TDF: a shiny new thread for 2012

[Veronica]

Oh and I predict no more Radioshack-Nissan next year. What a disaster that merger has become! It's a shame - they have some really good riders.

Veronica

[jobob]

Oh and I predict no more Radioshack-Nissan next year. What a disaster that merger has become! It's a shame - they have some really good riders.

Rumors are already flying as to which teams are courting the Schlecks, Cancellara etc.

[pll]

So, I thought it was peculiar that Spanish riders get upset that someone catches their break away group. Today Valverde gesticulated at Nibali, as the latter joined the lead group after a descent. Nibali must not have been feeling good because he eventually shook hands with Valverde and sat up to wait for the peloton.

In stage 13, Luis León Sánchez was also upset when he was caught and passed by Wiggins leading Boasson Hagen. Since when is the peloton not supposed to catch a break away? Is that really how they want to win a stage?

[Veronica]

Nibali joined the breakaway group very early today. Since he was a GC contender Sky would have been forced to chase down the breakaway and Valverde would not have gotten the win. I think Nibali hadn't really planned to get away, but did because of the fog.


The only chance for some riders to win the stage is in the breakaway, so yeah, they are not happy when they get caught.

Veronica

[pll]

I get being upset. What I do not get is gesticulating and protesting (as Sánchez and Valverde did). It's the first race in which I see that.

[malkin]

I get being upset. What I do not get is gesticulating and protesting (as Sánchez and Valverde did). It's the first race in which I see that.

I think they were emphatic, anyway it worked. I mean they got their point across.

[malkin]

Oh and I predict no more Radioshack-Nissan next year. What a disaster that merger has become! It's a shame - they have some really good riders.

RNT is a train wreck.

Curiouser and curiouser:
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/schl...or-coming-year

[pll]

RNT is a train wreck.

Curiouser and curiouser:
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/schl...or-coming-year

Bizarre.

[jobob]

Way to go, spectator. Take your lovely, very large dog to watch the tour go by and let the dog slip it's leash and take out a bunch of riders. Dumbass.

[pll]

Way to go, spectator. Take your lovely, very large dog to watch the tour go by and let the dog slip it's leash and take out a bunch of riders. Dumbass.

Yikes. Saw that. And also saw the very angry Philippe Gilbert, who shared his thoughts with the owners of the dog (picture here). Really negligent of them not to keep the dog on a leash as the race approached.

[Cynedra]

Way to go, spectator. Take your lovely, very large dog to watch the tour go by and let the dog slip it's leash and take out a bunch of riders. Dumbass.

That dog looked big enough to be a bear. And awesome ending.

[ny biker]

From David Millar on twitter:

"Challenged roomie @dzabriskie to a race-off in the TT tomorrow. Loser has to publicly proclaim inferiority to other in said discipline."

So, that's one more competition to watch...

[malkin]

Love the donkeys in jerseys!

http://www.google.com/imgres?hl=en&s...9,r:0,s:0,i:77

[emily_in_nc]

Way to go, spectator. Take your lovely, very large dog to watch the tour go by and let the dog slip it's leash and take out a bunch of riders. Dumbass.

When did this happen? Either they didn't show it on the nighttime replay, or it had already happened when we turned on (we missed some of it). I kept waiting for a dog to run out onto the course but never saw one.

[ny biker]

When did this happen? Either they didn't show it on the nighttime replay, or it had already happened when we turned on (we missed some of it). I kept waiting for a dog to run out onto the course but never saw one.

It was early in the race. They showed it during the live coverage but I think it was a helicopter shot -- not clear.