Tour de France 2013 - Race Chat

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  • mr_poll
    mr_poll Posts: 1,547
    Link to Froome being interviewed by the BBC

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cycling/22957697

    Essentially we will miss Brad's engine but from a media perspective we won't miss the leadership questions.
  • Richmond Racer
    Richmond Racer Posts: 8,561
    mr_poll wrote:
    Link to Froome being interviewed by the BBC

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cycling/22957697

    Essentially we will miss Brad's engine but from a media perspective we won't miss the leadership questions.


    Interesting TUE question there from Matt Slater - put up to it by a random Twatter, by the look of his TL:

    Matt Slater
    @mattslaterbbc
    Waiting 4 Chris Froome. That's the Promenade des Anglo-Kenyans down there. Any sensible questions for Chris?

    Feria Sport @feria_sport 5h
    @mattslaterbbc Serious questions - 1) TUEs: does he have any? If so, what are they for and why? 2) Why is Sky a non-signatory to the MPCC?


    The Asylum will mull over Fenton's response for a micro-second before dismissing it as a lie, obviously*



    *which it could be - Slater should have pulled out the lie detector kit
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    Froome: "I'm not going to call you names if you ask those questions."

    Nicely done Mr Froome, nicely done
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • above_the_cows
    above_the_cows Posts: 11,406
    Ha ha ha, the video stopped working for me just after the "Do you have any TUEs?" question. Fenton didn't even get a chance to answer.

    It's proof of the conspiracy I tell ye! Proof! PROOF! :wink:
    Correlation is not causation.
  • joelsim
    joelsim Posts: 7,552
    Not sure that I've seen anything that Froome should be worried about from AC, J-Rod or Valverde so far this year. Rather hoping that there are loads of attacks rather than a procession as the Giro was with Astana.

    Hoping Quintana, VanGard and possibly Moreno and Martin can all put a few breaks in, and Betancur if he's there.
  • deejay
    deejay Posts: 3,138
    durhamwasp wrote:
    Anyway, I stand by my original statement, I cant see how Froome won't win.

    Using last years Vuelta as an example isn't really that good, what with Froome having completed the tour riding his balls out for Wiggo, and its steeper climbs which don't suit the train as much.
    I thought Froome spent 90% of that tour wheel sucking wiggo's back wheel.
    However I agree he did finish 2nd in that tour and the door has been left open for him this year.
    Organiser, National Championship 50 mile Time Trial 1972
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,253
    On Radio 5 tomorrow at 7.30pm: A two hour programme looking at 100 years of the Tour

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b02x97y5
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,695
    Tour de Jose has posted a number of Team roseters today, Blanco and one other I think.

    For the Dutchies, the line up for the avondtappe line up has been announced too!!!!! ;)
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • joelsim
    joelsim Posts: 7,552
    Latest here

    http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/lat ... acker.html

    Some of these look a bit speculative and assumptive, can anyone confirm the Sky line up so far?
  • Richmond Racer
    Richmond Racer Posts: 8,561
    Joelsim wrote:
    Latest here

    http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/lat ... acker.html

    Some of these look a bit speculative and assumptive, can anyone confirm the Sky line up so far?


    Yes. Sky can. But they haven't announced it yet.
  • Richmond Racer
    Richmond Racer Posts: 8,561
    RichN95 wrote:
    On Radio 5 tomorrow at 7.30pm: A two hour programme looking at 100 years of the Tour

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b02x97y5


    With Richard Moore, Daniel Friebe...and that well-balanced voice of cycling, Festina Girl

    *waits for reaction*
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,695
    Shows how far you can get shouting absoloute b*ll*cks...
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • joelsim
    joelsim Posts: 7,552
    Fantasy tdf now live
  • domhopson
    domhopson Posts: 259
    goonz wrote:
    domhopson wrote:
    Pross wrote:
    domhopson wrote:
    Tom Butcher wrote:
    durhamwasp wrote:
    Gone through it in my head several times, and really cant see how Froome wont win, other than a crash. He is easily the form cyclist, and the dominant rider of 2013. Not only that but as we saw last year, the TdF climbs are absolutely made for the sky mountain railway train! Infact, I can see him walking it with boring ease to be honest. Would love to see him win on the Ventoux.

    OK he's a deserved favourite but is he really head and shoulders above Contador ? At the Dauphine apart from the time trial there didn't look to be a huge amount between them - close enough that it wouldn' be a huge shock to see the situation reversed come the Tour.

    Yes the Sky train is a big advantage but can it control the race for 3 weeks? If Froome is isolated at some point and the other contenders attack him rather thanriding for their places it could easily go wrong for him.

    Think back to last years Vuelta, with Valverde, Rodriguez and Contador attacking him. He was soon isolated and cracked.

    You don't think having ridden hard for second place at the Tour and then at the Olympics whilst the others were fresh potentially played a part in that?

    Of course, but I still see those 3 taking it to Froome and getting the better of him again.

    Either way it will hopefully make for some decent viewing which is what we all want right?

    Damn right. Roll on the 29th :)
  • the article don
    the article don Posts: 578
    Never mind the b*ll*cks, Festinagirl's twitter was the most annoying and smug I've come across and that's saying something. Sample non-cycling post, during Eurovision "hubby is a politics and economics geek and is thus correctly guessing scoring" wow, how amazing, yada yada, whatever. BLOCK
    Giant Trance X 2010
    Specialized Tricross Sport
    My Dad's old racer
    Trek Marlin 29er 2012
  • RoadPainter
    RoadPainter Posts: 375
    The detailed maps are out on the Tour site, not sure if this is news.

    Stage one has a kind of swingy hairpin at about 1500m to go - potential carnage heading into/at that! This is the inside of that double corner http://goo.gl/maps/PrTBk , presumably most of the furniture will have gone and there'll be a nice new surface.

    Cav is evens to win stage one (Paddy Power), this looks a very generous price to me.
  • RoadPainter
    RoadPainter Posts: 375
    They do much better maps this year.

    A couple of the flat stages have sharp turns at 400/500m to go.

    Route map confirms that Paris lap goes around Arc de Triomphe.

    Lots of non-climbs categorised as cat 4s, particularly on the 13th July stage to Lyon (eg Côte de la Duchère, 1.6km @ 4.1% - cat 4???)
  • dsoutar
    dsoutar Posts: 1,746
    Can someone post the link to the detailed routes - I've browsed the tour site and can't see these but it's probably me doing a "man-look" as my wife would say

    Edit: Actually just realised people are referring to the Google map for each stage. I thought that the roadbook might be online by now
  • FJS
    FJS Posts: 4,820
    dsoutar wrote:
    Can someone post the link to the detailed routes - I've browsed the tour site and can't see these but it's probably me doing a "man-look" as my wife would say

    Edit: Actually just realised people are referring to the Google map for each stage. I thought that the roadbook might be online by now
    http://www.letour.fr/le-tour/2013/us/stage-1.html
    Yeah, ASO using Google maps instead of their own is new
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    mr_poll wrote:
    Link to Froome being interviewed by the BBC

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cycling/22957697

    Essentially we will miss Brad's engine but from a media perspective we won't miss the leadership questions.

    Journalists dont help themselves do they. Why the F is he asking about Lance and doping. Trying to catch a soundbite. Why dont you ask something.

    Note that Chris says he has no TUEs. Will reference this video if it ever comes up.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,695
    Why are people so obsessed with is TUE's anyway????
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • takethehighroad
    takethehighroad Posts: 6,820
    He couched it by saying "You know you're going to get a lot of questions from non cycling media don't you? An example of this is questions about Lance"
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Orica
    Stuart O’Grady (AUS), Matt Goss (AUS), Daryl Impey (RSA), Brett Lancaster (AUS), Svein Tuft (CAN), Simon Gerrans (AUS), Michael Albasini (SUI), Simon Clarke (AUS) and Cameron Meyer (AUS).

    OPQS
    Mark Cavendish, Sylvain Chavanel, Michal Kwiatkowski, Tony Martin, Jerome Pineau, Gert Steegmans, Niki Terpstra, Matteo Trentin, Peter Velits

    Liquigas
    Peter Sagan, Moreno Moser, Maciej Bodnar, Kristijan Koren, Alessandro De Marchi, Alan Marangoni, Fabio Sabatini, Ted King and Brian Vandborg.

    Saxo
    Michael Rogers, Roman Kreuziger, Nicolas Roche, Matteo Tosatto, Daniele Bennati, Sergio Paulinho, Alberto Contador, Jesus Hernandez, and Benjamin Noval.

    Very strong mountain team for Saxo.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • milton50
    milton50 Posts: 3,856
    Indeed. Looks like Rogers will have a lot of support. :P
  • gpreeves
    gpreeves Posts: 454
    frenchfighter wrote:
    Saxo
    Michael Rogers, Roman Kreuziger, Nicolas Roche, Matteo Tosatto, Daniele Bennati, Sergio Paulinho, Alberto Contador, Jesus Hernandez, and Benjamin Noval.

    Very strong mountain team for Saxo.

    Excellent team for Saxo, possibly the first time they've turned up to the Tour without a Dane in the squad?
  • Turfle
    Turfle Posts: 3,762
    6 good climbers. Two strong guys for the flat. And Benjamin Noval.
  • trek_dan
    trek_dan Posts: 1,366
    RLT
    Jan Bakelants, Laurent Didier, Tony Gallopin, Markel Irizar, Andreas Klöden, Maxime Monfort, Andy Schleck, Jens Voigt & Haimar Zubeldia.

    I guess they don't realistically expect Andy to finish/place top 10, and Frank is back in time for the Vuelta hence the 'B team' feel they've got about this squad? Thoughts?
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,253
    Turfle wrote:
    6 good climbers. Two strong guys for the flat. And Benjamin Noval.
    Noval's a big unit though. His role is to provide a slipstream and act as a personal bodyguard
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,253
    trek_dan wrote:
    RLT
    Jan Bakelants, Laurent Didier, Tony Gallopin, Markel Irizar, Andreas Klöden, Maxime Monfort, Andy Schleck, Jens Voigt & Haimar Zubeldia.

    I guess they don't realistically expect Andy to finish/place top 10, and Frank is back in time for the Vuelta hence the 'B team' feel they've got about this squad? Thoughts?
    An old buddhist conundrum: If Zubeldia finishes in the top ten but no-one sees him do it, did it really happen.?
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • Turfle
    Turfle Posts: 3,762
    trek_dan wrote:
    RLT
    Jan Bakelants, Laurent Didier, Tony Gallopin, Markel Irizar, Andreas Klöden, Maxime Monfort, Andy Schleck, Jens Voigt & Haimar Zubeldia.

    I guess they don't realistically expect Andy to finish/place top 10, and Frank is back in time for the Vuelta hence the 'B team' feel they've got about this squad? Thoughts?

    Interested to see what they try. If the ride for Andy, then in the mountains he has Monfort, Kloden, Zubeldia, even Bakelants, Irizar and Voigt. It isn't SO bad.

    Maybe they'll let the climbers sort it out on the road. Ride for Andy, but look after yourself too.

    Few strong riders for breaks too.

    RichN95 wrote:
    Turfle wrote:
    6 good climbers. Two strong guys for the flat. And Benjamin Noval.
    Noval's a big unit though. His role is to provide a slipstream and act as a personal bodyguard

    The Noval of a couple of years ago, sure, but I think the 2013 version is a shell of that man. I can understand Contador wanting him around as a bit of a comfort blanket though.

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