The Official 99th Tour de France thread, 2012.

[1066familyman]

More expert analysis there SB, this time on Evans. That's exactly it in a nut shell and I agree with every word, except I'm not so sure I despised old frog face previously

 

[Indurain's Lungs]

I now really like Cadel as a rider, where as I despised him, prior to his worlds.

I still can't get past his constant whinging, moaning and how nothing is ever his fault.

 

[Stat Brother]

Oh Saint Girons is a bloody lovely place to visit.

Had a lovely lunch over the river, that was swelled by snow melt from the Pyrenees.

You could cut the ozone with a knife.

 

[Triggaaar]

Thanks

He NEVER attacked, sitting behind the stage/race leader, thinking he'd pick them off in the final TT.
He was so predictable but still a threat, the other favourites would gang up on him in the highest mountains.
Ride away from him, and gain the time they would have lost in the TT.

This happened EVERY year.

Our current thinking (praying) is that Evans is clean, but what about Contador - if he was doping and Evans was clean, then his losses were hardly just down to conservative riding. Or was Evans probably doping too?

 

[Stat Brother]

I still can't get past his constant whinging, moaning and how nothing is ever his fault.

But at least he's doing something about it, and then having a moan, that's fair enough.

 

[Stat Brother]

ThanksOur current thinking (praying) is that Evans is clean, but what about Contador - if he was doping and Evans was clean, then his losses were hardly just down to conservative riding. Or was Evans probably doping too?

No reason for Evans not to be clean.

Just because he was riding against dopers, doesn't mean he shouldn't try.
Obviously he was trying, but it never looked like it.
He never gave the impression he'd 'turned it up to 11'.
Which with his ability and talent is criminal.

Whereas now he's shooting from the hip, across the season, making a mockery of years gone by.

 

[Triggaaar]

Gotcha

 

[Indurain's Lungs]

But at least he's doing something about it, and then having a moan, that's fair enough.

True. There's some riders you just like and some you don't, I think.

 

[Gregory2Smith1]

will be there tomorrow,when they go through auch,when they pass the new fountain roundabout,there's a little climb of around 2kms,that's where i'll be on the exit of the town,60's brighton shirt,the boy will try and squeeze into his old blue & white stripes shirt and i'll have a 4ft union jack

 

[Stat Brother]

True. There's some riders you just like and some you don't, I think.

Yeah and I think Cadel is the only one I've had a full 180 opinion change, on.

 

[Pantani]

So where have you been today, anywhere near WH Smiths.

I'm curious to know the dividing line between your commitment to Le Tour, and desire to win Fantasy.

I think you will find they were carpet tacks, so I did not buy them from WH Smiths, I got them from B&Q...




Err umm...




I mean whoever sabotaged the race did.

One can only presume it was an FDJ supporter as they are co-sponsored by BigMat, the french equivalent of B&Q

 

[Pantani]

He looks quite red in that picture. Do you think it's the combination of a haematocrit of 60 and coke withdrawal!

Haematocrit yes, the man was just a giant red blood cell by that point in his career, even if everybody else was. Cocaine probably less so, he was not too far down that road when this picture was taken.

Careful now, this is a hero you're dealing with.
I've been very thoughtful of our Pantani's feelings, on t'other thread.

Do not worry I am fully aware of how tainted my hero is.

 

[Pantani]

Cadel has been 2 very different riders.

Before he won The World Championships at the end of '10, he was the ultimate in conservative rider.
He NEVER attacked, sitting behind the stage/race leader, thinking he'd pick them off in the final TT.
He was so predictable but still a threat, the other favourites would gang up on him in the highest mountains.
Ride away from him, and gain the time they would have lost in the TT.

This happened EVERY year.

The World's in '10, might as well have been up and down his home road.
There was no way he was going to lose, but to win he had to go on a massive early attack.
It worked, he won, and he has been attacking ever since.

It's as if a light bulb went ping over his head.

I now really like Cadel as a rider, where as I despised him, prior to his worlds.

This, although he is a little too quick to have an excuse ready when things do not go his way, even now.

 

[Pantani]

I still can't get past his constant whinging, moaning and how nothing is ever his fault.

and this.

 

[Indurain's Lungs]

http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=e...5j3j2.10.0...0.0...1ac.8H07v6ib-4Y&mvs=0#i=51

While we're posting pictures of heroes!

 

[Stat Brother]

http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=e...5j3j2.10.0...0.0...1ac.8H07v6ib-4Y&mvs=0#i=51

While we're posting pictures of heroes!

Google?

 

[Stat Brother]

 

[Stat Brother]

Stage 14 result:-

1 Luis Leon Sanchez Gil (Spa) Rabobank Cycling Team 4:50:29
2 Peter Sagan (Svk) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:00:47
3 Sandy Casar (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat
4 Philippe Gilbert (Bel) BMC Racing Team
5 Gorka Izaguirre Insausti (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi
6 Sergio Miguel Moreira Paulinho (Por) Team Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank 0:02:51
7 Sébastien Minard (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
8 Martin Velits (Svk) Omega Pharma-Quickstep 0:03:49
9 Eduard Vorganov (Rus) Katusha Team 0:04:51
10 Steven Kruijswijk (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:04:53

GC:-

1 Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Sky Procycling 64:41:16
2 Christopher Froome (GBr) Sky Procycling 0:02:05
3 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:02:23
4 Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team 0:03:19
5 Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team 0:04:48
6 Haimar Zubeldia Agirre (Spa) RadioShack-Nissan 0:06:15
7 Tejay Van Garderen (USA) BMC Racing Team 0:06:57
8 Janez Brajkovic (Slo) Astana Pro Team 0:07:30
9 Pierre Rolland (Fra) Team Europcar 0:08:31
10 Thibaut Pinot (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat 0:08:51

 

[Indurain's Lungs]

Google?

Struggling to paste in pictures on tapatalk.

 

[Stat Brother]

Stage 15:-