2012 Tour De France Spolier Thread

rick_chasey

Mattsaw wrote:

As the Mrs is dragging me out tomorrow, which highlights programme should I Sky+?

I like the slickness of ITV, but Eurosport have weirder adverts

/can of worms

For highlights - ITV hands down.

rubertoe

Record the whole Stage and watch that as punishment for being dragged out.

jonny_trousers

notsoblue wrote:

Jonny_Trousers wrote:

notsoblue wrote:

Any Londoners found a good place to skive off and watch this years tour? I'll probably be taking my lunches in LMNH for the next couple of weeks...

I've really been getting into watching road racing over the last year, but I still struggle to sit down and watch a whole race live unless it is a pivotal one, and so I tend to stick my fingers in my ears and go "la-la-la" when any cycling fan friends are around until I can get home and watch a recorded highlights show. Does that make me a lightweight?

Probably makes you someone who has a job :P

I can dip in and out. I try to catch the last hour for weekday races. I think its quite exciting to watch the whole thing though, you get a better feel of how strategic races are.

Actually not really. Apart from two days a week I only work evenings. I could watch virtually every race live if I wanted to, but I think I might end up feeling like a bit of a slob if I did.

gabriel959

Lets face it, most of it is a bore. Last year had about 5 or 6 days of decent racing and a full 2 weeks of nada.

More of the same this year IMO.

rick_chasey

First week will be toilet, looking at the route.

gabriel959

lets hope the weather is changes a lot at least and there is some wind to make up for it.

mrc1

I'm getting a bit bored of riders declaring that they aren't going to be any good/won't finish. Unless it's GCSE reverse psychology then I'd be going mad if I was a sponsor.

Should be a great race once we've got past the first week or so.

Twostage

I was wearing my TdF yellow top today

cjcp

gabriel959 wrote:

Lets face it, most of it is a bore. Last year had about 5 or 6 days of decent racing and a full 2 weeks of nada.

More of the same this year IMO.

Heathen!

Summer starts here! This is the one time during the year I get to truly control the TV remote!

Can't wait.

jonny_trousers

cjcp wrote:

gabriel959 wrote:

Lets face it, most of it is a bore. Last year had about 5 or 6 days of decent racing and a full 2 weeks of nada.

More of the same this year IMO.

Heathen!

Summer starts here! This is the one time during the year I get to truly control the TV remote!

Can't wait.

Yeah, some races are more exciting than others, but I can't say I've ever found any of them boring.

greg66_tri_v2.0

bompington wrote:

Am I the only obsessive (I am in fact a very, very long way from OCD) who's going to go demented looking at the spelling mistake in the thread title every day for 3 weeks?

ME! FIX IT BEFORE I SCRATCH MY EYES OUT!

greg66_tri_v2.0

TailWindHome wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

JonGinge wrote:

bompington wrote:

Am I the only obsessive (I am in fact a very, very long way from OCD) who's going to go demented looking at the spelling mistake in the thread title every day for 3 weeks?

Haha, but no. "Spolier" is a meme over on pro race.

we're an educated bunch.

DDD's first TDF thread had the same spelling mistake.

It was agreed at the time that it added a continental feel to the thread.

I've included it deliberately.

Don't knock tradition.

ARGGGHH!!! YOU BASTARD! YOU'RE NOT GOING TO FIX IT, ARE YOU? YOU UTTER AND COMPLETE BASTARD!

cjcp

Sky Series record has now been activated for Eurosport and ITV4.

Anyone, ahem, downloaded the ITV4 theme tune?

t4tomo

Marvellous win for Cav there, anyone who questioned whether he could do it without his leadout train and lighter than normal has their answer.

Slightly odd question, but his helmet has the front half of the vents filled in, I assume for aerodynamics - does he just pick that up for the last 10km from the car or does he wear it all the way?

suzyb

t4tomo wrote:

Marvellous win for Cav there, anyone who questioned whether he could do it without his leadout train and lighter than normal has their answer.

Slightly odd question, but his helmet has the front half of the vents filled in, I assume for aerodynamics - does he just pick that up for the last 10km from the car or does he wear it all the way?

I think he just picks it up for the end of the stage. It showed him doing that during one of the races earlier in the season, dropping back to the car and getting a new helmet.

The Eurosport team gave the figure of how much faster he would be able to go with the vents filled but I can't remember what it was.

bigmat

t4tomo wrote:

Marvellous win for Cav there, anyone who questioned whether he could do it without his leadout train and lighter than normal has their answer.

Slightly odd question, but his helmet has the front half of the vents filled in, I assume for aerodynamics - does he just pick that up for the last 10km from the car or does he wear it all the way?

Aero helmets seem to be the latest thing - check out the Giro monstrosities that Rabobank / Garmin are wearing! I think they wear them all through the race, probably not that hot yet.

keyser__soze

cjcp wrote:

Anyone, ahem, downloaded the ITV4 theme tune?

No, but I have this as my ringtone: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOaR1uvB5vw

Gussio

Cav's timing was incredible today - very exciting to watch. Glad to be working from home at the moment

greg66_tri_v2.0

Good to see Ned wearing a De Ver cycling top on the highlights programme. Maurice will be chuffed!

DonDaddyD

Cav being lighter probably was about him being overweight and being more capable of racing by himself and not needing an entire team to lead him out/pull him up mountains...

I don't like Sagan, the young whipper snapper seems he is lacking humility. He should have done his share with Cancelara and had a fair sprint finish....

Awesome to see DeVer represented. My next bike will be bought from there out of respect.

Cadel is looking strong, so is Wiggins. The Canondale guy, Nibali will be 3rd. Frank Schleck will win it....

First.Aspect

DonDaddyD wrote:

Frank Schleck will win it....

:shock:
Unless you are referring to the ongoing Radioshack evening gin rummey tournament, you may be mistaken.

tailwindhome

DonDaddyD wrote:

He should have done his share with Cancelara and had a fair sprint finish.......

Nip over to the Pro Race spoiler thread, there's a flow chart which explains it perfectly.

Cancellara didn't want a 'fair sprint finish', he wanted Sagan in front of him so he could try to get the jump on him again. Sagan just wasn't stupid.

I don't like Sagan, the young whipper snapper seems he is lacking humility

You've changed.

cjcp

DonDaddyD wrote:

I don't like Sagan, the young whipper snapper seems he is lacking humility. He should have done his share with Cancelara and had a fair sprint finish....

Does that mean Cancellara shouldn't attack on the steep cobbled section because it's not fair to mere mortals that he's too awesome at that and that he shouldn't play to his own strengths and avoid a sprint?

gabriel959

I think Sagan did the right thing. He won. It is surprising that Cancellara being a veteran by now still rides like a rookie.

He has another good shout today as well.

bigmat

gabriel959 wrote:

I think Sagan did the right thing. He won. It is surprising that Cancellara being a veteran by now still rides like a rookie.

He has another good shout today as well.

I think Sagan had the measure of Cancellara, that was the problem. Never looked to be struggling to follow him, he was basically covering Cancellara's break so why on earth would he have gone to the front? Hopefully Cancellara will sit on Sagan's wheel for the last 5km today, although I guess that's not his style (and chapeau for that!)

DonDaddyD

Basically Sagan is a drafting fairy and a woos.

I'd have more respect for him if he had ridden Cancellara off his wheel up to the sprint and onto the finish line. Or if he had did his stint and then had a fair race. Cancellara also lacked wisdom, he blew his stack too early. What was he thinking. Ed should have tried harder as well.

OK, so maybe Frank doesn't have the hunger to win. Outside of that I think Cadel and Wiggins are arguably the strongest riders... Reckon Valaverde will take a stage if not put in a decent GC effort.

Now that A Schelck and Contador (aka Cycle God) isn't there, there are so many possibilities.

jzed

DonDaddyD wrote:

Basically Sagan is a drafting fairy and a woos.

An advocate of time trials on every stage then? People ride in the protection of the Peleton the whole time and then pop up at the end and take a win. A certain Manxman has made a very successful career of it. Sagan played a blinder and deserved the win.

tailwindhome

DonDaddyD wrote:

Basically Sagan is a drafting fairy and a woos.

I'd have more respect for him if he had ridden Cancellara off his wheel up to the sprint and onto the finish line. Or if he had did his stint and then had a fair race. Cancellara also lacked wisdom, he blew his stack too early. What was he thinking. Ed should have tried harder as well..

Have you met FrenchFighter......you two would get on well.

DonDaddyD

JZed wrote:

DonDaddyD wrote:

Basically Sagan is a drafting fairy and a woos.

An advocate of time trials on every stage then? People ride in the protection of the peloton the whole time and then pop up at the end and take a win. A certain Manxman has made a very successful career of it. Sagan played a blinder and deserved the win.

Yes but this was mano-a-mano. He should ridden shoulder to shoulder with Cancellara looked at him and said "Who dares wins!" and had an epic sprint finish. Then he could rightfully take Cancellara's crown.

Also, his celebration was not cool. He is not Cav.

bigmat

DonDaddyD wrote:

Basically Sagan is a drafting fairy and a woos.

I'd have more respect for him if he had ridden Cancellara off his wheel up to the sprint and onto the finish line. Or if he had did his stint and then had a fair race. Cancellara also lacked wisdom, he blew his stack too early. What was he thinking. Ed should have tried harder as well.

OK, so maybe Frank doesn't have the hunger to win. Outside of that I think Cadel and Wiggins are arguably the strongest riders... Reckon Valaverde will take a stage if not put in a decent GC effort.

Now that A Schelck and Contador (aka Cycle God) isn't there, there are so many possibilities.

So much to disagree with here, but suggesting EBH wasn't trying hard enough is particularly ridiculous - the guy looked absolutely destroyed by the finish, having somehow managed to chase down Cancellara and Sagan. :roll: