The Official 99th Tour de France thread, 2012.

[Horton's halftime iceberg]

Which bit?

Brad to ride for the Dog....

 

[Bozza]

I say...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQweo-sqHQ4

 

[Stat Brother]

We don't have such language here [MENTION=6886]Bozza[/MENTION].




That's your last warning

 

[Stat Brother]

Brad to ride for the Dog....

I've been giving it some thought since 1066 first mentioned it.

Next year it'll be mountainous.
Sky could have at their disposal
Froome
G
Eddie B-H
Henao
Uran
Porte
Knees
The Polish fella
Kennaugh
Not to mention a sprint team.

Any ho that's a long way off.

I shall be buying plenty of celebratory Leffe, in honour of Brad.

A proper hero here in Stat Towers.

 

[Marxo]

Being completely caught up in 'Tour Fever' I was thinking back and my most (non British) favourite tour moment was probably Joaquim Agostinho winning on the Alpe d'Huez in 1979. What a remarkable rider he was. In folklore it was said that when cows were stolen from his farm (maybe it was mixed up with the story included in the Wiki article below) he was refused permission to return home by his team manager. He was so angry that the next day he went off and won on Alpe d'Huez and was presented with the prize (a prize is always given by the locals to the winner) which that year happened to be...a cow. I've never been able to find out if it's true but a good story nonetheless. I was really sad when he died - see the article.

Joaquim Agostinho - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Brixtaan]

Thing is Bradley is already a legend, this propels him to a status that I haven't got a name for. Great Britains greatest ever sportsman is a bit long winded.

 

[Marxo]

Thing is Bradley is already a legend, this propels him to a status that I haven't got a name for. Great Britains greatest ever sportsman is a bit long winded.

The Paul Weller of sport?
Mind you, today he said he may shave his sideburns off!

 

[Stat Brother]

Thing is Bradley is already a legend, this propels him to a status that I haven't got a name for. Great Britains greatest ever sportsman is a bit long winded.

Yeah but can he do it on a wet Tuesday night, in Bolton?

Watching Shaun Sutton over the last 2 nights (Vicky P & Brad docu's) he was beginning to get on my tits.
A bit of a hard task master, all stick no carrot.
That was until he mentioned football:-

'You're paid all that money, you kick with 2 feet, and you can't kick with the other one, you're doing something wrong'.

I guess that's what he is all about, and even when you reach 'perfection', there still must be something more.



If only there was an example, a blue print, readily available for English soccerball to work with towards world domination.

 

[Brixtaan]

Yeah but can he do it on a wet Tuesday night, in Bolton?

Watching Shaun Sutton over the last 2 nights (Vicky P & Brad docu's) he was beginning to get on my tits.
A bit of a hard task master, all stick no carrot.
That was until he mentioned football:-

'You're paid all that money, you kick with 2 feet, and you can't kick with the other one, you're doing something wrong'.

I guess that's what he is all about, and even when you reach 'perfection', there still must be something more.



If only there was an example, a blue print, readily available for English soccerball to work with towards world domination.

With the whole country, including the players,media and Roy finally accepting that we are shit, I think the blueprint is in place to move forward. Yes, even the national football has a place in this remarkable summer

 

[teaboy]

When was the last time a rider with 1 on his back rode as a domestique for a team-mate for the whole Tour? I can't really see it happening myself, unless Brad has a shocker the first day in the mountains (intentional or not). I doubt Froome could win this Tour in his current team, and we'll have to wait for the Centenary route before getting over-excited about next year. Having said that it won't be one for Brad - I'm expecting mountains aplenty, maybe a short TTT, possible pave, everything. Certainly not the long ITTs that have given Brad the best part of a 5 minute head start over everyone else.

 

[Stat Brother]

With the whole country, including the players,media and Roy finally accepting that we are shit, I think the blueprint is in place to move forward. Yes, even the national football has a place in this remarkable summer

I just can't see the shift in thinking needed, to progress English football.
There's to many old thinkers with their head in the trough.

Looking at cycling, an international array of the best coaches, from any sport that would assist in bring fresh thinking into cycling.
It's taken 15 years, under the radar, to reach this point.

I wonder what the next 15 years have in store.

 

[teaboy]

I just can't see the shift in thinking needed, to progress English football.
There's to many old thinkers with their head in the trough.

Looking at cycling, an international array of the best coaches, from any sport that would assist in bring fresh thinking into cycling.
It's taken 15 years, under the radar, to reach this point.

I wonder what the next 15 years have in store.

Football would be better off going down the Cricket route of central contracts for the national team first. Once you ACTUALLY create a squad you can work with the players in a controlled way with continuity of coaching. From there you can throw in Sports Scientists, Sports Psychologists, physios, etc from across the world and from a range of sports to get the best out of the players. The trouble with this in football is the ridiculous monetary value clubs put on players that the FA would have to compensate for.

 

[Stat Brother]

Football would be better off going down the Cricket route of central contracts for the national team first. Once you ACTUALLY create a squad you can work with the players in a controlled way with continuity of coaching. From there you can throw in Sports Scientists, Sports Psychologists, physios, etc from across the world and from a range of sports to get the best out of the players. The trouble with this in football is the ridiculous monetary value clubs put on players that the FA would have to compensate for.

We'll see what another 10 years of mediocrity brings.

I wonder how a squad of talented jnrs coached for x amount of years by British cycling, would fair against the national team of the day?

 

[Indurain's Lungs]

We'll see what another 10 years of mediocrity brings.

I wonder how a squad of talented jnrs coached for x amount of years by British cycling, would fair against the national team of the day?

Some of it has to be an attitude thing. I remember reading about Clive Woodward's time at Scumhampton - he was appalled that most of them acted like schoolkids trying to avoid training and misbehaving. Sports like cycling require absolute dedication and a need to really engage with every possible means of improving your performance.

 

[Indurain's Lungs]

Also, I'll get in early with my team for today -

Sagan, Greipel, Froome, Zubeldia, Simon, Impey, Jeandesboz, Pinot, Izaguirre

 

[teaboy]

I'm just wondering if it'll be one for Cav - Sky'll ride on the front keeping out of trouble, and if you're there anyway....

I suppose it depends on breaks - I can't see Lotto or Greenedge giving up (probably) their last chance for a stage win. After all, what have GE done this year?!

 

[Indurain's Lungs]

Also, I'll get in early with my team for today -

Sagan, Greipel, Froome, Zubeldia, Simon, Impey, Jeandesboz, Pinot, Izaguirre

I had to take Albasini out to afford my transfers for the next few days - I knew he'd be in the bloody break today!!!

 

[Indurain's Lungs]

14 riders clear. I have none of them in my team!

Yaroslav Popovych (RadioShack-Nissan), Yukiya Arashiro (Europcar), Davis Millar (Garmin-Sharp), Julien Fouchard (Cofidis), Edvald Boasson Hagen (Sky), Adam Hansen (Lotto Belisol), Jelle Vanendert (Lotto Belisol), Kris Boeckmans (Vacansoliel-DCM), Luca Paolini (Katusha), Jeremy Roy (FDJ-Big Mat), Rui Costa (Movistar), Karsten Kroon (Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank, Nick Nuyens (Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank), Alexandre Vinokourov (Astana), Michael Albasini (Orica-GreenEdge) and Patrick Gretsch (Argos-Shimano)

 

[teaboy]

Is that list just a cut-and-paste from every other stage this year? No Jens?

 

[Indurain's Lungs]

Is that list just a cut-and-paste from every other stage this year? No Jens?

There is a recurring theme to it isn't there. I like this quote -

"Tomorrow, we want to mobilise all of our remaining resources to try and persist in a breakaway. It will be the last great chance for a stage win, as the last stage into Paris will be a bunch sprint," commented Hondo.

There are exactly zero Lampre riders in the break!!!!