Tour de France 2009

[pork pie fox]

I realise a lot of people may not be interested in this but I am so thought I'd start a thread and see if anybody else is

Good start for the Brits, Wiggins finished 3rd in the prologue, behind Contador, the favourite and Cancellara who is an absolute machine at time-trials

Then Cavendish wins the first 'proper' stage http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/05072009/58/tour-de-france-cavendish-wins-stage.html with probably as straight forward a sprint finish as it can get in the tour

Should be a good 3 weeks

ps I realise many people will probably disregard or dislike the sport because of the drug cheats, I obviously don't like this side of the sport but am trying to concentrate on the race side if things

 

[bocadillo]

I realise a lot of people may not be interested in this but I am so thought I'd start a thread and see if anybody else is

Good start for the Brits, Wiggins finished 3rd in the prologue, behind Contador, the favourite and Cancellara who is an absolute machine at time-trials

Then Cavendish wins the first 'proper' stage http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/05072009/58/tour-de-france-cavendish-wins-stage.html with probably as straight forward a sprint finish as it can get in the tour

Should be a good 3 weeks

ps I realise many people will probably disregard or dislike the sport because of the drug cheats, I obviously don't like this side of the sport but am trying to concentrate on the race side if things

I enjoy watching the TdF - but isn't difficult "to concentrate on the race side of things" when you know that the bloke at the front of that race has so often been a drug cheat?

 

[enderby fox]

My old boy loves it so i've always watched it. Plus i love visiting France so its good to see them go through some of the old places i've been too.

There's talk of an english team being set up isnt there?

 

[pork pie fox]

I enjoy watching the TdF - but isn't difficult "to concentrate on the race side of things" when you know that the bloke at the front of that race has so often been a drug cheat?

Sorry Boc, I didn't make that very clear really :icon_redf

I just meant as a review of the first 2 stages my post wasn't looking at the drug side if things, not that it wasn't meant to be an option to talk about it in this thread

 

[cleefox]

I love the Tour, watch it as much as possible.

Good blog on cycling if you are interested.

http://helsy33.skyrock.com/

Don't know who she is though. :icon_wink

 

[pork pie fox]

Cav does it again

 

[cleefox]

Contador stitched up by Armstrong today. No way that he was not tipped off by the Columbia boys (hi there George). Looking forward to Alberto making him suffer later.

Cav wins his second sprint, at least there was one other sprinter up there today. Green jersey a real possibility even at this stage.

 

[pork pie fox]

Interesting that Armstrong seemed much more bullish after today's stage. Yesterday he was very much towing the party line whereas he was stating that after winning the tour 7 times previously he deserved more respect after today's stage. He also referred to Contador being team leader yesterday but was today saying he was one of two team leaders.

I wondered how Bruneel could keep everybody in that team content and maybe it is a harder job than it looks. Having Armstrong, Contador, Kloden, Liepheimer etc is very impressive but maybe it brings its own problems

 

[cleefox]

Interesting that Armstrong seemed much more bullish after today's stage. Yesterday he was very much towing the party line whereas he was stating that after winning the tour 7 times previously he deserved more respect after today's stage. He also referred to Contador being team leader yesterday but was today saying he was one of two team leaders.

I wondered how Bruneel could keep everybody in that team content and maybe it is a harder job than it looks. Having Armstrong, Contador, Kloden, Liepheimer etc is very impressive but maybe it brings its own problems

I thought that Bruyneel looked decidely uncomfotable in his post stage interview. Interesting that Kloden looked after Contador once the break was made. Interesting times ahead I think.
By the way my daughter is reporting that Contador will be leaving Astana for CAISSE D'EPARGNE as soon as August.

 

[pork pie fox]

I thought that Bruyneel looked decidely uncomfotable in his post stage interview. Interesting that Kloden looked after Contador once the break was made. Interesting times ahead I think.
By the way my daughter is reporting that Contador will be leaving Astana for CAISSE D'EPARGNE as soon as August.

They seem to have invested a lot of time and effort in the past in Valverde, he looked like he might be the real deal a few years ago but seems to have fallen away since the operation puerto (sp?) stuff, strange hey :icon_wink

 

[pork pie fox]

I love the Tour, watch it as much as possible.

Good blog on cycling if you are interested.

http://helsy33.skyrock.com/

Don't know who she is though. :icon_wink

:icon_redf Just twigged :icon_wink

 

[cleefox]

They seem to have invested a lot of time and effort in the past in Valverde, he looked like he might be the real deal a few years ago but seems to have fallen away since the operation puerto (sp?) stuff, strange hey :icon_wink

He won the Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré this year though and last year he won the UCI Pro Tour last year. On the Cycling Quotien rankings he's leading it this year and he won it last year. So he's not doing as bad as you think. :icon_wink :icon_bigg

 

[pork pie fox]

He won the Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré this year though and last year he won the UCI Pro Tour last year. On the Cycling Quotien rankings he's leading it this year and he won it last year. So he's not doing as bad as you think. :icon_wink :icon_bigg

Prob just feels that way as he's always been up there on the betting for GC on the Grand Tours but never quite carried it through

Not many people would bet on Cavendish in the Milan - San Remo though so who the feck knows :icon_bigg

Good blog by the way, nice for one to be written with a sense of humour and not taking everything so seriously

I like the way Yahoo/Eurosport have a poll on who'll be in Yellow after the team time trial tomorrow, they've got Contador on there and not Armstrong :icon_lol:

 

[cleefox]

Prob just feels that way as he's always been up there on the betting for GC on the Grand Tours but never quite carried it through

Not many people would bet on Cavendish in the Milan - San Remo though so who the feck knows :icon_bigg

Good blog by the way, nice for one to be written with a sense of humour and not taking everything so seriously

I like the way Yahoo/Eurosport have a poll on who'll be in Yellow after the team time trial tomorrow, they've got Contador on there and not Armstrong :icon_lol:

Thanks for the kind comments, I'll pass them on.

Its getting interesting already, looking forward to the developments in the coming weeks.

 

[pork pie fox]

Thanks for the kind comments, I'll pass them on.

Its getting interesting already, looking forward to the developments in the coming weeks.

Agree totally, a lot of sub-plots to this year's Tour already, roll on the Pyrenees

 

[pork pie fox]

So near and yet so far for Lance

Same time overall now as Cancellara but doesn't get the Yellow Jersey by fractions of a second

Don't think it'll be too much of an issue but would have been a good story

 

[fox58]

Bradley Wiggins is sixth overall 38 seconds behind Cancellara and David Millar is 10th

 

[cleefox]

So near and yet so far for Lance

Same time overall now as Cancellara but doesn't get the Yellow Jersey by fractions of a second

Don't think it'll be too much of an issue but would have been a good story

It was the guy in 5th no riding out that lost him the yellow. Oh, that was Armstrong, how unproffesional not riding out to the line. :icon_wink

Seriously, though it really is set up now.

Also loved Cancellara's quote that it was down to "Swiss timing" :icon_lol:

 

[pork pie fox]

I cannot wait to see how they play it this weekend in the Pyrenees, particularly as I'm in France (although sadly in the Alps) and there will obviously be a massive media circus around it all

Given that a lot of other GC contenders (pre-tour) like Evans, Menchov etc have lost a bit of time it should make it interesting to see how they respond (let alone some of the other riders within the astana team)

On another side note, what a fantastic job Wiggins and Millar did despite only having 5 riders active for Garmin, I realise they used their time triallers mainly but it was still a great job to do what they did with just 5 compared to the rest using the whole team

 

[cleefox]

I cannot wait to see how they play it this weekend in the Pyrenees, particularly as I'm in France (although sadly in the Alps) and there will obviously be a massive media circus around it all

Given that a lot of other GC contenders (pre-tour) like Evans, Menchov etc have lost a bit of time it should make it interesting to see how they respond (let alone some of the other riders within the astana team)

On another side note, what a fantastic job Wiggins and Millar did despite only having 5 riders active for Garmin, I realise they used their time triallers mainly but it was still a great job to do what they did with just 5 compared to the rest using the whole team

Garmin did really well. I thought Liquigas did well too.

You should be able to keep up with whats happening then this weekend as I would imagie there will wall to wall coverage. :icon_wink