The Official 99th Tour de France thread, 2012.

[Pantani]

Oh ffs !, Vino loses his pedal

Fantasy game over. Chapeau Pantani.

Hardly over, there are a lot of points up for grabs tomorrow, two 1st Cats and a HC, get someone in the break and you will score big.

 

[1066familyman]

The GC ranks are as weak as I can remember. The Tour De France is the Tour De Bore this year.

Oh no, you haven't been on those others forums too have you ?

It probably is a weaker GC without certain cheats in there, but there's no denying the strength in depth of that Sky team...any GC rider would have trouble beating them.

 

[1066familyman]

As WEAK, or as UNIVERSALLY STRONG?

Well said !

So the doom mongers would have you believe.

Yep. I remain firmly in the above camp. Not with the doom mongers.

 

[1066familyman]

Remember, Tyrone is an Aussie. Read that post in an increasingly high pitched whine


Only joking Tyrone.

 

[Tyrone Biggums]

Oh no, you haven't been on those others forums too have you ?

It probably is a weaker GC without certain cheats in there, but there's no denying the strength in depth of that Sky team...any GC rider would have trouble beating them.

What forums?

I've been watching the race. It''s been dead set boring. Possibly one of the most boring I've seen n 20 years of watching the tour.

Sagan has been the highlight by a long stretch.

 

[Stat Brother]

I can see where [MENTION=4800]Tyrone Biggums[/MENTION] is coming from.
I was stoopily excited about today's stage, but it never really came off.

Fair play to Liquigas although you could see Nibs' heart (or legs) just wasn't in it.

Sky's strangle hold does seem to have nullified the last few days.
That's all fair enough as it hasn't been there job to 'excite' Le Tour since stage 7.

The other teams with the possible exception of Liquigas, have failed this years tour.
Although LG quite obviously aren't riding for Nibali, in the same way Sky are for Wiggo, which again has effected this tour.

 

[Pantani]

The other teams with the possible exception of Liquigas, have failed this years tour.

And Europcar, they have not failed.

 

[Stat Brother]

And Europcar, they have not failed.

Very true.

Although I'm pretty sure I have put Rolland on a higher GC pedestal than he deserved, thereby expecting more from the 'team'.

Tommy V on the other hand, what can we say other than I bet he wishes he was 5 years younger.

 

[Triggaaar]

I can see where [MENTION=4800]Tyrone Biggums[/MENTION] is coming from.

What, hating that the Brits are going to finish first and second, while the Aussie champion collapses in a heap of whinge?

 

[Stat Brother]

Nice way to earn a living:-

Mark Cavendish ‏[MENTION=12437]Mark[/MENTION]Cavendish
Today's stage can be put into perspective by the fact that by the end I didn't care that I was just puking over myself. Hills+Heat=Suffering

13m David Millar ‏@millarmind
[MENTION=12437]Mark[/MENTION]Cavendish We could've been puking on each other and we wouldn't have cared. DZ puked all the way home in the bus. It's just wrong.

 

[Stat Brother]

Stage 16:-

1 Thomas Voeckler (Fra) Team Europcar 5:35:02
2 Chris Anker Sörensen (Den) Team Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank 0:01:40
3 Gorka Izaguirre Insausti (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi 0:03:22
4 Alexandr Vinokourov (Kaz) Astana Pro Team
5 Brice Feillu (Fra) Saur - Sojasun 0:03:58
6 Jens Voigt (Ger) RadioShack-Nissan 0:04:18
7 Daniel Martin (Irl) Garmin - Sharp 0:06:08
8 Simone Stortoni (Ita) Lampre - ISD
9 Giampaolo Caruso (Ita) Katusha Team
10 Laurens Ten Dam (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:06:11

GC:-

1 Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Sky Procycling 74:15:32
2 Christopher Froome (GBr) Sky Procycling 0:02:05
3 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:02:23
4 Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team 0:05:46
5 Haimar Zubeldia Agirre (Spa) RadioShack-Nissan 0:07:13
6 Tejay Van Garderen (USA) BMC Racing Team 0:07:55
7 Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team 0:08:06
8 Janez Brajkovic (Slo) Astana Pro Team 0:09:09
9 Pierre Rolland (Fra) Team Europcar 0:10:10
10 Thibaut Pinot (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat 0:11:43

KoM:-

1 Thomas Voeckler (Fra) Team Europcar 107 pts
2 Fredrik Kessiakoff (Swe) Astana Pro Team 103
3 Chris Anker Sörensen (Den) Team Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank 77
4 Pierre Rolland (Fra) Team Europcar 55
5 Brice Feillu (Fra) Saur - Sojasun 38
6 Daniel Martin (Irl) Garmin - Sharp 34
7 Michele Scarponi (Ita) Lampre - ISD 33
8 Christopher Froome (GBr) Sky Procycling 32
9 Thibaut Pinot (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat 32
10 Jens Voigt (Ger) RadioShack-Nissan 31

 

[nomoremithras4me]

I watched a bit of the TDF today, not being the most avid cycling fan, am i correct in saying that Wiggins is team leader for Sky? It looked to me that the bloke? riding with him didn't want to go past/pull away? Assume he was some kind of pacemaker/setter?

 

[Indurain's Lungs]

Voeckler scored more points today (96) than my whole team!

 

[Stat Brother]

I watched a bit of the TDF today, not being the most avid cycling fan, am i correct in saying that Wiggins is team leader for Sky? It looked to me that the bloke? riding with him didn't want to go past/pull away? Assume he was some kind of pacemaker/setter?

Yep that will do.

This years tour route favoured BW, because of his Time Trailing ability.
Chris Froome's job is to ride with Brad and protect him, from attacks, the wind, etc.

Froome would/could have ridden BW close this year as his TT'ing has improved, and he is better at riding up hill.

But he signed on to do the job he's doing, he'd have been reasonably happy with 2nd in Le Tour, a year ago.
But he'll probably be a little disappointed until such time as he wins it for himself.

 

[16bha]

I'm really tempted to offer the missus a romantic city break to Paris this weekend, but bloody expensive.

When I was fifteen, I stood on the Rue de Rivoli with my French Exchange mate back in 1984, watching Laurent Fignon win. Fantastic experience, and to be here for what 'may be' the first English triumph would beat any Olympic ticket!!

 

[perseus]

What forums?

I've been watching the race. It''s been dead set boring. Possibly one of the most boring I've seen n 20 years of watching the tour.

Sagan has been the highlight by a long stretch.

I put the boring nature of this year's event is because of more TV coverage on terrestrial TV. Not the best by a long chalk.

Good route for Friday with a summit finish (double mountain points). It will test the mettle of any rider.

 

[nomoremithras4me]

Yep that will do.

This years tour route favoured BW, because of his Time Trailing ability.
Chris Froome's job is to ride with Brad and protect him, from attacks, the wind, etc.

Froome would/could have ridden BW close this year as his TT'ing has improved, and he is better at riding up hill.

But he signed on to do the job he's doing, he'd have been reasonably happy with 2nd in Le Tour, a year ago.
But he'll probably be a little disappointed until such time as he wins it for himself.

Thanks SB, make sense

 

[Indurain's Lungs]

Just been on the phone to Will Fotheringham. Look out for a big feature this Saturday in the guardian on Brad (includes a couple of paragraphs from me!)

 

[Stat Brother]

Just been on the phone to Will Fotheringham. Look out for a big feature this Saturday in the guardian on Brad (includes a couple of paragraphs from me!)

Christ, your fantasy team is that good!

 

[Stat Brother]

Off topic, but this is here and 'geeks' isn't.

Watching Vic P, classic piece of delegation from Brailsford, as Victoria collapses in his arms.

He drops her to the floor, walks off and calls for Steve Peters.