Tour de France 2014

[AussieSpurMan]

Hats off to the Brits for the support they have given so far for the Tour. the crowds have been AMAZING!
Well done!

 

[yankspurs]

Cav's out of the tour according to twitter

 

[spurs_girl_tasha]

Hats off to the Brits for the support they have given so far for the Tour. the crowds have been AMAZING!
Well done!

Cheers. York was absolutely packed today, lots of people coming to support.

 

[yawa]

I don't disagree but maybe it's because we went from Wiggins being the team leader at Sky to Froome and the difference in personality in front of the camera couldn't be further apart that makes me feel a bit meh towards Froome.

My problem is Contador is probably his closest challenger and I'd rather have my eyes gouged out with a rusty spoon than she him win it.

For me I'd choose Froome over wiggins and you can tell in interviews with Thomas that Froome is much more popular in the sky team.

So go on Froome.

 

[cockjol]

Wouldn't be surprised if there is a lot of jealousy among other British riders...wiggins has all the acclaim and popularity

 

[cockjol]

Think the way we hosted the tour shows once again how this country really is second to none when it comes to hosting sport events....just makes it all the more frustrating that we will not get to host a World Cup...you just know if we did it would be one of the best ever, but due to politics and basically fifa being jealous/bitter toward the English, it will never happen

 

[absolute bobbins]

Wouldn't be surprised if there is a lot of jealousy among other British riders...wiggins has all the acclaim and popularity

Without the talent. I love the way that Brailsford slapped down the fair-weather fans over Wiggins by calling it sentimental nonsense, Sky are there to win and you can't take a passenger on a grand tour.

 

[cockjol]

Think what he's won in his career may not quite be the definition of someone 'without talent'

 

[absolute bobbins]

Think what he's won in his career may not quite be the definition of someone 'without talent'

Ok perhaps that's a bit strong but as a road cyclist he's not in the same league as his contemporaries.

 

[AussieSpurMan]

Cheers. York was absolutely packed today, lots of people coming to support.

And what a charming, lovely town it is as well. Was there in 1994!
Once again well done!
Pity we are so far away. Three days here like you had would blow the world away!

 

[nidge]

Without the talent. I love the way that Brailsford slapped down the fair-weather fans over Wiggins by calling it sentimental nonsense, Sky are there to win and you can't take a passenger on a grand tour.

I completely agreed with Brailsford's decision to not take Wiggins on the tour. It's just common sense that you can't have 2 team leaders in the same team. Not to mention Wiggins is probably not in the condition needed to compete in a grand tour.

Ok perhaps that's a bit strong but as a road cyclist he's not in the same league as his contemporaries.

I also thought of Wiggins as more of a track/time trialist than a grand tour rider. The fact that he won the tour when it was specifically setup to favour a time trialist speak volumes imo.

 

[Lo Amo Speroni]

Ok perhaps that's a bit strong but as a road cyclist he's not in the same league as his contemporaries.

His contemporaries? Cancellara and Martin could never win a Grand Tour. Froome and Contador could never win a World or Olympic TT.

Your right he is in another league.

Each TDF is set out differently but you still have to climb and Wiggins climbed better than most in 2012.

 

[cockjol]

He did need his team and especially froome's help in the mountains to win in 2012, but that's the case for all team leaders...people forget he finished fourth (later promoted to third cos of dodgy lance) in 2009, when he proved he was a decent climber in his own right...

He probably wasn't at his best for this years race but you'd be naive to believe froome didn't have something to do with it..after all, his non-selection was being talked about for months, before his form could be questioned...certainly not a fair weather fan and do understand brailsford's winning at all costs mentality, but it is a shame that when we host the race, wiggins isn't involved

 

[Rocksuperstar]

Anyone watching it, right after the riders passed the Kings Head pub in North Weald, they go over a tiny roundabout - I was on the phone to my ma and she was asking if she'd be able to see me on the tellybox, so i went and stood by the nearest marshall in an orange hi-vis and made him wave to the helicopter with me (he had come all the way from Bristol, and was nursing a bad hangover), and my ma squealed with joy as she managed to spot me wearing my third shirt colours from last year

I was going to have some chalk off of my housemate and draw a massive cock on the road, but had to start work early and woke up late, so didn't have time

 

[absolute bobbins]

Did anyone see the dickhead get whacked in Woodford? Took out a Trek Factory rider too

 

[yawa]

Did anyone see the dickhead get whacked in Woodford? Took out a Trek Factory rider too

The photographer the team sky rider hit and then hit schleCK?

I'm amazed no one got smacked on the first day.

 

[absolute bobbins]

The photographer the team sky rider hit and then hit schleCK?

I'm amazed no one got smacked on the first day.

Sounds like the guy, near a Gulf station? I didn't know a Sky rider hit him first

 

[nightgoat]

Wouldn't be surprised if there is a lot of jealousy among other British riders...wiggins has all the acclaim and popularity

That's not strictly true. Whilst Wiggins' Tour win certainly elevated cycling to another level in the British public's consciousness, don't forget Cavendish had already been voted SPOTY the year before after winning the Worlds.

Without the talent. I love the way that Brailsford slapped down the fair-weather fans over Wiggins by calling it sentimental nonsense, Sky are there to win and you can't take a passenger on a grand tour.

Absolute rubbish.

I completely agreed with Brailsford's decision to not take Wiggins on the tour. It's just common sense that you can't have 2 team leaders in the same team. Not to mention Wiggins is probably not in the condition needed to compete in a grand tour.

I also thought of Wiggins as more of a track/time trialist than a grand tour rider. The fact that he won the tour when it was specifically setup to favour a time trialist speak volumes imo.

Last year Movistar started with Valverde as leader. When he lost huge amounts of time in the crosswinds Quintana stepped up as leader. In 2012 BMC had Evans and Tejay. When Wiggins pulled out of last year's Giro Uran stepped up and finished second in GC. If anything happens to Froome, Nieve is the only rider Sky have who would even make the top ten.

Wiggins has been in much better form this season than for example Richie Porte who after February didn't even finish a race until the Dauphiné. Wiggins didn't perform so well in the Tour de Suisse, but was superb in California, albeit against a lesser quality field. But his climbing performances in the ToC were exactly the sort of performances needed from a super domestique. But then Froome was hardly convincing in the Dauphiné either (admittedly he had a crash which didn't help), but the team pretty much tanked, in part due to Froome's poor tactics on the first stage.

Last year's Tour was supposedly a climber's profile, yet there was only one more uphill finish and 11km less time trialing than 2012's 'Time Trial specialist' route. Like it or not, time trialing is a very important aspect of winning a Grand Tour. Froome's winning margin last year was 4' 20". He gained 4' 27" over Quintana in the ITTs and another 17" in the TTT.

His contemporaries? Cancellara and Martin could never win a Grand Tour. Froome and Contador could never win a World or Olympic TT.

Your right he is in another league.

Each TDF is set out differently but you still have to climb and Wiggins climbed better than most in 2012.

Exactly. How many other Grand Tour winners finish top 10 in Roubaix?

Anyway, I went along to Tower Hill today. It was great.

 

[Lo Amo Speroni]

I live in Monmouthshire so went to a good spot for the Nationals TT where each rider went past me twice. Wiggins was flying, like he was in California. I would have taken him to the TDF this year and you may well see him there next year with another team.

 

[cockjol]

That's not strictly true. Whilst Wiggins' Tour win certainly elevated cycling to another level in the British public's consciousness, don't forget Cavendish had already been voted SPOTY the year before after winning the Worlds.



Absolute rubbish.



Last year Movistar started with Valverde as leader. When he lost huge amounts of time in the crosswinds Quintana stepped up as leader. In 2012 BMC had Evans and Tejay. When Wiggins pulled out of last year's Giro Uran stepped up and finished second in GC. If anything happens to Froome, Nieve is the only rider Sky have who would even make the top ten.

Wiggins has been in much better form this season than for example Richie Porte who after February didn't even finish a race until the Dauphiné. Wiggins didn't perform so well in the Tour de Suisse, but was superb in California, albeit against a lesser quality field. But his climbing performances in the ToC were exactly the sort of performances needed from a super domestique. But then Froome was hardly convincing in the Dauphiné either (admittedly he had a crash which didn't help), but the team pretty much tanked, in .

That's not strictly true. Whilst Wiggins' Tour win certainly elevated cycling to another level in the British public's consciousness, don't forget Cavendish had already been voted SPOTY the year before after winning the Worlds.



Absolute rubbish.



Last year Movistar started with Valverde as leader. When he lost huge amounts of time in the crosswinds Quintana stepped up as leader. In 2012 BMC had Evans and Tejay. When Wiggins pulled out of last year's Giro Uran stepped up and finished second in GC. If anything happens to Froome, Nieve is the only rider Sky have who would even make the top ten.

Wiggins has been in much better form this season than for example Richie Porte who after February didn't even finish a race until the Dauphiné. Wiggins didn't perform so well in the Tour de Suisse, but was superb in California, albeit against a lesser quality field. But his climbing performances in the ToC were exactly the sort of performances needed from a super domestique. But then Froome was hardly convincing in the Dauphiné either (admittedly he had a crash which didn't help), but the team pretty much tanked, in part due to Froome's poor tactics on the first stage.

Last year's Tour was supposedly a climber's profile, yet there was only one more uphill finish and 11km less time trialing than 2012's 'Time Trial specialist' route. Like it or not, time trialing is a very important aspect of winning a Grand Tour. Froome's winning margin last year was 4' 20". He gained 4' 27" over Quintana in the ITTs and another 17" in the TTT.



Exactly. How many other Grand Tour winners finish top 10 in Roubaix?

Anyway, I went along to Tower Hill today. It was great.

That's what I call a detailed and spot in reply! You're right to highlight cav's prominence, although I was referring more to froome and the suggestion that a lot of riders in the sky team didn't like wiggins