Tour de France 2007 thread (1 Viewer)

[rettucs]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Av-AXNDH-nY&feature=youtu.be

thats the crash in question (its the lad in the background doing the somersault). Some pretty sexy dutch commentary there too

 

[Cormcolash]

AN AUTO, NAY, NAYYYY!

Hoogerland is a hero for finishing the stage. He'll be a total legend if he can somehow hang on to the King of the Mountains. He's probably too fucked already though, can't imagine how he can keep going for it with his leg torn up like that!

 

[rettucs]

AN AUTO, NAY, NAYYYY!

Hoogerland is a hero for finishing the stage. He'll be a total legend if he can somehow hang on to the King of the Mountains. He's probably too fucked already though, can't imagine how he can keep going for it with his leg torn up like that!

hes a looper is what he is. But theres nothing new there. Its nutjobs like him and tommy voeckler that make the sport interesting.

 

[magicbastarder]

http://data.srmlive.de/TDF/

 

[oh shit]

HTC are some team, they seem to be bossing the peloton for every sprint finish
I'll probably lay some money on Schleck (A) for the win though

 

[Cormcolash]

I might stick a tenner on Nicholas Roche for the craic, maybe he's just waiting to have a bash at the mountains? I know he's not meant to be a specialist mountain-climber or anything, but sure why not?

 

[Pedronimus]

but sure why not?

...if you don't want to lose a tenner.

What are you putting a tenner on him for? a stage win or the overall? He won't go for a stage until he's out of the running in the GC. We'll see how he's going for real today. Would be great to see him hang with the big boys.

 

[Unicron]

He won't go for a stage until he's out of the running in the GC.

I've very little knowledge of the sport, why is that? Is it because the effort he'd have to put in to go for a stage win would knacker him for a few other days resulting in him losing time?

 

[rettucs]

I've very little knowledge of the sport, why is that? Is it because the effort he'd have to put in to go for a stage win would knacker him for a few other days resulting in him losing time?

I think he means going for a stage via a breakaway. GC contenders will rarely be allowed to get into a breakaway as its too dangerous to other GC contenders. If a GC man was to get into a breakaway 2 things would happen. Firstly you'd have the teams of all the other GC contenders chasing on the front of the peloton to bring the break back. Secondly, you'd have the other lads in the breakaway giving out shite to the GC contender, telling them to get the hell back as they know they won't have a hope in hell of staying clear.

If Roche rides in wheels (which is what he will do) with the big boys, he won't win a stage. Hes not strong enough. His only hope is to go out of contention in the GC and get into a break.

Incidentally, we'll see from today the toll on Tony Martin and Velits from all their riding for Cavendish. The other GC contenders have barely been seen for dust since the start of the race. Those 2 lads have been chasing down break after break every day. They not going to be in any shape to stay with the big boys.

I wouldn't back Andy Schleck for 2 reasons. I think whatever time he'll take out of Cadel in the mountains won't be enough to offset what he loses in the final TT. And, Frank will hold him back, as always. I think Cadel will take this one. And I hope he does too. But I also think Contador is on a major bluff over how tired he is. I still expect him to be up there.

 

[rettucs]

Would be great to see him hang with the big boys.

I reckon its getting a bit tired at this stage. Roche stays with big boys til about 5km to go, then loses 3 minutes. Really, as far as a team leader's ambitions go I reckon its pretty weak. I know hes had his problems and all but has there really been any progress at all in the last 3 years?

I wouldn't hold out much hope this year. He said himself in the diary this morning that he hasn't raced on a climb over 20km in ages. Today's stage is a killer. He might get through that if the big guns hold their powder til one of the later mountain stages. Eventually it will tell though. Top 15 is still doable given all the GC men that have crashed out. I just wish he'd aim a little higher.

Its also disappointing that Danny didn't get a start. He'd have loved that first week and I reckon would have taken a stage on one of those uphill finshes. Sinuses definitely wouldn't have been a problem given the shitty weather they've had.

 

[Pedronimus]

I reckon its getting a bit tired at this stage. Roche stays with big boys til about 5km to go, then loses 3 minutes. Really, as far as a team leader's ambitions go I reckon its pretty weak. I know hes had his problems and all but has there really been any progress at all in the last 3 years?

I agree and disagree. I don't think he's in the very top tier of the pros but he's still extremely talented. He could possibly podium in a Grand Tour if everything went his way. But then I don't know if we've seen him have a good clear shot at a GT yet. Last year he bonked because he wasn't eating right and also Gadret wouldn't give him his wheel. He seems to not TT well, but I think he got passed in a recent race by Cadel Evans but then matched Evans by using him as a pacer (I can't remember the exact details of this). He didn't have a power meter till last year, which he bought himself. The French teams are supposedly still very amateurish. He also doesn't seem to have the self-belief and confidence of his aul' fella, which would probably help him.

And of course there is doping, I think its fairly accepted that Roche is clean. The lads further up the GC I wouldn't be so sure of; Contador, Schlecks, I'm starting to doubt Evans (despite being a big fan) and a few others.

 

[Cormcolash]

I love this shit. You always forget just how mental the likes of Tourmalet and Alpe D'Huez actually are, until you're watching it and the riders just keep on going up, and up, and up, and up, and up

 

[Cormcolash]

Also, anyone crashing on the way down Tourmalet is most likely FUCKED!

 

[rettucs]

I agree and disagree. I don't think he's in the very top tier of the pros but he's still extremely talented. He could possibly podium in a Grand Tour if everything went his way. But then I don't know if we've seen him have a good clear shot at a GT yet. Last year he bonked because he wasn't eating right and also Gadret wouldn't give him his wheel. He seems to not TT well, but I think he got passed in a recent race by Cadel Evans but then matched Evans by using him as a pacer (I can't remember the exact details of this).

that was the dauphine. Stage 3 I think. The day before he crashed out. He was wiped out in the TT. Being able to pace off someone else in a TT doesn't mean you can TT. It kind of defeats the purpose. I think hes gone backwards in terms of TTing. It remains to be seen how he fares in the climbs but signs early in the Dauphine were positive. But hes had a poxy year. A crap Paris-Nice, then crash in L-B-L, and again in the Dauphine.

I reckon hes clean too. Seems too honest not to be.

 

[rettucs]

ok, so maybe Contador isn't bluffing.

 

[oh shit]

He says his knee is starting to feel better and he's looking forward to the Alps. He's going to win it again isn't he? Unless the Schleks are playing an usually long game, but they seemed to want to do something on Saturday and just didn't have the puff in the end. If Contador can put a few good minutes between himself and Evans in the Alps, could be job done. http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2011/jul/18/alberto-contador-tour-de-france

 

[Pedronimus]

To be honest I think don't think Contador will do it, unless he takes a blood bag or microdoses some EPO today. I'd say they are testing the living daylights out of him at the moment. I don't think he'll even podium.

If you read through the last few articles here: http://www.sportsscientists.com/
They reckon the doping has been really curtailed this year. Not eliminated mind, but very restricted.

 

[Cormcolash]

Thomas Voeckler for the win, he's the only one deserves it so far...

 

[oh shit]

he's at 10/1 - can he hack the Alps? I got the impression he was at the limit last week. Definitely the best value so far though.
thanks for the link, will read up

 

[oh shit]