Tour De France 2007

[Hazzman]

Arguably the demanding sporting event in the world starts next Saturday in the streets of London.

Just bought me Le Tour fact book, get the 1884's ready.

Should be interesting, no outright favourite and there is 4 Brits in it this year which is incredible compared to recent years.

The prologue should be interesting in London - all the UK riders in it for one reason to win the time trials.

 

[Melton Fox]

****ing cycling bollox.

 

[Lako42]

****ing cycling bollox.

when i saw your name as the last poster on this thread on the overview i knew that the message would be similar to the one i found

 

[bocadillo]

.... get the 1884's ready.

1884 - the year in which Leicester Fosse were founded.

1664 - France’s No.1 selling beer


I presume that you are 220 years out.

 

[Hazzman]

1884 - the year in which Leicester Fosse were founded.

1664 - France’s No.1 selling beer


I presume that you are 220 years out.

:icon_lol::icon_lol::icon_lol::icon_lol:

What a twat!

 

[bocadillo]

:icon_lol::icon_lol::icon_lol::icon_lol:

What a twat!

:icon_conf

Not quite sure here whether Hazz is calling himself a twat or saying that I'm one!

 

[Hazzman]

:icon_conf

Not quite sure here whether Hazz is calling himself a twat or saying that I'm one!

Calling myself one Boc.

You off to Ashford or Canterbury for the day next Sunday? Stage 1 passes through.

 

[bocadillo]

Calling myself one Boc.

That's a relief!

You off to Ashford or Canterbury for the day next Sunday? Stage 1 passes through.

I'll be up in town for the Prologue on Saturday. Probably riding in from Greenwich. Then on Sunday, I hope to catch the London-Canterbury stage a couple of times - hopefully in the last mile on the second occasion.

Also probably going over to France to see a stage as well.

I make Melton 100% wrong on this one. It is a fantastic event. It's just unfortunate that you see more of it on the TV than you can ever hope to see on the ground. I'm really looking forward to what seems to be the most even race for years - and hoping that the words 'drug' and 'scandal' are conspicuous in their absence this time around.

 

[Hazzman]

I'll be up in town for the Prologue on Saturday. Probably riding in from Greenwich. Then on Sunday, I hope to catch the London-Canterbury stage a couple of times - hopefully in the last mile on the second occasion.

Also probably going over to France to see a stage as well.

I make Melton 100% wrong on this one. It is a fantastic event. It's just unfortunate that you see more of it on the TV than you can ever hope to see on the ground. I'm really looking forward to what seems to be the most even race for years - and hoping that the words 'drug' and 'scandal' are conspicuous in their absence this time around.

Great stuff! One of my to do's to follow Le Tour, everyone I know what's been to watch it loves it despite not being massive cycling fans. The occasion and circus which follows it is said to be incredible. I was hoping to go London and then Canterbury but I left everything too late to organise.

I think Vinokourov to win.

 

[bocadillo]

What is there to organise? Just get yourself down there.

When the tour was last here in eeerrr... ?1994, I saw the stage pass near Folkestone and then dashed down to Brighton, arriving just before the finish. It's a fantastic social occasion.

 

[bocadillo]

And don't forget - the circus doesn't follow - it goes on in front!

 

[andy15]

look out for me tommorow in maidstone, i'll have my leicester shirt on with my leicester flag

 

[Hazzman]

Currently lashing it down in Ghent, Belgium for the end of Stage 2.

Incredible sprint from McEwen yesterday

 

[homer]

Blokes on bikes riding around the streets and up a few hills..........

 

[Hazzman]

A massive crash inside the last three kilometres splits the field leaving about 20 men to fight out the finish, which local hero Tom Boonen takes after a lung-bursting sprint.

 

[bocadillo]

Currently lashing it down in Ghent, Belgium for the end of Stage 2.

Incredible sprint from McEwen yesterday

I was at the bottom of Park Lane on Saturday and only 500 metres from the finish at Canterbury yesterday. Really enjoyed both events. London and Canterbury were really enlivened by both the Tour and the enormous number of visitors.

I rode into London from Greenwich with more than 200 others on Saturday - very enjoyable and made even more interesting by a bus driver who thought it was OK just to drive his bus straight at 200 bicycles. He would have been wiser to have checked his mirrors first; it would have saved him the embarrassment of being blue-lighted and stopped by the police whilst on a service run - ha!

Return journey delayed at Folkestone Central when a drugged-up twat (who insisted he had had nothing but water all night) decided that his quickest route home was via the railway line. Took 20 minutes to switch the 750v third rail switched off, at which time he seemed happy to throw himself into the arms of the nearest copper. Perhaps a night in the cells is better than going home for him!

Loads and loads of people in Canterbury yesterday. We finished up next to a bloke from Broughton Astley who couldn't believe how international the crowd was. I told him that Canterbury is *always* like that.

Couldn't believe how 185 bikes can go past you in about 1½ seconds (feel that draught!), but the Tour de France is so much more than the race itself.

 

[bocadillo]

A massive crash inside the last three kilometres splits the field leaving about 20 men to fight out the finish, which local hero Tom Boonen takes after a lung-bursting sprint.

Thanks Hazz. You've just ruined my evening's TV viewing!
:icon_sad:

 

[Hazzman]

Thanks Hazz. You've just ruined my evening's TV viewing!
:icon_sad:

Sorry Boc.

I still miss the ol' Channel 4 coverage!

 

[bocadillo]

Sorry Boc.

I still miss the ol' Channel 4 coverage!

I'm jesting , Hazz. One of the nice things about getting older is that I will have forgotten that you told me that Steegmans won today's stage by the time it's on TV tonight.

You're right about Channel 4 though. I know it is on Eurosport all day, but we can't put dishes up in Sandwich so the highlights at 7 p.m. is the only chance I get.

Still wondering whether to bugger off to France next week and watch a few days of it. I could live on Haribos thrown from the caravan so it wouldn't be too expensive.

 

[Siouxsie]

I'm jesting , Hazz. One of the nice things about getting older is that I will have forgotten that you told me that Steegmans won today's stage by the time it's on TV tonight.

You're right about Channel 4 though. I know it is on Eurosport all day, but we can't put dishes up in Sandwich so the highlights at 7 p.m. is the only chance I get.

Still wondering whether to bugger off to France next week and watch a few days of it. I could live on Haribos thrown from the caravan so it wouldn't be too expensive.

One of my friends is a cycling fanatic (CSC fan) and he took extended leave from his job last year (in fact never went back) to back pack around france following every day of the Tour. One mention of what he was doing and the french seemed happy to let this stranger camp on their lawns etc.

He wrote a blog with loads of photos which are probably very interesting if you understand them. To me it's just yet another bloke on a bike, followed by yet another !