Some prime breakaway territory today:
Many short, but steep, climbs. As yesterday, the toughest climb is last - the Category 1 Col de la Croix:
The breakaway specialists should be out in force. Will Cancellara try to make a move to get back yellow, or save his energy for tomorrow's time trial? I'll be interested to see how Sagan fares today.
Will any GC contender who lost time on Friday try to make it up today?
Do these guys dope nightly during the race?
Are you a douche nightly, or
Are you a douche nightly, or only on cycles? Does almost every thread about the Tour have to contain at least one post accusing everyone of doping?
Anyways, Sky put on an impressive showing yesterday and I'm interested to see if they'll be right back at it today. Should make for an interesting race. Does Cancellara try to make back the time he lost today, or does he try to conserve for the TT coming up?
Looks like a pretty difficult stage with 4 cat 2 climbs and a cat 1 climb to end it. Definitely a stage that could see some movement.
EEB c/o 2014
Uhm
They all dope, so maybe that is the reason. Yes Lance did dope. Duh!
[Caved troll is caved. Sorry, Mobile app users.]
My head says team Sky looks
My head says team Sky looks too strong right now. Evans all by himself yesterday on the last climb. I think the blistering pace set yesterday hits a lot of the riders hard today.
"And they'll never catch him!"
Tuned in
For 1 minute, was instantly bored and grossed out by all the camera shots of men's assed in bicycle shorts. I was also instinctively making a pushin motion where my horn would be in my car and yelling at them to get out of my lane and they are not a car!
Bicycle shorts are sexy. I
Bicycle shorts are sexy. I wear them every time I go to the mall or grocery shopping. All the ladies check me out.
Sexy and you know it.
Oh that was you...
-----------------
Screw Lance.
So are you grossed out by all
So are you grossed out by all camera shots of men's asses in footpall pants? Cyclists essentially wear the same outfits as football players minus shoulder pads, though there is one notable difference: football pants are the Capri version of bicycle shorts.
Yes
Bicycling is for kids and fags that wear racing gear and aren't in a race. Yes I am talking to you. I ride my bike with normal shorts and a shirt on. I also don't pretend I am a car or in the Tour De France. You look ridiculous going down the road in a racing suit. I don't wear a Dale Earnhardt fire suit when I drive to work, because I know I would look like a jackass. So please cut it out!
[Caved troll is caved. Sorry, Mobile app users.]
Responded to a deleted comment
Disregard.
Responded to a comment
Before it was deleted, sorry I hurt your feelings.
[Caved troll is caved. Sorry, Mobile app users.]
True
But I also don't get the wonderful view of a mans "fruit basket" while watching football like I do with the non motorized biking.
But when you watch football,
But when you watch football, half the time you are watching men lay on top of or underneath other men. So either football players are gross and nasty, or your comments regarding cyclists are totally fourth grade gay.
All I am saying
Is of you are going to post an OT about a bike race you have to be consistent and post an OT about every NASCAR related race their is.
Another insightful comment...
...undone by pore grammer.
As a matter of fact I like beer.
Autocorrect
Is hardly poor grammar chief.
Grammar, chief...
...is probably what you mean. Unless you are talking about some sort of grammar chief:
I kid. If OT on cycling in July bugs you so much, you are welcome to read one of the other threads.
As a matter of fact I like beer.
s of you are going to post an
s of you are going to post an OT about a bike race you have to be consistent and post an OT about every NASCAR related race their is.
Actually, I don't. But someone who cares about NASCAR can feel free.
BTW, if you hate these threads so much, why do you keep on posting in them and bumping them up to the top of the board?
While I love football, my
While I love football, my tolerance for sports where men lay on top of other men only goes so far. Case in point:
LOL at the Cadillac
LOL at the Cadillac commercial with a built in tablet computer. Yeah that's not a distraction.
Wear a fire suit to work!
To celebrate those that wear the ridiculous looking bicycle suits while not in a race I have an idea. Monday everyone should wear a NASCAR fire suit to work. If you walk to work please wear runners shorts, number placard and a lycra tank top shirt.
[Caved troll is caved. Sorry, Mobile app users.]
Great ride...
...by M. Pinot. Marc Madiot cool as un concombre:
As a matter of fact I like beer.
That was hilarious.
That was hilarious. I'd hate to be the driver of the car with him going nuts right behind me.
I can't blame him though - FDJ doesn't get too many stage wins. Pinot's a guy to keep an eye on for the future - only 22 years old.
FDJ had a man in every move
FDJ had a man in every move last year and got nothing (memorably losing to Thor Hushovd in much the same way Pinot won this year). It's nice to see them achieve success; they certainly work hard enough for it.
Servant. Pastor. Husband. Michigan fan in Duluth.
The video:
The video:
Wiggans has been annoying to
Wiggans has been annoying to me in the past but this is pure gold.
In response to a question - to win the Tour de France riders must be doped “to the gills.
"Honestly they’re just fucking wankers. I can’t be doing with people like that, It justifies their own bone idleness… because they can’t ever imagine applying themselves to anything in their lives. And it’s easy for them to sit under a pseudonym on Twitter and write that kind of shit rather than get off their arses and apply themselves and work hard at something and achieve something.”
He paused, tossed the table and left.
-----------------
Screw Lance.
Love it.
He also added a final pejorative descriptor for emphasis: http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/wiggins-delivers-caustic-assessment-of-his-critics
As a matter of fact I like beer.
Cool stage - I love when
Cool stage - I love when there are lots of climbs.
Terrible break for Samuel Sanchez. He's out of the Tour and can't defend his Olympic medal either. What exactly happened there? We never got a good angle - we just suddenly see guys flying to the left.
I haven't seen...
...any footage, but Cycling News describes it thusly. Awful:
"The crash took place in the 60th kilometre of racing on stage eight on a short uphill section, and initial reports say it was apparently caused by a elderly male spectator sitting at a table too far out in the road. Team-mate Jorge Azanza - who was mainly responsible for protecting Sánchez in the pack - tried to avoid the spectator, who was moving out of the way at speed, but instead ended up colliding with him, with Valverde slamming into Azanza and Sánchez crashing into the two Spaniards, and somersaulting into the tarmac..."
As a matter of fact I like beer.
In fairness, Sanchez wasn't
In fairness, Sanchez wasn't going to make a significant bid for Gold this year anyway; the course won't suit him and he knew it, targeting the World Championships instead. He was an easy Top 5 contender here, though, and it's a terrible break for him.
Servant. Pastor. Husband. Michigan fan in Duluth.
I am starting to wonder why
I am starting to wonder why Froome isn't on another team as a serious GC contender. If it weren't for the flat on stage 2 (I think) he would be right there with Wiggins/Evans.
I'm guessing he'll have his own team next year.
Phil and Paul kept talking
Phil and Paul kept talking about what a great ride Evans had. Not sure I see it that way: 2nd day in a row he used up energy trying to drop Wiggins, 2nd day in a row it failed. Tomorrow should be pretty interesting.
Agree
They said something about the psychological benefit of that mini-attack he made at the end, but I don't see it that way. An attack that gets you no time seems like a failure to me.
In 2008 Evans was excoriated
In 2008 Evans was excoriated for never attacking and lost the Tour in part because he allowed himself to be neutralized by CSC; he's a different rider now, and he's trying to make something happen. If it doesn't work, too bad--but he won't be criticized for not trying.
It's not like he was trying to win the race in a day. He was looking for a few seconds on a flat at the end of a hilly stage, when Wiggins had only one teammate with him; seems like a smart move to me, even if it doesn't work. The fact is that if Evans wants to win, he probably has to gain time in unconventional places or by dropping Wiggins on climbs; he is not going to gain time on him in either time trial. We do know that Wiggins is under some considerably psychological pressure, because he is dropping strong-even-for-him reactions at the end of stages, and Evans is wise to keep the pressure on him.
Servant. Pastor. Husband. Michigan fan in Duluth.
Still 2 weeks left. Evans
Still 2 weeks left. Evans will have to put time on wiggins in the mountains. Wiggins is slightly better at TT's and not known to be a great climber. Evans had no help last year. And if he can still on team sky's wheel he will be fine.
Coverage has certainly come a long way
from OLN and the constant "Runaway Shoes.com" commercials. Amazing to think that back in the Armstrong era it was difficult to get any live coverage, and now it's on NBC for the next 10 years. I just wish I could find a YouTube or something of Bobke discussing the differences (complete with Bobke-style double hand gestures) between schluges and schmenges......!
or are they on cycles like steroids?