TDF: a shiny new thread for 2012

[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.

[jobob]

The aftermath was very briefly shown early on in the nighttime broadcast as well. The actual close encounter with canine was never shown in the US broadcasts.

It may impact Phillipe Gilbert's Olympic hopes

[malkin]

We saw riders on the ground, One ticked off rider going to yell at the dog owner, who had placed a child in front of himself and the dog. The dog was like a big black Newfoundland or something, as big as a bear.

[malkin]

http://www.sbs.com.au/cyclingcentral...ses-tour-spill

Scroll down to a still pic of angry Gilbert restrained by his manager.

[ny biker]

Okay I will say it, I think this tour has been boring.

Usually I have little interest in the sprinters' stages in the first week, but this year that turned out to be the most interesting part, with Sagan and Greipel lighting things up.

Since then, having the #2 guy on the same team as the guy in yellow has taken the excitement out of the mountain stages. Liquigas tried to attack, but when you know the guy in second has no intention of riding as fast as he can, it's just dull. It would have been way better if Froome was on another team.

[aka_kim]

I thoroughly enjoyed this year's tour. The scenery; the daily stage battles; the bright young stars like Sagan, Van Garderen and Pinot; Voeckler in polka dots; Bradley Wiggins proving to be a very worthy winner; Jens Voigt's attacks, David Millar's stage win; Fabian in yellow; ... and on and on. Everything!

[jobob]

I thoroughly enjoyed this year's tour. The scenery; the daily stage battles; the bright young stars like Sagan, Van Garderen and Pinot; Voeckler in polka dots; Bradley Wiggins proving to be a very worthy winner; Jens Voigt's attacks, David Millar's stage win; Fabian in yellow; ... and on and on. Everything!

I'm with Kim.

[emily_in_nc]

Okay I will say it, I think this tour has been boring.

Usually I have little interest in the sprinters' stages in the first week, but this year that turned out to be the most interesting part, with Sagan and Greipel lighting things up.

Since then, having the #2 guy on the same team as the guy in yellow has taken the excitement out of the mountain stages. Liquigas tried to attack, but when you know the guy in second has no intention of riding as fast as he can, it's just dull. It would have been way better if Froome was on another team.

I have to say that I totally agree with you. The early stages were by far the most exciting this year, which is unusual. The mountains were a bore, except for the scenery, which was gorgeous.

I was happy for Voeckler, but I really didn't have anyone to strongly root for or against this year, which also took some of the fun out of it. There were a lot of riders I didn't know at all since I don't follow pro cycling very closely. It was a lot more interesting when the Schlecks and Contador were battling it out, and before that Lance, Ulrich, and the other "old timers". To me anyway.

[ny biker]

At least we have Jens. He was awesome again today.

[amnesiac]

Okay I will say it, I think this tour has been boring.

Usually I have little interest in the sprinters' stages in the first week, but this year that turned out to be the most interesting part, with Sagan and Greipel lighting things up.

Since then, having the #2 guy on the same team as the guy in yellow has taken the excitement out of the mountain stages. Liquigas tried to attack, but when you know the guy in second has no intention of riding as fast as he can, it's just dull. It would have been way better if Froome was on another team.

I agree. And I also find TT stages really boring.

[redrhodie]

The ironic thing is it was such a hard tour, you'd think it would have been more exciting to watch. It was just too hard. Too many great competitors out in crashes, and the rest were just spent. And, 3 time trials but no TTT. I love the TTT. I'm sure there's a reason they don't always have them, but I wish they were a requirement.

But congratulations Wiggins! He was superior.