The Official 101st Tour de France, thread.

[Stat Brother]

At the next sticky bottle moment you could ask 'how many pedals are they overtaking'.
The answer will be none.

Khadri made me laugh yesterday with 1km to go.
When his team car pulled along side and the fella in the car wouldn't let go of his hand.
I thought 'thatll take some explaining if they drive over the finish line together'.

 

[teaboy]

What a bloody brilliant ride from Khadri in horrible conditions. Saxo-Tinkoff looked ok, but Nibs was just marking Contador all the way up the final climb - I don't think we saw much from either. Plenty of time though.

Today's break will stick, GC will have a day off and wait for Monday, which will be amazing. But then again I'm NEVER right about these things (except stage 1 this year).

 

[Paddy B]

Nibs looked very comfortable shadowing Contador. It may just be their respective styles but Bert seemed to be suffering more

 

[Stat Brother]

my young niece now wants to watch more of the tour on TV,unfortunately she wants to spot more cheaters hanging on to cars......not sure she has grasped the concept yet

Had it been your nephew you could be pointing out wee-wee breaks 'comfort stops'.

You could play my sad sad little game, 'where can you buy the cheapest petrol in France'.

 

[Stat Brother]

Nibs looked very comfortable shadowing Contador. It may just be their respective styles but Bert seemed to be suffering more

Definitely their styles.

The pre ban Bert could kick more often and put more power into them. (another little sign that cycling is at least in a better place).

The thing Tinkoff will take from yesterday, as they couldn't take time, was how easily the beat up Nibali's Astana team.
It'll be a war of attrition and one Nibali won't be able to win, on his own.

 

[teaboy]

Definitely their styles.

The pre ban Bert could kick more often and put more power into them. (another little sign that cycling is at least in a better place).

The thing Tinkoff will take from yesterday, as they couldn't take time, was how easily the beat up Nibali's Astana team.
It'll be a war of attrition and one Nibali won't be able to win, on his own.

Although it could be a double-bluff - Astana domestiques had a day off yesterday while Saxo rode into the ground for 3 seconds.

 

[Horton's halftime iceberg]

Well its taken me a few days to get over the awful loss of Cav and the then the retirement of Froome, but this is the Tour doing its thing. Lets hope Porte is the new Wiggins.

Cant believe I am fully behind an Astana rider but its Nibali I want to see come through over Bertie, however ominous he looked yesterday. I would really love a youngster or an old time chancer to come out the wings but the team sets ups and race radio don't really allow for this anymore.

We had a great day in a field in Essex where we crashed a posh farmers party to build on the 16 years of seeing the Tour live every year, with the lines Tilly's daughter is going to Uni in Brighton -they have bought her a house - we added yet another unique Tour experience that only this race can bring you.

Yorkshire looked amazing, wet cobbles we can only dream of in April and the lumpy bits are coming, roll on Monday and the GC kicks off.

We have had a family illness so world cup watching and TDF watching has been drastically reduced the past three weeks, the upshot means we now cannot use our much loved and prized velodrome tickets for Saturday 26th July evening session at the Chris Hoy Velodrome, Glasgow. They are the top priced tickets and I just wanted to offer out to any Geek first dibs before I put them up online later today, on the off chance a cycling fan could go if anywhere near Glasgow. Its the Women's sprint finals, Scratch Race and Para TT and Tandem sprint finals.

Two tickets face value £90 each and I will send them out special delivery if anyone wants them.

Allez Allez PM me if interested

 

[Bold Seagull]

Although it could be a double-bluff - Astana domestiques had a day off yesterday while Saxo rode into the ground for 3 seconds.

That's a good point, but will an undermanned Sky and Saxo start making some pacts to try to work together to attack Nibali and Saxo? Any of Sky and Saxo ridden together before?

I remember Contador testing and probing Rodriguez like this in the Vuelta 2012. Rodriguez looked to have an unassailable lead and was responding to each attack, but in the end, Bertie cracked him on what was thought to be just a hilly stage, catching Rodriguez completely unawares (at least that's how I remember it…).

 

[Horton's halftime iceberg]

A little bit of cheer for British cycling: Emma Pooley just won a stage of the Giro Rosa, holding off Marianne Vos too, so a very good effort.

Meanwhile I am hoping that G will now step up and nick a stage win for Sky. Won't be easy with their team now so short handed and trying to keep Porte in contention for the GC.

Will Froome fancy the Vuelta (assuming he is fit)? - or does that create another issue for Brailsford with Wiggo already having been pencilled in?

I heard Froome is definiatly being put forward to the Vuelta as he has unfinished business, Pooley seems to be flying after her break from cycling, no mean feet to beat Vos

Next part of my education guys (so far I have decided ITV4 for the highlights and on the look out for a good priced Garmin 200) is podcasts - I listen to many but looking for one to take to bed each night during the tour so whats a good one?

If I'm short of time ITV - however it can repeat a lot of the interviews if you have already watched the ITV4 TV highlights

I'm a Velocast fan - however its subscription and can be very opinionated - I like its openness and frankness http://velocast.cc

BBC bespoke - very good I like Rob Hayes http://www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/series/bespoke

I also download cycling weekly - http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/raci...tour-de-france-2014-stage-five-podcast-129743

Someone sent me the daily torygraphs offerings http://thecyclingpodcast.com though not got near this one yet

Happy listening, their are more, but how many hours are in a day if you are not on holiday to catch all the TV and media coverage

 

[teaboy]

Well its taken me a few days to get over the awful loss of Cav and the then the retirement of Froome, but this is the Tour doing its thing. Lets hope Porte is the new Wiggins.

Cant believe I am fully behind an Astana rider but its Nibali I want to see come through over Bertie, however ominous he looked yesterday. I would really love a youngster or an old time chancer to come out the wings but the team sets ups and race radio don't really allow for this anymore.

We had a great day in a field in Essex where we crashed a posh farmers party to build on the 16 years of seeing the Tour live every year, with the lines Tilly's daughter is going to Uni in Brighton -they have bought her a house - we added yet another unique Tour experience that only this race can bring you.

Yorkshire looked amazing, wet cobbles we can only dream of in April and the lumpy bits are coming, roll on Monday and the GC kicks off.

We have had a family illness so world cup watching and TDF watching has been drastically reduced the past three weeks, the upshot means we now cannot use our much loved and prized velodrome tickets for Saturday 26th July evening session at the Chris Hoy Velodrome, Glasgow. They are the top priced tickets and I just wanted to offer out to any Geek first dibs before I put them up online later today, on the off chance a cycling fan could go if anywhere near Glasgow. Its the Women's sprint finals, Scratch Race and Para TT and Tandem sprint finals.

Two tickets face value £90 each and I will send them out special delivery if anyone wants them.

Allez Allez PM me if interested

PM sent. YES PLEASE!

 

[Pogue Mahone]

I am also right behind Nibs. I thought he was incredible over the cobbles, and would love to see him prevail.

They are not so sure in my LBS. "Not normal," is how they described his performance on Wednesday. Apparently, he also didn't look pained enough.

And he's Italian.

Please don't let it be so.

 

[Stat Brother]

Although it could be a double-bluff - Astana domestiques had a day off yesterday while Saxo rode into the ground for 3 seconds.

Nope.

You can't have a 'day off' at the tour.

Hindsight says Contador took 3 secs.
It could just as easily been 30 secs, a minute or 3.

The moment Contador puts on the yellow jersey the tour, as a competition, is over.

He's going to be snapping at Nibali every up hill finish.
If his Nibs is on his own on Monday he will lose more time, and so on.
After yesterday Mick Rogers can smell blood and he'll keep riding all the Astana doms into the ground, at every opportunity.


As for Nibali and the cobbles, a lot of that was down to preparation.
Astana rode the full stage at race pace a week after Roubaix.
Contador went out the day after Roubaix with a truck load of press and photoshooted his way round the famous bits.

 

[wakeytom]

Nice work on bagging a Garmin 200 for £69 By far the best price so far, but having checked I notice it's in store only so anyone wanting one might have to be quick.

Wise move watching the stage all the way through tomorrow. It should be good seeing who gets in the break and the the dynamics of it over a parcours that's up and down all day long except the last 20kms.

Had to drive over to Ferring for it (from Eastbourne) but was going to Giant at Shoreham anyway so not too much out of the way!

 

[Horton's halftime iceberg]

Great solo win from Tony Martin - helped with a 20K flat TT race attached to the end.

Bastille day will see a Frenchman in yellow - Viva la France

 

[Horton's halftime iceberg]

Did they just say he has the KOM jersey as well

 

[Stat Brother]

Did they just say he has the KOM jersey as well

Mentals.

 

[1066familyman]

Have to get this one out of the way first:

Post race interview by Matt Rendell to Geraint Thomas:

MR: "G, well you had to put a foot down during that stage, did you actually fall or was you just held up in a ruck?"

G: " Yeah, it was a little tumble, but er......." He's priceless. Love him to bits as a rider but the falling off really needs to ease back at some point.

G then goes on to explain how it's frustrating and stoopid that everyone's going up a 10km climb fighting like it's a bunch sprint. He was the wrong side side of a wheel when it all squezzed up a bit and he just sort of "toppled over a bit".

 

[1066familyman]

I remember Contador testing and probing Rodriguez like this in the Vuelta 2012. Rodriguez looked to have an unassailable lead and was responding to each attack, but in the end, Bertie cracked him on what was thought to be just a hilly stage, catching Rodriguez completely unawares (at least that's how I remember it…).

You remember it well. Fuente Dé is one stage I'll never forget. It was a descent and a valley floor that did for Purito that day. http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/the-day-after-the-attack-how-contador-won-in-fuente-de

 

[1066familyman]

Another lovely to see stage win today. Chapeau Tony Martin

Very pleased to see Gallopin in Yellow. I really like him as a rider so great to see him in yellow for Bastille Day tomorrow.

Nice move by Machado and also for Europcar. Smart move to get plenty of team mates in the break for Rolland to claw his way back into Top Ten GC contention.

Nice to see Edet making the break and keeping his KoM hopes on track, but Purito looks ominous for that jersey now.

Can't wait for tomorrow. Proper GC action absolutely guaranteed. As everyone has said, the battle of the doms will be crucial. Mick Rogers alone is a beast but you'd think Astana have plenty of cards to play with. I'll be cheering Nibs on over Contador.

 

[1066familyman]

I could see the way it was going so I've bowed out of the analysis business.
Knowing me as well as I do it was going to get more outlandish and 'comedy' wasn't going to be far away.

So I'm quitting while im ahead, as all things considered, yesterdays predictions were pretty good.

Sorry if I derailed it. I'll keep quiet if you go back to it as you're right, yesterdays predictions were pretty good.