TDF Discussion - here be spoilers [Archive] - Women's Cycling Discussion Forums

Possegal

07-07-2009, 09:06 AM

I've been on sick leave the last two days and the only thing making me feel better - watching the tour broadcast live early this morning. I too cringed a bit at spoilers in other threads. Were I at work and DVRing the tour, I would have been upset to learn details. Sometimes my boss thinks he's funny when he is at home and calls me and informs me - "guess what I'm watching", and I hang up on him. :)

tulip

07-07-2009, 09:48 AM

I enjoyed watching the TTT today. I was able to watch it on my computer.

bmccasland

07-07-2009, 09:52 AM

I snuck peeks at the results on the TdF web site, as I have a meeting tonight. I should be home in time to see some of it. I still want to watch, even though I know the outcome.

Andrea

07-07-2009, 09:55 AM

I want to have Fabian Cancellara's children. That is all.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/lb/thumb/e/e0/Cancellara_Fabian_2007.JPG/300px-Cancellara_Fabian_2007.JPG

Veronica

07-07-2009, 09:57 AM

You can't, unless you want to be the "other woman". :D He's married and got a kid already I think.

Veronica

mudmucker

07-07-2009, 09:58 AM

I want to have Fabian Cancellara's children. That is all.

Snort ! :D

NoNo

07-07-2009, 10:06 AM

I'm doing my best to avoid spoilers, but it's hard when CNN and MSNBC insist on putting the results in their headlines!:mad: Why can't they just have something that says "Stage x Results"? Am I not supposed to read any other news lest I mistakenly glance over that headline? So frustrating!

Andrea

07-07-2009, 10:14 AM

You can't, unless you want to be the "other woman". :D He's married and got a kid already I think.

Veronica

OK! :D

arielmoon

07-07-2009, 10:25 AM

I read the ticker here at work and cant wait to watch tonight on the tele.

TrekTheKaty

07-07-2009, 10:57 AM

I want to have Fabian Cancellara's children. That is all.

Andrea, How can you pick just one?

I stayed home from work just to watch the team time trial. I'm totally addicted. I keep trying to remind myself that there are 3 weeks to go! I've set up Lance, Levi and George up on twitter on my iphone. Beware of spoilers over there......

I'm jumping up and down, clapping and cheering in my living room!

Andrea

07-07-2009, 11:22 AM

I dunno- something about him. Jens Voight runs a close second...

Possegal

07-07-2009, 11:36 AM

i've always like Jens but I liked him so much more after Lance had him on in one of his pre-stage videos from the Giro. He was just so cute!!

arielmoon

07-07-2009, 11:41 AM

Jens is adorable!

jobob

07-07-2009, 11:49 AM

Jens. Oh yeah. :cool:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/photo.php?pid=30086325&op=1&o=global&view=global&subj=1017326836&id=1017326836

papaver

07-07-2009, 11:51 AM

You can't, unless you want to be the "other woman". :D He's married and got a kid already I think.

Veronica

detail detail

Jo-n-NY

07-07-2009, 12:36 PM

My work from home day just by chance was today. It was a very exciting day!!!

This and a lunch hour ride, life was good, now it is pouring with some major thunder.

Eden

07-07-2009, 12:49 PM

all this chatter and no spoilers :p

Well I for one am quite happy I did not see the outcome of stage 4 before watching it. WOW - Astana take the win, but Cancellara keeps the yellow with NO actual time lead - well, must be 10ths or even 100ths of a second, but the official results on the letour web page don't go out that far. I love the close, close, close ones.

Honestly I think this is very good for Contador - gives him time up on pretty much all of the other favorites before the race even gets into the mountains (and plenty - nearly 3 min on Sastre and Cadel) and shows how strong the team is, but Saxobank is still in the position to have to defend yellow, rather than the pressure being on Astana.

jobob

07-07-2009, 01:17 PM

Absolutely.

I kind of wonder if Astana breathed a collective sigh of relief when they ended up just missing out on the yellow. Takes the onus off of them until they hit the climbs.

Interesting how many riders were shed over the course of the TTT - especially in the case of Team Garmin! I wonder if any riders (on Garmin or otherwise) were eliminated by time cutoffs. I poked around a little but didn't see anything to that effect. (I *think* riders that are shed off are given the times that they actually cross the line, rather than the team time of the 5th rider across, but maybe that's not correct)

I feel bad for Denis (splat) Menchov and Cadel Evans, it looks like they might be well out of contention now. Poor Cadel.

Yes, things are looking a bit grim for Sastre as well. In theory he is capable of making up lots of time in the mountains, but still.

Eden

07-07-2009, 01:29 PM

Riders left behind got their actual time! The rules did not mention time cuts, but during the race there was some talk about worrying about this (when they were in the Garmin car and talking about leaving Tyler Farrah behind), so I think being time cut may have been a possibility. The rules this year definitely made the TTT stage very, very tactical.

limewave

07-07-2009, 01:31 PM

I was a little worried because I've been so busy that I haven't had a chance to watch or read anything TdF lately. It's my favorite part of the year and I thought I was missing out.

Fortunately, I worked from home today and had it on in the background. It was so exciting! I love TdF. So much drama. Every move Lance makes is so calculated, I really enjoy watching him race.

jobob

07-07-2009, 01:39 PM

Ah, OK, I thought I heard that (about the actual times given to riders left behind) on the broadcast, but I wasn't positive.

I wouldn't be surprised if Saxo Bank would have liked to be able to shed their weak TT'ers as well, although that would have meant shedding their GC contender. ooops. So I guess Cancellara just figured he'd pick up the slack. That said, Andy Schleck did pretty well in Stage 1 so maybe Bobby J's tutelage is working. :cool:

SadieKate

07-07-2009, 02:02 PM

http://www.letour.fr/2009/TDF/LIVE/us/reglements.html

Team time-trial stage: no dawdling about
The riders reach the most impressive average speeds when they ride in groups. In the latest team time-trial stage organised between Tours and Blois in 2005, the Discovery Channel riders set a record: 57.32 km/h on a 67.5 km-long stage. Team time-trials are back on the Tour de France this year during the Montpellier stage. For the occasion, the rules have undergone a major change: the time recorded for a team will be the time of the fifth rider. For those riders who are left behind during the team time-trial stage, their own time (real time) will be applied and taken into account for the individual general standings. The organisers have decided to go for a relatively short stage (39 km) around Montpellier to limit the consequences of the cancellation of this “comprehensive insurance”.

jobob

07-07-2009, 03:48 PM

Thank you dear. :)

Trekhawk

07-07-2009, 03:58 PM

I sat up late to watch this stage and I am sure glad I did. What an exciting stage. Lance predicted it would be carnage on the course and he was right with lots of nasty spills.

Zen

07-07-2009, 06:24 PM

It came from Bike Snob (http://bikesnobnyc.blogspot.com/) so it's highly dubious.But the post included a photo:confused:

"But while Cavendish's victory salute may have been sub-par, his sprint certainly wasn't... This would explain why Cavendish forsakes the usual crabon fribé frame and instead opts for riveted alumin(i)um:

(I'd link to the relevant Cyclingnews page but their new site is even more confusing than my pannier.)"

Veronica

07-07-2009, 06:34 PM

Is what true?

That Cavendish won? Yes.

That he looked like he was pretending to be ET and phoning home? Yes.

Veronica

Zen

07-07-2009, 07:15 PM

Not sure if that was intended as sarcasm but that wasn't the question.

KnottedYet

07-07-2009, 07:23 PM

Zen, I don't think it's true.

Cavendish Cycles is a company in UK (maybe where Snob got that picture).

Here's what MC is riding, according to my little google search: http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/article/pro-bike-mark-cavendishs-team-columbia-scott-addict-19867

But wouldn't it be nifty if someone DID ride an alu, ti, or steel bike in the TdF? (rivets would just add to the fun, don't you think?)

Reesha

07-07-2009, 07:32 PM

I want to have Fabian Cancellara's children. That is all.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/lb/thumb/e/e0/Cancellara_Fabian_2007.JPG/300px-Cancellara_Fabian_2007.JPG

I'll fight you for him :D

kenyonchris

07-07-2009, 08:36 PM

I'll fight you for him :D

Mmmm. I am a sucker for shaved biker legs.

Reesha

07-07-2009, 08:43 PM

I was taking a walk with one of my non-biker friends today and a cute guy with baby-bare, freshly shaven legs walked by. I said to her "mmm cyclist." She asked "How did you know!?!?!" And I explained about the shaved legs. She had a laugh about that.

Not sure I'd want to brush up against a guy's stubbly legs though! It must be 2x worse than female leg stubble! :D

I can't wait for tomorrow's stage. Another flattie! I kind of hope Cancellara manages to hold on to it, but only barely! Keep things tense! Maybe Contador will gain more time on him as well?

I also hope to see Cadel gain some time back.

kenyonchris

07-07-2009, 08:58 PM

I was taking a walk with one of my non-biker friends today and a cute guy with baby-bare, freshly shaven legs walked by. I said to her "mmm cyclist." She asked "How did you know!?!?!" And I explained about the shaved legs. She had a laugh about that.

Not sure I'd want to brush up against a guy's stubbly legs though! It must be 2x worse than female leg stubble! :D

.

My SO shaves his legs and arms...he is serious cyclist man. It is funny, his legs are never stubbly. He doesn't have to shave as often as I do, and it grows back softer. Go figure.
So brushing up against his legs is ok by me...and what great legs they are.

SadieKate

07-07-2009, 09:20 PM

I was taking a walk with one of my non-biker friends today and a cute guy with baby-bare, freshly shaven legs walked by. I said to her "mmm cyclist." She asked "How did you know!?!?!" Why not a swimmer? :confused:

Reesha

07-07-2009, 09:29 PM

Because I know nothing of swimmers!!! :p

Truly.

Oh also he had a roadie cap on.

Reesha

07-08-2009, 05:58 AM

Ahahahaha!

Michael Rogers posted this on Twitter today with the caption:

"Is this A: Cav in green. B: Kermit the Frog. C: Apple Jelly Bean. ??????"

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v488/femmeke830/16243435.jpg

:D :D :D

arielmoon

07-08-2009, 06:28 AM

D: all of the above

:D

katluvr

07-08-2009, 07:24 AM

LOL!
He is very green! And I now have to wait HOURS to get home and see today's stage that I have DVR'd.
And now I must also resist the urge (like I did yesterday) to check out thread!

Trek420

07-08-2009, 07:47 AM

LOL!
He is very green!!

It's not easy being green ;)

Reesha

07-08-2009, 08:26 AM

A stage victory for the French! Congrats to Voeckler :up: That was impressive. I really loved how he just couldn't believe it and then kind of rolled through, blowing kisses to the crowds!

tulip

07-08-2009, 08:28 AM

Voekler's interview was great. He just couldn't believe that he won the stage. What a sweetheart.

Reesha

07-08-2009, 08:35 AM

I'll have to find it on youtube! He definitely looked amazed as he came to the finish line. It was so refreshing in comparison to the very self-assured Mark Cavendish.

And there's Cancellara being as darling as ever in his little yellow suit :D

Has anyone watching Versus noticed the excessive number of "male enhancement" commercials? Ugh!

tulip

07-08-2009, 08:53 AM

Has anyone watching Versus noticed the excessive number of "male enhancement" commercials? Ugh!

yet another reason to watch on the computer--no ads, just continuous coverage of the race.

Reesha

07-08-2009, 09:03 AM

I'm not sure my connection would be fast enough :(

jobob

07-08-2009, 09:58 AM

Tommmmyyyyyyyy! :D Very well done.

I like him so.

Zen

07-08-2009, 11:08 AM

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v488/femmeke830/16243435.jpg

:D :D :D

I know who he looks like now!
It just hit me
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb14/zencentury/riddler.jpg

SadieKate

07-08-2009, 11:15 AM

Tommmmyyyyyyyy! :D Very well done.

I like him so.Kinda makes your heart go pitter-pat, doesn't it?

Reesha

07-08-2009, 11:34 AM

The Riddler has a secret passion for Time Trialing :D

katluvr

07-08-2009, 11:40 AM

It seems safe to check out these latest posts...I am dying to know...but want to wait...but then I have dinner plans tonight. Will I really get to see what I recorded? Should I read all these posts and find out?
I suspect the GC did not change at all. Is that correct? Then I probably could see what happened... should I look?:o

redrhodie

07-08-2009, 02:22 PM

I cried a little watching today's stage, and I cry maybe twice a year. It was perfect!

Reesha

07-08-2009, 02:25 PM

Are you happy for Thomas?

redrhodie

07-08-2009, 02:29 PM

Yes :p. I've been looking for him all tour. They never even mentioned his name before today! He's got a lot of heart.

Reesha

07-08-2009, 04:38 PM

I can appreciate that much after watching him cross the line, anyway! :o

kenyonchris

07-08-2009, 07:41 PM

Tommmmyyyyyyyy! :D Very well done.

I like him so.

So, so, so, so CUTE!!! I am a sucker for Lance, and will always root for him, but I loved this and could cheer without jeopardizing my loyalties to Lance.

Reesha

07-08-2009, 08:30 PM

Here's the interview with Voeckler. I caught about a third of what he was saying but he just looks so damned happy.

http://www.nowpublic.com/sports/interview-etape-5

Lots of great, high quality Tour videos at this website!

Reesha

07-08-2009, 08:31 PM

Oh here is the win again if you want to watch:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQh_9YPgwAg

It's in Dutch this time so i can understand what they're saying :D Hurray for being able to use the language I never get to use!

Reesha

07-09-2009, 07:59 AM

Wooohoo! David Millar has a huge lead as he cruises into Barcelona. Maybe he'll hold onto it til the end!

Possegal

07-09-2009, 08:09 AM

I watched at home all week, sick leave. Had to come into the office today, though still not feeling 100%. Couldn't wait til I got home, so I'm streaming versus here. Lordy lou there are a lot of crashes. Dang rain.

Go Millar!

Reesha

07-09-2009, 08:15 AM

He's been pulled back into the group behind him :rolleyes:

Poor guy he worked so hard!

Tony Martin leading

tulip

07-09-2009, 08:18 AM

What a great stage to watch! I love this sport!

papaver

07-09-2009, 08:18 AM

no cavendish today in the sprint.

Reesha

07-09-2009, 08:20 AM

Poor Michael Rogers and Tom Boonen though! I hope Mick is all right after his crash.

I was hoping David's hard work would pay off and he'd cross the arrivee first, but alas!

Reesha

07-09-2009, 08:35 AM

I never get sick of seeing Cancellara holding the stuffed animal!!! :D

arielmoon

07-09-2009, 09:08 AM

I love this sport too. Tomorrow could be very very interesting!

Eden

07-09-2009, 12:32 PM

Whew finally caught up.....

that's my boy! Voekler isn't a legendary rider, but he has heart and he never, never gives up.

and that rain... for the GC guys today was all about staying out of trouble and away from that white paint! that was some carnage. I haven't heard how everything shook out quite yet, but it sounds like Michael Rogers is down for the count.

Reesha

07-09-2009, 02:24 PM

Actually according to Michael Rogers twitter, he's racing tomorrow. Said he's sore, but nothing broken. He actually finished the race today.

George Hincapie is ok after his spill as well (ah twitter! :D )

redrhodie

07-09-2009, 05:40 PM

George Hincapie is ok after his spill as well (ah twitter! :D )

Of course I had to read that! He said it was the scariest day on a bike he's ever had. I wonder if it was because of the rain, or some other factor? Definitely looked slippery!

Reesha

07-09-2009, 05:48 PM

One of the riders said that area of Spain gets a lot of oil and dust on the roads that makes them extra slippery when it first rains in a while. They said it was like ice.

Reesha

07-10-2009, 08:07 AM

This climb is so intense that it's making me sore! :D

Wow!

Reesha

07-10-2009, 08:29 AM

Brice Feillu wins the stage!!!! Another for France :D What an incredible breakaway.

Zen

07-10-2009, 09:56 AM

How old is that kid? He looked soooooo skinny crossing that line. I liked seeing his brother back in the peloton looking happy for him.

Reesha

07-10-2009, 10:55 AM

Yeah that was pretty special. Those French guys are cute when they get excited http://lesoftparade.com/boards/images/smilies/thinlove.gif

Eden

07-10-2009, 04:21 PM

The cute little French boy is so unexperienced he totally forgot to zip up before he crossed the line :p

Oh but I do love to see Alberto climb :D:D:D he makes it look so easy. The teamwork was terrific too. I think that should put to rest all the controversy about who Astana is working for and whether or not there is infighting on the team. They worked like a well oiled machine - whooohoo. Even Klodi, who had me worried the way he used to sabotage Jan....

Zen

07-10-2009, 04:49 PM

The cute little French boy is so unexperienced he totally forgot to zip up before he crossed the line :p

I'm sure that was the farthest thing from his mind. It was probably more like "holy poop! I can't believe it! I won the stage! Take that, Lance!"

En français, bien sûr.

Eden

07-10-2009, 05:14 PM

I'm sure that was the farthest thing from his mind. It was probably more like "holy poop! I can't believe it! I won the stage! Take that, Lance!"

En français, bien sûr.

I'm sure that mon dieu merde, was probably the first thing on his mind... (do you suppose the auto censor picks up languages other than English....), but not take that Lance. I'm going to bet he's a big enough boy to understand that while his win was VERY important to him, to France and to the stage, the chess match that is the chase for the overall win took precedence to the overall leaders, including Lance, over chasing him down unnecessarily... at 29th and 4:26 (and that is after today) back he could probably even try the same thing on the next stage and get away with it.

I'll also still bet he'll take a big ribbing at the dinner table tonight for showing the world his chicken chest :P , but I'm sure winning a stage of the TDF is worth any amount of teasing.

Possegal

07-10-2009, 05:22 PM

He'll also get a bit of a reprimand for not zipping up. Every Tour at least one guy does this, and sometimes we learn that they then got into a little trouble for it. It is a shining moment for the sponsor, the money shot if you will, the photo of the winner crossing the finish line, proudly displaying the name of their sponsor. Shirt unzipped = no sign of the name of the people forking out all the money for the team = unhappy sponsor.

That said, I'm surprised more don't just fall off their bikes out of losing their concentration due to sheer exhaustion and joy. :) He was great to watch, I love these stages so much for the 'who is that' ? factor. It's making it very hard for folks to pick the winners in the RoadID daily contest. :)

SadieKate

07-10-2009, 05:27 PM

I'm sure that was the farthest thing from his mind. It was probably more like "holy poop! I can't believe it! I won the stage! Take that, Lance!"

En français, bien sûr.Yep on everything except the Lance part. Bruyneel wasn't going after the stage win today. Why wear out the team defending the yellow jersey when you have 4 guys ready and able to pounce on order? Astana pretty much holds all the cards right now.

SadieKate

07-10-2009, 05:28 PM

I'll also still bet he'll take a big ribbing at the dinner table tonight for showing the world his chicken chest :P , but I'm sure winning a stage of the TDF is worth any amount of teasing.You suppose he'll even notice? I wonder how long he'll be floating on air?

Eden

07-10-2009, 05:40 PM

You suppose he'll even notice? I wonder how long he'll be floating on air?

He probably won't even hear most of what's said to him for the next week :D Some guys work their whole careers towards a win like that without ever seeing it. To be a young French rider on a French team and take a stage like that will make him an instant hero.

SadieKate

07-10-2009, 05:42 PM

BTW, Feillu's chicken chest is better than Rasmussen's chicken chest . . . if there is such a thing.

Eden

07-10-2009, 06:20 PM

Feillu looks like a little boy - Rasmussen was just scary :eek: I often wondered with how little body fat he appeared to have, how he had enough energy to even ride his bike....

Zen

07-10-2009, 06:47 PM

Oh my. Rasmussen appears to be on the verge of anorexia in this photo (http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://kietzer.files.wordpress.com/2008/12/rasmussen.jpg&imgrefurl=http://dkietzer.com/2008/12/12/lightweights/&usg=__gHEwEG20cwaleGw8yKFUoRGgt7k=&h=374&w=361&sz=32&hl=en&start=14&sig2=LyZ4lPYVab27vzYLEOW5-Q&um=1&tbnid=_xT87jOt0U3gGM:&tbnh=122&tbnw=118&prev=/images%3Fq%3DRasmussen%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dcom.google:en-US:official%26sa%3DN%26um%3D1&ei=0O1XSr6sJcrDlAeVl8jrAg)

TrekTheKaty

07-10-2009, 07:01 PM

Um, Zen?! Thank you, AGAIN, for an image I won't be able to get out of my head :eek: I'd pay money for him to put that jersey back on :p

Zen

07-10-2009, 07:36 PM

I tried to ease you into it by just posting a link :o

kenyonchris

07-10-2009, 08:18 PM

Oh my. Rasmussen appears to be on the verge of anorexia in this photo[/url]

That is too dang gross for me. Some things just SHOULD never be photographed.
Cycling seems to be the men's anorexia (or manorexia, as my SO says) venue. My SO is 6'3 and keeps himself at 185 for cycling. I tease him about it, but get it right back from him. I try to tell him that pound for pound I am actually HEAVIER than him, but he says it is faulty logic. It probably is.

Flur

07-10-2009, 08:36 PM

Eeewwww! :eek::eek::eek:

Trek420

07-10-2009, 08:45 PM

Eeewwww! :eek::eek::eek:

I don't think we'll be seeing "the 12 best bare chests of the Tour" calendar any time soon. :rolleyes: :p

"The 12 best legs of the TdF" however, that's an idea.

papaver

07-10-2009, 10:59 PM

You know what moved me the most about yesterday's stage? Brice Feillu's brother who is riding in the same team. He was soooooooo happy for his little brother. He was crying like a baby.

papaver

07-11-2009, 01:29 AM

Cancellara descending ... umph
:eek:

http://www.sporza.be/cm/sporza/videozone/MG_Tour/MG_Tourtips/1.561174

Comments are in Dutch, sorry for that.

Reesha

07-11-2009, 07:00 AM

I know! Wow, Fabian really know show to descend... must be all those Swiss mountains :D

Trek420

07-11-2009, 09:16 AM

Thor will smash! :D :p :cool:

Reesha

07-11-2009, 10:53 AM

He's in green!

tulip

07-11-2009, 03:45 PM

I didn't watch today, I went for a 53-mile ride instead. I'll have to catch up this evening.

endurancerider

07-11-2009, 04:24 PM

Cancellara descending ... umph
:eek:

http://www.sporza.be/cm/sporza/videozone/MG_Tour/MG_Tourtips/1.561174

Comments are in Dutch, sorry for that.

Thanks for the site! I can't get Versus to work and I'm in Tour withdrawal now that I'm back from Germany...sorry for spoilers previous thread, it was all so exciting!

cylegoddess

07-12-2009, 01:45 AM

Im loving this! I hooked my trainer up, so that I dont get bored watching for three hours.
Yeah, I thought Cancellara was looking dishy but when I go to heaven, Im getting locked in a French Patisserie with Lance!!
Man, talking about skinny , my BF said LA was looking like a cartoon, hes so thin. He also has said in the past, sometimes seeing rassmussen's chest makes me go on not so serious diets, to try to lose a little weight. So I went and had a look and yikes!!!:eek: I used to look that yukky!
I was jumping up and down during the team time trial results, man that was THE BEST! Esp after Lance is being negated as sitting around for three years drinking beer on the beach!

And it was so nice to see how happy that young french cutie pie was when winning a stage. He was so young , hes still all elbows and knees, like a little colt!

And I do agree ladies...oh I am enjoying all those hunky male thighs, sigh..:rolleyes:

tulip

07-12-2009, 07:34 AM

tulip

07-12-2009, 07:40 AM

BRILLIANT FINISH for those two! Allez Fredrigo! How they held the peloton off I'll never know.

papaver

07-12-2009, 07:41 AM

tulip

07-12-2009, 07:44 AM

The French are very happy today. :D

...:)

papaver

07-12-2009, 08:00 AM

I just heard an interview with Laurens Ten Dam (the Rabobank rider who fell). Oh boy did he sound miserable. :(

Reesha

07-12-2009, 08:26 AM

That was an awesome finish. I was worried after watching Pellizoti draft Fedrigo for so long that he'd snatch the win from him... but Fedrigo sprinted right past him! I was so happy! :D

SadieKate

07-13-2009, 08:51 AM

Why have the Bouygues/BBox and Liquigas teams not been of any help to the two lead guys? Yes, they are letting Caisse d'Epargne do all the work in the peleton, but the BB and Liquigas guys should be working to protect the two lead guys and slow the peleton.What did you want them to do?

They were helping by mixing it up inside the front section of the peloton and trying to break it up. Did you see the words exchanged between some of the riders unhappy with this move?

SadieKate

07-13-2009, 08:54 AM

BRILLIANT FINISH for those two! Allez Fredrigo! How they held the peloton off I'll never know.1) Because there were very few sprinters in the peloton so no teams really had the manpower or desire to chase them down for a sprint win.

And 2) Astana would then have to defend the yellow jersey and they don't want to . . . yet.

jobob

07-13-2009, 09:04 AM

I'm catching up on the Tour stages we missed late last week and over the weekend.

I'm so amused by the Bobke Show on Versus - yes, obviously Lance lurves his team and Contador hates it. :rolleyes:

Of course, were Lance to have broken away on that first Pyrenees stage, it would have shown how supremely dominant he is (he being the Patron, after all). :rolleyes: :p :rolleyes: :D

Possegal

07-13-2009, 09:14 AM

I don't know if any of you read the column by "blazzing saddles" but he always has a prediction for the next stage. Here is today's prediction. :)

PREDICTION: The flight will be slightly delayed after Mark Cavendish complains that he's not allowed into the first-class compartment. Both Tom Boonen and Denis Menchov will fall when boarding. Mark Renshaw will be allowed into the cockpit to help guide the plane to its destination. Oh, and Cadel Evans will be left isolated on his way to the loo.

tulip

07-13-2009, 10:46 AM

What did you want them to do?

They were helping by mixing it up inside the front section of the peloton and trying to break it up. Did you see the words exchanged between some of the riders unhappy with this move?

I did not see any words exchanged. I would have thought they would have gotten into the front and slowed it down a bit--a common strategy. Sounds like that's what they did.

mudmucker

07-13-2009, 11:13 AM

I saw those words exchanged too, with some fervent arm gestures as well. Other riders were not happy when they tried to mix it up and managed to shake them off for the most part.

PscyclePath

07-13-2009, 02:13 PM

That was a lot of fun to watch... a very classic example of blocking for your teammates up the road!

MM_QFC!

07-13-2009, 02:19 PM

tulip

07-14-2009, 08:26 AM

Whoo! Good one! Great teamwork by Columbia!

Reesha

07-14-2009, 09:12 AM

Yeah seriously. That Cav is a powerhouse. He's so self-assured though! Maybe we'll get to see Thomas Voeckler win the next one to balance it out ;)

Running Mommy

07-14-2009, 02:27 PM

I thought today was a yawner.... The riders have gotten so used to the radios that I think they were a bit flustered. Also noticed that there seemed to be a bit of a protest going on. At points it was like watching paint dry.
I'm also getting bored with the same old lead out by columbia to get cavendish the win. I SOOO want Thor to keep the green.
I read somewhere that cavendish is putting notches on his top tube everytime he wins..:rolleyes:

Eden

07-14-2009, 02:30 PM

I read somewhere that cavendish is putting notches on his top tube everytime he wins..:rolleyes:

not literally.... but yeah, he's putting a sticker on his top tube for each sprint he wins....

The lack of radios didn't seem to make much of a difference. The pack still caught the break just in time.

tulip

07-14-2009, 03:03 PM

I just love the countryside and villages that they ride through, and the little history lessons here and there. Since it was the 14 juillet today, there seemed to be more people out in the small villages. That's my favorite part of the Tour, actually. France is such a wonderful place to ride (and eat and drink and garden...).

Trekhawk

07-14-2009, 04:51 PM

TrekTheKaty

07-14-2009, 05:16 PM

PinkBike

07-14-2009, 08:41 PM

i've got the TdF on DVR, so when i crawl out of bed at the crack of 8:30 or so I watch the day's stage with no commercials and no unwanted interviews or commentary. i get all the commentary from tour de schmalz (www.velocitynation.com). here's a tidbit from saturday:

Dear Schmalz,
I've never written to you before, but I really need your advice. I have suspected for some time now that my wife has been cheating on me. I've witnessed the usual signals; the phone rings, but if I answer, the caller hangs up. My wife has been going out with 'the girls' a lot recently, although when I ask their names she always says, "just some friends from work, you don't know them." I always try and to stay awake to look out for her coming home, but I usually fall asleep. I think deep down I just didn't want to know the truth, but last night she went out again and I decided to really check on her. Around midnight, I decided to hide in the garage behind my bikes so I could get a good view of the whole street when she arrived home from a night out with 'the girls'. When she got out of the car she was buttoning up her blouse, which was open. It was at that very moment, crouching behind my bikes, I noticed a slight crack in the frame of my beloved full-carbon Pinarello Prince, two inches behind the headset. Is this something I can fix myself, or should I take it back to the shop?
Concerned Roadie

anyway, i thought today's stage could have been phoned in, even without radios it was predictable: a small break, sprinters teams controlling the "chasing" peloton, break caught in the last k's, then columbia leading out cav for the win. i did think it was funny that cav was showing off his green sunglasses - hey manx, you dont have the jersey yet, thor SMASH still has it by 6 points!!

but I DO LOVE THE TOUR!!!! and you gotta read schmalz!!!! go there. now.

Eden

07-14-2009, 10:50 PM

OK, after the Saxo Bank rider crashed (I'm betting broken collar bone), he was standing over his bike on the road--another bike was IN the ditch! Was there another rider down there?! Maybe they'll mention it tomorrow.........

It was Danny Pate, but he was fine and got back in the race. Sometimes the ditch is better than the road.... at least it is soft....

papaver

07-14-2009, 11:36 PM

yesterday's race was booooooooooooooooooooooooring... why bother to ride it, they could've stayed at home an give the victory to cavendish.

tulip

07-15-2009, 08:19 AM

papaver

07-15-2009, 08:31 AM

Team Columbia shows the strongest teamwork for Cavendish. Tyler Ferrar and Thor Hushovd just didn't have the team to support them. It doesn't hurt that Cavendish is an amazing sprinter, too, but his team is superb and they get it right every time.

yeah, but it makes the races sooooooo boooooooooring. It just isn't fun to watch.

But hey, Cav is the best, so a well deserved victory.

Zen

07-15-2009, 08:35 AM

I was so hoping Thor would SMASH today just so I could say it but it looked like he had nothing left to give :(

tulip

07-15-2009, 09:34 AM

papaver

07-15-2009, 09:48 AM

I don't find the racing boring at all. Of course, there's always the rush of excitement at the end, but I really enjoy watching the whole thing. I like the commentary about the lesser-known racers as well as the landscape and architecture that is featured. I'm a bit of a geek, though, and like to follow along with my big Michelin map book when I can.

Our presenters are known for that. You know, when they pass a castle or a monument, they always tell a little history about it. They are always assisted by a former racer, which is very interesting. Especially when it's Tom Steels (he won 9 stages I believe in the tdf), he's a sprinter and the way he explains how a sprint works is really cool.

Kano

07-15-2009, 09:51 AM

I was watching with my grandsons yesterday morning. They came over pretty early, and one went back to sleep for a couple of hours, but not before they saw the hay bale bike that the boys both agreed looked like it was made of marshmallows!

The little one was pretty excited by the close ups of the snails too! (and hoped we didn't see them smashed -- WHEW!)

Karen in Boise

PinkBike

07-15-2009, 11:27 AM

my driveway

Reesha

07-15-2009, 12:59 PM

I just got retweeted by Cadel <3

It was a silly question, but I wanted to see if he would answer ;) And he did!!!

CadelOfficialRT -when it's cold, yes. Cleaner they are, less they fog up. @larissapowers: @CadelOfficial do your sunglasses ever fog up during the race?

:D:D:D:D

:dork:

Reesha

07-15-2009, 01:01 PM

my driveway

That's really amazing. How long did it take you?

kenyonchris

07-15-2009, 06:59 PM

Reesha

07-15-2009, 09:43 PM

haha no... not yet anyway ;)

but it means he replied to one of my tweets directly referencing my twitter username. :D

TrekTheKaty

07-16-2009, 12:30 PM

Good job, Reesha!

Did everyone see the story about Tyler Farrar's father being hit while riding his bike and is paralyzed from the waist down? They then gave Dave Zabriskie's website of yieldtolife.org.

Eden

07-16-2009, 12:43 PM

Tyler is from eastern Washington, and being part of the racing community out here I heard about his dad's accident soon after it happened. Very sad and senseless as most cycling accidents are. A security guard was fussing with his clip board instead of looking at the road and drifted into him head on.

Jo-n-NY

07-17-2009, 05:35 AM

About Tyler's dad, I didn't know about it. How saw. I did know about Dave Z's website, however.

Jo-n-NY

07-17-2009, 05:37 AM

I guess many of you know by now, Levi is out with a broken wrist. When he got back on the bike after the crash I thought thank goodness he is ok. I guess he wasn't.

I feel so bad for him, rotten luck.

~ JoAnn

denda

07-17-2009, 05:43 AM

Oh I hate this for him. So sad.

Possegal

07-17-2009, 05:45 AM

Even Levi seemed to think he was OK. That was how it sounded on his Twitter/Facebook updates. So I was pretty surprised when I saw his poor little photo with his cast. :(

papaver

07-17-2009, 06:05 AM

what a wonderful race today. :D

Sorry for Leipheimer :(

tulip

07-17-2009, 06:29 AM

This is the only part of France that I've never been to, and I've always wanted to go. I'm enjoying the scenery, and glad I'm not riding in the rain.

papaver

07-17-2009, 06:34 AM

This is the only part of France that I've never been to, and I've always wanted to go. I'm enjoying the scenery, and glad I'm not riding in the rain.

If you want to visit it, go in the spring. Really beautiful.

Trekhawk

07-17-2009, 08:59 AM

Yay for the racing kangaroo!
The crowd in Inverell Australia must be going crazy.:D

papaver

07-17-2009, 09:02 AM

hey for the climbing Viking too :D

papaver

07-17-2009, 01:52 PM

Oscar Freire was shot in the thigh today!!!!! He felt a pain in the thigh but could finish. He will start tomorrow. :eek::eek::eek::eek:

Running Mommy

07-17-2009, 02:13 PM

Sad for Levi. UGH
I'm thinking team tactics are going to be changin' oh yes they are!!

I loved the stage winner today. He was so cute when he crossed the line. Like he couldn't believe it. Reminded me of when I finished Ironman. Shock and awe all at the same time. And the realization of a lifetime dream.
Very cool.

LOVED that Thor took the green back. Not a big Cav fan...

oh and Julian dean was also shot at?? What are people thinking! Glad they are ok. ugh

Trekhawk

07-17-2009, 04:41 PM

I loved the stage winner today. He was so cute when he crossed the line. Like he couldn't believe it. Reminded me of when I finished Ironman. Shock and awe all at the same time. And the realization of a lifetime dream.
Very cool.

LOVED that Thor took the green back. Not a big Cav fan...

oh and Julian dean was also shot at?? What are people thinking! Glad they are ok. ugh

Heinrich has been riding really well this year but he still looked shocked at his win and the tears flowed. I am sure his friends and family back here in Aust were crying too. :)

What were Julian Dean and Oscar Freire shot with?

Just googled and apparently it was an air rifle. Must have scared the beejeepers out of them at least it would me. Ugh seems the world is full of idiots.

TrekTheKaty

07-17-2009, 05:23 PM

Shot at? The one day I missed :eek: Levi, dang it! He was my underdog--and his tweets were fun.........

papaver

07-17-2009, 11:11 PM

A cool interview with Heinrich Haussler the evening after his win.

http://www.sporza.be/cm/sporza/videozone/MG_Tour/MG_vive_le_velo/2.6174/1.565555

there's first 20 secs of Dutch and then it's in English.

Trekhawk

07-18-2009, 04:20 AM

papaver

07-18-2009, 05:35 AM

another cool interview with Lance about the shooting, the weather, Levi and le Verbier.

http://www.sporza.be/cm/sporza/videozone/MG_Tour/MG_Tourtips/1.565693

this one is with Heinrich Haussler.

http://www.sporza.be/cm/sporza/videozone/MG_Tour/MG_Tourtips/1.565487

tctrek

07-18-2009, 06:36 AM

It would be so cool if George grabbed yellow today. It's looking good! :D:D:D

Trekhawk

07-18-2009, 06:52 PM

kenyonchris

07-18-2009, 08:48 PM

So I hopped in the car with SO for dinner, all ready to discuss todays tour with him...he and I both follow diligently but usually from separate houses! He was in a retched mood (problems at work) and his view upon Astana and Garmin riding when they didn't have to and depriving George of the yellow for the night was, "you don't let a guy like george get up on the clock. That is the end of that. George is a big boy and this is professional cycling." I was feeling badly for George. I don't think you F*&(K your buddies and this felt like buddy F*$king. SO, in his irritated, grumbly mood, maintained that George needed to put his head down and stop worrying about who was with him and get going. Since he didn't do that, he deserved to get caught.
I see SO's point, and I was certainly not arguing with him tonight....even after a bit of wine...but I still don't think they had to ride at him like that. But I believe Lance is a great, great tactician, so I doubt he would be expending useless energy if not needed.
What thinks the group?

Eden

07-18-2009, 09:40 PM

I don't think Lance or Astana intended to deprive George of the win. In fact I think they worked towards helping him, but also had to think about the big picture too. They did take charge near the beginning of the race. They brought the break back to about 5 min, but then slowed down and let it get back out to around 8 or 9 if I am remembering correctly. They proceeded to sit on the front and just do tempo, keeping the gap pretty steady. The other teams didn't help out until it was way too late to bring the break and in any case no team, except for AG2R had any reason to do any hard work to and they had proved to be relatively weak. The real unknown is why Garmin started pushing hard at the end too... Without them it seems highly likely that George would have had more than the needed 5 seconds and been in yellow today.

I can't really blame Astana for not letting the break out to excessive amounts of time. There were a lot of guys up there and its never a good idea to let guys run, even if you think they are down enough. There is an overall win that they have to really think hard about. Their tactic of letting it out to a certain amount of time really did almost work - heck it was only 5 seconds. If Garmin hadn't stepped in it would have worked.

papaver

07-19-2009, 01:09 AM

Me too, I don't think you can blame Astana, it was Garmin who tried to close the gap. Why? Who knows. And his own team too because of the green jersey. Pretty stupid considering the disqualification of Cavendish.

papaver

07-19-2009, 08:25 AM

Finally! what a race, what a winner! And Bradly Wiggins what a surprise!

Lance was not a surprise, he is not number one any more. But still respect for what he is still capable of.

tulip

07-19-2009, 08:28 AM

I missed yesterday's stage, but just saw today's. Contador is a fantastic rider, that's for sure. He's proven himself to be the top dog. He just said "my teammates will work for me now..." I gotta agree with that.

redrhodie

07-19-2009, 09:48 AM

I smell a possum. ;)

jobob

07-21-2009, 09:37 AM

Crud!!! Poor Jens! :(

He must have hit something wrong on the descent. After watching his awful crash, Lee turned to me and said, "See hon? It happens to the pros too."

That didn't give us much solace, though.

Geeze I hope he's OK ... :(

Possegal

07-21-2009, 09:38 AM

I swear I got road rash just watching that crash. I want to hear some updates on him! I guess I could go search the net and see if anything is out there. Hopefully Andy will update via twitter.

Dang - Phil's twitter says "he is in hospital with head injuries, but we are hoping he is OK." I'll keep watching for updates and post what I see.

trinena

07-21-2009, 10:17 AM

I feel for Voigt. I read he briefly lost consciousness and is in the hospital. I came across these pics below but DO NOT look if you are squeamish.

http://www.daylife.com/photo/04Ec69x1ob4RP

Kalidurga

07-21-2009, 10:17 AM

Latest word from Velonews, though it's not saying much: http://tour-de-france.velonews.com/article/95591/voigt-injured-in-crash

I was listening to the coverage and have only been able to find a 10 second video over at YouTube. And, of course I have plans for after work tonight, so I can't go home and watch the Vs. extended coverage. Has anyone found any other video of the crash?

papaver

07-21-2009, 10:30 AM

http://www.sporza.be/cm/sporza/wielrennen/Tour/090721_TDF_rit16_verslag#

It's the fourth clip on your left.

Possegal

07-21-2009, 10:41 AM

Nothing really new about Jens on Twitter, just lots of well wishes from rider. But this from Lance. I think it is pretty much what most had expected - that he and Johann would be forming a new team for next year. Johann already announced that he and Astana would be parting ways after this year.

Making a very cool announcement on Thursday re: a new American partner for our team in 2010 (and beyond). Stay tuned!

arielmoon

07-21-2009, 10:42 AM

OMG! What the heck happened? Did he slip on the white line?

*gah* poor Jens!

This tour certainly has been exciting. :( and :)

I do love Lance but it is hard to deny that Contador looks incredible. Kudos to Lance for staying with the best climbers in the world.

Kalidurga

07-21-2009, 10:49 AM

Here's a slo-mo version of papaver's video: http://tinypic.com/player.php?v=33n926f&s=3. It appears that he hit a bump and then slipped on the white line.

Some very graphic photos have also turned up. Don't click if you're squeamish: http://www.daylife.com/search/photos/1/grid?q=jens+voigt

Between Stuey O'Grady's crash (last year or the year before...?) and this, it's so scary to see the tough guys go down. I hope we hear some good news about Jens soon.

arielmoon

07-21-2009, 10:53 AM

ah! thanks for that link. Looks like a sort of speed table/bump that got him a little airborne.

Just need an update on how he is doing!

papaver

07-21-2009, 10:58 AM

Yep, Johan Bruyneel and Armstrong will form a new team. That's no surprise after what Vinokourov said. :rolleyes:

limewave

07-21-2009, 11:03 AM

I couldn't even watch the descent when Phil was going on about how dangerous it was going to be. I was too nervous. Riding in the mountains is not for the faint-of-heart. Poor Jens.

jobob

07-21-2009, 11:42 AM

Here's a brief report (http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/voigt-in-hospital-after-horrific-crash) on cyclingnews.

Gotta admit is affecting me on a number of levels ... :(

Kalidurga

07-21-2009, 11:57 AM

Gotta admit is affecting me on a number of levels ... :(

No kidding. Jens was apparently doing close to 45mph when he went down. I was out riding with divingbiker the other day and at one point we headed down a dip towards a bridge over a creek. After we climbed back up the other side, she told me we'd been doing just over 34mph on the way down. After seeing the photos of Jens' face, I dunno if I'm going to do that again any time soon.

I really, really hope he's alright.

jobob

07-21-2009, 02:33 PM

Coolness from the Team Saxo Bank (http://www.team-saxobank.com/ny_news.asp?n_id=2434) website!

Jens Voigt Is OK Under The Circumstances

[21.07 21:56] An examination at the University hospital in Grenoble this evening has initially given positive reports on Jens Voigt's health after the nasty crash during today's stage of Tour de France. He has incurred a fracture of the right cheekbone and a concussion. For now he is staying at the hospital for further observation.

Jens has sent this greeting to the team:
"I think I was very lucky not getting severely hurt from today's crash. Now I hope that you can focus on the race and I wish you all good luck with the hard stage tomorrow”.

The whole team in France and the whole staff at Riis-Cycling wish Jens Voigt a speedy recovery and hope to see him and his strong and joyful spirit back on the team soon.

Could have been much worse. Best wishes to Jens. :cool:

jobob

07-21-2009, 02:43 PM

After we climbed back up the other side, she told me we'd been doing just over 34mph on the way down. After seeing the photos of Jens' face, I dunno if I'm going to do that again any time soon.

My crash was at about 35 mph according to my Garmin. Not advised. ;)
FWIW, head & facial abrasions can bleed a lot & look very bad (been there done that ... I'm told my face was really banged up and it was initially thought I had broken my eye socket, but turns out I didn't).

So while the photos of Jen's crash certainly look horrific, there's a good chance it'll turn out to be not to be as bad as it looks. Still, a broken cheekbone, gah. :(

Pedal Wench

07-21-2009, 03:08 PM

Wow -- it looked absolutely horrific, and I can't bring myself to look at any other views of it besides what we saw live this morning. I can't believe he's not more severely injured. I'm a cautious descender under the best of circumstances, and I don't need any more images flashing in my head.

melissam

07-21-2009, 03:16 PM

Here's a brief report (http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/voigt-in-hospital-after-horrific-crash) on cyclingnews.

Gotta admit is affecting me on a number of levels ... :(

Sorry to hear that, Jo. Hang in there, and remember that you got your first descending test under your belt on Sunday and passed with flying colors!!! :)

My crash was at about 35 mph according to my Garmin. Not advised. ;)
FWIW, head & facial abrasions can bleed a lot & look very bad (been there done that ... I'm told my face was really banged up and it was initially thought I had broken my eye socket, but turns out I didn't).

Yes, here's confirmation from an eyewitness that your face *was* really banged up.

Those pics of Jens lying on the side of the road brought back a few horrific memories for me as well. I'm reminding myself that it all worked out in your case, and I'm glad that it looks like Jens is going to be fine too.

Adventure Girl

07-21-2009, 03:25 PM

http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k186/jobob22/ToC_Solvang_23Feb2007/Jens.jpg
Pulled up an old photo from the archives!
Jobob, Jensbob and Leebob

trinena

07-21-2009, 05:57 PM

here's a great article about Jens

http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/tdf2009/columns/story?id=4344207

jobob

07-21-2009, 06:02 PM

Wow, thanks so much trinena, excellent find! :cool:

And thanks for the pic, AG. It dates back to my Jens stalking days. :D

And Mel, yep, I totally agree.

Trekhawk

07-21-2009, 07:37 PM

I have been sitting up nights here to watch the tour live and when I saw Jens crash I felt sick. He hit so hard I was sure he would be in serious trouble. Thanks for posting all the links everyone. Great to hear it is less serious than I imagined it would be.
He is such a card and will be greatly missed at the tour.

Zen

07-21-2009, 08:56 PM

When I saw him crash and skid I was sure he hurt his hip. Cheekbones heal much better than hips (and you don't have to walk on them).
Still...

Kalidurga

07-22-2009, 04:12 AM

Pulled up an old photo from the archives!
Jobob, Jensbob and Leebob

Just think, Jobob, you and Jens can trade crash stories the next time you meet!

It's amazing that he didn't break anything else. The live feed I was following immediately assumed that he would end up with a broken collarbone. He must've landed just the right way. What a pro.

Duck on Wheels

07-22-2009, 05:24 AM

OMG_d! "The Ox from Grimstad" broke out alone on a class 1 climb ... and kept that lead over the top! The Brit commentators on ... some web site that has live feed ... are talking about him taking his green jersey to the laundry, getting rid of the "spot" Cavendish hexed on it for taking it back through a protest a couple days ago.

papaver

07-22-2009, 06:42 AM

Viking Thor is still going strong!

Duck on Wheels

07-22-2009, 06:58 AM

Yeah, but now he's past the second sprint point he seems to be laying back for a rest. With a big grin!

Trigress

07-22-2009, 07:10 AM

Blimey that was fun! I couldn't believe my eyes when I switched on the telly to see Thor on his own!

And Thor's fighting to help Sastre right now! Good heavens!

arielmoon

07-22-2009, 08:47 AM

Today's stage really had me on the edge of my seat while reading the ticker! I cant wait to watch it when I get home!

firenze11

07-22-2009, 09:04 AM

Today's stage really had me on the edge of my seat while reading the ticker! I cant wait to watch it when I get home!

Gosh, I'm so glad I watched today. I was on the edge of my seat, too. I'm not sure I fully understand Contador's move.

Via Lance's twitter:
"Getting lots of question why AC attacked and dropped Kloden. I still haven't figured it out either. Oh well."

The Schlecks looked so happy. What a great stage. I'm not sure I ever believed I'd be getting into watching cycling on tv, but I'm loving this. I got so into it I forgot I had tea and was still in my PJs when it ended. :)

Zen

07-22-2009, 09:17 AM

Wasn't AC riding for time points?
That Andy Schleck http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-love017.gif (http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php),if only I was 19 years old...

arielmoon

07-22-2009, 09:29 AM

AC is quite the loose cannon isnt he?

Those Schleck brothers are fabulous! I am so happy for them!

Possegal

07-22-2009, 09:35 AM

There are no time points in this years TdF, so no, he wasn't riding for time points.

Zen

07-22-2009, 10:59 AM

BikeDutchess

07-22-2009, 11:04 AM

More twitter talk:

A fan to Lance
"I see you are upset because of the attack of AC. But I don't think you waited for Heras or Landis back in the days..."

Lance's response:
"No but I always followed team orders. Always."

Sounds like AC is not the best team player - seems this is the second time that he attacked when it was not the team's planned strategy. Indeed a good thing they're parting ways after this year.

papaver

07-22-2009, 11:05 AM

i hate to say this but if this weren't a team effort Lance might give AC a run for his money.
I think Lance and JB are fomenting their "cool " plan for next year, banking on that and letting AC have this one.

I think you are giving lance too much credit here. If he could have followed AC he would have. No question about that. Long steady climbs he can handle, but short explosive demarages are too much for him. But still an amazing performance by Lance.

arielmoon

07-22-2009, 11:45 AM

I have to agree even though I got such a twinge of hope when Lance caught back up yesterday.

papaver

07-22-2009, 12:14 PM

I think lance can win on the mont ventoux though. It's only one climb and a very steady one.

Trigress

07-22-2009, 12:18 PM

I think Contador was trying to grind the Schleck brothers to bits, and Klöden's breakdown was just an unfortunate side effect.

Contador is the Astana captain, he is free to do whatever he can and must in order to secure his yellow jersey. Much as I dislike Astana, I understand Contador perfectly well, it is he who has got a loose Armstrong on his deck. Kudos to Contador for riding offensively, the same to Carlos Sastre for trying and to the Schlecks who sadly weren't strong enough to lose Contador - the tour needs aggressive and offensive riders like this.

Kalidurga

07-22-2009, 01:51 PM

Latest news on Jens is that he may require surgery to repair his cheekbone: http://www.velonews.com/article/95678/voigt-may-require-surgery-on-cheek-bone

And I got a chuckle out of Schmalz's take on the whole Contador/Schleck/Kloden situation today: http://nyvelocity.com/content/features/2009/tour-day-schmalz-stage-17

tulip

07-22-2009, 02:10 PM

I wonder what Contador's tweets say...

I was out surfing this morning, so I missed the whole thing. But I'll catch the recap tonight. Sounds like it was an interesting day.

channlluv

07-22-2009, 05:00 PM

Wasn't AC riding for time points?
That Andy Schleck http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-love017.gif (http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php),if only I was 19 years old...

I was just thinking the exact same thing about Andy. Sigh.

Zen

07-22-2009, 05:16 PM

Lance might give AC a run for his money.

I mean as in the overall race, the old man has lost his edge, but just by a sliver.

One of Contador's tweets said "And now the matador shall dance with the blind shoemaker!"

jobob

07-22-2009, 05:32 PM

Thank you so much for the link to Schmalz!

I was chanting THOR WILL SMASH while watching today's stage. :D

Skierchickie

07-22-2009, 06:35 PM

One of Contador's tweets said "And now the matador shall dance with the blind shoemaker!"

What in the world does that mean? :confused::confused::confused: Clearly, he's the matador, but after that I can't wrap my poor little brain around it.

PinkBike

07-22-2009, 08:01 PM

I think Contador was trying to grind the Schleck brothers to bits,
and Klöden's breakdown was just an unfortunate side effect.

tigress
+1
i think you nailed it. thats the way i saw it.
i think he was surprised klodi couldnt follow,
he kept looking back to find him.
i was thinking schleck1 would attack
with 'berto isolated out there.
that's the way they gave sastre the tour last year,
attack then counterattack.

Zen

07-22-2009, 08:27 PM

Clearly, he's the matador, but after that I can't wrap my poor little brain around it.

Oh, don't fret. It's a reference to a movie about another type of race (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NuR1u0pjR3s)

kenyonchris

07-22-2009, 08:43 PM

Just watched the recap. My silly SO was feeling puckish, unlike me, he is qualified to comment on tactics and such since he was a professional for some time. He is very disdainful of Contador's decisions and tactics. He sure has the legs and youth to beat them all, but Lance may make some smarter decisions. And, in the future, Contador may have problems finding teammates.

+1 on Andy Schleck being the cutest thing ever. Too bad I have too many years on him.

Trigress

07-23-2009, 12:02 AM

It might just be my being exceedingly slow, it's morning after all, but why did that Schmalz guy write SMASH behind Thor's name?? Is it an in-joke or what? :confused:

Duck on Wheels

07-23-2009, 12:47 AM

It might just be my being exceedingly slow, it's morning after all, but why did that Schmalz guy write SMASH behind Thor's name?? Is it an in-joke or what? :confused:

I think that may be a reference to Thor the god of thunder (and rain, as we saw yesterday -- Thor <3s wet asphalt!).

Trigress

07-23-2009, 01:15 AM

Oh, ok, I've always thought "CRACK" would be more like the sound of thunder, but ok, I get it.

Kalidurga

07-23-2009, 04:16 AM

Duck on Wheels

07-23-2009, 04:48 AM

Schmalz (phhhhhtttttt!) seems to have a little "theme sound" for everybody -- a drum roll, a cymbal crash, a doo-wop refrain. I gave him "phhhhhtttttt!" because schmalz is another word for the raspberry sound, and also because the cuteness of the little theme sounds wears off pretty fast, for me at any rate.

As for Lance's vs Contador's tactical choices yesterday, I think L played his team role pretty much to perfection. His job was to keep an eye on Wiggins's every move and counter it. When he saw that Wiggins had too little fuel left for a last-minute raid, he was able to make a dash for it himself, both for his own sake and to help Klöden catch up again. Contador ... well ... if his move had worked, if the Schleck brothers had caved rather than Klöden, he'd have been a team hero. Maybe he thought that was what would happen, maybe not. After all, whadda I know? I've never even paid attention to the TdF before yesterday. That was the first day all the tactical stuff made any sense to me, which did make it a lot more fun to watch.

pll

07-23-2009, 05:41 AM

Chiming in after a long time. I agree with Tigress. Contador had to secure the yellow jersey. Both Wiggins and Armstrong were a threat to him. Lance was happy to follow team orders as long is it was absolutely clear he was the undisputed team leader and that his jersey would have been defended. Contador could not count on that and needed to hedge against Armstrong in the time trial.

I think Contador was trying to grind the Schleck brothers to bits, and Klöden's breakdown was just an unfortunate side effect.

Contador is the Astana captain, he is free to do whatever he can and must in order to secure his yellow jersey. Much as I dislike Astana, I understand Contador perfectly well, it is he who has got a loose Armstrong on his deck. Kudos to Contador for riding offensively, the same to Carlos Sastre for trying and to the Schlecks who sadly weren't strong enough to lose Contador - the tour needs aggressive and offensive riders like this.

Aggie_Ama

07-23-2009, 06:00 AM

My thoughts are Contador is an amazing rider who hasn't learned the team aspect yet. He is young, he is strong, why need anyone else? Of course I am not a Lance fan either make no excuses he can be just as selfish, it reminds me of the T-Mobile year with Kloden, Vinokoruv and Ullrich - too many chiefs on the road.

I love the Schleck boys because their team is a team. When Andy said they rode strong because it was so awful to have Jens crash out I wanted to give him a big hug! I am young enough for him but my husband is cuter. :p

Thor was amazing, I was impressed that he was going to show the jersey honor after Cavendish's whining in the paper. Not sure Cav's comments hold any weight after that performance.

chutch

07-23-2009, 06:36 AM

Lance should be quiet. Contador was Astana's team leader then all of a sudden Lance decides he wants to race his bike again and comes back... how could there not be tension there? And, if I'm Contador, I'd be looking out for myself before the team because of how all that went down. I've been a Lance fan for a long time, but this year he seems to have a chip on his shoulder and I don't like it.

Regarding the finish yesterday... I was so frustrated! I don't think it was a victory for the Schlecks at all. How can it be when no one is racing to the line? I think there should have been a sprint, let the best man win the stage. I was mad at all three of them for not racing. It's a bike RACE- go for the overall and the stage win!

arielmoon

07-23-2009, 06:56 AM

You'd have to follow Schmalz for a while to get all of his in-jokes but, yes, Thor SMASH is a reference to not only the Norse god of thunder but also the comic book character.

And yet another blog that I think nails the Contador situation right on the head: http://unholyrouleur-jim.blogspot.com/2009/07/tour-notes-ii.html. Lance was certainly more than a bit cocky in his early days and still makes questionable decisions in his non-cycling life, but I really don't think Contador has anywhere near Lance's smarts on the bike.

Yup, nail on head.

Bruyneel, who is trying to stay cool about Contador's move, is obviously upset that Contador has probably destroyed Astana's (formerly very good) chances for an all-Astana podium in Paris. Because Contador is almost certainly going to win anyhow, and because going away and dragging the Schlecks with him didn't help Contador in the G.C. standings, his move was either stupid or malicious. Either way it shows he isn't a team player, and could not care less about how the team fares.

Kalidurga

07-23-2009, 06:59 AM

chutch: You take this very seriously, don't you?

Duck on Wheels: Now, how could the cuteness of Pelli Bawm Chicka Bawm Bawm possibly wear off?? ;)

In other news, VeloNews live coverage just mentioned that GH crashed yesterday and has a sore collarbone. Apparently he hasn't gone to the dr because "if it's broken, he doesn't want to know."

pll

07-23-2009, 07:12 AM

Stupid? I don't think so. Contador would have been stupid indeed if he believed that Armstrong would not try to defeat him in the time trial. And then Contador would been accused of not having the guts to win, lacking panache, etc. On the contrary, I think it was a smart move on his side, within a team that includes a self centered, righteous, shark (aka Armstrong). Why should anyone ask him to be less self centered than Armstrong? He put distance in the GC relative Armstrong and Wiggins, his main threats in the time trial. Did Armstrong pull Kloeden with him at the end of stage 17? No, he went right past him, not even a pat on the shoulder. Suggesting that Armstrong is playing self-less team mate, that is malicious.

Yup, nail on head.

Bruyneel, who is trying to stay cool about Contador's move, is obviously upset that Contador has probably destroyed Astana's (formerly very good) chances for an all-Astana podium in Paris. Because Contador is almost certainly going to win anyhow, and because going away and dragging the Schlecks with him didn't help Contador in the G.C. standings, his move was either stupid or malicious. Either way it shows he isn't a team player, and could not care less about how the team fares.

Zen

07-23-2009, 07:13 AM

Yup, nail on head.

Either way it shows he isn't a team player, and could not care less about how the team fares.

What team? Why should he care? This is a (barely)team for one race only. Lance (aka Mr. Burns) and Bruyneel (aka Smithers) are already talking about next year. It's every man for himself at this point.

... if his move had worked, if the Schleck brothers had caved rather than Klöden, he'd have been a team hero.

Kalidurga

07-23-2009, 07:20 AM

It's every man for himself at this point.

Which makes for very entertaining drama. Regardless of what anyone thinks of any of the racers individual personalities, it's hard to deny that this has been one of the more interesting elements of this year's Tour.

papaver

07-23-2009, 07:33 AM

Cataboo

07-23-2009, 07:43 AM

What team? Why should he care? This is a (barely)team for one race only. Lance (aka Mr. Burns) and Bruyneel (aka Smithers) are already talking about next year. It's every man for himself at this point.

Not that I've been following this all along, but based on the hour or so that I saw last night...

Contador was sort of a moron for sprinting off, pulling the Shleks and dropping his own teammate... which would have given him someone to work with, hence why he kept looking over his shoulder for about 10 mins.

Lance might still be trying to win, but he was making sure not to pull the Garmin team members (nebayu and wiggins?) up closer to the Shleks or Contador - which is still team behavior...

Lance definitely seems to have the strategy part of the ride down and probably a better judge of what his teammates are capable of... Contador seems rash... but it's more interesting watching, I think and more like a "race"

papaver

07-23-2009, 08:30 AM

Contador was never supported by his team, so why should he bother? Really?

Lance's TT was not so good. Cancellara... oh boy. Looks like Contador will win this stage too. ;)

tulip

07-23-2009, 08:32 AM

Lance should be quiet. Contador was Astana's team leader then all of a sudden Lance decides he wants to race his bike again and comes back... how could there not be tension there?

++1

Zen

07-23-2009, 08:37 AM

WOW.
That was...wow

papaver

07-23-2009, 08:37 AM

What a performance by Contador!!!! And Andy Schleck did a good job!

Triskeliongirl

07-23-2009, 08:55 AM

GO TEAM RADIO SHACK!!

http://www.teamradioshack.com/getready/
http://www.cyclingfans.com/node/433
http://www.velonews.com/article/95712/lance-armstrong-to-race-for-team-radioshack-in-2010

jobob

07-23-2009, 09:30 AM

Contador knows all too well that Bruyneel wants Lance to win. He was singled out from the start. So why should he care? He only has to think about himself. And you could clearly see that Contador signaled Klöden that he was ready to attack and Klöden knotted yes. So what's the problem?

Bingo. :cool:

The uproar over this has been really entertaining.

And we know damn well that if it were Lance up there with Klöden, and if Lance wanted to "take charge" and "show his superiority", he would have done the same thing, and it would have become another chapter of The Legend That Is LanceTM - remember The Look? If Klöden couldn't have followed, well too bad, Klöden was just a helper, after all.

Well, Klöden would have been just a helper were it Lance, but since it was Contador, and Johan had visions of an All Astana Podium (read: including Lance, of course :rolleyes: ), then Contador's attach was suddenly "foolish" since the Schlecks were able to follow and Klöden couldn't. And Klöden suddenly became a "protected" rider. Right.

Such a hoot. :D

jobob

07-23-2009, 09:39 AM

And did anyone else notice on the Versus coverage this morning that Phil and Paul would read off the placement of each of the major contenders as they went through a checkpoint ... er, except for Lance? :rolleyes:

I suppose their producers warned them not to say anything that would make Lance look less than, well, awesome. Lance was in 12th place through that first checkpoint, although Phil and Paul made no mention of that little factoid. They also didn't mention at the finish that he was currently in 14th. Wow wasn't this where Lance was supposed to dominate? Obviously the announcers were under orders to not stray from the talking point.

Of course when Frank Schleck passed through that checkpoint a few minutes later, we were even given a countdown of his placement ...

Ah, gotta love Versus. :cool:

Zen

07-23-2009, 09:47 AM

True to all that but with TV coverage of cycling I'll take what I can get.
While waiting for TT to start this morning they were showing hillbillies shooting bow and arrow at frisbees :rolleyes:

jobob

07-23-2009, 09:50 AM

they were showing hillbillies shooting bow and arrow at frisbees :rolleyes:

Heh, Versus knows it's audience ... frisbees & bullriding. :)

jobob

07-23-2009, 09:58 AM

But enough of my daily (some may rightly say hourly) Versus kvetch.

Some excellent Jens news (http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/voigt-plans-to-ride-tour-again-in-2010)

Riis wants to keep German with team

Jens Voigt (Saxo Bank) is already planning to ride the 2010 Tour de France. “This would be a bad way to stop,” he said from his hospital bed in Grenoble. The German suffered a fractured right cheekbone and a severe concussion in a crash in the 16th stage of the Tour on Tuesday.

He told the German news agency dpa that he felt quite good and hopes to fly home to Berlin on Friday. Voight said he will remain in hospital until then, “because they want to scan my head again. There was a small blood clot as a result of the concussion.”

heh heh, this sounds familiar... :o

The 37-year-old doesn't have any recollection of the crash itself. “I was thinking on the descent that it was going very well for me, that I could still work a bit for the Schleck brothers – and then I woke up on the stretcher in the ambulance.”

arielmoon

07-23-2009, 10:42 AM

SadieKate

07-23-2009, 10:42 AM

Regarding the finish yesterday... I was so frustrated! I don't think it was a victory for the Schlecks at all. How can it be when no one is racing to the line? I think there should have been a sprint, let the best man win the stage. I was mad at all three of them for not racing. It's a bike RACE- go for the overall and the stage win!Wow, didn't you see the 2 Schlecks forced into riding a 2-up TTT all the way to down the finish to put time into Wiggins, et al? They were hauling a$$. Contador had no reason to take any pulls because he doesn't need any time on them; he already has the overall. Contador basically said "if you want the overall, work for it." They were racing.

Kalidurga

07-23-2009, 10:44 AM

Very good news about Jens!

As bad as I know TdF withdrawal is each year, I have to admit that I'm kind of glad it's almost over so that I can go back to getting some work done in the mornings... :rolleyes:

SadieKate

07-23-2009, 10:46 AM

And did anyone else notice on the Versus coverage this morning that Phil and Paul would read off the placement of each of the major contenders as they went through a checkpoint ... er, except for Lance? :rolleyes:Doesn't Versus have to take the video feed as it comes? I know they have in other races. I know I whizzed through the recording, but don't recall that a video was available for all the time checks.

tulip

07-23-2009, 10:47 AM

This is the first TDF in a very long time that has not been marred by performance-enhancing drugs. Let's hope it stays that way.

(taking bets on when it starts...)

papaver

07-23-2009, 10:59 AM

This is the first TDF in a very long time that has not been marred by performance-enhancing drugs. Let's hope it stays that way.

(taking bets on when it starts...)

Nope, I've noticed too. Now does this mean that they are really riding clean, or are there new products that can't be traced yet? :confused:

I know it's evil to think this way, but you know...

SadieKate

07-23-2009, 11:02 AM

I think Amaury Sports provides all the on-road race video feed. Versus' cameras are only for the commentators, interviews, etc. The course is already overrun with an insane number of cars and motos.

http://www.letour.fr/2009/TDF/COURSE/us/infos_tv_radios.html

SadieKate

07-23-2009, 11:04 AM

Nope, I've noticed too. Now does this mean that they are really riding clean, or are there new products that can't be traced yet? :confused:

I know it's evil to think this way, but you know...I'm wondering if the riders are finally getting through their pea brains that even if there are no tests today for a drug, there will be tomorrow. Look at the post-competition test results for CERA in many sports over the last year. Rather spectacular.

chutch

07-23-2009, 11:19 AM

Wow, didn't you see the 2 Schlecks forced into riding a 2-up TTT all the way to down the finish to put time into Wiggins, et al? They were hauling a$$. Contador had no reason to take any pulls because he doesn't need any time on them; he already has the overall. Contador basically said "if you want the overall, work for it." They were racing.

Yes, I see what you're saying in regards to the overall. But, I wanted a sprint finish for the stage victory. I didn't like it that no one was really racing for the stage finish. If you get to the finish and there's more than one person.... race!

Kalidurga

07-23-2009, 11:24 AM

Danilo DiLuca was just snagged for allegedly (B sample hasn't come back yet) using CERA in the Giro (http://www.velonews.com/article/95740/disdain-for-di-luca-at-tour), so don't hold your breath yet on a dope-free TdF. Either some results take a while to obtain, or L'Equipe hasn't had their snoops in the lab.

Trigress

07-23-2009, 11:01 PM

Yes, I see what you're saying in regards to the overall. But, I wanted a sprint finish for the stage victory. I didn't like it that no one was really racing for the stage finish. If you get to the finish and there's more than one person.... race!

Well, that's not the way cycling is, it's quite common to divide work and victory between the riders - and this time they rewarded Fränk Schleck with the stage victory as a way of showing gratitude for his having hauled them up that mountain. It's a fair deal, isn't it?

Kalidurga

07-24-2009, 04:04 AM

Aaawwww... Great profile of Jens from espn.com: http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/tdf2009/columns/story?id=4344207

Aggie_Ama

07-24-2009, 05:03 AM

This is the first TDF in a very long time that has not been marred by performance-enhancing drugs. Let's hope it stays that way.

(taking bets on when it starts...)

The Alps were the back this year, I unfortunately think they will come but not in the middle of the race like last year.

chutch

07-24-2009, 05:37 AM

Well, that's not the way cycling is, it's quite common to divide work and victory between the riders - and this time they rewarded Fränk Schleck with the stage victory as a way of showing gratitude for his having hauled them up that mountain. It's a fair deal, isn't it?

Oh yeah, I totally understand WHY they did it and how it works in the grand scheme of things. I just don't like it. My personal opinion (and as a spectator who has no vested interest other than being entertained) is that once you get to the finish, you race to the line...no gifts. But, I fully understand that's just not how it works anymore.

Trigress

07-24-2009, 06:16 AM

I agree with you generally, I'm all for combative racing, but when it comes to rewarding the workers by giving them the victory I quite like it, there's something so gentlemanly about it, so wonderfully fair! :rolleyes:

arielmoon

07-24-2009, 08:27 AM

Oh yeah, I totally understand WHY they did it and how it works in the grand scheme of things. I just don't like it. My personal opinion (and as a spectator who has no vested interest other than being entertained) is that once you get to the finish, you race to the line...no gifts. But, I fully understand that's just not how it works anymore.

Well apparently in cycling there is a kind of gifting or else Hincape and Colombia would not have been so upset that he was denied the yellow jersey. Maybe like the rule where no one attacks while there is a nature break happening.

*shrugs*

papaver

07-24-2009, 08:38 AM

Very exciting final today. A surprising win too. ;)

Kalidurga

07-24-2009, 10:30 AM

Hmmmm... Here's hoping this is only a rumor: http://www.velonews.com/article/95824

tulip

07-24-2009, 11:47 AM

Hmmmm... Here's hoping this is only a rumor: http://www.velonews.com/article/95824

Why do you hope it's only a rumor? Sounds very reasonable.

Kalidurga

07-24-2009, 12:26 PM

Purely because of my own personal bias against Contador which, like pretty much any other opinion here, is based only on what I've read in the press and seen in race coverage. The guy's shown he's a powerful rider, but I have trouble imagining him as a good fit for that team. "Otre preguntas" is not standard Garmin operating procedure.

But who knows? Either it is only a rumor or, if it's fact, we'll just have to wait and see what happens.