Tour de France stage 1 Leeds-Harrogate *Spoiler*

RideOnTime

ducknumber1 wrote:

Macaloon wrote:

FocusZing wrote:

Bit more than 4/10 for that crowd. It was an unforgettable event. Feel the joy
(no joy in the pic, obv)

That picture is from Huddersfield, not bad for somewhere not on the route until tomorrow.

awesome.

iainf72

TMR wrote:

People need to STFU dissing Cav, it's getting on my tits. He doesn't 'always use his head'. He's taken responsibility for something that I still don't accept was entirely his fault. Regardless, he's paid a massive price. Be content with the fact he's unlikely to start today haters.

Who elses fault was it then? If exactly the same thing happened but Cavendish was in Gerrans position, I expect you'd be campaigning to get whoever brought him down chucked out of the race.

I'm not a Cavendish fan but I don't think anyone wants him injured and out of the race. But fear not, the best sprinter in the world is still in the race, rocking yellow for the time being.

alan_a

Oaft what a hangover!!!

Absolutely amazing day in Wharfdale and up "Cote du Cray" yesterday. Bumped into lots of people I knew but didn't realise we'd all be going to the same spot. The ride to and from the climb was the best "sportive" I could imagine. The atmosphere was unlike anything I have seen at a GT before. The banter was brilliant.

TBH the pre race banter and atmosphere was much much better and louder than when the peloton came past. I rode up to the summit with my 4yo daughter on the back seat. Everyone was cheering us on the climb... as they did for every kid or tandem or loon.

Waking up in Threshfield I thought they had gone for overkill with the barriers and stewards, but as we rode along the valley and saw the sheer volume of people I realised it was perfect.

Highlights of the day.

Every single kid who rode up that hill getting cheered.
Dad with kid on cross bar seat doing wheelies up the climb to cheers
Yellow Sheep
Where's Your Wiggo Gone?
Sumo Sumo Sumo
Twister Twister Give us a Wave
Mexican Waves
The Hokey Cokey

But best of all... We Want Chip We Want Chips We Want chips chanted when the McCain float stalled on the climb.

Here's a youtube of our view from the embankment all the way down to the White Horse Pub. Starts with Jensie and the break and finishes with the cheeky club rider who was drafting the last police van all the way up. i hope he was doing the entire route.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JxUjfwxf ... uFxQUjv_Fw





















Finally a big thanks to those just before the summit who helped us when the big grey coach of tourmakers slowly squeezed us off the road and forced us onto the verge and almost into the ditch. Not happy!!!

Mad_Malx

Great pics and vid Alan. Gives a very different feeling for the buzz, thanks for posting.

Anonymous

Cav Out

@inrng: Mark Cavendish won't start today's stage #TDF

@inrng: multiple [sources] team manager Lefevere talking to media

type:epyt

iTV find a way to blame the Europcar rider for the crash. Well done them.

TMR

Thanks for the photos and video Alan. Who was the Scottish person with the annoying football chants? I'm glad I wasn't stood next to him, he'd have done my head in!*

* - If that was you Alan, then :P

frenchfighter

Love this photo:

xtc_special

frenchfighter wrote:

Love this photo:

So do I, have just saved it as my desk top image.

frenchfighter

Lol:

frenchfighter

TMR

Why don't they just hold hands? They are married after all.

TMR

frenchfighter wrote:

Love this photo:

Et moi aussi. Très bon.

frenchfighter

RideOnTime

RideOnTime

RideOnTime

iainf72

On bike footage

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x20y0w ... gate_sport

ddraver

Wathcing the highlights now I'm out of our sheep field

*the way OPQS surged on to the front at 4km was awesome!

*Rode down that hill Canc attacked on and it's not a small lump at all. My Garmin said 7%! I really thought he had it

*I'm going to be contrary and say that I'm not sure Cav is "to blame" for the crash, He's is in the way that a runner that trips and brings another runner down is to blame. They both Dive for Sagan's wheels (and by the way there was a group of Slovaks behind us so I know now exactly to say his name) and fight over the same square cm of tarmac. the Europcar rider does the same thing and shuts the door on all of them. Big shame but a racing incident and no more. I suspect the apology is pure PR from a rider that knew he was out

*Kittel is going to and would have won any sprint stages this tour regardless. Cav is about to lose his Top Sprinter crown IMO

Thanks for all the separated shoulder stuff - Dad did call it with the chocolatte joint thing

adr82

iainf72 wrote:

On bike footage

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x20y0w ... gate_sport

That one is a bit disappointing, one wee crash, Cav still on the deck in the finishing straight and not a whole lot else. Would have been nice if they'd put together more than a minute of footage!

FJS

ddraver wrote:

*Rode down that hill Canc attacked on and it's not a small lump at all. My Garmin said 7%! I really thought he had it

Half a km at 7% is a small hill, you must have been living in Holland too long

DeadCalm

FJS wrote:

ddraver wrote:

*Rode down that hill Canc attacked on and it's not a small lump at all. My Garmin said 7%! I really thought he had it

Half a km at 7% is a small hill, you must have been living in Holland too long

7% is considered practically flat in this neck of the woods...

ddraver

It's not a flat run-in though is it...like today for example

FJS

ddraver wrote:

It's not a flat run-in though is it...like today for example

Agreed. Was joking a bit, it was a much more challenging run in than many people who hadn't seen the route (including some well paid commentators) anticipated. Just look at the top 10

mroli

http://bike.caloriesmadesimple.com/2014TdF/

Interesting analysis of the Cav crash here. Not sure I totally agree with his analysis - but Cav not AS bad as first look made out....

takethehighroad

It's good analysis, and as you say I'm not sure if I agree that much.

The key thing being that it all happened in the space of 2 seconds, so any coherent thought on the part of each rider, other than "I need to be in that gap Sagan has left" is nigh on impossible.

Note Cav and Gerrans still both looking down the road as they start to crash. Pros.

tailwindhome

May be posted already


Ian Stannard ‏@IStannard · Jul 5
Gutted to miss @letouryorkshire but got the best seat in the house thanks @rafredarrows @TeamSky pic.twitter.com/rIgQ4UluV2

frenchfighter

Gerrans helmet post crash. And many people still ride without them.