The Official 99th Tour de France thread, 2012.

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Did you ask any help?

I thought not.

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

What?!

I followed your cycling wisdom blindly - and not for the first time - and you tipped me riders who came first and third respectively today at prices of 66/1 and 28/1 respectively to win Le Tour. I'm just enjoying the moment, and loving the ITV4 weekday highlights. Not that fussed about the money really, just adds that extra kick of interest. Tho for me, the coverage and the landscape will always be the real stars.

 

[Gregory2Smith1]

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.

absolutely this

patience young man,your day will come

he defo tried to upstage braders at the TT

 

[Stat Brother]

What?!

I followed your cycling wisdom blindly - and not for the first time - and you tipped me riders who came first and third respectively today at prices of 66/1 and 28/1 respectively to win Le Tour. I'm just enjoying the moment, and loving the ITV4 weekday highlights. Not that fussed about the money really, just adds that extra kick of interest. Tho for me, the coverage and the landscape will always be the real stars.

So have you bet those 2 again for the win/place on tomorrows stage?

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

So have you bet those 2 again for the win/place on tomorrows stage?

Um, yes, that was the gist of my post #957 a page back, those are my bets for tomorrow I posted. Did I do wrong?

 

[Stat Brother]

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...

But Froome renegotiated after the Vuelta.
He talked them down from 5 years to 3 but upped his money to $hit loads, multi million pound deal.

I can't see him moving away, as the buy out will be massive.

So he stays.

Next years course will suit him better than Brad, but it would hang Cav out to dry for a second year.

Something will have to give.

 

[Stat Brother]

Um, yes, that was the gist of my post #957 a page back, those are my bets for tomorrow I posted. Did I do wrong?

Yeah sorry mate.
Lightening rarely strikes twice on Le Tour, and even less likely the day after what went on today.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Yeah sorry mate.
Lightening rarely strikes twice on Le Tour, and even less likely the day after what went on today.

 

[Brixtaan]

Bloody hell. A day for the purists. Froome and Wiggins, knighthoods, nothing less. I'm going to start to get angry if this doesn't give cycling the respect it has always deserved.

 

[Triggaaar]

Good race.

I'm assuming that was just a mistake by Froome.

I'm going to start to get angry if this doesn't give cycling the respect it has always deserved.

It hasn't deserved respect, because it's been so full of cheats. Fix that, then it stand tall.

 

[n1 gull]

Good race.

I'm assuming that was just a mistake by Froome.
It hasn't deserved respect, because it's been so full of cheats. Fix that, then it stand tall.

I know what you mean, but even with drugs it ain't easy. Cycling is going to go mental in this country, especially
with the Olympics to follow

 

[1066familyman]

Gah! Too late!

Stage 12:

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

Opps, a day too late there and I'd be gobsmacked if you're not a tenner down come tomorrow.

Best value I can see is Albasini and possibly Chavanel. My betting record, certainly on football, is shocking though, so tread carefully.

 

[essbee]

Brad for BBC sports personality of the year 2012 - open the phone lines now!!!

 

[perseus]

Too risky for attack on Friday the 13th but there is still King of the Mountains points to gain before the Sky Train rolls home.

 

[Stat Brother]

Stage 12:-

It looks on paper like time to catch our breath.
The big boys won't want to play on the flat.

 

[Brixtaan]

Good race.


It hasn't deserved respect, because it's been so full of cheats. Fix that, then it stand tall.

It has always deserved the respect, even with the cheats. It has always been a fact of life that cyclists pump themselves full of whatever they can get their hands on. In the 1920s it was brandy, 1960s amphetamines and 1990s epo. They've needed them simply because it's do bloody hard.
Ironically I believe Wiggins is being aided dramatically by drugs! In that everyone else isn't on them any more. Its been a leveller and now sheer hard work and preparation is coming through and this is where he and Sky are superior. Note that the dramatic sustained mountain sprints have disappeared a la Contador.

 

[Triggaaar]

I know what you mean, but even with drugs it ain't easy.

I completely agree. If only one person took drugs, it'd be easy for them, but if (hypothetically) they all took them then then the winner would still be the best. And of course it would be tough to win. But I'm not interested in seeing someone work hard, or I'd watch 24/7 coal mining. I want to see the best people battle on an even footing.

It has always deserved the respect, even with the cheats. It has always been a fact of life that cyclists pump themselves full of whatever they can get their hands on. In the 1920s it was brandy, 1960s amphetamines and 1990s epo. They've needed them simply because it's do bloody hard.

That really doesn't make much sense. If none of them took drugs it wouldn't be any harder, they'd just go a tiny bit slower.

Ironically I believe Wiggins is being aided dramatically by drugs! In that everyone else isn't on them any more.

Its been a leveller and now sheer hard work and preparation is coming through and this is where he and Sky are superior.

I assumed hard work and preparation are needed anyway, unless you're the only one on drugs. I don't even assume it's clean now.

Note that the dramatic sustained mountain sprints have disappeared a la Contador.

You'll need to educate me here, I rarely watch cycling because of the drugs. So when did these dramatic sprints stop? And what percentage of the field do you think were on drugs then, and how about now?

 

[Stat Brother]

I assumed hard work and preparation are needed anyway, unless you're the only one on drugs. I don't even assume it's clean now.
You'll need to educate me here, I rarely watch cycling because of the drugs. So when did these dramatic sprints stop? And what percentage of the field do you think were on drugs then, and how about now?

There's 4 ways of climbing a 'proper' mountain.

1) Sit there and grind it out, at an even tempo. Wiggins.
2) As above but keep enough back to launch an attack from the point you think you can sustain it to the finish. Nibali, Van der Broeck.
3) Attack from the front, allow the rest to catch and attack again. Keep going all the way up until there's nobody behind you.
4) Don't be so stoopid to ride up there in the first place.

3 is the style that is missing in a predominately clean sport.
It's no surprise the riders capable of this massive effort, requiring massive stamina, and more importantly massive recovery, are the ones who are proven dopers.
But that's the style that smashes the 'diesel' engines of 1, and natural climbers of 2.

 

[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.

In the interests of putting 'your money where your mouth is', I've invested a couple of quid on.
Bak and Iglinskiy both at 66-1.

Anyone can win today, probably Sagan, but might as well take some odds today of all days.

 

[perseus]

There's 4 ways of climbing a 'proper' mountain.
3) Attack from the front, allow the rest to catch and attack again. Keep going all the way up until there's nobody behind you.

3 is the style that is missing in a predominately clean sport.
It's no surprise the riders capable of this massive effort, requiring massive stamina, and more importantly massive recovery, are the ones who are proven dopers.
But that's the style that smashes the 'diesel' engines of 1, and natural climbers of 2.

I think on the flat stages, you can only do it twice, breakaway and get caught and breakaway again immediately and then you have to get away because you will not make it a third time.

It does not look like a stage where any breakaways will succeed, although they occur in the first part for the mountain points competition.

It makes me think that it could be possible to have two League tables in football, one where every goal scored gains an extra point.

 

[Bold Seagull]

Eurosport on ready for the start....oh the joys of working from home!