The OFFICIAL Tour de France, thread.

[1066familyman]

Brilliant !, an OFFICIAL Tour de France thread again, with the well known proper cycling enthusiasts on here keeping it real for the casuals like me who just love Le Tour de France

First question. Was Wiggins genuinely not bothered with his disappointing prologue performance yesterday or not ? I know he's essentially right that it will make no real difference to the GC, but surely he won't be happy ?

Nice introduction for Geraint Thomas to pick up fifth place yesterday. Will anyone ever beat Cancellara on a prologue though ?

P.S Here's wishing Horton's halftime iceberg happy travels again.

 

[1066familyman]

Sorry, just seen Pantani's post above mine essentially answering my Wiggins prologue question

 

[Gwylan]

That was an amazing pile-up at the finish today - not seen one quite like that before.

Cav was taken out rather early but surprised that Hushovd and McEwen didn't make a better showing - particularly after the commentators were bigging up McEwen's preparation for the stage.

 

[Pantani]

Hushovd finished third, that is pretty good for him. He is not fast enough anymore to win bunch sprints. Cav has a lot to do to win green now, there are probably only four maybe five sprinters stages left, he will need to pick up some intermediates now. These tour riders really need to learn how not to fall off though, today was ridiculous.

 

[Stat Brother]

That was mentals.
Cav was definitely for the first, he can't say he didn't know the bend was there.
As for the other 2, blimey I wouldn't have liked to have been on the bottom of the next one.
Shame about the last my Tyler Farrar tip was looking good for a couple of hundred metres.

Geriant seems very comfortable, which I'm really pleased about.

 

[1066familyman]

Hushovd finished third, that is pretty good for him. He is not fast enough anymore to win bunch sprints. Cav has a lot to do to win green now, there are probably only four maybe five sprinters stages left, he will need to pick up some intermediates now. These tour riders really need to learn how not to fall off though, today was ridiculous.

Renshaw crashing out with a broken collar bone will be a bit of a blow for Cav too.

 

[Stat Brother]

No he didn't, that was a commentary mistake.
Renshaw came 2nd today, I would have loved him to have won.
The fella who did crash, name escapes me, is pretty important in the cav train, doing the 'hard yards' 5-10 kms out.

 

[1066familyman]

No he didn't, that was a commentary mistake.
Renshaw came 2nd today, I would have loved him to have won.
The fella who did crash, name escapes me, is pretty important in the cav train, doing the 'hard yards' 5-10 kms out.

Yep, you're right

Just went for an update on velonews. 'Twas Adam Hansen not Renshaw.

VeloNews.com - HTC-Columbia's Adam Hansen leaves Tour de France following crash

 

[Stat Brother]

It will be interesting to see who doesn't sign in tomorrow, after the 2nd pile up, today.

 

[Notters]

Yesterday's stage was truly crashtacula

 

[skipper734]

Bad route planning. Right angled bends, very narrow last 10k.
What were they thinking, on a flat Stage when the finish bunch would consist of the entire Pelaton.
Easy to be wise in hindsight I know, but they have been organising it for long enough.

 

[Gwylan]

Bad route planning. Right angled bends, very narrow last 10k.
What were they thinking, on a flat Stage when the finish bunch would consist of the entire Pelaton.
Easy to be wise in hindsight I know, but they have been organising it for long enough.

But isn't that the idea? Just wait until Stage 3 and the 13km on the cobbles.

 

[Pantani]

Bad route planning. Right angled bends, very narrow last 10k.
What were they thinking, on a flat Stage when the finish bunch would consist of the entire Pelaton.
Easy to be wise in hindsight I know, but they have been organising it for long enough.

The finish yesterday wasn't that bad though, it was narrow before the hairpin bend. After it there was plenty of room. Nearly every bike race has finishes that are not ideal, it is the nature of the beast. If you want to finish in towns and cities there will be tight corners and some narrow roads.

On todays stage I predict Cav will go for the first intermdiate sprint, to show he can still get green, maybe the second too. Someone will break away and succeed to the end, and we will have someone new in yellow.

 

[Horton's halftime iceberg]

Had a great time in Dutch land, they were all world cup drunk and every Dutch rider or rider linked to Holland got a bellowing from the partisan crowd which was fab.

The course was excellent but the weather wet, windy but humid. I think Wiggo mucked it up, however I think it shows team sky are willing to take risks and gamble to get time on other riders (which they now need to do big time).

Having watched Geraint over the years in Tour of Britian rides and on the track (his 4 km ride last October was imense), at 23 he is coming into his own and team sky is a great place to step up again. He looked fab as did David Millar who was unlucky with the weather and would have taken second if he had riden later.

Cancellara was imense and Larry was Lance like.

The second crash yesterday was like some one had put a rope across the road and was just a lump of metal and spokes. Even crazier was Tylr Farrar dragging the AG2R cyclists bike along while the fella did a 'you rotter fist in the air sign', Bonkers....

 

[Tyrone Biggums]

That was an amazing pile-up at the finish today - not seen one quite like that before.

Cav was taken out rather early but surprised that Hushovd and McEwen didn't make a better showing - particularly after the commentators were bigging up McEwen's preparation for the stage.

McEwan is 38 now and he just doesn't have the explosiveness in his legs he used to.

He finished 4th so that was a respectable effort given the carnage that went on.

 

[Tyrone Biggums]

Bad route planning. Right angled bends, very narrow last 10k.
What were they thinking, on a flat Stage when the finish bunch would consist of the entire Pelaton.
Easy to be wise in hindsight I know, but they have been organising it for long enough.

Mark Renshaw just on Oz tv said it was dangerous and too many riders in that space.

Said he'd never raced in a stage like that.

 

[Gwylan]

McEwan is 38 now and he just doesn't have the explosiveness in his legs he used to.

He finished 4th so that was a respectable effort given the carnage that went on.

I know. It was the fact that the ITV commentators were making so much of his chances and how well prepared he was and how many times he'd won at Brussels.

 

[Horton's halftime iceberg]

Stage 2 Brussels to Spa 201 KM

One for the classic riders today could suit Miller if he gets in a breakaway. If your stuck at work links on the site below for streamed coverage or go to itv4 player fromn 2.30.

Tour de France Live Video Streaming, Photos, Results - Guide to Pro Cycling Live Race Coverage - Watch Cycling TV | www.cyclingfans.com

Live on here now

Watch Live Le Tour de France 2010 Online Video ASO/UCI Cycling - Cycling

Bookies still reckon it could be a spinters day, Bossan Hagan 2nd favorite, go on my son.

Bookies > Cycling > Le Tour de France > 2010 > Stage 2 > Stage Winner

 

[Tyrone Biggums]

I know. It was the fact that the ITV commentators were making so much of his chances and how well prepared he was and how many times he'd won at Brussels.

He lives in Belgium and speaks Flemish so I guess they were going by the fact he knows the roads so well.

Strangely on the SBS network here in OZ they weren't pumping him up at all.

More about Cav and Farrar.

 

[rcf0712]

I'm thinking of taking my dog down to watch it tomorrow, hope his old lead holds up.....