*Spoliers* Tour de France talk *Spoilers*

tailwindhome

Eau Rouge wrote:

I don't see anyone else getting a sniff of that green jersey now either. The other teams can console themselves with thoughts of being blocked by circumstances, but that doesn't change the fact Cav has two stage wins already. It's not like anyone can beat him even in a straight fight. To wrestle that jersey off him now will need him to get dropped before more than one sprint finish, and with the whole Columbia team basically focused on him, I don't see that happening enough.

Not trying to be deliberatly contraversial but I don't see Cav winning the Green Jersey this year as I don't think he'll waste energy on 'lost' stages to pick up the minor points. I think he will win a couple more stage and the prestigious final stage in Paris , setting the lowest possible time up Ventoux on the way.

Just waiting for the typical English media backlash the first time he fails to win a stage. :roll:

cjcp

Bugly wrote:

So how much time can Astana pull out on Saxo bank in the TTT? I think they may get close to 60sec, :shock:

+1. It'll force Saxo Bank to chase in the mountains. Game on.

cjcp

Ok, hands up who's downloaded the ITV4 TdF theme tune? (I did it lasty year.)

always_tyred

cjcp wrote:

Ok, hands up who's downloaded the ITV4 TdF theme tune? (I did it lasty year.)

You can put it on your iPod along with the theme tunes to Test Match Special, Match of the Day and Wimbledon.

cjcp

Always Tyred wrote:

cjcp wrote:

Ok, hands up who's downloaded the ITV4 TdF theme tune? (I did it lasty year.)

You can put it on your iPod along with the theme tunes to Test Match Special, Match of the Day and Wimbledon.

I don't have an iPod though.

always_tyred

cjcp wrote:

Always Tyred wrote:

cjcp wrote:

Ok, hands up who's downloaded the ITV4 TdF theme tune? (I did it lasty year.)

You can put it on your iPod along with the theme tunes to Test Match Special, Match of the Day and Wimbledon.

I don't have an iPod though.

Record it onto a Maxell C90 then, with Dolby B noise reduction.

I don't have an iPod either.

iain_j

I'm back indeed :P

Still been commuting every day but a lack of free time in the last 3 months means I've not done much else on the bike. However the motivation is coming back... I've got tickets for the Track World Cup in October, the Tour de France is on, Cav is kicking ass, and I dragged myself out on Sunday morning and loved it. Good times

iain_j

As for the downloading the theme tune, where can I get the old 1980's one?

jonginge

iain_j wrote:

As for the downloading the theme tune, where can I get the old 1980's one?

Some links here: http://www.bikeradar.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=12634467

cjcp

A happy camper, he is not:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/armstro ... or-reeling

tailwindhome

Leaving today for family holiday in Majorca.

Any safe way of asking: "Does our apartment have Eurosport?"

symo

I think Contador is probably going to wait until the mountains then ruin arstrong there.

always_tyred

WheezyMcChubby wrote:

Leaving today for family holiday in Majorca.

Any safe way of asking: "Does our apartment have Eurosport?"

Its probably safer than asking "Is there a bar near our apartment showing Eurosport?"

DonDaddyD

Review from the spectator noob.....

Columbia-HTC team performance during THAT stage was so awesome. I wouldn't be surprised if they had some of the better GC-hopefuls (from other teams) wanting to join their team next year.

I wouldn't even be surprised if Contador hoists a middle finger at Astana and attempts to join (despite contract) Columbia-HTC next year. Same with Evans if he comes second again and gets fed up with having a weaker team.

Oh, LA isn't taking a wage from Astana: it's all about the cancer awareness, apparently

I don't buy this. Armstrong's original intentions may have genuinly been to raise cancer awareness but the guy is a winner (listen to his post race interview after the third stage - "you see a move like that and you go with it, regardless of who you are supporting" It was like he was telling Contador to step up his game and MTFU wthout actually talking to him directly). I think winning is too ingrained in Armstrong's core for the Tour to be anything but riding the best he can to win.

Also Armstrong isn't going to willingly play second fiddle to anyone and if he does Contador is going to have to earn it, hard.

That said I think Contador is going to go nuts in the mountains, balls out, teeth gritting. He may support Armstrong but he'll ride at his own pace. (It's going to be a great battle).

After three day's I'm proper excited about this. I now realise that I understood and learned a lot more about road racing back when I was a kid watching Le Tour on channel 4 in the early - mid 90s.

Still learning about breaks and making them stick was yesterdays lesson "Thank you Columbia". It was exciting stuff - especially when you know who is who. I'm racing home everyday to catch Le Tour at 7.00 on ITV4

always_tyred

DDD:

Astana will retain Contdor next year.
Vino will return to Astana.
There will be a mass exodus to "Team Mellow Johnny's" or "Team Livestrong" or whatever Lance's new team, run by Johan B, will be called.
Lance will try to win the Giro and/or Vuelta because the tour is beyond him at 38 and every time he tries to visit France he gets attacked by a Badger.

tailwindhome

Always Tyred wrote:

every time he tries to visit France he gets attacked by a Badger.

symo

DonDaddyD wrote:

I don't buy this. Armstrong's original intentions may have genuinly been to raise cancer awareness but the guy is a winner (listen to his post race interview after the third stage - "you see a move like that and you go with it, regardless of who you are supporting" It was like he was telling Contador to step up his game and MTFU wthout actually talking to him directly). I think winning is too ingrained in Armstrong's core for the Tour to be anything but riding the best he can to win.

Also Armstrong isn't going to willingly play second fiddle to anyone and if he does Contador is going to have to earn it, hard.

Contador is going to go nuts in the mountains, balls out, teeth gritting. He may support Armstrong but he'll ride at his pace. (It's going to be a great battle).

LOL Armstrong could win when Dr Ferarri was in the team car with a refridgerator.
Contador will want to tear LA a new one and come the hills will do. Hincapie did his team no favours by mentioning to LA they were off as it puts Tony Martins slim chance even slimmer. Also LA did not read anything he was told by Hincapie. Fair play to LA and his Astana supporters in the group they did some work at the front to help out Colombia-HTC but quite frankly I don't believe LA is eating the same stuff he once was.

DonDaddyD wrote:

After three day's I'm proper excited about this, I'm learning so much about racing and riding a bike in general. Learning about breaks and making them stick was yesterdays lesson "Thank you Columbia". Its like the World Cup final everyday and that is saying something. I'm racing home everyday to catch Le Tour at 7.00 on ITV4

I rode with the Mid Devon Cycling Club on Sunday, and I can hinestly say even in the B group of nine people being in the middle is somewhat entertaining to say the least especially on a fast descent. Deffo going to join to get my jersey and shorts plus my 10% off at Colin Lewis Cycles.

DonDaddyD

To clarify.
I don't think Armstrong will win, I think he'll race the best he can to win - should have said try to win... sorry. But I would love it if he did, don't know why.

I think Contador is going to win.

tailwindhome

Is this maybe the Astana tactic - Get Armstrong in yellow early, then support Contador in the mountains. Gives Evans etc a problem, who do they mark?

always_tyred

symo wrote:

LOL Armstrong could win when Dr Ferarri was in the team car with a refridgerator. Contador will want to tear LA a new one and come the hills will do.

If you say it often enough it will become true and no evidence will be required. The Lance did, Lance didn't should be on the road forum shoudn't it? I mean, if you bring it here, what will they talk about?

symo

Always Tyred wrote:

symo wrote:

LOL Armstrong could win when Dr Ferarri was in the team car with a refridgerator. Contador will want to tear LA a new one and come the hills will do.

If you say it often enough it will become true and no evidence will be required. The Lance did, Lance didn't should be on the road forum shoudn't it? I mean, if you bring it here, what will they talk about?

Shimano v Campy?

always_tyred

symo wrote:

Always Tyred wrote:

symo wrote:

LOL Armstrong could win when Dr Ferarri was in the team car with a refridgerator. Contador will want to tear LA a new one and come the hills will do.

If you say it often enough it will become true and no evidence will be required. The Lance did, Lance didn't should be on the road forum shoudn't it? I mean, if you bring it here, what will they talk about?

Shimano v Campy?

cjcp

WheezyMcChubby wrote:

Is this maybe the Astana tactic - Get Armstrong in yellow early, then support Contador in the mountains. Gives Evans etc a problem, who do they mark?

I thought about this too. Who they follow etc? However, I'm pretty sure LA didn't come back to act as a support act and, besides, Contador won it without LA before (with a little help from Rasmussensensensensens' exclusion) and doesn't need it now.

Sewinman

WheezyMcChubby wrote:

Is this maybe the Astana tactic - Get Armstrong in yellow early, then support Contador in the mountains. Gives Evans etc a problem, who do they mark?

Just reading that it was actually Contador who was at the break point, yesterday. It was allegedly him who failed to re-act and let the front group escape. Might he have done so on purpose?

I have never watched the TDF before - but its fascinating.

Deadeye Duck

DonDaddyD wrote:

Still learning about breaks and making them stick was yesterdays lesson "Thank you Columbia". It was exciting stuff - especially when you know who is who. I'm racing home everyday to catch Le Tour at 7.00 on ITV4

+1

I didn't particularly like Lance's comment about tour wins mind.

"I've won 8 (or was it 7), and he's won one. So, you know..."

You know what? That you're bragging, that you think that entitles you to be team leader, regardless of your form?

Lance rode much better than contador yesterday, but saying that spoils it for me.

il_principe

cjcp wrote:

WheezyMcChubby wrote:

Is this maybe the Astana tactic - Get Armstrong in yellow early, then support Contador in the mountains. Gives Evans etc a problem, who do they mark?

I thought about this too. Who they follow etc? However, I'm pretty sure LA didn't come back to act as a support act and, besides, Contador won it without LA before (with a little help from Rasmussensensensensens' exclusion) and doesn't need it now.

Well all I can say is GO LA! I don't buy into the doping cr@p I simply think he has too much to loose - like a whole foundation that does great work for so many people. If he is doping then the guy is a medical genius, if you follow his twitter you'll see how often he's tested.

Of course he won't perform as well as he used to at this tour, but then he's older and been out of competition for a good long while.

Innocent until proven guilty AFAIC.

Also Evans can do one, stroppy to$$er.

Deadeye Duck

Oh, also, for anyone who's been following the live text on bbc. I've found a bbc cycling reporter on twitter who is a lot more informative, conversational and just more fun to follow. He speaks his mind as well as keep you up to date.

http://twitter.com/philsheehanbbc

The only downside is you have to manually refresh his page, and he signs out of twitter with about 10km to go on races, so that he can get down to the finish line and do a few interviews. I'm not sure how active he'll be during the TTs though, as he may be down there all day, interviewing almost every team as the come in...

jonginge

phil s posts on these boards a bit as well as on bbc 606

Deadeye Duck

Even better!

I just liked the fact, I was having a little crack on with him while he was watching it, and keeping everyone updated (ok, two replies, but still...). He was replying to loads of folk, which is something that rarely happens on twitter.

attica

Il Principe wrote:

Also Evans can do one, stroppy to$$er.

Haha, you're so right

Cadel Evans wrote:

You stand on my dog and I'll kill you.

Talk about a queeny hissy fit

As for LA doping now, I doubt it, but in the past? Hmmm let's not go down that road, there are already waaaaaaaaaay too many threads on that subject elsewhere