The Official 102nd Tour de France, thread.

[1066familyman]

The man who's face will be all over the front of every European news outlet.

While I'm £170 richer.

Yes I did it, I couldn't help myself

A fool and his money, although at least I've been smart enough to save my only bet until the last stage.
As my prognostications clearly show I'd be properly broke if I were chasing my loses, for the last 3 weeks.

I'll tell you what SB, by way of a thank you for a great job on the stage previews here...I predict your man won't even top ten today

I think poetic justice hit Nibs yesterday with that puncture at the worst possible time. Shame really because I think he would have had a real battle with AVV for that podium spot. He's been getting stronger each day (too little too late) and he would have gone with the final Movistar attack. I reckon he would have finished behind Quintana but ahead of the CF/AVV group, so probably not enough to nick a podium spot but would have given some nice added interest.

 

[teaboy]

Does any rider have a realistic chance of beating CF today, to take the overall yellow jersey today?

Or is that just not 'cricket', on the last stage..?

Not the done thing, and certainly impossible in a bunch race to take the amount of time needed today on a flat stage. The last time the Yellow Jersey changed hands on the last day in Paris was an individual time trial in 1989. They should do that again!!

 

[Surf's Up]

Not the done thing, and certainly impossible in a bunch race to take the amount of time needed today on a flat stage. The last time the Yellow Jersey changed hands on the last day in Paris was an individual time trial in 1989. They should do that again!!

Unless CF met with an unfortunate "accident"

 

[Stat Brother]

I'll tell you what SB, by way of a thank you for a great job on the stage previews here...I predict your man won't even top ten today

I think poetic justice hit Nibs yesterday with that puncture at the worst possible time. Shame really because I think he would have had a real battle with AVV for that podium spot. He's been getting stronger each day (too little too late) and he would have gone with the final Movistar attack. I reckon he would have finished behind Quintana but ahead of the CF/AVV group, so probably not enough to nick a podium spot but would have given some nice added interest.

That's a little harsh, on our Bri.
I'm prepared to accept he might not be in the same postcode when the winner crosses the line.
But that doesn't rule him out of a top 10 finish.


I'm happy to admit I went a little 'hatstand' when Nibali climbed off.
Anyone would think Buckley had scored v Donny!

Even though I don't have that much of a problem with riders not obeying 'the unwritten rules'.
To paraphrase Herm Edwards:-

'You ride to win the race'.

The unwritten rules have so many caveats I'm beginning to think they should be thrown out and, a la yesterday, let karma play it's part.

 

[Triggaaar]

Does any rider have a realistic chance of beating CF today, to take the overall yellow jersey today?

Or is that just not 'cricket', on the last stage..?

Not cricket.

What if...

They're all riding in with the peleton, ready for the sprint, and with 500m to go, Froome crashes? Quintana crosses the line at high speed, with a fast moving peleton, and it takes a little while to get Froome on another bike, he wouldn't be able to get to the line quick enough.

 

[Bozza]

What if...

They're all riding in with the peleton, ready for the sprint, and with 500m to go, Froome crashes? Quintana crosses the line at high speed, with a fast moving peleton, and it takes a little while to get Froome on another bike, he wouldn't be able to get to the line quick enough.

If you come off in the last 1km (or is it 3km?) of a sprint finish you are given the same time as the group you were in.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

If you come off in the last 1km (or is it 3km?) of a sprint finish you are given the same time as the group you were in.

The comparable rule in a soccer ball match would be if Glenn Murray scored a second half goal in a play-off match against the team he used to play for ... it doesn't count.

 

[Bry Nylon]

Why does the leading rider on the Tour wear a yellow jersey? Is is because it doesn't show up all the piss?

 

[Stat Brother]

It's the 3 km sign.

I'd love to see how the rider that decides today's stage is balls out from the drop of the flag, is treated by the peloton when they cross the line.

I very much doubt the gendarmes have a big enough force to keep the rider safe from a bunch of skinny, poorly tanned, men sliding around on cleated shoes.

 

[Indurain's Lungs]

poorly tanned

Us cyclists are very well tanned, it's just a slightly unusual distribution!

 

[Triggaaar]

If you come off in the last 1km (or is it 3km?) of a sprint finish you are given the same time as the group you were in.

Cheers

 

[Tyrone Biggums]

TdF is becoming the least interesting of the grand Tours for mine.

I long for the day when a Tour drops any kind of time trial and just lets riders battle it out in the mountains to decide who is the best rider.

 

[Indurain's Lungs]

TdF is becoming the least interesting of the grand Tours for mine.

I long for the day when a Tour drops any kind of time trial and just lets riders battle it out in the mountains to decide who is the best rider.

They pretty much did that this year! Lowest TT distance in about 80 years.

 

[Tyrone Biggums]

They pretty much did that this year! Lowest TT distance in about 80 years.

They had two TT stages.

 

[Indurain's Lungs]

They had two TT stages.

I know but it's as little as it's going to get, I think!

The ITT is part of the tour, you have to have many skills otherwise just make it a week in the mountains.

 

[Tyrone Biggums]

I know but it's as little as it's going to get, I think!

The ITT is part of the tour, you have to have many skills otherwise just make it a week in the mountains.

I'd love a week in the mountains. TT are boring.

 

[Stat Brother]

The weather on the Champs would appear to be a great leveller.

#believeinbrian.

 

[Horton's halftime iceberg]

What if...

They're all riding in with the peleton, ready for the sprint, and with 500m to go, Froome crashes? Quintana crosses the line at high speed, with a fast moving peleton, and it takes a little while to get Froome on another bike, he wouldn't be able to get to the line quick enough.

Cut off point at only 68k today, so thats only 38k time some Froome would need to get in some serious position right now to not be able to get there. Last 70 k the peloton can bowl along while the TT loners and Sprinting teams ramp it up.

Wonder if Cav not having a train today may suit him better a la when he won his stage this year with our one

 

[1066familyman]

I know but it's as little as it's going to get, I think!

The ITT is part of the tour, you have to have many skills otherwise just make it a week in the mountains.

Agreed, but I would take team time trials out personally as they can really penalise good riders unfortunate enough to have a weak TT team.

I'd be happy with more editions like this year. Light on TT and chucking classics style stages in there heavy on the first week to create fireworks and keep the serious GC contenders on their toes rather than just everything won and lost in the mountains.

 

[1066familyman]

That's a little harsh, on our Bri.
I'm prepared to accept he might not be in the same postcode when the winner crosses the line.
But that doesn't rule him out of a top 10 finish.


I'm happy to admit I went a little 'hatstand' when Nibali climbed off.
Anyone would think Buckley had scored v Donny!

Even though I don't have that much of a problem with riders not obeying 'the unwritten rules'.
To paraphrase Herm Edwards:-

'You ride to win the race'.

The unwritten rules have so many caveats I'm beginning to think they should be thrown out and, a la yesterday, let karma play it's part.

I'm trying to do you a favour SB. If I tip our Bryan for success then he's guaranteed to fail.

Lampre have mugged me off all Tour, so to let them all have a turn, I'm going to let Cimolai have a go today. 100/1 seems like a steal when we could have carnage in the finale with these wet roads. The women suffered crashes galore today.