Tour De France 2011 - The Commuters Spolier Thread

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  • iPete
    iPete Posts: 6,076
    Stage 13 time!

    Sounds like Philippe Gilbert is going for the intermediate sprint points, hopefully HTC will respond..!
  • suzyb
    suzyb Posts: 3,449
    I see Kloden has retired. Radioshack have had a really bad tour this year.

    Good to see another Sky rider in the break though.
    Whippet
  • jonginge
    jonginge Posts: 5,945
    iPete wrote:
    Stage 13 time!

    Sounds like Philippe Gilbert is going for the intermediate sprint points, hopefully HTC will respond..!
    Looks like the break was allowed to go only after Gilbert and Rojas weren't in it.
    FCN 2-4 "Shut up legs", Jens Voigt
    Planet-x Scott
    Rides
  • DonDaddyD
    DonDaddyD Posts: 12,689
    edited July 2011
    Personally I get annoyed by all these early breaks by Sky now the race really matters.

    I mean sure in the first week send Flecha (or another Domestique) out in the breaks during the first week. He gets face time for the team and sponsors and a possible stage win.

    However, right now I'd rather them sit, wait and attack with the GC contenders (Thomas attacked so early I think it hindered his overall finish, crash not withstanding and I don't understand why he wasn't told to hold back until the final climb). .

    I mean sure, Wiggo is out, but they could gather round another leader (does Sky have a deputy leader/Captain) or work to put Geraint Thomas in the white Jersey overall.

    Sheesh.
    Food Chain number = 4

    A true scalp is not only overtaking someone but leaving them stopped at a set of lights. As you, who have clearly beaten the lights, pummels nothing but the open air ahead. ~ 'DondaddyD'. Player of the Unspoken Game
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    DonDaddyD wrote:
    Personally I get annoyed by all these early breaks by Sky now the race really matters.

    I mean sure in the first week send Flecha out in the breaks during the first week. He gets face time for the team and sponsors and a possible stage win.

    However, right now I'd rather them sit and wait and attack with the GC contenders. If anything else just to prove that they have a strong team and to demonstrate the strength of team spirit in the face of this Tour and its negative moments.

    I mean sure, Wiggo is out, but they could gather round another leader (does Sky have a deputy leader/Captain) or work to put Geraint Thomas in the white Jersey overall.

    Sheesh.

    If they sit with the leaders, they'll get buried. As Thomas rightly said, he needed a few more minutes before he got to Luz Ardiden and he'd have been in for a stage.
    _
  • bigmat
    bigmat Posts: 5,134
    edited July 2011
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    DonDaddyD wrote:
    Personally I get annoyed by all these early breaks by Sky now the race really matters.

    I mean sure in the first week send Flecha out in the breaks during the first week. He gets face time for the team and sponsors and a possible stage win.

    However, right now I'd rather them sit and wait and attack with the GC contenders. If anything else just to prove that they have a strong team and to demonstrate the strength of team spirit in the face of this Tour and its negative moments.

    I mean sure, Wiggo is out, but they could gather round another leader (does Sky have a deputy leader/Captain) or work to put Geraint Thomas in the white Jersey overall.

    Sheesh.


    If they sit with the leaders, they'll get buried. As Thomas rightly said, he needed a few more minutes before he got to Luz Ardiden and he'd have been in for a stage.

    It was a gallant effort by G. In the end he got caught between being a man up the road to work for Uran on the final climb, and actually being in with a shot at winning the stage. Beats a day in the gruppetto though. By his own definition he's not a GC contender (certainly not this year anyway) so he was free to have a go at a long one. I'm not sure he's a realistic white jersey contender either - Sky probably know that at least Uran will finish ahead of him!
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/41991871@N ... otostream/
  • bigmat
    bigmat Posts: 5,134
    Greg66 wrote:
    TailWindHome wrote:
    Greg66 wrote:
    Just came out of a meeting a scanned the BBC online coverage v quickly.

    So, (a) who thinks Bertie is out of it this year
    (b) who thinks the Schlecks will race each other without mercy
    (c) who sees Cadel suffering at the hands of the Schlecks just like the year that hen Sastre won?

    (a) Too early to pronounce....nothing will happen tomorrow.
    (b) More chance of getting the Klitchovs into the same ring.
    (c) He'll attack rather than wait for that to happen.


    Was it just me or did today's live coverage lack the normal close ups of the riders faces on the climb, much of the coverage seem to be from behind.....wonder have the bikes been told to keep their distance???

    (a) Bertie didn't ride the Giro in 2009 or (I think) 2010. He hasn't looked as sharp this year accelerating on the climbs as previous years; he has an injured knee (apparently) and he's had a few unlucky spills. My bet is that he's put rather too much work into his legs to be competitive in the Tour.
    (b) We'll see. This could be this year's main event though.
    (c) Ol' diesel split chinny will have to attack, but unless he has transformed himself this year, he doesn't have the burst power on climbs to accelerate clear of the Schlecks and hold them off. He'll take time from them in the TT, but that's short (42k?) and has two hard mountain top finishes before it. Where my money is on him playing the role of the mouse.

    I don't see why Evans has to attack - he's sitting pretty right now, its for the others to attack him. I also think his climbing is better than people credit him with. The last two years are red herrings (crash damaged, and bizarre lack of form / motivation). In 07 and 08 he twice came second by a matter of seconds. He was injured in 08 and I reckon would've taken the win but for that crash, as for 07 the Bertie / Chicken show was extra-terrestrial, Evans was best of the rest though.
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  • iPete
    iPete Posts: 6,076
    Everything I know about Jeremy Roy has been learnt from SRMLive; he likes to attack the pack and doesn't have a pulse! :lol:
  • greg66_tri_v2.0
    greg66_tri_v2.0 Posts: 7,172
    iPete wrote:
    Everything I know about Jeremy Roy has been learnt from SRMLive; he likes to attack the pack and doesn't have a pulse! :lol:

    Am I the only person who, when they see that name at a glance, reads "Ron Jeremy"?
    Swim. Bike. Run. Yeah. That's what I used to do.

    Bike 1
    Bike 2-A
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    Greg66 wrote:
    iPete wrote:
    Everything I know about Jeremy Roy has been learnt from SRMLive; he likes to attack the pack and doesn't have a pulse! :lol:

    Am I the only person who, when they see that name at a glance, reads "Ron Jeremy"?

    tumblr_kr6c3hxlOy1qznvhxo1_500.jpg
    _
  • asprilla
    asprilla Posts: 8,440
    Greg66 wrote:
    iPete wrote:
    Everything I know about Jeremy Roy has been learnt from SRMLive; he likes to attack the pack and doesn't have a pulse! :lol:

    Am I the only person who, when they see that name at a glance, reads "Ron Jeremy"?

    Nope.
    Mud - Genesis Vapour CCX
    Race - Fuji Norcom Straight
    Sun - Cervelo R3
    Winter / Commute - Dolan ADX
  • jonginge
    jonginge Posts: 5,945
    Greg66 wrote:
    iPete wrote:
    Everything I know about Jeremy Roy has been learnt from SRMLive; he likes to attack the pack and doesn't have a pulse! :lol:

    Am I the only person who, when they see that name at a glance, reads "Ron Jeremy"?
    Yes. Yes, you are*


    * No, you're not
    FCN 2-4 "Shut up legs", Jens Voigt
    Planet-x Scott
    Rides
  • jzed
    jzed Posts: 2,926
    How heavy is the heaviest TDF rider?
  • tailwindhome
    tailwindhome Posts: 19,352
    I'm going to be Thor Hushovd when I grow up.....


    Who's the other Garmin rider in what looks like a world champion's jersey?
    “New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!
  • suzyb
    suzyb Posts: 3,449
    TailWindHome wrote:
    I'm going to be Thor Hushovd when I grow up.....


    Who's the other Garmin rider in what looks like a world champion's jersey?
    I think it's the champion of Lithuania but don't know his name.
    Whippet
  • jzed
    jzed Posts: 2,926
    TailWindHome wrote:
    I'm going to be Thor Hushovd when I grow up.....


    Who's the other Garmin rider in what looks like a world champion's jersey?

    Go-on Thor
  • jonny_trousers
    jonny_trousers Posts: 3,588
    Hushovt: legend
  • mtb-idle
    mtb-idle Posts: 2,179
    I read somewhere that G didn't realise there was 5,000 euros for being first over the climb.

    whether that woulkd have made any difference as ghe was struggling to keep up at tha t stage but interesting comments from him
    FCN = 4
  • suzyb
    suzyb Posts: 3,449
    Hushovd was doing 69mph on the descent yesterday :shock:
    Whippet
  • BelgianBeerGeek
    BelgianBeerGeek Posts: 5,226
    Thor Hushovd and I have something in common - we're the same weight.

    There's hope for me yet. Go Thor!
    Ecrasez l’infame
  • tailwindhome
    tailwindhome Posts: 19,352
    TailWindHome wrote:
    Apparently there is some sort of race to decide the overall winner... a Yellow Jersey competition.

    Dunno. Maybe it'll start soon.

    Apparently not.
    “New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!
  • iPete
    iPete Posts: 6,076
    Looks like no intermediate sprint points for Cav today, not sure if the two other contenders are in the break away?
  • MonkeyMonster
    MonkeyMonster Posts: 4,629
    iPete wrote:
    Looks like no intermediate sprint points for Cav today, not sure if the two other contenders are in the breakaway?

    Thought it was more of a marathon...

    IGMC
    Le Cannon [98 Cannondale M400] [FCN: 8]
    The Mad Monkey [2013 Hoy 003] [FCN: 4]
  • suzyb
    suzyb Posts: 3,449
    iPete wrote:
    Looks like no intermediate sprint points for Cav today, not sure if the two other contenders are in the break away?
    Surely HTC wouldn't have let the break away...er away if the other sprint contenders were in it.
    Whippet
  • jzed
    jzed Posts: 2,926
    Chapeau Voeckler - he won't surrender. Schleck blown!

    Thor for the stage?
  • pitchshifter
    pitchshifter Posts: 1,476
    Great win, although I was rooting for Eddy.

    Its amazing what a rest day does for Bert isn't it? :o

    No Bro-mance with the Schlecks tonight after Frank didn't wait for Andy!
  • DonDaddyD
    DonDaddyD Posts: 12,689
    edited July 2011
    Andy Schleck is a b*tch!

    "OOoooo I don't want to go fast downhill, health and safety".

    It's a race, grow up. Get a competitive hunger or you'll never be anything more than the other Schleck and Contador's nearly man.
    Food Chain number = 4

    A true scalp is not only overtaking someone but leaving them stopped at a set of lights. As you, who have clearly beaten the lights, pummels nothing but the open air ahead. ~ 'DondaddyD'. Player of the Unspoken Game
  • jzed
    jzed Posts: 2,926
    DonDaddyD wrote:
    Andy Schleck is a b*tch!

    OOoooo I don't want to go fast downhill, "health and safety".

    It's a race, grow up. Get a competitive hunger or you'll never be anything more than the other Schleck and Contador's nearly man.

    Contador dropped him on the climb! He had no response.
    Andy Schleck - 2 days ago wrote:
    Once we get to the Alps that's when we will make a difference
  • DonDaddyD
    DonDaddyD Posts: 12,689
    JZed wrote:
    DonDaddyD wrote:
    Andy Schleck is a b*tch!

    OOoooo I don't want to go fast downhill, "health and safety".

    It's a race, grow up. Get a competitive hunger or you'll never be anything more than the other Schleck and Contador's nearly man.

    Contador dropped him on the climb! He had no response.

    Talking about his post race interview. He said that he didn't want to go any faster downhill "it's not safe and we all have families".

    Boardman had some choice words for him, questioning his sportsmanship and pointing out that it is a race at all times and not just when the road goes up...
    Food Chain number = 4

    A true scalp is not only overtaking someone but leaving them stopped at a set of lights. As you, who have clearly beaten the lights, pummels nothing but the open air ahead. ~ 'DondaddyD'. Player of the Unspoken Game
  • jzed
    jzed Posts: 2,926
    Poor sportsmanship in my view. If he had kept pace with Contandor and Evans when they broke and then eased off at the top then maybe. Reality is they left him for dead before the summit. To me and probably everyone else it looks as though he doesn't have the legs.

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