Time to start supporting Chris Froome

[Superphil]

I think the truth is, that we do. The Wincanton Classic in our neighbourhood warranted three ice cream vans and a most beautiful day on the Beacon

And surely such a seasoned traveler would understand the difference between Holland and the Netherlands. South Holland works, the south of Holland really doesn't.

When we lived there for about 6 years, we called it Holland, everyone we knew called it Holland (locals and other Brits), when we were back in the UK we were often asked if it was flat and full of windmills, so we explained that we lived in the south of Holland, where there were hills, and no windmills.

I've still never seen a (full blown) cycle race in this country, other than the Olympics last year, and ages ago a few stages of the TdF. Occasionally you get club cyclists on the A24, but never a whole town closed for the weekend with hundreds of competitors, national TV coverage (the ones on the back of the motorbikes are my favourite). Maybe I've not been looking hard enough, probably because I, like many others, really don't care about cycling, hence my original point.

Nutters

 

[Lord Bracknell]

When Le Tour came to East Sussex in the nineties, it was difficult to get the idea of the magnitude of the event across to people. Letters poured into the highway authority (East Sussex County Council) complaining that there could be no possible justification for closing roads, restricting traffic, laying on parking for visitors, disrupting the buses, letting the French police loose on the roads, blah .. blah .. nimby .. blah.

Fortunately there were a few people with a bit of vision, who saw the opportunity - and a great day was had by thousands and thousands.

I was lucky enough to be involved in planning and delivering bits of the event and I can honestly say it was one of the highlights of my working career.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

In 2010, the small town I used to live in in Italy fought off a lot of competition to get to host the finish of the Giro d'Italia. There was never any doubt that the entire population wanted the event - and it greatly helped that cycling holds a much higher status in most people's minds.

Montalcino had hosted a number of minor events previously - and it's still hosting them this year. High spot of the Giro stage was the racing over un-paved roads (strade bianche) as they climbed through the surrounding countryside in the pouring rain towards the finish. Cadel Evans won the stage, btw.

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[Superphil]

When Le Tour came to East Sussex in the nineties, it was difficult to get the idea of the magnitude of the event across to people. Letters poured into the highway authority (East Sussex County Council) complaining that there could be no possible justification for closing roads, restricting traffic, laying on parking for visitors, disrupting the buses, letting the French police loose on the roads, blah .. blah .. nimby .. blah.

Fortunately there were a few people with a bit of vision, who saw the opportunity - and a great day was had by thousands and thousands.

I was lucky enough to be involved in planning and delivering bits of the event and I can honestly say it was one of the highlights of my working career.

Exactly, in Holland it was simple, "the roads are closing because we're having a cycle race" and it was readily accepted, and eagerly anticipated. If the route interfered with your plans, you just had to find another route, It seemed like the whole town was out watching it, and all the local kids were invited to ride their own bikes on parts of the circuit before the racing started.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

That's the first time I have watched a Tour De France stage. Not sure I always knew exactly what was going on tactics wise but it was highly entertaining.

 

[The Large One]

That's the first time I have watched a Tour De France stage. Not sure I always knew exactly what was going on tactics wise but it was highly entertaining.

I tend to find TdF stages something akin to a half-decent travelogue, especially if the sun is shining.

 

[Stat Brother]

You often get a far more intelligent interview out of them than you do out of most sports competitors.

Not to mention approachable
I have so so many stories about pro cyclists, just from watching the Tour of Britain in London 2 years ago, my favourite being:-

We noticed the KoM's teddy bear prize stuffed on the dashboard of a support vehicle.
I called out to a mechanic asking if I could take a photo with Stat jnr and bear.
Mechanic calls out to Jon Tiernan-Locke the cyclist that was King of the Mountains, who was resting up 1/2 hour before the race.
JTL jumps up comes running over, as I'm embarrassingly protesting as I didn't mean to disturb him.
Ultra friendly with the kids.
Poses for photographs, then wanders back to his rest and conversation.

As said I have so many stories ranging from the Sky boys being brilliant in the biggest fan/media scrum ever.
Other riders singling out our kids for free caps, and advertising.
Directors doing show and tell.

Best sporting day out ever, (sorry Albion) we'll be back in a couple of months, but it'll be mentals.

 

[Stat Brother]

I tend to find TdF stages something akin to a half-decent travelogue, especially if the sun is shining.

Have you been reading:-

http://www.lionelbirnie.com/gourmet/

Travelogue and dining tour.

 

[Stat Brother]

That's the first time I have watched a Tour De France stage. Not sure I always knew exactly what was going on tactics wise but it was highly entertaining.

Sky's tactics were pretty straight forward today.

Get to the foot of Ventoux, without any of the overall leaders ahead of the main field.
Sky rode fast enough up the hill so they couldn't be overtaken.
Riding behind someone is 30-40% easier than riding in the front.
Burn off your 'helpers' while pressurising the competition.
Kick on when you see other falter.
Kick on again when your last helper is spent.
Push to the line.

Job done simple pimple.

 

[Stat Brother]

[tweet]356461735286304768[/tweet]

 

[Guy Fawkes]

Unlikely, given that not only was Wiggins the first Brit to have won the Tour De France, but he did also win 6 gold medals in the World Cycling Championships and 4 Olympic gold medals, including one in his home Olympics just a fortnight after he'd won the Tour De France. Wiggins may have made history last year, but it was the culmination of many years of success in his sport. None of which would diminish Froome's achievement should he win the Tour De France, but just saying that Wiggins has achieved a lot more in his career than just a solitary Tour victory.

Froome was 2nd last year as a support rider to Wiggins so would have acted as a team member supporting Wiggins bid and not someone out to win the race for himself with the support of another team to try to get him the win.

Had he not been doing a lot of the work for Wiggins and had the same protection / support, he could well have been the first British winner, he did finish just 3 & 1/2 minutes back in the general classification as a support rider to Wiggins, how much better could he have done if he wasn't expected to take turns in the front of his team when chasing down breakaways or building leads for Wiggins and Wiggins had to take his turns instead?

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Sky's tactics were pretty straight forward today.

Get to the foot of Ventoux, without any of the overall leaders ahead of the main field.
Sky rode fast enough up the hill so they couldn't be overtaken.
Riding behind someone is 30-40% easier than riding in the front.
Burn off your 'helpers' while pressurising the competition.
Kick on when you see other falter.
Kick on again when your last helper is spent.
Push to the line.

Job done simple pimple.

Thanks for this.

How do you ensure you get to the foot of the mountain without anyone ahead? Do you simply ensure that you keep up with any breakaways? But what if there are some breakaways and they go at a speed which means your team has to over spend energy keeping up too early in the race? Apologies for dumb questions.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

And. I was reading that if there is a breakaway then the helpers chase them down and drag them back in, again I don't really understand this. Won't chasing someone make them go faster?

 

[Stat Brother]

It all depends who's in the breakaway.

Today 10+ riders were 'up the road' by 4 minutes, but were all 10's of minutes down on Froome.

Yesterday the break survived to the end because the nearest rider to CF was +12 mins.
They won by 7mins Froome had a 'easy' day, and everybody's happy.

Today Sky needed to make sure none of the top 6 riders went past.
Sky rode on the front and were very watchful.
Had Saxobank (Contador) shot past they would have chased until they could chase no more, in the hope that CF could get to Contador.

 

[Guy Fawkes]

And. I was reading that if there is a breakaway then the helpers chase them down and drag them back in, again I don't really understand this. Won't chasing someone make them go faster?

The guy at the front is breaking the air and using more energy, the other behind benefit from this aerodynamically and save energy. By taking it in turns they can save energy and therefore travel faster. The chasing group usually tends to be larger than the breakaway so providing they work together they should be able to chase down a breakaway, especially if the breakaway stops doing this technique (which happens as some tire or are vying for position for a sprint / climbing points, or stage win)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-3Gfh_Qsrc

http://www.exploratorium.edu/cycling/aerodynamics2.html

 

[Stat Brother]

And. I was reading that if there is a breakaway then the helpers chase them down and drag them back in, again I don't really understand this. Won't chasing someone make them go faster?

A breakaway will not be as well organised as the chasing group (peloton) who are after the stage win.
If it's too small the riders won't get enough 'rest' before their turn on the front.
If it's too big some won't take their turn on the front, hoping to keep energy for the finish.

All the time Cav's team is on the front of the peloton, with perhaps 6 riders alternating the spearhead, hammering properly hammering along, so that Cav gets a free ride to the finish line.

 

[Stat Brother]

The guy at the front is breaking the air and using more energy, the other behind benefit from this aerodynamically and save energy. By taking it in turns they can save energy and therefore travel faster. The chasing group usually tends to be larger than the breakaway so providing they work together they should be able to chase down a breakaway, especially if the breakaway stops doing this technique (which happens as some tire or are vying for position for a sprint / climbing points, or stage win)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-3Gfh_Qsrc

http://www.exploratorium.edu/cycling/aerodynamics2.html

Think F1.

 

[Wardy]

It all depends who's in the breakaway.

Today 10+ riders were 'up the road' by 4 minutes, but were all 10's of minutes down on Froome.

Yesterday the break survived to the end because the nearest rider to CF was +12 mins.
They won by 7mins Froome had a 'easy' day, and everybody's happy.

Today Sky needed to make sure none of the top 6 riders went past.
Sky rode on the front and were very watchful.
Had Saxobank (Contador) shot past they would have chased until they could chase no more, in the hope that CF could get to Contador.

Just to expand on this a bit more. To break away you need to go a lot faster than the pack you are breaking away from. What Sky did today was make sure the pace of the main group was fast enough that for anyone else in the mix they would need to expend huge amounts of energy to even try and get away.

 

[Baldseagull]

I agree, a shame that Murray the jocular Jock, the half South African English cricket team and the Kiwi coached, Welsh captained Lions are overshadowing an epic performance from the African Chris Froome.

We English really should get behind ALL our sportsmen.

 

[Justice]

They don't. They really don't. You'd have to be a knob to think that they do.

Obviously a keen cyclist.