Author Topic: Tour de France 2012  (Read 143061 times)

simonb

Re: Tour de France 2012
« Reply #50 on: 23 June, 2012, 10:21:44 am »
I'm back!  ;D

We're going over; not for the Prologue, but for stages 2 and 3. Looks like the weather might finally be warming up!

Anyone know how easy it is to get close to the riders? Our youngest is keen to get Cav's autograph.

Re: Tour de France 2012
« Reply #51 on: 23 June, 2012, 12:55:42 pm »
Delighted to read that bruyneel won't be at the tour. 

I think the timing and scale of the latest drug revelations including the fact bruyneel is under investigation also will help give the cleanest tour in a long time.

Theres been a couple of great interviews of Wiggins on the BBC,  he seems to be confident in himself and his team.
I feel theres a danger of unrealistic expectations of Cav given his last few tours, 1 stage win would be a good tour, 2 would be a excellent one and anything more would make it a fantastic tour. 
I've never really been a "fan boy" of any one team or rider before, but with Sky and Wiggins, I'll make an exception.

And, off-topic, Go Nicole Cook !

clifftaylor

  • Max - "make mine a Beophar Hairball Paste please"
Re: Tour de France 2012
« Reply #52 on: 23 June, 2012, 02:07:38 pm »
Wiggins stands a very good chance of a podium, if not the win -  I do wish he'd stop making "Lance is / was great" statements though.

Rig of Jarkness

  • An Englishman abroad
Re: Tour de France 2012
« Reply #53 on: 29 June, 2012, 07:19:59 am »
My predictions -

1. Wiggins
2. Evans
3. Nibali
4. Schleck F
Aero but not dynamic

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
Tour de France 2012
« Reply #54 on: 29 June, 2012, 07:31:22 am »
I feel theres a danger of unrealistic expectations of Cav given his last few tours, 1 stage win would be a good tour, 2 would be a excellent one and anything more would make it a fantastic tour. 

He says he's focussing on the Olympics but I don't think that means he won't be trying to win stages or the green jersey - just that he won't go into the red to do so.

Also, the loss of power from his dieting regime may mean he wins different kind of stages than we're used to seeing him win. I read a CW piece yesterday that made the Sean Kelly comparison...

Anyway, yes, like you say, one or two stage wins in the TdF would be a massive achievement in anyone's book - funny to think that we're so used to Cav winning that we might consider that a disappointment.

Still expecting him to give it everything on the Champs Élysées though, but suspect he might be pipped by Goss or Greipel.

Quote
And, off-topic, Go Nicole Cook !

+1

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

Tour de France 2012
« Reply #55 on: 29 June, 2012, 07:37:04 am »

Anyone know how easy it is to get close to the riders? Our youngest is keen to get Cav's autograph.

Depends on where the team buses are in relation to start/finish. Getting in between the Riders's route back to the buses is often a good ploy especially with tt/prologues as you get the chance to stop them individually and a few will come and chat. Millar stopped to talk for ages in Rotterdam even though it was raining. Usual banal fan boy questions/comments that they must hear every day from us. Lots of guys will stop for a photo.

Cav might be tuff as he 'will' win stage 2 although 3 might see him in the autobus.

JT

  • Howay the lads!
    • CTC Peterborough
Re: Tour de France 2012
« Reply #56 on: 29 June, 2012, 10:03:46 am »
Anyone know how easy it is to get close to the riders? Our youngest is keen to get Cav's autograph.

At the start of TDF stages the team buses are normally in a fenced area inaccessible to the general public. Most times the buses are parked near enough to the fencing that it's possiblle to wait there and the riders will oftern come over and sign things. When Cav was with HTC he was excellent at this and would make his way down the line making sure no one got left out.

Team Sky generally aren't so good. They will often stay on the bus as late as possible only to emerge when it's time to go and sign-on. Like most teams, this is particularly the case if the weather is poor (rain) or very hot.

After a stage, the buses are accessible (just parked in the roads close to the finish line) but at this point in the day riders just want to get on the bus so you'll have to be quite pushy to get in their way. If Cav has won the stage you'll have no chance as the bus will probably leave him to travel to the team hotel in one of the team cars.

Wherever you choose to try and get autographs, have a pen and something to sign, and make sure you and your youngest shout very loudly at whoever you want to come over as soon as they emerge from the bus. If it's Cav, shout "Cav" - not Mark. If it's Wiggo, shout "Brad". They are both very good at discerning British voices. If you see Dave Brailsford shout over at him and say your youngest would like an autograph. He's very good with punters and is really into the whole "inspiring the public "thing. Sky have two PR people, Fran Millar, (dark haired, will probably be behaving like she's above dealing with the public), and Nick Howes, young dark haired lad from Leeds (very friendly). It's worth shouting at them too - they're PR people so they are used to responding to random people calling out their name.

Good luck!
a great mind thinks alike

Andrew

Re: Tour de France 2012
« Reply #57 on: 29 June, 2012, 10:12:05 am »
I feel theres a danger of unrealistic expectations of Cav given his last few tours, 1 stage win would be a good tour, 2 would be a excellent one and anything more would make it a fantastic tour. 

He says he's focussing on the Olympics but I don't think that means he won't be trying to win stages or the green jersey - just that he won't go into the red to do so.

Agreed. I think he made the decision to focus on the Olympics months ago, probably at the beginning of the year even (remember Brailsford saying that both Cavendish and Wiggins had to prioritise this year?).

I think he's taking a 'we'll see what happens' approach at the tour. Day at a time sort of thing. Maybe if he gets a couple of stages, places, picks up points then maybe... but frankly I'm not even expecting him to finish.

JT

  • Howay the lads!
    • CTC Peterborough
Re: Tour de France 2012
« Reply #58 on: 29 June, 2012, 10:43:00 am »
I think he'll finish. Look how strong he's been in Paris these last few years.
a great mind thinks alike

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
Re: Tour de France 2012
« Reply #59 on: 29 June, 2012, 10:50:25 am »
I think he'll finish. Look how strong he's been in Paris these last few years.

Exactly. How much would he love to make it four out of four? And while wearing the rainbow stripes? He'll be there.

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

GrahamG

  • Babies bugger bicycling
Re: Tour de France 2012
« Reply #60 on: 29 June, 2012, 10:58:11 am »
If he completes the tour, then goes and gets a medal in London, he will be officially ranked as well 'ard. Two grand tours in the champs stripes and still going for olympic medal is impressive.
Brummie in exile (may it forever be so)

simonb

Re: Tour de France 2012
« Reply #61 on: 29 June, 2012, 01:14:31 pm »
Good luck!

Excellent. And thank you very much!

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
Re: Tour de France 2012
« Reply #62 on: 29 June, 2012, 01:18:20 pm »
Today's Sport magazine has an A-Z of the Tour, in which M is for Mark Cavendish. There's a mini interview with Cav...

Quote
Would you ever pull out of the Tour to make sure you're ready for the Olympics?
"No, only if I get eliminated by a time cut or... no, I'll finish the Tour de France. I pulled out in my first year as a pro after a week, but I wasn't ready for the Tour. Then in 2008, I stopped for the Olympics and since then I've finished it every time."

Do you regret stopping for the Olympics?
"Yeah, I never made a secret of that. I'll never do it again."

Seems pretty definitive.

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

Re: Tour de France 2012
« Reply #63 on: 30 June, 2012, 04:30:39 pm »
Spartacus!

He's back!

 8)
What's this bottom line for anyway?

Ray 6701

  • SO @ T
    • Tamworth cycling club
Re: Tour de France 2012
« Reply #64 on: 30 June, 2012, 04:37:29 pm »
Can we use the spoiler symbol please,  I've seen the result already but others may not have.

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Re: Tour de France 2012
« Reply #65 on: 30 June, 2012, 05:09:54 pm »
Can we use the spoiler symbol please,  I've seen the result already but others may not have.

Anyone desperately trying to avoid finding out the results would be a fucking idiot to come to a cycling forum and open a topic entitled "Tour de France 2012"!!

Anyway...

Amazing that Wiggo made up 6 seconds in the second half of his ride.

Even more amazing that Spartacus beat everyone by over 7 seconds.

Tony Martin... If only...
Those wonderful norks are never far from my thoughts, oh yeah!

Re: Tour de France 2012
« Reply #66 on: 30 June, 2012, 05:27:35 pm »
Conditions seemed blustery and variable, so split times were a poor indicator of the final time. The flags and windblown litter told the story.

Auntie Helen

  • 6 Wheels in Germany
Re: Tour de France 2012
« Reply #67 on: 30 June, 2012, 06:11:56 pm »
Really disappointed with Tony Martin's puncture - would have been a fantastically close finish otherwise.

Hamburger Abendblatt reckons he lost 23 seconds with that, although the commentary said 15.
Quote
Der Zeitfahr-Weltmeister musste am Sonnabend im Prolog über 6,4 Kilometer in Lüttich nach der Hälfte der Strecke wegen eines „Plattfußes“ das Rad wechseln und war mit 23 Sekunden Rückstand im Kampf um den ersten Tagessieg der 99.
Puncture caused by a piece of glass, apparently.
My blog on cycling in Germany and eating German cake – http://www.auntiehelen.co.uk


citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
Tour de France 2012
« Reply #68 on: 30 June, 2012, 08:49:27 pm »
Spartacus: brilliant
Martin: unlucky
Wiggo: job done

The ride that really sticks out for me is Tejay - looking very promising.

Pleased to see Chavanel up there too.

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

Ray 6701

  • SO @ T
    • Tamworth cycling club
Re: Tour de France 2012
« Reply #69 on: 30 June, 2012, 08:50:05 pm »
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SR 2010/11/12/13/14/15
RRTY. PBP. LeJoG 1400. LEL.




Re: Tour de France 2012
« Reply #70 on: 30 June, 2012, 09:01:27 pm »
A terrific start by Philippe Gilbert to eclipse his team captain Cadel Evans. Tomorrow's stage finish should suit him and I think we'll see a big improvement on his 38th place @ 1 hour 14mins final placing of last year.
#makewattsnotwar

Re: Tour de France 2012
« Reply #71 on: 30 June, 2012, 10:32:24 pm »
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Those wonderful norks are never far from my thoughts, oh yeah!

Re: Tour de France 2012
« Reply #72 on: 30 June, 2012, 11:34:26 pm »
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"He who fights monsters should see to it that he himself does not become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." ~ Freidrich Neitzsche

Thor

  • Super-sonnicus idioticus
Re: Tour de France 2012
« Reply #73 on: 01 July, 2012, 01:53:21 pm »
Stage 1 has been underway for some time now and is being covered live on Eurosport.  ITV4 are still showing yesterday's prologue  ::-)
It was a day like any other in Ireland, only it wasn't raining

Re: Tour de France 2012
« Reply #74 on: 01 July, 2012, 01:59:28 pm »
Stage 1 has been underway for some time now and is being covered live on Eurosport.  ITV4 are still showing yesterday's prologue  ::-)

That's about par for the course - factoring in ad breaks,  the first 10-15 minutes of the one hour highlights programs will be taken up with  highlights of the previous stage.
"He who fights monsters should see to it that he himself does not become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." ~ Freidrich Neitzsche