The Official 102nd Tour de France, thread.

[Pogue Mahone]

Is it really unbelievable?
I'd say it's possible, even probably, every stage result from Thursday to Paris will look like almost identical.

1st - 4th Stage win chancers.
5th - 10th The GC guys in a blanket finish.
11th on wards - The rest.

It'll only be 'news' if Froome gets dropped from the GC'ers, or the GC'ers lose a minute to Movistar.

Well I was amazed I expected a bit more of a finish in the group mentality - no one losing time, but not right up there. Almost like a sprinters stage...because that is what it almost was.

 

[Horton's halftime iceberg]

The latest standings in the NSC Geeks league - everyone scoring but the leader starting to look Froome-esque and untouchable with even two light on the team

All still to play for heading towards the show does in the Alps

 

[wakeytom]

So I have been on Eurosports and love Lemond on tour although is there any argument as to moving to ITV4 when they come on for the stage - my eurosports is SD where as ITV4 is HD but I am happy to lose video quality for better commentary.

So in a long way I am asking is the stage commentary better on ITV4 than ES this year?

 

[Pantani]

So I have been on Eurosports and love Lemond on tour although is there any argument as to moving to ITV4 when they come on for the stage - my eurosports is SD where as ITV4 is HD but I am happy to lose video quality for better commentary.

So in a long way I am asking is the stage commentary better on ITV4 than ES this year?

You are between a rock and a hard placed with this choice. Both commentary teams leave a lot to be desired. I tend to mix it up, flicking between the two when either option starts to annoy me.

 

[wakeytom]

You are between a rock and a hard placed with this choice. Both commentary teams leave a lot to be desired. I tend to mix it up, flicking between the two when either option starts to annoy me.

So ITV is no better than Eurosport (I do not mind them too much) as in that case I will stick with Eurosport in SD

 

[Horton's halftime iceberg]

So I have been on Eurosports and love Lemond on tour although is there any argument as to moving to ITV4 when they come on for the stage - my eurosports is SD where as ITV4 is HD but I am happy to lose video quality for better commentary.

So in a long way I am asking is the stage commentary better on ITV4 than ES this year?

I always watch live on Eurosport, try and catch the Lemond show and then always record and watch the ITV4 highlights, especially as you can then fast-forwrad the adverts

 

[1066familyman]

What a fantastic win by Cummings! Well chuffed for him and his team. Absolutely superb debut tour for MTN Qhubeka so far.

 

[1066familyman]

Apparently Sepúlveda took a ride in the Ag2R team car for a 100 meters on today's stage and has got himself disqualified from the race as a result! How bizarre is this!? I'm curious to hear more on this story.

Real shame if this all turns out to be true and he's out of the race as he was going really well. Actually living up to proper under the radar promise, unlike certain other riders that I was fool enough to "mark in my road book".

I'm hoping it's all a mix up and he starts tomorrow and finishes top 20 on GC come Paris.

 

[Horton's halftime iceberg]

What a fantastic win by Cummings! Well chuffed for him and his team. Absolutely superb debut tour for MTN Qhubeka so far.

Really brilliant was shouting at the telly as he was gaining on them, right till the end was not sure it was in the bag for our long standing British domestic, shows what they can do when a team lets them off the leash.

Bad news coming on the radio now, a spectator ran out called Froome a Doper and has thrown urine over him. In the interview Froome blamed the crowds reaction to him and Porte (being punched and abused yesterday) was on irresponsible journalism, was this in reference to L'Equipe headlines.

 

[1066familyman]

Really brilliant was shouting at the telly as he was gaining on them, right till the end was not sure it was in the bag for our long standing British domestic, shows what they can do when a team lets them off the leash.

Bad news coming on the radio now, a spectator ran out called Froome a Doper and has thrown urine over him. In the interview Froome blamed the crowds reaction to him and Porte (being punched and abused yesterday) was on irresponsible journalism, was this in reference to L'Equipe headlines.

As soon as Cummings caught Pinot and Bardet it was game over as he was always going to power away from them on the flat. Impressive to hold on up the climb like he did (same goes for Sagan too) as he knew full well he could ride away from any of the climbers on the flat run in if the gap was small enough. In true getting every prediction wrong so far, once that break had formed and Golas did what he did I was convinced Uran was going to win.

Appears Cummings had been targetting this stage right from the off and had the team support to prepare for it. One of the big advantages of riding for a stage hunting team rather than a GC team. Really pleased for him and the MTN Qhubeka team. I think it will eventually prove to have been a good move by EBH to go there too.

Yep, sad news to hear the Froome story from today. Appears Sky as a team have been getting a lot of grief from spectators by the side of the road. As always in life, the few always seem to spoil it for everyone else.

 

[Horton's halftime iceberg]

Matt Slater of the BBC has quoted the following on the SKY abuse

French newspapers, radio shows and TV programmes have openly questioned whether Froome is clean, usually citing his poor early record in Grand Tours as evidence and the US Postal-like control of the race that Team Sky has exerted - US Postal being Lance Armstrong's team.
The fact that some of this "debate" is being generated by former dopers turned Tour pundits, such as Laurent Jalabert and Michael Rasmussen, has not raised the eyebrows it should. Team Sky are furious about this, blaming this commentary for creating the increasingly poisonous atmosphere.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cycling/33581524

 

[Horton's halftime iceberg]

Apparently Sepúlveda took a ride in the Ag2R team car for a 100 meters on today's stage and has got himself disqualified from the race as a result! How bizarre is this!? I'm curious to hear more on this story.

Real shame if this all turns out to be true and he's out of the race as he was going really well. Actually living up to proper under the radar promise, unlike certain other riders that I was fool enough to "mark in my road book".

I'm hoping it's all a mix up and he starts tomorrow and finishes top 20 on GC come Paris.

Thrown out for hitching a ride

It was not such a good day for Bretagne Seche Environment's Eduardo Sepulveda.
He broke a chain 57km from the finish and took a ride of approximately 100 metres in an AG2R La Mondiale team car from his broken bike to his waiting team car.
Tour rules do not allow any rider to be driven during a route and so the Argentine has been thrown off the Tour.
Bretagne Seche manager Emmanuel Hubert said: "Instead of walking towards me he climbed in the AG2r car. They did 100 metres so that's the rules, he's out of the race."

Odd thing to do perhaps he was distracted angry about the mechanical

 

[1066familyman]

Thrown out for hitching a ride

It was not such a good day for Bretagne Seche Environment's Eduardo Sepulveda.
He broke a chain 57km from the finish and took a ride of approximately 100 metres in an AG2R La Mondiale team car from his broken bike to his waiting team car.
Tour rules do not allow any rider to be driven during a route and so the Argentine has been thrown off the Tour.
Bretagne Seche manager Emmanuel Hubert said: "Instead of walking towards me he climbed in the AG2r car. They did 100 metres so that's the rules, he's out of the race."

Odd thing to do perhaps he was distracted angry about the mechanical

Yeah, saw this report from the Bretagne DS:

"At the top of Col de l'Escrinet, he broke his chain and was rescued by the AG2R team, who gave him a wheel thinking that was the problem. He was hidden by the car and I didn't see him. I stopped 100 metres further up and Eduardo, instead of coming to the car on foot, covered the 100 metres on the backseat of the AG2R car. There is nothing to say. The rules applied."

Looks like the young lad has just panicked in the heat of the moment and now ruined what has been a superb Tour debut so far. A real shame that. Not sure why Ag2r felt the need to get involved in the first place though really? Makes you wonder if rather than genuinely helping him out they've actually helped stitch him up instead.

 

[Horton's halftime iceberg]

Great quote from Cummings - slightly understated

“I’m not the best climber in the group, but you’ve got to be prepared to lose in order to win, and I’m just really happy,” he said.

“You have to have the legs; I think I just did it tactically very well. I’m quite pleased.”

 

[Gregory2Smith1]

Matt Slater of the BBC has quoted the following on the SKY abuse

French newspapers, radio shows and TV programmes have openly questioned whether Froome is clean, usually citing his poor early record in Grand Tours as evidence and the US Postal-like control of the race that Team Sky has exerted - US Postal being Lance Armstrong's team.
The fact that some of this "debate" is being generated by former dopers turned Tour pundits, such as Laurent Jalabert and Michael Rasmussen, has not raised the eyebrows it should. Team Sky are furious about this, blaming this commentary for creating the increasingly poisonous atmosphere.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cycling/33581524

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

 

[banjo]

Matt Slater of the BBC has quoted the following on the SKY abuse

French newspapers, radio shows and TV programmes have openly questioned whether Froome is clean, usually citing his poor early record in Grand Tours as evidence and the US Postal-like control of the race that Team Sky has exerted - US Postal being Lance Armstrong's team.
The fact that some of this "debate" is being generated by former dopers turned Tour pundits, such as Laurent Jalabert and Michael Rasmussen, has not raised the eyebrows it should. Team Sky are furious about this, blaming this commentary for creating the increasingly poisonous atmosphere.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cycling/33581524

G " Who gives a shit were winning".

 

[Stat Brother]

Cracking race.

Cummings won in the exact style I assume I'll win my first stage of Le Tour.

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.

Team Stat is now down to 7 men thanks to Eduardo Sepulveda.
Why can't you ride in a car, on a bike race?

As for pissgate, I have no idea why Froome and Sky aren't going nuts.
To be called out is one thing, and sadly par for the course, but goaded by convicted dopers, crooks, cheats and liars, who never allowed such talk is something else.

 

[Triggaaar]

Bad news coming on the radio now, a spectator ran out called Froome a Doper and has thrown urine over him.

Completely shocking.

Matt Slater of the BBC has quoted the following on the SKY abuse

French newspapers, radio shows and TV programmes have openly questioned whether Froome is clean, usually citing his poor early record in Grand Tours as evidence and the US Postal-like control of the race that Team Sky has exerted - US Postal being Lance Armstrong's team.
The fact that some of this "debate" is being generated by former dopers turned Tour pundits, such as Laurent Jalabert and Michael Rasmussen, has not raised the eyebrows it should. Team Sky are furious about this, blaming this commentary for creating the increasingly poisonous atmosphere.

Bad losers doesn't begin to cover it.

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

 

[Stat Brother]

Stage 14 result

1 Stephen Cummings (GBr) MTN - Qhubeka 4:23:43
2 Thibaut Pinot (Fra) FDJ.fr 0:00:02
3 Romain Bardet (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:00:03

General classification after stage 14

1 Christopher Froome (GBr) Team Sky 56:02:19
2 Nairo Quintana (Col) Movistar Team 0:03:10
3 Tejay Van Garderen (USA) BMC Racing Team 0:03:32
4 Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Movistar Team 0:04:02
5 Alberto Contador (Spa) Tinkoff-Saxo 0:04:23
6 Geraint Thomas (GBr) Team Sky 0:04:54
7 Robert Gesink (Ned) Team LottoNL-Jumbo 0:06:23
8 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Astana Pro Team 0:08:17
9 Tony Gallopin (Fra) Lotto Soudal 0:08:23
10 Bauke Mollema (Ned) Trek Factory Racing 0:08:53

 

[Stat Brother]

It wouldn't surprise me if Armstrong and his doping buddies have got together to try to make everyone who is doing well look like a doper as well. That way they don't look so bad and can continue the lie to themselves that they wer not cheating as everyone does it and you need to to win.

I very much doubt it's orchestrated to that extent, but the response does show the mentality cycling was up against.
Sure the UCI was completely shitehouse and just as culpable for the mess cycling was and still is.

But to be falling over yourself to point the finger and blame, with no evidence, without even a hint of irony, or being self aware beggers belief.

I'll bet the shirt on my back the interviewer/reporter isn't responding to the claims with a question beginning:-
'Are you basing this on current knowledge or just the tell tell signs from all the years you doped?'