Bernard Thevenet on the 'modern tour'

NervexProf

Interesting viewpoint from two time winner Bernard Thevent here:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/others ... oring.html

salsiccia1

Old geezer in 'better in my day' shocka

deejay

Salsiccia1 wrote:

Old geezer in 'better in my day' shocka

You might become an Old Geezer if your lucky.

He has a point though, as these pages in recent years have been about how "Boring" the Tour De France has become.

Anonymous

Boring compared to what? The EPO times? When, in Hamiltons words, sprinters were big-ringing up mountains?

ddraver

These 4 men have a similar opinion to Bernard in fairness - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xe1a1wHxTyo

Vino'sGhost

I quite liked the big ring climbing, i thought it looked awesome. and before teams like us postal started taking the pi ss I thought it was definitely a more exciting era.

Contadors attacking never say die style is the perfect antidote to watching tour teams riding with their eyes glued to power meters.

RichN95.

Thevenet forgets that the general standard of the peloton was much lower in his day.

joelsim

Interesting when you look at the average speeds, then you would have expected some clear spikes, and some drop-off post passport really.

http://bikeraceinfo.com/tdf/tdfstats.html

salsiccia1

ddraver wrote:

These 4 men have a similar opinion to Bernard in fairness - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xe1a1wHxTyo

I knew what that was going to be before I even clicked on it

RichN95.

Joelsim wrote:

Interesting when you look at the average speeds, then you would have expected some clear spikes, and some drop-off post passport really.

http://bikeraceinfo.com/tdf/tdfstats.html

Average speeds tell you sod all about anything.

Pross

RichN95 wrote:

Joelsim wrote:

Interesting when you look at the average speeds, then you would have expected some clear spikes, and some drop-off post passport really.

http://bikeraceinfo.com/tdf/tdfstats.html

Average speeds tell you sod all about anything.

Depends if you've got an entrenched view and you see them as backing it up and providing 'proof'. Then they tell you everything.

RichN95.

Pross wrote:

RichN95 wrote:

Joelsim wrote:

Interesting when you look at the average speeds, then you would have expected some clear spikes, and some drop-off post passport really.

http://bikeraceinfo.com/tdf/tdfstats.html

Average speeds tell you sod all about anything.

Depends if you've got an entrenched view and you see them as backing it up and providing 'proof'. Then they tell you everything.

My entrenched view is that they tell you sod all. They are clear proof of this.

Pross

But that's the wrong entrenched view and clearly not what the average speeds are showing

I'm always surprised by how little the averages have increased given the supposed huge increases in bike and clothing technology, better road surfaces and considerably shorter stages / overall race but then that wouldn't support a theory that they are all still doped to the gills so is clearly also wrong.

The_Boy

RichN95 wrote:

Pross wrote:

RichN95 wrote:

Joelsim wrote:

Interesting when you look at the average speeds, then you would have expected some clear spikes, and some drop-off post passport really.

http://bikeraceinfo.com/tdf/tdfstats.html

Average speeds tell you sod all about anything.

Depends if you've got an entrenched view and you see them as backing it up and providing 'proof'. Then they tell you everything.

My entrenched view is that they tell you sod all.

Tbf, they do tell you the average speed of the first rider over the line.