The Official 99th Tour de France thread, 2012.

[Stat Brother]

Money in the bank.

A nice sum of money too.

Well done Ty.

 

[1066familyman]

Money in the bank.

A nice sum of money too.

Good on ya. Always well worth a bet today.

 

[Bold Seagull]

I think that was genuine.
Brothers in arms, when the going gets tough.

Looked Genuine to me as well. Tough stage, mutual respect.

 

[1066familyman]

I think that was genuine.
Brothers in arms, when the going gets tough.

Agreed. Nice touch I thought. Nibali will surely have to tone down the talk now.

 

[Stat Brother]

You could even stretch it to say Froome only attacked to neutralise any counter from Nibali, so he can even be forgiven that.

Nope.
He either just didn't know.
Or more sinister
It was a willy wave in Brad and Dave B's face, saying look what I can do.

 

[1066familyman]

Nope.
He either just didn't know.
Or more sinister
It was a willy wave in Brad and Dave B's face, saying look what I can do.

I can't believe he'd do that at such a crucial point in the race. Let's put it down to inexperience then.

 

[Stat Brother]

Fantastic riding.

Superb stage.

Do we start talking about IT?

Shall we have this as our late night debate?

 

[Horton's halftime iceberg]

This looks unbelivable - Nibali gave it some today and could still not escape

Stage

1 Pierre Rolland (Fra) Team Europcar

2 Thibaut Pinot (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat

3 Christopher Froome (GBr) Sky Procycling

4 Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team

5 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale

GC


1 Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Sky Procycling 48:43:53

2 Christopher Froome (GBr) Sky Procycling 0:02:05

3 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:02:23

4 Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team 0:03:19

5 Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team 0:04:48

 

[Indurain's Lungs]

My fantasy team is going from bad to worse. Took out kesiakoff and pinot yesterday!

 

[Stat Brother]

It might be true, but Cadel isn't going to like this:-

Bradley Wiggins ‏[MENTION=14319]brad[/MENTION]wiggins
And huge respect to Cadel, champion till the end

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Rolland Froome Stat Brother

How many days to go now Statbro?

 

[Horton's halftime iceberg]

Tour De France Podcasts, get your lug holes around these

I think this is the first year in about the last twelve; I have been around for the Tour De France.

I am missing being out there, but a few advantages to being in the UK have been; the coverage on my own TV in English, rather than grabbing the end in busy bars with French coverage. Knowing what’s going on as it happens, when you are in the middle of nowhere you only catch a snapshot.

Normally we try and find a café with wi fi (always slow) and I just download the itv podcast, after a slow start this year I am listening to the following.

VELOCAST

The best by a long way is velocast, however they now charge a one off fee of £10 to listen. Its worth it and I signed up yesterday.

They are the Scottish version of Rendell and Boulting, frank speaking, knowledgeable and with an added dose of humor with a sideways look. My top podcast listen and a brilliant way to get extended enjoyment after every stage, and its still worth listening to previous stages as they cover so much (as I am now).

velocast cc - Shows

CYCLING WEEKLY

My second best this year is cycling weekly’s offering, a bit more cycling specialized but really interesting when the hosts talk about racing against Wiggens and Froome in local meetings over the years. Can go a little of course at time when talking about driving and service stations and living in a car, buy hey we would all do that to get the access they have to the tour. However like the one above it has a feel of a pub chat that you want to join in with

Cycling Weeklys Tour de France 2012 podcasts | Latest News | Cycling Weekly

ITV

I keep faith with the itv podcast just because it has Rendell, Boardman and Ned, and they are always worth listening too, however where the real peloton was probably the best podcast on pro cycling going, the itv version is tame and repetitive. They use too many clips and recordings you have already seen on the show and the new content is only often 10 minutes worth, however this is great podcast when you are in a tent in the south of France, but in the UK always leaves me wanting more.

iTunes - Podcasts - ITV Tour de France Podcast by ITV

SKY

Skys podcast that Stat Brother highlighted earlier in this thread was dull and actually sent me to sleep zzzzzzz, may have got better, sounded open university.

Team Sky | Pro Cycling | Latest News 2012 | Third podcast now available

TOUR CHAT

Still yet to try this one it has a video version I think;

TourChats for Cycling Fans

Let us know if you listen to any others I should try or other media tour inputs I can OD on, I understand Stat Brother spends all his spare time on the Jens Voight soundboard in a tunnel of PAINNNNNNN…

 

[Stat Brother]

Rolland Froome Stat Brother

How many days to go now Statbro?

You've still got another 8.
Sadly Rolland has too much class to ride over, to make it a perfect storm, but hey he's 9th 6-7 mins behind third, so not a bad call. (assuming it's first 3)
I'm not going to tell you to spend you're Froome 'winnings' yet, but I wouldn't loss your 'betting slip'.

 

[Stat Brother]

I think you're being a little harsh on the Sky one.
Knowing it's going to be really biased, I think it's a lot better than it could be!.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

You've still got another 8.
Sadly Rolland has too much class to ride over, to make it a perfect storm, but hey he's 9th 6-7 mins behind third, so not a bad call. (assuming it's first 3)
I'm not going to tell you to spend you're Froome 'winnings' yet, but I wouldn't loss your 'betting slip'.

Might have to start betting on daily stages, Froome was only held back by team orders near the finish today.

 

[Stat Brother]

Might have to start betting on daily stages, Froome was only held back by team orders near the finish today.

Don't get greedy, just because you think Pro Cycling is, to you, a cash machine.
Doesn't mean to say it actually is.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Don't get greedy, just because you think Pro Cycling is, to you, a cash machine.
Doesn't mean to say it actually is.

Gah! Too late!

Stage 12:

Pierre Rolland @ 66/1
£5.00 EW Single
Chris Froome @ 25/1
£5.00 EW Single

 

[Stat Brother]

Gah! Too late!

Stage 12:

Pierre Rolland @ 66/1
£5.00 EW Single
Chris Froome @ 25/1
£5.00 EW Single

Did you ask any help?

I thought not.

I think someone is forgetting the little people who got him where he is!

 

[Stat Brother]

Gah! Too late!

Stage 12:

Pierre Rolland @ 66/1
£5.00 EW Single
Chris Froome @ 25/1
£5.00 EW Single

Tomorrow is a day for the 'lesser' riders, assuming Sagan doesn't win.

Valverde or Lars Bak. 2 random names plucked from about 50 possibles.

 

[Stoichkov]

I can't believe he'd do that at such a crucial point in the race. Let's put it down to inexperience then.

I think Froome knew that 10secs worth of effort to put a gap between him and Wiggins will be worth £££ in eitehr re-negotiating with Sky or moving elsewhere.

I don't think he'll attack Wiggins again but its was a pretty clear statement of what he could do - i.e beat Wiggins in the Tour...