The Official 99th Tour de France thread, 2012.

[Lady Whistledown]

Working on the assumption that things stay the same, it'd be awesome to be in Paris on Sunday for the finish. If I wasn't working, I'd have seriously considered a trip.

 

[1066familyman]

Grivko having a go again, he has been in a break pretty much everyday since I dropped him. Never gets any points mind.

Same as. Always useful for time trials and a good rider, but never really scores too many fantasy points. There seems to be a lot of solid riders in real life that don't score as well as you'd expect in the fantasy competition. Jerome Coppell was one of those I found in the CdD.

 

[Pantani]

Profile of Col de Mente:

Looks pretty difficult for a Cat 1.

 

[1066familyman]

He's been about the only ever present in my team. I thought finally he might do something today.....but no!

I put him in the other day thinking he'd be all over the stage - never happened though. He brought some excellent form from the Tour de Suisse, but been a bit of a let down here. Research is one thing, luck is quite another.

 

[1066familyman]

Can I claim my...Paul Sherwin says "pilot fish" tour Bingo prize for today please?

 

[Pantani]

de Weert dropped already, that did not work out then.

 

[teaboy]

Profile of Col de Mente:

Looks pretty difficult for a Cat 1.

It's 'only' 9km though, averaging 9%. Sharp, but not long.

 

[Horton's halftime iceberg]

Working on the assumption that things stay the same, it'd be awesome to be in Paris on Sunday for the finish. If I wasn't working, I'd have seriously considered a trip.

Done every other type of stage but never done the end, its said to be extremely busy and you need to have a pitch by 5-6 in the morning. However afterwards all the teams celebrate and cycle around so you can catch them. IF SKY win they plan to whisk the riders away as most of them have to keep focused and train for the olympic rides the following weekend.

 

[Pantani]

It's 'only' 9km though, averaging 9%. Sharp, but not long.

Still 9% average is steep, I would say it is easier to climb 18km at 4.5% than 9km at 9%.

 

[Horton's halftime iceberg]

Can I claim my...Paul Sherwin says "pilot fish" tour Bingo prize for today please?

Nothing for a line in this game, you need the full house (or chateau in this case).

 

[1066familyman]

Profile of Col de Mente:

Looks pretty difficult for a Cat 1.

Vicious comes to mind. But I'm sure they said it flattens out for a bit in the run up to the line ? Not quite the same as that stage 7 finish Froome won perhaps ?

 

[Horton's halftime iceberg]

Bradley last night said the TT stage is the same as a Mountain one for him

 

[Pantani]

Riders in the break:

ROLLAND, MENCHOV, MONFORT, MARTINEZ, VORGANOV, VALVERDE, CASAR, VOECKLER, VANENDERT, LEIPHEIMER, COBO, TAARAMAE, PERAUD, KESSIAKOFF, JEANDESBOZ, TROFIMOV,FEILLU, SORENSEN, KADRI and PLAZA MOLINA

I have none of them.

 

[1066familyman]

Nothing for a line in this game, you need the full house (or chateau in this case).

fair enough.

One thing is for sure, the chateau's will come thick and fast as ever with Paul reading from the tourist brochure like he was present when the thing he's describing was being built.

 

[1066familyman]

Riders in the break:

ROLLAND, MENCHOV, MONFORT, MARTINEZ, VORGANOV, VALVERDE, CASAR, VOECKLER, VANENDERT, LEIPHEIMER, COBO, TAARAMAE, PERAUD, KESSIAKOFF, JEANDESBOZ, TROFIMOV,FEILLU, SORENSEN, KADRI and PLAZA MOLINA

I have none of them.

3 for me

 

[Horton's halftime iceberg]

fair enough.

One thing is for sure, the chateau's will come thick and fast as ever with Paul reading from the tourist brochure like he was present when the thing he's describing was being built.

I feel for them a bit as they have no control over the footage. So French telly cut to any building and thing on note, knowing it becomes the biggest advert and leaving the commentator little else to talk about over long stages than whats on the screen.

 

[Pantani]

3 for me

Looks like they are getting nowhere though. Too many 'heads of state' in the breakaway.

 

[1066familyman]

With this mist and Paul & Phil's antics, the official letour site live ticker is great. Hover over the groups and a list of riders in it comes up.

Tour de France 2012

 

[teaboy]

Still 9% average is steep, I would say it is easier to climb 18km at 4.5% than 9km at 9%.

Personally I'd prefer the shorter, steeper climb. Having said that I've never actually ridden either! I'm not a fan of long uphill drags though.

 

[1066familyman]

Looks like they are getting nowhere though. Too many 'heads of state' in the breakaway.

Yep.

Ooh, 'heads of state' ! That's very nearly a tour bingo line I've got now. Full house before the day's out I'm sure.