The Official 102nd Tour de France, thread.

[Fignon's Ponytail]

More than happy to see that I've finally had a decent stage result in the fantasy league today with a 1,2,3...Get in!

 

[Triggaaar]

I loved the way he blasted out of nowhere.
I take issue with Boardman saying 'they just waited for a couple of seconds and that's all Steve needed'.
The Frenchies didn't wait, they just had no chance catching SC's wheel.
He was going so much faster than them from, probably, 50 metres behind, right up until the line.

I don't think that's what Boardman meant. Before Cummings caught them, the Frenchies were just cruising, not wanting to do the work for the other. That's why SC was going so much faster, they weren't even peddling.

With a few kilometres to go, the commentators got it all wrong, thinking the likes of Sagan were too far back, when Cummings was even further.

 

[Postman Pat]

Is there anything Sky/Froome/Sir Dave can do to try and stop the sniping, other than stop winning of course? I would assume Sky riders are being constantly tested.

Sky have clearly prepared better, have a very strong team, where Quintana only has AVV, and Contadour and TJ don't seem to have any support when it ramps up.

No idea what is happening to Nibali.

 

[pb21]

Is there anything Sky/Froome/Sir Dave can do to try and stop the sniping, other than stop winning of course? I would assume Sky riders are being constantly tested.

Sky have clearly prepared better, have a very strong team, where Quintana only has AVV, and Contadour and TJ don't seem to have any support when it ramps up.

No idea what is happening to Nibali.

It's very difficult to prove a negative. Froome says he will release his data, which Sky aren't too happy about apparently.

Trouble is some will still accuse them/him of cheating even if the data doesn't directly infer cheating.

 

[Stat Brother]

Oh pooh can someone do todays stage preview, I forgot this morning and am out now.

Ta muchly.

 

[Tyrone Biggums]

strange really,it's generally accepted in France that doping & cycling go hand in hand

maybe it's sky money that really riles the locals

I think it's the fact France has probably the cleanest history of the major cycling nations for a while now and they aren't winning is what riles them.

After seeing a strong showing last year from French riders and this year seeing them way off the pace again I guess to some French it seems the playing field isn't level in their eyes.

 

[Triggaaar]

To me it seems pretty clear that Sky are far more prepared and organised than the opposition. If no one on the tour is doping, then there still needs to be a rider that's better than the others, and I suspect that's Froome. So to me, Sky's success so far seems perfectly understandable. But several of the posters on this thread have questioned Froome, so I guess it's understandable that the press abroad are also skeptical, even if I'm not.

 

[wakeytom]

Five years ago, in the neighboring city of Bourg-lès-Valence, Mark Cavendish claimed his thirteenth of 26 stage wins to date.

Valence has its derivation from the Latin word valentia, meaning strength or capacity. With one already in the bag, will the Cavendish of today bring the fortitude, mental and physical, to find success once again?

 

[Brighton Mod]

I think it's the fact France has probably the cleanest history of the major cycling nations for a while now and they aren't winning is what riles them.

After seeing a strong showing last year from French riders and this year seeing them way off the pace again I guess to some French it seems the playing field isn't level in their eyes.

So anyone but the French dope, not sure about that. Is it only winners that dope, or is it easy to hang the whole reputation and history of the sport on the shoulders of the winning rider. I don't know who dopes and who doesn't, but consider this, Valverde, a favoured rider of mine by the way, who grew up with the drug fuelled Kelme Team, was strong on the classics, minor tours and is now vying for a spot on the podium, are there any eyebrows raised about his continual form that has lasted a season.

The incident involving Froome yesterday was probably administered by an idiot having little in depth knowledge of the sport. Froome a target because he's in yellow and the only evidence the thrower had on Froome was that he is in yellow!

 

[Horton's halftime iceberg]

Oh pooh can someone do todays stage preview, I forgot this morning and am out now.

Ta muchly.

From Cycling weekly

When Sunday July 19
From Mende
To Valence
Length 183km
Category Medium mountains
Impact on overall: 2/5

Where are we?
We’re leaving Mende and the Massif Central behind us and heading east towards the Alps — but falling short for a finish in Valence. This puts us on the Valence Plain, or the Valentinois — the huge gap between the mountains of the Massif Central and those of the Alps, through which flows the River Rhône.

It will feel like a respite — albeit a temporary one — from the now near-constant climbing that characterises the second and third weeks of the Tour.

What’s on the route?
After a tough start to the day, the riders veritably drop off the ‘table’ that is the Massif Central halfway into this 183km stage and enjoy a long descent. But there’s another obstacle before the otherwise relatively flat run home to Valence in the shape of the Col de l’Escrinet — a 14km climb that is only moderately steep, with an average gradient of four per cent, but which could nevertheless serve to splinter the ‘feeling just about OKs’ from the ‘when will this be overs’.

Race action
We’d almost bet our bike on a breakaway animating the stage. This is perfect breakaway territory for a five to 10-man group to skip off early, and for the rest of the bunch to take things relatively easy.

It may still come down to a sprint from a large group if some of the fastmen are able to drag themselves over the Col de l’Escrinet mid-way through the stage. But it’s going to be dawning on some frisky non-sprinters’ teams that there are only six more days of racing after today’s stage — make or break time.


Read more at http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/raci...5-stage-15-preview-178349#LBwMlGPwIwR5Gruy.99

 

[wakeytom]

Much clearer map, thank you. The breakaway will win today I think looking at this stage, Yellow jersey and GC contenders to take it easy in the Peleton, although it must be time that someone has to put the pressure on.

I think today may show if the GC boys are just looking to cement a decent podium position or if they will really want to attack Froome

 

[Tyrone Biggums]

So anyone but the French dope, not sure about that. Is it only winners that dope, or is it easy to hang the whole reputation and history of the sport on the shoulders of the winning rider. I don't know who dopes and who doesn't, but consider this, Valverde, a favoured rider of mine by the way, who grew up with the drug fuelled Kelme Team, was strong on the classics, minor tours and is now vying for a spot on the podium, are there any eyebrows raised about his continual form that has lasted a season.

No, I'm saying since the Festina incident the French have had the hardest anti-doping attitude of the major cycling nations.

They have always looked at the Spanish and Italians as being dirty riders for a while now.

The difference now is since Armstrong the Anglo riders have come to the fore and its just another group of riders who seems to have caught up and passed the French.

As for Valverde, nobody raises an eyebrow at him because he's a confimed cheat.

The incident involving Froome yesterday was probably administered by an idiot having little in depth knowledge of the sport. Froome a target because he's in yellow and the only evidence the thrower had on Froome was that he is in yellow!

It's the way Froome is blowing other riders away day after day is what makes people suspicious.Gven the sports history its natural people will think the worse.

 

[Horton's halftime iceberg]

Five years ago, in the neighboring city of Bourg-lès-Valence, Mark Cavendish claimed his thirteenth of 26 stage wins to date.

Valence has its derivation from the Latin word valentia, meaning strength or capacity. With one already in the bag, will the Cavendish of today bring the fortitude, mental and physical, to find success once again?[/QUOTE]


DOH!

Just North on the Map is Le Puy en Velay - one of our life highlights, 10 years ago (22 July 2005). My wife got corporate hospitality from Konica Minolta, who were doing the timing that year I think. This stage did not have much demand from corporates, they want mountain stages.

We camped just outside Issoire where the stage started, arrived on bikes really early, spent time in the start village, meet Pou Pou (signed my bike pump) and hosts of other cyclists.

We then rode in the sponsors car with the race, right from the start with the peloton and chasing the breakaways, full on race radio, crazy driving, our arms hurt so much from waving, then we went ahead, and followed the race in a helicopter, amazing, landing ahead in a field of Donkeys (we love Donkeys) dressed in the race jerseys. We were taken ahead (meet smelly Didi the devil) and had lunch by the side of the rode watching the action, listening to race radio,

We were then driven through the peloton and breakaway (amazing) and rushed to the end where we stood on the finish line with champagne, Guerini won it from a three man breakaway, Casar was second, I so wanted him to win, even Lance sprinted in protecting the Yellow.

We were then luxury coached back to the start, with a free TDF cool bag dinner and TV coverage replay of stage, showered with TDF gifts, bags, towls.

You couldn't even but these packages back then, if anyone ever gets the chance to do this, Allez Allez what a day,

 

[Horton's halftime iceberg]

Lots of movement in the NSC league, everyone scoring points at the moment

 

[Triggaaar]

The incident involving Froome yesterday was probably administered by an idiot having little in depth knowledge of the sport. Froome a target because he's in yellow and the only evidence the thrower had on Froome was that he is in yellow!

I disagree. I don't think the spectator was going to be assaulting whomever was in yellow, I think he has watched/read a bit, and believes Froome to be cheating. Just like a few in this thread have been unsure.

The difference now is since Armstrong the Anglo riders have come to the fore and its just another group of riders who seems to have caught up and passed the French.

The Brits have been pretty good at cycling for a while, it's just been more indoor rather than on the road. Just as the Aussies are good indoors, I wouldn't be surprised if they improved their street racing.

It's the way Froome is blowing other riders away day after day is what makes people suspicious.

Is he really blowing them all away every day? It was only (that I remember) really once that he left everyone. And that was one attack when the others weren't feeling good, it wasn't attack after attack after attack up a mountain as we used to see with the dopers. Most days he's just following his team, and then taking the wheel of Quintana when he attacks.

 

[Horton's halftime iceberg]

Of course we can't know 100%, but if ever there was a team that you thought was clean, it would be Sky.

We followed the tour for years, around the Pyrenees', Alps, Jura, time trials, sprint stages, you named it, if it was TDF and moved we went. One by one our favourite riders were caught doping, I followed the line that riders like Lance and Big Mig had unique physiological features, however it became apparent that Lance was beating dopers hand down, but still denying and explaining away that it was the cancer and subsequent treatment that made him this climber and TT rider able to perform.

I watched the Froome documentary the other night, again we have the medical condition bilharzia, that stopped Froome from performing and effects the red blood cell count, and since it has been treated he has gone from strength to strength. I am not saying this leads to doping accusations, I don't know, we are huge track cycling fans, it is much more egalitarian, too us British Track Cycling looks very clean, and Brailsford, who nearly walked away from cycling in 2004 as did Wiggens due to all the doping, has the clearest anti doping stance in cycling.

So would Brailsford risk all that he has set in motion, olympics, TDF, clean British cycling by doing what all the old school teams have done for years. Froome seems on the edge of what is achievable, I have to trust that it is done by British Cyclings/Team SKYs marginal gains programmes (the french genuinely believe they use illegal wheels and motors inside the bikes).

So the conspiratorial online world _ David Walsh (the eventual slayer of Lances lies) states SKY do not have a doping culture and Froome is clean, is this making us doubt and have no faith in journalism.

Froome and G have riden what appears to be head and shoulders above all his opponents, on Ventoux he put out an incredible 120 second burst of Watts and his heart rate stays at 160, fairly low. Nibbli who is often seen as clean on his Watt records that are analysed, managed about 60 seconds of this on the much shorter Mur de Bretanage when he was clearly not good/ill.

Perhaps Froome by realising all his data to the world will allow science to prove or disprove the facts and figures.

I have to go with, he is able to live like a Monk, push himself to unbelievable limits of pain, the ability to recover, has the best team that also work to a similar programme. I await the Alps, I think that Quintana will attack and eat into that lead that will quickly start to look slender. Perhaps this will calm down the online conspirators, but we await people of science to tell us what is fact and fiction.

 

[Tyrone Biggums]

The Brits have been pretty good at cycling for a while, it's just been more indoor rather than on the road. Just as the Aussies are good indoors, I wouldn't be surprised if they improved their street racing.

Remember Brailsford was sitting at a table with David Millar when French Police arrested him.

People will often take 1+1 to make 3.

 

[Horton's halftime iceberg]

Remember Brailsford was sitting at a table with David Millar when French Police arrested him.

People will often take 1+1 to make 3.

And he picked him for the London Olympic team after his conviction. This was one if the reasons he nearly gave it up though.

Miller to me is one of the reasons why you can never trust anyone until the tests/passports becomes fully reliable.

 

[Stat Brother]

I don't see how releasing all the information will help Froome.

It would appear that minds are already made up, and everything published will prove what people want to prove.


He's on a hiding to nothing.
It's the caliber of the people doing the flogging that make this so distasteful.

FWIW I believe in Team Sky, Froome & G (way back at the start of this thread I commented I didn't think I'd ever seen G look so thin) but I'll not be defending the barricades on their behalf.

They have plenty of evidence on their side, not least the lack of positives elsewhere.
I hope, in time, that becomes the norm it's just really sad for Chris and Sky they've picked exactly the wrong moment in time to be dominant at cycling.

 

[Horton's halftime iceberg]

Cav has been well dropped already. Could be the GC riders all pushing for the line today