Tour de France 2010

[Son_Of]

Doesn't seem to be a thread.

I can't be bothered to write much now, may be back later with more musings, but did anyone see today's finish? Brilliant! Really exciting. Garmin, HTC and Lampre all fighting for control. I thought approaching the final straight Garmin had done enough, 3 in front I thought they could protect their man, but then Cav and Renshaw from HTC came in with an explosive attack.

Thor still has a good lead on Cav for the green jersey. Geriant Thomas has the white jersey (young rider) at present and is in 2nd place for the yellow! He can't win it over the whole Tour but team Sky should do their utmost to get him in the yellow jersey in the next stage (in the hills). Would be epic for the lad.

 

[Azazello]

I watched the last 15 mins on ITV4 and they had a great aerial shot of the finish.

It was a perfectly timed attack, and another great sprint from Cav. Geraint Williams is set up for an outstanding tour and good on him too.

Contador to win again?

 

[llamafarmer]

Two great stage wins for Cav! He and Renshaw look back to their dominant best, but they miss Hincapie and Hansen badly - no 5 man Columbia trains into the finish this year, which is making for closer sprints. Columbia did all the work in the peloton today though, so it was a thoroughy deserved win. I fucking love the sprints!

Thomas has been a revelation so far, I'm really hoping Sky make an effort to get him yellow tomorrow, I have a feeling they will.

Twitter's great for keeping up with the Tour if you don't already have it - loads of the riders update daily, so you get their perspective on stuff

 

[llamafarmer]

Mountains today. Go on G!

 

[Son_Of]

Two great stage wins for Cav! He and Renshaw look back to their dominant best, but they miss Hincapie and Hansen badly - no 5 man Columbia trains into the finish this year, which is making for closer sprints. Columbia did all the work in the peloton today though, so it was a thoroughy deserved win. I fucking love the sprints!

Thomas has been a revelation so far, I'm really hoping Sky make an effort to get him yellow tomorrow, I have a feeling they will.

Twitter's great for keeping up with the Tour if you don't already have it - loads of the riders update daily, so you get their perspective on stuff

true. they had all 5 riders up top for a lot of the stage, as the peleton gained on and captured the breakaway. everyone else happy to let them do the work pacemaking. but at the end garmin were a more tight unit

 

[llamafarmer]

true. they had all 5 riders up top for a lot of the stage, as the peleton gained on and captured the breakaway. everyone else happy to let them do the work pacemaking. but at the end garmin were a more tight unit

Probably largely due to the other teams saving themselves for the mountains - Saxobank, Radioshack, Astana, Sky would all have been more worried about the next day. Like you say, Garmin have looked really well organised in the sprints.

Just watching stage 9 - Schleck has had a couple of shots at Contador, but can't drop him off his back wheel - great battle!

 

[jondesouza]

Two cycle race now isn't it? I only got into the TdF last year but am shocked that some of the big names (Evans, Kloden, Sastre) are so far off the pace. Felt sorry for Armstrong - the look on his face after the 3rd crash was priceless.

 

[Son_Of]

yesterday was brilliant! in the flatter stages the breakaways kept getting caught but in the mountains the field gets really strung out, loads of gaps.

felt for sammy sanchez getting so close to the group ahead of him on his solo attack 12 secs then just didn't have the legs. very exciting when that group including contador and schleck caught the front 4 with one corner to go. allez! allez! allez!

llamafarmer - schleck would've expected to build a lead on contador on days like yesterday, but he couldn't shake him. he said in the end he had to stop trying in case it took too much out of him and he got dropped himsef. then the two of them cooperated on catching the front group. the 3rd guy with them who's not a GC contender didn't take the lead once, let them pull him along, wanted the stage win.

looking good for contador if schleck can't drop him in these hilly stages. he'll gobble the 40sec lead in a TT.

 

[AW?]

I agree it was quality yesterday.

Watching loads of this years tour after a huge gap from when i was a huge fan as a kid. Stephen Roche, Sean Kelly and Greg Lemond were the guys i was watching which was 20 years ago.

I read Lance Armstrongs book, got my old bike on the road and got right back into it all. Obviously helps having a few more Bristish riders to follow but i'm glad i've not missed the chance to see Armstrong before he retires again. I feel like i've missed out not seeing all his wins and along with that the likes of Jan Ullrich and Pantani. I think the last year i watched was Indurains first win. Can't believe how times flown by.

Anyway i'm loving it. It's doing more for me right now in terms of excitement than the WC did if i'm completely honest.

 

[Marty]

This year is the least I've followed the Tour since 2004 tbh. I'm stuck in England atm, usually go back to Norway in the summers and their cycling commentators are fantastic. Like the very best cricket or golf commentators over here, they make every little move fascinating. I've been streaming some of British Eurosport's coverage but it just isn't the same.

I'm still really rooting for Thor and Schleck though, so I'm happy with how it's gone even though I haven't seen much of it. Hope Andy can shake off Contador at some point in the Pyrenees.

 

[llamafarmer]

Very interesting sprint today, Renshaw could be in a bit of trouble for his 'headbutt', but you've got to love his commitment to putting Cav at the front. Best lead out man on the planet!

 

[llamafarmer]

Lance Armstrong's Twitter is suggesting Renshaw's been DQ'd from the Tour!

 

[Azazello]

Lance Armstrong's Twitter is suggesting Renshaw's been DQ'd from the Tour!

headbut according to the BBC

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/cycling/8826472.stm

 

[llamafarmer]

headbut according to the BBC

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/cycling/8826472.stm

I didn't think it was that bad tbh - blatant yes, but more of a 'fuck off, that's my line!' than anything particularly dangerous. It was a bit of a track move really I think

 

[Son_Of]

I agree it was quality yesterday.

Watching loads of this years tour after a huge gap from when i was a huge fan as a kid. Stephen Roche, Sean Kelly and Greg Lemond were the guys i was watching which was 20 years ago.

I read Lance Armstrongs book, got my old bike on the road and got right back into it all. Obviously helps having a few more Bristish riders to follow but i'm glad i've not missed the chance to see Armstrong before he retires again. I feel like i've missed out not seeing all his wins and along with that the likes of Jan Ullrich and Pantani. I think the last year i watched was Indurains first win. Can't believe how times flown by.

Anyway i'm loving it. It's doing more for me right now in terms of excitement than the WC did if i'm completely honest.

absolutely. i've never watched much of it before. i'd keep an eye on the headlines but didn't think the watching would be this fun. my mate Neil went for the start. rode from amsterdam to brussels and watched the prologue and day 1

This year is the least I've followed the Tour since 2004 tbh. I'm stuck in England atm, usually go back to Norway in the summers and their cycling commentators are fantastic. Like the very best cricket or golf commentators over here, they make every little move fascinating. I've been streaming some of British Eurosport's coverage but it just isn't the same.

I'm still really rooting for Thor and Schleck though, so I'm happy with how it's gone even though I haven't seen much of it. Hope Andy can shake off Contador at some point in the Pyrenees.

he'll need to cause Contador will rinse him in the TT.

I didn't think it was that bad tbh - blatant yes, but more of a 'fuck off, that's my line!' than anything particularly dangerous. It was a bit of a track move really I think

3 headbutts and a lot of other riders close enough to get embroiled if there was a crash

 

[llamafarmer]

3 headbutts and a lot of other riders close enough to get embroiled if there was a crash

A wise man once said "rubbing's racing Cole" :wink:

 

[AW?]

absolutely. i've never watched much of it before. i'd keep an eye on the headlines but didn't think the watching would be this fun. my mate Neil went for the start. rode from amsterdam to brussels and watched the prologue and day 1

Love to get over there and watch some of it. Preferably up in the mountains and watch them climb. I've never been up in the mountains without a snowboard attached to my feet so i'd love to take in the views in the summer.

Maybe one day i will


That headbutting yesterday was a bit of a shock. Cavendish is absolutely immense when he breaks into his sprinting. I downloaded the hightlights of last year to catch before this years Tour started, and that sprint down the Champs-Elysees with the camera to his side following him in is an incredibly powerful spetacle of a sportman, let alone a bike rider.

 

[llamafarmer]

I'd love to go out there and combine watching a mountain stage with a few days of mountain biking in the alps - take the lifts up, then spend an hour descending to the next lift!

 

[Marty]

Phenomenal riding from Thor today to get 10 extra sprint points, get in there son! Should've been 12 but Petacchi's team mate tried his best to shut Thor out and did well.

 

[Son_Of]

Phenomenal riding from Thor today to get 10 extra sprint points, get in there son! Should've been 12 but Petacchi's team mate tried his best to shut Thor out and did well.

yes Cav should really go for some of the intermediates. if only to stop those ahead of him from taking the points