Tour De France 2013

Ricardodaforce said:
Great quote from Blazin' Saddles

"STAGE 18: GAP - ALPE D'HUEZ, 172.5KM: The only way you could get a bigger Queen Stage than this would be if you'd organised a bike race in which Her Majesty Elizabeth II attended while listening to Bohemian Rhapsody as Graham Norton provided the commentary."
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It'll be interesting, apparently all of the riders were complaining the decent was dangerous even in the dry.

Buttkicker said:
What I would like to know is if Chris Froome wins the tour where does that Leave Bradley Wiggins in the scheme of been sky team leader
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Indeed. 2 TdF winners in 1 team.. Cosy..
 
Wiggo has already said that he does not see his future as a grand tour contender. The sacrifices required are not really good for the family life he now feels he should be leading. So in all probability Wiggo will now focus on the classics and lower prestige tours, maybe just maybe one more crack at the Giro.

Froome has another 6-7 years of potentially top end riding, so my bet would be with Sky building around him for the grand tours. Don't forget Henao, Uran and Porte are also good enough to walk in to number 1 in the majority of World Tour teams too.
 
TBH, I always sort of thought that 2012 was sort of a "testimonial season" for Wiggo, in recognition of (and allowing him to make enough £££ to never need to think of working again) all the work through the years with the Olympics... "One more year of complete sacrifice, we'll throw everything behind it, get you the "golden ticket" then you can move to what you want"

It's always been at the back of my mind, given the tie-in between BC Olympics squad and SKY Procycling - the resource / backroom personnel sharing etc.

I'd personally love to see Wiggo go for the Hour record on the track - though how the "sportsmans record" would jibe with Sky's "marginal gains" approach is anybodys guess..
 
That was a fascinating stage today. It may have worked out well for Froome, but I'd be worried if I was him. The next two days are tough, and while el Pistolero looks spent, Quintana and Purrito look dangerous. 5 minutes could be clawed back.....
 
What a brilliant stage today, just goes to show anything could happen yet, 5 mins is a good lead but not invincible if froome has another bad day and Quintana look show strong. I think this is the best tour for years ( for us viewers anyway ! ),
 
20 second penalty for the Sky guys for getting gels from the team car in the last 10km... that and 1400CHF in fines makes for an expensive hunger knock!
 
Froome had such a bad day that he extended his lead. ;) :lol: It could have been much worse withe the time lost to Quitana had he not broke the rules and took food and drink on the final climb. When Voeckler run out of energy he virtually stopped. :eek:

Felt sorry for Tejay van Garderen. :( If he hadn't had mechanical problems, it may have been his day.

Fascinating day in the mountains. :) And more to come. :D
 
The thing about him taking the gels on when he did is that it probably only gave him a psychological boost. Generally these things take about 20 minutes before they are metabolised and the energy in them is able to be used by the muscles.

Great stage yesterday and some commentators are saying today's is even harder!
 
Froome is saying today's is harder too.

I still think there's danger from Quintana and the Spaniards.
 
It's a real shame Le Galibier doesn't feature in today's stage. They are close to it too. I was so disappointed when it ended up being neutered (thanks to the bad weather) in Il Giro in May.
 
Ricardodaforce said:
It's a real shame Le Galibier doesn't feature in today's stage. They are close to it too. I was so disappointed when it ended up being neutered (thanks to the bad weather) in Il Giro in May.
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You really do want to punish them don't you?!
 
Really disappointed with Purrito, Contador and Quintana today. It's like no one had the cojones to even try to take Froome on.
 
I think that the rain on the last hill pretty much took the wind out of all their sails tbh - I was fully expecting something to kick off, try and gap froome then get stuck into putting some serious time into him on the descent. As it was, Saxo have just sat out there in the wind all day for sod-all benefit.
 
Did you see see Peter Sagan doing the wheelies during the race itself a few days ago
it blew my mind watching him 'horsing' around during the race

I love competitors who have tons of personality - he is sure becoming one of my favs

as for the tour with Froome - its all over bar Cav winning on Sunday (I hope)
 
Buttkicker said:
Did you see see Peter Sagan doing the wheelies during the race itself a few days ago
it blew my mind watching him 'horsing' around during the race
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Yep, saw it. There was a video of it on Eurosport too, dunno if it's still there. It's an old Robbie McEwan trick though isn't it.
 
Ricardodaforce said:
Yep, saw it. There was a video of it on Eurosport too, dunno if it's still there. It's an old Robbie McEwan trick though isn't it.
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Robbie McEwan did it after the finish of the race not during it at the start of a big climb
the commentators on ITV4 said they have never ever seen it happen actually 'during' the race

pretty good bike handling for a racing bike to keep it up like that
I thought the whole thing was hilarious to see a top rider messing about in such a fashion during the Worlds greatest race

cant wait till next years tour it is actually coming through my Town :clap:
 
Buttkicker said:
Robbie McEwan did it after the finish of the race not during it at the start of a big climb
the commentators on ITV4 said they have never ever seen it happen actually 'during' the race

pretty good bike handling for a racing bike to keep it up like that
I thought the whole thing was hilarious to see a top rider messing about in such a fashion during the Worlds greatest race

cant wait till next years tour it is actually coming through my Town :clap:
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I do miss the dulcet tones of Ligget, Sherwen and Imlach!
 
Ricardodaforce said:
I do miss the dulcet tones of Ligget, Sherwen and Imlach!
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I think there coverage is far better than Eurosport.. they seem to be mates with half the Sky team and Ned Boulting gets in the Hotel chatting with Froomy etc

Eurosport is just cold hard coverage with not much insight into the riders lives etc
Plus ITV4 give non stop statistics and info about the Towns and Villages they pass through which I like listening to as the race unfolds
 
Buttkicker said:
as for the tour with Froome - its all over bar Cav winning on Sunday (I hope)
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Sunday is shaping up to be a great sprint. Cav has been untouchable on the Champs Elysees for years now but he's definitely not as dominant this year. Kittel, Greipel and Sagan will all push him close. I think Cav will get it though.
 
Leslie said:
Sunday is shaping up to be a great sprint. Cav has been untouchable on the Champs Elysees for years now but he's definitely not as dominant this year. Kittel, Greipel and Sagan will all push him close. I think Cav will get it though.
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odd that every one says Cav is not as dominant as in the past... his actual race wins this year is more than any other year at this point
he took 5 stages of the Giro which is pretty much unprecedented add two wins already in the Tour which this year is more in favour of the mountain men

also earlier in the season he won the 6 day tour of Qatar winning 4 of the 6 stages , also less than a month ago became UK Road Race Champion
Beginning to see he is on the slippery slope downhill :cuckoo:
 
Buttkicker said:
Did you see see Peter Sagan doing the wheelies during the race itself a few days ago
it blew my mind watching him 'horsing' around during the race

I love competitors who have tons of personality - he is sure becoming one of my favs

as for the tour with Froome - its all over bar Cav winning on Sunday (I hope)
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He's definitely got the personality and the tricks. ;)

[YOUTUBE]bM9Eh2uQ7Ek[/YOUTUBE]
 
Buttkicker said:
odd that every one says Cav is not as dominant as in the past... his actual race wins this year is more than any other year at this point
he took 5 stages of the Giro which is pretty much unprecedented add two wins already in the Tour which this year is more in favour of the mountain men

also earlier in the season he won the 6 day tour of Qatar winning 4 of the 6 stages , also less than a month ago became UK Road Race Champion
Beginning to see he is on the slippery slope downhill :cuckoo:
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Saying all that, he has not been the dominant sprinter in the tour this year. :shrug:
 
redhed17 said:
He's definitely got the personality and the tricks. ;)

[YOUTUBE]bM9Eh2uQ7Ek[/YOUTUBE]
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Thats what I am talking about I love guys Like Sagan who act like one of the boys type stuff
earlier this season he pinched one of the girls backsides on the podium and was pointing at her rear to the camera which I thought was hilarious as well
they fined him a few hundred quid for that incident
 
Buttkicker said:
Thats what I am talking about I love guys Like Sagan who act like one of the boys type stuff
earlier this season he pinched one of the girls backsides on the podium and was pointing at her rear to the camera which I thought was hilarious as well
they fined him a few hundred quid for that incident
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I'm a big fan of Sagan (minus the ridiculous facial hair he's currently sporting!), but there has to be a line. Popping wheelies, pulling poses over the finish line etc. is great to watch. I don't agree it's good to see a guy pinching a girl's bum and signing a girl's breast both unrequested. That's behaviour he was rightly fined for and needs to learn to stop sharpish.
 
TriggerHappy said:
I'm a big fan of Sagan (minus the ridiculous facial hair he's currently sporting!), but there has to be a line. Popping wheelies, pulling poses over the finish line etc. is great to watch. I don't agree it's good to see a guy pinching a girl's bum and signing a girl's breast both unrequested. That's behaviour he was rightly fined for and needs to learn to stop sharpish.
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yes but he becomes a boring clone conforming to the 'norm'
he is a young guy who has all the talent in the World and in the high pressure cooker of top pro sport they need a release and his way is being boyish

much the same way that John McEnroe was and still is the one of the most popular sports stars of all time

I think he is great and hope he stays the same
 
TriggerHappy said:
Contador off the podium - excellent!
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I felt a bit sorry for him. Great show by Quintana. I've watched every stage and I gotta say it wasn't the most interesting of Tours. Great result for the UK and great performance by Froome. Roll on La Vuelta a España!
 
TriggerHappy said:
Contador off the podium - excellent!
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I agree and with Joaquim Rodríguez and Quintana taking the other places things have worked out great.. hopefully Contador will quietly dissapear into oblivion where he belongs with that other fraudstrong I mean Armstrong

I again have enjoyed every second of the tour this time round with plenty of thrills and spills along the way and my new fav rider Sagan does the wheelie again over the line on todays stage
 
I've actually really enjoyed this tour! It's been many a year since the person topping GC has done so with such an attacking flair and for that Froome deserves a lot of credit. Particularly in light of the criticism Wiggins and Sky received last year for stifling the competition through their dependence on power meters.

The only failing of the tour has been the disappointing level of those touted as GC contenders before the tour. Schleck was predictably miles off the pace. Rather more surprising was the standard of Contador, Rodriguez etc. who failed to make the most of the competition.

Porte, Quintana, many of the Belgian riders, and the sprint contestants have all added some spice to the tour. Not to mention Jens Voigt who continues to be in breakaways and attacks at the age of 41.

And lots not fail to give credit to the riders who kept going despite injury. The likes of Geraint Thomas and Ryder Hesjadel have been real stars of the tour considering the injuries they've been riding on!
 
An excellent stage today. Jens Voigt, the Peter Pan of the Peloton at 41. He's been strong all the Tour, and I wanted him to stay out front today if indeed does retire.

Froome has won the Tour with style. He has not only countered the attacks on him, but he has attacked as well, when sometimes he didn't need to with such a big lead.

He struggled yesterday, but Porte did the job for him that he did for Wiggins last year. I think he understands and appreciates more the orders he was given last year, when he could have gone and won a stage or two. ;)

I thought he was going to win the stage today and clinch the King of the Mountains jersey, but Quintana is a worthy winner.

It was odd to see Quintana smile crossing the line. :eek: I don't think he is a natural smiler. ;)

I was quite happy that Contador got pushed off the podium too. ;)
 
Buttkicker said:
odd that every one says Cav is not as dominant as in the past... his actual race wins this year is more than any other year at this point
he took 5 stages of the Giro which is pretty much unprecedented add two wins already in the Tour which this year is more in favour of the mountain men

also earlier in the season he won the 6 day tour of Qatar winning 4 of the 6 stages , also less than a month ago became UK Road Race Champion
Beginning to see he is on the slippery slope downhill :cuckoo:
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2009 - 6 stage wins
2010 - 5 stage wins
2011 - 5 stage wins
2012 - 3 stage wins
2013 - 3 stage wins (if he wins tonight, which I think he will!)

I know he's had a good year but he's definitely not as dominant in the tdf this year. I also watched Kittel come off his wheel and beat him in a sprint as well. Can't recall seeing that happen much in previous years.

That said, I still think he'll win tonight!
 
Cav is possibly set to have his best ever year for race wins even taking into consideration he 'only' won 'two' stages of the TDF
his total season wins in recent years is as follows (Grand tour stages are classed as a win)
2007 races won 8
2008 races won 20
2009 races won 24
2010 races won 12
2011 races won 13
2012 races won 15
2013 races won 13 and still 50% of the season still left

things have not gone to plan in the TDF but he will still come back and win a potful of the big races

as for Froomy and Sky a huge well done great tour
 
I was stuck on an agonising train journey this evening so missed the live broadcast but have just caught up with the highlights show having hidden from all TV and internet since getting home.

Absolutely delighted that Froome has delivered another yellow in true style, and felt he delivered a fantastically composed victory speech in keeping with how he's handled the press throughout the tour. Particularly touching were the words "this jersey is surely one that will stand the test of time", hopefully said in reference to the fact it has been won fair and clean. Now if the official bodies could establish a way to further dispel the speculation on the back of nothing more than the way he's excelled (unlike the way suspicion of Armstrong existed) then that would be perfect. I imagine some people will never be convinced, regardless of the clear tests to the contrary.

I'm a bit disappointed that Cavendish couldn't keep his run of wins in Paris going but he said himself in the interview that he checked his power meet and was pushing 1500 watts at the end and when he does that he usually wins by several lengths. That's a testament to just what a sprinter Kittel has become. We can expect a few good battles over the coming years between those two!
 
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