The Official 102nd Tour de France, thread.

[Pogue Mahone]

BMC beat SKY by a second with Movistar four seconds back (they had a bad time on a climb where front two took off)

Tinkoff Saxo beat Astana with Nibbles losing another 34 seconds on Froome

Big day Tuesday when they will all try to flex some muscle and a Frenchman will be desperate to reach the summit first in a breakaway on Bastile day

Thanks. All very close then.

I presume that Orica Greenedge struggled, with their 6 man team...trust me to pick both Yates twins in that Fantasy League.

 

[JoePrecious]

Prognostication

BMC
Sky
Movistar.

The big question is did you have have any money on that?!

 

[banjo]

So, for those of us watching the tennis, who won? What was the order, and what were the time differences?

result

1 BMC Racing 0:32:16
2 Team Sky 0:32:15
3 Movistar Team 0:32:19
4 Tinkoff-Saxo 0:32:43
5 Astana Pro Team 0:32:50
6 IAM Cycling 0:32:53
7 Etixx - Quick-Step 0:33:00
8 Lampre-Merida 0:33:03
9 Team Lotto NL-Jumbo 0:33:29
10 AG2R La Mondiale 0:33:39
11 Trek Factory Racing 0:33:40
12 Cannondale-Garmin 0:33:44
13 Bora-Argon 18 0:33:46
14 FDJ 0:33:48
15 Lotto Soudal 0:33:51
16 Team Giant-Alpecin 0:33:52
17 Team Europcar 0:33:57
18 Bretagne-Séché Environnement 0:34:01
19 Team Katusha 0:34:08
20 MTN - Qhubeka 0:34:11
21 Cofidis 0:34:47
22 Orica GreenEdge 0:37:13

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Rain Break was perfect for the Greg Lemond highlight show on Eurosport - your losing your male channel hoping skills

Damn and blast.

 

[Stat Brother]

The big question is did you have have any money on that?!

As it actually happened the answer is pretty obvious.
A 1p straight forecast from me you have resulted in a top 3 of:-

GreenEdge
Cofidis
MTN



I think with that I'm going to have to hang up my prognostication boots.
Or at least hand them over to someone else...


...anyone want a crack at week 2?,

 

[1066familyman]

As it actually happened the answer is pretty obvious.
A 1p straight forecast from me you have resulted in a top 3 of:-

GreenEdge
Cofidis
MTN



I think with that I'm going to have to hang up my prognostication boots.
Or at least hand them over to someone else...


...anyone want a crack at week 2?,

Nice work there today SB

In fact, nice work all week I'd say, and you'd get my vote to carry on as if it ain't broke, why fix it?

I could give you a rest day though and do tomorrow for you if you like. It would probably go something like this:

Froome - practising looking at stem with his elbows out whilst trying to see just how long he can spin at 130rpm.

Bert - looking in the mirror to see just how cool he can possibly look in the pistolero pose.

Nibs - practising throwing bidons at a cardboard cut out of a Froome dawg disappearing up the road.

Quintana - still not smiling.

Rolland - pouring over the wiggle catalogue to see if he can get free delivery of polka dot everything in time for Wednesday evening.

Pinot - consoling himself that although his own GC is over, at least Rolland won't be in Polka dot everything on Bastille day, and probably not in Paris either.

Tommy V - racking his brain to see if there's a gurning move he hasn't pulled yet.

Sagan - wandering around hospitality like a naughty school boy dropping peanuts in peoples' drinks, winking at the ladeees and seeing if there's any prime bottom to pinch.

G - reciting over and again..."I will stay upright, I will stay upright".

TJVG - reciting over and over again..."I won't have a bad day in the mountains, I won't have a bad day in the mountains".

And finally, Porte - kicking back in his very own camper van, a big gormless smile on his face, thinking happy thoughts v e r y s l o w l y.

 

[Stat Brother]

I think the ITV chaps alluded to what Froome will be doing on his rest day.
He'll be in custody having attempted to open the plane emergency exit, mid flight.

CF will only be released when the legend that is Matt Rendell appears in the custody suite, and all the pieces fall into place.


Loving Matt chasing Dowsett down the road, still asking questions and waving a microphone in his face.

 

[Stat Brother]

And now for the big rest day question:-

Do you now think it's a good idea to take a Skoda on a driving holiday to Jerusalem?
Promptly making the connections due to your Festina watch.
Safe in the knowledge your caffeine enriched hair doesn't smell of the kitchen thanks to Bora?

 

[Indurain's Lungs]

And now for the big rest day question:-

Do you now think it's a good idea to take a Skoda on a driving holiday to Jerusalem?
Promptly making the connections due to your Festina watch.
Safe in the knowledge your caffeine enriched hair doesn't smell of the kitchen thanks to Bora?

Right, you've lost me there SB!

 

[wakeytom]

And now for the big rest day question:-

Do you now think it's a good idea to take a Skoda on a driving holiday to Jerusalem?
Promptly making the connections due to your Festina watch.
Safe in the knowledge your caffeine enriched hair doesn't smell of the kitchen thanks to Bora?

Loving that, will ensure that it is me and my bicycle that go as thats how we roll

 

[Stat Brother]

Right, you've lost me there SB!

Just weeding out the ITVists, from the Eurosportgalacticos.

Loving that, will ensure that it is me and my bicycle that go as thats how we roll

God I was singing that to myself on Friday.
If I had a gun I'd have shot myself.

 

[Horton's halftime iceberg]

And now for the big rest day question:-

Do you now think it's a good idea to take a Skoda on a driving holiday to Jerusalem?
Promptly making the connections due to your Festina watch.
Safe in the knowledge your caffeine enriched hair doesn't smell of the kitchen thanks to Bora?

Where does the scary bearded cyclist cycling around the Lea valley cycle park fit into all of this...

 

[Horton's halftime iceberg]

Or should I say wiggle into all of this

 

[wakeytom]

Just weeding out the ITVists, from the Eurosportgalacticos.


God I was singing that to myself on Friday.
If I had a gun I'd have shot myself.

All those adverts are on Eurosports not sure if you have been watching ITV and they are on there as well?

I cannot stop singing that stupid song!

 

[Indurain's Lungs]

Ah, of course.

The beardy in the ill-fitting rain jacket, weaving around on a De Rosa is a bit ridiculous!

 

[Bold Seagull]

Love the Wiggle advert. Especially the bit where he's stopped for coffee, thinks he sees a scratch on the bike, but big smile when it's just a bit of muck. I like him. I bet he takes loads of turns on the front.

 

[Pantani]

And now for the big rest day question:-

Do you now think it's a good idea to take a Skoda on a driving holiday to Jerusalem?
Promptly making the connections due to your Festina watch.
Safe in the knowledge your caffeine enriched hair doesn't smell of the kitchen thanks to Bora?

I think it is a bit harsh having John Degenkolb on the shampoo advert when he is clearly haging on to tufts, even at his age. That has been my main conclusion from the adverts.

The Tour adverts on Eurosport are of a much higher standard than the usual ones though. I love the really poorly translated holiday adverts for weird regions you have never heard of. Lower Silesia anyone?

 

[Horton's halftime iceberg]

Some terrible new, Basso went to a specialist in Pau today as he had discomfort after a crash and has been diagnosed with testicular cancer.

He is needless to say abandoning the Tour and going home for immediate surgery.

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/raci...th-testicular-cancer-at-tour-de-france-182118

 

[Fignon's Ponytail]

Awful news about Basso - fingers crossed he makes a full recovery and is back racing soon. Always liked him.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Some terrible new, Basso went to a specialist in Pau today as he had discomfort after a crash and has been diagnosed with testicular cancer.

He is needless to say abandoning the Tour and going home for immediate surgery.

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/raci...th-testicular-cancer-at-tour-de-france-182118

I just heard this on the radio. Shocking. I also liked Basso, despite his doping ban - but then so many of them were doing it then, and you'd have been lucky to find an Italian who wasn't.

I hope they've got it early.