The Tour De France 2011

[Bus-Conductor]

No thread eh ???

Now, I'm not a cycling enthusiast, but I fucking love this event and watch it religiously every year. As a sporting event and a challenge of human spirit and endeavour it is unsurpassed.

The level of courage and stamina that these guys possess is inhuman. These blokes are the earth's supreme beings as far as I'm concerned. 21 days, most 150km+ per day, some in the mountains.

The way each race unfolds and the myriad (and largely incomprehensible) facets of each stage I just find strangely riveting.

Bizarrely I don't even like cycling much.

Anyone else watch it ?

 

[TheGreenLily]

Been watching it for years, great sport, but a shame it has been rocked in the last few years with drug scandals.

 

[Bus-Conductor]

Been watching it for years, great sport, but a shame it has been rocked in the last few years with drug scandals.

To be honest, I forgive these blokes anything. What they put themselves through is beyond what any other athlete on this planet puts themselves through. Their lifestyle and the impact on their mind and bodies is vastly in excess of your normal athlete.

 

[TheGreenLily]

To be honest, I forgive these blokes anything. What they put themselves through is beyond what any other athlete on this planet puts themselves through. Their lifestyle and the impact on their mind and bodies is vastly in excess of your normal athlete.

Of course. If I cycled just 1% of the distance they do I am in all sorts of trouble even with the help of drugs.

Amazing Athletes.

What do you think of the British riders chances this year?

Nice to see Cavendish with a stage on the 6th.

 

[Dov67]

The greatest sporting event of the year in my opinion.

What they do is the equivalent of 1.5 marathon's a day for 3 weeks! I'm not surprised that the sports been riddled by drugs but it is still upsetting. Lance Armstrong is/was my sporting hero - absolute legend. If it were proved he took drugs, it would be like finding out that Elvis mimed!

as i write, big crash, not lookign good for Wiggins.

 

[TheGreenLily]

I have only gone and cursed Bradley Wiggins :bang::bang:

He crashes out of Tour de France with a broken collar bone.

Mark Cavendish wins a second stage, though :up:. Does anyone know if Mark Cavendish is a mountain specialist or sprinter?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cycling/14086677.stm

 

[Dov67]

Cav is a sprinter - the best by some distance. He's a specialist who will be nowhere on the mountains.

The mountains belong to Contador, the Schlek brothers, Cadel Evans, & Charteau.

A specialist sprinter like Cav can only go after the green jersey, and the most stage wins. He will never win the tour itself.

 

[TheGreenLily]

Cav is a sprinter - the best by some distance. He's a specialist who will be nowhere on the mountains.

The mountains belong to Contador, the Schlek brothers, Cadel Evans, & Charteau.

A specialist sprinter like Cav can only go after the green jersey, and the most stage wins. He will never win the tour itself.

Yeah that's what I thought, green jersey it is then.

Wiggins was the mountain specialist I think.

 

[Dov67]

Wiggins is a time trial specialist, but a very good all rounder too.

While I don't think Wiggins would have won it, he was in good form and i wouldnt have been surprised at all if he made the podium agin as he did in 2009. Absolutely gutted for him.

 

[Marty]

Norway's gone mental these last few days with Hushovd in yellow virtually all week and Boasson Hagen winning his first stage yesterday.

Gutted for Wiggins, he was really looking for a podium finish this year.

 

[Bus-Conductor]

Can someone explain to me exactly how the green jersey works. I know it's points as opposed to time, but does it only apply to the sprints or are their points available on each stage (and aren't there sometimes points available at various stages of each stage) ?

 

[Marty]

Can someone explain to me exactly how the green jersey works. I know it's points as opposed to time, but does it only apply to the sprints or are their points available on each stage (and aren't there sometimes points available at various stages of each stage) ?

Points are available on all stages, but considerably more are dealt out at the finish line on the flat stages than on the mountain stages. On the flats you also get these "intermediate" sprints that give a lot more points this year than in previous years.

 

[TheGreenLily]

Points are available on all stages, but considerably more are dealt out at the finish line on the flat stages than on the mountain stages. On the flats you also get these "intermediate" sprints that give a lot more points this year than in previous years.

That is the same sort of system for the poker dot jersey too, but for check points at the top on mountain stages.

Robert Millar was leading that once many moons ago, before he had to retire from the race as his rate didn't drop over night.

 

[Max_Junglie]

It's been great so far this year, watched every stage. Love Thor Hushovd, hope he manages to get the green jersey once the yellow slips out of his grasp. Shame about Wiggins (though I don't think he's as good on the road as his hype), and a massive shame that Geraint Thomas stopped to wait for him, losing the white jersey (for best young rider) and 4 mins or so in that competition.

Lots of riders are saying it's crazy this year, much more jostling to stay at the front of the peloton, which is causing the crashes. Eisel was saying that the GC riders, who usually leave stages like today's to the sprinters (waiting for the mountains to gain their time, whilst the sprinters potter along at the back), were all getting in the way trying to stay up front. It's the lack of an early individual time trial and the uphill finishes which have meant that the likes of Contador and the Schlecks can't afford to let an all-rounder like Cadel Evans get away too much on these early stages. Makes the race crazy, but it's good TV.

For me, that HTC train driving Cav towards the finish line is one of the most awesome sights in sport - head down at 65kph! On a bike. After riding 150-odd-k. Amazing.

I'll be up Alpe d-Huez two weeks on Sunday to cheer them on. Fingers crossed that Andy Schleck and Contador are duelling it out. Maybe take in the time trial at Grenoble the following day too.

Would like to see Andy Schleck win it this year. Chapeau!

 

[Marty]

Lots more drama so far today. Vinokourov out with a shattered right leg, Van den Broeck breaks his collar bone, so that's two more podium candidates gone. Not good to see.

 

[Dov67]

For me, that HTC train driving Cav towards the finish line is one of the most awesome sights in sport - head down at 65kph! On a bike. After riding 150-odd-k. Amazing.

I'll be up Alpe d-Huez two weeks on Sunday to cheer them on. Fingers crossed that Andy Schleck and Contador are duelling it out. Maybe take in the time trial at Grenoble the following day too.

Would like to see Andy Schleck win it this year. Chapeau!

That HTC train is just beautiful to see. They must drill them over and over to get it right. The side on shot of Cav when he explodes is something else too.

The Alpe D-Huez will be the most interesting stage. At the moment its just sparring. An absolute bitch of a climb, and I'm doing it in September! Can't wait!!

 

[Bus-Conductor]

Crazy fucking TV car. Looked like a woman driver to me, took out Hoogerland and Flecha. Hoogerland is lucky to be alive.

 

[yawa]

Ouch....saw that on the highlights last night.

 

[Dov67]

Together with that moronic spectator on stage 1 who's elbow caused a massive pile up, there's been a lot of pain on this years tour.
Nothing the organisers can do about what happened yesterday but there's no excuse for what happened on day 1, and shit like that happens almost every year

 

[Max_Junglie]

The Alpe D-Huez will be the most interesting stage. At the moment its just sparring. An absolute bitch of a climb, and I'm doing it in September! Can't wait!!

Good luck with that!
:up:

Carnage yesterday, Hoogerlands is lucky to be alive after hitting that fence. Can't believe both he and Flecha got back on their bikes!

Grim pictures of Hoogerland's injuries here. And his arse.

The Contador / Karpets incident was an odd one too...

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