Tour de France 09 (may contain spoilers)

[gonzo]

cyclingfans.com for all your cycling streaming needs!

[PaulF]

cyclingfans.com for all your cycling streaming needs!

Thanks! Made my day

[αdαmsκι]

This is brilliant 3 km to go. But it seems unlikely Wiggins will get 16 seconds on Armstrong. Fantastic riding from A. Schleck to help his brother, tho it's not achieving it's aim to drop Lance or Wiggins.


Edit: Ooooo Wiggins has just cracked   ......


and he's back Wow.

[David Martin]

Well done Wiggo! Holds on to fourth, just.

..d

[Ariadne]

Hurray! It would have been brilliant if he'd got onto the podium but still, 4th is fantastic!

[αdαmsκι]

Brilliant ride by Wiggins to hang onto 4^th by 3 seconds . Andy Schleck was just incredible today - how many attacks did he do? Now, Schleck needs to go away and improving his TT ability before next years tour if he wants to win it!

Great rides from Garate and Tony Martin, too.

[gonzo]

That ride was a great example to show to people who say there are no tactics in cycling!

Also, great ride by Wiggo!!!

[toekneep]

I think Wiggo did amazingly well to hand on there. He looked like he really had to dig deep. Can't wait to see him next year.

[gonzo]

Can't wait to see him next year...

..when Contador's not allowed to race?

Seriously though, I think wiggo did extraordinarily well in the best field for years (even though it did favour a TTer this year).

[αdαmsκι]

..when Contador's not allowed to race?

Nah, Contador will be a super-domestique for Wiggins (or more likely the other way round).

[gonzo]

If Garmin employ him, I will be considerably more likely to believe that he's clean.

[DuncanM]

What a ride.  Not only by Wiggo, but by Contador and Andy Schleck and Armstrong.
I hadn't realised - Andy Schleck won Liege Bastogne Liege this year as well - that makes 2nd in the tour all the more impressive.

I didn't think it favoured the TTer this year.  The Schlecks are basically climbers, as is Nibali, and Contador and Armstrong have been fantastic climbers who can also TT for a few years...  IMO Wiggo was the only guy in the top 6 who's TTing was stronger than his climbing.

[Hot Flatus]

Wiggo looks a bit like Cadel Evans*, can't attack on climbs but can somehow just hang in there.

* without all the annoying whining

[andygates]

I thought he was off the back SO MANY times!  Well held that man.  Gritty performance.

Also: Awesome tour photos: 2009 Tour de France - The Big Picture - Boston.com

[gonzo]

I think it was the team TT that eliminated all who didn't have good TT based squads.

Wiggo looks a bit like Cadel Evans*, can't attack on climbs but can somehow just hang in there.

* without all the annoying whining

And a certain sense of humour too; when asked if he was going to be on the podium in Paris he replied that anything could happen, he could blow up and loose loads of time, heck he might even crash horribly and end up in hospital!

[border-rider]

Great stage !

I was amused when Phil & Paul reckoned the 22k climb would take an hour or so.  That being almost twice as long as it took me onna Brommie

It's good when they do a  road you know and have ridden.  

The total f'in desolation of the summit doesn't fully come across in the TV coverage...

Wiggins is my hero after that.  Armstong and Contador rode an intelligent race too - payback for Contador hanging his team out to dry earlier in the week ?

[gonzo]

Armstong and Contador rode an intelligent race too - payback for Contador hanging his team out to dry earlier in the week ?

I think that Contador knew that he didn't need to gap anyone. It also reflects better on him as he'll shortly be looking for a new team!

[Von Broad]

Blimey that was nail-biting at the end. What a stage. And what a performance by Wiggins to hang in there. Enjoyed it immensely.

Superb TV coverage.

The total f'in desolation of the summit doesn't fully come across in the TV coverage...

I am reminded of that documentary 'Death on the side of a Mountain'[?] about Tom Simpson where they were describing conditions on that day -  how intolerably hot & barren it was after they emerged from the shelter of the tree cover. I'd like to catch that program again sometime.

[Hot Flatus]

Armstong and Contador rode an intelligent race too - payback for Contador hanging his team out to dry earlier in the week ?

I don't think Bruyneel or Kloden will have kept their opinion about Contadors silliness to themselves.  That said for all the strength of Astana holding it all together for 3 weeks it looks likes it will fold at about 5pm on sunday.

[pcolbeck]

I am reminded of that documentary 'Death on the side of a Mountain'[?] about Tom Simpson where they were describing conditions on that day -  how intolerably hot & barren it was after they emerged from the shelter of the tree cover. I'd like to catch that program again sometime.

Charlie Wegelius tweeted that riding past the Tom Simpson Memorial was almost a religious experience yesterday.

[SpaceBadger]

I am reminded of that documentary 'Death on the side of a Mountain'[?] about Tom Simpson where they were describing conditions on that day -  how intolerably hot & barren it was after they emerged from the shelter of the tree cover. I'd like to catch that program again sometime.

Charlie Wegelius tweeted that riding past the Tom Simpson Memorial was almost a religious experience yesterday.

I know what he means. I felt that I was much closer to meeting my maker than I was comfortable with when I went past it on Monday too! 

[Aidan]

. I'd like to catch that program again sometime.

I've got it on DVD recorded off the TV, along with A sunday in hell about Paris Roubaix in Merckx's era if you'd like a copy

[Von Broad]

. I'd like to catch that program again sometime.

I've got it on DVD recorded off the TV, along with A sunday in hell about Paris Roubaix in Merckx's era if you'd like a copy

Ta very much Aidan. YHPM

[onb]

I thought he was off the back SO MANY times!  Well held that man.  Gritty performance.

Also: Awesome tour photos: 2009 Tour de France - The Big Picture - Boston.com

Awsome in deed great link thanks.

[onb]

Its seemed like the best tour for years to me despite or perhaps because we no longer have eurosport.I think though mainly because of the high Brit factor,I thought yesterday was gripping Schlecks attacking ,Contador and Armstrong responding and Wiggins hanging in there ,throw the crowd and atmosphere in to the mix and it was compelling.