View Full Version : Tour de France 2013
Bammers05
28-06-2012, 19:10
Seems to have quietly snuck up on me this year.
Anyway, no Contador and no Andy Schleck this year, so two of we're shorn of probably the two most talented riders on the planet atm. However, what that does do is open things up a bit. Last year's winner, Cadel Evans is back and, probably, the favourite, although he is getting on a bit. Frank Schleck will also be a strong challenger, although I expect his time-trialling will let him down. Bradley Wiggins is also being touted as a possible winner, but I can't see it, personally, especially if Team Sky are serious about going for the Green jersey with Cavendish too. I would expect Thomas Voekler to be there or thereabouts as well, not to mention the likes of Nibali, Menchov, Leipheimer etc.
Tbh I'd be surprised if this year's Tour matched the excitement of the last couple, but I'm looking forward to it anyway. Only one Alpine stage though :ohmy:
i always get bored by watching tour de frace...
IronCity
28-06-2012, 19:44
I love having the tour just play even if not watching closely. So relaxing, beautiful scenery, great villages, excellent broadcast.
IronCity
30-06-2012, 18:08
I like seeing Cancellara in yellow we have after the prologue. Only watching as replay now but had to look online to see the result.
IronCity
02-07-2012, 15:12
I had to double check the news feed to be sure Cavendish was actually in this race. I watched the race as 2-hr replay late last night and never once saw him or noticed the commentators talk about him. Very odd since he is a tour star.
screw the Olympics; no one will ever remember an olympic win, but stage wins/green jerseys will always be remembered.
IronCity
03-07-2012, 15:03
one day after wondering where the hell Cavendish was I was happy to seem him get the stage win
IronCity
04-07-2012, 03:57
This Sagan kid making a name for himself. Couldn't help but chuckle at his poor English during our post race interview. Something about Forest gump...ya...don't know...ya....I won green jersey
Bammers05
04-07-2012, 12:54
I can't decide whether I like Sagan or not - on the one hand, I like his pluckiness, but, on the other hand, I find his celebrations a little arrogant. Looks like he'll be a great rider though tbf.
Also, I don't like the way Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen pronounce Morkov's name - it's not 'Mor-koo' and it's not 'Mer-koe', it's 'Mor-kov' :folarm:
IronCity
04-07-2012, 13:27
I didn't think any more arrogant than some of the other stuff we have seen. but if he wins again he could be a little more regular.
I do enjoy that I can see big george hincappie out in front of his team in most peleton shots. what is he, 48? actually 39 but riding hard.
IronCity
05-07-2012, 04:09
I got spooked that Cavendish was out; seeing him laying on the concrete, broken helmet I thought he was out.
Cheers to Andre Greipel; great seeing him get his second stage win. The interview with teammate Henderson was one of the most informative I have listened to after a race. He described the set up - the team knew exactly what mark they would trade off; 1200, 900, 600, 200. It was perfect execution of a plan. "Even Alessandro Petacchi came up to me afterwards and just went, 'compliment'," he said. "It looks easy, but it's really not easy to get four, five guys in a line to deliver a sprint. You look at it on TV and you think, 'they're just doing a lead-out'," he added.
it was a thing of beauty and to see Henderson with his arms up 5 or 6 riders back while Greipel crossed was worth the night of watching.
glad Cavendish got back up - he was pissed. Hate to be those pedals tomorrow, he is going to pound them.
IronCity
07-07-2012, 03:46
Tour de Crash.
what's going on here Bammers, too many young riders? a crash a day and big peleton crashes.
also
Levi Leipheimer, George Hincapie, Christian Vande Velde and David Zabriskie — all former teammates of seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong — reportedly have struck a deal with USADA to admit to using doping and to give evidence against Armstrong in exchange for a 6-month ban on professional cycling.
nath_scfc
09-07-2012, 09:46
"I say they’re just fucking wankers. I cannot be doing with people like that. It justifies their own bone-idleness because they can’t ever imagine applying themselves to do anything in their lives. It’s easy for them to sit under a pseudonym on Twitter and write that sort of shit, rather than get off their arses in their own lives and apply themselves and work hard at something and achieve something. And that’s ultimately it. Cunts."
Allez Wiggo! :nath:
IronCity
09-07-2012, 17:05
Wiggins does great in the time trial, Froome second in the time trial. They "gotta" do it now. I would like to see Froome on the podium at this point.
IronCity
11-07-2012, 20:02
I had to sneak a peak before the I watch the replay tonight and can't wait to see
Voekler
win the stage.
Bammers05
15-07-2012, 17:17
What a tacky stage :serial:
nath_scfc
16-07-2012, 09:46
What a tacky stage :serial:
|D
Good on Wiggo for waiting for Cadel. Not sure if there'll be any ramifications because of whether it's even feasible, but we can but hope whoever is responsible gets a real good kicking...
IronCity
16-07-2012, 14:37
I noticed Wiggins only slowed down in the last 2 or 3km. I would love to know if there was a strategy that they always knew they would slow down but make him burn those legs for a while first. I love those little insights about the tour.
Then again, his last flat was near the finish, and most teams probably did not know that the nails on the road were to blame until the very end.
Wiggins said after the race that he hopes he finds the people and send them to a football match.
Bammers05
16-07-2012, 14:54
I noticed Wiggins only slowed down in the last 2 or 3km. I would love to know if there was a strategy that they always knew they would slow down but make him burn those legs for a while first. I love those little insights about the tour.
Then again, his last flat was near the finish, and most teams probably did not know that the nails on the road were to blame until the very end.
Wiggins said after the race that he hopes he finds the people and send them to a football match.
Pretty sure Wiggins and Team Sky slowed down from the start of the descent, when they realized Cadel had a flat tire, at the top of the climb, since Roland managed to attack off the front of the main group twice. When Roland got a sizeable gap, obviously the teams of Nibali and Van Den Broeck had to start chasing him, because Roland was near them in the overall rankings. On the start of the descent though, Team Sky definitely were keeping the pace down.
Apparently, if the culprit is found, he/she/they will face criminal prosecution.
IronCity
16-07-2012, 15:31
I think Cadel had 3 flats. Were all 3 from nails. If so, there was obviously a problem in more than one location.
the one location I saw was pretty thick with people. Someone had to see something. Unless thrown out at the last second you would expect someone to see them lying on the road before the riders got there. Very narrow in the place saw riders get flats.
nath_scfc
18-07-2012, 12:10
A doping incident on the rest day of the Tour? Well, this is all rather familiar!
IronCity
18-07-2012, 15:55
What a ride by Voeckler. I am home today so watched. I sure hope he did not dope. King the Mountains jersey for him.
Bammers05
20-07-2012, 18:22
CAV!!!! :ohmy: :ohmy: :ohmy: :w00t :wub:
IronCity
20-07-2012, 18:26
Read that result earlier.
Did you see the interview with Wiggins and Froome after yesterday. Questions on what was happening with their conversation going up to the peak. Froome wanted to win the stage, and Wiggins explanation had way too many overtones for my liking.
Froome's interview was very strange as well. Froome is remaining the good teammate but not happy. compare that to Kloden's total ignorance of his teammate, not even a glance as he passed one.
Bammers05
22-07-2012, 17:13
That performance of the National Anthem was :facepalm: They at least could have got some music to go with it, rather than just having the singer on her own.
Who cares though - WE WON :w00t :shocking: :D :wub: :idhitit: :welcome2: :offtopic: :naughty: :cool2: :biggrin: :wave: :excited: :superman: :gunfire: :pilot: :roses: :loopy: :clown: :thumbsup: :smug: :boxing: :ok: :gu: :dundons: :wan: :hamster: :hb: :thewave: :orly: :dancer: :R2: :ratboy: :fergie: :x: :bammers: :bendtner: :trolles: :rooney: :webb: :kean: :messi: :hummels: :kobe: :lebron3: :garnett2: :garnett1: :YESYES: :austin: :carlton: :iransmug: :billsmug: :)
IronCity
22-07-2012, 18:26
Fun tour, no real competition for Higgins other than Froome. Higgins looked so comfortable the entire race and extra cheers for him in finishing that last time trial on top. I loved the sprints, Greipel, Cav (he was a missile three days ago) and probably my favorite item of all from this year's tour;
Always love Voeckler's spirit. His two stage wins were incredible and goes home with a final Jersey
http://i2.cdn.turner.com/si/dam/assets/120711085847-thomas-voeckler-1-single-image-cut.jpg
Sabatasso
22-07-2012, 19:45
Need more dope in cycling, it's too boring to watch otherwise...
Bammers05
22-07-2012, 20:36
Need more dope in cycling, it's too boring to watch otherwise...
Heh
Tbf no doped-up ride will ever beat this:
DBGwIyUxtpE
Loved the way Wiggins handled the "Winner's interview" afterwards, joking around saying he was going to announce the winners of the raffle :D
Brilliant achievement, he's made for life now.
Nice to see Cavendish win that final stage too; a very successful Tour for the British indeed.
Bammers05
22-07-2012, 20:46
Oh hi, Berry, didn't realize you were a cycling fan?
Dragonfly
22-07-2012, 20:47
Woo hoo! I got it right and I don't even have a clue about cycling. I only picked Wiggins, because it sounds like Wiggum.
Oh hi, Berry, didn't realize you were a cycling fan?
I'm not particularly, but I thought I'd jump on the Wiggins bandwagon, on the back of his success in this Tour, like many fellow Brits have, it seems, and I tuned in for the final stage.
Quite enjoyed it, a nice change.
Bammers05
22-07-2012, 23:43
When I started following cycling, there were no British riders on the Tour :cool:
When I started following cycling, there were no British riders on the Tour :cool:
Nice. Must be something quite extraordinary then, and brilliant for the sport, that Britain now has its very own champ :)
Bammers05
22-07-2012, 23:54
Nice. Must be something quite extraordinary then, and brilliant for the sport, that Britain now has its very own champ :)
I doubted I'd see a British Tour de France winner in my lifetime, so it's quite incredible to get one after only 8 years of watching the event. It's brilliant for British sport, in that it'll make cycling more popular, presumably. For sport in general, he's just another Tour de France winner though and a pretty boring one (on the road) at that. If he wasn't British, I'd probably be complaining about how he never attacks. Don't particularly like the Sky corporation either.
Sabatasso
23-07-2012, 00:26
Like I said, cycling without EPO is just as boring as 10 000 meters ice skating.
Can't think of anything more boring than getting excited over a bloke riding a bike.
Oh wait, there's golf/snooker/athletics.
Bammers05
23-07-2012, 00:31
Everyone has their own tastes.
nath_scfc
23-07-2012, 09:42
Pretty insane to see the lead-out for the Champs involving the yellow jersey, rather than their usual canter with a glass of Champagne. Much more fitting way to win the jersey though, especially how much of a help the whole team has been for Wiggo to get this jersey.
Now for Saturday's Olympic road race. Bring it on home Cav!
What are your guys' favourite 2012 Tour moments? Millar's stage win immediately springs to mind, purely for how much redemption will have been brought by that.
Sabatasso
23-07-2012, 12:36
Everyone has their own tastes.
Definitely so, but while it's impressive in terms of pain threshold and stamina, it's not really "fun" to watch, at least not for me personally. This year was especially boring though, and like I already said, if this is what cycling is with less dope then I'd say legalize it for this sport...
IronCity
23-07-2012, 14:28
I don't get the legalize doping to make it more enjoyable argument. So what if they go up the hill in 50 minutes instead of 46 minutes. As long as there are two riders competing on the way up makes no difference if they doped or not.
Sabatasso
23-07-2012, 14:59
When they're doped they at least attack the leader...
nath_scfc
23-07-2012, 16:04
There were numerous attacks, but Wiggins and Froome were just equal to them.
IronCity
23-07-2012, 16:29
not to mention, when the two best Tour riders are not there, Andy and that dickhead Contador, the entire dynamic is changed.
Sabatasso
25-07-2012, 00:53
There were numerous attacks, but Wiggins and Froome were just equal to them.
Yes of course, if you call a half arsed attempt an actual attack, then there was numerous. There was NONE real assaults, everybody played it safe just to make it to the finish line.
IronCity
11-10-2012, 17:44
Nice Chart of finishers who have been banned from Tour over the years for doping
NY Times Link (http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012/08/24/sports/top-finishers-of-the-tour-de-france-tainted-by-doping.html?ref=cycling)
Bammers05
07-11-2012, 23:06
Uh oh:
Tour de France champion Bradley Wiggins is in hospital after being knocked off his bike.
The 32-year-old Olympic gold medal winner damaged his ribs in the collision at 18:00 GMT in Wrightington, near Wigan and was taken to a local hospital by ambulance.
Lancashire Police told BBC Sport: "The rider is a 32-year-old local man.
"He was taken to hospital with injuries that are not thought to be life-threatening. His condition is stable."
The police added: "The incident is a cyclist involved in a collision with a white Astra car.
"His family have made aware of what has happened. The driver of the Astra car is a local woman who was not injured but she is helping police with enquires."
Source (http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cycling/20246940)
Hopefully, it'll be a swift recovery.
IronCity
07-11-2012, 23:27
Uh oh:
Source (http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cycling/20246940)
Hopefully, it'll be a swift recovery.
a little blood doping/anabolic steroids will go a long way to help
I love to play this game and play it many hours.....
Bammers05
19-11-2012, 18:49
Britain's Mark Cavendish has been involved in a collision with a car while training in Italy but says he is "relatively OK".
The car braked in front of Cavendish and the 2011 world road race champion went into the back of it.
"Went & hit the back of a car that slammed on today in training. Wasn't ideal," 27-year-old Cavendish, from the Isle of Man, posted on Twitter.
"Apart from a bruised arm, I'm relatively ok. If anyone cares."
Cavendish recently left Team Sky for Omega Pharma-Lotto and the incident comes less than two weeks after Tour de France champion Bradley Wiggins and British Cycling head coach Shane Sutton were knocked off their bikes in the UK.
Wiggins spent a night in hospital with rib and hand injuries after being knocked off his bike near a petrol station close to his Lancashire home.
Sutton, who is also Team Sky's head coach, is recovering from bruising and bleeding on the brain as well as a fractured cheekbone following an accident cycling along the A6 near Manchester suburb Levenshulme.
Source (http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cycling/20392164)
Another one :facepalm:
nath_scfc
20-11-2012, 15:25
Source (http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cycling/20392164)
Another one :facepalm:
I bet that was Roberto Ferrari :lol:
IronCity
14-12-2012, 21:17
Surely Bammers and Nath already have hotel rooms sorted but still worth posting
Leeds in Yorkshire will host the opening of the 2014 Tour de France, before the race heads to London for a stage finish.
Bammers05
29-12-2012, 00:56
Sir Bradley Wiggins :thumbsup:
IronCity
15-01-2013, 17:04
So Lance goes on the Oprah show to talk, he could have chosen any network/cable show to do so. After the interview Oprah starts spouting how he didn't come clean. Shut your mouth and let the interview do the talking.
nath_scfc
20-02-2013, 15:25
Good start to 2013 for us Brits! Tour wins for Froomedog and Cav, plus a stage win in the Tour Down Under for Geraint Thomas. Hopefully many more to come!
Do you guys follow the Track stuff at all? Worlds starting today in Minsk. The third man making his debut on team sprint is from Stoke :nath:
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