The Official 102nd Tour de France, thread.

[Stat Brother]

Back a stage, I'm loving the Go-Pro footage.
That has to be live ASAP:-



This kicks in after 90 secs:-

 

[1066familyman]

I'm stuck with ITV as I never have had, nor ever will have, Sky. All my Eurosport watching is done by dodgy internet streams.

It's a nice luxury to record live stages on the Freesat box whilst at work then watch the whole thing back whilst fast forwarding the adverts.

P&P are just P&P really, no point getting wound up about them as they will never ever change. I still quite like them in many ways, even though the same old phrases come out every single year. I did enjoy a good old chuckle when I got to fill in "Pilot Fish" on my bingo card

At one point today, when they were talking about the Anzacs, I was convinced they were going to go onto....and of course it was just one of those very Anzacs that went on to set up the SANTOS Tour down Under held annually down there in South Australia.


I'm with pantani. The best coverage of all are the Flemish ones on excellent streams without adverts in the Spring if you're lucky enough to find one. Some of the French ones can be good too.

 

[1066familyman]

Sorry 1066, I missed your top 10 tip off the list of contenders:

Valls +29:15

And you failed to miss Damien Gaudin 3.58 and 100th place on today's stage too

I think I just as well give up for this season

Meinjtes is the ONLY bet I've had come in this season so far.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

I'm stuck with ITV as I never have had, nor ever will have, Sky. All my Eurosport watching is done by dodgy internet streams.

It's a nice luxury to record live stages on the Freesat box whilst at work then watch the whole thing back whilst fast forwarding the adverts.

P&P are just P&P really, no point getting wound up about them as they will never ever change. I still quite like them in many ways, even though the same old phrases come out every single year. I did enjoy a good old chuckle when I got to fill in "Pilot Fish" on my bingo card

At one point today, when they were talking about the Anzacs, I was convinced they were going to go onto....and of course it was just one of those very Anzacs that went on to set up the SANTOS Tour down Under held annually down there in South Australia.


I'm with pantani. The best coverage of all are the Flemish ones on excellent streams without adverts in the Spring if you're lucky enough to find one. Some of the French ones can be good too.

I don't have Sky either. I've got Eurosport on Virgin Media.

 

[Stat Brother]

And you failed to miss Damien Gaudin 3.58 and 100th place on today's stage too

I think I just as well give up for this season

Meinjtes is the ONLY bet I've had come in this season so far.

Much to my surprise, and I do fully accept it's 'easy' this week, my little predictions with the stage maps so far haven't been to far out.

I might pick Cav or Griepel or cock'ard tomorrow
Never boohoo.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Looks like we disagree on commentators...

Maybe if Backstedt would stop going on about 28c tyres and how he was the first person to use them at Paris Roubaix, he would not be quite so irritating.

Oh, I'm used to it. I used to like David Harmon!

 

[1066familyman]

I don't have Sky either. I've got Eurosport on Virgin Media.

Same thing Branson is a wolf in sheep's clothing wanker as well

 

[Stat Brother]

I don't have Sky either. I've got Eurosport on Virgin Media.

You can also get it for £3:99 a month through the computer or a £60 XBox One, from Game.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Same thing Branson is a wolf in sheep's clothing wanker as well

Well, I guess I've sold out then.

Such is life.

 

[1066familyman]

Much to my surprise, and I do fully accept it's 'easy' this week, my little predictions with the stage maps so far haven't been to far out.

I might time Cav or Griepel or cock'ard tomorrow
Never boohoo.

To be fair SB you've done pretty good all round so far I reckon.

Must have been my "SEE ME!" scrawled in red pen after your first bit of work was submitted. Well done you for really turning things around.

 

[1066familyman]

Well, I guess I've sold out then.

Such is life.

To be honest I did once buy a couple of very cheap monthly Eurosport player subscriptions to see me through the Spring and Giro, but the service was so poor I gave in in the end and went back to dodgy streams instead.

Branson is still a wanker though, and the less said about Murdoch the better

 

[Stat Brother]

To be fair SB you've done pretty good all round so far I reckon.

Must have been my "SEE ME!" scrawled in red pen after your first bit of work was submitted. Well done you for really turning things around.

As soon as it goes up hill I'm fooked.
I don't have the memory for 'he climbed really well until the last ascent of the day on the Wednesday of Paris - Nice'.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

To be honest I did once buy a couple of very cheap monthly Eurosport player subscriptions to see me through the Spring and Giro, but the service was so poor I gave in in the end and went back to dodgy streams instead.

Branson is still a wanker though, and the less said about Murdoch the better

I struggle to boycott everything I'd like to, ideally. It really pisses me off that I'm going to miss the Ashes, but I will stick to my guns on this one.

Branson? Obviously I'm no fan. But I hate Murdoch more, and really, there are so many tossers running things that I like.

 

[1066familyman]

Did you see Sagan after they sat up after the sprint say to Cav, Griepel and Dekenklob 'lets form a break' - Griepel actually looked behind to see where the peloton was then had a good laugh with Sagan. Really good to see a bit of humour from them. Cav's expression didn't change though...

Got to love Sagan, like a playful kid in a mans body. Always has been a breath of fresh air in the peloton. And what a days work he put in for Bert today as well!, superb stuff to still finish where he did in the sprint. I think he's the storngest he's ever been at the moment.

I think what happened there is that he got his wheel from the team car which he waited for. He then got a few yards further down the road and he has a guy stood at the side of the road with a spare wheel!

I think Pinot was also really angry that the mechanic didn't give him the customary push off as well. Looked like the mechanic was on an apprenticeship or something Pinot throwing his toys out of his pram wasn't doing himself any favours though.

Tony Martin's eyebrows

I thought that too, but I think it was just the dust from the pave that gave them that look. Doesnt really matter anyway cause he's clearly been hit with the ugly stick, but boy can he ride a bike!

 

[wakeytom]

You can also get it for £3:99 a month through the computer or a £60 XBox One, from Game.

Exactly what I do - HD coverage as well, you can rewind live TV, got in late from work and just rewound to watch the 90 min highlights from today that started at 7, can also go through the adverts then as well! Great day today and glad to see not as many casualties as were talked about yesterday

 

[Stat Brother]

Before shuffling off for the evening, I'd like to re recommend The Telegraph Podcast, or to be precise Kilometre 0.

They are doing 2 podcasts a day, the PM edition is obviously dealing with the days events.
But the AM show, Kilometre 0, is more of a 'day in the life of Le Tour' behind the scenes stuff.

I like the chaps that produce the show and enjoy their matey 'banter', which lends itself to this kind of 'reporting'.
I think it's definitely worth a listen and makes for a good companion piece.

 

[Stat Brother]

Stage 5 : Arras - Amiens Metropole, 189.5 km





Stats & Facts

This is one of four stages in the 2015 Tour without a single classified climb, along with the opening day’s time trial, the team time trial, and stage two.
This is the 10th time a Tour stage has finished in Amiens. The first time was in 1932. The most recent was 1999, when Mario Cipollini took the second of four consecutive stage wins.
Johan Bruyneel won in a solo breakaway into Amiens in 1993 in a stage that was, at the time, the fastest Tour road stage in history, with a speed of 49.417kph. The record now stands at 50.355, set by Mario Cipollini in Blois, 1999, the day before he won in Amiens.

Prognostication

I just can't see the race being ripped apart today, no matter how windy it is.
The breakaway will be larger 6 or 7 riders and then it'll just be a tempo day until the final 20 kms.
When Renshaw and Cav will finally get on the same page and Cav will win past Griepel with ease.

 

[Horton's halftime iceberg]

A lot of people like the Fab 4 just waiting for the mountains now, to change things around. but have the top 3 already distanced us from pack and we will be like Pinot now perhaps just targeting the Polka dot jersey with little chance of a podium finish.

 

[Horton's halftime iceberg]

Before shuffling off for the evening, I'd like to re recommend The Telegraph Podcast, or to be precise Kilometre 0.

They are doing 2 podcasts a day, the PM edition is obviously dealing with the days events.
But the AM show, Kilometre 0, is more of a 'day in the life of Le Tour' behind the scenes stuff.

I like the chaps that produce the show and enjoy their matey 'banter', which lends itself to this kind of 'reporting'.
I think it's definitely worth a listen and makes for a good companion piece.

You know I am a big velocast fan (never understand your beef with them) but from last year the Telegraph podcast went leaps and bounds ahead of them. For me they have a good balance of facts about the cycling and the day, tangents about food, the location and the atmosphere and most importantly for me they have really good guests, Ciro Scognamiglio of Gazzetta dello Sport is just great (they said they had a T shirt in honour of him now) and François Thomazeau the french food writer is another. They seem to be putting the guests into the morning podcast and being more factual in the evening one.

I am only getting these in at present

Telegraph cycling podcast
Velocast podcast
Bespoke at the Tour podcast (BBC)
ITV podcast (no Renshew as yet)

I have yet to even venture into

Cycling Weekly Tour podcast
Cycling News podcasts that are both quite good as well

However the nightmare starts today, Sussex CCC playing, The Ashes, Murray at Wimbledon and TDF - could be overload, what with work and an appointment with the Physio at 16.00.

On the commentators, as mentioned yesterday Brotherton and Hayles Live on Five Live sports extra (possibly online now due to Ashes) are the best in my view and its worth pausing your TV coverage by 4-5 seconds to match them up for the best experience in my mind.

Pinot is as big as 10-1 for the KOM jersey, is this not a bit high or has it been weighted this year towards Stage wins, if he gets a gap going this week 7-8 minutes back, they would surely let him up the road in daily breakaways to mop up the points or do you think the Fab 4 teams would be too paranoid about him gaining chunks of time. (you can get 19-1 on Contador but he would only win it by default as he wants yellow).

Poor old Barguil got the wrath of Degonkolb at the end last night for not chasing down Martin for him (even though the rest of his team where nowhere to be seen) what was interesting where that the team management thought Barguil in this form would win a mountain stage - could be a good outside bet for Bastille day on an HC finish.


Finally one for stat (F**ing 80 kilos worth of post) Postman gets annoyed with TDF being in Holland? Don't mess with my round I've got letters to deliver...

http://www.sbnation.com/lookit/2015...n-a-tour-de-france-fence-for-interrupting-his

 

[Pantani]

[MENTION=435]Stat Brother[/MENTION] Your mate BooHoohanni as abandoned after crashing in to a ditch.