The Official 99th Tour de France thread, 2012.

[Pantani]

This is hectic, no breaks are actually getting away just hanging off the front. Sky are working very hard so far.

 

[perseus]

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.

Yep. If a Sky rider is in the breakaway, he will be a passenger and want to slow it down.

It does not look like a group is going to be able to get away. It will have to happen now but the break is 21 in number and only 40 seconds ahead. Needs to be 12 or so in number and about five minutes ahead of Sky.

Still a long way to go: Tour de France 2012

It needs a group ahead and then a rider to attack from that group to make it exciting.

 

[1066familyman]

That's sad for Sammy Sanchez, out with probable broken collar bone

 

[perseus]

13.35 Jérémy Roy (FDJ-BigMat) caught the 20-man break before flying past them and is currently the stage leader. Roy, you may remember from last year, is a breakaway specialist and has been pretty quiet this year. Team Sky, meanwhile, are in control of the main peloton who are closing in on the 20-man break.

Comment: If I remember rightly Roy made it exciting but he was always going to get caught.

How many of the injured will miss the Olympics?

 

[perseus]

Forecast

I think all breakaways will be caught (if they get away in the first place) and Edvald Boasson Hagen (Sky) will win the descent.

PS: Can't we have a cycling icon please?

 

[Pantani]

Predictions time.

Polka Dot: some Frenchman who goes on a long attack early on gets loads of points then keeps doing the same for the entire tour, lets say Jeremy Roy, he likes that sort of thing.

Today is the day we will see a genuine contender for KoM appear in the break.

Fantasy Cycling Rule 253: Always back your own predictions otherwise you end up feeling a bit stupid, when they come off and you get no points for it.

 

[1066familyman]

Fantasy Cycling Rule 253: Always back your own predictions otherwise you end up feeling a bit stupid, when they come off and you get no points for it.

Innit though

 

[1066familyman]

btw, how do you multi quote ? I've never managed to be able to it, but on this thread especially it would be very handy.

 

[1066familyman]

Looks like 3 Rabobank riders in that second group behind Roy - Ten Dam, Mollema & my man. That suits me nicely.

 

[1066familyman]

I had planned to go off and watch the tennis and come back to watch the recording of today's stage, but I just can't seem to drag myself away now.

 

[Indurain's Lungs]

I haven't got a single rider in that massive group that's away. Going to be a bad day for me today.

 

[perseus]

I have no plans to watch the Tennis, only if it got really close.

15:13
All the riders in the chase group
The riders in the chase group that is 1'10" behind Roy and Kiessiakoff are:

Moinard (BMC), Gallopin (RNT), Kern (EUC), Marzano (LAM), Nerz (LIQ), Peraud (ALM), Cherel (ALM), Kadri (ALM), Moncoutie (COF), Jeandesboz (SAU), Hoogerland (VCD), Valls Ferri (VCD), Caruso (KAT), Pinot (FDJ), Kruiswijk (RAB), Mollema (RAB), Ten Dam (RAB), Kiriyenka (MOV), Sorensen (STB), Kisierlovski (AST), De Weert (OPQ), Weening (OGE).

No Sky riders in the breakaway. It needs to reduce in numbers to make it get away.

 

[perseus]

Pinot, a French rider, will be mentioned on ITV 4 soon if he keeps up in the leading group.

Nope: the Peleton is rapidly clawing back the escape group. It looks like they will catch the breakaway now quite easily before the last climb.

 

[Pantani]

btw, how do you multi quote ? I've never managed to be able to it, but on this thread especially it would be very handy.

You click the little "+ thing at the bottom right for all the quotes you want then hit reply with quote for the last one.

 

[perseus]

Pinot, a French rider, will be mentioned on ITV 4 soon if he keeps up in the leading group.

Nope: the Peleton is rapidly clawing back the escape group. It looks like they will catch the breakaway now quite easily before the last climb.

16:27 (UT + 2)
Five in chase group
Pinot has Kern, Kiserlovski, Gallopin and Moncoutie with him as they begin the ascent of the sixth climb today. They are 1'35" behind Kessiakoff.

No mention of Pinot yet on ITV4

16:29
Three in pursuit of the stage leader...
What had been a 14-man chase group has been oblitorated by the gradient of the sixth climb. There are now just three men in the first chase group. Kessiakoff continues to lead the stage. Behind him are three Frenchmen Pinot, Gallopin and Moncoutie.

Pinot now mentioned as the group goes down to two.

This is getting as exciting as cycling gets.

 

[perseus]

Adverts: Murray does not seem to be doing too badly at all. Federer seems to be better on the longer rallies though. Could be a glorious defeat Vital break point for Murray! Deuce. Murray is smashed! Deuce. Advantage Federer. Deuce again. Bored. Back to the cycling. Game saved by Federer.

Meanwhile:

16:44
Ride, young man, ride...
Thibaut Pinot (FDJ) has dropped Tony Gallopin early on the final climb. The youngest rider in the race is now dancing on the pedals and in pursuit of the Swedish stage leader.

 

[perseus]

Pinot. Phew !

 

[Pantani]

What a ride from Pinot, so glad he held on, you will never get that kind of drama with two blokes batting a ball around in South West London.

Marc Madriot is a mentalist, though, I've never seen a DS go that crazy before. The bit where he was hugging his colleague nearly brought a tear to my eye.

 

[Stat Brother]

He's been nuts for years

 

[Stat Brother]

You boys took one hell of a beating

And now for my penultimate moan on about Gilbert-gate.
(The last one will be when he rocks up and wins tomorrow, costing me 80+ points in total)

As I thought, I now can't shift Cancellara in, and had to drop in Mick Rogers and Dave Z, instead.

No beatings handed out tomorrow