Well I'm enjoying it....

ms_tree

It's Sky doing the USPS/Discoveryesque riding on the front that bores me. I was kinda dreading that. And the crashes have put lots of people on the back foot. It's good to see the young riders come through tho', and the French wins and Sagan is something special. Keep hoping Wiggins will crack - looked kind of that way for a bit yesterday, tho' I'm sure others don't agree.
There's been discussion on this in the past and I know afx doesn't think so but there's an awful lot of Good Luck going round this year for some people.

frenchfighter

It has been quite a bit better than unexpected. I didn't like the first week much and all the crashes were way too much and have killed the battle for top 5 a bit.

I will copy an article about the 1958 Tour I read a couple of days ago on the pure climbers thread when I have time. Now there is an insanely good GC Tour.

frenchfighter

Ms Tree wrote:

It's Sky doing the USPS/Discoveryesque riding on the front that bores me. I was kinda dreading that.

Yeah. It gets boring watching eisel pull the peloton along on the flat before the first climb. Then ebh pull them all the way up the first climb. Then rogers and Porte doing the same on the next climb. Then froome pulling wiggo up the final climb and wiggins rolling in after following wheels the entire day.

mattshrops

I dont really care about the fantastic tour of 1983 or whatever. The TdF is on telly. Its the Freakin TdF so i'm enjoying it for what it is -"the greatest race on earth" massive cliche but who cares. How can you not love it? 8)

afx237vi

To be fair to Paul McCartney, he had been dead for 15 years by the time he wrote the Frog Song.

DeadCalm

Really enjoying it. Highlights include:

Sagan's Forest Gump.
Sagan's no handed wheelie on the 20% gradient.
Tweeter Sagan.
#SummerOfSagan.
Thibeau Pinot.
Madiot's over the top celebrations for Pinot's win.
Three French wins.
Jens Voight's sudden appearance at the head of the race on stage 10.
Voeckler's double take when he caught on to Jens Voight's sudden appearance at the head of the race on stage 10.
Stage 11 - loved all of it from the insanely big break at the start, the desperate and suicidal early Evans attack, the attacks of VDB, Nibbali and Pinot, the forlorn and ultimately fruitless chasing by CAS and the gutsy winning ride of Rolland, I even enjoyed the cool and calculating manner that Sky dealt with all of the attacks.
Millar winning a stage

rdt

DeadCalm wrote:

Sagan's no handed wheelie on the 20% gradient.

Had missed that!

http://fixieprojekts.blogspot.co.uk/201 ... eelie.html 8)

smithy21

mattshrops wrote:

I dont really care about the fantastic tour of 1983 or whatever. The TdF is on telly. Its the Freakin TdF so i'm enjoying it for what it is -"the greatest race on earth" massive cliche but who cares. How can you not love it? 8)

This.

I also take Iain's points about calling it as you see it.

For me I am enjoying this more than a GT where, for example, Contador just smashes everyone. At least we are actually seeing riders with weaknesses now. Too many years in the past we have witnessed superhuman feats only to find out they were indeed superhuman.

inkyfingers

If all the experts who said that Wiggins had peaked too early and that Evans would smash him in the final week were right then it still might get interesting.

Seriously though, Wiggins hasn't got this sewn up just yet. It only takes a crash, a badly timed mechanical or just "un jour sans" and it could all get interesting again. Unlikely I know, but hopefully Evans, VdB and Nibali will at least keep trying to break Sky in the final week.

Le Commentateur

TailWindHome wrote:

TDF2012 seems to be dissapointing many of the regulars on here.

Yeah the GC race is over but I think it's been better than the recent tours I've watched.

The race has still to go through the Pyrenees – including two hard days around Luchon in particular. If Wiggins cracks even Evans could make up his 3 minute deficit, never mind Nibali or Froome. I remember the 1998 tour when Ullrich led Pantani by over 3 minutes on the GC going into the final week and that was overturned in one epic day. It could happen again.

RichN95.

Le Commentateur wrote:

The race has still to go through the Pyrenees – including two hard days around Luchon in particular. If Wiggins cracks even Evans could make up his 3 minute deficit, never mind Nibali or Froome. I remember the 1998 tour when Ullrich led Pantani by over 3 minutes on the GC going into the final week and that was overturned in one epic day. It could happen again.

And let's not forget that the first set of mountains last year were a damp squib while in the second set it all kicked off.

ms_tree

I just want someone on the GC to go off on a spontaneous long ride and put everyone else under pressure.

dave milne

it's not as exciting as last year at the moment. think it's suffering from no contador and schleck.

that said it's the tour and I watch each stage avidly.

and the brits are doing ludicrously well

rick_chasey

dave milne wrote:

and the brits are doing ludicrously well

They are.

It feels like one of those races you'll be telling young 'uns about in 20 years time.

THAT tour when the Brits dominated.

inkyfingers

Ms Tree wrote:

I just want someone on the GC to go off on a spontaneous long ride and put everyone else under pressure.

Think you'll find both Evans and Nibali already tried that, and failed.

Yellow Peril

inkyfingers wrote:

Ms Tree wrote:

I just want someone on the GC to go off on a spontaneous long ride and put everyone else under pressure.

Think you'll find both Evans and Nibali already tried that, and failed.

If only Landis was a DS...

Wulz

Well as a relative newbie i will say that im quite enjoying the tour so far. Im not that fussed that we dont have contador, last year it looked like he was too scared to show his real form to try to look like a chap not doped up in the tiny hope that it might help his pending punishment. Im behind the sky team even tho im not a fan of the brand in any way and i find it quite hard to dislike Wiggins especially because of his attempt to lead out EBH today. Was really rooting for EBH to make more of that but i guess it may have been more of a gesture than a realistic attempt to give him a shot but even that was quite endearing. I dont think its the done deal which some people think but hell i may be wrong, it wont be the first time. Either way im looking forward to each stage and will be attending a party on Wednesday to celebrate the Tourmalet stage at a pub called the Tourmalet so thats going to be good whatever.

Enjoy folks, cheers

Willie

richard wants a baum

I've enjoyed seeing Evans attack ( and i think we all know why previously he hasn't tried this against established climbers in previous Tours ) , even though he hasn't been successful its broken up the tedium of watching SKY just line up the climbs. Really hoping the Pyrenees blow things up a bit, though I can't see it happening .

dennisn

Every morning I plop my fat *ss in the easy chair, click on the TV, have some eggs, a bowl of cereal, and hardly move for the next few hours. Has been very intertaining thus far.

milton50

It's been ok. As good as could be expected given that some of the top GT riders didn't make the starting list, and other podium contenders have either had to abandon or haven't turned up in the best of form.

I think we have to accept that given that the peloton is so clean, there really is so little to choose between the top riders. It's just not that likely that we're going to see back-and-forth attacks from day to day where riders gain two minutes one day and then lose three minutes on the following days climb.

Le Commentateur

Milton50 wrote:

t's just not that likely that we're going to see back-and-forth attacks from day to day where riders gain two minutes one day and then lose three minutes on the following days climb.

A rider would have to be in a desperate state to honestly ride a race with that kind of tactic. Evans showed on Thursday that you only need to have a bad patch for a couple of kms to lose too much time, and it will require an even greater effort to recover the loss let alone make any gain.

iainf72

dennisn wrote:

Every morning I plop my fat *ss in the easy chair, click on the TV, have some eggs, a bowl of cereal, and hardly move for the next few hours. Has been very intertaining thus far.

Gardeners World?

Le Commentateur

BikeRadar forum, I reckon.

dennisn

iainf72 wrote:

dennisn wrote:

Every morning I plop my fat *ss in the easy chair, click on the TV, have some eggs, a bowl of cereal, and hardly move for the next few hours. Has been very intertaining thus far.

Gardeners World?

No, that would be my wife, who the moment I get up for a bathroom break has no problem immediately changing the channel because "well, you weren't watching it anymore".

iainf72

dennisn wrote:

No, that would be my wife, who the moment I get up for a bathroom break has no problem immediately changing the channel because "well, you weren't watching it anymore".

hehe. They're all the same.

I thought all you folks in the US had 50" TV's in your bathrooms too?

dennisn

iainf72 wrote:

dennisn wrote:

No, that would be my wife, who the moment I get up for a bathroom break has no problem immediately changing the channel because "well, you weren't watching it anymore".

hehe. They're all the same.

I thought all you folks in the US had 50" TV's in your bathrooms too?

Hate to burst your bubble, but no. I'm not even sure I have a bathroom wall that measures 50". Besides, after 15 or 20 minutes the toilet seat starts to feel worse than
an all carbon saddle after a 100 miler.

ratsbeyfus

dennisn wrote:

iainf72 wrote:

dennisn wrote:

No, that would be my wife, who the moment I get up for a bathroom break has no problem immediately changing the channel because "well, you weren't watching it anymore".

hehe. They're all the same.

I thought all you folks in the US had 50" TV's in your bathrooms too?

Hate to burst your bubble, but no. I'm not even sure I have a bathroom wall that measures 50". Besides, after 15 or 20 minutes the toilet seat starts to feel worse than
an all carbon saddle after a 100 miler.

15-20 mins! No wonder your missus changes channel. Try prunes.

dennisn

dave milne wrote:

that said it's the tour and I watch each stage avidly.

and the brits are doing ludicrously well

You must be a newbie. Don't you know you're never supposed to actually say anything like that? It's all over for Wiggins now. :roll: :roll:

dennisn

ratsbeyfus wrote:

dennisn wrote:

iainf72 wrote:

dennisn wrote:

No, that would be my wife, who the moment I get up for a bathroom break has no problem immediately changing the channel because "well, you weren't watching it anymore".

hehe. They're all the same.

I thought all you folks in the US had 50" TV's in your bathrooms too?

Hate to burst your bubble, but no. I'm not even sure I have a bathroom wall that measures 50". Besides, after 15 or 20 minutes the toilet seat starts to feel worse than
an all carbon saddle after a 100 miler.

15-20 mins! No wonder your missus changes channel. Try prunes.

Hey, c'mon now. I like to enjoy myself while I'm in there. Do a Sudoku, read a bit, take my time. It's about the only peace I get sometimes.

ratsbeyfus

dennisn wrote:

ratsbeyfus wrote:

dennisn wrote:

iainf72 wrote:

dennisn wrote:

No, that would be my wife, who the moment I get up for a bathroom break has no problem immediately changing the channel because "well, you weren't watching it anymore".

hehe. They're all the same.

I thought all you folks in the US had 50" TV's in your bathrooms too?

Hate to burst your bubble, but no. I'm not even sure I have a bathroom wall that measures 50". Besides, after 15 or 20 minutes the toilet seat starts to feel worse than
an all carbon saddle after a 100 miler.

15-20 mins! No wonder your missus changes channel. Try prunes.

Hey, c'mon now. I like to enjoy myself while I'm in there. Do a Sudoku, read a bit, take my time. It's about the only peace I get sometimes.

Oh well, if a jobbie is worth doing, it's worth doing plop-aly.