The Official 100th Tour de France thread, 2013.

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Ooh forgot to mention...money very well spent by the Corsican Tourist Board I'd say. Looked bloody lovely and I can see loads of people now shunting it right up near the top of their holiday destination list as a result of today.

Probably done more to get people interested in going to Corsica for their holidays than anything else in the history of the world ever.

 

[Jesus Gul]

Allez Team Saxo Bank

 

[Stat Brother]

Wot, no stage 1,2,3 prediction to go with the map and profile

Very poor this early in proceedings. I had more faith in you than that

I'm trying, fairly unsuccessfully at the moment, to reduce my NSC cycling profile, you're not helping!!

Anyway where's your top 3?

Sagan
Valverde (I don't believe he's a yellow contender so he'll looking for early form to kid everyone)
A Frenchie - Gene


I can't believe nobody else has mentioned this:-

 

[Pantani]

1. Sagan
2. EBH
3. Gallopin

Don't think the pure sprinters will manage to hang on as at least one of the GC teams will get nervous and tear the race apart on the final climb. Today's break will have six riders, with a Vacans Soleil rider trying to get the Polka Dots, joined by riders from Cofidis, AG2R, Europcar, FdJ and Lampre.

 

[Tyrone Biggums]

No idea how those hills will effect them. If they are a bit tricky then the likes of...

Voekler
Gilbert
Chavanel

Might have a crack

 

[Pantani]

Oh, and can Geraint Thomas manage to stay on his bike for a whole day for once? So many crashes for him this year it seems he is jinxed.

 

[Stat Brother]

[tweet]351250833062641664[/tweet]

He really wants to win, next Wednesday.

 

[1066familyman]

Great news on Tony Martin. There's no tougher cookie in sport than a pro cyclist that's for sure. Right, deep breath and here goes...

...I'm finding it hard to call as to whether sprinters will hang on today or not as there's a fair bit to go to get back on after that cat 2 and the cat 3, whilst it is nearly 9%, is only 1km long and still has 13km to go after that before the finish. There is however a little 500m kick of about 5% within 2km of the line so.......I think the likes of Gilbert, Samuel Dumoulin , Kristoff and even Rojas should be about to give Sagan a run for his money. The big question is will Cav and Bouhanni be angry enough after yesterday to hang in there as both have managed to hang on like this before. I don't think the GC teams will get involved at all today (could be a cue for more unorthodox Garmin tactics then) so I think it's up to Cannondale to drive it hard to make certain of dropping Cav and the likes and that short sharp last cat 3 is right up Sagan's street to finally finish them all off. Also interesting is to see if Degenkolb will rediscover enough form to defend Argos Shimano honour and go for stage win number two, because one things for certain in this ramble of mine.......

KITTEL WILL BE DROPPED

P.S. Nailed on for a Cofidis rider to be in the break after missing out yesterday, and my guess would be young Rudy.

 

[Horton's halftime iceberg]

Wow, the French know how to make a good suspense thriller, that was just crazy yesterday, watched it late last night on V+ and it was weird yet compelling. Were the highlights edited like that or did it play out like that live.

It was strange to watch a stage without the hordes of millions, looked more like a pre season race.

It was rumoured Tony Martin may be able to carry on, how unlucky is that man with injuries at the wrong time.

Today should be a great stage especially for Le Tour, it has lumps...

 

[1066familyman]

Not just a highlight edit to make for suspense. Watching live it was a real nail biter as to whether they'd get that bus out of the way in time. In fact they'd already told the DS' that they were moving the finish line to the 3km to go marker at one point, only to change it back again. Was great watching live yesterday, but as you say, for actual racing excitement today should make for a great stage as the lumps give it that real unpredictability.

Have a good trip down there this year. Which stages are you going down for this year?

 

[Motogull]

Great news on Tony Martin. There's no tougher cookie in sport than a pro cyclist that's for sure.

Maybe equal with a pro motorcyclist? For example: Thursday, Lorenzo crashes in practice in Holland breaking his collarbone. Flies to Spain undergoes surgery to plate it. Flys back Friday. Passed fit to ride Saturday morning (believed to have passed the hop-on-1-leg-F1-equivalent but involving press ups) and competes finishing 5th.

Little over an hour to go!

 

[Stat Brother]

Great news on Tony Martin. There's no tougher cookie in sport than a pro cyclist that's for sure. Right, deep breath and here goes...

...I'm finding it hard to call as to whether sprinters will hang on today or not as there's a fair bit to go to get back on after that cat 2 and the cat 3, whilst it is nearly 9%, is only 1km long and still has 13km to go after that before the finish. There is however a little 500m kick of about 5% within 2km of the line so.......I think the likes of Gilbert, Samuel Dumoulin , Kristoff and even Rojas should be about to give Sagan a run for his money. The big question is will Cav and Bouhanni be angry enough after yesterday to hang in there as both have managed to hang on like this before. I don't think the GC teams will get involved at all today (could be a cue for more unorthodox Garmin tactics then) so I think it's up to Cannondale to drive it hard to make certain of dropping Cav and the likes and that short sharp last cat 3 is right up Sagan's street to finally finish them all off. Also interesting is to see if Degenkolb will rediscover enough form to defend Argos Shimano honour and go for stage win number two, because one things for certain in this ramble of mine.......

KITTEL WILL BE DROPPED

P.S. Nailed on for a Cofidis rider to be in the break after missing out yesterday, and my guess would be young Rudy.

I won't be desperately surprised if a sprinter or 2 hang on, today.
Cav can do a ramp if he can smell a victory, and Griepel wasn't off the front in the Spring Classics just for giggles.
Cannondale will be very keen to shed the lot, making it very intriguing, and a tough day.

Wow, the French know how to make a good suspense thriller, that was just crazy yesterday, watched it late last night on V+ and it was weird yet compelling. Were the highlights edited like that or did it play out like that live.

The news came through they were finishing at 3kms.
Then a few minutes later a camera showed the 3km line.
Phil went nuts, Paul went nuts, I genuinely went nuts, shouting and screaming at the TV.

It was in the middle of a single file road on the apex of a chicane.

Top entertainment.

 

[rcf0712]

That was nuts last night, we had music playing, booze flowing and the commentary off so trying to work out what was going on with the bus was fun, and of course it had to be the Aussie bus.....

 

[Horton's halftime iceberg]

Not just a highlight edit to make for suspense. Watching live it was a real nail biter as to whether they'd get that bus out of the way in time. In fact they'd already told the DS' that they were moving the finish line to the 3km to go marker at one point, only to change it back again. Was great watching live yesterday, but as you say, for actual racing excitement today should make for a great stage as the lumps give it that real unpredictability.

Have a good trip down there this year. Which stages are you going down for this year?

We were down to do Mount Ventoux and the Alpe but my wife got made redundant and our working fixtures changed, so we will see them on the telly instead.

So off to the CAV brit roadshow in St Malo, the time trial and the stage to Tour, can't wait.

First climb shreeding the pack, here goes Tommy.....

 

[Pantani]

Where is Bouhanni? Presume he is in the bus with the other sprinters, but why did FdJ tear it up otherwise?

 

[Stat Brother]

I guess they thought Filleu (sp) was up for it.

Full in depth analysis after tea, but my initial takeaway thought from watching today's stage is:-

'where's my passport, snorkel and flippers'?

 

[1066familyman]

I was convinced Bouhanni was in that FdJ drive up the cat 2 to drop all the other sprinters. That really was wishful thinking on my part it seems. Made a good race of it though and saved Cannondale a job, even if Sagan couldn't take advantage of it. Chapeau to Bakelants for holding out for the win.

 

[Stat Brother]

Another amazing stage.
Wet and windy Yorkshire must be a bit miffed having to follow Corsica.
I guess it could improve, when Le Tour crosses into England.

I could bang on about how great it looks, all night.

Europcar seemed to enjoy themselves.

I was loving Bakelants, I never thought for a minute (a second) he'd hang on.
Cracking pre-podium interview 'well that's our tour sorted, and it's only day 2'.




The organisation clearly didn't know who Bakelants was, so can't really hang that on P & P.
Shame Paul ruined the finish within 15 seconds.

 

[1066familyman]

Another amazing stage.
Wet and windy Yorkshire must be a bit miffed having to follow Corsica.
I guess it could improve, when Le Tour crosses into England.

I could bang on about how great it looks, all night.

Europcar seemed to enjoy themselves.

I was loving Bakelants, I never thought for a minute (a second) he'd hang on.
Cracking pre-podium interview 'well that's our tour sorted, and it's only day 2'.




The organisation clearly didn't know who Bakelants was, so can't really hang that on P & P.
Shame Paul ruined the finish within 15 seconds.

To be fair to Sherwin he called Bakelants right from the off, before I could even check a startlist to be sure it wasn't Gallopin. Phil of course was on fine form in getting every call completely wrong as Tommy V and Sir Thomas of De Gendt went flying off the front at the bottom of that last cat 3....not

Kids are all over Corsica as the perfect holiday destination now. Nice to have dreams I suppose.

 

[Socialist Sid]

I'm backing the guy that did a lap of honour the last time he won it.