Tour De France 2010 - *May contain spoilers*

gabriel959

Greg66 wrote:

Gussio wrote:

gabriel959 wrote:

All this stuff about ‘noble tradition of not taking advantage of another's misfortune’, ‘big No No to attack the Yellow Jersey when the rider has a crash or mechanical’, ‘unwritten rule in the peloton that you did not capitalise on someone else's crash or mechanical’, “etiquette’, etc, is nonsense.
It’s a race and all competitors have to take it how it comes, including rivals taking advantage when they can.

It’s wrong to say ‘the players of TDF used to have a gamesmanship not found in other sports’, this approach never really existed in past decades, at least to the extent that some people now believe.
Merckx didn’t wait for Ocana when he punctured, Thevenet for Merckx when he was attacked by a spectator, Zoetemelk for Hinault when he punctured, Roche for Bernard when he punctured, Chiappucci for Lemond when he punctured, etc.

The idea of waiting only really took over during the Armstrong years, when on the one hand LA almost demanded it from others or, in order to appear magnanimous, granted it to certain others (but only in hypocritical fashion, i.e. not to all rivals), while on the other hand the media played up this notion to suggest the sport still had some ideals despite doping scandals

Those who should know best, ex-riders Hinault, Bernard, Jalabert and Bruyneel, have all stated what Contador did is quite legitimate.
One of them also pointed out that if people expected Contador to wait, where do you draw the line, because Menchov and Sanchez would have heard through their earpieces what had happened.

Fair enough comments. Where did the quote come from, please?

Another poster somewhere on the Road Forums. Pretty authoritative, therefore.

The references are valid, or aren't they? Yes, it comes from another poster.

Sastre said, today after the stage, that all this waiting for crashes, mechanicals, is nuts and that is killing the sport. I agree.

tailwindhome

Greg66 wrote:

Greg66 wrote:

TailWindHome wrote:

Let's have your predictions for tomorrow.


AC to win the stage with an trademark attack on the Tourmalet.

AS to lose enough time so 'chaingate' becomes irrelevant

This is always fun.

SaxoBank and Astana will vie to set the pace up at the beginning of the climb. Astana will be left standing after that fight. AS will attack, and attack and attack. AC will follow, follow, follow.

AC follow AS over the line; possibly try to outsprint him, but I think more likely he'll sit in.

Then AC will seal it in the ITT, taking enough time to make chaingate irrelevant.

Am I right so far? 8)

Was AC's attack at 4km a geniune move or just a little dig?

ITV4 did their best to f*ck up the coverage with that ad break at about 3km to go ......really really irritating.

Anybody give Andy a chance at getting these 8secs back in the TT?

always_tyred

Almost no chance at all. It would require an Ullrich like roundabout moment, I think.

cjcp

P&P did their best to liven up the Tourmalet, but that was duller than dishwater.

gabriel959

Jesus, that was poor, with all this kissing and love from AC to AS and viceversa there is no racing left. Contador is too nice a guy!

I agree with Carlos though...
http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/tou ... brats.html

The Giro was a far, far better race.

itboffin

+1 the Giro was a race this is a MASSHOOF ad campaign for the french tourist board.

DonDaddyD

Better than last years tour IMO.

anton1r

gabriel959 wrote:

The Giro was a far, far better race.

You mean it was an actual race without all the politics...? Is the tour always like this?

I mean yeah its unfortunate if some ones chain comes off or they get a puncture or whatever but that's just part of racing... going back to my earlier comparasin with F1. If the leading driver gets a puncture will the others slow down so he can crawl to the pits to get it changed. will they hell...

I can accept all this nicey nicey stuff if its the general consensus but it appears it isn't and a few put it on the rest. IMO (and i'm abit of a pro cycling noob so... whatever) the race organisers should sort it out.

Also what's the point of bertie C sitting on Schleck's wheel on yesterdays stage. Seemed to me he gave him the stage the other day. Nice enough gesture but wouldn't it of been more fitting for him to have put some distance between himself and AS (i'm assuming he could of if he'd really wanted to) making a statement, saying something like look i'm just better than my competitor is regardless of how his bike performs.

gabriel959

The racing was better on this year’s Tour. I do agree with that but there was some crap...

Stage 2 pile-up. Cancellara neutralising the stage? WTF? My estimation of him went down immediately after that. Does it mean anyone falls we need to wait? What a load of bollocks? Is it a Sunday club run then or are they going to race? Up until that point the stage had been very good and if Cancellara had not neutralised the stage we would be talking in Andy losing 2 minutes to AC and Menchov gaining time on AC and even more on Andy.

Stage 3 – fantastic racing, there were some unfortunate crashes, but at least there was no waiting for anyone (Cancellara didn’t complain in here!) …. But here comes Big Jens and complains.

Chainflippingate. Please Alberto, don’t apologise, just race. I think he behaved correctly, like the champions of old but then he ruined it with his apology, his cuddles and the kisses.

Yesterday, flipping lame he didn’t contest the stage. What a disappointment for the viewers. The hug, lame lame lame.

There were some good moments. Beginning of the Stage 15, the Mende stage, the one Andy and Sanchez battled for the win, the stage the day after Mende, Stage 3, Stage 2 before Cancellara ruined it.

So not as bad as last years but still far from pata negra.

Zachariah

Slightly OT, but I just discovered the existence of the Tour Feminine and was more than taken aback to learn of Emma Pooley, Britain's own champion cyclist.

I'm only a casual follower of cycle racing, but I can't understand the lack of coverage she gets in the UK. I've heard of Pendleton, who, frankly, has hardly achieved anything compared to Pooley. This is scandalous!

Sewinman

What is the protocol for waiting for someone who falls off?

They waited for Sammy Sanchez yesterday, but people fall off all the time, so why wait for him?

jonginge

Zachariah wrote:

Slightly OT, but I just discovered the existence of the Tour Feminine and was more than taken aback to learn of Emma Pooley, Britain's own champion cyclist.

I'm only a casual follower of cycle racing, but I can't understand the lack of coverage she gets in the UK. I've heard of Pendleton, who, frankly, has hardly achieved anything compared to Pooley. This is scandalous!

Emma Pooley's ace. However, she hasn't won either the olympics or the world champs. VP has done both, as has Nicole Cooke. Pooley has matured as a rider since the olympics and has got some great results as a consequence

gabriel959

JonGinge wrote:

Zachariah wrote:

Slightly OT, but I just discovered the existence of the Tour Feminine and was more than taken aback to learn of Emma Pooley, Britain's own champion cyclist.

I'm only a casual follower of cycle racing, but I can't understand the lack of coverage she gets in the UK. I've heard of Pendleton, who, frankly, has hardly achieved anything compared to Pooley. This is scandalous!

Emma Pooley's ace. However, she hasn't won either the olympics or the world champs. VP has done both, as has Nicole Cooke. Pooley has matured as a rider since the olympics and has got some great results as a consequence

She got a silver in the TT at the Olympics though.

Emma is great

gabriel959

Sewinman wrote:

What is the protocol for waiting for someone who falls off?

They waited for Sammy Sanchez yesterday, but people fall off all the time, so why wait for him?

Indeed. They shouldn't have.

jonginge

gabriel959 wrote:

JonGinge wrote:

Zachariah wrote:

Slightly OT, but I just discovered the existence of the Tour Feminine and was more than taken aback to learn of Emma Pooley, Britain's own champion cyclist.

I'm only a casual follower of cycle racing, but I can't understand the lack of coverage she gets in the UK. I've heard of Pendleton, who, frankly, has hardly achieved anything compared to Pooley. This is scandalous!

Emma Pooley's ace. However, she hasn't won either the olympics or the world champs. VP has done both, as has Nicole Cooke. Pooley has matured as a rider since the olympics and has got some great results as a consequence

She got a silver in the TT at the Olympics though.

Emma is great

I know but her RR tactics weren't great. Always had the ability but... Tactically and technically she's better now

gabriel959

Nicole seems to have banished this last year, whilst Emma is now flourishing.

DonDaddyD

Emma and Nicole would have more publicity if they looked like Liz Hatch or VP and that's very sad because they are both incredibly good.

It's unfair in fact. Nicole Cooke has been winning for years and hasn't really been or seen the sponsorship support Vicky has - Nicole even started her own race team.

Wiggins comes 4th once and becomes the face of British Cycling, Vicky Pendleton won some track events at the olympics and is suddenly everyone British Cyclists sweetheart but both pale to what Cooke has achieved and yet she remains in the shadows.

Surely Nicole should be knighted or something not just for her personal sporting achievements but also the impact she has had on other girls lives through her team that she started.

Yes I've read up on her when I was looking to add something to the 'girls in lycra thread'. The irony.

rjsterry

gabriel959 wrote:

Nicole seems to have banished this last year, whilst Emma is now flourishing.

I'd assumed that was mainly down to her team going belly up.

jonginge

Made it look easy. Poor old Thor

holybinch

Still something possible for the greenie. Let's see on Sunday how it goes

Dalton

How awesome was CAV today? In a different league or what!

tailwindhome

TailWindHome after Cav's 2nd stage win wrote:

Not sure if Cav will finish the race. Depends on how important Paris is and HTC's thoughts on the best way to prepare him for the remainder of the season.

Well yes, ah, it would seem I got that spectacularly wrong.

Tell you what.

I'll suggest 43 numbers between 1 and 49. The other remaining 6 must be worth a punt for the lottery.

Zachariah

Anyone see the publicity shot of Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz standing on the podium with Cav? 6ft Diaz mysteriously appears slightly shorter than both men...

cjcp

gabriel959 wrote:

JonGinge wrote:

Zachariah wrote:

Slightly OT, but I just discovered the existence of the Tour Feminine and was more than taken aback to learn of Emma Pooley, Britain's own champion cyclist.

I'm only a casual follower of cycle racing, but I can't understand the lack of coverage she gets in the UK. I've heard of Pendleton, who, frankly, has hardly achieved anything compared to Pooley. This is scandalous!

Emma Pooley's ace. However, she hasn't won either the olympics or the world champs. VP has done both, as has Nicole Cooke. Pooley has matured as a rider since the olympics and has got some great results as a consequence

She got a silver in the TT at the Olympics though.

Emma is great

Yep, Emma's ace.

Seriously impressive stuff from Cav.

rjsterry

cjcp wrote:

gabriel959 wrote:

JonGinge wrote:

Zachariah wrote:

Slightly OT, but I just discovered the existence of the Tour Feminine and was more than taken aback to learn of Emma Pooley, Britain's own champion cyclist.

I'm only a casual follower of cycle racing, but I can't understand the lack of coverage she gets in the UK. I've heard of Pendleton, who, frankly, has hardly achieved anything compared to Pooley. This is scandalous!

Emma Pooley's ace. However, she hasn't won either the olympics or the world champs. VP has done both, as has Nicole Cooke. Pooley has matured as a rider since the olympics and has got some great results as a consequence

She got a silver in the TT at the Olympics though.

Emma is great

Yep, Emma's ace.

Seriously impressive stuff from Cav.

+1 for Pooley and Cav. I wonder if Renshaw is feeling a little redundant. Oss was pretty heroic as well - Cav was saying that HTC had to burn two of their lead out team to reel him in.

cjcp

Bugger

gabriel959

I think someone needs to say it but I think Cav is the best pure sprinter ever. And he is only what, 23 or 24? Scary!

Christophe3967

cjcp wrote:

gabriel959 wrote:

JonGinge wrote:

Zachariah wrote:

Slightly OT, but I just discovered the existence of the Tour Feminine and was more than taken aback to learn of Emma Pooley, Britain's own champion cyclist.

I'm only a casual follower of cycle racing, but I can't understand the lack of coverage she gets in the UK. I've heard of Pendleton, who, frankly, has hardly achieved anything compared to Pooley. This is scandalous!

Emma Pooley's ace. However, she hasn't won either the olympics or the world champs. VP has done both, as has Nicole Cooke. Pooley has matured as a rider since the olympics and has got some great results as a consequence

She got a silver in the TT at the Olympics though.

Emma is great

Yep, Emma's ace.

Seriously impressive stuff from Cav.

All our girls are very good - and there are others too e.g. Romero. But I doubt any of them will ever eclipse the exploits of the truly great Beryl Burton, arguably the greatest Bristish sports person ever. Her palmares is without question awesome.

cjcp

gabriel959 wrote:

I think someone needs to say it but I think Cav is the best pure sprinter ever. And he is only what, 23 or 24? Scary!

I don't know enough about sprinters, but I recall McKewen in his pomp being very quick. Would be interesting to compare their speeds in the sprint and how far out they could go from.

@Christophe: +1.

tailwindhome

Christophe3967 wrote:

All our girls are very good - and there are others too e.g. Romero. But I doubt any of them will ever eclipse the exploits of the truly great Beryl Burton, arguably the greatest Bristish sports person ever. Her palmares is without question awesome.

IIRC at one point Beryl held the British 12 hrs record.

Not the women's one... the outright record

Awesome


(edit. it was the 12hr not the 24hr)