Tour de France 2012

[llamafarmer]

Maarten Wynants was in the big crash yesterday and made it to the finish, where it was discovered he had 2 broken ribs and a punctured lung. These guys are hard as nails!

Story here

 

[Max_Junglie]

Wow. That was absolutely brutal from Sky. Excellent stuff.

 

[Marty]

Sky played that out perfectly. Hagen split the field with a massive shift before the climb started, Rodgers and Porte did a brilliant job keeping the pace up in the climb, and Froome was so strong to not only pull Wiggins up the hill but sprint for the finish. So deserved, Froome is at least as good a climber as Wiggins and not much worse at the time trials either.

It's incredible really that they've never gone up that hill before in the Tour's history. I can see it becoming a regular feature, great little climb that can make a big difference as Sky proved today.

 

[llamafarmer]

Really surprised at the number of big names dropped today, Sky were mightily impressive!

Makes a nice change, because I was a bit worried about their organisation this week, but it was awesome to see them powering ahead at the front today with everyone else falling away in their wake!

 

[Marty]

Really surprised at the number of big names dropped today, Sky were mightily impressive!

Makes a nice change, because I was a bit worried about their organisation this week, but it was awesome to see them powering ahead at the front today with everyone else falling away in their wake!

Their organisation in the mountains is excellent, they proved that when Wiggins won Criterium Dauphine earlier this year. They just clearly haven't worked enough on the flats.

 

[Col_M]

I wonder how much press coverage Wiggo will get compared to Murray ?

Have to say, i think the tdf is THE greatest sporting event, what those guys do is incredible

 

[Col_M]

this is the first time I've followed the Tour and I'm confused. Could someone explain how the classification works - Wiggo has been 7 secs off the lead from the first day (?)

I hope you are enjoying it. The Alps and Pyrenies are the best days and the tactics are a joy to behold. when a climber blows away the opposition it's unbelievable at times.

 

[Max_Junglie]

Their organisation in the mountains is excellent, they proved that when Wiggins won Criterium Dauphine earlier this year. They just clearly haven't worked enough on the flats.

I guess if they're looking at the GC, they just need to do enough on the flat to stay at the front, stay out of trouble until the final 3k and finish in the group at +0.

I thought Sky today were incredible. Evans battled well but Wiggins looked really comfortable - never even stood up! Hopefully Wiggins and Evans will both stay clear of trouble, because it's going to be really interesting to see who can come out on top. Sky look a stronger team for a GC rider than BMC to me.

 

[ravo]

Yep, Sky are def. a stronger team. Rodgers, Porte and Froome were fantastic. I have really high hopes for Porte in the few years.

 

[Max_Junglie]

Love his great big Tasmanian medallion!

 

[Col_M]

Wiggo is so strong he can carry those two sideboards around France!

 

[BrightEyes]

Yep. The flat stages generally mean group finishes. If you arrive in a big group everyone in that group gets given the same finish time (at the referee's discretion).

The classification is based on aggregate time for the whole tour, so the initial leader board was set by the prologue time trial and since then most of the contenders have finished in the lead group and been given +0 split times - until the crashes broke things up yesterday!

Generally the big gains and losses will be made in the mountains and the 2 remaining time trials. So if you want to win overall you need to be able to climb and time trial very well and have a good team to look after you on the flat stages.

so everyone who finishes in the lead group is given the same time?

 

[llamafarmer]

so everyone who finishes in the lead group is given the same time?

If you finish in a group all the people in that group get the same time, yes. So on the flat stages, more or less they all roll over the line in a massive bunch just behind the sprinters and everyone gets the same time. So on stage 4 for example 160 riders all got timed at 5h18m32s.

Yesterday there were splits in the pack everywhere so loads of time splits, but there were smaller groups of 5, 10, 30 etc riders that would have been grouped together on the time sheet.

So Wiggins and Evans for example were close enough together that they were given the same time.​

 

[Max_Junglie]

Ha ha Sagan has a bell on his bike
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/pho...ans-city-bike-bell-abandoning-the-tour/230207

 

[BrightEyes]

If you finish in a group all the people in that group get the same time, yes. So on the flat stages, more or less they all roll over the line in a massive bunch just behind the sprinters and everyone gets the same time. So on stage 4 for example 160 riders all got timed at 5h18m32s.

Yesterday there were splits in the pack everywhere so loads of time splits, but there were smaller groups of 5, 10, 30 etc riders that would have been grouped together on the time sheet.

So Wiggins and Evans for example were close enough together that they were given the same time.​

cheers mate - makes sense now

 

[Max_Junglie]

Excellent press conference from Wiggins today - asked for his views about people who have suggested that he and Team Sky might be doping

Spoiler

“I say they’re just fucking wankers. I cannot be doing with people like that.​

It justifies their own bone-idleness because they can’t ever imagine applying themselves to do anything in their lives.​

It’s easy for them to sit under a pseudonym on Twitter and write that sort of shit, rather than get off their arses in their own lives and apply themselves and work hard at something and achieve something. And that’s ultimately it. ****s.”​

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[Col_M]

Got a round of applause from the press pack too.

When will the UK media get behind him and the sport. This w/e was a fine example of the infatuation with Murray, Hamilton and Button when the real glory was happening over in France/Switzerland.

I will temper this by the fact that Wimbledon and the Grand Prix were on home soil and are have bigger fan bases than tennis. Nonetheless, the TdF has to be THE hardest sporting event in whatever sport there is.

 

[Abdoujaparov]

Sky played that out perfectly. Hagen split the field with a massive shift before the climb started, Rodgers and Porte did a brilliant job keeping the pace up in the climb, and Froome was so strong to not only pull Wiggins up the hill but sprint for the finish. So deserved, Froome is at least as good a climber as Wiggins and not much worse at the time trials either.

It's incredible really that they've never gone up that hill before in the Tour's history. I can see it becoming a regular feature, great little climb that can make a big difference as Sky proved today.

They only built that road this year, and specifically for the Tour. P*ssed off some local residents, but I can see them doing more of that in the future. There aren't that many steep climbs in France that have wide enough roads for the Tour and there's so much money in the race now to make it worthwhile.

Crucial TT today - wiggins should put a little time into evans, but you never know. Menchov and Froome should do well today too.

Chance of rain affecting Cancellara's ride and not Wiggins' - should clear up by 4pm local, but not much certainty in the forecast.

 

[ravo]

Apologies for not posting yesterday's info. Cracking stage! Chuffed to see an FDJ rider get a win.

Here's the profile. Expect Martin and Spartacus to be up there.

 

[ravo]

Here's the backstage pass as well.