New to the Tour de France/Cycling? Click here
Comments
-
WC jersey is different to yellow jersey.
WC shows you're the current world champion - you're obliged to wear that whenever you're on the bike and not in a classification jersey.
Yellow jersey is a classification jersey for a particular race - to signify you are the leader of the race. When Wiggins is training, he's not actually racing, so he doesn't wear it.0 -
Why should previous mountain bike achievements have a bearing on how quickly you can descend on smooth, tarmaced roads? Other than it showing you are fearless I can't see any reason why it would suggest you have skills beyond any one else, yet we're forever hearing commentators saying it does.0
-
You won't make it as a MTBer if you have bad handling skills.
People like the Schlecks or Gesink show that you can be a dog downhill with no bike handling skills and still be successful.
So commentators can assume, unlike other riders, that MTBers are good bike handlers.
Road cycling barely recruits your bike handling skills compared to say, MTB.0 -
I had a young relative here earlier who knows nothing about the Tour, so I had a happy hour watching it and explaining it.
One question I couldn't answer: why is Voigt's race number yellow?
I do know, but I can't remember atm.0 -
Lichtblick wrote:I had a young relative here earlier who knows nothing about the Tour, so I had a happy hour watching it and explaining it.
One question I couldn't answer: why is Voigt's race number yellow?
I do know, but I can't remember atm.
His team is leading the team classification.0 -
Radioshack are leading the team classification? I can only think that that's because Cancellera was in yellow for so long. Other than that they haven't won a stage.....it must be some complicated computation.
Why do the TV commentators keep saying "Little Tommy Voeckler"? The man is 1.77m, 5'10". I wouldn't call that little. No one ever says "Little Marky Cavendish", do they? He's 5'9".
Also, I was explaining to my relative earlier about the time cut-off, but couldn't remember the definition/calculation. In any case, hardly any rider gets time-barred, do they?0 -
Lichtblick wrote:Radioshack are leading the team classification? I can only think that that's because Cancellera was in yellow for so long. Other than that they haven't won a stage.....it must be some complicated computation.
Why do the TV commentators keep saying "Little Tommy Voeckler"? The man is 1.77m, 5'10". I wouldn't call that little. No one ever says "Little Marky Cavendish", do they? He's 5'9".
Also, I was explaining to my relative earlier about the time cut-off, but couldn't remember the definition/calculation. In any case, hardly any rider gets time-barred, do they?
#1 - Commentators: I take it you'll be listening to ITV4? They're not very good......
#2 - they do. Usually if an awful lot of people are after the cut off, the organisers don't want to throw them off, since they'd ruin the spectacle a bit. Hasn't always been the case, and the Belgian pundits don't like that they do it - since if you bust your balls to get the time limit and your rival chills with a big group after the limit and still stays in, it's not fair.0 -
Lichtblick wrote:Radioshack are leading the team classification? I can only think that that's because Cancellera was in yellow for so long. Other than that they haven't won a stage.....it must be some complicated computation.
It's done on cumulative time on GC. I think the first 3 riders (possibly 5?) Team with lowest overall time is in the lead. Sky had the yellow numbers (and yellow helmets) for the first week.0 -
Thanks for answering (to all who have), much appreciated.
Re my "little Tommy Voeckler" question yesterday, Richie Porte is only 5' 7 1/2". No one calls him "Wee Richie", do they?
Another query: in today's stage I noticed that 178 Sorensen, wasn't wearing gloves! Dear GOD, how can they ride so far and so hard without gloves?0 -
Lichtblick wrote:Thanks for answering (to all who have), much appreciated.
Re my "little Tommy Voeckler" question yesterday, Richie Porte is only 5' 7 1/2". No one calls him "Wee Richie", do they?
Another query: in today's stage I noticed that 178 Sorensen, wasn't wearing gloves! Dear GOD, how can they ride so far and so hard without gloves?
It's a matter of preference, but happens more often.
^^ and that was @ Paris Roubaix.
Some riders don't like gloves when it gets very hot.0 -
More questions: race radio
Does each team have its own channel, or can every team hear everyone else's transmissions?
How does a specific team car get up the road so quickly (to assist a rider who's held his arm up), when that team car may be a long way back? My guess is that the red car relays instructions/requests.
The yellow car with bikes on top: my guess is that it's an "emergency" car?
IS there a cut-off limit for getting assistance, i.e., within a certain number of Kms to the end of each stage?
Stage winner must zip up jersey when going over the line, right?0 -
*Own channel - this is constantly under debate in cycling, and nop doubt will be again after Froomegate
*The order of cars is based on the teams standings in the race (or on one day races inthe UCI rankings). If your car is at the back then you can be waiting a long time! The rider can call the car up on the radio, but getting through the mess behind the race is difficult. Often soigneurs will try and leap frog the race to give out stuff as the riders come past. Notably, on the top of climbs.
*The yellow cars are "neutral service" They can give a wheel or a whole new bike if neccessary
*No - but if you need it then the stage as a race is pretty much over as you ll never regain the peloton
*No- but it shows off the sponsor/team logo so it's nearly always done for the classic winners photo. The DS/team owner would give the rider a hell of a rollocking if he didnt!We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
- @ddraver0 -
What is it with giving cuddly toys to winners? What kind of a stupid prize is that to give a superfit athlete? :shock:
And if you're in Yellow for nine-ten days, do you end up with nine or ten of the stupid things? If yes, I do not believe that they take them all home. Do they chuck them into the crowd when the cameras have switched off?0 -
Lichtblick wrote:What is it with giving cuddly toys to winners? What kind of a stupid prize is that to give a superfit athlete? :shock:
And if you're in Yellow for nine-ten days, do you end up with nine or ten of the stupid things? If yes, I do not believe that they take them all home. Do they chuck them into the crowd when the cameras have switched off?
That's the symbol of the yellow jersey sponsor - Credit Lyonnais“New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!0 -
OK, but
What is it with giving cuddly toys to winners? What kind of a stupid prize is that to give a superfit athlete? :shock:
And if you're in Yellow for nine-ten days, do you end up with nine or ten of the stupid things? If yes, I do not believe that they take them all home. Do they chuck them into the crowd when the cameras have switched off?0 -
Lichtblick wrote:OK, but
What is it with giving cuddly toys to winners? What kind of a stupid prize is that to give a superfit athlete? :shock:
And if you're in Yellow for nine-ten days, do you end up with nine or ten of the stupid things? If yes, I do not believe that they take them all home. Do they chuck them into the crowd when the cameras have switched off?
The yellow jersey is sponsored by Credit Lyonnais. Y'know... Lyon... lions.
And yeah, here's the menagerie Europcar acquired after Voeckler's run in yellow last year:
Plus a Skoda Yeti for Rolland's white jersey.0 -
ddraver wrote:*Own channel - this is constantly under debate in cycling, and nop doubt will be again after Froomegate
*The order of cars is based on the teams standings in the race (or on one day races inthe UCI rankings). If your car is at the back then you can be waiting a long time! The rider can call the car up on the radio, but getting through the mess behind the race is difficult. Often soigneurs will try and leap frog the race to give out stuff as the riders come past. Notably, on the top of climbs.
*The yellow cars are "neutral service" They can give a wheel or a whole new bike if neccessary
*No - but if you need it then the stage as a race is pretty much over as you ll never regain the peloton
*No- but it shows off the sponsor/team logo so it's nearly always done for the classic winners photo. The DS/team owner would give the rider a hell of a rollocking if he didnt!
HOwever there is 'race radio' which everyone can hear, its a constant information service i assume from the commisaires to keep everyone updated. You may hear the commentators say 'we've just heard on race radio that the Mark Cavendish group has just reached the final climb'.
On the team classification, it is the times of the first three riders across the finish line from a single team each day. This gets added up after each stage, the team with the lowest time leads the classification. A different rider can be counted each day, its just the first three across the line from the same team. Its like the Tour Series overall competition if you followed that throughout May/June (British series of inner city circuit races if you didnt).0 -
From the picture, I'd guess they chuck them all in one of the team bus windows. Seems about right.
Do they get sold on ebay afterwards, or donated to charity, or just thrown out? (who knows, who cares?)
Query: Wiggins signing yellow jerseys post-stage today. What happens to them? (ebay, charity, given to cycling groupies, what?)0 -
I think they generally keep the lions. Give them to riders and staff with kids. Nicholas Roche said when he was little his stuffed toys were CL lions.Lichtblick wrote:From the picture, I'd guess they chuck them all in one of the team bus windows. Seems about right.
Do they get sold on ebay afterwards, or donated to charity, or just thrown out? (who knows, who cares?)
Query: Wiggins signing yellow jerseys post-stage today. What happens to them? (ebay, charity, given to cycling groupies, what?)Twitter: @RichN950 -
I asked this question somewhere else, but AFAIKS no-one answered.
Rabobank down to 4 riders. I thought 5 was the minimum, or is that only when there's a TTT?0 -
Lichtblick wrote:I asked this question somewhere else, but AFAIKS no-one answered.
Rabobank down to 4 riders. I thought 5 was the minimum, or is that only when there's a TTT?
You need 5 riders to register a time in a TTT, but there's no minimum number of riders that need to finish a race. You can finish in a team of 1 if circumstance demands it.0 -
who makes the pads in their shorts?
Do riders have to stick with sponsor's chud nappy, or can they rebrand their own favourite butt rug?0 -
thanks afx0
-
Scrumple wrote:who makes the pads in their shorts?
Do riders have to stick with sponsor's chud nappy, or can they rebrand their own favourite butt rug?
I have a feeling that the pads might be a small number of companies making pads and then other clothing companies will get the pads and put them in their own shorts. I could be wrong though but maybe Santini is one of these companies...0 -
I have feelings too, but they don't give me answers to questions...
;-)0 -
Scrumple wrote:who makes the pads in their shorts?
Do riders have to stick with sponsor's chud nappy, or can they rebrand their own favourite butt rug?
I've often wondered about this.
Amateurs (chaps on here for example) often find they disagree with certain brands of shorts, yet presumably pros have to wear the clothing of their sponsors. Of course, like some bikes, they could be other shorts branded as their sponsors but I'm not sure that's the case.
As an aside, I like to keep an eye on what recently banned pros wear in their time off when they're out of contract. (Contador excepted since he has his own sponsors even in his time off). As you'd guess from all the chat on here, it's 9/10 Assos.0 -
Etxeondo claim that a number of pros send their shorts in to them to have their urrakai pad stitched in, wouldn't surprise me if assos had a similar sideline.
I "came by" some 08 Slipstream kit discarded when Garmin came on for the Tour and I couldn't believe that anybody would use the Pearl Izumi pad that was in there, it was like sitting on a carpet tile."In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"
@gietvangent0 -
Question..just watched todays stage, and group out front finished well ahead of peloton, who had slowed due to the tack issues :!: If this hadn't been the case, I guess if there is a break, the race radio will update on who the riders are in the group, and then up to the team DS to update their riders and if there is a change of plan (tactics). I assume the team in the cars will work out the finish times and advise on this as the race progresses :?:Share The Road Event http://www.sharetheroadride.co.uk
Lancashire Cycle Link Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/126682247491640/0 -
From the moment the flag drops at the start of the race the teams of the main protagonists keep an eye on who is attempting to form the break and whether they will allow these riders to get into the day's break. Often several breaks will form early on but be chased back by the peleton because 1 or 2 of the riders are deemed too dangerous for the GC contenders (or white or polka) to allow them out of their sights.
During each stage time gap updates of the break are given by the chalk board guy on the yellow mavic motorbike as well as through race radio.
With today's break Sky & BMC would have judged that those making the break were of no threat to GC.
A great example of the peleton getting it wrong is last year when Vockler won yellow after being allowed into the break (the day of Johhny H getting up ended into a barbed wire fence). No-one expected the break to gain so much time, let alone keep that time and TV to then be good enough to hold onto yellow until almost Paris.
EDIT: Today the likelihood is that th break would have been successful even if the tacks incident had not occurred. Sky etc had no reason to chase it down since everyone involved was/is too far down the GC to waste energy on.0
