares!

Edited:  Or perhaps a joke?
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Mr Larrington

  • A bit ov a lyv wyr by slof standirds
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Re: Tour de France 2018
« Reply #597 on: 21 July, 2018, 12:48:50 am »
Quote from: quixoticgeek on 20 July, 2018, 08:07:33 pm
Quote from: mzjo on 20 July, 2018, 07:57:58 pm
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

That would currently be Sylvain Chavanel, now on his 18th consecutive Tour (and surely destined to be dismantled for spares before long) but I don't see him filling the shoes of, for example, Bernard Hinault, especially when it comes to felling protesting farmers with a right cross.  Of course, Hinault seems to have forgotten that he's no longer le patron but I suppose old habits die hard.
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giropaul

Re: Tour de France 2018
« Reply #598 on: 21 July, 2018, 06:24:57 am »
Quote from: quixoticgeek on 20 July, 2018, 07:29:22 pm

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

Wanty Group Gobert had a volunteer army ( lowest budget team on the Tour). In Belgium especially, a free team gilet and some fan goodies can recruit an army. People love to be involved.
When I was at the Belgian Kermesses it was usual to roll up to the start village and find oneself directed into a proud householders drive, and ushered into a garage stocked with drinks, towels etc. A few ream caps and bidons made them unbelievably happy.
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T42

  • Apprentice geezer
Re: Tour de France 2018
« Reply #599 on: 21 July, 2018, 07:23:04 am »
Quote from: Pingu on 20 July, 2018, 09:55:21 pm
They passed the Tintin rocket today!


IMG_0924 by The Pingus, on Flickr

Was looking out for that but must have fallen asleep.

---o0o---

Wanty must surely be a candidate for the Badly-Named Businesses thread.
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