The Official 104th Tour de France thread

[Motogull]

Crap isn't it.

No.

Imagine how the country would react if this country had an English fella in the Wimbledon final. That would be a great afternoon to go to Bluewater because every other fukka would be in front of the TV. The TDF is massive for the French nation because it is theirs and has so much history. I mentioned tennis because I couldn't think of anything other than the obvious of England winning the football Euros or WC on our soil.

 

[Hamilton]

No.

Imagine how the country would react if this country had an English fella in the Wimbledon final. That would be a great afternoon to go to Bluewater because every other fukka would be in front of the TV. The TDF is massive for the French nation because it is theirs and has so much history. I mentioned tennis because I couldn't think of anything other than the obvious of England winning the football Euros or WC on our soil.

But hang on. I don't really think the French would give two hoots about us celebrating an Englishman getting to the Wimbledon final. Why should we be too concerned about their little cycling difficulties? And now they all appear to be going off in a Gallic huff (the Tour is on page 12 of L'Equipe today claims the Onserver) just because their boy lost.

If it was an Englishman in the Wimbledon final and he was beaten by a Frenchman taking his fourth Wimbledon title, the French would love it.

Celebrate this. Dave Brailsford has put together a great British team who set out to do something special and they've done it. I'm loving it as much as a Frenchman would love it if it were A2GR winning Le Tour.

Chapeau Chris Froome. Chapeau Landa, Kwiatkovski, Nieve, Kiryienka et al. Chapeau G for taking yellow. Chapeau Nicolas Portal. Chapeau Sir Dave.


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[Pogue Mahone]

Jesus wept, we Brits are a funny bunch.

You can bet your bottom dollar that if Sky were a mega-bucks French outfit and Thibaut Pinot was wrapping up his fourth victory today, there would be bunting in every French rue and no hand-wringing over how bad it all was for cycling.

I'm very pleased for Froome. He's a great rider, a lovely bloke, and it's good to see a Brit win.

But it's Sky. I boycott Sky TV because of Rupert Murdoch, and find it hard to feel any kinship with them as a team. I love G, loved Wiggo, and will support many of their riders individually.

But I wish they were sponsored by someone else.

 

[Hamilton]

I'm very pleased for Froome. He's a great rider, a lovely bloke, and it's good to see a Brit win.

But it's Sky. I boycott Sky TV because of Rupert Murdoch, and find it hard to feel any kinship with them as a team. I love G, loved Wiggo, and will support many of their riders individually.

But I wish they were sponsored by someone else.

This is a view I understand entirely.

I try to ignore that.


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[Motogull]

But hang on. Etcs

You've missed your own point fella which was to allude to how a nation would respond to home success in their blue riband event. Over here we will love Froome winning, but not to bunting level which is exactly how France would handle it if a frenchie were to beat an englander in the men's tennis final.

 

[Stat Brother]

I'm very pleased for Froome. He's a great rider, a lovely bloke, and it's good to see a Brit win.

But it's Sky. I boycott Sky TV because of Rupert Murdoch, and find it hard to feel any kinship with them as a team. I love G, loved Wiggo, and will support many of their riders individually.

But I wish they were sponsored by someone else.

Cycling the sport of the people.

From the very best pro to the fat bloke at the side of the road.
Men, women, children, all creeds, colour, religion.
Whether you be lycra clad warrior, commuter or pootler.
A city banker or a poor farmers boy from Brittany, welcome to cycling, unless...







...You're James Murdoch with his dad's money.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Cycling the sport of the people.

From the very best pro to the fat bloke at the side of the road.
Men, women, children, all creeds, colour, religion.
Whether you be lycra clad warrior, commuter or pootler.
A city banker or a poor farmers boy from Brittany, welcome to cycling, unless...







...You're James Murdoch with his dad's money.

 

[Hamilton]

You've missed your own point fella which was to allude to how a nation would respond to home success in their blue riband event. Over here we will love Froome winning, but not to bunting level which is exactly how France would handle it if a frenchie were to beat an englander in the men's tennis final.

By my original point is that we need to stop all the hand wringing and just say 'bloody well done.' Too many don't want to celebrate Team S*y's (for [MENTION=19321]Pogue Mahone[/MENTION]) success and instead, question it. Personally, I think this is cultural baggage we need to get rid of, and instead hang out the bunting.


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[Stat Brother]

Just having a little play.

I'm sure a contributor from 'almost Kent' will be along soon to agree with you.

 

[Motogull]

By my original point is that we need to stop all the hand wringing and just say 'bloody well done.' Too many don't want to celebrate Team S*y's (for [MENTION=19321]Pogue Mahone[/MENTION]) success and instead, question it. Personally, I think this is cultural baggage we need to get rid of, and instead hang out the bunting.

I'm pretty sure the vast majority will congratulate Froome and not give the team a thought either way. The Sky thing makes no sense to me. Why sponsor a team but not cover its sport?

The cultural thing runs too deep to change even in the mid term. Cyclists are respected over the channel but derided over here.

 

[skipper734]

What's happened to the Tour coverage on ITV4. Why only highlights?

 

[Motogull]

What's happened to the Tour coverage on ITV4. Why only highlights?

Today's stage kicks off later, for an evening finish.

 

[skipper734]

Today's stage kicks off later, for an evening finish.

Thankyou. Got it down as highlights on my programme guide.

 

[1066familyman]

What's happened to the Tour coverage on ITV4. Why only highlights?

It's been moved to Sky, on repeat. I think the deal they signed is for the next 5 years as well







Just a bit of fun for a contributor from almost Hampshire

 

[Motogull]

Right. Both ITV4 and Eurospurt start live coverage at 3.30.

 

[Stat Brother]

Sky’s the limiting factor for Chris Froome in Tour de France popularity stakes

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2017/jul/23/sky-chris-froome-tour-de-france?CMP=share_btn_tw


Between us we pretty much wrote this.

 

[Motogull]

Kinda flat not being able to root for Cav there. Hey ho. Even the fella who finished last gets my utmost respect. As for Froome, mega.

 

[1066familyman]

Your Tour Highs and Lows then? Off the top of my head...

HIGHS

French cycling in general. Clearly still on the upward curve with this new generation:

Bardet & AG2R - Gave it their best shot I think with what they had. It's not pro cycling manager and GC riders can't just launch repeated attacks as and when, but
that synchronised attack on the Mont du Chat stage was a joy to watch.

Barguil - I honestly thought he was destined to be the French version of Robert Gesink. What a fantastic tour he's had, especially coming off the back of so much
misfortune.

Calmejane - That win from the break on easiest the hardest stage of the race ( in terms of how manic it was from the off) was simply brilliant. Good future ahead
of him I hope.

Guillaume Martin - Cracking first TdF and on a PT team too. Another one for the future hopefully.



Matthews - Loving the fight to get that green jersey. Kittel crashing out didn't gift it to him (perhaps Sagan dsq did) because he would have made it a fight to Paris
I think.

Sunweb - Superb team togetherness there. Somehow supporting bids for two jerseys and pulling them both off takes some doing.

Dan Martin - What a fighter! We knew it already but this year he's gone above and beyond I think. Gutted that Porte crash denied him an almost certain stage
win.

Groenewegen - Yes it's a massively reduced sprint field, but nice to get his first GT stage win under his belt. There'll be plenty more to follow I'm sure.

Kwiatkowski - I'd much rather see more medium mountain stages and him attacking and chasing stage wins, but blimey!... he's taken Super Doming to the next
level! Unclipping when you're done because you can't pedal any more really is the very definition of 'emptying yourself'.

Sir Thomas of de Gendt - rarely disappoints. Great to see him up to his old tricks as usual.

Grmay - Had to attempt to get in every break on stage with a hill on it, and he did.

Froome - I like him, both as a bloke from what I've seen of him, and as a rider. I said before I think he's got balls and can be an exciting rider in the right
circumstances. I particularly liked his response to the Aru mechanical attack. Yes Chris, of course you just lost balance and ran into Aru accidentally,
just like Aru didn't see you had a mechanical They sorted it out between them on the road rather than whinge and whine about it. Froome is a
fighter I think, but of the nice kind.


LOWS

The amount of DNF's and that DSQ.

Porte - We may never get a chance now to see if he really does have what it takes to win a GT. Major loss to this years edition.

Valverde and Ion Izaguirre - Out on the very first stage took a lot from the GC excitement. Doubt either would have podiumed, but they would certainly have added
something to the battle.

Cav/Sagan - To be honest I'm fence sitting on the DSQ. I'm still with Cav in that I still want to know what that elbow was all about. I love both of them and any
race that see's them go out is always going to be that little bit poorer for it.

Kittel - Finally delivered on his favourite status and not even with the best of trains most of the time. Such a shame then to see him have the chance of finishing in Green taken from him due to misfortune.

Bouhanni - Shame he clearly hasn't recovered from that horrendous Yorkshire crash. I like him adding 'interest' to sprints and he's one of the best climbing pure
sprinters too. But that elbow on the Quickstep rider is just unnecessary, even as a first offence, which it wasn't.

Race Jury - The Bouhanni punishment was an absolute joke. Shameful even.
I sympathise on the Sagan decision, and in the end it was a bold one, right or wrong. They then undo all that -"no one's bigger than the Tour" - with
the ridiculous Uran, Bennett, Bardet drinks fiasco and backtracking. Pathetic really.
No combativity award for De Gendt. What's that all about?

Parcours - Too many sprint stages and too much flat after the descents.

 

[Triggaaar]

I'm very pleased for Froome. He's a great rider, a lovely bloke, and it's good to see a Brit win.

But it's Sky. I boycott Sky TV

You raise a good point - I subscribe to Sky, as I have for many years, so this victory is in part thanks to me. As Chris and the team celebrate tonight, I am part of that celebration. I shall raise a glass and toast them in reciprocation

 

[Stat Brother]

I think that's a decent summary 1066.

I'd add Yates to Dan Martin.

Boohoo coming 8th on stage 2.

Nobody seems to mention Mathews piling serious pressure on Kittel prior to his crash.
Sure it may well have been 'just one of those things', but Bling did have him on the ropes.

The jury was awful but hopefully bad enough to be reviewed going forward.

The last week karma was a nice touch for Eddie & Bodnar, Data & Bora.


I don't agree with the negativity about the parcours.
Those flat stages are needed and as I've said before, at least the race and peloton made it clear almost instantly when it wasn't a race day.
The Giro, now that was an awful parcour, which everybody forgot about because of the last 4 days.

As for flat run offs, I guess that's a nod to safety, and still provided some of the best action.

Once I realised Cannondale were doing nothing, they pee'd me off.

The conservative riding by the other contender teams, except AG, obvs.



As usual I enjoyed my listening, The Cycling Podcast and ITV's shambles.
I do like Ned and Dave, but Ned's still a way off from calling a finish well.