Tour De France 2011 - The Commuters Spolier Thread

DonDaddyD

Yep, he has the ability but I don't think he has the form he had last year. Especially when you consider that he couldn't keep attacking with Frank a few stages back.

But yeah, I've lost a bit of respect for A Schleck.

Edit: Come to think of it, he complained about being attacked when he had a mechanical at last years Tour as well. Schleck really needs to grow up. It's a race.

cjcp

Missed all the action today, but returned home when Evans and Bertie were ridings the last 2k. I found myself cheering for Evans .

tailwindhome

DonDaddyD wrote:

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...

Bit ironic there...his family was 50 seconds up the road.....

suzyb

TailWindHome wrote:

Bit ironic there...his family was 50 seconds up the road.....

welkman

Thor is now my favorite rider. I cant stand contodor, did anyone else notice him looking back at Evans on the last part of the climb in a 'look at me being the fastest guy up this hill' type way? Im really happy that Evans did him on the downhill. This is shaping up to be a great finish!

jzed

Just watching the highlights and Contador did Schleck 5 minutes from the summit, so the downhill thing is just b*ll*cks. Schleck blew up, simple as. Not a fan of Contador. Evans looks strong.

Did anyone else complain about the descent?

Jay dubbleU

I'm astonished by the way Voekler is hanging in there - I thought he would have been out of it in the Pyrenees - now he's looking like a contender for the Alps - Contador and the Shlecks look as though they're blown.

SmellTheGlove

Lot of goodwill ebbing away from A Schleck after those girl's blouse histrionics. You just went up the frigging hill - they can't all be summit finishes. Win a stage or free up the pot for someone with the hunger. Simple plan.

EDIT – I allow for Leopard Trek losing a teammate this year

suzyb

I don't like Contador or Evans and now A Schleck has lost my respect with his moaning.

hmmm.....go Sanchez!

tailwindhome

suzyb wrote:

I don't like Contador or Evans and now A Schleck has lost my respect with his moaning.

hmmm.....go Sanchez!

Why do you not like Evans?

suzyb

TailWindHome wrote:

suzyb wrote:

I don't like Contador or Evans and now A Schleck has lost my respect with his moaning.

hmmm.....go Sanchez!

Why do you not like Evans?

I dunno tbh. I think it's just during a previous tour he seemed like a toys out pram type when things didn't go to plan.

ofc that describes pretty much every sports person.

greg66_tri_v2.0

Thor is a God. For real.

greg66_tri_v2.0

TailWindHome wrote:

suzyb wrote:

I don't like Contador or Evans and now A Schleck has lost my respect with his moaning.

hmmm.....go Sanchez!

Why do you not like Evans?

Watching Evans climb is like watching a chimp on a circus bike. It's the ugliest thing to scar my eyes in years. And he has a whiney voice. And a chin you could use as a bike stand.

cjcp

Greg66 wrote:

TailWindHome wrote:

suzyb wrote:

I don't like Contador or Evans and now A Schleck has lost my respect with his moaning.

hmmm.....go Sanchez!

Why do you not like Evans?

Watching Evans climb is like watching a chimp on a circus bike. It's the ugliest thing to scar my eyes in years. And he has a whiney voice. And a chin you could use as a bike stand.

This.

But I'm sort of beginning to like him. Anyone but AC and the Schlecks. While Andy made.that comment abt people not wanting to see a race decided in this way, it's a helluva lot more interesting than last year's effort.

Kieran_Burns

I'm sorry but I can't bring myself to like someone who's a whiny little girl when things don't go perfectly for them, so that's AS out.

and Evans looks like he's got his helmet straps on so tight it's pulled his head in. His chin appears to grow out of the lid... it's plain scary.

Gussio

The descent did look miserable in that weather - a totally different place to when Armstrong shot out across the field.

Good ride from Evans, but I can't get over his whiny voice. Out of everyone in the post-stage interviews, he seemed the least composed (although he could have been interviewed soonest after the finish). Be interesting to see how his legs are today.

Shaping up for a very exciting week.....

jzed

Interesting blog on pro cyclist earnings

http://www.cyclingtipsblog.com/2010/11/how-much-do-pro-cyclists-make/

Gussio

JZed wrote:

Interesting blog on pro cyclist earnings

http://www.cyclingtipsblog.com/2010/11/how-much-do-pro-cyclists-make/

That is interesting. Would I be right in thinking that prize money for stage wins, green jersey, etc. would be shared amongst the team i.e. recognising that winning isn't generally a solo effort?

el_presidente

Gussio wrote:

The descent did look miserable in that weather - a totally different place to when Armstrong shot out across the field.

Good ride from Evans, but I can't get over his whiny voice. Out of everyone in the post-stage interviews, he seemed the least composed (although he could have been interviewed soonest after the finish). Be interesting to see how his legs are today.

Shaping up for a very exciting week.....

Evans had the full-on thousand yard stare... "I was really scared ... it was just a blur..." "the horror"

jzed

Gussio wrote:

That is interesting. Would I be right in thinking that prize money for stage wins, green jersey, etc. would be shared amongst the team i.e. recognising that winning isn't generally a solo effort?

Yes - they mentioned that briefly on ITV4 the other day.

singlespeedexplosif

Watching Evans climb is like watching a chimp on a circus bike. It's the ugliest thing to scar my eyes in years. And he has a whiney voice. And a chin you could use as a bike stand.

Brilliant. Sums it up poyfectly.

tailwindhome

singlespeedexplosif wrote:

Watching Evans climb is like watching a chimp on a circus bike. It's the ugliest thing to scar my eyes in years. And he has a whiney voice. And a chin you could use as a bike stand.

Brilliant. Sums it up poyfectly.

Phew! I thought it was going to be something superficial.

I quite like the guy, always had the impression he was a clean rider trying to compete against dopers. This may be hopelessly naive but there you go.

I really can see him winning this thing.....

Also I don't have your natural antipathy to Austrailians.

Kieran_Burns

TailWindHome wrote:

Also I don't have your natural antipathy to Austrailians.

such a missed opportunity...

antipathy to antipodeans surely?

snailracer

singlespeedexplosif wrote:

Watching Evans climb is like watching a chimp on a circus bike. It's the ugliest thing to scar my eyes in years. And he has a whiney voice. And a chin you could use as a bike stand.

Brilliant. Sums it up poyfectly.

Do you think his chin gives him an aerodynamic advantage ? Works for ships

jzed

Looks like Schlecks are moaning about the route again:

Tour de France contenders Frank and Andy Schleck have described the final descent of the 111-mile 17th stage to Pinerolo as "fatally dangerous".

"The final descent from the Pramartino pass is ridiculous. It's nothing but a track across a wood. The Pinerolo finish is ominous," the 2009 and 2010 Tour runner-up Andy said.

"I rode down this hill three times in training and I already found it too risky. It is fatally dangerous. It if rains, several riders will again end up in hospital."

The short five-mile drop looks set to eclipse the five climbs on the course, the most demanding being the first-category ascent to the Italian ski resort of Sestriere 37 miles from the finish.

Luckily for the Luxembourg brothers, both of whom have a history of crashing in the wet, dry weather is predicted.

In Tuesday's 16th stage to Gap, Andy Schleck lost more than a minute to other Tour contenders in the tricky Rochette descent and already complained to organisers about the course. "What do the public want to see, a fair race or a race which ends up in hospital?" he asked.

The stage is also the only incursion of the Tour abroad in this edition. Pinerolo is famous for its fortress, in which the Man in the Iron mask was imprisoned in 1669.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2011/jul/20/tour-de-france-2011-schleck-dangerous-descent

jonginge

#descentgate

cjcp

JonGinge wrote:

#descentgate

These are really cool:

http://www.hobbs.co.uk/index.cfm?page=1 ... 4QodUH64xw

pitchshifter

^

Clever Pun

so to summarise: Waaaa I don't like downhills

jzed

Clever Pun wrote:

so to summarise: Waaaa I don't like downhills

WTF is wrong with the guy - I love downhills, its the only bit I'm relatively good at.