The Official 102nd Tour de France, thread.

[Stat Brother]

Some things are more important than broken bones...







...I better get my fantasy points!

 

[Pantani]

I think they've announced that he can't wear yellow!

Froome - "I don't want to wear yellow... Out of respect to Tony"

ASO -" It's not your decision, we're in charge...... You can't wear the jersey"

That sounds about right. Can they fine anyone 50 Swiss Francs while they are at it...

 

[Indurain's Lungs]

Some things are more important than broken bones...







...I better get my fantasy points!

Your concern is touching!

He finished the stage so you should be ok.

Turns out he's the 15th rider to abandon whilst in the yellow jersey!

 

[Stat Brother]

Your concern is touching!

Think of me as Claire Rayner with less facial hair.

 

[Stat Brother]

Tour de France 2015 Stage 7: Livarot - Fougeres, 190.5 km





Stats & Facts

Fougères has appeared a stage finish on one previous occasion, 30 years ago in 1985, when Greg LeMond and Bernard Hinault’s La Vie Claire won a 73-kilometre team time trial.
At the village of Le Bourg St Leonard, 56 kilometres into the stage, the 2015 Tour de France passes the 1,000-kilometre mark.
Fougères is just a few kilometres down the road from St Martin de Landelles, home village of the just-retired Tour speaker Daniel Mangeas.

Prognostication

T'is flat, heart says Cav head says Griepel, therefore Brian Cock'ard will win.

 

[Fignon's Ponytail]

After today's stage

Portsmouth - Caen
Caen - Etretat 71 miles
Etretat - Dieppe 50 miles
Dieppe - Newhaven

looks like a cracking long weekend.

Have a great time! I'm really tempted to take my bike over for a day or 2 after yesterdays jaunt. There were loads of Brit riders on the ferry heading off into the countryside before the stage went through Dieppe, & it looks a lovely place for riding. Would it be safe for a 9 year old do you reckon? My youngest is getting into road riding in a big way lately...

 

[Horton's halftime iceberg]

Get The F in

Well deserved - love it

 

[Pantani]

Boom! Classic Cav. Timed that sprint perfectly.

 

[Horton's halftime iceberg]

Works better without the train - makes him more Aussie Robbie

 

[Stat Brother]

He's got some cojones.

'I'll soft pedal until Griepel comes past then speed up and undertake him'.

I'm well happy about that.

Etixx have had 3 stage wins and 2 days in yellow in the first 6 days, but to listen to them you'd think they've been off the pace.
That's some high standard setting.

 

[Pantani]

He's got some cojones.

'I'll soft pedal until Griepel comes past then speed up and undertake him'.

I'm well happy about that.

Etixx have had 3 stage wins and 2 days in yellow in the first 6 days, but to listen to them you'd think they've been off the pace.
That's some high standard setting.

Thing is it really could/should have been 5 stage wins. Cav should have won stage 2 but cocked it up massively, and could have done better in stage 5. So I kind of see where they are coming from. Plus losing Martin rather dents their TTT hopes.

 

[Stat Brother]

Thing is it really could/should have been 5 stage wins. Cav should have won stage 2 but cocked it up massively, and could have done better in stage 5. So I kind of see where they are coming from. Plus losing Martin rather dents their TTT hopes.

Stage 2 was appalling, but that's still a cracking haul and shouldn't be diminished because they wanted to win everything.

 

[Pantani]

Stage 2 was appalling, but that's still a cracking haul and shouldn't be diminished because they wanted to win everything.

True, it is being a bit greedy, but they had a terrible spring and Giro, maybe they are trying to reassert themselves a bit.

 

[Indurain's Lungs]

Paolini positive for cocaine and out of the tour.

He does have the look of a man who might like some nose candy!

 

[Stat Brother]

Stage 7 result

1 Mark Cavendish (GBr) Etixx - Quick-Step 4:27:25
2 André Greipel (Ger) Lotto Soudal
3 Peter Sagan (Svk) Tinkoff-Saxo
4 John Degenkolb (Ger) Team Giant-Alpecin
5 Alexander Kristoff (Nor) Team Katusha
6 Arnaud Demare (Fra) FDJ.fr
7 Tyler Farrar (USA) MTN - Qhubeka
8 Reinardt Janse Van Rensburg (RSA) MTN - Qhubeka
9 Davide Cimolai (Ita) Lampre-Merida
10 Sam Bennett (Irl) Bora-Argon 18

General classification after stage 7

1 Christopher Froome (GBr) Team Sky 26:40:51
2 Peter Sagan (Svk) Tinkoff-Saxo 0:00:11
3 Tejay Van Garderen (USA) BMC Racing Team 0:00:13

 

[1066familyman]

At last Cav and the team get it right . Perfect timing today and lessons learnt from the past two cock ups.

Really disappointed to hear about Paolini. What an idiot!

 

[Stat Brother]

Forgive me for rushing through today, but I'm planning a long day in the saddle tomorrow, and need an early start:-

Tour de France 2015 Stage 8: Rennes - Mur de Bretagne, 181.5 km





Stats & Facts

Mûr de Bretagne has hosted one other Tour stage finish, in the 2011 race, when Cadel Evans outsprinted Alberto Contador.
It’s a good climb for Sylvains. The Tour also crossed the Côte de Mûr de Bretagne during the 2006 and 2008 Tours. First over the top in 2006: Sylvain Calzati. First over in 2008: Sylvain Chavanel.
In 2011, a group of 10 riders contested the finish. Three more riders conceded six seconds, 28 riders conceded eight seconds.

Prognostication
Fortunately repeating myself in this section hasn't been a problem.
Although Sagan may well be eyeing yellow, I'm still going to tip Dan Martin.
This time he ought to be close to Froome's wheel and ready to go, from there I can't see him being stopped.
Failing that Tony Gallopin is going to be throwing himself at this stage.

 

[Horton's halftime iceberg]

Real Ding Dong at the top with a few pulling away

I feel like Adam Hansen, just not as injured as Alex Dowsett or Micheal Matthews to claim the key TDF prize.

http://www.velogames.com/#

 

[1066familyman]

Nice bit of animation now in today's stage following the intermediate sprint. Has caused the original break to be caught and a new one form, but most interesting to see who chose to drop out of it and what teams in the peloton are not prepared to let a break take the stage.
Obvious Garmin would chase for Martin but interesting to see Lampre finally become visible for Rui Costa.
Sagan looks like he might fancy his chances
chances today again judging by the way he sat up in intermediate sprint and dropped back from the new little breakaway group.
Lotto Soudail still fancy Gallopin and having Bak up front is no bad thing.

 

[1066familyman]

Real Ding Dong at the top with a few pulling away

I feel like Adam Hansen, just not as injured as Alex Dowsett or Micheal Matthews to claim the key TDF prize.

http://www.velogames.com/#

It's a marathon, not a sprint