2013 TdF talk - spoilers allowed!!!

[jobob]

That's okay, we still love him.

"We"? Um, no.

[AppleTree]

Okay, maybe just me. I do love Phil, I admit.

[Norse]

Okay, maybe just me. I do love Phil, I admit.

In our household, we heart Phil too.

Froome is starting to make this year's Tour a bit boring.... At least the scenery is gorgeous.

[ny biker]

In our household, we heart Phil too.

Froome is starting to make this year's Tour a bit boring.... At least the scenery is gorgeous.

Bike racing, particularly stage racing, is long periods of "at least the scenery is nice" punctuated with a few attacks and sprints to liven things up. Luckily we now have HDTV which gives us some really amazing footage from the helicopter.

One of my nephews wants to become a baseball play-by-play announcer. He practices at home by watching a game on TV with the sound off and recording his own commentary for the game. He was a bit surprised by how hard it is to find things to say for an entire game. And a typical baseball game is ~2 hours long, less than half the length of a stage in a bike race. I suggested that he watch some of the cycling coverage on NBCSN to see how hard it is to cover some other sports that he's not familiar with. One of the things I like about Phil and Paul is that they research the region the race goes through each day so they can talk about the history and the different buildings and landmarks that we see. Other announcers will just say something vague like "that's a nice castle."

[malkin]

Bike racing, particularly stage racing, is long periods of "at least the scenery is nice" punctuated with a few attacks and sprints to liven things up. Luckily we now have HDTV which gives us some really amazing footage from the helicopter.

One of my nephews wants to become a baseball play-by-play announcer. He practices at home by watching a game on TV with the sound off and recording his own commentary for the game. He was a bit surprised by how hard it is to find things to say for an entire game. And a typical baseball game is ~2 hours long, less than half the length of a stage in a bike race. I suggested that he watch some of the cycling coverage on NBCSN to see how hard it is to cover some other sports that he's not familiar with. One of the things I like about Phil and Paul is that they research the region the race goes through each day so they can talk about the history and the different buildings and landmarks that we see. Other announcers will just say something vague like "that's a nice castle."

It is a real skill to keep up that pitter pat of commentary hours on end for nearly a month.
I consider it a luxury to spend a day "watching" an entire long boring stage and dozing off through long stretches. I've had the experience of snoozing off rather deeply, and waking up at about the same point in the race in a later rebroadcast.

[rebeccaC]

I’d like to think Phil has to know France well enough that the literary overtones to a lot of his comments on the scenery must already be in his mind. In any case I'd love to have Phil at a dinner table.....or as an extra grandfather

Scenery and mountain stages with summit finishes ftw!


Emma Pooley, a rebirth of the Tour de France Feminin.

[ny biker]

Finally watched the end of today's stage. Wow!! Kittel came from behind Cavendish to beat him!! Looks like there might be a new sheriff in town...

I love Phil and Paul, but they're so blinded by Cav-love that they're analyzing the sprint in terms of what Cavendish did wrong, rather than what Kittel and his team did right.

And not only is he fast, but Kittel rivals Tyler Farrar in the competition for best hairstyle. He's got quite a 'do under that helmet. Though I still prefer Fabian, who somehow never has helmet hair...

[Irulan]

DVRs are our friend. We can fast forward the races on the flats to the last 10 miles or so, and FF all the ads.

[nuliajuk]

Interesting that they mentioned lawyer lips in today's commentary, and how they make a wheel change take so much longer. My husband hates them and has filed them off most of our bikes. Now pro cyclists and their mechanics have to put up with them? If anyone should know how to use a quick release skewer correctly, it should be a pro cycling mechanic!
Speaking of Phil, I haven't heard any really good Liggitisms this year. Nothing like "He needs to pick himself up by the scruff of his racing shorts..." has left his mouth yet.

[jobob]

Well. For a flat stage, today's was very eventful! It's not over yet. The Alps will be very interesting.

[ny biker]

Well. For a flat stage, today's was very eventful! It's not over yet. The Alps will be very interesting.

Truth.

[denda]

I'm glad yesterday made it a closer race. Also glad Cavendish won his 25th!

[Skippyak]

I must have missed the actual Cavendish interview but they sure gave a long TV time to his GF, I had never heard of her and imagine my surprise that she is an ex page 3 girl (tits out for the papers in the UK). I assumed she must have some pearls of wisdom based on a sports background. It was odd, I have never watched the TDF long coverage before though. Is it common to have bimbos on telly adding their pennys worth? Or was it quiet day (before the crash). Do wives and GFs often get to wax poetic about race politics?

[AppleTree]

I think they should have an award for "Most Charming" rider.
For the day, I'd give it to Sagan for his mid race wheelie, wave, and smile.

I am glad I got to see that happen this morning. It made me laugh out loud. And on Mont Ventoux of all things.

It almost made me forget what a stupid little twerp he is (re: podium girl pinch)...ha.

[ny biker]

So it turns out the secret to recovering from cycling injuries is...lobster...

http://www.iamtedking.com/2013/07/th...tive-power-of/

I wonder if it is also the fountain of youth?

http://bicycling.com/blogs/hardlyser...g-any-younger/


I missed Sagan's wheelie, since I had to work this morning, and I had the tour on in the background since I was working from home, and I wasn't really paying much attention until near the end. Early in the tour they showed a video of Sagan riding up onto the roof of a car. He does have skillz.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bM9Eh2uQ7Ek