Tour de France 2005

[KkAllez]

Ok, here is a change in conversation but what about Vino today? Did it just not completely piss you off that he came from behind, broke out in the front, only to have Kloden and Ullrich chase him down? Vino says the only other team he'd ride for is Discovery and I'm saying, "leave the dark side Vino!" I hope that he joins Discovery this winter. He would be a wonderful asset on the team. T-Mobile has too many chiefs and not enough indians.

[cruziegirl]

Every year T-Mobile comes to the Tour saying the same thing - we will attack Armstrong and support whichever of us it the strongest. And every year they do the same thing. Jan rides monster gears churning along like a diesel while Lance sprints up the mountains. Vino goes spurting off the front and will win a stage but then pays for it for the next several stages. Kloden had the potential last year but nobody on the team really supported him. Do they support each other? Nope. Do they ever change their tactics? Nope. Doing the same thing but expecting different results - isn't that one of the definitions of insanity?

BUT, this is one very interesting Tour and that's exactly what I was hoping for. Go Lance!

[emily_in_nc]

Ok, here is a change in conversation but what about Vino today? Did it just not completely piss you off that he came from behind, broke out in the front, only to have Kloden and Ullrich chase him down? Vino says the only other team he'd ride for is Discovery and I'm saying, "leave the dark side Vino!" I hope that he joins Discovery this winter. He would be a wonderful asset on the team. T-Mobile has too many chiefs and not enough indians.

I made the exact comment (chiefs/Indians) to a friend today about the pink team! I would love to see Vino come to Discovery. I've liked him since 2003 when he was wearing the pink and some kind of beaded necklace, and looked downright feminine! I thought that he had to be awfully secure not to care, and I admired that... silly, I know!

Emily

[drplasma64]

This is the first year I've been following the TdF. I've looked at the website and they have these topo diagrams of each stage but no key to explain what the little numbers in green or red mean. I figured out the one that looks like a fork and spoon <grin>. But I have no idea what the numbers or HC might mean. I'm guessing it's some kind of categorization of the terrain, but I can't tell what exactly.

Any explanation or link to one would be appreciated.

[RoadRaven]

Doing the same thing but expecting different results - isn't that one of the definitions of insanity?

Perhaps not insanity... but def stupidity

Just finished watching the tape with Stage 14 ... wow, Ulrich really showed he is still a contender... but yay, Lance is still showing he has this endurance... when everyone else seems to drop, he finds a little bit more.

But so pleased Totschnig one... wow... I almost cried with him, he was so emotional... he really deserved that win

[jobob]

Michael Rasmussen is the only person in the world who can wear red & white polka dot shorts and still look skinny.

[skibum]

But I have no idea what the numbers or HC might mean. I'm guessing it's some kind of categorization of the terrain, but I can't tell what exactly.

Any explanation or link to one would be appreciated.

The numbers and the term HC are the classification of the climbs. I got this explanation from another web site. The categories are assigned subjectively based on:

length of the climb
altitude difference from bottom to top
average (and steepest) grade
summit elevation
climb's position on the stage (early or late)
width and conditions of the road

After considering all these factors, the Tour's director sportif makes his recommendations after driving over the stage routes a couple of months before the race. Also, the Tour is supposed to be TOUGH, so what might be a Cat 2 climb in The Tour might be a Cat 1 in another race. The categories are supposed to be the riders' perceived difficulty on the climb, so the numbers given below are only a guideline.

Typically for the Tour, Category 4 is an easy, short climb.
Category 3 is the easiest "real" climb - ie, 5km at a 5% grade.
Category 2 is about as tough as you could ever see here in the states. (Something like 5km at a grade of 8-8.5%)
Category 1 typically a long climb (15 - 20+ km) at a not too steep grade - 5-6%.
Hors Category (HC) is long and steep. The altitude difference is at least 1000km and an average grade of 7% or more.

[Adventure Girl]

Stage 15!!!!

I am a VERY happy Adventure Girl!!

[snapdragen]

George!

Quick, someone tie a string aroung AG's ankle before she floats to the moon.

[spazzdog]

Was that a beautiful thing or what! Good for George!

And I REALLY loved it that young Rasmssen nipped Ullrich in the chamois... Ullrich; forever the bridesmaid... actually he's approaching becoming a guest at the wedding (chug-chug-chug). The man needs to learn to spin.

[jobob]

George sucked the wheels of the breakaway the ENTIRE time, he never once contributed.

He absolutely did not deserve that win at all, IMHO.

You know darn well if the situation were reversed and the winner took advantage of George, instead of the other way around, there would be much wailing and gnashing of teeth and rending of garments and cries of "foul" on OLN and Al Trautwig would have had the bombast level turned up to levels heretofor unimagined. Oh, but that's different. Nevermind.

Just another viewpoint. Obviously won't be a popular one.

- Jo.

[Adventure Girl]

George sucked the wheels of the breakaway the ENTIRE time, he never once contributed.

Oooh.... I didn't even think of that. The only thing in my mind was that he would be so strong in the end (having sucked the whole way). And with his sprinting strength and freshness, he had a good chance at the stage. I guess he doesn't really deserve the win if looking at today only. But I was considering his overall contribution and self-sacrifice over the years.

[snapdragen]

I think the original plan was for him to hang with the breakaway, and be there for LA when he caught up. When it was realized LA wasn't going to catch up, well...you know the rest of the story.

Yay George!

[jobob]

If he had contributed even a bit I wouldn't feel this way.

But the only time George was out front making any sort of effort was the last couple of hundred meters. It looked like he didn't even deign take a pull or two when he and Pereiro broke away (or should I say, when Pereiro broke away and George found a new wheel to latch onto), you could see Pereiro kept glancing over as if to say "uh, hello?" but George just sat back so of course George was fresh as a daisy at the finish.

Yeah, it's sport, but I somehow thought George was better than that.

[drplasma64]

Typically for the Tour, Category 4 is an easy, short climb.
Category 3 is the easiest "real" climb - ie, 5km at a 5% grade.
Category 2 is about as tough as you could ever see here in the states. (Something like 5km at a grade of 8-8.5%)
Category 1 typically a long climb (15 - 20+ km) at a not too steep grade - 5-6%.
Hors Category (HC) is long and steep. The altitude difference is at least 1000km and an average grade of 7% or more.

That's exactly the kind of stuff I was looking for!

I must say that that race is really quite addicting...I started watching one morning, and now I have to watch every morning. Even my hubby is watching!