The Official 100th Tour de France thread, 2013.

[Pogue Mahone]

That Pete chap was amusing. On the Wiggo subject what happens with him now? I presume Froome will be the team leader next year unless he has a dramatic loss of form/injury. Will Wiggo want to be number 2? Or doesn't it work like this?

Well, Froome is number 1, so I wouldn't expect Wiggo to appear in next year's tour. Maybe he'll give the Giro another go, or the Vuelta later this year. More likely he'll concentrate on Time Trialling, and return to track cycling where he made his name in the first place.

2012 was his year. There'll never be another like it.

 

[1066familyman]

Well, what a Tour that was!

Stunning in every respect from start to finish!

 

[Nitram]

First year I have really followed it and understood what was going on, quite fascinating the different types of riders and specialities, time trials, sprints, mountain disciplines. Chris Froome seems a very modest chap well liked by his team. The light show on the Arc de Triomphe was spectacular.

 

[Stat Brother]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2013/jul/21/five-things-tour-de-france-2013?CMP=twt_gu


One for you 1066
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2013/jul/21/five-riders-chris-froome-tour-de-france?CMP=twt_gu

Personally I've enjoyed Twitter @ Le Tour, not so much the riders as they seemed a little preoccupied, but having all the media under one roof improves it for me.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environme...tour-de-france-twitter-killed-highlights-show

 

[Stat Brother]

[tweet]59065647315034112[/tweet]

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

First year I have really followed it and understood what was going on, quite fascinating the different types of riders and specialities, time trials, sprints, mountain disciplines. Chris Froome seems a very modest chap well liked by his team. The light show on the Arc de Triomphe was spectacular.

Same here. I joined mid-way through the tour and whilst I still have some learning to do I also found it quite fascinating. I also found the way the domestiques selflessly help their leader interesting and how rival teams share the work load at the front of the peloton positive. My sporting reference point is obviously football so these latter elements are completely alien to me. Cycling appears to be a very gentlemanly sport.

 

[Stat Brother]

Same here. I joined mid-way through the tour and whilst I still have some learning to do I also found it quite fascinating. I also found the way the domestiques selflessly help their leader interesting and how rival teams share the work load at the front of the peloton positive. My sporting reference point is obviously football so these latter elements are completely alien to me. Cycling appears to be a very gentlemanly sport.

I'm just finishing off:-

Domestique - Charly Wegelius



I'd say it was broad enough for a newbie, and perfectly illustrates that role.

 

[Stat Brother]

[tweet]359065647315034112[/tweet]

...

 

[Horton's halftime iceberg]

Without looking and on quick reelections these are my 2013 TDF highs and lows, remind me what else should be on the list.

Thriller moment

The Gus bus derails in Corsica while the NSC pack desends at speed (my analogy anyway)

OMG that cant be true

Lets hope Cav is ill because I cannot face he is no longer the fastest sprinter alive, only two stage wins, what a disgrace or our my expectations raising, the French no lightly no likely him..

Bradley Wiggins possibly not injured, deleting his twitter account and not speaking to Froome, never he’s a knight and a MOD.

My top stage

Mount Ventoux, timed to perfection and the beating of the young pretender at his own game, chapeau Froome, let the allegations begin..

Allez Allez Chapeau

Riblon and TJ both having technical problems but holding off the pack to win a double assault of the Alpe, who the F found that goat track to descend (roll on the veulta to see the real crazy climbs and desents)

Noooooooooooooo

G being lifted onto the bike with a broken pelvis, Tony Martin photo from a medical journal and Jean-Christophe Peraud wheel goes on a tight bend on the last TT, he lands on a broken collar bone. Ouch…

Je-ne-sais-quoi

Quintana, why when we have probably the best all round British rider ever ever ever, winning the tour, does a short little cigar smoking Columbian turn my head…

Personal highlights

On a windy TT in Brittany, Francesco Gavazzi snots/flems into a strong crosswind only for it to fly back and land on my open ended sandels, the biggest, best and free sporting event in the world keeps on giving.

To top of the free inflatable ashtrays BIC throw out, Condoms who needs Harribo!

Scores on the doors

10/10 Sir Dave Brailsford delivers and team SKY ride over the line together in a sparkling Paris, BRAVO. Clean riding could be winning the day.

Froome the mild mannered champion does his talking on the roads of France and appears to slay the old guard dopers, real racing on the roads of France, new young riders taking over.

This is the golden age of British cycling, and we must bask in its glory, cause next year the Columbians are coming, let’s hope for long flat time trials before they run to the hills….

PS can we get enough money together to just sponsor Jen's to do another tour, the soundboard must never die

http://teamjva.com/jens-voigt-soundboard/

 

[Fignon's Ponytail]

Great race this year, a worthy winner in Froome and some truly amazing scenery along the way again. Anyone else think they should finish in Paris every year at dusk?! Made for a spectacular end to the Tour imo.... already booked a hotel just off the Champs Elysees for next years edition!

 

[Tyrone Biggums]

My highlight was Daryl Impey wearing the yellow jersey.

 

[Indurain's Lungs]

I'm just finishing off:-

Domestique - Charly Wegelius

View attachment 45029

I'd say it was broad enough for a newbie, and perfectly illustrates that role.

I've just finished it as well - interesting to see things from another side. A few things I took from it -

- its difficult to write an entire book about that time period without talking about doping. There could be a whole other story here - one of top U23s in the world turns pro and can't win a race in his entire career because of the doping culture. Nowadays, Wegelius would have gone the route of Kennaugh, Thomas etc. and I expect Sky would have got him winning races in a Porte kind of way.

- I love the fact he slates Cadel Evans, I always knew he'd be an unpleasant person to ride with/be around.

- I also like the warts and all description of what life is like for most professional cyclists - even ones on top teams. They stay in shitty hotels and get treated like crap (though some of that is changing).

- Tom Southam is a bloody good writer as well as a nice bloke.

 

[Hamilton]

Have just woken up. Drunk a celebratory bottle of Cotes Du Rhone followed by another, brandies and Irish coffee. Ended up in some bar somewhere near the Eiffel Tower very very late.

Froome pretty much universally applauded by those on the street, except for a greened eyed bitter American I came across (could have been Lance in disguise.)

What an amazing day. What a finish. What an atmosphere.

 

[Seagull over Canaryland]

Just read the Charly Wegelius book - an insight into the life of a domestique.

I was struck by how devoted Charly was inspite of the doping going on around him (surprised he didn't go a bit deeper, I'm sure he could really dish the dirt - but then he still has a job to think of). I wonder how many other decent clean riders couldn't bite the bullet like Charly and thought 'bollocks to this' and just chucked their bike in a skip rather than roll over and join the dark side?

Good read.

 

[Stat Brother]

OMG that cant be true

Lets hope Cav is ill because I cannot face he is no longer the fastest sprinter alive, only two stage wins, what a disgrace or our my expectations raising, the French no lightly no likely him.

I'm not writing Cav off, just yet.
He's had a long season already, and a pretty shocking lead out train, while Argos has been purring.
He must get Renshaw back, and if he isn't kicking arses then, maybe we will have to scratch our chins, but not yet.


My other podcast made a good point.
4 under 25's in the top 15 of this tour.
It's been a real shame that there has been so much focus on the negatives, that weren't there, when clearly (and cleanly) the evidence is right in front of your nose.

Oh and they also speculated about the lack of Columbians, for a generation.
Wondering if EPO had robbed them of their natural advantage, it's a theory.

 

[teaboy]

Lets hope Cav is ill because I cannot face he is no longer the fastest sprinter alive, only two stage wins, what a disgrace or our my expectations raising, the French no lightly no likely him..

When did winning 2 stages of the biggest race in the world become a negative? Who won more stages than him - Kittel. That's all. And he crashed in the run in on 2 of them. If he gets a good lead-out train again he'll be flying.

Anyway - what he's done in the sport in unprecedented, and he only needs a couple more wins to be the winningest Tour rider ever.

 

[teaboy]

Lets hope Cav is ill because I cannot face he is no longer the fastest sprinter alive, only two stage wins, what a disgrace or our my expectations raising, the French no lightly no likely him..

When did winning 2 stages of the biggest race in the world become a negative? Who won more stages than him - Kittel. That's all. And he crashed in the run in on 2 of them. If he gets a good lead-out train again he'll be flying.

Anyway - what he's done in the sport in unprecedented, and he only needs a couple more wins to be the winningest Tour rider ever.

 

[Motogull]

I think HHI was joshing there.

Does anyone mind if I'm still miffed that Cav didn't take the win yesterday. After that football result, we've had 2 biggies not go to plan this summer.

 

[Stat Brother]

It was a shame Cav didn't win, but also it wasn't surprising.

Had he come away with nothing, then it would be different.
His win on Stage 13 was fantastic and a tactical masterstroke, so it's not all bad.

 

[Horton's halftime iceberg]

It was a shame Cav didn't win, but also it wasn't surprising.

Had he come away with nothing, then it would be different.
His win on Stage 13 was fantastic and a tactical masterstroke, so it's not all bad.

Perhaps the way forward if they don't get him a train