Yet Another Cycling Forum

General Category => Freewheeling => Racing => Topic started by: Nuncio on 17 October, 2017, 02:51:42 pm

Title: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Nuncio on 17 October, 2017, 02:51:42 pm
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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: psyclist on 17 October, 2017, 03:05:23 pm
Lot's of interesting features. Having seen the way shorter stages animate the racing in the Giro and Vuelta, I'll be looking forward to the 'extreme' version of a short stage at just 65km. It'll not be over that quickly, with 3 high mountains thrown into that distance.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Karla on 17 October, 2017, 03:52:05 pm
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.

Predictions:

Geraint Thomas will fall off on the cobbles
Bardet will continue his plateau, and Pinot will continue to be a nearly-Bardet
Uran will miss out on the win due to team members leaving during their funding gap this autumn
Froome will feel a bit old, but so will Nibbles, so Froome will still beat him
Barguil, tomorrow's man, will do the Giro
Quintana, yesterday's man, will fail to feature

I predict a Froome/Dumoulin battle, based on how hilly it is - I haven't looked in detail yet.  TD may well overhaul CF on the final time trial.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 17 October, 2017, 04:06:52 pm
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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Samuel D on 17 October, 2017, 04:23:35 pm
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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: citoyen on 17 October, 2017, 05:17:23 pm
It's not about attention span per se, it's about making it more TV-friendly. And making the racing more aggressive from start to finish, getting rid of those ridiculous 250km transitional stages.

Stage 17 should be fantastic.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Samuel D on 17 October, 2017, 05:21:54 pm
It's not about attention span per se, it's about making it more TV-friendly.

Same difference!

I’d like to see more long stages, but I know I’m unlikely to get my wish. Your view is shared by most.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: citoyen on 17 October, 2017, 05:33:06 pm
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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: psyclist on 17 October, 2017, 05:34:16 pm
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.

I thought Froome's weakness (at least against Contador of old) was the really steep inclines. This was where he faltered in the Vuelta before he starting having success in the TdF, and was again evident in the Vuelta just gone. The less steep climbs he just manages the power output fastidiously, as he does on the long stages.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: TheLurker on 17 October, 2017, 07:18:05 pm
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(VIII)  Fixed. :)

...or Bethany(10002)
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: TigaSefi on 17 October, 2017, 08:35:23 pm
Shorter and hillier? Yes please! I found 200km of flat high speed racing crap.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 17 October, 2017, 10:25:10 pm
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. 
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Jaded on 17 October, 2017, 10:51:53 pm
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.

I watched (a stage) as it happened two years ago.

No idea what happened, but we had a metric shed load of tasty sugar treats and hats to remember the event by.

Some bloke in a yellow shirt sweated past pretty much as the other blokes did. Except he had his elbows out.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Greenbank on 18 October, 2017, 09:01:36 am
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 (8)

(Additional Options -> Don't use smileys.)
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Greenbank on 18 October, 2017, 09:03:28 am
Any links for a detailed route yet? The main TdF site only has the start/finish towns and a thick line on a map.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Veloman on 18 October, 2017, 09:38:18 am
Any links for a detailed route yet? The main TdF site only has the start/finish towns and a thick line on a map.

Try Cycling Weekly website.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: tatanab on 18 October, 2017, 10:10:33 am
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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Wascally Weasel on 18 October, 2017, 11:35:12 am
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.

We could always get rid of smileys?  I'm sure no one would object.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Karla on 18 October, 2017, 11:49:19 am
I've been trying to get rid of Smiley for years.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: David Martin on 18 October, 2017, 11:28:21 pm
Trying to take a lighter tone in the conversation?
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: spesh on 18 October, 2017, 11:44:09 pm
Don't get Carréd away.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: David Martin on 18 October, 2017, 11:45:26 pm
You'd feel a right charlie if you did, be left out in the cold.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: essexian on 19 October, 2017, 10:45:07 am
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.   
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Veloman on 19 October, 2017, 11:05:17 am
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.

Well they know the TdF has a traditional start and finish date and perhaps their interest in cycling is a tad limited.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Samuel D on 19 October, 2017, 11:17:35 am
The start and therefore finish dates are late this year because of the World Cup.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: matthew on 19 October, 2017, 11:47:27 am
I see a stage starting in Brest and a stage finishing in Paris. Unfortunately these are not one and the same.  :facepalm:
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: mattc on 19 October, 2017, 12:33:07 pm
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?  ???
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Greenbank on 19 October, 2017, 01:11:58 pm
I see a stage starting in Brest and a stage finishing in Paris. Unfortunately these are not one and the same.  :facepalm:

Fougeres and Dreux also feature.

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?  ???

An attempt to add something to liven up the hours of plodding along on the long flat stages? Not sure how or if it will work though, the sprinters aren't GC contendors. Non-GC contenders will continue to be allowed to go on long breakaways as the bonus seconds don't mean anything in the grand scheme of things. Breakaways from top GC contenders will just get nullified as currently happens. I can't see Sky (or any other GC contending team) organising a breakaway in order to guarantee a few extra seconds bonus for 3 riders.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: TigaSefi on 29 November, 2017, 07:08:11 pm
Froome been confirmed for Giro 2018 too. The organizer who is a bit of a cycling nut put up the appearance fee apparently at 2 million euros. CRI-KEY!
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: sg37409 on 21 June, 2018, 04:51:27 pm
Skys battle for hearts and minds continues

"irresponsible and ill-informed", say Team Sky. (https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/44562870)

Modified to correct link !
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Goldcrank on 23 June, 2018, 09:36:54 pm
Your link appears to be a football match from 1970.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 24 June, 2018, 11:22:34 am
Your link appears to be a football match from 1970.

Coventry City are the Sky Blues, though.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: sg37409 on 24 June, 2018, 12:14:50 pm
Sorry for the wrong link people.   (It had great commentary on it though, eh ?)
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Torslanda on 28 June, 2018, 12:02:56 pm
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.

There was me thinking I'd pop in to Racing to see if there was a place holder for
'@ P@nd3m1c Pr0duckt10nzTM®' and stone me if there isn't nearly 2 pages of replies already...

Armand Croissant* FTW

Bethany's mum is a total skank. #justsayin'



*Waddyamean 'No Frenchman's gonna take the victory'?
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 29 June, 2018, 10:48:13 am

Bethany's mum is a total skank. #justsayin'


Bethany [8]:Tell me something I don't know, Mr Wiseguy!
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: woollypigs on 29 June, 2018, 09:21:11 pm
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
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: David Martin on 29 June, 2018, 11:55:47 pm
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

Brilliant! Simple, but really really good. Showcasing their sponsor really well.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 30 June, 2018, 09:51:26 am
Will the World Idiocy still be polluting TV next Saturday?
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Ham on 30 June, 2018, 10:34:41 am
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

 :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: DaveJ on 01 July, 2018, 11:58:14 am
The Guardian are reporting that Le Monde say Chris Froome won't be starting.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/jul/01/chris-froome-blocked-signing-in-tour-de-france (https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/jul/01/chris-froome-blocked-signing-in-tour-de-france)



Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: andyoxon on 01 July, 2018, 12:10:19 pm
Probably for the best, tbh.*

edit.   * if it actually happens
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Beardy on 01 July, 2018, 12:51:47 pm

Bethany's mum is a total skank. #justsayin'


Bethany [8]:Tell me something I don't know, Mr Wiseguy!
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
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Torslanda on 01 July, 2018, 01:11:08 pm
Quote
"i’m confused"


Kinnell! Wait till you start reading the race coverage . . .
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 01 July, 2018, 01:26:18 pm

Bethany's mum is a total skank. #justsayin'


Bethany [8]:Tell me something I don't know, Mr Wiseguy!
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

Maybe her birthday coincides with the start.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Beardy on 01 July, 2018, 02:34:49 pm
Quote
"i’m confused"


Kinnell! Wait till you start reading the race coverage . . .
I’m familiar with Pandomodim Production’s coverage of le Tour, but the status of Ms Beffenee is somewhat confusing I.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: mzjo on 01 July, 2018, 02:57:48 pm
Probably for the best, tbh.*

edit.   * if it actually happens

Given how public feelings and behaviour get out of hand after libations of the firewater, the french government or at least the CRS could make a good case for excluding him from the country on safety and public order grounds - but Macron is too much of a wimp for that to happen.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: andyoxon on 01 July, 2018, 03:35:59 pm
earlier today...

Quote
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

http://www.skysports.com/cycling/news/21683/11422738/team-sky-confident-chris-froome-will-race-in-tour-de-france
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Torslanda on 01 July, 2018, 07:20:59 pm
Ahem...! (http://cycling.today/aso-ban-chris-froome-from-the-tour-de-france/)

It's ASO's ball and he's not playing.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Samuel D on 02 July, 2018, 01:51:16 am
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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Nick H. on 02 July, 2018, 06:15:30 am
Hinault's anger seems genuine. He's the one who has precipitated this stand-off. I think he's genuinely concerned for the dignity and romance of the tour. Underneath it all there's frustration at the boredom of yet another probable win by a rider who's face doesn't fit, and the robotic control of the race by a foreign team which outspends everybody. If Sky withdraws, a Frenchman might even win. To Hinault and ASO that's worth fighting for.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 02 July, 2018, 06:16:59 am
Samuel D (new to the sport of cycling) doesn't know about the 7 year gap in TdF results from 1999 to 2005, doesn't know about 2006, nor 2010 (and 2011 Giro), and therefore doesn't understand why ASO want doper Froome to fuck off.

Quote from: Samuel D
 The Froome situation has only arisen because of UCI corruption/incompetence

No. It's only arisen because Froome doped.

Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: mzjo on 02 July, 2018, 08:55:42 am
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.

It's France's cultural heritage and ASO's property and ignorant and ill-informed public opinion is a part of that cultural heritage. That is what sells the rights, justifies the expense of the operation and even persuades the police and gendarmerie to sometimes forgo family holidays and overtime pay to make it work. That is what it is! Living in France you should understand at least part of that.

In the past ASO has been guilty of not paying enough attention to excluding riders whose presence has a detrimental effect on the image of their event. (They also own the Dakar and have equally been criticised for events downgrading the image of that event). It is not surprising that they are a bit sensitive over it. Froome, like Armstrong before him, has tended to take a position of being more important than the event, which is not going to help to persuade ASO that his presence actually brings added value to their event. The problem is that, doped or not, he has adopted the posture of a doper and that is not going to help his appeal to the public or the organisers.

there could have been a solution which would have been for Froome to decide to concentrate on getting the case cleared as soon as possible and declare that he wasn't competing until it was cleared. If he had done that his popular standing (at least on the continent) would have been considerably improved and some organisers would have been prepared to pay up more readily for his eventual presence. If you want to be considered great it helps to behave accordingly. It ain't happened which is why we are here.

Obviously I take the standpoint that a big part of the delay in settling the case is due to lawyers and team organisation deciding it might be in their interest (Froome is on a GT roll, lets make the most of it while it's there!)
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Torslanda on 02 July, 2018, 09:20:36 am
20 years since the Festina affair, has anything really changed?

No, Flatus. Don't answer that. Strictly rhetorical, I fear . . .
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: PeteB99 on 02 July, 2018, 10:32:48 am
And he's back in as UCI drop case.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/44679483 (https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/44679483)
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 02 July, 2018, 10:41:09 am
I wonder what Hinault will say now...

This is interesting because the hearing was supposed to be tomorrow with the decision announced on Wednesday.

What a mess.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Beardy on 02 July, 2018, 10:47:24 am
And he's back in as UCI drop case.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/44679483 (https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/44679483)
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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: andyoxon on 02 July, 2018, 11:09:48 am
It's all coming together nicely...  :P
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 02 July, 2018, 11:10:25 am

Bethany's mum is a total skank. #justsayin'


Bethany [8]:Tell me something I don't know, Mr Wiseguy!
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 [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!
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: inappropriate_bike on 02 July, 2018, 11:14:44 am
The actual press release is a bit more generous.

http://www.uci.ch/pressreleases/uci-statement-anti-doping-proceedings-involving-christopher-froome/ (http://www.uci.ch/pressreleases/uci-statement-anti-doping-proceedings-involving-christopher-froome/)

It seems like an awful lot has changed since Festina / Armstrong. The UCI no longer has to deal with mass use of illegal drugs and techniques. Instead they are having to quibble over if a rider's use of legal drugs is allowed or not based on tiny technicalities.

That's actually an improvement - if everyone is trying to obey the rules (to within 99.9999% or however close marginal gains can get) then changing the rules will actually be effective, as opposed to being a waste of time.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Jabba on 02 July, 2018, 11:30:13 am
So not the UCI dropping a clanger but being told by WADA that there's "nothing to see here"... not sure that WADA are seen as a corrupt bunch of "insert own expletive"  ::-) ::-) so are certain Forumites going to retract their words.

Please note I'm not trolling but I have noted that this thread has become the biggest 'Court of Public Opinion' from both sides of this debate, 'Guilty...hang him high' and 'he's the greatest thing since wheels were invented, let him be'.

Regardless of our own opinions the main point of any justice is that it can be fair and even and seen to be. Colouring everyone's ideas by leaking info isn't a credible method of business and it just opens up the lawyers' doors....

Oh well lets get ready to watch large inhalers chase riders up mountains........ :o :o
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: mattc on 02 July, 2018, 12:08:14 pm
Quote from: Samuel D
  The Froome situation has only arisen because of UCI corruption/incompetence

No. It's only arisen because Froome doped.

Well no, actually he didn't, so that's not why it has arisen.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: LittleWheelsandBig on 02 July, 2018, 12:14:30 pm
I'm interested to see the reason that the case was dropped. I think this might be the first Salbutamol case to be overturned.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: andyoxon on 02 July, 2018, 12:28:20 pm
Quote
a significant number of expert and scientific reports were submitted on behalf of Mr Froome. ...
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. ...
UCI

We don't know what the evidence (expert and scientific reports) was, and may never (?), but it seems to have been convincing as part of the explanation given...
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 02 July, 2018, 12:30:43 pm
Quote from: Samuel D
  The Froome situation has only arisen because of UCI corruption/incompetence

No. It's only arisen because Froome doped.

Well no, actually he didn't, so that's not why it has arisen.

The situation arose because he failed a dope test.

He had the opportunity to explain it away, and it seems the UCI have accepted it.  If he had been unable to explain it away and the hearing was post-Tour we may have had another annulled result.

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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: quixoticgeek on 02 July, 2018, 12:51:23 pm

Both BBC and Dutch media are reporting that's the Salbutamol case has been dropped.

Wonder what that does to Asos' case...

Can we get back to the bike racing now ?

J
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: andyoxon on 02 July, 2018, 12:54:04 pm
Is it actually that 'ridiculously' zero to hero though?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Froome
Quote
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
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: mattc on 02 July, 2018, 01:00:32 pm
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?
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 02 July, 2018, 01:07:25 pm
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?
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 02 July, 2018, 01:08:00 pm
Is it actually that 'ridiculously' zero to hero though?

wiki
Quote
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

Errr....Yes.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: rafletcher on 02 July, 2018, 01:13:20 pm
I think ASO only wanted to stop Froome because they dislike Sky and Brailsford. They did, after all, allow Contador to ride whilst he waited for a hearing on his Clenbutarol case.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 02 July, 2018, 01:20:01 pm
Alternatively, they saw what happened after Contador rode and they didn't want a repeat.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: rafletcher on 02 July, 2018, 01:23:44 pm
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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: trekker12 on 02 July, 2018, 01:25:20 pm
To be fair to the ASO - who do have something of a chequered history on who has and hasn't been allowed to race at certain times in history - it's possible they threw in the 'we won't let Froome race' grenade to hurry up a statement from the UCI before we all sat there in front of 'their' great race hoping what we were watching was believable and whatever result was going to stand afterwards.

As for the case itself and peoples opinions on Team Sky can that go back to the existing thread (Sky - gaming the system) please?

Can't wait till Saturday, we can talk about bike racing then :)
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: citoyen on 02 July, 2018, 01:26:55 pm
He had the opportunity to explain it away, and it seems the UCI have accepted it.

It's not so much the UCI accepting it as WADA, and telling UCI they haven't got a case. They'll surely have to take salbutamol off the banned/controlled list now.

I'd love to hear Ulissi's opinion on this.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 02 July, 2018, 01:29:46 pm
...and Petacchi's
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: robgul on 02 July, 2018, 02:35:11 pm
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
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 02 July, 2018, 02:42:16 pm
I don't think Amaury care who wins as long as they don't have another doped winner to explain away: bad for sale of broadcasting rights/advertising revenues.  After the Armstrong thing it all felt very hollow for a few years.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: mattc on 02 July, 2018, 02:47:09 pm
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!
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 02 July, 2018, 02:51:02 pm
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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: quixoticgeek on 02 July, 2018, 02:56:41 pm
The most likely winner without Froome is Italian.

Really? You don't think that if Froome wasn't allowed to play, that Sky wouldn't pull out all the stops, throw everything at it, and try like hell to make sure it was a Welsh rider wearing Yellow in Paris?

J
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 02 July, 2018, 03:03:38 pm
They might try, but I dont think Thomas is good enough. For one thing he struggles to stay upright.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: quixoticgeek on 02 July, 2018, 03:15:09 pm
They might try, but I dint think Thomas is good enough. For one thing he struggles to stay upright.

So does Froome... and many of the other guys known for riding at the pointy end...

J
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 02 July, 2018, 03:33:13 pm
No, Thomas is an expert.

But anyway, no. I don't think he has what it takes to win.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: andyoxon on 02 July, 2018, 04:28:51 pm
Is it actually that 'ridiculously' zero to hero though?

wiki
Quote
2009...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...
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: mattc on 02 July, 2018, 04:41:25 pm
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?
Sadly I could not attend. I take it you were there? Should I expect imminent updates to this:
https://dataride.uci.ch/iframe/EventResults/120460?competitionId=42784&disciplineId=10
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: LittleWheelsandBig on 02 July, 2018, 04:43:39 pm
Even the lanterne rouge at the Tour de France is a one in a million cyclist. That doesn't make them the best cyclist in the world.

Froome was a lanterne rouge type. His outstanding results appeared when Sky employed a doping doctor. Pure coincidence, of course.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: mzjo on 02 July, 2018, 04:53:07 pm
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.

Re a french rider winning, that isn(t important at all. What is important is that there are french riders who make a show and do heroic failing-type things; they will get more airtime and make better publicity for ASO than anything Froome does. 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). Of course if a french rider is "en jaune" that's a good enough reason for the country to stop dead in its tracks! (i think I'm starting to think like a frenchman, must have been here too long  ;D )
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: andyoxon on 02 July, 2018, 04:54:55 pm
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.
...

There are always some that just don't accept acceptable reasons...
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: mattc on 02 July, 2018, 04:56:02 pm
...
 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!
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Charlie Polecat on 02 July, 2018, 05:17:13 pm
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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: mzjo on 02 July, 2018, 05:22:31 pm
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!

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
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 02 July, 2018, 05:29:16 pm
Is it actually that 'ridiculously' zero to hero though?

wiki
Quote
2009...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...

Pick another multi-GT winner, any of them.

Go and look at their palmares from teenage years. Compare to Froome. Then reconsider. There is literally nothing there of note prior to nearly winning the Vuelta in 2011.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Auntie Helen on 02 July, 2018, 05:31:27 pm
So why did they bother doping him up? Surely it would be more effective to dope a better rider than the Laterne Rouge.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: LittleWheelsandBig on 02 July, 2018, 05:35:55 pm
Some riders are 'super-responders' to doping (Armstrong) and some dope more heavily than others (Mr 60%, Bjarne Riis).
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 02 July, 2018, 05:37:08 pm
So why did they bother doping him up? Surely it would be more effective to dope a better rider than the Laterne Rouge.

Why do you assume "they" doped him.

Could he not have arranged it himself? From what we know team wide programmes are a thing of the past and doping is done at an individual level. His contract with Sky was coming to an end. Sky didn't want to keep him. They were trying to offload him to a minor team that wasn't even world tour level.

He wasn't a rising star...He was going down.

Then all of a sudden he is a few seconds from winning a Grand Tour.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: orienteer on 02 July, 2018, 05:47:43 pm
Never expected to find the cyber equivalent of a lynch mob on YACF.

Pretty repulsed by some of the views expressed on here, regardless of what might or might not be the truth of the matter.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 02 July, 2018, 06:08:31 pm
Which views do you find repulsive?
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Torslanda on 02 July, 2018, 06:16:22 pm
Just about all of them I should think... #justsaying

Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 02 July, 2018, 06:28:55 pm
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?
Sadly I could not attend. I take it you were there? Should I expect imminent updates to this:
https://dataride.uci.ch/iframe/EventResults/120460?competitionId=42784&disciplineId=10

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/43280081

There you go, Matt. I already know which line you will quote and totally fail to understand the contextual events, and in particular the issue surrounding the Jiffybag and why UKAD were unable to confirm it's contents. (Sky obstructed UKAD investigation and the only copy of the medical records were on a laptop that was conveniently stolen in a hotel in Greece)

Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: mattc on 02 July, 2018, 07:33:52 pm
As you say, I am pretty poor at reading comprehension, so help me out:

which bit tells me the race results that he has lost due to these "contextual events" you speak of?
Is he likely to remain Sir Bradley?
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 02 July, 2018, 09:03:42 pm
Who said he would lose the race results  or his knighthood? I didn't, despite you announcing that I "assured" it. You can talk bollocks as much as you like Matt, but don't lie about things I haven't said

. You do realise that the DCMS doesnt have the power the strip titles, dont you?

Oh...you didn't? I see

UKAD have responsibility for policing UK athletes. Do you remember what they said about why the investigation came to an end?  Oh you don't?  Maybe you should .

He has gone down though. "Reputation in tatters".
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Charlie Polecat on 02 July, 2018, 09:08:45 pm
Quote
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

Oh, no!! I'm missing all this?
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Peter on 02 July, 2018, 10:39:09 pm
Quiet word from the Murdoch Empire about jamming all French media for the duration if Froome banned?
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: rafletcher on 03 July, 2018, 02:30:08 pm
...and Petacchi's

Well he seems pleased for Froome

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/petacchi-feels-vindicated-by-resolution-of-chris-froome-case/
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: gonzo on 03 July, 2018, 05:45:54 pm
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)
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 03 July, 2018, 06:07:08 pm
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)

About as knowledgeable as your average Team Sky fan  and mattc  ;D
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: fd3 on 03 July, 2018, 09:16:55 pm
I think the ASO left their decision until the last minute so that Froome/Sky would have a minimal chance to appeal.  If I were running the race, it's what I would have done. 
Whether it's to get a French rider leading le Tour, or to hurry up a decision from the UCI, we will never know.  Whichever, the ASO are better off for it.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 03 July, 2018, 10:37:13 pm
Anyhoo...this year's Tour will be hotly contested. Froome is knocking on a bit, and has a Giro win in his legs but no racing since then. Plus the doping positive will have taken it's toll.

He's also got Porte and Land a to contend with. Should be a dramatic race.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: orraloon on 03 July, 2018, 10:55:17 pm
Reads a little too much like The Clinic in here.  I thought YACF better than that.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Peter on 03 July, 2018, 11:13:43 pm
The Clinic?  The Comic?
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Beardy on 04 July, 2018, 10:30:29 am
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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: spesh on 04 July, 2018, 12:13:21 pm
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 Weekly, which, as you may be aware, is otherwise known as The Comic.  ;)

Hope this helps.

Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: mattc on 04 July, 2018, 12:22:49 pm
How absurd. Are you saying that their "Racing" forum is about racing??
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: spesh on 04 July, 2018, 12:35:36 pm
How absurd. Are you saying that their "Racing" forum is about racing??

;D

Strange as it may seem, that would appear to be their intent.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Peter on 04 July, 2018, 12:50:49 pm
@ Spesh

Thanks, I wasn't aware.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: orraloon on 04 July, 2018, 08:02:49 pm
Don't be tempted to visit The Clinic.  Is a strange and sad space.  I did once visit and still shudder with the flashbacks.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 04 July, 2018, 08:20:31 pm
If you could filter out the 95% shite, the Clinic would be amazing. Spesh has it about right. Most of the posters are idiots (or trolls looking to bait hapless and naive Sky fans) but there are a few very well informed posters. Unfortunately there is so much bizarre cultish behaviour on there that it is pretty much pointless, unless you want to be a part of the cult.  The base belief,that Sky are full of shit, is pretty much spot on, however.

Anyway, 3 days to go. I'm going to be bloody away for the final week  :facepalm:
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Jaded on 05 July, 2018, 12:08:54 am
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)

So, I go to that website.

It presents me with one of the current "GET OUR COOKIES THEY ARE SO IMPORTANT TO YOU" thing. I go to say no, thanks. And I cannot scroll to the bottom where the Send button is.

So I have no idea what that webpage is saying.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Jaded on 05 July, 2018, 12:10:47 am
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.

I understood that Cycling Weakly majored on stories about cyclists that do not dope.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Nick H. on 05 July, 2018, 01:13:56 pm
I don't enjoy watching Froome, but at least there's Cav. How many sprint finishes will there be this year?
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 05 July, 2018, 01:21:25 pm
None for him, I suspect
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Karla on 05 July, 2018, 02:13:32 pm
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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: TheLurker on 05 July, 2018, 08:13:31 pm
None for him, I suspect
Alas; I think you're probably right, but one lives in hope.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: A Cyclist on 06 July, 2018, 03:02:54 pm
Very interesting press release from UCI:

http://www.uci.ch/pressreleases/response-public-comments-the-proceedings-involving-froome/ (http://www.uci.ch/pressreleases/response-public-comments-the-proceedings-involving-froome/)
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: mattc on 06 July, 2018, 04:22:14 pm
The Times had quite a witty headline for their TdeF preview article.

Will Froome take the Fifth?
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: spesh on 06 July, 2018, 04:35:05 pm
The Times had quite a witty headline for their TdeF preview article.

Will Froome take the Fifth?

 ;D
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: fd3 on 06 July, 2018, 06:05:22 pm
None enthusiast stand no chance at all.
Bit like union then.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: andyoxon on 06 July, 2018, 06:29:40 pm
Go Froomey, do it for Bernard...
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 06 July, 2018, 08:41:22 pm
O noes!  I have just looked at the internets and discovered that Jarlin J Jarlinsson, teh Colombian Viking, is not riding this year :'(  There goes at least 18% of P@nd3m1c Pr0duckt10nz material.

Which hasn't stopped some bellend on an online bookie site advising the punters to back him for KotM :facepalm:
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: spesh on 06 July, 2018, 08:52:33 pm
No Reichenbach either, chiz.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mrs Pingu on 06 July, 2018, 09:33:35 pm
What about Winner Anaconda?
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: spesh on 06 July, 2018, 09:50:33 pm
Not according to : https://www.letour.fr/en/riders
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 06 July, 2018, 11:22:34 pm
We do still have Jhon Darwin Atapuma Hurtado though.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: spesh on 06 July, 2018, 11:31:45 pm
And Julian Alaphilippe.

RAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Samuel D on 07 July, 2018, 12:08:31 am
Other fun names on that list are Rigoberto Urán Urán Urán and Gallopin’ Tony, not to mention Dylan Groaningwagon and Tom Doom himself.

These eight-men teams still look so small to my eye!
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: citoyen on 07 July, 2018, 12:37:39 am
No Reichenbach either, chiz.

He's fallen out of favour.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: spesh on 07 July, 2018, 12:50:07 am
<badum-tish>
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: citoyen on 07 July, 2018, 01:10:34 am
You set them up... I’ll put the ball in row Z.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 07 July, 2018, 10:27:43 am
O noes part deux!  The Watchfinder-General is back >:(
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: TheLurker on 07 July, 2018, 01:17:45 pm
O noes part deux!  The Watchfinder-General is back >:(
*Whimpers*
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: woollypigs on 07 July, 2018, 01:30:22 pm
but but where is the sound of summer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5Bl8ViWp6k been watching for nearly 2 hours and not a beep !!
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: citoyen on 07 July, 2018, 01:52:22 pm
O noes part deux!  The Watchfinder-General is back >:(

And he still looks like he’s never ridden a bike before.

He might at least have shaved his legs.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 07 July, 2018, 02:00:22 pm
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 >:(
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Nick H. on 07 July, 2018, 02:17:10 pm
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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: SoreTween on 07 July, 2018, 02:41:11 pm
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 >:(
They heard you  :(   D'oh, I'm thinking of the wrong irritating ad (there's just so many)

That was an eventful last 10
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 07 July, 2018, 02:43:30 pm
Fortunately missed it.  Caught up with the recording in the first set of shitverts after the finish.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: quixoticgeek on 07 July, 2018, 02:44:16 pm
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
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 07 July, 2018, 02:53:17 pm
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.

That's an interesting take on it.

He got off. Other riders haven't.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 07 July, 2018, 02:54:17 pm
Came in just in time to miss the final sprint. Drat.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: lahoski on 07 July, 2018, 02:55:27 pm
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

Try watching it on your phone, sans commentary, in a pub garden with the sodding sportsball on*.

It was suitably eventful though. Where was Cav? Froome and Quintana. First debut stage winner in 14 years.

*Just so you know, it's really not coming home.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: SoreTween on 07 July, 2018, 03:08:43 pm
Where was Cav?

(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: mzjo on 07 July, 2018, 03:17:01 pm
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!!
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: citoyen on 07 July, 2018, 04:00:02 pm
Where was Cav?

He had a mechanical about 5km out.

I would suggest it was a Di2 failure but we all know that never happens. ;)
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 07 July, 2018, 04:01:27 pm
O hai!  P@nd3m1c Pr0duckt10nzTM® iz bak.  Soz 4 teh latez; we was watching teh foopball.

Stage 1: Ile De Noirmoutier->Fontenay-le-Comte

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, I Montoya N Quintana, A Yates, R Bardet, TD Windmill, G Thomas and Bethany [8]’s Dad!
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, I Montoya N Quintana! Stab, stab, stabEEEE!
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!

* Yes, he really did say this.  In fakt, all dialogue is faithfully reported except where it isn't.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Karla on 07 July, 2018, 05:37:20 pm
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!!

No money, no.

The Colombians get a consolation prize after losing the football, Crash Froome strikes again and Bardet, Nibbles and Landa are now looking healthy for GC after not losing time.  I call that a good result all round.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 07 July, 2018, 05:45:12 pm
Me too.

Froome will be on the phone to the UCI to find out what he can get away with this time.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mrs Pingu on 07 July, 2018, 10:38:26 pm
O hai!  P@nd3m1c Pr0duckt10nzTM® iz bak.

\o/
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Pingu on 07 July, 2018, 11:01:06 pm
TV's *** Boulting's English pronunciation of 'bonification' makes it sound like it means 'erection'.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Beardy on 08 July, 2018, 12:48:17 am
O hai!  P@nd3m1c Pr0duckt10nzTM® iz bak. 
Bethany [8]:.
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]
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 08 July, 2018, 01:11:55 am
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?
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: De Sisti on 08 July, 2018, 06:33:40 am
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?
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: PaulF on 08 July, 2018, 07:51:06 am
Bethany ( 8) ) [8] is our resident TdeF pundit here to provide insight into the nuances of the tour that would escape mere cyclists like us :-D

Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: quixoticgeek on 08 July, 2018, 11:07:58 am
WTF is this?

So glad I'm not the only one thinking that...

J
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 08 July, 2018, 11:38:17 am
Enlightenment may be achieved by reading the threads for the 2016 and 2017 Tours and the 2016 Olympics.

We now return you to your scheduled bickering about doping.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Nick H. on 08 July, 2018, 12:18:05 pm
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
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 08 July, 2018, 12:21:21 pm
TV's Super D Millar is wearing a baseball cap.  It's going to be one of those days...
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Beardy on 08 July, 2018, 12:59:06 pm
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?
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  :(
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: benborp on 08 July, 2018, 01:16:15 pm
Lawson Craddock is asking people to match (or whatever they can manage) his donation of $100 to his local velodrome's hurricane relief fund for each stage he manages to finish.

https://twitter.com/lawsoncraddock/status/1015697616125026304?s=09

Must be a stable fracture then...
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Nick H. on 08 July, 2018, 01:20:46 pm
What's going on with Chavanel's ginormous jockey wheel?

Edit: must be this thing. A 3 watt saving in drivetrain friction https://bikerumor.com/2015/08/26/will-putting-larger-diameter-wheels-on-your-road-bike-make-you-faster-ceramicspeed-thinks-so/
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 08 July, 2018, 01:25:01 pm
Craddock looked a bit rough at the rollout this morning but chapeau to the lad for turning up.  Chapeau also to Sylvain ["Poisonous term" - Ed.]anel out front on his own.  In his 18th Tour :o

What's going on with Chavanel's ginormous jockey wheel?

Less unpleasant bending for the chain would be my guess.  Or marketing hype.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 08 July, 2018, 01:35:42 pm
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.


---o0o---

Meanwhile, I can't hear the name Gaviria without my mind adding Pablo Emilio Escobar in front of it. No fair: Gaviria in Colombia is like Smith in dirty-weekend hotels.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Beardy on 08 July, 2018, 01:54:40 pm
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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 08 July, 2018, 02:17:35 pm
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.




Bollocks.

Ask yourself why nearly all the discussion on doping is focussed around Froome.  And no, he hasn't won all grand tours since 2012.

You'll see other accusations surrounding some other recent GT winners, Horner for example.

To think it is just random is to show an ignorance of the sport.

Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Nick H. on 08 July, 2018, 02:24:22 pm
This salbutamol story seems clear and you have nothing to say about it. 
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Samuel D on 08 July, 2018, 02:44:52 pm
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.

Because it’s not in the peloton’s interest to close the gap yet, since if Chavanel is brought back too early, another break will form and that one may be more dangerous or less satisfactory to all teams.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 08 July, 2018, 02:48:10 pm
This salbutamol story seems clear and you have nothing to say about it.

Why should I have something to say about it? It's a bit of a red herring. The real doubts about Froome emerged 7 years ago.

People's adverse reaction to his AAF did not occur in a vacuum.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Karla on 08 July, 2018, 02:50:22 pm
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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: David Martin on 08 July, 2018, 02:56:48 pm
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.

At which point? He either has used a nebuliser which would put a massive, known to be over the top dose into his system when leading the race. He would have had to use that before the race (you can't use one whilst riding and was observed all the way through). The pharmacokinetics support Froome's explanation of 3 or so puffs in the last 45 minutes before the sample being given and has been seen in other athletes under controlled conditions.

Some will always see everything as evidence to support their preconceptions. I have absolutely no doubt that Froome's story is biochemically feasible and consistent with the data.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 08 July, 2018, 02:59:40 pm
Bodybuilders use it for weight loss.

But....I'm pretty much with David on this with the caveat that there is something strange about the process of this case.

Months and months and then news that it wouldn't be resolved pre-ride, ASO steps in and...BLAM...It's resolved
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Karla on 08 July, 2018, 03:07:07 pm
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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 08 July, 2018, 03:16:34 pm
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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Nick H. on 08 July, 2018, 03:18:39 pm
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.

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. 
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Beardy on 08 July, 2018, 03:21:19 pm
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
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: David Martin on 08 July, 2018, 03:26:11 pm
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?
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Nick H. on 08 July, 2018, 03:27:30 pm
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

He might have 3d printed titanium ones - $1700 for a derailleur cage! I want! http://road.cc/content/news/218868-3d-printed-titanium-ceramicspeed-jockey-wheels-1700
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Beardy on 08 July, 2018, 03:28:32 pm
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.

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.
He’s a top level professional cyclist, I think a serious personality disorder is a given ;D
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 08 July, 2018, 03:28:41 pm
bla

You may have missed this but....Armstrong is still both a multi-millionaire and a public figure.

When asked if he'd do it all again knowing what he knows now his answer was "Yes".

Think about that for a minute.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Karla on 08 July, 2018, 04:17:58 pm
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?

No, I've been trying to give Froome e benefit of the doubt for years.  What I'm seeing here though is weak arguments from personality that have been fine to death by dopers before, inexplicable behaviour by e.g. the UCI that stinks of corruption, claims by the Sky camp about the drug and the test that should have resulted in many more people getting banned by now for innocent use of a common therapy if eprocedure really is as bad as they say it is ... so I do t care about the reasons any more than I care about whether Contador really did eat a Spanish steak.  He's got an overdose of ventolin in him, it shouldn't be there, it's his responsibility to stop it being there so it is (or ought to be) his problem.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Nick H. on 08 July, 2018, 04:29:09 pm
This thread has gone downhill. How about we stick to the race?
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 08 July, 2018, 04:32:33 pm
Sagan is boring.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Torslanda on 08 July, 2018, 04:52:36 pm
This thread has gone downhill. How about we stick to the race?

Yeah. About 7 fucking pages ago.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: David Martin on 08 July, 2018, 05:00:53 pm
Very fractious - It is always nice to see Sagan win.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 08 July, 2018, 05:23:02 pm
As if by legerdemain...

Stage 2: Mouilleron-Saint-Germain > La Roche-sur-Yon

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! I Montoya N Quintana! F Gardenia! V Nibbles G Thomas TD Windmill M Landa R Bardet & Bethany [8]'s Dad!
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:M Cavendish M Renshaw RJV Rensburg! Necklace** promble!
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, J G Thomas!
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!

* Actual question.
+ Actual rnser. Almost.
# Trufax.
** Actual translation of Dutch word "ketting" by Farcebok.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: TimC on 08 July, 2018, 06:10:21 pm
This thread has gone downhill. How about we stick to the race?

Yeah. About 7 fucking pages ago.
+27
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 08 July, 2018, 06:32:54 pm
I agree.

Can we all agree to keep doping matters on the 'Sky....gaming the system' thread?
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Karla on 08 July, 2018, 08:23:40 pm
Sounds good.

How about a sweepstake for when Geraint Thomas first falls off?  I'm going for stage 5.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: SoreTween on 08 July, 2018, 08:43:43 pm
Mr L Sir, could you ask Bethany [8] for her most excellent judgement on a matter that has been bothering me these past two days, I'm sure I'm not alone:

Niki Terpstra, 2 syllables or 3 in the surname?

He seems to have lost one in N Bolton's pronunciation since last year.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 08 July, 2018, 09:23:02 pm
Bethany [8]:Search me, m8 ill get 5 mi bff 2 aks her mum shes ded clevva an speeks loadsa langwiches xXx bethany

Edit:

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)

* who is Dutch
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: SoreTween on 09 July, 2018, 10:00:32 am
 :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: David Martin on 09 July, 2018, 10:49:58 am
I agree.

Can we all agree to keep doping matters on the 'Sky....gaming the system' thread?

Umm - how about the doping in the peloton thread as that is more general.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Karla on 09 July, 2018, 02:16:04 pm
I think Torslanda wants to keep that one free of specific "Did Chris Froome dope" posts.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: jsabine on 09 July, 2018, 02:18:22 pm
He's also moved it to Kidstuff as a more appropriate home for some of the comments.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 09 July, 2018, 02:22:38 pm
France TV seems to think that TTTs are boring: they keep cutting away from the road to do talking-head sessions. Signal keeps dropping out, too. :(
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Torslanda on 09 July, 2018, 02:33:31 pm
'Separated by one fraction of a second. Rounded up to one square second...'

WTF? ???
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 09 July, 2018, 03:28:22 pm
No, ***, T $ky will not have to wait until all the teams have finished before they know whether:

• they've won, and
• G has teh shinyjumper

Fule.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Nick H. on 09 July, 2018, 03:32:52 pm
Did I hear Millar say that Cav's team had to stop 200 yards after the start because his 3T Wonderbike had unshipped its chain?

Erratum - he's on a Cervelo. I can't remember whether he's been bitching about it.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 09 July, 2018, 04:42:42 pm
The dropped necklace chain thing I think happened when they were recce'ing the course this morning, but Cav has apparently been moaning about the team issue bikes recently.

I've just accidentally exposed myself to this year's Money Supermarket shitvert :o  Who comes up with that arse-gravy?  And do they get paid for it?
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: andyoxon on 09 July, 2018, 04:47:52 pm
Go Geraint!  Now 3rd in GC.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 09 July, 2018, 05:00:28 pm
Fair chance he might get to be in yellow by middle of next week
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 09 July, 2018, 05:16:01 pm
Stage 3: Cholet

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 I Montoya N Quintana u killed mi father prepare 2... oh. I haz lost 48 seconds 2 C Froome & G Thomas! Piss!
M Landa & A Valverde:Who teh daddy now, I Montoya N Quintana?
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!

* No. No, not teh snooker player.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 09 July, 2018, 05:16:55 pm
Fair chance he might get to be in yellow hospital by middle of next week

FTFY :demon:
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: ScumOfTheRoad on 09 July, 2018, 05:26:38 pm
Elizabeth Beresford makes a guest appearance on Pendemic Producionz!  Yaay!
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Samuel D on 09 July, 2018, 05:41:08 pm
Very good by P Pr0duckt10nz™®. Remind me why this isn’t syndicated in the major cycling newspapers?
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 09 July, 2018, 05:46:57 pm
Very good by P Pr0duckt10nz™®. Remind me why this isn’t syndicated in the major cycling newspapers?

Something to do with:
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Tim Hall on 09 July, 2018, 06:18:00 pm
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

Surely plying either or both of these with wite litening should achieve a suitable outcome.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: spesh on 09 July, 2018, 06:24:41 pm
Fair chance he might get to be in yellow hospital by middle of next week

FTFY :demon:

ITYM "Fair chance he might get to put a tree or telegraph pole in hospital by the middle of next week."

#ChuckNorrisGeraintThomasfacts
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: andrew_s on 09 July, 2018, 10:02:10 pm
Elizabeth Beresford makes a guest appearance on Pendemic Producionz!  Yaay!
more like the ghost of E Beresford
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mrs Pingu on 09 July, 2018, 10:09:10 pm
What's the M.Pingu about? Something from the live stage presumably?
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 10 July, 2018, 12:22:40 am
What's the M.Pingu about? Something from the live stage presumably?

https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=103844.msg2188937#msg2188937
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Beardy on 10 July, 2018, 08:16:01 am
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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 10 July, 2018, 08:23:29 am
The big question is over Froome's condition post-Giro.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Pingu on 10 July, 2018, 08:26:04 am
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!
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: citoyen on 10 July, 2018, 08:27:49 am
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.

Thomas is still very much Plan B. It’s far too early to think about changing their plans. And definitely far too early to count Froome out.

Stage 9 is the cobbles, then they have a rest day before three big Alps stages. That’s when the GC battle will really start to take shape.

Of course, Quintana has shown yet again that it’s possible to lose big chunks of time on seemingly innocuous flat stages. He’s already out of GC contention.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Torslanda on 10 July, 2018, 08:30:00 am
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!

Indeed. Teh memory of teh heffalump . . .
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Pingu on 10 July, 2018, 08:40:30 am
M Rendall interviews G Thomas:

(https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/scratchpad/images/0/06/Klunk%26Zilly.png/revision/latest?cb=20121127131708)
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Pingu on 10 July, 2018, 08:47:39 am
At what point would T $ky drop Froome as their GC contender and back Thomas instead?

Depends if Froome runs out of puff.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 10 July, 2018, 10:09:03 am
Puff - ain't that what inhalers do? ;D

IGMC (it's raining out)
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 10 July, 2018, 01:32:13 pm
M Rogers, who is this Jakob Fu-Slang of whom you speak?
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Peter on 10 July, 2018, 01:54:25 pm
A racing snake?  (perhaps you need to speak Afrikaans, for that, but Queensland is the new Afrikaanerstan, I think)
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Tim Hall on 10 July, 2018, 05:32:19 pm
The Boy informs me that the ref camera helicopter has it's own Twitter account. https://www.twitter.com/HelicopteroTour (https://www.twitter.com/HelicopteroTour)
Sample output
Quote
TOCOTOCOTOCOTOCOTOCOTOCOTOCOTOCOTOCOTOCO
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 10 July, 2018, 05:46:40 pm
Stage 4: La Baule > Sarzeau

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 I Montoya N Quintana sumwhere in teh middle R Bardet C Froome R Porte A Yates.
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!

* M Smith's actual pronunciation of "TUE".
# Trufax.
+ Yes, he really did say this. For the second year running.
^ Yes. Yes, he did.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mrs Pingu on 10 July, 2018, 08:04:43 pm
What's the M.Pingu about? Something from the live stage presumably?

https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=103844.msg2188937#msg2188937

 ;D :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 10 July, 2018, 08:11:47 pm
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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 11 July, 2018, 08:39:14 am
Quite an exciting stage today with a near cock-up in catching the break.

And how I wish they had cocked it up a bit further. If there was one break that deserved to make it, it was that one.

Quote
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.

More power to his elbow.

Folk go on about Froome & Sky crushing the competition but Saggers is getting up my nose the same way. It's nice to see him getting pipped.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 11 July, 2018, 08:56:53 am
Yes, but look what was the first thing he did after crossing the line...

That is the mark of a champion.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 11 July, 2018, 09:43:40 am
Agreed.

I really thought Sagan had it until the result was formally announced.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: mattc on 11 July, 2018, 11:11:12 am
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?
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Nick H. on 11 July, 2018, 11:48:34 am
Yes, but look what was the first thing he did after crossing the line...

That is the mark of a champion.
He ate some Haribos.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: citoyen on 11 July, 2018, 11:50:06 am
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?

After Stage 1: Gaviria won the stage so was leading on both GC and points, so he wore the yellow for stage 2 while green deferred to next place. As world champion, Sagan was allowed to wear his rainbow stripes instead, so green deferred to third place, ie Kittel, who opted for a rather natty green skinsuit.

After Stage 2: Sagan won the stage and took the overall lead in both GC and points, so was in yellow for stage 3, with green deferring to Gaviria in second place.

After Stage 3: with BMC winning the TTT, GVA took the overall lead to wear yellow, but Sagan is still leading the points classification so is now obliged to wear the green jersey.

After stage 4: Sagan is still in green, and likely to be so for the foreseeable future.

As *** observed, it's a long time since Sagan took part in a race wearing his regular team kit.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: bobb on 11 July, 2018, 12:08:34 pm
It's not something I lose sleep over, but I don't like the whole deferrment of jerseys thing. I wouldn't want to wear green simply because the real green jersey holder is also in yellow. Didn't they used to do a mixed jersey colour thing years ago? That works better IMO....
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 11 July, 2018, 12:17:05 pm
France is absolutely revelling in the sheer Frenchness of being French today!

Yes, TV's *** Boulting really DID say that :facepalm:
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 11 July, 2018, 12:46:25 pm
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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Nick H. on 11 July, 2018, 12:56:15 pm
At least we have Millar on ITV. And today we have Mick Rogers
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Samuel D on 11 July, 2018, 12:58:32 pm
Don’t forget Marion Rousse!

Jalabert is easy to listen to except for his bias against Sky … but that applies to many French commentators.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Nick H. on 11 July, 2018, 01:01:17 pm
Rogers is saying interesting things right now..you can listen to him for free at https://www.itv.com/hub/itv4
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Samuel D on 11 July, 2018, 01:02:22 pm
Site requires registration. I’m not about to sign up only to be told I’m in the wrong country.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 11 July, 2018, 01:03:02 pm
Don’t forget Marion Rousse!

Right enough

Quote
Jalabert is easy to listen to except for his bias against Sky … but that applies to many French commentators.

Hadn't noticed anything unreasonable.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 11 July, 2018, 01:06:51 pm
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.

It is his birthday today, though.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Nick H. on 11 July, 2018, 01:07:19 pm
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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: citoyen on 11 July, 2018, 01:15:00 pm
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.

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.


Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 11 July, 2018, 01:26:24 pm
I've noticed that every year there's a new term that gets bandied about by the commentators and sends me scurrying to look it up. A couple of years back it was coup de bordure; this year it's roublardise - guile - that's bouncing around. 
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Beardy on 11 July, 2018, 01:32:29 pm
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.

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.
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 ;D
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 11 July, 2018, 01:37:34 pm
I'm still catching up on the recording. Crazy P Sagan's reaction to TV's D Friebe asking what he thought about Matthews' abandoning the race was priceless.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 11 July, 2018, 02:31:11 pm
Chavvers not using his big pulley today.

Gilbert just taken to the ferns.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 11 July, 2018, 02:55:41 pm
Wrong team and rider.

It was Gesbert, not Gilbert.

Gesbert is a nobody on a wildcard team (Fortuneo-Samsic). Gilbert is QS.

Anyway, Cav won't finish the Tour, let alone win a stage.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Nick H. on 11 July, 2018, 02:58:06 pm
Chavvers not using his big pulley today.
How strange. Maybe he sees it as a weight penalty on a climbing day.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: LittleWheelsandBig on 11 July, 2018, 03:05:57 pm
Maybe the cheque bounced.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Nick H. on 11 July, 2018, 03:23:04 pm
If he was anyone important he'd have a gold one.

(http://cdn.road.cc/sites/default/files/styles/main_width/public/colnagoc64privatecollection-3.jpg?itok=4DvroMBt)
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 11 July, 2018, 04:34:13 pm
Wrong team and rider.

It was Gesbert, not Gilbert.

Didn't see it, just heard it.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 11 July, 2018, 05:28:50 pm
Stage 5: Lorient > Quimper

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, Bardet, Barguil, Barkeep! M Smith & slave, do ur thing!
[...]
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!

* Actual quote :facepalm: Srsly.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: quixoticgeek on 11 July, 2018, 05:45:06 pm
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
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: rafletcher on 11 July, 2018, 06:27:34 pm
I’m surprised you’ve not noticed before, given you’ve been here 5 years. I suggest you just ignore it  :)
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: mattc on 11 July, 2018, 10:30:03 pm
Bethany's "badly typed perl" is all the coverage I'm getting today :(

According to the Freeview guide, ITV4  broadcast 2 eps of "Pawn Stars" in the usual 1900h slot.

Oh well, at least I've got some footy to watch ...
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Torslanda on 11 July, 2018, 10:43:05 pm
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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Deano on 11 July, 2018, 10:43:42 pm
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

Sod that. It's the best reportage we have. Actually, any chance of a minute-by-minute live feed, Mr L?

(It makes more sense to those of us who see the UK coverage)
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: cygnet on 11 July, 2018, 11:51:19 pm
About 90k of tomorrow follows the PBP route from Sizun over the Roc'h and through Carhaix. They should have had more sleep than the typical randonneur though.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 12 July, 2018, 12:07:15 am
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!
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: De Sisti on 12 July, 2018, 05:53:41 am
Sod that. It's the best reportage we have.
No it's not. It's gibberish garbage. :hand:
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Torslanda on 12 July, 2018, 07:14:07 am
Sod that. It's the best reportage we have.
No it's not. It's gibberish garbage. :hand:

Go write your own, then.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 12 July, 2018, 07:42:07 am
Sod that. It's the best reportage we have.
No it's not. It's gibberish garbage. :hand:

Go write your own, then.

'ear 'ear, though it'd be even better live.

Speaking of which, https://sport.francetvinfo.fr/tour-de-france/direct gets you the French TV feed.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: jimmea on 12 July, 2018, 07:47:08 am
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

I've been around for a while, i still don't get it and it is complete gibberish to me.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Torslanda on 12 July, 2018, 07:53:40 am
There you go

https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=108728.0
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Pingu on 12 July, 2018, 08:46:36 am
Is scrolling a lost art form?
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Basil on 12 July, 2018, 09:01:56 am
I enjoy it, although my lack of grand tour knowledge allows a lot to go over my head.
I'm a huge fan of Bethany, who like Peter Pan should never get any older.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 12 July, 2018, 10:05:09 am
Let him who is without sin cast the first perl.

Anyway, 'tain't. Perl is $emRaw[$i] =~ s/\n//g; and stuff like that. Mr L's deft /*----*/s are a sight more luser-friendly.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Beardy on 12 July, 2018, 10:08:04 am
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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: mattc on 12 July, 2018, 10:27:31 am
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!

Torslanda informed me at EXACTLY the right moment for me switch on and catch the last 1.5km  :thumbsup:

[At which point, our Digibox was claiming to be showing Falling Down - the much underrated Michael Douglas movie. As I did not have time to watch this film, I am glad that they showed a (brief) Peter Sagan film instead.

Unlike Mr L's, ours chose not to tape record Pawn Stars for us. Which was nice.]

So I saw some racing, missed some Excellent Chris Boardman, and got an early night. 7/10 I'd say :)
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: jimmea on 12 July, 2018, 10:31:56 am
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?
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 12 July, 2018, 10:54:36 am
Lost?
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Tim Hall on 12 July, 2018, 10:59:44 am
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?

in Nidd if you're not careful.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: TimC on 12 July, 2018, 11:03:58 am
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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Exit Stage Left on 12 July, 2018, 11:07:53 am
I'm surprised that Peter Sagan is still climbing so well. He seems to have put on more muscle mass to me. I got to musing about this last night, while watching the highlights. Heather immediately told me to stop breaking the spell, as she does like to believe.

I'm most upset by the advert where a 1960s Toyota FJ is driven through seawater, but the Alpecin caffeine shampoo ad usually cheers me up.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Riggers on 12 July, 2018, 11:12:40 am
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?"
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 12 July, 2018, 02:03:47 pm
TdF approaching Roc'h Trevezel and my bandwidth has gone to hell. :(
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: TimC on 12 July, 2018, 05:05:30 pm
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?"

Thanks, Riggers!
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: cycleman on 12 July, 2018, 08:31:14 pm
Keep up the good work Mr l . your summary's are most entertaining .   :)
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Torslanda on 12 July, 2018, 08:46:21 pm
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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mrs Pingu on 12 July, 2018, 08:48:25 pm
Oh noes!
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: fimm on 12 July, 2018, 08:53:20 pm
To be honest, lurking on YACF is a bit like being invited to join a group of friendly old men in a pub somewhere; everyone is perfectly amiable and willing to listen to your thoughts on the football/cycling/weather but they've obviously known one another for years and some of the chat goes completely over your head especially when it involves absent friends (referred to by nickname) or running jokes about long-ago foolish behaviour or unfortunate incidents.

A bit like riding Audax, really...
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Torslanda on 12 July, 2018, 08:57:42 pm
The difference being that you only have to ask.

There's nothing a total knob like me likes to do more than let someone in on the secret. This isn't the Freemasons . . .
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Torslanda on 12 July, 2018, 08:59:54 pm
Couldn't help noticing today the prominence of a certain Jack Bauer in the pelican.

I wonder if this will only be for 24 hours . . . ?
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Peter on 12 July, 2018, 09:27:38 pm
Yeah, be the Pelican Brief.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Kim on 12 July, 2018, 10:21:28 pm
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.

The real question is will Mr le Maire be providing a commentary on the events at Betteshanger?  Which I reckon, if I brush up on my perl, I might be in with a chance of understanding...
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Torslanda on 12 July, 2018, 10:31:33 pm
I'd pay to read that! Good call . . .
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Pingu on 12 July, 2018, 10:35:23 pm
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.

Wot!
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 13 July, 2018, 08:30:04 am
@Pingu in passing: yesterday afternoon I reached for my fly-murderer at the sight of a horrible bug crawling along the top of my screen.  Closer inspection showed it to be your penguin's bum, the rest of him being cut off by the frame.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: fimm on 13 July, 2018, 10:31:15 am
The difference being that you only have to ask.
There's nothing a total knob like me likes to do more than let someone in on the secret. This isn't the Freemasons . . .
Sorry, that wasn't intended as a complaint exactly, more an attempt at humour....
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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Ivan on 13 July, 2018, 11:15:06 am
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?
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 13 July, 2018, 11:16:46 am
Good thing the Tour's on for another fortnight, the quack's just told me that's how long I should wait before trying the bike again. Problem now will be staying awake.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: TimC on 13 July, 2018, 11:17:12 am
The difference being that you only have to ask.
There's nothing a total knob like me likes to do more than let someone in on the secret. This isn't the Freemasons . . .
Sorry, that wasn't intended as a complaint exactly, more an attempt at humour....
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.

Bethany [8] will no doubt oblige if you wish; she is the only character in PP to actually know wtf is happening!
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 13 July, 2018, 11:26:46 am
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?

I recognized the gateway in Sizun, but the picture was so bad that if I hadn't been looking for it I wouldn't have known it was there.

Start in Fougères, Villaines-la-Juhel and Mamers today. After Mamers there are some horrible hills, as I learnt going the other way on our 2014 Diagonale.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Nuncio on 13 July, 2018, 11:37:58 am
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?

From the recording of the live broadcast I saw the break go through Sizun, both the break and peloton go up the 'gentle ramp' cat 1 Roc'h Trevezel, and the peloton entering Carhaix (which I didn't recognize from the helicopter shots). It appeared that the echelons started on the descent of the Roc when Quickstep put on the pressure up front, and reduced the lead of the break from 7 minutes to 2:30 in no time at all. The views of Sizun brought back good memories. And the footage of Roc'h Trevezel reminded me how featureless it is. The helicopter shots from the Roc showed a large reservoir which I don't remember.  It looked fairly close, but that could have been the foreshortening. Oh and parts of Brest from the rollout looked familiar.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Nick H. on 13 July, 2018, 11:53:40 am
I'm looking forward to the Roubaix stage. I hope we'll see lots of weird suspension bodges. And a train. (A real train.)
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 13 July, 2018, 01:30:06 pm
Really super boring stage today. even the riders look bored. Boring roads.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: TimC on 13 July, 2018, 02:00:41 pm
Really super boring stage today. even the riders look bored. Boring roads.

Isn't it? Even *** and SD Millar were bemoaning the prospect of the pelican trundling through France at 26kph for 9 hours or so - there aren't enough chateaux to keep them talking for that long! I hope the sprint finish is worth it.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 13 July, 2018, 02:05:35 pm
There's a 150m kick up to the finish. I reckon Alaphillipe, or Sagan. Or of course the ever amazing Gaviria.

Anyway, looks like today is the unofficial rest day. Even the guy out front is soft-pedalling.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 13 July, 2018, 02:55:30 pm
And all of a sudden echelons!!!!!!!!!!
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 13 July, 2018, 02:58:49 pm
And all of a sudden, all back together
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 13 July, 2018, 03:06:09 pm
Really super boring stage today. even the riders look bored. Boring roads.

Anything but boring for me: we did the road from Nogent to Mamers on the 3rd day of our 2014 Strasbourg-Brest, after losing time with headwinds on the first two days. We had slept something like 3 hours in Nogent, and the incessant steep hills between there and Mamers were utter hell.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Nick H. on 13 July, 2018, 03:20:10 pm
bbc.co.uk's Tour headline is: "Tour de France Stage Seven: Cavendish Involved." Boredom must be hitting an all time high.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: bobb on 13 July, 2018, 04:34:37 pm
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
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 13 July, 2018, 04:48:12 pm
16k to go. Still really boring. There's a row across the front keeping the pace down.

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

Being pros, they'll have ridden and won plenty of other much harder races, without needing to boast about riding down a long boring road really slowly  ;)
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Nick H. on 13 July, 2018, 05:07:26 pm
Cav gave up with 30 metres to go. No aggression. Pipe and slippers time.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: guidon on 13 July, 2018, 05:08:55 pm
Good finish though, many fresh legs to keep it fast....Well done Dylan!
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 13 July, 2018, 05:09:15 pm
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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: citoyen on 13 July, 2018, 05:29:14 pm
Cav gave up with 30 metres to go. No aggression. Pipe and slippers time.

Groenwegen was pulling away from Cav even before he sat up. He was never going to catch him. He'd done everything right to get in the perfect position but he just couldn't match Groenewegen's power. I don't know if that's age-related or just poor form but I'm not writing him off just yet. Groenewegen also made Gaviria and Sagan look pretty ordinary today. That was a very convincing win.

I don't think you can read too much into Cav sitting up though. Once he knew he was beaten, there was no point contesting it - he's not interested in the points for fourth place.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: cygnet on 13 July, 2018, 05:51:20 pm
I bet the team would be though. (Can they be relegated from the WT at the end of the season or is the state of the WT so precarious that they can't?)
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 13 July, 2018, 06:41:36 pm
More Tour de Bore tomorrow. It goes to Dreux.

Sunday's Roubaix stage should more than make up for it.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: mzjo on 13 July, 2018, 07:21:36 pm
More Tour de Bore tomorrow. It goes to Dreux.

Sunday's Roubaix stage should more than make up for it.

But it's the 14th July and a frenchman has to try to win! How could it be boring? Of course they'll have to pull things out a bit on sunday, what with France in the footy final, else no-one will be interested (all of this speaking as a pseudo frog of course  :facepalm: :facepalm: )
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Exit Stage Left on 13 July, 2018, 08:50:44 pm
A very satisfying day. The tour used to finish and start in the same town, but ASO make s more money from splitting the venue. The Tour also functions as the initiation into the ranks of master cyclist. That has echoes of the Compagnons du Devoir.

Quote
"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

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. So there's an echo of 'compaignon, a person with whom one breaks bread'. Literary allusions used to be common when the race was reported on in print, which was the original intention.

I started watching the Tour when a half hour Channel 4 show was the only UK TV coverage.A stage such as today's isn't intended for live TV.

The Tour de France has to be an achievable aim for all the riders who start, so then can become a master of their craft. PBP has the same function for a randonneur.

We were a bit upset by a presenter of the highlights show describing a field of barley as wheat. But how can you have any sympathy for something you don't know about?
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Nuncio on 13 July, 2018, 09:53:15 pm
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.

Well, my ITV4 recording stopped at about the 3km to go mark, presumably because of the slow average speed. Good job I hadn’t wasted several hours on the boring stuff only to miss out on that bit. With the judicious use of fast forward it was only about 2 hours.

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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: mattc on 14 July, 2018, 08:10:04 am
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.

Sunday's Roubaix stage should more than make up for it.
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 ...
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 14 July, 2018, 08:49:28 am
As mzjo pointed out, and I had forgotten, it's Bastille day, so a  variety of frogs will be both showboating, and going for ze win.

Don't know what the wind forecast is. Things can get suddenly very interesting if there is a crossword on a straight road.  It cannot be as dull as yesterday. I dint blame them, it was a long day at the end of a hard week and it looked like it was a deliberate decision to go slow. Tomorrow will be rough and then they hit the mountains on tuesday
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: TimC on 14 July, 2018, 09:18:46 am
Things can get suddenly very interesting if there is a crossword on a straight road.

Got to be more interesting than riding a bike!
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Wowbagger on 14 July, 2018, 09:26:28 am
TdF winner in choir from SE (5,6).
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: TimC on 14 July, 2018, 09:29:28 am
TdF winner in choir from SE (5,6).
Is that a prediction...?
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 14 July, 2018, 10:03:46 am
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.

A wee bit of the western part of the Beauce, but also the southern part of the Perche and the Sarthe et al. as well.  I've crossed the Beauce three times in all, east to west: it begins 100k or more further east and it's Big Ag (arable) all the way with its attendant dust, traffic and "substances" blowin' in the wind. Whereof it may be said that it blows unobstructed for tens of km and usually from ahead. South of Châteaudun the roads were so hammered that they grow this stuff to take the pain away:

(http://www.pbase.com/johnewing/image/160359106.jpg)

I didn't need it to fall asleep yesterday afternoon.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Exit Stage Left on 14 July, 2018, 11:00:04 am
The Beauce is the 'boring bit' of PBP, and is the reason I'd never consider the 84 hour start. I've made an effort to get to grips with it over the years. It's the setting of a Zola novel called 'The Earth', and the tourist authorities have tried to interest people in a wheat-themed route. http://www.tourisme28.com/en/cdt28-uk/route-du-ble-en-beauce-uk

It's similar to parts of Lancashire, with shelter belt woodland dotted in the sea of cereal crops. The Perche and the Sarthe also feature heavily in PBP.

I started my Audaxing with rides from Southport, so the formula of boring flat bit to build up a cushion in a big group, lumpier bits to lose time on, and boring flat bit to recover on, is normal to me. It's also normal for the big domestiques from Flanders, Picardy, Champagne, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Poland and the Lombardy plain.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 14 July, 2018, 11:16:09 am
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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: citoyen on 14 July, 2018, 11:36:38 am
TdF winner in choir from SE (5,6).

Very good!
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Exit Stage Left on 14 July, 2018, 12:01:56 pm
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?
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: guidon on 14 July, 2018, 01:15:13 pm
Well I think today is going to be worse than yesterday - according to french commentary one of the breakaway riders dropped back because he's not French and didn't want to spoil the National day....given the lack of substance shown by the majority of French riders thus far in the race and the terror of tomorrows cobbles it's not going to be exciting, despite the threat of echelons....
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: bobb on 14 July, 2018, 02:45:11 pm
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!
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Exit Stage Left on 14 July, 2018, 02:56:18 pm
Perhaps you can tell who's acting as the rider's rep in the peloton Bobb?
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Charlie Polecat on 14 July, 2018, 03:17:34 pm
Quote
That is a quiet staggering amount of bollocks. Even for you!

Indeed, and even more quite than quiet I would say.  ::-)
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: bobb on 14 July, 2018, 03:19:44 pm
Quote
That 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...
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Exit Stage Left on 14 July, 2018, 03:41:07 pm
Quote
That 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...

I wouldn't bother counting your blood vessels, there'll be the same number no matter what amount of subcutaneous fat you've got. As that fat acts as an insulator, less of it means more blood being cooled by evaporation. The proportion of skin area to muscle mass is less in a larger individual.

The overall effect is that smaller climbers are less at risk of blowing than the likes of Froome, who need to calculate the wattage they can sustain. It's a style of racing familiar from Indurain, who employed the same techniques, with super domestiques controlling the pace on climbs. EPO helped sustain the effort over three weeks, but thermal overload is a problem. Riis was a prime example of the big-boned human skeleton.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Torslanda on 14 July, 2018, 03:50:01 pm
TdF winner in choir from SE (5,6).

Even I got that!
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 14 July, 2018, 04:21:56 pm
TdF winner in choir from SE (5,6).

Even I got that!

Also an anagram of chemo for sir.  Just sayin'
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Samuel D on 14 July, 2018, 07:29:24 pm
A wee taster (https://www.velonews.com/2018/07/tour-de-france/sky-deploying-full-on-roubaix-approach-for-cobbles_472276) for tomorrow.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: De Sisti on 14 July, 2018, 08:18:33 pm
Did Cavendish's chain come off in the sprint today?
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 14 July, 2018, 08:54:50 pm
Yes, momentarily. You can see him look down at it
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: quixoticgeek on 14 July, 2018, 08:59:55 pm

Is it me or is there an abnormally high number of crashes in this years race?

J
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Nick H. on 14 July, 2018, 09:10:10 pm
Tweet from De Gendt:

Quote
I can’t verbally explain how much i don’t want to do the stage of tomorrow.

https://twitter.com/DeGendtThomas
 
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Tim Hall on 14 July, 2018, 09:10:35 pm
Yes, momentarily. You can see him look down at it
He talks about, without Bad Swears, in the post race interview on ITV4.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: quixoticgeek on 14 July, 2018, 09:19:25 pm
Tweet from De Gendt:

Quote
I 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
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Nick H. on 14 July, 2018, 09:37:10 pm
I'll be rooting for Mathew Hayman. 40 years old, probably his last season, won Paris-Roubaix in 2016, has never tried for a stage win, best result was 135th. Maybe he'll try to do something for Adam Yates or Jack Bauer.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: ijsbrand on 14 July, 2018, 10:10:15 pm

Is it me or is there an abnormally high number of crashes in this years race?

J
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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Peter on 14 July, 2018, 10:12:35 pm
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....)
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: quixoticgeek on 14 July, 2018, 10:22:20 pm
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....)

Given the dust, yep, they gonna taste it... and be washing it out of ears, eyes, face, everywhere for days. Not to mention the orange snot.

J
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: David Martin on 14 July, 2018, 10:50:22 pm


in Nidd if you're not careful.

How on earth can you get lost in Nidd?
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 15 July, 2018, 07:40:34 am
Tweet from De Gendt:

Quote
I 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

I wouldn't wish it on a bike I was paying for myself, either.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: woollypigs on 15 July, 2018, 12:04:35 pm
Bother!
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: SoreTween on 15 July, 2018, 12:10:59 pm
Yeah, that thins the plot. GWS.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: TigaSefi on 15 July, 2018, 01:28:40 pm
Will Porte ever complete a TdF without crashing?
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Beardy on 15 July, 2018, 01:44:03 pm
(click to show/hide)
that should,really be spoilererd.  ::-)
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Nick H. on 15 July, 2018, 01:46:06 pm
FFS. They shouldn't be racing here. Should have been a mountain stage.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 15 July, 2018, 02:08:59 pm
Some of those cobbles are high enough.

Meanwhile, we have a thunderstorm bearing down so I''m going to have to pull the Internet plug. :(
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 15 July, 2018, 02:10:11 pm
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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Beardy on 15 July, 2018, 02:20:01 pm
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.
This stage is beginning to look like a battling tops game with the winner being the last one standing.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Torslanda on 15 July, 2018, 02:33:43 pm
Wanted: Stabilisers

Call National Cycling Centre and ask for Dave
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: woollypigs on 15 July, 2018, 02:35:33 pm
Brilliant snap - (https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DiJjSOUXUAAK42n?format=jpg)
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Exit Stage Left on 15 July, 2018, 02:40:59 pm
I wonder if some riders are misjudging the corners because discs modulate differently from caliper brakes.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: woollypigs on 15 July, 2018, 02:42:58 pm
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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Torslanda on 15 July, 2018, 02:51:02 pm
Anyone spot the spoof soigneur? Sector 4 about 100m in.

Yellow jersey and holding up a 12" white pram wheel.  ;D
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Beardy on 15 July, 2018, 02:54:54 pm
Well that’s a sneaky break. With all that dust the pelican can’t see them.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: SoreTween on 15 July, 2018, 03:01:45 pm
Anyone spot the spoof soigneur? Sector 4 about 100m in.

Yellow jersey and holding up a 12" white pram wheel.  ;D
Yep, oi larfed  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Exit Stage Left on 15 July, 2018, 03:27:04 pm
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.

Some may be riding calipers rather than discs, in order to have a choice of wheels, and change them more easily.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: grams on 15 July, 2018, 04:06:13 pm
The vast majority are riding rim brakes. Look at the photo above, for instance!
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: spesh on 15 July, 2018, 04:52:43 pm
That stage was well worth watching all the way through, though I feel sorry for whoever's got to edit it all down for the highlights program later.

Meanwhile, the plot thickens WRT Porte:

Quote
“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.”
Ochowicz on Porte.
https://twitter.com/ridemediaHQ/status/1018503620612927488

Quote
“The doctor of the ambulance, said that it could be broken – ‘It looks like it’s broken’.”
– 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."
https://twitter.com/ridemediaHQ/status/1018521915751845888
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Exit Stage Left on 15 July, 2018, 05:25:23 pm
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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Nick H. on 15 July, 2018, 06:04:56 pm
What do the neutral service people carry?
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: quixoticgeek on 15 July, 2018, 06:14:30 pm
What do the neutral service people carry?

A bit of everything.

J
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: quixoticgeek on 15 July, 2018, 06:16:20 pm

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
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Exit Stage Left on 15 July, 2018, 06:29:40 pm
We've already had a Central Lancashire resident win the Tour, albeit one born in Ghent. So I wouldn't be averse to a winner from East Lancashire.

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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: bobb on 15 July, 2018, 06:43:40 pm
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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: grams on 15 July, 2018, 06:49:30 pm
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.

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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 15 July, 2018, 06:53:32 pm
Adam Yates will be found out at the end of the first set of mountains. This is the fucking Tour.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Exit Stage Left on 15 July, 2018, 06:57:30 pm
Adam Yates will be found out at the end of the first set of mountains. This is the fucking Tour.

4th in 2016, and winner of the White Jersey. He's had two years to mature, and the dice have been loaded against testers.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Exit Stage Left on 15 July, 2018, 06:58:16 pm
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.

Likelier to be a waller from up there.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Nick H. on 15 July, 2018, 07:43:52 pm

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.

Sagan used disc brakes in stage 5.

(https://static01.nyt.com/images/2018/07/12/sports/12TOURprint/merlin_141102336_2da51d86-11b1-4d34-a94a-8c3d18bb3308-jumbo.jpg?quality=90&auto=webp)
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Exit Stage Left on 15 July, 2018, 08:44:27 pm
Most teams have a standard model and a disc brake model.

https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/product-news/worldtour-pro-team-bikes-guide-152997

There were disc bikes out today.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: grams on 15 July, 2018, 08:55:06 pm
I never said there were zero?! There were by far the minority though.

The commentary I heard (which is probably the same bit you're referring to) implied most riders had switched to discs today and that's why they were crashing, which was completely at odds with what you could see on the screen.

(and here's one of my holiday snaps (https://www.instagram.com/p/Bk-VCMQhUEn/?taken-by=grahamridesbikes) from last Sunday showing the typical ratio of disc to not-disc on a normal day)
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Nuncio on 15 July, 2018, 09:29:25 pm

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

None, not pure sprinters anyway.  Just a couple (GvA and Gilbert) who are more one-day specialists. I would say Jungels as well, but he was referred to as possible GC contender on commentary today.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: SoreTween on 15 July, 2018, 09:59:15 pm
Is anyone keeping a tally of crashes & visitations? Bardet must be winning the latter.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: alexb on 15 July, 2018, 11:22:11 pm
Bardet hasn't done his tyre sponsor any favours today has he?
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Nick H. on 15 July, 2018, 11:25:03 pm
I don't think anyone watches the Tour for puncture-proof tyre recommendations!

They're all on tubs anyway...who buys tubs apart from pro teams these days?
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Exit Stage Left on 16 July, 2018, 12:04:30 am
The on-bike footage shows a fair few disc setups. https://www.facebook.com/TeamSky/videos/10156665164499873/

The introduction of twin-pivot brakes by Shimano in the early 1990s caused a certain amount of discussion. Sean Yates felt they led to rear-wheel lockups, and continued to use a single pivot on the back. Campagnolo eventually adopted that idea to save weight.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 16 July, 2018, 08:05:59 am
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.

Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Exit Stage Left on 16 July, 2018, 08:45:36 am
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.

It's the standardisation that makes the difference. It would be possible to have single-sided front and rear forks, and to leave the disc and sprocket assemblies in place. I've seen that arrangement on recumbents. But general use would require agreement between manufacturers.

I've been interested to see what effect Sky's tactics have had on their team classification. They're 16th out of 22, with 2 riders in the top 10 of the GC.

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.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/cycling/2018/07/15/tour-de-france-2018-stage-nine-results-standings-john-degenkolb/

 
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Nuncio on 16 July, 2018, 09:59:04 am

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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Exit Stage Left on 16 July, 2018, 10:08:25 am
Quote
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]

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.[
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Team_classification_in_the_Tour_de_France

So the team classification would have some bearing for a team that's wanting to retain its ProTeam status.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 16 July, 2018, 10:22:59 am
I think you mean WorldTeam
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Exit Stage Left on 16 July, 2018, 10:29:37 am
I think you mean WorldTeam

The situation is a bit complicated by the presence of wild-card teams.
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/prudhomme-explains-tour-de-france-wild-card-decision/

It's unclear to me how the team placings on the Tour impact on the status of 'second division' teams. I'd be grateful for an explanation from an expert.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 16 July, 2018, 12:10:41 pm
Not sure. Its UCI points overall that count in order to avoid relegation, I believe. Rules changed about 3 years ago.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Exit Stage Left on 16 July, 2018, 12:54:27 pm
It's quite difficult researching this stuff. It took me a while to find out that Bernie Eisel is the UCI rider's rep.

I'm still curious if he has a role at the Tour, or if another rider deputises. The ITV4 coverage used to cover some of this, mainly because Jens Voigt had been a 2 up TT partner with Boardman at Credit Agricole. They've lost touch with the current generation a bit. They seem to have the best rapport with Dan Martin.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Torslanda on 16 July, 2018, 01:01:19 pm
@ PP & Mr. Edd L. Informationalize us!
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: ijsbrand on 16 July, 2018, 01:08:31 pm

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.
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.

Also, for Spanish teams especially winning the team standings used to be as important as winning the rider's GC. So since the demise of Spanish cycling -- there is only one world tour team left -- a main driving force in the team competition has gone.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Nuncio on 16 July, 2018, 01:15:59 pm
Oh. I thought it was order of Individual GC standings from the previous day.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 16 July, 2018, 01:18:10 pm
You can access the UCI regulations, but I'd save them for a sleepless night. Much of the difference between Pro-Conti and WT is about funding,  team size and financial guarantees.

This is quite informative:

http://inrng.com/2016/10/the-relegation-procedure/
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: citoyen on 16 July, 2018, 02:05:40 pm
Porte crashed out on a mountain stage last year.

And yesterday he crashed before they had even reached the first cobbled sector.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Exit Stage Left on 16 July, 2018, 02:59:36 pm
The son of a friend raced on the continent for a while. He was involved in crash and went to hospital. They were sceptical when he told them he wasn't 'on' anything. The medics would need to know so as not to compromise the medical treatment.

I've been bearing that in mind in considering how the peloton might feel about the breaches of medical confidentiality in the Fancy Bears leaks. The peloton as a workplace, with many self-employed contractors, gives it a certain dynamic, especially as there's plenty of time to discuss matters.

It's obvious that the organisers want a new winner. One innovation seems to be a pool interview for the Yellow Jersey. I've only heard one voice talking to the GC leader. Interviews used to add to the stress of first place, and that advantaged Froome, who was comfortable and plausible in that role. I'll be interested to see if we see more access to the Yellow Jersey as the Tour progresses.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: fimm on 16 July, 2018, 04:27:46 pm
The difference being that you only have to ask.

There's nothing a total knob like me likes to do more than let someone in on the secret. This isn't the Freemasons . . .
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...
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Charlie Polecat on 16 July, 2018, 04:46:43 pm
Quote
It'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?  ::-)
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Torslanda on 16 July, 2018, 04:51:33 pm
The difference being that you only have to ask.

There's nothing a total knob like me likes to do more than let someone in on the secret. This isn't the Freemasons . . .
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...

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...
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Exit Stage Left on 16 July, 2018, 04:57:09 pm
Quote
It'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?  ::-)

Hedgelaying can only be carried out in Autumn/Winter. I'm currently making a film about the Lands End/ John O'Groats record, and writing an article about the Mile Failte 1200 in Ireland, in-between the usual procrastination.

Grounds maintenance work has come to a halt with the drought, and the organiser of the volunteer wildflower meadow work I do occasionally is on holiday.

I can pretty much please myself what I do, although I should be curing an oil leak on the Land Rover, but it's come on to rain.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Pingu on 16 July, 2018, 09:02:54 pm
The difference being that you only have to ask.

There's nothing a total knob like me likes to do more than let someone in on the secret. This isn't the Freemasons . . .
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...

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...

The same for TV's *** Boulting.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mrs Pingu on 16 July, 2018, 09:05:34 pm
I see that SD Millar hasn't spent the last year improving his rest day monologue delivery then...
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Exit Stage Left on 16 July, 2018, 09:31:06 pm
There's probably an opening for interpreting Adam Yates to the world. He'll only speed up his speech under stress as well.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Peter on 16 July, 2018, 09:37:28 pm
For sure
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Samuel D on 16 July, 2018, 10:05:58 pm
You’d first need to find someone fluent in the Yates brothers’ lingo. French TV sometimes attempts to interpret their interviews for the benefit of the viewers. The French is made up out of whole cloth but I like hearing plausible answers to the questions, for sure.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Exit Stage Left on 16 July, 2018, 10:17:11 pm
Maybe they could voice him with the accent of Mortagne-au-Perche, the French spiritual home of the black pudding.

Quote
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.

http://www.garethjonesfood.com/?p=1179
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Pingu on 16 July, 2018, 10:36:50 pm
I see that SD Millar hasn't spent the last year improving his rest day monologue delivery then...

Not as good as his rendition of Ride of the Valkyries for sure.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 17 July, 2018, 01:31:45 am
O hai! P@nd3m1c Pr0duckt10nzTM® iz back from channelling another zeitgeist inna different basement and has, for ur viewing plezh*, picked teh bones out ov stages 6-9.  Any misidentification of M Rendall 4 D Friebe & vice-versa is due 2 lack of glasses.

(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Vince on 17 July, 2018, 09:13:15 am
Quote
O hai! P@nd3m1c Pr0duckt10nzTM® iz back

Thank goodness for that. I had to actually watch the last few stages and didn't have a clue what was going on! ;)
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Samuel D on 17 July, 2018, 09:15:22 am
Did the Sky bus really have tyre problems? I saw a team car with a space-saver on the back. The low-profile tyres they use are entirely inappropriate for cobbles so it didn’t surprise me to see that.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 17 July, 2018, 09:29:00 am
If the $ky team bus did have tyre problems I would laarrff, but the "Hullo clouds hullo $ky" business is an homage to basil fotherington-tomas* in the nigel molesworth books by G Willans and R Searle.  The keen-eyed observer may also have noticed C Froome saying "hullo clouds hullo stem" from time to time.

* who is uterly wet and a weed, and sa things like that
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Torslanda on 17 July, 2018, 10:34:07 am
The balance of TEH MULTIVERSE is restored.

And breathe . . .
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Chris S on 17 July, 2018, 12:27:49 pm
Ned Boulting seems to be gradually morphing into Tony Blackburn.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 17 July, 2018, 12:34:07 pm
And they're off, into the Yalps. Aniseed -> Le Grand Borné.

Baby, we've been here before...
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 17 July, 2018, 12:54:38 pm
Just imagining these blokes a couple of weeks from now, after the Tour, when they climb into their cars and drive off, crossing from one side of the road to the other at will and going round roundabouts the wrong way...
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 17 July, 2018, 01:12:53 pm
Catching up on the recording.  TV's *** Boulting is clearly made of sterner stuff than TV's S Connolly, as TV's R Gilmore is actually keeping relatively quiet.  And she's only mentioned the Izoard once (so far).
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 17 July, 2018, 04:34:46 pm
For an article stamped Lidl, Alaphilippe seems quite serviceable.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 17 July, 2018, 04:51:16 pm
Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig gave code-talking oddball M Rendall the finest post-race interview in the history of all things evvah.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: spesh on 17 July, 2018, 05:58:46 pm
RRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1!!!!!!!!!!


Sorrynotsorry...  :D
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Torslanda on 17 July, 2018, 07:41:00 pm
Spotted the word BOB written on the road at the summit of the final climb today. Has a certain cool-haired tourist been over the Colombiere recently?
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 17 July, 2018, 08:53:49 pm
O hai! P@nd3m1c Pr0duckt10nzTM® appypoggoli sez soz 4 teh late, but u wouldn't want us 2 ignore La Thing Course now, wud u?

(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: citoyen on 17 July, 2018, 09:34:46 pm
SD Millar:Attack from teh pelican! W Barguil!

W.Barguil: I ATEN'T DED
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mrs Pingu on 17 July, 2018, 09:39:40 pm
 :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Samuel D on 18 July, 2018, 08:31:19 am
The Barguil move was odd. Was there any need to precede the deliberate time loss with a brief flyer off the front?

That was the worst stage I can remember in terms of expectations versus GC action delivered … and my expectations were not high. Deathly dull racing and a waste of good mountains (I have friends who rode this course as L’Etape). However, it proved that Alaphilippe is the real deal.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Chris S on 18 July, 2018, 08:53:45 am
La Course was a much better finish.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: woollypigs on 18 July, 2018, 08:55:54 am
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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 18 July, 2018, 08:56:30 am
I thought it was a good stage.

Alap's win was brilliant, as was GVA'S determination to stay in yellow for just one more day.

Block headwind killed attack potential.

It'll all kick off today. Movistar have no choice.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Pingu on 18 July, 2018, 10:41:42 am
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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Ham on 18 July, 2018, 10:48:13 am
Something always happens, just not always what the pundits expect.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Samuel D on 18 July, 2018, 11:06:56 am
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.

That and the fact that there was a descent to the finish are why my expectations were not high. But it was after a rest day, and you never know how everyone is feeling after that. Quintana said his body felt odd, for example. We’ll never know which of the GC contenders is having a bad day unless someone tries a serious attack (instead there was not even a bit of probing, Dan Martin excepted). Often the Sky train uncouples when someone does finally gather up the courage to try, and then it’s every man for himself and Froome loses time as often as not.

Maybe a few of these riders will try harder today in more favourable circumstances. Nibali made his excuses yesterday (https://www.velonews.com/2018/07/tour-de-france/nibali-it-may-seem-boring-but-thats-modern-cycling_472562) so perhaps he’ll risk something today. Movistar have got to try to win or their team selection with multiple leaders makes even less sense. Quintana’s attacks are very rare but when they come they tend to be devastating and overwhelming. Who knows how Landa’s feeling; Urán is obviously hurt. Dan Martin can be counted on to try. He’s the only one consistently willing to risk a minor placing for a slim chance of victory. Even when his attacks do not pay off for him they goad others into action.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: citoyen on 18 July, 2018, 11:12:27 am
The Barguil move was odd. Was there any need to precede the deliberate time loss with a brief flyer off the front?

Voeckler-style mugging for the cameras? Got to keep the sponsors happy.

Maybe he's got his eye on tomorrow's stage but I don't think he's got the form for it. Occasionally showing his face at the front is probably the best we can expect from him at the moment.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Samuel D on 18 July, 2018, 11:16:49 am
Maybe, but he’ll have plenty of time on camera when he tries to win a stage. I don’t bet, but the bookies have Barguil as the outright favourite for today. Like you I’d be surprised if he can pull that off (or tomorrow).
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Peter on 18 July, 2018, 11:18:12 am
La Course was a much better finish.

Especially when the commentary over the last kilometre is compared with what actually happened!
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 18 July, 2018, 01:13:22 pm
Great views of Mont Blanc & C° Ltd. Must get down that way again: last time was >10 years ago and I only got in one col before it started pissing down.

(http://www.pbase.com/johnewing/image/86203501.jpg)

Weather's a wee bit different today.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: citoyen on 18 July, 2018, 01:21:34 pm
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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 18 July, 2018, 01:54:12 pm
Jaja observed yesterday that Movistar only attack after the stage on the Champs Elysées.

Bastard of a stage today; they're either climbing or descending with no flat to relax on.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Samuel D on 18 July, 2018, 01:55:49 pm
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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 18 July, 2018, 02:56:11 pm
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.

Yep. Valverde has pulled away. Presumably to prepare to meet NQ or ML up the road.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 18 July, 2018, 03:10:11 pm
VV heard Jaja.

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.

Quite amusing, too.

Did you see the bloke on the tightrope?
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 18 July, 2018, 03:26:16 pm
Screen capture of Mont Blanc from France TV:

(http://www.pbase.com/image/167829963.jpg)
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Samuel D on 18 July, 2018, 03:34:51 pm
Did you see the bloke on the tightrope?

Aye. Rather him than me.

I also saw Soler and Valverde get two minutes on the peloton. Could be interesting if Pellizotti and Nibali don’t chase them down for Sky.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: citoyen on 18 July, 2018, 03:38:52 pm
Have to admit I underestimated Barguil - and his whole team, for that matter. They're doing a great job.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: woollypigs on 18 July, 2018, 03:39:14 pm
Yeah there has been some great images of the Alps today and there is some racing happening too
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: quixoticgeek on 18 July, 2018, 03:41:22 pm
Yeah there has been some great images of the Alps today and there is some racing happening too

The tracking shot as they rode along the top of the dam was damn good. They are in a rather pretty area it seems.

J
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Nick H. on 18 July, 2018, 04:01:40 pm
So many pretty areas...still more visitors per annum than any other country. 89 million last year.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 18 July, 2018, 04:24:26 pm
Spottychurch!
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 18 July, 2018, 04:44:47 pm
So many pretty areas...still more visitors per annum than any other country. 89 million last year.

Yeah. 25,000 of whom started up Mt. Blanc, 10,000 made it.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 18 July, 2018, 04:57:07 pm
Adam Yates will be found out at the end of the first set of mountains. This is the fucking Tour.

Told you  ;)
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 18 July, 2018, 04:58:44 pm
.

Anyway, Cav won't finish the Tour, let alone win a stage.

Told you  ;)
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 18 July, 2018, 05:10:05 pm
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.

Vān Avermaet lost >22', Alaphilippe nearly 25, Urán over 26 :o
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 18 July, 2018, 05:10:47 pm
Sky were a wee bit emphatic there, I thought.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 18 July, 2018, 05:11:52 pm
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.


Put the tight in tightrope.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Nick H. on 18 July, 2018, 05:16:01 pm
I like the way Geraint pretended to be shocked by his own riding. It was "on instinct".
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: citoyen on 18 July, 2018, 05:17:54 pm
The C Boardmen reckon the cutoff time for the poids lourds is about 27:30.  Much hitting of F5.

I think he said 27.15, and I just did the calculations myself* to come up with the same figure, so I'm going with that.

Cav, Renshaw and Kittel are definitely OTL. Groenewegen very probably as well. Quite a few others too.


*stage coefficient 5 and winner's average speed of just over 31kmh means a 13% allowance.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Nick H. on 18 July, 2018, 05:21:46 pm
poids lourds
Surely TIR? That's the term used by Assos for the XXXL gentleman.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: spesh on 18 July, 2018, 05:30:17 pm
That was interesting and entertaining!

I was expecting Van Laundromat to pop and lose the shinyjumper, but Begbie's implosion took me by surprise.

Nibbles, the French Exchange Student and Inigo Teenytana need to give their heads a wobble.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 18 July, 2018, 05:30:53 pm
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:
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: citoyen on 18 July, 2018, 05:36:35 pm
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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 18 July, 2018, 05:46:26 pm
Zabel is now listed on the finishers' page at 31:32 down but Renshaw, Cav and Kitteh look like thy're going home early.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: ijsbrand on 18 July, 2018, 05:56:04 pm
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.
Sorry.

(http://eamelje.net/pics/62813305c3a00a2a1b25aedc12bd0d2ea78ac458-e1531932807325.jpeg)
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 18 July, 2018, 06:00:02 pm
Stage 11: Albertville > La Rosière Espace San Bernardo

(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Tewdric on 18 July, 2018, 06:26:15 pm
Mae G ym melyn!!!  :D :D
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mrs Pingu on 18 July, 2018, 09:03:25 pm
Brilliant!
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 18 July, 2018, 10:23:26 pm
They gave the Combativité wossname to A Valverde :o  Mind you, it's probably the only thing that Movistar stand a chance of winning while Montoya Quintana sticks to their tried-and-found-wanting strategy of waiting until Froome cracks only to realise, usually on the Champs-Elysées, that he isn't going to.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: cygnet on 18 July, 2018, 11:33:16 pm
G Thomas sounding suspiciously like E Bosen-HagenDaz. Super Nice!
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Exit Stage Left on 18 July, 2018, 11:52:01 pm
It seems that ASO have designed a race to make it difficult for Sky to control, because that's predictable, and not French. One method is to reduce the size of the teams, and another is short stages which favour pure climbers with flair, who happen to be French.

I'm in favour of that aim, especially as cycling is competing against football. 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. And what if Sky can still control the race, but haven't initiated the breaks which eliminate riders.

The blame from the other teams then falls on Valverde and Movistar, and the ASO of course. Failing a Sky collapse. I don't see how the situation can be resolved without some sort of budget cap. An obligation for each team to field a sprinter, a young rider and a pure climber might also help.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 19 July, 2018, 08:02:22 am
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
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Beardy on 19 July, 2018, 09:53:20 am
<snippage>
 An obligation for each team to field a sprinter, a young rider and a pure climber might also help.
That would be difficult to police because other than the young rider, identifying a person as a sprinter or climber is subjective.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Exit Stage Left on 19 July, 2018, 10:08:15 am
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

Interesting thought. I take that to mean that you've got to go with the grain, or literally push towards the side where it wants to fall. I like the double-entendre of 'côté'.

ASO may have genuinely believed that Froome wouldn't be coming, so have been caught off balance. Froome argues that a budget cap would be 'tantamount to communism', and that the UCI should be trying to attract bigger sponsors. That's an argument that might have attractions in the peloton, as it would push up the wages of the elite Tour riders.

Sponsorship is an interesting area, I'm only really in a position to use  Sky and Lidl. I've been shopping at Lidl since 1999, and will always look for a branch in France, as it saves me a lot of confusion. So I've noticed that the route into town usually seems to pass a Lidl. The one in Bourg St Maurice is on the right, just before the railway station. The TV coverage gives a guide to where the Lidl is likely to be, and the logo on the shorts and shoulders remind me to look for it.

The other sponsors are a bit of a mystery, flooring has figured since the days of Mapei. The other side of the publicity equation are the ITV4 adverts. The average viewer would seem to be a gambling alcoholic, with an obsession with shaving and haircare, and concerned about the price of their funeral. 'Where am I going to find £3,600?' it won't matter, you'll be dead.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Exit Stage Left on 19 July, 2018, 10:15:20 am
<snippage>
 An obligation for each team to field a sprinter, a young rider and a pure climber might also help.
That would be difficult to police because other than the young rider, identifying a person as a sprinter or climber is subjective.

it would simply be a matter of requiring each team to reach a certain level of green, white and polka-dot jersey points to qualify for the Tour, and to field the riders who got them in qualification.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Exit Stage Left on 19 July, 2018, 10:24:00 am
It would seem to be a good idea for Thomas to lead into the final time trial, and let that decide between him and Froome. But stage 20 is less than 20 miles, and very hilly.

So the option of Froome keeping a low profile, before gapping rivals, isn't there.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 19 July, 2018, 11:17:56 am
Things missing from l'Alpe d'Huez today:

• R Urán
BEER

Yes, M le Maire* has banned sales of BEER.  One can only hope the Cloggies brought their own ;)

* no relation.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Samuel D on 19 July, 2018, 11:54:35 am
The Cloggies have apparently brought their own police force. Maybe the racers will have a chance to race up this hillock for a change!

Urán is probably going for the Vuelta.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Nick H. on 19 July, 2018, 12:02:38 pm
Sky's financial clout is irritating but I don't see why the other riders can't make alliances, with or without bungs, to defeat them. BITD the brown envelope was a big part of race tactics. Maybe it's disappeared because of radios...riders can't use their initiative.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Exit Stage Left on 19 July, 2018, 12:16:14 pm
Sky are capable of a pace which can eliminate some at the back of the field. Combining resources to ride faster than Sky means losing sprinters and domestiques who might expect to shine between the Alps and the Pyrenees.

As Sky aren't initiating the attacks, the argument becomes about Sky's strength in depth. A strategy based on deterrence means we don't get to see any real fireworks.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Nuncio on 19 July, 2018, 12:28:38 pm
Maybe it's disappeared because of radios...riders can't use their initiative.

And yet, if they are to be believed, both Dumoulin and Thomas claimed to have attacked on instinct yesterday.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: quixoticgeek on 19 July, 2018, 01:13:03 pm

I keep seeing articles in the cycling press, and segments on the radio about how team sky are setting themselves up for a clash between their number 1 and their number 8. But, I think actually, there is no clash there. I think they are doing what they did with the Giro. They are targeting one stage to make such a big impact that it gives Froome an unassailable lead. Stage 17, the 65km mountain stage is their target, and the reason they have put G so far up the front, is because of the start of this stage. It's gonna be a grid start. So the top 20 in the GC start together on the grid, then there is a gap to the next 20 and so on. If you don't have 2 team mates in the top 10 of the GC, then your ride is going to be up there without support. Stick 2 up there, and you can work together. This is team sky's plan, and you can be certain that every single member of team sky's team will be on the road on that stage, one every km or so to hand out water and gels and etc... to fuel them to the end.

That's my theory anyway. I'm new to all this pro racing mlarky, so I could be talking utter bollocks. But I wanted to put it in writing to see how right I am in a weeks time.

Another prediction while I'm at it, the top 3 in Paris, will be the same 3 riders that we have now, but in a different order (baring a major tits up for one of the riders).

J
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: quixoticgeek on 19 July, 2018, 01:15:56 pm
None for him, I suspect

Well someone called it well!

Unfortunately.

J
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Nick H. on 19 July, 2018, 01:21:48 pm
Happy memories of charging down the Madeleine on a motorbike...pretty much the most fun you can have with your clothes on.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Samuel D on 19 July, 2018, 01:23:34 pm
Impressive howling from Mühlberger’s disc brakes going into those hairpins. That was nice footage from the motorcycle chase.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Samuel D on 19 July, 2018, 01:32:04 pm
Mühlberger just got a musette with a Coke that he immediately offered to a passing camera crewman, who accepted it. Next he offered ice from the cooling block his team had put in the musette. Guy has a sense of humour.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 19 July, 2018, 01:36:16 pm
Thought it was Alaphilippe.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 19 July, 2018, 01:39:17 pm
I reckon that Voeckler could have a future as a standup comedian.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Samuel D on 19 July, 2018, 01:48:01 pm
Thought it was Alaphilippe.

I only saw Mühlberger do it and follow up with the funny offer of ice. But according to Cyclingnews’s live feed, both of them offered their Cokes to the motorbikes.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 19 July, 2018, 01:55:54 pm
I reckon that Voeckler could have a future as a standup comedian.

Doesn't he already have a part in an opéra de savon?
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 19 July, 2018, 02:28:08 pm
Apart from the Tour?
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 19 July, 2018, 02:37:48 pm
Greipel.
Groenewegen.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 19 July, 2018, 02:44:04 pm
Fanny's pissed off.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 19 July, 2018, 02:52:57 pm
Sagan to win Paris sprint  ;)
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 19 July, 2018, 02:55:26 pm
Gaviria

Obviously, having a name beginning with G is bad strategy.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 19 July, 2018, 03:11:01 pm
Also Gallopin

Sagan to win Paris sprint  ;)

Though unless the next set of abandons is brought to you by the letter "D", Demare and Degenkolb are still around.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 19 July, 2018, 03:54:07 pm
Thomas 97 kph on downhill
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Torslanda on 19 July, 2018, 04:10:46 pm
***  "Maybe his legs are just starting to fall off..."

WTF ???  :o
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: quixoticgeek on 19 July, 2018, 04:32:42 pm

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
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: quixoticgeek on 19 July, 2018, 04:34:34 pm

Damn, nibbles is down under 4km, but out of the 3km. That's an embuggerance..

J
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Nick H. on 19 July, 2018, 04:47:39 pm
Geraint was faking fatigue with about 2k to go...weaving around, jersey in a mess. He tricked Froome into attacking. With 1k to go Geraint did his jersey up, got ready, was the first on to Landa's wheel, and Froome couldn't respond.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 19 July, 2018, 04:51:08 pm

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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: quixoticgeek on 19 July, 2018, 04:52:54 pm

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.

Who, the riders, or the gendarmes?  :p

J
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: woollypigs on 19 July, 2018, 04:55:37 pm
OK SKY you are riding for G now  !!! He looked so relaxed and strong on the last few hundred meters. Totalawesomesause !!!!
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 19 July, 2018, 05:03:21 pm
Beware the Curse of G.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 19 July, 2018, 05:05:08 pm
*** said he saw the gendarmes were out mob-handed but the C Boardmen have just said "no police in evidence on that climb, we really needed some better crowd control".

I thought poor dead V Nibbles had come together with the motorbike where the road narrowed at the start of the barriers, but would like to see it again.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Nick H. on 19 July, 2018, 05:10:38 pm
There were plenty of police where Nibbles came off..the problem was the flare which made everything invisible.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 19 July, 2018, 05:16:28 pm
Aye, they need to ban those PDQ.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Samuel D on 19 July, 2018, 05:20:03 pm
I thought poor dead V Nibbles had come together with the motorbike where the road narrowed at the start of the barriers, but would like to see it again.

Nibali said Bardet was ten seconds ahead, the motorbikes were following him, Froome attacked, Nibali followed, there was a sudden slow-down, and he crashed. He didn’t say whether he hit the motorbikes or Froome but without confirmation it may have been the latter. I think he would have been angrier if he’d hit a motorbike. Of course Froome had to slow for the motorbikes so motorbikes were certainly involved.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 19 July, 2018, 05:31:53 pm
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 :(
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Karla on 19 July, 2018, 05:37:49 pm
What happened to the G who could never quite cut it in the high mountains?
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: LittleWheelsandBig on 19 July, 2018, 05:38:56 pm
Obviously he trained a bit harder and lost a bit more weight this year.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: spesh on 19 July, 2018, 05:41:14 pm
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 :(

G thought Nibbles had tangled with a spectidiot* (sic), and he nearly came off riding over the Italian's rear wheel.


* An illustrative pair being the two who had a collision while running alongside Kruijskwijk .
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: citoyen on 19 July, 2018, 05:51:23 pm
Obviously he trained a bit harder and lost a bit more weight this year.

And drank up all his beetroot juice like a good boy.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Nick H. on 19 July, 2018, 06:00:45 pm
I saw a spectator trying to touch a rider..I thought he was trying to pat him on the shoulder. Turns out he has been nicked for "punching" Froome.

https://twitter.com/mcewenrobbie/status/1019981740406923264
https://twitter.com/Josh_pvfc/status/1019966882290561024
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Nick H. on 19 July, 2018, 06:06:42 pm
Froome is reportedly not speaking to the press. https://twitter.com/JoshRBurrows/status/1019986287644823553 It's pretty obvious that Geraint wasn't riding for him. Will there be handbags? Geraint struck me as very sheepish in his interview, bigging up Froomey for being the best ever. I'd love to be a fly on the wall when Brailsford tries to restore order.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 19 July, 2018, 06:07:34 pm
Stage 12: Bourg-Saint-Maurice Les Arcs > Alpe d'Huez

(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: De Sisti on 19 July, 2018, 06:11:29 pm
I wonder what happened to the guy who tried to punch Froome?
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Die3Ry3X4AAShWr.jpg)
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: woollypigs on 19 July, 2018, 06:15:09 pm
De Sisti see Porkins post above
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Nick H. on 19 July, 2018, 06:16:13 pm
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Diez-QNW0AExar0.jpg)

Aksherly the clothes don't match...this prisoner must be another miscreant.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: spesh on 19 July, 2018, 06:22:48 pm
You can see why Froome was bieding hiz tiem to chase down The French Exchange Chimney Sweep until the barriers started.

Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 19 July, 2018, 07:43:03 pm
Blimey! R Taaramäe was out of time today!
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 19 July, 2018, 08:38:46 pm
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Diez-QNW0AExar0.jpg)

Aksherly the clothes don't match...this prisoner must be another miscreant.

Just watched the highlights; there was some bloke with the hair of a young Kevin Keegan being bundled to the ground by a couple of rozzeurs.  Wasn't the bloke in either picture.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mrs Pingu on 19 July, 2018, 09:00:51 pm
Ooh, I don't fancy sitting at the T $ky dinner table tonight...
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: spesh on 19 July, 2018, 09:14:01 pm
Word is that Nibbles suffered a fractured vertebra and won't be starting tomorrow.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: A Cyclist on 19 July, 2018, 09:15:07 pm
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/)
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: A Cyclist on 19 July, 2018, 09:22:45 pm
Quite appalling scenes and behaviour today and physical abuse of a cyclist totally unacceptable.  ASO should be having a serious reconsider before the Pyrenees and noticeable that Froome attack did not happen until the start of the barriers started, no doubt he realised that being isolated from the pack earlier might only invite physical abuse.  Verbal abuse one thing, but physical abuse is quite another thing and hopefully other riders will condemn behaviour and perhaps Hinault might voice a plea for fans to just let them race.  Don't hold your breath.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: quixoticgeek on 19 July, 2018, 09:30:08 pm
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/)

Blimey. this is turning into a game of the last one standing.

I hope we don't see any more being knocked our by injury.

J
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Exit Stage Left on 19 July, 2018, 09:39:39 pm
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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: A Cyclist on 19 July, 2018, 09:42:19 pm
ASO and Prudhomme might just be regretting a few things now with some big hitters out after the pave, loads of sprinters out because of what Cavendish said was the hardest TdF he had seen even before he started, major contender out due to poor crowd control leading to outriders affecting rider safety (Nibali) and general lack of safety towards riders by not being able to control crowds.  Further, with no big sprint teams interested in chasing the breakaway, the flat 'sprint' stages are in danger of becoming a procession and just letting the break go with riders that are no threat to overall GC. Sagan has already won the points competition and who will ride with him in the break knowing he will probably win the sprint based on his performance thus far.  The cunning plan to scupper Team Sky by TdF route not going as planned.

(Cross post with Exit Stage Left)
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Torslanda on 19 July, 2018, 10:06:08 pm
Have the regs on taking drinks been changed? I fort riders weren't allowed to take bottles or gels etc. on the climbs . . .

I realise they need water and understand that spectators will hand up bottles which the riders pour over themselves to keep cool. I'm talking about team helpers handing up official team bottles at the roadside.

There used to be a neutral motorbike that carried a shedload of bottles (Coca Cola branded?) Whatever happened to that?
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: andrew_s on 19 July, 2018, 10:10:54 pm
Designing a route to give a desired outcome has never seemed a good idea to me, whether it's to suit a favoured rider, not suit an un-favoured rider, or to maintain suspense until the last racing day

P.S.
I think the no feeds/bottles rule is for the last 15 km of a stage, but pre-announced exceptions for mountian finishes is fairly common
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mrs Pingu on 19 July, 2018, 10:13:30 pm
Just watched the vid on stage 17 prompted by QG.
Bizarre.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Nick H. on 19 July, 2018, 10:36:03 pm
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.

(http://www.roadbikereview.com/reviews/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Mavic-neutral-water.jpg)
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: A Cyclist on 19 July, 2018, 11:06:57 pm
Fan recordings uploaded now at:

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/)

and 'frame by frame' viewing (OK by slowing moving the play-bar) it appears while a motorbike did indeed pass Nibali on his left side it did not hit him and he appeared to become entangled with fans to his right.  The gap was just ridiculous and seriously impedes the riders options and made even worse by the presence of the motorbikes.  Clearly, while the TdF will always involve fans in relative close proximity, having to fight your way through them should not become a skill required, otherwise it might result in the winner being the best at negotiating obstacles rather than riding their bicycle.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Nick H. on 19 July, 2018, 11:23:10 pm
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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Von Broad on 19 July, 2018, 11:33:17 pm
I managed to skive off work finish a job early so I could see the last 2 hours of the stage

And what a spectacle. Terrific viewing. So much to play for now.

As a neutral [and repressed Englishman]...I thought Geraint Thomas being booed on the podium was ...quickly frankly...disgusting.

If I was UCI big chief I would make every spectator who insists on showing their flabby beer-infested podge of a gut running along side the riders like some demented rhino on coke, make them ride the stage themselves the day before...on a fixed wheel recumbent....and if they didn't make it within a specific time....then tuff, no space on the hillside for you me old mucker........on y'bike and go watch the stage in a bar down bottom somewhere pal! Tossers.

If I was there I'd be far better behaved :-)
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Chris S on 19 July, 2018, 11:39:56 pm
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. At least, to Rent-a-mob.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Von Broad on 19 July, 2018, 11:51:14 pm
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.

Sure, that maybe so, but it's also worth pointing out that Geraint Thomas is not Brexit.
It's also worth also worth pointing out to the bigots that Geraint Thomas is not only not Brexit.....neither is he Chris Froome either.
Although if you've been on the juice all day, listening to the outraged podcasts of a wounded Hinault and it's very beating hot then I guess it's an easy mistake to make!

Still, no point getting worked up about it sitting here in my little box......life goes on :-)
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Karla on 20 July, 2018, 02:14:02 am
Gaviria

Obviously, having a name beginning with G is bad strategy.

I wonder does GNibali use GNU or Gnome?
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: De Sisti on 20 July, 2018, 05:48:04 am
P.S.
I think the no feeds/bottles rule is for the last 15 20km of a stage, but pre-announced exceptions for mountian finishes is fairly common
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Si S on 20 July, 2018, 06:50:34 am
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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 20 July, 2018, 08:31:26 am
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Diez-QNW0AExar0.jpg)

Aksherly the clothes don't match...this prisoner must be another miscreant.

They'll find out. The camera cut away before they attached the cables.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Exit Stage Left on 20 July, 2018, 09:37:47 am
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.

I wish him a speedy recovery, I wonder if anyone's deputising?
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 20 July, 2018, 10:21:08 am
You can't call this race at all. Bardet won't win, Quintana won't win. Nor Landa.

Of all of them Dumoulin is the most likely, but you cant write off Froome. Thomas might get 3rd place if he survives the steep climbs of the Pyrenees.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: citoyen on 20 July, 2018, 10:33:09 am
You can't call this race at all.

I'm not even going to pretend to have a clue what is going on until after stage 17.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: woollypigs on 20 July, 2018, 10:34:47 am
Well I'm fairly sure a few cyclist are trying to win the TdF, I think that is the general plan :)
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: sg37409 on 20 July, 2018, 10:35:01 am
Froome will win.  Nobody can live with him for a whole GT’s worth of mountains.   
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 20 July, 2018, 10:39:04 am
Word is that Nibbles suffered a fractured vertebra and won't be starting tomorrow.

D Martin fractured two in his uncontrolled flight into terrain with R Porte last year and finished sixth.  This merely underlines Super D Millar's contention that Italians are all exhibitionists :demon:  Actually no-one told Martin he'd fractured two vertebrae until the race was over, but even if they had I very much suspect he'd have carried on regardless.

Spectidiots are not a new thing: the twat who punched E Merckx on the Pûy de Dome in 1975, G Guerini's contretemps with Eric the Fan on l'Alpe in 1999, someone riding into a selfie-taker a few years back and so on. C Froome was fined 200 CHF in 2016 for punching one.  The difference with the V Nibbles incident was the road layout where the barriers started and the person responsible needs to be connected to the cables noted by T42, with V Nibbles and Evil C Boardman operating the switches.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Exit Stage Left on 20 July, 2018, 10:50:30 am
I tend to read the tour as if it's an Audax where the the cut-off time is defined by the first over the line, there's no minimum limit, and a massive incentive to be first.

If you combined that idea with lots of climbing, then the full-value riders would be in trouble. They'd either not bother attending those events, or be disappointed when they were eliminated.

Organisers would then seek to fiddle with the cut-off times, to be more inclusive. The full-value riders might also put pressure on the fast group, maybe they should spend longer at controls, so as not destroy the event.

Of course this can't happen in Audax, as the cut-off time is fixed, and times aren't published. The only negative possibility there is if prestige is asserted through Strava, and riders with social media profile ride together, causing controls to be open earlier than otherwise.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: andrew_s on 20 July, 2018, 10:55:35 am
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 )
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Nuncio on 20 July, 2018, 11:47:52 am

It was an ordinary fan...

Shades of Armstrong/Luz Ardiden 2003.


There's a nice story coming out of Wednesday's stage when Edvald Boasson Hagen was left stranded with a broken bike and no team car.  Servais Knaven stopped and gave him a Sky bike, and both were fined. EBH was spotted the following morning before the start seeking out SK to cover his €150 fine.

Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Nick H. on 20 July, 2018, 12:39:59 pm
Who is left to contest the Champs-Élysées sprint?
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: citoyen on 20 July, 2018, 12:45:41 pm
Who is left to contest the Champs-Élysées sprint?

Andrea Pasqualon, Max Richeze, Roberto Ferrari, Timothy Dupont, Thomas Boudat... All the big names!  ;D
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 20 July, 2018, 12:54:51 pm
Who is left to contest the Champs-Élysées sprint?

I'm tempted to put a crisp BRITONS' fiver on Sonny Colbrelli, albeit because he sounds like he ought to be a Mafia hitman.  But given the way the sprinters are dropping like A Valverde after yet another futile break it would probably be unwise to back anyone other than Crazy P.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Nuncio on 20 July, 2018, 01:14:28 pm
Who is left to contest the Champs-Élysées sprint?

Andrea Pasqualon, Max Richeze, Roberto Ferrari, Timothy Dupont, Thomas Boudat... All the big names!  ;D

... Kristoff, Degenkolb, Demare...
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: mcshroom on 20 July, 2018, 01:23:08 pm
I'm hoping Degenkolb, but I think it would be crazy to look past the snotty jumper wearer.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: quixoticgeek on 20 July, 2018, 01:31:03 pm
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
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: sg37409 on 20 July, 2018, 01:38:39 pm
I tend to read the tour as if it's an Audax ....

I love the opening lines to your posts, ESL
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Exit Stage Left on 20 July, 2018, 01:53:24 pm
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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: quixoticgeek on 20 July, 2018, 01:59:36 pm
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.

Isn't the arguement that the races are too hard one of those used by the dopers to justify why they did it? If you make the race too hard, then only those who are either genetically super human, or those who are pharmacologic-ally super human will be able to compete?

I must admit that the TCR/IPWR/TABR seem to be closer to the ideals of the original TDF than the modern race is. I came to follow pro bike racing as my housemate is in to it, and it fills the gaps between the proper races... (hence my naïve questions.)

J

Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Beardy on 20 July, 2018, 02:03:14 pm
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
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Exit Stage Left on 20 July, 2018, 02:15:56 pm
If you're following an event through media, then those media define the event.
The Tour was designed to sell a sports newspaper in a slack time, which is why 'L'Equipe' is still important.

Quote
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.

It's mainly consumed through TV, but print coverage is still extensive, The Telegraph is best in the UK.

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 do have a tip for watching the Tour live on TV. L'Equipe's principal photographer is ferried around on a 1990s BMW K75, it's red, with a white radiator surround. It has the most privileges of all the motos, so it's seen where the action is.

This photo is from 2013, it must have been dropped since, and they haven't painted the replacement radiator surround.


(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BN68CKqCcAAREnO.jpg:large)
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Nick H. on 20 July, 2018, 02:16:41 pm
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
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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Nick H. on 20 July, 2018, 02:24:34 pm
a 1990s BMW K75

More like '80s! He must love that bike. It's in some very old Tour photos. Wouldn't be surprised if he's had it from new. The mileage must be colossal.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Exit Stage Left on 20 July, 2018, 02:34:19 pm
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.

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)
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: quixoticgeek on 20 July, 2018, 02:34:52 pm
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.

Dot watching is really addictive. When we had TABR, TAWR, and Tour Divide all going at once, I had the tracker pages for them all open, and jumping between them. It seems my excitement at following the dots was contagious enough that a friend who had no interest in cycling now dotwatches the big races.

It's a different style of race following, and I think it helps to have some sort of social media feed of the race to, following the dots, as well as the updates on twitter is a really good pairing. As with most things, you get out what you put in.

J
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 20 July, 2018, 02:42:48 pm
I don't know what *** & Nice C had for lunch today, but I want some.

Edit: and that was before Nice C gave us his thoughts on women's racing. Stop being so bloody right all the time, Nice C, it makes the rest of us feel inadequate  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Exit Stage Left on 20 July, 2018, 02:44:18 pm
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.



I was being relayed the position by text from home. I had to be in position to film, so it was important to know how much WOF had slowed climbing to Drumochter. It was 11 degrees and throwing it down, so I wasn't going to hang around without knowing where he was. I went and shot some moody time lapses at the first point I could get phone signal.

Trackers are usually about 10 minutes out. That means nothing to dot watchers, but if you're trying to get a drone shot of them arriving, and the drone has 20 minutes of flight time, it's better to rely on line of sight, and a pair of binoculars.

You're right about only getting out what you put in.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Nick H. on 20 July, 2018, 02:44:41 pm
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.

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)
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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Exit Stage Left on 20 July, 2018, 02:48:05 pm
I've got a 1984 K100RS as well if you want, I've not done much with it since I got the K75.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 20 July, 2018, 03:48:47 pm
Finally sussed out that that black blurg on the Skies' backs is an orca.

Dead boring stage otherwise.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: TheLurker on 20 July, 2018, 03:53:02 pm
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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: spesh on 20 July, 2018, 04:04:52 pm
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".   

It doesn't have to be that complicated.

There can be a charge of spectidiocy, where there is no malice aforethought (simply a lack of consideration of potential consequences), which covers running alongside riders in fancy dress/with fondleslab on a selfie stick, and waving regional flags...

And then there is a charge of being a wanktator (wanker + spectator), which covers deliberately malicious actions such as spitting, throwing cups of piss and trying to hit or deliberately physically impede a rider.

Quote
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.

Nah, keep the combativity prize for the rider who animated the stage the most - appropriate acts of pugilism by riders get put forward for consideration for Le Prix Bernard Hinault.  ;)
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: 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
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: TheLurker on 20 July, 2018, 04:32:48 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!
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 20 July, 2018, 04:36:21 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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Exit Stage Left 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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington 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?
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 20 July, 2018, 05:30:50 pm
Stage 13: Bourg d'Oisans > Valence

(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: spesh on 20 July, 2018, 05:35:46 pm
That BMC bike in the lone breakaway was lovely though.

Agreed.  8)

And about the most interesting thing of today's stage.  :demon:
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: giropaul on 20 July, 2018, 06:08:39 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 :-)
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: 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
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Nick H. on 20 July, 2018, 07:54:19 pm
I want one of those BMC things. Only 12 grand.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: quixoticgeek on 20 July, 2018, 07:57:00 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
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: mzjo on 20 July, 2018, 07:57:58 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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: quixoticgeek on 20 July, 2018, 08:07:33 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
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: spesh 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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Exit Stage Left on 20 July, 2018, 08:18:56 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 .

Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 20 July, 2018, 08:27:02 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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Charlie Polecat 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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Samuel D 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 (https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victor_Lafay) 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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mrs Pingu 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...
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Pingu on 20 July, 2018, 09:55:21 pm
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
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Peter on 20 July, 2018, 10:32:58 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?
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 21 July, 2018, 12:48:50 am
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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: giropaul on 21 July, 2018, 06:24:57 am

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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 21 July, 2018, 07:23:04 am
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

Was looking out for that but must have fallen asleep.

---o0o---

Wanty must surely be a candidate for the Badly-Named Businesses thread.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 21 July, 2018, 01:32:04 pm
Definitely going back to that bit of the Ardèche once the furore about Brexit has died down.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: mattc on 21 July, 2018, 01:44:35 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.

I hadn't considered the media circus angle! Makes perfect sense.

But IMHO it's more likely to be that G wanted the glory of the stage wins and the Yellow Jumpers - just as any bike racer would.
- He's PROBABLY still the loyal No2; in which case he is grabbing glory+fun while he's allowed.
- 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.

This is shaping up to be good fun - it may rival the Hinault-vs-Lemond battle :)
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Samuel D on 21 July, 2018, 02:05:10 pm
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.

They won’t do that to him in any kind of explicit way. If Thomas can win, he will win. The question is whether he can maintain his lead through the Pyrenees. He usually has a bad day somewhere (sometimes by wrapping himself around a telegraph pole or similar), but he’s never been protected for three weeks so predictions are difficult.

Froome is hyper-competitive so he’ll race against Thomas as if against any other competitor while not holding hard feelings against him. How will Thomas react to that after sniffing a once-in-a-lifetime chance to win the Tour? Richie Porte couldn’t cope with his old friend Froome snatching victory from him in the Dauphiné, and their friendship suffered.

Hinault was as thick as two short planks and irascible to boot. It was also a different, less professional era. I highly doubt we’ll see anything like the Hinault-Lemond rivalry.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 21 July, 2018, 02:07:00 pm
They did note yesterday that while the rest of T $ky were all showered and in civvies at dinner, G came in halfway through the hors d'oeuvres still wearing Lycra.  Lots of extra hassle attached to the shinyjumper.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 21 July, 2018, 02:12:32 pm
The Lemond-Hinault rivalry was different because Hinault had promised to help Lemond win....then attacked him.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: mattc on 21 July, 2018, 02:27:22 pm
The Lemond-Hinault rivalry was different because Hinault had promised to help Lemond win....then attacked him.
It's early days yet!
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 21 July, 2018, 04:58:51 pm
Well, that was more fun than yesterday's yawn.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Beardy on 21 July, 2018, 05:04:01 pm
It’s going to get more funner though
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 21 July, 2018, 05:29:01 pm
Only if the guillotine was set at 15 minutes.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Beardy on 21 July, 2018, 06:30:16 pm
It did rather fizzle out didn’t it. Team politics would seem to be in play.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 21 July, 2018, 06:53:01 pm
Stage 14: Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux > Mende

(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Kim on 21 July, 2018, 07:42:05 pm
I almost understood that one!
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Croft on 21 July, 2018, 09:28:03 pm
After the wiping out of most of the sprinters, I remain astonished by, and in awe of, Peter Sagan who seems to be able to both sprint and climb with the best of them (and a bit of an entertainer to boot)

My ignorance of professional cycling knows no bounds, but have we ever seen anyone with such talent in the last few decades?
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Peter on 21 July, 2018, 09:43:28 pm
The last few decades taes us back to Eddy.  No more to be said.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Basil on 21 July, 2018, 09:44:48 pm
Well, I'll start with a recent one.  More knowledgeable peeps will be along soon.
Robert McEwen?
My kids and I used to call him "de-cloak Robbie" because he always appeared out of nowhere in the last 60 metres.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Basil on 21 July, 2018, 09:46:01 pm
The last few decades taes us back to Eddy.  No more to be said.

True
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Torslanda on 21 July, 2018, 09:50:00 pm
The last few decades taes us back to Eddy.  No more to be said.

Mr T. Orslanda: Beaten to it. Piss!!1!
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Torslanda on 21 July, 2018, 09:54:02 pm
@ *** Boult-on, C Boardmen, Rofflemeister Imlach, SD Millar et al

Is it possible we could have some continuity with pronunctiation of riders' names?

Steven Kruijswijk appears to be at least three different riders who are the same person. See also Tom Squidge . . .
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Croft on 21 July, 2018, 09:55:12 pm
I used ‘last few decades’ intending to exclude Merckx. Sagan looks like quite a beefy chap (for a cyclist) so am surprised at how well he seems to be able to climb. I guess he has the advantage that not (currently) being a GC contender means he’s allowed to escape as he did today, but even so, considering how the other sprinters struggle so on these climbs he seems to have something special.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Torslanda on 21 July, 2018, 10:12:29 pm
See the pinned post (https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=61536.0) at the top of this board

Beloki. If only he hadn't broken himself . . .
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Peter on 21 July, 2018, 10:14:58 pm
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
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Nick H. on 21 July, 2018, 11:01:26 pm
Sagan's very gifted but I don't like him.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Samuel D on 21 July, 2018, 11:05:23 pm
CP Sagan is remarkable. He can climb well as he showed today (and many other times, most clearly on stage 7 of the 2015 Tour of California; it’s worth reading the Wikipedia entries (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2015_Tour_of_California) for stages 7 and 8 of this thriller if you missed it at the time).

On short climbs like today’s he is especially strong. However, today he might have passed riders in the last kilometre after the climb, while the camera was on the Basque. Sagan can really pour on the power on flats or false flats when he needs to for a short duration. His 5-minute power must be off the charts.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: citoyen on 21 July, 2018, 11:06:09 pm
I’ve always thought Sagan is more in the mould of Sean Kelly, who was also a fearsome all-rounder and even won the Vuelta. Sagan has won more than Kelly had won by the same age, and three world championships in a row is something even Merckx never managed.

He’s certainly more versatile than Zabel, whose green jersey record he will almost certainly beat one day.

Probably won’t ever win a GT though.

The other thing that’s stopping him, aside from being too chunky for the steepest mountains, is his so-so time-trialling, though I suspect we’ve never really seen him give 100% in that discipline as there’s never been much at stake for him.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Samuel D on 21 July, 2018, 11:27:17 pm
Yeah, Sean Kelly and CP Sagan have a lot in common on the road. Kelly had perhaps a better racing brain, although Sagan has shown much improvement in the last three years. Of course their personalities could hardly be more different.

Sagan has done well in and even won short time trials such as prologues up to about 20 minutes. I suspect he could pull a huge one-hour TT out of the bag if it was ever needed, just as he did that awesome climb in California to keep Alaphilippe in his sights for the GC. After that climb he had a wild coughing fit (exercise-induced asthma?), the likes of which I’ve never seen another time, presumably because he rarely makes that kind of sustained aerobic effort.

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). Now that he’s finally won Paris–Roubaix I think it’s even less likely that he’ll attempt a conversion to GC rider. That Roubaix win seemed like proof of destiny to me.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: andrew_s on 22 July, 2018, 12:14:40 am
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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 22 July, 2018, 12:19:42 am
The last few decades taes us back to Eddy.  No more to be said.

Eddy may have won more races but I don't recall him ever performing a vigorous song-and-dance routine with Mrs Merckx, doing a post-race interview with a pair of motocross goggles round his neck or doing a wheelie across the finish line, the great square  ;D

I'm almost annoyed by the marked improvement in CP Sagan's English in recent years.  I haven't heard him say "crazy" once this Tour :demon:
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Torslanda on 22 July, 2018, 12:21:07 am
Berlitz coaching?
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 22 July, 2018, 12:32:35 am
He seems to be suffering a bit from Racing Driver Syndrome these days; 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.

Mind you, if anyone asked me the same questions in Slovak I couldn't even reply "Two BEERS please; my friend is paying".
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Samuel D on 22 July, 2018, 01:57:29 am
His English is fine although he much prefers Italian. And now he’s promised to learn more French. Another reason to hate the good-looking jammy git.

Crazy is still in his veins and his vocab. (https://www.velonews.com/2018/07/tour-de-france/sagan-tours-cobbled-stage-was-a-crazy-day_472340)

Of course he sounds a bit different in his mother tongue. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltNjJ-zbaZ8)
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Samuel D on 22 July, 2018, 02:07:51 am
Going back to Nibali’s crashing out, I thought Johan Bruyneel of all people said it well here. (https://www.instagram.com/p/BldPmfkhwnE/)

Not that I expect Prudhomme to care until ASO gets sued (as Bahrain–Merida are threatening, to their credit). The man is all that is wrong with the old guard impeding the modernisation and professionalisation of the sport.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Foxbat on 22 July, 2018, 08:47:43 am
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 )
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?
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: andyoxon on 22 July, 2018, 09:04:33 am
Looks like the camera strap caught a shifter, and two gendarme motorcyclists were in very close proximity to the cyclists, making the congestion worse.  It seemed that the main issue was that, although there were 'barriers in place', the crowds were not kept adequately behind them, at a safer distance.   0:23+ on this   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yy53dpft2Qk
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: TheLurker on 22 July, 2018, 09:40:15 am
Quote from: Mr Larrington
...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.  :)
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 22 July, 2018, 01:23:14 pm
Some top bridge action at the start of today's stage :thumbsup:

<== still has memories of the old bridge in Millau, on a very hot day, behind a lorry full of flatulent cows
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Beardy on 22 July, 2018, 01:35:39 pm
A question to the collective.
T $ky jerseys. One chap is wearing one with the $ky logo in black letters on white where’s the rest of the team have the $ky logo in white letters on a black background. What’s that all bout then?
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 22 July, 2018, 01:57:28 pm
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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: woollypigs on 22 July, 2018, 01:58:19 pm
@beardy Is that Luke Rowe? So that is the team captain. Or does it have red stripes on the arms, then that is the Polish champ.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Beardy on 22 July, 2018, 02:08:26 pm
@wooly, it’s the latter. Ta.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Pingu on 22 July, 2018, 03:17:04 pm
Heh, TV's G Imlach pronounced Millau, 'Miaow'.  ;D


M Kitteh: Wot  ???
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 22 July, 2018, 03:18:12 pm
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.

TV's D Friebe noted this a couple of days ago. DKUATB, A Schleck!

Edit: And pity poor dead *** Boulting, having T Skujins in the break today.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Basil on 22 July, 2018, 03:54:26 pm
Oi Millar.  They're not 'windmills'.  They're not milling anything.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Tim Hall on 22 July, 2018, 04:16:34 pm
What happened to C P Sagan?. The green jumper doesn't show up in any of the chase groups on the itv4 display thingy.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 22 July, 2018, 04:22:54 pm
He rode for Majka then dropped back once Majka was launched.

---o0o---

Bardet: Gravillons! Piss!

Martin (or anyone else): Wot, no potholes???

---o0o---

Majka: Piss!
Sagan: Piss!
J-P Sartre: Pipi.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Tim Hall on 22 July, 2018, 04:28:50 pm
Got it, ta. Mind you either S D Millar or N C Boardman or both were saying it more like Mijka was there to slow the second group down to give C P Sagan a chance. When Sagan got gapped Mijka then gave it beans for his own cause.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 22 July, 2018, 04:34:58 pm
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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 22 July, 2018, 05:16:21 pm
And so much for ITV4’s pack of Alaphilippe fanboiz tapping him FTW again :demon:
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 22 July, 2018, 05:45:19 pm
Stage 15: Millau > Carcassonne

(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: cygnet on 22 July, 2018, 06:39:02 pm
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

Cav won the spotty jumper on the ToB prologue in Crystal Palace by being fastest up the hill. But he won the leaders jersey too so don't think he ever wore it. Back in the days when the ToB counted Tower Hill as a Cat 4...
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: woollypigs on 22 July, 2018, 07:31:29 pm
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.


Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 22 July, 2018, 07:35:49 pm
CP Sagan says "I didn't enjoy it today" :o
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: mzjo on 22 July, 2018, 07:47:45 pm
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).

Crazy P Sagan was a guest on Les Rois de la Pédale this evening; what a nice bloke, he really comes across well, a better ambassador for pro road cycling than Froome could ever be (and he laughs and jokes like a real human being). He also appeared to know what the game plan was! I am still a Cav fan but riders like Peter could really change my way of looking at things.

Also on LRP was Cedric Vasseur who was very astute  with his comments on Liliane Calmejane's lack of race strategy and discipline. Not his rider but still giving serious considerayion without any team bias at all. Anyone remember his 10 days in yellow the year of Jan Ulrich's first win (says he, not remembering which year that was)?
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: andyoxon on 22 July, 2018, 08:01:21 pm
I wonder how the GeraintJ & ChrisF conundrum will pan out post pyrenees and TT.  At least it's adding interest...
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: woollypigs on 22 July, 2018, 08:15:14 pm
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.

https://www.teamsky.com/article/team-sky-statement-gianni-moscon
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 22 July, 2018, 08:41:36 pm
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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 22 July, 2018, 08:43:50 pm
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.

Serge Pauwels is also out with a broken elbow sustained in that multiple pile-up just before the finish.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Torslanda on 22 July, 2018, 09:03:25 pm
Quote
N Boulting:   ...hoam town ov L Jalabert, teh professional gobshite!

T Orslanda: i em conzulterating wiv mi loyyerz.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: A Cyclist on 22 July, 2018, 09:09:08 pm
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.

Reported earlier:

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.

Report here with clip of incident:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/gianni-moscon-disqualified-from-tour-de-france/ (http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/gianni-moscon-disqualified-from-tour-de-france/)

Based on his previous attention from the media/authorities, interesting discussions ahead for him post TdF.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Chris S on 22 July, 2018, 09:22:25 pm
I've been a fan of GT since the days he was tweeting irreverent rubbish from the back of the Sky Bus, years ago.

He's stick thin isn't he? He makes the Size 0 Eye-candy Podium Gurls look chubby.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: spesh on 22 July, 2018, 09:27:20 pm
... Moscon was suspended by Sky for six weeks for a racist slur against a French rider last year.

More on that incident in the Tour de Romandie last year:

https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/latest-news/team-sky-suspends-gianni-moscon-racist-comments-kevin-reza-328024

And then things escalated at the Tre Valli Varesine five months later - Reza's team-mate Sebastien Reichenbach accused Moscon of pushing him off his bike in retaliation for his tweets in support of Reza.

https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/racing/reichenbach-deliberately-pushed-off-moscon-settle-score-fdj-rider-tweeted-racism-case-353839#TZigGOELeXZGu3iH.99

The UCI eventually dropped the case in June this year.

https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/racing/gianni-moscon-cleared-deliberately-causing-sebastien-reichenbach-crash-383618
https://www.teamsky.com/article/team-sky-welcome-moscon-decision
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: andyoxon on 22 July, 2018, 10:08:23 pm
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.

Yes  - should have said 'will have panned out'.   If CF's Sky no1 and wants another TdF win, and keep any Triple ambitions alive - which I guess he does, he'll not want to leave it all to the TT.

ps.  Go G!
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 22 July, 2018, 10:39:52 pm
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
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: quixoticgeek on 23 July, 2018, 12:23:52 am
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.

It'll be over by the end of stage 17. In fact, it'll probably be over by the end of the 1st climb of stage 17. Froome will be in front at that point, and by the end of stage 17, he'll wear yellow all the way to Paris.

J
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Ivo on 23 July, 2018, 07:05:54 am
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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 23 July, 2018, 08:07:12 am
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).

Maybe it was 5 minutes and they were listening to him.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 23 July, 2018, 08:20:55 am
The irritating thing about France TV's on-line coverage is that it ends as soon as the stage leaders are over the line, so that when the peloton is dawdling we don't see them coming in. That's taken care of in Vélo Club, which they don't put on line.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 23 July, 2018, 08:22:10 am
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:

Mr. Murdoch will not be happy.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: citoyen on 23 July, 2018, 08:40:43 am
Stage 15: Millau > Carcassonne

You've left out the assorted witterings about the yellow paint on the walls of Carcassonne, which as any fule kno* is Not Art.


*as long as they're yacf regulars
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Samuel D on 23 July, 2018, 08:44:26 am
However, he included Wiggins’s inane but sinister ramblings in full. Makes up for the later omission?
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: citoyen on 23 July, 2018, 09:01:39 am
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...
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Samuel D on 23 July, 2018, 09:21:27 am
We must all pretend Armstrong did not exist or was not a great cyclist and a hero for many. I guess that includes Wiggins when he’s fighting for his reputation.

Thought it was harsh on Moscon to be booted out for that gesture. Not that I have a problem with zero tolerance of violence but that others have done worse with trivial penalties if any.

But his reputation precedes him, the racist thing with Reza was a terrible indictment of character, and some would rather believe he injured Reichenbach than accept the UCI version. And he rides for pantomime baddie Brailsford, who can nonetheless be trusted to be politically (and otherwise) correct and not make a scene about Moscon’s exclusion.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: TheLurker on 23 July, 2018, 09:36:18 am
Quote from: Samuel D
...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".
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Exit Stage Left on 23 July, 2018, 09:37:24 am
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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Torslanda on 23 July, 2018, 09:51:25 am
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?
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: citoyen on 23 July, 2018, 09:53:12 am
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'.

He was 19 and still an espoir when he rode for the GB team at the PruTour in 1999. In any case, quibbling over definitions of 'young rider' is missing the point, which is that he has mentioned Lance as a hero many times in the past when asked the same question.

I don't blame him for airbrushing history though - for the reasons Samuel D mentions. It's probably best to just avoid the subject rather than have to go into lengthy explanations.

Quote
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.

To be fair, he was also asked about his 'dream team' and did mention Yates, admitting that it was a slightly controversial choice.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: citoyen on 23 July, 2018, 09:57:55 am
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?

Yates was among those asked to leave when people finally started to admit what we had all known all along. Brailsford's line was that he'd asked people to sign a disclaimer when they joined the organisation and he was as disappointed and surprised as the rest of us when the truth came out.

Except that no one was even slightly surprised about Yates. Except Brailsford, apparently.

I still like Yates though. He could read a race better than anyone else on the team and was extremely valuable to Sky in the early years. Their tactical naivety was exposed for a while when he left.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Exit Stage Left on 23 July, 2018, 10:26:04 am
Yates was the only role model for a British rider of Bradley's build in the early 1990s. At the other end of the inspiration spectrum was Robert Millar, who was more of a challenger than a workhorse.

The obvious home for Wiggins was Credit Agricole, who had guided the career of extremely classy riders, without resorting to drugs. He was there for a while, after advice from Boardman. Another role model was the other Millar.

Quote
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.'

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2005/jan/16/cycling.williamfotheringham
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 23 July, 2018, 10:30:18 am
Brailsford was arrested along with David Millar.

Brailsford is fully aware of the history of cycling. It didn't stop him employing former USPS rider Michael Barry, and Rabobank's doping doctor, Geert Leinders, amongst a host of other tainted riders and staff.

Sean Yates had also worked for Armstrong for 6 years, in Dicovery and Astana. He claimed that during those years he never saw anything suspicious.

It always struck me that operating a ZTP for prior doping was a foolish PR stunt. Brailsford knowingly employed tainted people, and in some respects could hardly have avoided so doing given the reliance on doping of the prior generation of riders and the complicity of their staff.

It is just one of the many things which have caught him out and it may well be that it is the hypocrisy and taking fans for idiots that has lead to such an audible dislike of Team Sky at the roadside and jersey ceremonies.



Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: citoyen on 23 July, 2018, 10:48:41 am
It always struck me that operating a ZTP for prior doping was a foolish PR stunt.

Naive at best, if you're feeling charitable.

Brailsford's terrible PR skills are definitely a large part of the reason Sky are so widely disliked.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Exit Stage Left on 23 July, 2018, 10:52:58 am
Brailsford is a bit conflicted by the dual leadership. He's English, but speaks Welsh, and has appeared in Pobol y Cwm.

https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/latest-news/sir-dave-brailsford-appears-in-welsh-language-tv-soap-opera-208584
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 23 July, 2018, 10:55:44 am
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; he had to DNS the 2016 French National road race after injuring his hand in an altercation in his hotel the night before the event.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: citoyen on 23 July, 2018, 11:31:40 am
Bouhanni's got previous as well

I wonder if this is part of the reason Cofidis had the good sense to leave Bouhanni at home, even though he is the team's second-highest scorer on the UCI rankings (three of their current Tour squad have precisely zero UCI ranking points). He's certainly not a popular rider in the peloton.

Whether or not Sky sack Moscon, ASO could ban them from selecting him for the Tour in future - they'd probably have more luck with that than their attempt to ban Froome.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: andyoxon on 23 July, 2018, 12:56:10 pm
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...
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: citoyen on 23 July, 2018, 01:00:27 pm
Didn't Hinault once say he wouldn't attack LeMond in a similar situation?
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: drgannet on 23 July, 2018, 02:07:51 pm
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...

As quixoticgeek said upthread, Froome to attack on the first or second mountain of stage 17 then!

If Sky are only interested in winning the tour, but not with whom, then this might not be a bad tactic; it stands a chance of creating a bigger gap between Dumoulin and either Froome or Thomas.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Von Broad on 23 July, 2018, 03:17:53 pm
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...

That's a great shame IMO. Like him or loath him [personally I don't have as strong a feeling of antipathy towards him as most people do here], but Armstrong was and is a very inspirational kind of person. Looking at his career from the outside, on face value, which is all most people could ever do at the time, Armstrong's endeavours were inspirational, and it's personally reasonable to understand why somebody like Wiggins would be inspired by him. There must have been countless others that were too. I can understand why he wouldn't want to go there, and he's probably best not too, but it's a shame that Wiggins can't just admit to it really. Internally, it has to be more uncomfortable not too.   

I listened to the first part of that Wiggins interview, and was getting quite drawn in but then had to go and do some work [ :(] so missed that section.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: mattc on 23 July, 2018, 03:26:17 pm
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!)

But I don't recall that *Brailsford* was arrested. A quick google around the subject is inconclusive. Still, I guess it would leave quite an impression if a pro-rider (and friend) was arrested at your dining table!

(In the book, Millar paints the other Dave as still being very anti-doping at that stage. )
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Torslanda on 23 July, 2018, 03:46:37 pm
'Racing Into The Dark'? Just about to start it. I'll keep you posted . . .
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: citoyen on 23 July, 2018, 03:53:03 pm
(In the book, Millar paints the other Dave as still being very anti-doping at that stage. )

Don't forget that Brailsford was still a British Cycling employee at the time, with no experience of the world of pro road racing, and had only just taken over the cycling programme from Peter Keen. I find it plausible that it was a genuine surprise to him that Millar was doping.

Team Sky was but a distant glimmer in his eye in 2004. I don't think he developed an interest in road racing until after the 2008 Olympics, when Nicole Cooke and Emma Pooley won medals despite Team GB's involvement.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Von Broad on 23 July, 2018, 03:54:38 pm
'Racing Into The Dark'? Just about to start it. I'll keep you posted . . .

If he writes as well as he articulates, there's a strong chance that book's going to be a good read.
Just ordered it myself!
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Torslanda on 23 July, 2018, 03:56:51 pm
As long as it isn't full of pointless tourist info about chateaux.  ::-)
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 23 July, 2018, 05:04:13 pm
It's an excellent read
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Exit Stage Left on 23 July, 2018, 05:40:41 pm
Brailsford spent four years as a sponsored amateur in France. Prior to lottery funding, that was the route into pro-cycling.

Riders knew that turning pro meant taking drugs, so either you accepted that, or came home with your tail between your legs. Some had the option of further education, and a job in sport.

Brailsford came along at the right time, as did the first wave of lottery-funded riders. They could get paid to ride on the track in pursuit of medals, for the new East Germany.

I'm quite interested in those who nearly made it under both systems.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: cygnet on 23 July, 2018, 05:50:34 pm
Has anyone seen a quintessential Yellow Jersey rest day photograph yet?

(e.g. G in his yellow jersey sitting outside a café with an espresso and reading l'Equipe)

Or did Sky stop doing that?
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: citoyen on 23 July, 2018, 05:53:42 pm
Brailsford spent four years as a sponsored amateur in France.

Good point, I forgot about that.

Quote
Riders knew that turning pro meant taking drugs, so either you accepted that, or came home with your tail between your legs.

So I suppose that makes his feigned innocence about characters like Yates and Leinders sound even less plausible.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 23 July, 2018, 05:57:54 pm
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.”
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Exit Stage Left on 23 July, 2018, 06:25:27 pm
A headmaster knows that some of his pupils will be taking drugs. He can expect 'omertà' from most of the pupils, as dobbing people in is social suicide.

He also knows that some teachers will have experimented with drugs, and might still do some, as might parents.

If a pupil dies of an overdose, or a teacher is found dealing, a crackdown ensues. Otherwise things proceed as usual, unless some sheltered innocent joins the staff, and starts blowing whistles.

In general it's a good idea to reduce drug dependency, and that should be the aspiration, but that won't ever stop the cool kids.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Peter on 23 July, 2018, 08:32:41 pm
For cool kids read "tossers".

An Teacher.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Torslanda on 23 July, 2018, 09:50:01 pm
FFS! Somebody change the record . . .
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 23 July, 2018, 09:51:17 pm
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?
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 23 July, 2018, 09:58:06 pm
As if by legerdemain P@nd3m1c Pr0duckt10nz has tracked down a surplus-to-requirements paranthesis inserted by TV's Evil C Boardman...

Rest Day 2

(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: sg37409 on 23 July, 2018, 10:11:17 pm
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.”

Hi do you have a source for this ?
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 23 July, 2018, 10:13:24 pm
All in the public domain.

Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Nick H. on 23 July, 2018, 11:43:29 pm
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)
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 24 July, 2018, 12:36:52 am
Serves him right for doing one stage more than the rest of the pelican.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 24 July, 2018, 06:06:33 am
Didn't we agree to keep the doping in other threads?

Why ask me? I didn't reignite it. Samuel D said the 'A' word and Torslanda asked about ZTP. 
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 24 July, 2018, 07:42:22 am
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)

I showed this to Mrs T: "Yeah, I've seen that one before. Jiggery-pokery."
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: sg37409 on 24 July, 2018, 09:05:57 am
That pic was doing the rounds last year.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Exit Stage Left on 24 July, 2018, 10:49:18 am
I caught up with the Brailsford interview on the ITV4 highlights. I wouldn't argue with any of his comments. The treatment of Froome is disgraceful, and it is only in France that it happens.

DB looks might he might be getting demob-happy. There must be uncertainty surrounding Team Sky, as the sponsor is up for sale.

I can understand the frustration of the French, but they've got the facilities in place for a cycling resurgence, but the football takes all the attention. I hope Bardet can take the short stage.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: rafletcher on 24 July, 2018, 11:19:19 am
Watching the highlights, Gary Imlach called Brailsford "sanctimonious", but they'd edited out the part where Brailsford talked about his female staffer being spat at. I don't think, as Boardman said, the reaction was all frustration, but there was (justifiable IMO) anger in there too. Frankly the crowd behaviour - pumped up by the press and the likes of Madiot, has been absolutely disgraceful this year.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: woollypigs on 24 July, 2018, 11:23:13 am
Race + demonstration = pause.

Looks like stuff sprayed at the rides.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: andyoxon on 24 July, 2018, 11:26:41 am
Quote
There are now a large group of riders back at the medical car, rinsing their eyes out with water.

This is awful. There is usually a farmers' protest during the race but this goes beyond that.
BBC
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: woollypigs on 24 July, 2018, 11:32:06 am
Ned and Miller is talking about it could be the police pepper/tear gas spraying the protesters.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: citoyen on 24 July, 2018, 11:33:17 am
Funny, I had been thinking that the crowds this year seem reasonably tame compared to some occasions in the past. At least no one has been shot at this year...

TV footage suggests the spray has actually come from a policeman rather than a protestor. The protestor was trying to throw a hay bale in the road, the cop tried to spray him but the wind caught the spray and it hit the riders instead.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 24 July, 2018, 12:49:40 pm
Dunno what they're protesting about, but farmers are usually protesting about something. Possibly supermarket chains pushing prices down below viability.

---o0o---

It's pissing down in the Pyrenees.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 24 July, 2018, 01:14:30 pm
On the plus side, Super D has just* given Eleanor of Aquitaine her first mention this year :thumbsup:

* FSVO "just"; I'm still an hour behind on the recording.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Tim Hall on 24 July, 2018, 01:40:44 pm
Watching a boring bit of bike racing? Worry not, listen to York, P, enthralling us with tales of punch ups on past races and of bikes being hurled, rock star style, into the hotel swimming pool.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 24 July, 2018, 01:53:35 pm
Farmers were complaining about farm subsidies being reduced.  Apparently the region has recently lost its "disadvantaged" status.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Nick H. on 24 July, 2018, 01:55:38 pm
Are they going to stop at Casartelli's memorial? I can't remember whether that was a one-off or a regular thing.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 24 July, 2018, 02:19:40 pm
The memorial is listed on the TdF-site schedule, but no mention of a stop.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: woollypigs on 24 July, 2018, 02:39:05 pm
Feck me I just read the above and there is nearly a carbon copy of the Casartelli crash as I type this ....
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Nick H. on 24 July, 2018, 03:00:03 pm
Commentators are talking about the drop after you go over the edge. It's not the drop which is lethal, it's the barrier. Casartelli hit his head on one of these blocks:

(https://alchetron.com/cdn/fabio-casartelli-cf7a575f-ba5c-40de-9b91-a96be57d9e9-resize-750.jpeg)

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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 24 July, 2018, 03:22:20 pm
(Still 40 minutes behind)

P Gilbert, you utter sillybollocks!
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 24 July, 2018, 03:25:41 pm
Well, at least somebody stopped near the memorial.

Memories of Ulrich going over the edge back in the epoicene.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: andrew_s on 24 July, 2018, 04:00:26 pm
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
b) blocks have corners to concentrate the impact
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: woollypigs on 24 July, 2018, 04:07:42 pm
ouch !
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: woollypigs on 24 July, 2018, 04:09:20 pm
Come on, lad !
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: woollypigs on 24 July, 2018, 04:10:05 pm
You got this !
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: woollypigs on 24 July, 2018, 04:13:40 pm
bother but \o/
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 24 July, 2018, 04:14:31 pm
Now comes the real race
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 24 July, 2018, 05:25:05 pm
Just saw a clip of Gilbert being helped to his feet on the far side of the wall. It looks as if he just missed landing on a block of stone.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Samuel D on 24 July, 2018, 06:00:06 pm
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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 24 July, 2018, 06:01:46 pm
Stage 16: Carcassonne > Bagnères-de-Luchon

(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 24 July, 2018, 08:18:13 pm
Highlights prog says that Gilbert is out after that crash :'(

Démare came in 10 minutes behind the main autobus, who were themselves half an hour back on Alaphilippe.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Samuel D on 24 July, 2018, 08:28:10 pm
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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Pingu on 24 July, 2018, 08:30:58 pm
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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: quixoticgeek on 24 July, 2018, 08:33:22 pm
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.

That brings a tear to your eye, just looking at it. Hope he recovers fully soon!

J
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 25 July, 2018, 12:22:08 am
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.

On the live show TV's M Smith interviewed a madman who has been running the whole route. He too noted that the tunnel was full of cows.

ETA: An article on The Comic's site, published about a month ago, says resurfacing is due "in the weeks before the Tour".
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: quixoticgeek on 25 July, 2018, 12:26:32 am

Does anyone know if the team cars can go up the Portet, or is it going to be Motos with a mechanic carrying a bike on their shoulder like it was in the Zoncolan?

J
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 25 July, 2018, 06:59:33 am
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.

I was almost too anxious for him (Alaphilippe) to enjoy it.  All it takes is for the rain to wash out some sand from the forest, or for some council oik to leave a shovelful of grit in the wrong place.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 25 July, 2018, 07:08:30 am
The roads are swept before each stage, but even so it is basically one big game of chicken.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 25 July, 2018, 07:17:12 am
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.

He'll not be kicking much with a fractured kneecap. Kudos to him for finishing the stage. I see they gave him the combativity prize.

I was listening on headphones when he went over and from the gasp I gave the missus thought I'd had a heart attack.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Exit Stage Left on 25 July, 2018, 08:25:42 am
Alaphillipe's attempt to wait for Yates was a nice sporting gesture, a shame that his team told him to ride on.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: DuncanM on 25 July, 2018, 09:07:29 am
Phillipe Gilbert is hard as nails. That crash, a fractured kneecap, and he gets back on and rides 50k to the finish including that monster final climb? Where's the smiley for chapeaux!!!?

It was interesting to hear Alaphilipe say that he was waiting for Yates until the team told him not to.  I wonder if Yates had known then he would have hammered it to get back on.  Then again, Alaphilipe would probably have dropped him further down that descent - the guy is a (very very skilled) lunatic descender. It made for an interesting  stage though, even if the GC guys didn't do much.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Beardy on 25 July, 2018, 09:18:05 am
Will it all kick off today with the GC contenders of will Froome be bieding his tiem and just destroy them all on the ITT?
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 25 July, 2018, 09:32:20 am
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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 25 July, 2018, 09:42:33 am
Orders ≠ desires
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Beardy on 25 July, 2018, 09:46:19 am
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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 25 July, 2018, 09:55:22 am
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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 25 July, 2018, 10:01:19 am
Orders ≠ desires

He looked a bit shaken up.

We'll find out today I supppse
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Legs on 25 July, 2018, 10:12:00 am
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.
(Montoya got pretty close, too.)
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Nuncio on 25 July, 2018, 10:20:13 am
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.

With the bonus, for Froome, that if it works he might overhaul Thomas in the GC as well, or take out enough of a chunk that he can be overhauled in the TT.  If Froome gaps GT and TD, GT would have to be very strong/confident to try and close the gap without dragging TD as well. On past form Froome could leave it until the last 2 or 3km of today's final climb. On current form, who knows?  It certainly didn't work out that way for him on Alpe D'Huez.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Beardy on 25 July, 2018, 10:24:49 am
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.
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.
(Montoya got pretty close, too.)

Nor did I kno that.

Well, it seems I don’t kno much about the history of Indy Car world champions. Hey ho.  8)
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: mattc on 25 July, 2018, 10:33:32 am
of course "Indy Car WORLD Champion" is an interesting concept.  #bloodyyanks
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 25 July, 2018, 10:47:44 am
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.

* hence the "Indy circuit" moniker for the short circuit at Brands.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Legs on 25 July, 2018, 11:13:54 am
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.

* hence the "Indy circuit" moniker for the short circuit at Brands.
Veering further OT: wasn't there also a race at Silverstone way back when?

Transmuralia ROFL  ;D
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: DuncanM on 25 July, 2018, 11:36:17 am
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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Legs on 25 July, 2018, 11:50:24 am
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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: quixoticgeek on 25 July, 2018, 12:07:21 pm
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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: DuncanM on 25 July, 2018, 12:14:14 pm
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:
https://cyclingtips.com/2018/07/today-at-the-tour-tom-dumoulins-dilemma/

However Thomas hasn't raced proper long TTs with something on the line for ages (if ever?). So it's much harder to work out how he stacks up against Dumoulin.  I suspect that Thomas finishes close enough in the TT to stay ahead if there is no change in time over the next 2 days. Assuming he stays upright and doesn't have a jour sans. I guess we'll find out... :)
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: citoyen on 25 July, 2018, 12:27:24 pm
[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 did wonder if blocking tactics might come into play but from what I've read this morning, it sounds highly unlikely as the road is wide and overtaking will be easy.

The length and difficulty of the first climb (15km at 6.7%) means any early attackers will find it hard to stay away from the chasing pack all the way to the summit and still have enough left to be in contention at the finish.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mrs Pingu on 25 July, 2018, 12:33:03 pm
I, for one, will be a bit pissed off if T $ky throw GT under the bus for Froome.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: quixoticgeek on 25 July, 2018, 12:37:45 pm
I, for one, will be a bit pissed off if T $ky throw GT under the bus for Froome.

You and a couple of million others. Since when have Sky cared about public opinion?

J
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: citoyen on 25 July, 2018, 12:40:48 pm
@INRNG on twitter:
"Timeline feels too full of references to today's start grid. Yes it's novel + visible but the three climbs and the toboggan descent off the Col d'Azet surely all more significant?"

https://twitter.com/inrng/status/1022080121707130881

He can usually be relied on to know what he's talking about.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Samuel D on 25 July, 2018, 12:51:07 pm
I, for one, will be a bit pissed off if T $ky throw GT under the bus for Froome.

There has been no sign they will do so. On the contrary, it looks like Thomas is being given every opportunity to win the Tour if he can. I think that will continue and Froome will have to race Thomas if he wants to win. He’ll try that today if he has the legs.

I cannot see the starting grid having an effect on the race. The GC riders aren’t going to sprint and keep going until the Col de Peyresourde is climbed! As likely as not they’ll not even sprint out of the blocks for show. Teams that want to regroup will do so in the first few minutes without difficulty. Of course breakaway riders will be up the road by then, but so what (from the perspective of teams with a GC guy in the hunt).

LottoNL-Jumbo, Movistar, AG2R, or Sunweb will probably try a long-range attack (in about that order of likelihood?), perhaps on the second climb (Col de Val Louron-Azet). It probably won’t work and Sky, Dumoulin, and assorted others will reel it in. If Froome has the legs, I think he’s likely to go early on the Col du Portet when someone like Bardet attacks, in the hope of taking major time on Thomas and Dumoulin if they crack. I reckon he has a good chance of winning the stage but not by enough time to unseat Thomas.

My hope, on the other hand, is that Froome goes on the descent of the Col de Val Louron-Azet and Thomas, Dumoulin, Bardet and others have to make a wild chase.

Dumoulin may do better than expected on these steep climbs. Yesterday’s long and fast but attack-free stage was much easier for a big guy like him than for the pure climbers.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: andyoxon on 25 July, 2018, 01:31:02 pm
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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: De Sisti on 25 July, 2018, 01:48:59 pm
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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Legs on 25 July, 2018, 02:07:05 pm
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...
In 2007, stage 17 was the stage which Rasmussen didn't start, which changed the YJ holder...
In 2006, stage 17 was the famous Lazarus of Morzine stage on which Landis brought himself back into contention to retake the jersey in the later TT...
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 25 July, 2018, 02:21:04 pm
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.

No way.

He'll wait for his team, as will all the other GC contenders. It won't go off until the last or the penultimate climb.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: woollypigs on 25 July, 2018, 02:23:16 pm
Well that start was a bit of meh
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: citoyen on 25 July, 2018, 02:23:38 pm
I think the riders made their feelings on the grid start pretty clear with the looks of disdain as they rolled away casually.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 25 July, 2018, 02:24:32 pm
Business as usual.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 25 July, 2018, 02:36:25 pm
34.5°C on the road. Must be bloody hot in the middle of the pelican.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: citoyen on 25 July, 2018, 02:52:45 pm
A wonderful bird is the pelican...
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: quixoticgeek on 25 July, 2018, 02:57:11 pm

Quintana is having a lot of issues with the Di2 of his front wheel. Poor sod.

J
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 25 July, 2018, 03:03:18 pm
 ;D ;D

Oooh bitchy
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 25 July, 2018, 03:05:20 pm
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.

Matt White, Yates' DS, didn't think so and he was in a car directly behind Alaphilippe at the time.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 25 July, 2018, 03:07:02 pm
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.

* hence the "Indy circuit" moniker for the short circuit at Brands.
Veering further OT: wasn't there also a race at Silverstone way back when?

Transmuralia ROFL  ;D

1978.  They had races at Silverstone and Brands on consecutive weekends.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 25 July, 2018, 03:27:41 pm
Bardet has Latour pulling him up. He's a great descenders....odds on he goes before the summit
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: citoyen on 25 July, 2018, 03:30:41 pm
Bardet has Latour pulling him up. He's a great descenders....odds on he goes before the summit

This descent looks absolutely terrifying as well - should suit him perfectly if he can get over the summit ahead of the group.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 25 July, 2018, 03:32:45 pm
Bardet just clobbered his team for no gain.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: andyoxon on 25 July, 2018, 03:39:28 pm
Wot no GC perturbations yet?
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 25 July, 2018, 03:39:44 pm
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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 25 July, 2018, 03:40:06 pm
Wot no GC perturbations yet?

Of course not
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 25 July, 2018, 03:41:06 pm
Sagan crashed!
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 25 July, 2018, 03:41:44 pm
CP Sagan has crashed! Noes!

XP with Hot Flatus
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: quixoticgeek on 25 July, 2018, 03:43:40 pm

Are riders allowed water in some of the last 10k on this stage?

J
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 25 July, 2018, 03:52:53 pm
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.

And lo...


Quintana
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: quixoticgeek on 25 July, 2018, 03:54:30 pm

Why does Quintana have only 1 number on his back?

J
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 25 July, 2018, 03:55:09 pm
Primoz goes, Froome follows.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: quixoticgeek on 25 July, 2018, 03:55:53 pm
Primoz goes, Froome follows.

It begins!

J
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 25 July, 2018, 03:56:39 pm
As expected, GT using Dumoulin to grind him back to Froome. Dumoulin has no choice.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 25 July, 2018, 03:57:12 pm
Alaphillipe/Yates handshake.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 25 July, 2018, 04:00:26 pm
As expected, GT using Dumoulin to grind him back to Froome. Dumoulin has no choice.

Attack covered.

Bardet can't counter attack
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 25 July, 2018, 04:08:15 pm
I think Sky have realised they cannot win with Froome...even if he could win.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Beardy on 25 July, 2018, 04:15:06 pm
Do you think it’s going to,kick off soon?  ;D
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 25 July, 2018, 04:18:38 pm
GC? No.

They are all limiting Quintana. No more attacks until a final dash near the summit, I think. Bardet looks cooked.

Can Martin reach NQ...

Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 25 July, 2018, 04:21:18 pm
Yep, Bardet's tour is over
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: quixoticgeek on 25 July, 2018, 04:25:28 pm

Is sagan rolling again?

J
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 25 July, 2018, 04:29:16 pm
Who?
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 25 July, 2018, 04:31:27 pm
Get ready for Dumoulin to have a go
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 25 July, 2018, 04:31:56 pm
And as if by magic...
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 25 July, 2018, 04:32:04 pm
Froome...
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: quixoticgeek on 25 July, 2018, 04:32:45 pm
Who?

Peter Sagan... Green Jersey... sometimes wearing rainbows?

J
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 25 July, 2018, 04:33:05 pm
Froome is slippingoff the podium today
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 25 July, 2018, 04:33:31 pm
Who?

Peter Sagan... Green Jersey... sometimes wearing rainbows?

J

I was being facetious
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 25 July, 2018, 04:34:25 pm
The stage is Quintana's.
Roglic fighting for3rd Podium
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 25 July, 2018, 04:34:32 pm
Froome is slippingoff the podium today

Dumoulin climbing it
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: quixoticgeek on 25 July, 2018, 04:34:50 pm
Who?

Peter Sagan... Green Jersey... sometimes wearing rainbows?

J

I was being facetious

So am I. He had a crash, is he still moving?

J
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 25 July, 2018, 04:35:39 pm
Froome is slippingoff the podium today

Dumoulin climbing it

Yes, into 2nd, Roglic wants 3rd
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: woollypigs on 25 July, 2018, 04:37:59 pm
What a ride from NQ, bravo !

Then Dan's ride tooo !!

And G what brilliant ride !!!
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 25 July, 2018, 04:39:06 pm
Froome just about still in 3rd I think
.Edit, no off pod

Re-edit: right first time
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: quixoticgeek on 25 July, 2018, 04:40:18 pm

Well I was wrong.

Exciting stage tho!

J
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Beardy on 25 July, 2018, 04:42:16 pm
That was a class ride. It makes SDBs decision easier  ::-)
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Nick H. on 25 July, 2018, 04:43:18 pm
I wonder how things would have panned out if Froome hadn't had that silly little crash on day 1.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 25 July, 2018, 04:43:28 pm

Is sagan rolling again?

J

*** and/or Super D said yes, about five minutes after his off. We BRITONS had to suffer a shitvert break in the middle, though, so it was probably announced sooner.

Edit: He's finished, albeit 26'29" down.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 25 July, 2018, 04:44:45 pm
That was a class ride. It makes SDBs decision easier  ::-)

Win win for Sky.

Froome is so toxic he cannot stand on the podium in Paris.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 25 July, 2018, 04:45:36 pm
Froome still on podium by 16" from Roglic.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: citoyen on 25 July, 2018, 04:46:18 pm
Froome just about still in 3rd I think
.Edit, no off pod

Re-edit: right first time

Yep, still 16 seconds ahead of Roglic on GC according to the official results. He may well lose it in the TT though.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 25 July, 2018, 05:09:01 pm
Still another heavy-duty mountain stage to come, though, and a downhill finish to boot.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: woollypigs on 25 July, 2018, 05:20:39 pm
Sagan just limped onto the stage, not much left of his t-shirt on the back
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Beardy on 25 July, 2018, 05:44:26 pm
Will Froome now ride for GT? Is he even capable of doing so?


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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: spesh on 25 July, 2018, 05:47:33 pm
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.



Right the first time.

To be awarded the snottypoints prize and snottyjumper in Paris requires actually getting there.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: woollypigs on 25 July, 2018, 05:48:11 pm
You don't get t-shirts if you don't cross the line in Paris
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: citoyen on 25 July, 2018, 05:48:19 pm
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.

Yes, he has to finish. But he is uncatchable in the points classification now, so finishing is all he has to do.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 25 July, 2018, 05:59:10 pm
Stage 17: Bagnères-de-Luchon > Saint-Lary-Soulan Col du Portet

(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: woollypigs on 25 July, 2018, 07:52:16 pm
oops https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/racing/tour-de-france/police-officer-causes-chris-froome-crash-tour-de-france-stage-17-finish-mistaking-fan-388101
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: spesh on 25 July, 2018, 08:00:07 pm
https://www.instagram.com/p/BlqXXFzBb8i/  ::-)
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Samuel D on 25 July, 2018, 08:03:38 pm
AG2R shirt. Unknown passport.

What a circus.

Excellent summary as always, Mr Larrington.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: andyoxon on 25 July, 2018, 08:14:03 pm
Go \G/

Hopefully bad days will stay away.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mrs Pingu on 25 July, 2018, 08:24:02 pm
^This
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Canardly on 25 July, 2018, 09:14:46 pm
60km with a broken knee cap. Respect deserved I think. Wow.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 25 July, 2018, 11:33:33 pm
https://www.instagram.com/p/BlqXXFzBb8i/  ::-)

What's the French word for "gammon"?
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: spesh on 26 July, 2018, 12:00:41 am
Connard? :demon:

The perp doesn't look like they have the warmth or depths to be a connasse...
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 26 July, 2018, 07:22:06 am
Saw him limping across the paddock at the end yesterday. He looked to be really hurting.

Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Exit Stage Left on 26 July, 2018, 09:08:57 am
https://www.instagram.com/p/BlqXXFzBb8i/  ::-)

What's the French word for "gammon"?

It's weird isn't it. These idiot trolls seem to think they can extend their pseudonymous online bile into real life without the consequences that come from being readily identifiable.

On the other hand, he's stood up and made his convictions known, so not the usual armchair warrior.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 26 July, 2018, 09:30:57 am
Another online troll speaks:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/tygart-says-wada-lost-credibility-in-chris-froomes-salbutamol-case/

Of course, he shouldn't voice his doubts because ESL says so. Nor should Lappartient, Prudhomne or anybody.

ESL's  post is, as usual, nonsensical. He approves of a fan trying to cause a rider to crash , but excoriates discussion of cheating.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Exit Stage Left on 26 July, 2018, 09:54:12 am
Prudhomme judged that a Bardet win would revitalise French interest in the Tour, and that close observation of Sky's medical regime could neutralise them, especially with Froome sidelined.

Judgments are themselves liable to judgement by events. So I'm not too bothered by Prudhomme's views.

However. I have enjoyed seeing Alaphillipe make hay while the sun has shone. His interactions with Adam Yates have added to the Tour.

I'm a bit ambivalent about Sagan. His performance was phenomenal before he bulked up, but now it's incredible. He's clearly the rock star cyclists the world craves, but he falls outside the 'normal' envelope.

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.

The Tour is likely to develop in directions driven by online interest, so we can look forward to more of these dumbed-down displays.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: DuncanM on 26 July, 2018, 10:07:31 am
What is interesting is that while power to weight is clearly the most important single number for doing well in GC, the podium guys are surprisingly tall. In years gone past, the climbers were all tiny, and people like Martin and Quintana fit that mould, however they were getting dropped in the alps by Froome, Dumoulin, Roglic, and Thomas. While super skinny, they are not tiny like climbers of yore.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 26 July, 2018, 10:11:50 am
https://www.instagram.com/p/BlqXXFzBb8i/  ::-)

What's the French word for "gammon"?

Intox.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Exit Stage Left on 26 July, 2018, 10:18:03 am
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.

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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: mattc on 26 July, 2018, 10:46:12 am
Another online troll speaks:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/tygart-says-wada-lost-credibility-in-chris-froomes-salbutamol-case/
I'm not sure how this affects Le TdeF 2018.  :-\
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Exit Stage Left on 26 July, 2018, 10:57:59 am
Another online troll speaks:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/tygart-says-wada-lost-credibility-in-chris-froomes-salbutamol-case/
I'm not sure how this affects Le TdeF 2018.  :-\

His analysis does seem to be ahistorical, and consumed by anti-Sky confirmation bias. He's also prone to making personal attacks, best ignored I think.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: DuncanM on 26 July, 2018, 11:04:26 am
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.

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. 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!

Though according to Wikipedia, Indurain's race weight was 7kg more than Dumoulin, 8 more than Thomas and 11 more than Froome. He's 2 inches taller than Thomas and 1 inch taller than the other 2. Maybe effect and cause?
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Exit Stage Left on 26 July, 2018, 11:08:09 am
Banesto were masters of diplomacy, gifting stages made them friends.

Sky don't need friends, and the treatment they've received hasn't disposed them to be generous.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: DuncanM on 26 July, 2018, 11:10:29 am
Banesto might not have given stages away if they were also giving their rivals 10 seconds each time. ;)
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: LittleWheelsandBig on 26 July, 2018, 11:32:12 am
Traditionally there were climbers built like fleas that would do brutal changes of pace, in and out of the saddle. There were also some climbers built tall and skinny, mostly sitting down and holding a steady high intensity. In both cases, power to weight ruled.

What neither of these types of climbers could do was excel at time trials or hold on over rough courses, due to a lack of sustained high power output. That was when the heavier, powerful riders would come into their own and make time on the climbers.

In the EPO era, the meaty sprinters and TTers could put out enough raw power for enough time to beat the climbing specialists in the high mountains.

Nowadays, it seems that the tall, ultra-skinny climbers can put out enough power to match or beat the TT specialists on flat ground. No doubt we'll find out why in a few years.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: andyoxon on 26 July, 2018, 11:41:06 am
I don't know how/why Froome climbs by holding on to the bars either side of the stem.  Most riders use the hoods.  Any thoughts?

and steering away from you know what...
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 26 July, 2018, 01:00:03 pm
More upright ==> better breathing?
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: DuncanM on 26 July, 2018, 01:03:26 pm
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!).
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: SoreTween on 26 July, 2018, 01:05:02 pm
Are FrogPlod holding a fuckwit of the year contest? Never mind who yesterday's contestant pulled down, pulling a rider off a moving bike is never going to be safe. Can you imagine the risk analysis in planning that method of dealing with spectidiots?
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: spesh on 26 July, 2018, 01:16:43 pm
It's probably a cultural thing. :demon:

Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 26 July, 2018, 02:03:15 pm
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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: citoyen on 26 July, 2018, 02:03:32 pm
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.

Look up the 1991 stage to Alpe d'Huez on Youtube. Indurain and Bugno dropped all the pure climbers, and only Luc Leblanc could hold on to their wheels. Bugno won the stage by a second or two but only because he was a better sprinter than Indurain.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Exit Stage Left on 26 July, 2018, 02:07:32 pm
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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: spesh on 26 July, 2018, 02:25:25 pm
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.

With a 14-minute lead in the lanterne rouge competition, he left it a bit late to try to move down the order...  :demon:

You'd think that riders would have learned about the futility of biding their time by now.  ;)
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 26 July, 2018, 02:43:21 pm
Oops. Quintana, Yates et al. Q. bashed elbow/shoulder.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: andyoxon on 26 July, 2018, 02:46:05 pm
What was the rationale for this 'rest' day, why not just three full on climbing stages?
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 26 July, 2018, 02:50:29 pm
At a guess, so as not to eliminate all the sprinters, or at least to prolong the agony.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: LittleWheelsandBig on 26 July, 2018, 02:52:18 pm
Because not all TdF riders are climbers and a variety of stage winners is a good thing. Because mountain towns don't have to pay very much to host a stage start or finish but other parts of the country have to pay quite a bit. Because the GC blokes will take an unofficial rest day anyway if there are too many mountain stages in a row.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 26 July, 2018, 02:54:02 pm
More birdwatching brilliance from *** as he starts babbling about storks while we look at a pair of herons :facepalm:
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: DuncanM on 26 July, 2018, 02:59:32 pm
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.

I'm not complaining.  I was just responding to your observation:
Quote
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.

And pointing out that even in a tour with little to no TTing, it's the bigger, TT style riders who are on the podium, which I find a bit strange. Is it just because they are sooo thin now (when compared to 20 years ago)? What sort of parcours would you need to get the likes of Quintana to win on GC?
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 26 July, 2018, 03:16:25 pm
Just looking at the front of the pelican.  Is Jhon Darwin Atapuma really only three and a half feet tall?
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Beardy on 26 July, 2018, 03:18:51 pm
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
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 26 July, 2018, 03:40:32 pm
There is a shitvert doing the rounds for a company which has a pelican for a logo.  This is a measure of the excitement generated by this stage.

Edit: Royal London
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Beardy on 26 July, 2018, 03:47:52 pm
And as if by magic I look up from the last post to see the advert in question on the screen. I’ve not noticed it before.
This is the twilight zone....
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 26 July, 2018, 04:00:11 pm
M Cavendish is on the phone. He claims he's been "training" since leaving the Tour.  I think he's using the BHPC definition of "training" viz. "riding to the pub".
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: cygnet on 26 July, 2018, 04:25:49 pm
Think he may be trying to win the sprint on the Mall to take his mind off missing the sprint on the Champs.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: mattc on 26 July, 2018, 04:33:13 pm
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!
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 26 July, 2018, 04:35:39 pm
Are we nearly there yet?
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: quixoticgeek on 26 July, 2018, 05:04:44 pm

One of the main English language ways I follow the tour, aside from on here, is the 5 live bespoke podcast.

But they keep saying something that is bugging me, and I am wondering what the jury think.

The podcasters keep saying tour de frances. Surely as there is only one France, and that there are multiple tours, that it should be Tours de France? Same as it's Surgeons general, or Attorneys general...

What does the jury think?

J
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 26 July, 2018, 05:16:08 pm
This has been remarked upon before.  Anyone speaking of "Tour De Frances" had better mend their ways the day after I lead the Panzers down Whitehall.

Did Super D just describe the Tourmalet as a legendary crime?
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 26 July, 2018, 05:23:02 pm
He's read the Graun's horrid headline about Froome's Climb & Punishment.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: citoyen on 26 July, 2018, 05:32:58 pm
Anyone speaking of "Tour De Frances" had better mend their ways the day after I lead the Panzers down Whitehall.

Frances de la Tour, on the other hand...
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Ivan on 26 July, 2018, 05:37:37 pm
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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 26 July, 2018, 05:53:29 pm
Stage 18: Trie-sur-Baïse > Pau

(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Samuel D on 26 July, 2018, 06:06:59 pm
FX: […], Ju 87 in a dive, J Hendrix doing 'Wild Thing'

LOL.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: spesh on 26 July, 2018, 06:17:38 pm
Give Bethany [8] a few more years and it will be [FX: nuclear explosion, Molesworth 2 playing 'Fairy Bells' on the skool piano*]



* Never 2 be forgoten by those who hav heard it.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 26 July, 2018, 06:47:49 pm
Bethany [8], to everyone's enormous relief, is an only child...
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 26 July, 2018, 08:15:35 pm
Heads-up in case you missed the announcement: live coverage of the final stage for BRITONS is on ITV1, not ITV4.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Croft on 26 July, 2018, 09:15:11 pm
Hopefully that will mean "accident at work?" shitverts will be reduced to below 30 per hour.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: SoreTween on 26 July, 2018, 09:20:15 pm
My year is complete :D
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: spesh on 26 July, 2018, 09:29:54 pm
Hopefully that will mean "accident at work?" shitverts will be reduced to below 30 per hour.

Maybe, but are you so MoneySuperMarket that you feel EPIC?

Be careful what you wish for...
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Croft on 26 July, 2018, 09:52:42 pm
I would feel EPIC if it wasn't for the 24 pre-owned* watches I have strapped to my arms.




*Surely 'second hand' is a much better term for a watch seller?
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: spesh on 26 July, 2018, 09:54:39 pm
;D
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Exit Stage Left on 26 July, 2018, 10:37:50 pm
My 60th is coming up.

I live in fear of a snotty bloke with a baby elephant turning up and ruining a surprise party by criticising the peanuts.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Samuel D on 26 July, 2018, 11:13:50 pm
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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: spesh on 26 July, 2018, 11:17:35 pm
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.

So just like the average pr0n flick, then? :demon:
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 26 July, 2018, 11:20:47 pm
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
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: spesh on 26 July, 2018, 11:40:01 pm
Motorola (back when they made mobile phones)?

Come to think of it, even when BRITISH cycling races have been on the telly, the team sponsors weren't shitvertised as far as I can recall either.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Croft on 26 July, 2018, 11:47:20 pm
There were those German coffee flavoured hair product ads a few years ago with Kittel and others showing off their acting prowess.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: mcshroom on 26 July, 2018, 11:48:38 pm
There's still those on for the Katucha-German Hair Product team.

Is Sagan still going on about how good Bora's extractor fans are on Eurosport?
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: sojournermike on 27 July, 2018, 12:13:04 am
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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: quixoticgeek on 27 July, 2018, 12:16:33 am
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

Well on Dutch Eurosport we get a lot of adverts for Bora kitchen stuff, and what's most annoying are the Alpicine ones for their caffiene shampoo. They have 2, one is the riders at the team bus with a pep talk about how important their hair is, and the other starts off with "YOU'RE A MAN" and just results in me swearing at the TV. Ironically, these are Germans, advertising a German product, on Dutch TV, in English...

Every advert break also finishes with an advert for Canyon bikes.

J
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 27 July, 2018, 03:23:35 am
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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: TheLurker on 27 July, 2018, 06:52:50 am
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.

*One is well aware that caffeine is no longer on the naughty list, but this my conspiracy theory and, *checks over shoulder* it may not be just caffeine eh?
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: JonJo on 27 July, 2018, 08:08:57 am

Shitverts.  The mute button is your friend.


Or record it and skip the adverts. We usually start watching the recording around 30 mins after the programme starts so that we reach the end just about the same time as it finishes (if that makes sense).
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: grams on 27 July, 2018, 08:44:37 am
If you have access, S4C had ad breaks at different times to ITV4 so you spend a few minutes learning a new language.

(it’s also in HD on freesat, which ITV4 isn’t)
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 27 July, 2018, 09:19:13 am
I just hope you've all thought about how you are going to pay for your funerals, and what you'll do if (when) you get cancer.

Yes, stop your bitching. The live daytime shitverts are infinitely more depressing than the ones shown during the evening highlights.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Jaded on 27 July, 2018, 09:19:47 am
Yesterday the shitverts livened up the coverage no end.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Auntie Helen on 27 July, 2018, 09:25:03 am
Having been out of the UK for over four years, I’m a bit shocked now at the adverts.

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?
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Croft on 27 July, 2018, 09:35:56 am
I am hoping Argritubel will start sponsoring teams again. I still have the spare room full of tubular metal products for cattle after an ill-advised impulse purchase during the 2007 TdF.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Exit Stage Left on 27 July, 2018, 09:39:56 am
What happened to all those debtors who consolidated with Ocean Finance?

Perhaps they were sold to the little Spanish bloke who ran Polaris World, José Luis Hernández, and are still wandering the Costa Blanca trying to sell timeshares.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: rogerzilla on 27 July, 2018, 10:16:03 am
He's advertising Polaris World on my DVD TV recording of the 2007 Dunwich Dynamo "the year of the rain".

Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: rogerzilla on 27 July, 2018, 10:19:28 am
Someone needs to tell Watchfinder that slo-mo on TV is a generally-used technique to imply someone is a sex pervert.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: orraloon on 27 July, 2018, 10:23:14 am
Having been out of the UK for over four years, I’m a bit shocked now at the adverts.

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?
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...

UK is going to sh1t in so many ways.  Pah.  I'm off outside.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: spesh on 27 July, 2018, 11:25:02 am
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)
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: fimm on 27 July, 2018, 12:51:41 pm
There was a list like that in the Guardian in a preview article.

I was thinking, hasn't Froome been in the position of being the "superdomestique who is stronger than his team leader" a couple of times? Once in that TDF that Wiggins won, and once in a Vuelta where IIRC Froome was told to wait for Wiggins and it ended up that both of them lost time when Froome didn't have to? Or something like that - I'm just going on what I recall... I wondered if that would make a difference to how Froome is reacting this time. I accept that the situations are not totally the same and that Froome has had some bad luck with that crash.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Legs on 27 July, 2018, 01:21:43 pm
My favourite was Gewiss (light switches) - Ballan (garage doors).  First trade team jersey I bought...
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Beardy on 27 July, 2018, 03:09:18 pm
It’s gone very quite on this thread. Is everyone holding their breath?
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: andyoxon on 27 July, 2018, 03:19:17 pm
Still waiting for GC action...
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: citoyen on 27 July, 2018, 03:20:10 pm
Still waiting for GC action...

 ???

Are you not watching?
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: ijsbrand on 27 July, 2018, 03:24:00 pm
My favourite was Gewiss (light switches) - Ballan (garage doors).  First trade team jersey I bought...
Marc Zeepcentrale (Marc's Soap Central)
IJsboerke (Little ice-cream farmer)

But, there has been a local team, called Baby Dump. Because dump has only one meaning in Dutch English, being the short for dump-store.

(http://boeklog.info/pics/2016-02-13-eindhoven-baby-dump-nieuw-shirt.jpg)
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Basil on 27 July, 2018, 03:24:44 pm
Crossing fingers for Sagan surviving.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: andyoxon on 27 July, 2018, 03:25:05 pm
No.  Looking at app graphic occasionally.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: citoyen on 27 July, 2018, 03:26:46 pm
No.  Looking at app graphic occasionally.

(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: andyoxon on 27 July, 2018, 03:29:50 pm
Oooh...
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 27 July, 2018, 03:42:52 pm
No.  Looking at app graphic occasionally.

(click to show/hide)

Not anymore. Gesink dragged the MJ group back to 1'40" doubtless setting up Roglic for a last attempt in a bit
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 27 July, 2018, 03:55:25 pm
Kruisjike attacked.  He's the bait for a Roglic counterattack
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 27 July, 2018, 03:55:36 pm
As soon as the studio wights start burbling about the virtual GC the MJ group starts reeling the breakaway in.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 27 July, 2018, 04:04:43 pm
Dumoulin is effectively a Sky domestique
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 27 July, 2018, 04:06:29 pm
Kruisjike attacked.  He's the bait for a Roglic counterattack

et voila.

Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 27 July, 2018, 04:12:35 pm
Horrible descent in the fog from the Soulor.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Tim Hall on 27 July, 2018, 04:18:15 pm
Brilliant support from Bernal.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 27 July, 2018, 04:31:17 pm
Ditto Aubisque
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Beardy on 27 July, 2018, 04:37:23 pm
Blimey that all kicked off while I was away from any meja stuffs on my way to the train station. I’m now on the train so limited to apps for all the excitement.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: woollypigs on 27 July, 2018, 04:49:43 pm
Wow G is still keen
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 27 July, 2018, 04:51:30 pm
Great acceleration in the final sprint. Was sad to see Froome suffering but Roglic deserves his place.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Beardy on 27 July, 2018, 04:53:41 pm
So... the $64 question. Is G good enough at time trialling?
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: LittleWheelsandBig on 27 July, 2018, 04:59:43 pm
Probably yes.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: andyoxon on 27 July, 2018, 05:05:04 pm
So G needs to stay out of trouble and have a good TT to do enough...  Will Froome make the podium I wonder.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 27 July, 2018, 05:26:59 pm
Groupetto just arrived - OK.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Basil on 27 July, 2018, 05:33:10 pm
Groupetto just arrived - OK.
So Sagan in time?  Good-oh.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 27 July, 2018, 05:36:44 pm
Big bunch including CP Sagan came in at 38'23" down. Taylor Phinney was behind even them but still inside the cutoff.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: citoyen on 27 July, 2018, 05:55:01 pm
Jelle Vanendert was even further back and abandoned about halfway through the stage. He probably wouldn't have made the time cut anyway.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: spesh on 27 July, 2018, 06:00:08 pm
To steal from elsewhere, it's lucky that Porte crashed when he did since he would have been a good candidate to stack it in the misty bits on the Soulor/Aubisque. :demon:
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 27 July, 2018, 06:12:27 pm
Stage 19: Lourdes > Laruns

(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 27 July, 2018, 06:14:27 pm
Jelle Vanendert was even further back and abandoned about halfway through the stage. He probably wouldn't have made the time cut anyway.

Was that on what *** referred to as the "Col d'Aspic"?  Ba-dum, tish!

(He also mentioned the Col des Ordures)
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: mzjo on 27 July, 2018, 08:19:38 pm
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.

Tour de France is french. In french I am pretty sure that all place names are "invariable" which means they can't change. There is in any case only one France while you can have as many tours as you want. therefore Tour de France en pluriel est Tours de France (is that why Farage called for Brexit by any chance?)

Of course tous les cons (et connes) savent que c'est Le Tour - point.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: SteveC on 27 July, 2018, 08:31:33 pm
If you translate it you wouldn't say 'Tour of Frances' for more than one (might be interesting for other reasons I suppose).
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 27 July, 2018, 08:33:33 pm
Just watched the highlights and saw Phinney coming in with a suspected broken nose, looking like he'd done eight rounds with Bouhanni.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: mzjo on 27 July, 2018, 08:37:46 pm
I too was very pleased to see Super P Sagan survive, in spite of Katusha"s efforts to put him hors delai. He and Alaphilippe are the two riders this tour who for me have really shown a good public image, close to their fans and not deadpan all the time.
Taylor Phinney really was in a bit of a mess when he got in - hope it is only superficial and he doesn't need his nose rebuilding.
Good on G sprinting for the bonus seconds in a close Tour; he presents the image of being more combative than a lot of recent MJ!
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 27 July, 2018, 08:41:52 pm
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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: mzjo on 27 July, 2018, 08:59:58 pm
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.

Indeed and certain others (including one whose initials are not very different from LA) also did but somehow rather more cynically. I think I must be a G fanboy :facepalm:
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 28 July, 2018, 07:13:07 am
If you translate it you wouldn't say 'Tour of Frances' for more than one (might be interesting for other reasons I suppose).

It sounds more like an anatomical excursion hosted by an accommodating personage of the female persuasion.

As it happens, there are several Tours de France, one of the most prominent being a sailing event with race stages moving round the coast at the same time as the Tour proper. No Alpine stages, even though we do have Alpes Maritimes.

https://www.tourvoile.fr/en/

Hmph. They changed the official name - everyone calls it the Tour de France à la Voile.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: mattc on 28 July, 2018, 08:01:17 am
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)

Thanks for that  :thumbsup:

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:
Quote
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 profession
https://www.letour.fr/en/team/WGG/wanty-groupe-gobert
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Ivan on 28 July, 2018, 09:37:23 am
No Alpine stages, even though we do have Alpes Maritimes.
So, you can pluralise both - Tours de Frances?
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Vince on 28 July, 2018, 10:10:46 am
Shouldn't it be Les Tour de France?

#NotALinguist
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 28 July, 2018, 10:52:33 am
No Alpine stages, even though we do have Alpes Maritimes.
So, you can pluralise both - Tours de Frances?

Not unless you're referring to the accommodating lady.

Shouldn't it be Les Tour de France?

#NotALinguist

Nope.
Title: Tour de France 2018
Post by: citoyen on 28 July, 2018, 11:21:45 am
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.

Guillaume Martin has been quite prominent in the battle for the white jersey, although he’s fallen well behind Pierre Latour now. Thomas Degand has been in at least one breakaway (not to be confused with Thomas De Gendt, who is in nearly every breakaway). Likewise Van Keirsbulck, Pasqualon and Offredo. Dion Smith even wore the polka dot jersey in the early stages. They’ve done ok really. They don’t figure much in the business end of stages though, so you probably don’t see much of them if you only watch the highlights.

The one that puzzles me is Fortuneo-Samsic - their branding is very inconspicuous on the jersey, so every time I see one of their riders, it takes me a moment to work out what team it is. Slightly missing the point of having commercial sponsors for teams. At least WGG have their branding reasonably clear.

Alexander Kristoff’s European Champion jersey is similarly hard to distinguish at a glance.


Quote
Their website has some uninspiring text, such as:
Quote
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 profession
https://www.letour.fr/en/team/WGG/wanty-groupe-gobert

Good grief. Their marketing team need a rocket up the arse.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: andyoxon on 28 July, 2018, 12:14:30 pm
 ;D  Dinosaur lost in translation?  German version has urgestein which I think is veteran...
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Samuel D on 28 July, 2018, 12:16:04 pm
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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Croft on 28 July, 2018, 01:04:11 pm
My god, some of those TT bikes are fugly. Nils Pollit's square-sectioned frame is surely deserving of some kind of time penalty on the grounds of aesthetics. Brings to mind the sleek elegance of a 1970s Bikerton spruced up with a hurried application of Dulux red gloss.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 28 July, 2018, 01:10:04 pm
;D  Dinosaur lost in translation?  German version has urgestein which I think is veteran...

...with overtones of founding father.

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.

ASO will be incapable of telling good from bad translation but will be very good at telling if one price is lower than another, so the job will go to whichever agency put in the lowest bid. Since agencies usually farm work out to freelance translators, whichever agency gets it will then have to put the screws on its translators to show a profit. The translators will then turn in fast, sloppy work since they want to get on to something that pays a living wage. Typically, the rate they get for a job like this will be very little more than a typist would get for bashing it into Word.

The end client would probably take 3 months to settle the agency's bill, and the agency could well take another 3 to pay its translators.

Mrs T42 was a translator for 30 years.

Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 28 July, 2018, 01:24:13 pm
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
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 28 July, 2018, 01:51:34 pm
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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Croft on 28 July, 2018, 01:54:41 pm
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.

And not to forget "Castroviejo is basically dressed as a toilet"
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Kim on 28 July, 2018, 02:09:04 pm
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?

I dunno, but if it encourages one tech geek with the maturity of a 14 year old to wash more frequently, it's got to be worth it...
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 28 July, 2018, 02:21:51 pm
Say after me, ***, I must not confuse Victor Hugo and Jules Verne.  Neither of whom being the author of "20,000 Fathoms Under The Sea".
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: TheLurker on 28 July, 2018, 03:36:28 pm
And while we are castigating ***.  Boulting, you dimwit. Repeat after me. It is "sliver" not "slither".  "Slither" is the motion of a snake and not a thin slice, fraction or small piece or fragment you ignorant clot .  Gah!
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: woollypigs on 28 July, 2018, 04:15:21 pm
\o/ \G/ \o/
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 28 July, 2018, 04:16:28 pm
Much less barracking for Froome this time, but then this is the Pays Basque.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 28 July, 2018, 04:18:22 pm
Plenty of boos along the way.

Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 28 July, 2018, 04:27:29 pm
Even a few when G went past, the rotters.

CP Sagan may have (temporarily?) given up "crazy" but Dumoulin and Roglič are more than making up for it.  For sure.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 28 July, 2018, 04:31:26 pm
Sure there were plenty, but less than on the mountain stages and a lot more applause. Basques don't have the same prejudices.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: andyoxon on 28 July, 2018, 04:41:55 pm
G!!  Glad Froome made the podium.

Wonder what happened with the timing mismatch.

Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: SoreTween on 28 July, 2018, 04:48:28 pm
Plenty of boos along the way.
Nah, they're cheering Froooooooooooome, I'm sure of it  ;)
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: woollypigs on 28 July, 2018, 05:03:15 pm
A Welsh man in yellow ...
(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Beardy on 28 July, 2018, 05:10:13 pm
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?
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 28 July, 2018, 05:17:20 pm
Stage 20: Saint-Pée-sur-Nivelle > Espelette

(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 28 July, 2018, 05:23:18 pm
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?

In theory it's just a convention but it would be too difficult to hold off an enraged pelican for long enough to build up enough of a lead.  Vinokourov managed a successful break in 2005 to overtake Leipheimer on GC but he only needed two seconds.  That was the last time it's not been a bunch sprint.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mrs Pingu on 28 July, 2018, 09:33:33 pm
Hooray for G Thomas, the big cry baby :)
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Samuel D on 28 July, 2018, 10:11:10 pm
Alas, he had composed himself by the time he appeared on French TV and maybe overcompensated in the other direction.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mrs Pingu on 28 July, 2018, 10:15:57 pm
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?
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: spesh on 28 July, 2018, 10:38:27 pm
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 the access panel for the drive motor's battery.



The above may contain traces of LIE.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: spesh on 28 July, 2018, 10:47:50 pm
Joking apart, the blurb on Pinarell's web site says something about the downtube on the Bolide TT frame being redesigned to better accommodate a water bottle, which explains the shape.

http://cdn2.cyclist.co.uk/sites/cyclist/files/styles/insert_main_wide_image/public/4/36//pinarello_bolide_down_tube.jpg?itok=rUIXRs2g
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: philip on 28 July, 2018, 11:08:51 pm
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 the access panel for a di2 junction box located inside the frame.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 29 July, 2018, 01:22:39 am
Awards Time!

(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: giropaul on 29 July, 2018, 06:08:17 am
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 is sculpted for a bidon carrier if one is used, but it’s also the port for the Di2 brain
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: mattc on 29 July, 2018, 08:31:35 am
"bidon carrier" ??!?
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Jasmine on 29 July, 2018, 09:11:03 am

Lots of pictures of blue tits and dragons wearing yellow jumpers on bookface today. Big news here in Wales.


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?

It's not caffeine flavoured, it actually contains caffeine.  The manufacturer claims that scientific studies show that caffeine can be absorbed by the hair follicles, which activates the follicles, slowing or preventing hair loss. This is why it is a products specifically aimed at men*.  There is also a women's product, aimed at post-menopausal women, with a completely different name (and marketing strategy).

*this isn't mentioned in the TV advert because the Advertising Standards Agency say they can't
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Beardy on 29 July, 2018, 09:24:46 am
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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: mattc on 29 July, 2018, 09:37:11 am
G had a moment 15km into yesterday's stage - hopefully that's got it out of his system :) 

(he was visibly cautious on all the descents after that.)

Given how he's generally the coolest, least giving-a-sh1t rider in the race, it was REALLY nice to see him blubbing yesterday; and the reunion with wife Stacey* was a delight to watch.

We've had some great moments in this year's race - not a normal Le Tour at all :)


*this is a joke about ficitonal TV Welsh people - sorry.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: SoreTween on 29 July, 2018, 09:38:08 am
He had a sphincter wobbler braking into a wet corner yesterday. Up to that point he was fastest but thereon was visibly cautious and so came in 3rd. Will that do?

Xpost!
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 29 July, 2018, 09:39:43 am
And Alpecin are not the only ones encouraging blokes to wash their hair with Coca-Cola doing caffeinated shampoo these days.  You can get caffeine Head And Shoulders too.

I want to know what brand TV's Super D Millar uses, so I can buy something else :demon:
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 29 July, 2018, 09:42:22 am
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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: citoyen on 29 July, 2018, 10:09:06 am
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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 29 July, 2018, 10:14:11 am
If Landa does go to AS-TA-NA, whither Fuglsang, who was also a bit Rubbish is this year's Tour?
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: mattc on 29 July, 2018, 10:20:59 am
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!
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: citoyen on 29 July, 2018, 10:22:01 am
If Landa does go to AS-TA-NA, whither Fuglsang, who was also a bit Rubbish is this year's Tour?

If Kittel retires, he'd be a natural replacement to advertise hair products for Katusha-Alpecin.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Nuncio on 29 July, 2018, 12:18:40 pm
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.

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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: mzjo on 29 July, 2018, 12:37:56 pm
Hooray for G Thomas, the big cry baby :)

Eurosport showed several seconds worth - and refrained from making any sort of comment. Some images don't need words and some pro ex-riders are still sufficiently pro ro remember what it's all about.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: mzjo on 29 July, 2018, 12:46:22 pm
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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 29 July, 2018, 12:49:34 pm
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.

Whoosh....

 ;)
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: mzjo on 29 July, 2018, 12:54:13 pm
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 probably mapped the position of every telephone pole and had a domestique watching to make sure that Warren Barguil doesn't get closer than 10m.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Torslanda on 29 July, 2018, 03:34:44 pm
In the commentary booth, SD Millar appears to have morphed into Bart Mancuso . . .
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: rogerzilla on 29 July, 2018, 03:37:20 pm
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?
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: citoyen on 29 July, 2018, 03:42:15 pm
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.

Yeah, fair enough, I forgot he'd won the Vuelta as well. Although IIRC he achieved it by beating a tired post-Tour Froome and a decidedly below par Contador. And Chaves, who is another rider who regularly promises much but ultimately disappoints.

And most of his podiums were achieved without looking like he was in any real danger of winning outright - eg the 2013 Tour, where the summit finish on stage 20 was billed before the race as being the big decider, but ultimately Quintana went into it with a deficit of more than five minutes and only managed to pull back 30 seconds of that. And last year's Giro, where Dumoulin was able to stop for a toilet break without losing time to him.

One of the changes he needs to make is to break his habit of losing time stupidly on flat stages - as he did yet again this year. You can put that partly down to bad luck but he's done it too many times for it to be coincidence.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: citoyen on 29 July, 2018, 03:44:08 pm
Does anyone else find the last day dull?

I don't usually bother tuning in until the last few laps of the Champs-Elysees, when it becomes the ultimate crit race.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 29 July, 2018, 03:48:59 pm
Sagan's got a snottygreen counter.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 29 July, 2018, 03:52:41 pm
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?

It was a TT. The only ever TT since the finish moving to Champs Elysées in 74.

There have been a couple of attacks over the years, but in recent years the only non-sprint was in 2005.

Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: citoyen on 29 July, 2018, 04:40:07 pm
At leat it’s a short boring stage rather than a long boring stage.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Torslanda on 29 July, 2018, 04:43:25 pm
Spectidiocy has been elevated to new depths. Riding along the closed side of the dual carriageway, FKWs. The French equivalent of being a dick . . .
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Torslanda on 29 July, 2018, 04:46:54 pm
OTOH kudos to Les Pompiers de Paris for using their turntable ladders as viewing platforms and the creative parking des Sapeurs
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: mzjo on 29 July, 2018, 05:22:31 pm
Recovered the satellite coverage after an afternoon watching France2 by internet with the Pi (safety net option). Phew!!!!!
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: mzjo on 29 July, 2018, 05:27:43 pm
G!!  Glad Froome made the podium.

Wonder what happened with the timing mismatch.

The opinion of the cognoscenti on Eurosport was that G eased off because he had been told over the radio that Froome had won the stage and then had to speed up again when the error was discovered.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 29 July, 2018, 05:44:13 pm
Apparently a gendarme walked in front of the photoelectric cell on the finishing line just before Froome crossed it.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Basil on 29 July, 2018, 05:56:41 pm
Spectidiocy has been elevated to new depths. Riding along the closed side of the dual carriageway, FKWs. The French equivalent of being a dick . . .

I don't see why you would call that spectiodocy.  ???
Seemed like the little girl was enjoying her ride, and the sight of French yoof on BSOs trying to keep up with the pelican made I larf.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Torslanda on 29 July, 2018, 05:59:41 pm
Was more thinking of the FKWs...
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Beardy on 29 July, 2018, 06:13:49 pm
Dr Beardy (Mrs) has just been shouting at me because I pointed out at the 3km that G had got it. She went into a rant about how silly it was that everyone was saying he’d won yesterday but then *** and SD started getting all excited as they went down the back straight of the Champs for the last time.

I'm always in trouble it would seem, the only thing that changes is the depth!  ::-)
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: woollypigs on 29 July, 2018, 06:50:20 pm
Mic drop by G \o/ ;)
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mrs Pingu on 29 July, 2018, 08:06:00 pm
Oh well, that's that for another year....
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Basil on 29 July, 2018, 08:13:58 pm
Mic drop by G \o/ ;)
:thumbsup:
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: TheLurker on 29 July, 2018, 08:22:01 pm
It's caffeine flavoured shampoo from Germany....
It's not caffeine flavoured, it actually contains caffeine....
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. :)

Anyway sod caffeinated shampoo, fizzy drinks and enemas.  Huzzah and thrice huzzah for the Welsh Wizard!  Some good news in otherwise not very cheering times.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: TheLurker on 29 July, 2018, 08:25:37 pm
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.

I was wondering who'll be leading $ky in this year's Vuelta?  CF is off on his big hols, GT  (Grand Tourer - how appropriate) may not have the legs after the TdF.  Let the speculation begin....
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Basil on 29 July, 2018, 09:42:06 pm
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/858/29849789658_3d3b4f8bb2_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/MtHYvQ)
20180729_180740~2 (https://flic.kr/p/MtHYvQ) by Basil W (https://www.flickr.com/photos/153328377@N08/), on Flickr

Excited dog.  But as she's actually Irish, she was more happy for Dan Martin.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Paul on 29 July, 2018, 10:38:30 pm
Is that a waiter bell, Basil?
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 29 July, 2018, 10:45:57 pm
Because C Prudhomme's chippies didn't finish building the podium on time, the recording gave out before the programme finished.  I just finished watching the highlights.

Noes! No more C Boardmen on the Tour :'(

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.

Vuelta starts 25th August.  Four days after PP arrives in Calgary, unless it turns out not to have been a glitch with USAnia's webby SCIENCE and they won't let me in.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Basil on 29 July, 2018, 10:50:05 pm
Is that a waiter bell, Basil?

It is.

More muffins please Betty.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 30 July, 2018, 01:22:05 am
Stage 21: Houilles > Paris Champs-Élysées

(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: fimm on 30 July, 2018, 08:48:39 am
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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Paul on 30 July, 2018, 08:52:09 am
Excellent work Mr L
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Tim Hall on 30 July, 2018, 09:16:53 am
Now that the Boardman twins have stepped down, will we see Bethany, who will be (9), take their place on the Anbaric Distascope?
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Basil on 30 July, 2018, 09:29:33 am
Indeed thanks Mr L.
*although somewhat disappointed that the Watchfinder General wasn't nominated for any of the awards.*
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 30 July, 2018, 09:43:28 am
Three cheers for Mr. L, P@nd3m1c Pr0duckt10nzTM®, Bethany[8] and the rest of her array !
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: matthew on 30 July, 2018, 09:58:33 am
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.

To answer the first two of these questions;

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.

Luke Rowe was the first member of the team that G named in his speech, the one he forgot was Kwiatkowski which Tom Dumoulin was kind enough to remind him of.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: citoyen on 30 July, 2018, 10:05:35 am
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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: LEE on 30 July, 2018, 10:23:43 am
Was Froome just heavy-legged from his already amazing year or is that it?

I'd assume that, if he targeted only the TdF, he could win it at least once more but, given his falling-over record, that's a risky strategy.

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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Nuncio on 30 July, 2018, 10:50:25 am
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?

There seem to be a lot more cycling fans in this (Welsh) office all of a sudden (only one of whom so far wanted an explanation why Tom Dumoulin didn't try and attack).
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Beardy on 30 July, 2018, 10:57:59 am
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:
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 30 July, 2018, 11:01:57 am
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.

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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: citoyen on 30 July, 2018, 11:02:40 am
What next for Geraint Thomas, I wonder?

I'd really like to see him have a serious tilt at a Monument. He's had top 10 finishes in Paris-Roubaix and Flanders, and won the Paris-Roubaix Juniors many moons ago, but I wonder if Liege-Bastogne-Liege would suit him better in his current physical incarnation.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: citoyen on 30 July, 2018, 11:02:59 am
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.

 :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: andyoxon on 30 July, 2018, 11:04:44 am
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)...

Quote
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

Perhaps it's time to insert a dragon (or green)...
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: spesh on 30 July, 2018, 11:18:34 am
Nice C?

That's to differentiate from his evil doppelganger who, in previous editions of the TdF coverage, would torture his son for reasons of explaining cycling SCIENCE.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 30 July, 2018, 11:18:59 am
Nice C?

There are two TV's C Boardmen: Nice C Boardman who eloquently talks 100% good sense (thereby making the rest of us feel hopelessly inadequate) and Evil C Boardman who does things like recce the end of sprint stages looking for the most likely crash zones, and forcing #1 son G Boardman into ice baths* before telling us, and the hapless G Boardman, there's no evidence they have any effect whatsoever.

* Highlights programme, 1st rest day, 2016.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 30 July, 2018, 11:58:34 am
Now that the Boardman twins have stepped down, will we see Bethany, who will be (9), take their place on the Anbaric Distascope?

That might be difficult...

(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: mattc on 30 July, 2018, 01:21:15 pm
What next for G?

Well, he could join any team he chooses as overall leader, but he seems to like the SKY environment.

Meanwhile Froome would very much like a 5th title (5 being the magic number of Tours De France - outside the US, anyway ... ).

The obvious solution in 2019 seems to be G going for Giro and/or Vuelta, Froome goes for the French Ride again. That would seem a decent compromise for all parties, no? Sky has enough amazing climbers to support all 3 races.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Exit Stage Left on 30 July, 2018, 03:02:09 pm
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.

Froome is the embodiment of the sense of entitlement that comes from a public school education, that's part of the reason for his unpopularity. That officer-class polish is off-putting to many.

Thomas started at the same time as Froome, is as physically gifted, 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.

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.

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.

Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: mattc on 30 July, 2018, 03:20:39 pm
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??

Quote
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.

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.
Hence Much-Discussed Factoid: an English-born rider has yet to win a Grand Tour

Yes I think it's the perfect result for Sky, as you say - plus the anti-Froome sentiments are still strong. "A yawn" is a bit of an understatement - I'd predicted a lot of unpleasantness too!

As for the "true Brits" thing, I think "us Brits" are split on that. I certainly regard all 3 winners as British, but I do think of Froome as different to the other two. I have never ever thought of Wiggins as anything other than a Brit. But I know plenty of people DO call Froome unBritish.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: LEE on 30 July, 2018, 03:23:13 pm
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.


I don't think so.  The presence of Froome, as a serious contender until the final few mountain stages, kept everyone guessing.  I'm not sure Team SKY knew exactly who was their best shot but certainly the other teams didn't know who to "mark".

I would assume that Geraint as a Team Leader, without Froome adding an element of confusion for the other teams, may be easier to isolate.

Tour de France winners wanted, the ability to Time-Trial at World level and climb Mountains at World level essential.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 30 July, 2018, 03:44:20 pm
Sky were able to play other teams' cards, rather than their own. Froome attacks (or follows attack) Dumoulin has to chase...Thomas just needs to sit on his wheel.

What you have to remember is that without Dumoulin's mechanical and subsequent time penalty for drafting team cars. Thomas's advantage would have been a mere 32 seconds.

Whilst Thomas got everything right, he also had no bad luck whatsoever. This was a really close race, a fact that will not be lost on Sky. I think Froome will do Dauphiné + Tour combo next year, possibly with Thomas as plan B. There is no way that Sky will base a Tour team solely around Thomas, all other things being equal. Sky might not even contest the Giro next year, at least not with their A team.

As for everything else , in many respects Sky were very lucky that things panned out the way they did. Froome is, and always has been, utterly toxic, and despite ESL's flights of pure fantasy it has nothing to do with which school Froome attended. A Froome win would have actually dented Sky's reputation even further. As it stands he got the chance to reinvent himself as selfless, self-deprecating and loyal team-mate, which in all fairness he probably is considering that he is also a ferocious and determined competitor.

Sky have jumped the shark.

Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Exit Stage Left on 30 July, 2018, 03:53:35 pm
Hot Flatus has always been and always will be utterly wrong.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: T42 on 30 July, 2018, 04:01:05 pm
<egregious-digression cycling-content="negligible">

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)...

Quote
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

Perhaps it's time to insert a dragon (or green)...

Whereas Norn Iron is a is a is a... fing made up of one province minus three counties but the Union Flag predated it: St. Pat's cross stands for the whole of Ireland, which was a kingdom on & off before themens from over there came in and fucked it all up.

</egregious-digression>
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: De Sisti on 30 July, 2018, 05:03:45 pm
I'm sure Nicole Cooke won the women's (version of the) Tour de France a few years ago. She didn't (as far as I can remember)
get all the plaudits for being the first Welsh woman to win the event.


[Apologies if it's already been mentioned].
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: tatanab on 30 July, 2018, 05:07:42 pm
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
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: ScumOfTheRoad on 30 July, 2018, 05:59:59 pm
Hip! Hip!
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: perpetual dan on 30 July, 2018, 09:46:52 pm
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’m really hoping for more public speaking. Quite apart from the riding that has, for some time, really made him endearing.

I like to hope this gives him the freedom to target things that he enjoys too.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Wowbagger on 30 July, 2018, 09:51:43 pm
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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Basil on 30 July, 2018, 09:56:45 pm
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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: andrew_s on 31 July, 2018, 12:35:27 am
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).
Thomas, Bale, and Warburton went to Whitchurch High School
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Basil on 31 July, 2018, 07:45:07 am
Oh.  Ok sorry, I'm not sure where I picked up that piece of mis-information.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Beardy on 31 July, 2018, 07:55:41 am
The poor chap is having to do the media circus rounds at the moment. He was on the BBC last night looking knackered and somewhat bemused and he’s just been on radio 4 sounding somewhat bemused.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: fimm on 31 July, 2018, 09:08:19 am
I read an article somewhere saying that the plan was for G to arrive at the TdF in top form. Remember that there was a point where Froome wasn't going to be allowed to ride the Tour at all, and given that Froome wanted to ride the Giro, he might have come out of that too tired to do the Tour (unlikely) or he might have been injured during the Giro (these things do happen). So it makes sense that Sky had G ready and waiting with a totally Tour-targeted build-up.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Nuncio on 31 July, 2018, 09:29:00 pm
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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Si S on 01 August, 2018, 09:10:39 am
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.

ICBW but I thought it was a contractual obligation written into the TdF entry terms to attend certain post-tour crits for the jersey winners.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: ijsbrand on 01 August, 2018, 09:26:04 am
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.

Riders get paid, at lot, ride two hours at a good training pace, and get cheered at. In the olden days the pros easily earned a year's wages in the fortnight after the Tour. These days, with their basic salaries much higher, there is no real need to ride those crits. Except that it is ancient tradition to do so as well.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: citoyen on 01 August, 2018, 09:49:15 am
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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: rob on 01 August, 2018, 10:02:42 am
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.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: ijsbrand on 01 August, 2018, 10:20:10 am

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.
Forums are read by more than one reader...

But those post-Tour criteria are dying out. Surhuisterveen used to be 10 or 11 days after the last stage in Paris. Nowadays it is on the second day after the finish, because there came room for that in the schedule.

So every year I am tempted to cycle the 10 mile to Surhuisterveen and watch for awhile, and endure the accompanying village fête as well, because it will probably be all gone during my life time. Getting too old for blind admiration though, let alone crowds.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Nuncio on 01 August, 2018, 10:40:45 am
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.

You're right, but in restrospect a  ;) wouldn't have been out of place.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Hot Flatus on 01 August, 2018, 01:17:01 pm
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.

Bernard Hinault springs to mind 😉
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: De Sisti on 08 August, 2018, 05:11:48 pm
Moscon banned for five weeks (https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/45116741). Wonder if he is not supposed to be racing during this period?
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: orraloon on 08 August, 2018, 07:07:13 pm
And what was Bouhanni's sentence for actually hitting another rider Jack Bauer during a Tour stage again?
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: TheLurker on 08 August, 2018, 07:10:53 pm
Moscon.  Not good enough.  Don't care how good a rider he is; he's a troublemaker and I think Sky will have cause to regret it.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: spesh on 08 August, 2018, 07:22:27 pm
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.  ;)
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: orraloon on 08 August, 2018, 07:55:51 pm
'Course, Bouhanni didn't / doesn't have a troubled historical record or anything like that, not like one of them Sky riders.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Mr Larrington on 09 August, 2018, 10:34:58 am
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.  ;)

And Jack Bauer, unlike Élie "Twisted Firestarter" Gesbert, is Not French :demon:
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: woollypigs on 09 August, 2018, 08:05:36 pm
Little G is in Cardiff today, have a look at that crowd ... brilliant !

https://twitter.com/TeamSky/status/1027582788076224512
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Basil on 09 August, 2018, 08:55:03 pm
I was also in Cardiff today.  Stayed away from that though. I don't cope well with crowds.
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: fimm on 16 August, 2018, 04:48:45 pm
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).
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: Pingu on 20 August, 2018, 08:46:29 pm
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).

Perhaps some forumite could make them? :)
Title: Re: Tour de France 2018
Post by: spesh on 20 August, 2018, 08:52:34 pm
Here's one I made earlier for random non-Grand Tour stuff:

https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=84613.0

And trekker12 made last year's Vuelta thread, which has no year in the title, so it could serve for this year's edition and thereafter:

https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=104815.0

HTH