32 days until the Tour Down Under...

above_the_cows
above_the_cows Posts: 11,406
edited January 2014 in Pro race
32 days until the Tour Down Under and I for one will be very happy.

53 days until the Tour of Qatar and I am praying for crosswinds and normal service to resume.
Correlation is not causation.
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Comments

  • I'm with you, ATC

    The silly evening crit the night before the first stage, when Jens will go off on one of his missions

    Riders with koalas (even bitey ones)!

    Riders with joeys!

    Corkscrew Hill

    Old Willunga Hill

    The peloton rolling along through the Barossa Valley vineyards

    Jens off the front again, probably with a green young 'un from UniSA who he'll school along the way

    Pictures of sunny hot blue sky days while most of us are in the dank dark cold here


    I laike
  • RonB
    RonB Posts: 3,984
    Geology - check
    Wine - check
    Cheese - ????
  • RonB wrote:
    Geology - check
    Wine - check
    Cheese - ????


    Lots of small artisan affairs. Goes hand in hand with the wine, innit
  • No wine or cheese in Qatar as it goes. :(

    I must say I'm torn over watching the Tour of Qatar, what with all the labour abuses over the world cup venues (and wider labour abuses generally under the kafala system) I vowed to boycott all things Qatar (I know it will make know difference really but I just feel I should in terms of my inner ethics and commitment to human rights), but then I think that watching the Tour of Qatar on an illegal satellite feed is itself an act of rebellion against the nasty money grabbers that are the Qatari rulers.

    Sorry got a bit political there. As I said I'm just hoping for some ECHELONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    Correlation is not causation.
  • Its all about Tour de San Luis. Dayer and Nairo will be riding together.

    Movistar 2014 Tour Down Under team: Imanol Erviti, Iván Gutiérrez, Juan Jose Lobato, Javier Moreno, Rubén Plaza, José Joaquín Rojas and Giovanni Visconti

    Movistar 2014 Tour de San Luis team: Andrey Amador, Beñat Intxausti, Adriano Malori, Dayer Quintana, Nairo Quintana and Fran Ventoso.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • Good call Frenchie.

    Do they have cute animals in Argentina?
    Correlation is not causation.
  • Its all about Tour de San Luis. Dayer and Nairo will be riding together.

    Movistar 2014 Tour Down Under team: Imanol Erviti, Iván Gutiérrez, Juan Jose Lobato, Javier Moreno, Rubén Plaza, José Joaquín Rojas and Giovanni Visconti

    Movistar 2014 Tour de San Luis team: Andrey Amador, Beñat Intxausti, Adriano Malori, Dayer Quintana, Nairo Quintana and Fran Ventoso.


    This will be worth watching - if only they give us the chance! It was dire last year :(
  • They certainly do:
    8415865597_ccbca1dcba_c.jpg

    And INCREDIBLE vistas:
    8415498062_fed168c5b0_c.jpg
    8415497864_e0a5de4c3a_c.jpg
    8413335524_c2c7db7982_c.jpg

    There is one particularly photo I am
    Contador is the Greatest
  • DSC_2836%20copy.jpg
    DSC_7160%20copy.jpg
    DSC_4645%20copy.jpg

    DSC_3094%20copy.jpg
    DSC_8990%20copy.jpg
    Contador is the Greatest
  • MrTapir
    MrTapir Posts: 1,206
    Good call Frenchie.

    Do they have cute animals in Argentina?

    Do Tapirs live in Argentina? i know in Brazil and other bits of South America they do. Have you ever seen a baby tapir?

    6a010535647bf3970b0147e2a8bd5c970b-500wi
  • Cows!

    I realized that they have lots of cows in Argentina just as I asked that question but I had to run off, so thanks for grabbing the bull by the horns so to speak Frenchie.

    That baby tapir is adorable, as cute as baby wombats or echidnas. I have a cushion cover with a similar pattern.

    And another vote for decent TV coverage of the Tour or San Luis. Not just the last 50m.
    Correlation is not causation.
  • MrTapir wrote:
    Good call Frenchie.

    Do they have cute animals in Argentina?

    Do Tapirs live in Argentina? i know in Brazil and other bits of South America they do. Have you ever seen a baby tapir?

    6a010535647bf3970b0147e2a8bd5c970b-500wi


    I think Mr Tapir's pic of Baby Tapir should not go unheralded.

    EDIT: behind the times. ATC has been acclaiming Baby T.
  • Do you think the baby Tapir has magical cuteness powers? Do you think he might be of some use in other corners of this site? Can he fight the good fight against whataboutery, poor logic and hypocrisy?

    I miss bike racing :(
    Correlation is not causation.
  • Boonen, Petacchi and Cavendish are going to Tour de San Luis.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,348
    YOu ve forgotten South Americas* most famous emigre…

    Paddington.jpg

    *Argentina/Peru…meh
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 13,199
    Do you think the baby Tapir has magical cuteness powers? Do you think he might be of some use in other corners of this site? Can he fight the good fight against whataboutery, poor logic and hypocrisy?

    I miss bike racing :(

    I reckon so.
    Warning No formatter is installed for the format
  • Forget cows.
    Argentina, is where this:

    Argentina.jpg

    Produces these:

    bordeaux-malbec.jpg

    That are turned into this:

    article_4969.png

    Yum!
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • LutherB
    LutherB Posts: 544
    I was just gonna post about looking forward to the Tour de San Luis BS! My brother in law is in Mendoza visiting family, will no doubt be bringing some bottles back :)
  • article_4969.png

    ^This picture is not helping with my headache, when combined with the Sky fish-net bodystocking I'm really not feeling well. :(

    Happy new year all. :D

    I'd count how many days to go until various racing starts but that would involve getting off the sofa and looking at my diary.
    Correlation is not causation.
  • LutherB wrote:
    I was just gonna post about looking forward to the Tour de San Luis BS! My brother in law is in Mendoza visiting family, will no doubt be bringing some bottles back :)

    My nephew lives in BA and is very often to be found in Mendoza,
    since he sells their produce for a living.
    Nice job! :wink:
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • Well, might as well grab desperately at some racing action, though its only the Bay Crits that kicked off today

    Day 1

    Womens:
    Giorgia Bronzini (Wiggle Honda)
    Nettie Edmondson (Orica-AIS)
    Tiffany Cromwell (Specialized Securitor)

    Mens:
    Zak Dempster (riding for SASI Cycling in the Bay Crits, not NetApp-Endura)
    Felix English (RaphaCondorJLT)
    Brenton Jones (Procon Telematics Cycle Racing Team)

    OGE had Goss AND Durbridge in the 7 man group that stayed away, yet somehow managed to screw it up. Last year's winner of the series, wonderkid Caleb Ewan, missed the break, and kept on trying to bridge across but all the other teams weren't having any of it and worked against him.
  • RideOnTime
    RideOnTime Posts: 4,712
    Again, unfortuate title.
  • Day 2 of the Bay crits

    Women - Elite

    1. Chloe Hosking (Roxsolt)
    2. Giorgia Bronzini (Wiggle Honda)
    3. Nettie Edmondson (Orica-AIS)

    Bronzini leads the GC


    Mens - Elite

    CHUFFING NORAH, MATT GOSS HAS WON A RACE!

    1. Matt Goss (Orica-GreenEDGE)
    2. Caleb Ewan (Subaru NSWIS)
    3. Leigh Howard (Orica-GreenEDGE)

    (Graham Briggs 5th and Felix English 8th)

    Goss leads the GC


    Highlights here
    http://www.cyclingfever.com/video.html? ... d=MTE0ODQ=
  • RideOnTime wrote:
    Again, unfortuate title.

    I know! I was going to add a thread a day counting down but then life sort of got in the way. :D
    Correlation is not causation.
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Voeckler is racing TdU for the first time.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • joelsim
    joelsim Posts: 7,552
    http://www.tourdownunder.com.au/start-list.htm

    Who's going to win it then?

    I've just got a sneaky feeling that Ulissi may do well.
  • RideOnTime wrote:
    Again, unfortuate title.

    I know! I was going to add a thread a day counting down but then life sort of got in the way. :D

    I made this a wee whiley ago, when it seemed an eternity to TDU...!

    http://www.timeanddate.com/countdown/ge ... Down+Under
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Bronzini first non-Aussie in 20 years to win the overall.
    JXP0377.jpg
    Bay-Crits-2014-Portarlington-04.01.14-753.jpg

    Nice photo from the crits:
    JXP0487.jpg

    looks like Caleb celebrating too early:
    Bay-Crits-2014-Williamstown-05.01.14-13362.jpg
    Contador is the Greatest
  • Thanks for posting those pics, FF

    Bronzini and her team were in searing form

    Great back story to the mens winner, Brenton Jones. In 2011 he crashed during a race, suffered head injuries, and was in an induced coma for the next 24 hours. Had to have plastic surgery for his legs and face, then 6 months of learning to walk again and get his balance back.

    RaphaCondorJLT did well - Felix English won the points jersey, and their second team provided the individual winner of the support race series, as well as winning the team prize. Herety must be a happy bunny!
  • Paul 8v
    Paul 8v Posts: 5,458
    Anyone know if there is a way you can get sky sports just for the period this race is on? £24 is a bit steep to watch one race but I'm bloody desperate for some racing!