The Official 99th Tour de France thread, 2012.

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Mark Cavendish ‏[MENTION=12437]Mark[/MENTION]Cavendish
Aside from results, my highlight today was a guy dressed as a giant prawn enthusiastically screaming "Allez" in the Frenchest accent ever.

 

[Notters]

Hi guys, don't usually look at this thread for fear of spoilers, but have arrived at the right time today. Wasn't yesterday's stage fantastic. On Eurosport they kept going on about how it's all between Wiggins and Evans but Evans looked absolutely knackered to me, whereas Wiggins was cruising.

 

[perseus]

Altitude Sickness (Run out of Puff)

Hi guys, don't usually look at this thread for fear of spoilers, but have arrived at the right time today. Wasn't yesterday's stage fantastic. On Eurosport they kept going on about how it's all between Wiggins and Evans but Evans looked absolutely knackered to me, whereas Wiggins was cruising.

It was always going to be a good stage because of the terrain (very steep climb) but I have seen many more exciting stages over the years. One reason why it is not quite as exciting as the past is the peleton seems to be able to judge better (throught their radio transmitters) when they are able to catch the breakaways.

I nearly forecasted Stage 7 exactly right saying (in a previous thread) that Rogers (an Australian) would lead Wiggens up the last steep bit. I thought Rogers might win it and I half expected a sudden challenge from a complete unknown.

But Stage 7 was predictable, Stage 8 not nearly so. Same pattern I expect though. Rogers and Wiggens. But I am tempted to predict a true climber breakaway on the last climb, but there does not seem to be any Pantini's around any more, or climbers from Colombia etc.

On ITV4 very soon (midday).

 

[1066familyman]

Hi guys, don't usually look at this thread for fear of spoilers, but have arrived at the right time today. Wasn't yesterday's stage fantastic. On Eurosport they kept going on about how it's all between Wiggins and Evans but Evans looked absolutely knackered to me, whereas Wiggins was cruising.

Bloody excellent wasn't it!

Cool calm head on here for a bit. Remember Evans was left isolated yesterday after the destroying tactics of Sky in the shape of Rogers and Froome especially. Cadel is a wily old character though and there's certainly a lot of racing left in this yet, but yes, everyone's really thinking it now although I'm not allowed to say it as SB will give me detention or 100 lines or something like that.

 

[1066familyman]

Unchanged team for me today except Morkov out for time trialling attacking dom.

Going to let my young Rabobank man have another go today, although I'm not particularly hopeful after yesterday.

I wouldn't mind betting Chavanel has a jump off the front today towards the end to try and claw some of that lost time back from yesterday. Probably a break will finally succeed until the end though if there's no GC threats in it.

 

[Stat Brother]

I'm so gutted I mistakenly put Gilbert in, instead of Evans.

I'm now not sure I'll be able to make the changes I need to get Cancellara in for Monday.
Not to mention the 43 points it cost me, yesterday.

nutsnutsnutstwat.

 

[1066familyman]

I'm so gutted I mistakenly put Gilbert in, instead of Evans.

I'm now not sure I'll be able to make the changes I need to get Cancellara in for Monday.
Not to mention the 43 points it cost me, yesterday.

nutsnutsnutstwat.

Get straight back on that bike SB and stop being a Schleck I was gutted about the day I slipped Spartacus out for Gilbert thinking it was a master stroke, and then look what happened. I lost 35 points that day ( not that I'm counting you understand )and those points could still have seen me in fantasy Yellow even today I think. Onwards and upwards!

Certainly the TT tomorrow will hold a lot of people back today on transfers.

 

[perseus]

I hope somebody in the breakway is an outside for the GC, but I can't think of anybody except Robert Gesink (and he did nothing yesterday), but I don't expect him to make a bid (not until the last climb and not even then).

 

[1066familyman]

From the live ticker:

Matt Lloyd of Lampre is the first to hit the ground today. He had a difference of opinion with a roundabout.
And this is even the second time he has crashed in the neurtralized section during the Tour!

 

[1066familyman]

I hope somebody in the breakway is an outside for the GC, but I can't think of anybody except Robert Gesink (and he did nothing yesterday), but I don't expect him to make a bid (not until the last climb and not even then).

Dig a bit deeper into Rabobank

 

[perseus]

GC (after Stage 7)

Classifications - Tour de France 2012

 

[1066familyman]

Bloody hell, just seen the breakaway. Now that's strong !

 

[1066familyman]

Good to see ITV 4 have the whole stage live today. I'll watch until the tennis then go back to it 'as live'. If Murray loses early and ITV keep up their shocking advert count I could catch up the recording before the stage actually finishes

 

[perseus]

Edvald Boasson Hagen (Sky) in the early classy break. But the break looks like failing now. Pity.

He could join a later break and ride to victory But this might not be Sky policy Or it could be

9+ minutes down on GC. Previous stage winner in 2011.

This year the Plans stages are mixed up with the mountains: Tour de France 2012 - The Tour 2012

Glad that the team time trials not in the portfolio this year.

 

[Stat Brother]

Any Sky rider going 'up the road' early will only be there so he's in a position to work with Wiggins, when it all comes back together.

The only stage wins for Sky will come from Cav riding solo.

 

[1066familyman]

Dig a bit deeper into Rabobank

Keep it up young man, you're doing fine

 

[perseus]

Dig a bit deeper into Rabobank

Leading Rabobank rider in GC, Bauke Mollema (NED), is now making a bid at the bottom of the climb if I have got it right. ITV4 is hard to follow.

It needs a group of 12 to breakaway now to make a race of it. Who is in the group? I can't remember where the live web page is.

Tour de France 2012: live - Telegraph

Not sure where all the leaders are in the race.

 

[1066familyman]

Leading Rabobank rider in GC, Bauke Mollema (NED), is now making a bid at the bottom of the climb if I have got it right. ITV4 is hard to follow.

It needs a group of 12 to breakaway now to make a race of it. Who is in the group? I can't remember where the live web page is.

I'm not playing any more now, my man has just been caught

 

[1066familyman]

This might help you keep track of the breaks a bit better

Live Report Tour de France - Stage 8 | Cyclingnews.com

 

[1066familyman]

This might help too, but not as good as it used to be. I can't understand why people have to fix things that aren't broke. Their old site live tracker was much better.

Tour de France 2012