Author Topic: Is anyone else following Le Tour De France? (Read 263 times)

crobbins · « **on:** July 09, 2009, 08:36:47 PM »

After 6 stages

OVERALL STANDING ON TIME
1.CANCELLARA F.SAX19h 29' 22
2.ARMSTRONG L.AST00' 00
3.CONTADOR A.AST00' 19
4.KL?DEN A.AST00' 23
5.LEIPHEIMER L.AST00' 31
6.WIGGINS B.GRM00' 38

bsee · « **Reply #1 on:** July 09, 2009, 09:11:22 PM »

Friday's stage is going to be very interesting.

jacko · « **Reply #2 on:** July 12, 2009, 03:33:34 AM »

Just got back from a weeks camping holiday, no phone, no news, no TV, so I spent all Saturday night catching up with the weeks recordings. I'm still very impressed with cavendish - he reminds me of McEwan when he started out. Brad Wiggins is on superb form too and I fully expect to see him finish in the top 15.
Of the rest, I think Armstrong's performance is astounding. Considering he was out of the pro peleton for 3 1/2 years his riding looks exactly the same as it did in 2005. When Contador rode away in the closing stage of yesterdays stage into Andorra, Armstrong looked like he would have had no trouble reeling him in so maybe he has decided that second place is enough. At some point either he or Contador is going to have to stamp some authority on the Astana team otherwise the domestiques won't know who they're riding for. Today's stage over the Tourmalet should sort the men from the boys.

Graeme
(Cycling is the only sport I follow to any degree)

bsee · « **Reply #3 on:** July 12, 2009, 05:17:10 AM »

As a teammate, it would have been inappropriate for Armstrong to drag Evans and company back to Contador. He really had no choice but to let him go at that point. If there were more race left, he could have hit his group once or twice to see if anybody could follow him and bridge the gap if he could do it without bringing everyone with him. Armstrong looks good, but I don't know that he'll be able to take the final TT and put time into his rivals.

None of this really matters though. It will all happen on Ventoux. A break there could easily be good for several minutes with that finish. We'll have to see what they have left in two weeks. This week appears to be all about causing pain without letting anyone create a big lead. Go up some big mountains, but finish after a long flat that will let the group come back together. Contador looks a tough man to beat, but there are a lot of elite riders who have been trying to hold something in reserve.

crobbins · « **Reply #4 on:** July 12, 2009, 12:22:33 PM »

Yep I reckon so. We'll just have to wait and see what develops.

crobbins · « **Reply #5 on:** July 12, 2009, 07:51:14 PM »

After 9 stages..
Rest day tomorrow..

OVERALL STANDING ON TIME
1.NOCENTINI R.ALM34h 24' 21
2.CONTADOR A.AST00' 06
3.ARMSTRONG L.AST00' 08
4.LEIPHEIMER L.AST00' 39
5.WIGGINS B.GRM00' 46
6.KL?DEN A.AST00' 54

crobbins · « **Reply #6 on:** July 14, 2009, 08:16:46 PM »

Cavendish of Great Britain gets the win. :cheers:

After 10 stages;

OVERALL STANDING ON TIME

1.NOCENTINI R.ALM39h 11' 04
2.CONTADOR A.AST00' 06
3.ARMSTRONG L.AST00' 08
4.KL?DEN A.AST00' 54
5.LEIPHEIMER L.AST00' 54
6.MARTIN T.THR01' 00

crobbins · « **Reply #7 on:** July 15, 2009, 08:10:37 PM »

Cavendish wins his 4th stage. :cheers:

OVERALL STANDING ON TIME

1.NOCENTINI R.ALM43h 28' 59
2.CONTADOR A.AST00' 06
3.ARMSTRONG L.AST00' 08
4.LEIPHEIMER L.AST00' 39
5.WIGGINS B.GRM00' 46
6.KL?DEN A.AST00' 54

jacko · « **Reply #8 on:** July 16, 2009, 03:05:53 AM »

And Cav is back in green. Wahoo! I'm confidently expecting him to do well again today and from a british perspective it would be fantastic to see him first over the line on the champs elysee.
I was glad to see the directeurs reinstated leipheimer and wiggins too. There couldn't have been more than a bike length in their supposed 'gap'.

Graeme

crobbins · « **Reply #9 on:** July 16, 2009, 06:51:44 AM »

If they catch the breakaway like they have been. He will win again no doubt.

terryc · « **Reply #10 on:** July 16, 2009, 09:17:05 AM »

I am not a follower as I prefer the motorised version(MotoGP) but I have got to take my hat off to those guys as it is as tough as it gets.

LMiwa · « **Reply #11 on:** July 18, 2009, 08:47:50 AM »

I think it REALLY sucks that the Garmin and Astana teams helped chase today, denying George Hincapie the yellow jersey by 5 seconds.

Just my opinion...

jacko · « **Reply #12 on:** July 18, 2009, 02:07:36 PM »

Just my opinion.. And George's too judging from his post race interview.

What do you think of the decision regarding cavendish blocking hushovd? From the overhead shots it does look as if the road squeezed and cavendish kept to his line.

Graeme (still waiting for Astana to appoint a leader)

(Message edited by jacko on July 18, 2009)

LMiwa · « **Reply #13 on:** July 18, 2009, 02:31:19 PM »

As a USA Cycling official, we have to have CLEAR evidence of an infraction before penalizing someone. Cavendish did nothing that couldn't be argued either way. Sure, his team was trying to get as many people as possible between Cav's finish and Hushovd's, but that's racing! If you can legally and safely get someone boxed in against the barriers so they can't move up, more power to you. What you can't do is move over on them and PUSH them into the barriers. It sure looked to me like Hushovd was trying to go through a space that wasn't really big enough. I saw no CLEAR evidence that Cavendish moved over on him.

Maybe they'll reverse their decision like they did about the gap from a few stages ago! I'd really hate to see the green jersey competition decided by a questionable call by the officials.

peoplechipper · « **Reply #14 on:** July 18, 2009, 11:40:00 PM »

I am loving this Tour; some real drama and early; the top four are likely to fight it out, but the others are still close enough to kill everyone in a mountain stage if they have that heroic day...I met Lance many years ago(early '90's) at the big bike show in Vegas, outside Spago as he was hangin' with Eddy Merckx and Ugo DeRosa just after he won the world championships; funny as the other two were havin' a smoke....anyway, Lance was a nice guy, who knew he'd win seven Tours?...this was before Cancer...He really should be an inspiration to us all to get off our asses and fight for life; it may be the one chance...I've had cancer and thankfully avoided chemo; I am so thankful for that; he is proof that drive can overcome A LOT OF BAD THINGS...thankfully those publicly strong people walk among us...Tony.
I almost became a cycling team mechanic years ago, but decided to go to school and become a Goldsmith; not enough openings for guys who'd hang out of cars and fix bikes at 60+ clicks...