Tour de France

Bamboo

Bamboo

Joined
Dec 16, 2004
Messages
2,315
Anybody following the race this year? So far it's off to one heck of a start!
 
Glued to the set each morning before work.
I actually dislike this time of year because I'm always tempted to trick out my bike with something new or upgrade to a newer one and that means my wallet takes a hit. :cool:
 
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It is off to one of the more exciting starts in years IMO...4 dramatic yellow jersey swaps just in the first 4 stages and (I believe an unprecedented race stoppage...at least in several decades) when the massive crash on stage 4 took out Cancellara.

Being American, I'd like to see Tejay van Garderen take the race this year + he's riding really strong w/a great team in BMC, but I gotta say if Peter Sagan manages his first Tour win, I'd definitely be happy w/that. What an entertaining guy to watch and one of the best do-it-all racers around. He pretty much schooled everyone in last year's Tour in bike handling...jumping his bike up extremely high curbs when squeezed that no one else dared, and literally popping wheelies while climbing a mountain stage?!

The guy is f*$#in' incredible and is only 24yrs. old!! I predict (barring crashes/injuries) that he is a future multiple Tour winner!
 
Yes!
It's a good one this year. Astana should have not been allowed to participate due to some doping issues before the start.
Glad to see Tejay doing well, but I think Froome will be the winner again. Team Sky just has too much, Porte, Roche, and Thomas are going to carry Froome, all the way to Paris. I think Quintana the Colombian will make it interesting in the mountains. Contador is just worn out having battled and beaten Froome for the Giro title.
Good to see the Eritrean Teklehaimenot doing so well, and Sagan is just fun to watch.
BTW- avid cyclist here!
 
+1 on Tejay. You just have to root for him.
Bummer for Basso. I used to be a fan. Then lost interest after the doping. Too bad though.
Exciting year it is!
 
One of my favorite parts of the whole thing is listening to Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen call out the race. Man those guys are great. That was an impressive ride by Dan Martin last night, I was hoping he'd take the stage....
 
I've bike raced for 30 years, just quit at 58 but still ride a lot. The guy that finishes last place in the TDF is still a genetic freak! Those guys are from another planet as fitness goes. Love watching the tour! Tons of people love to make fun of Phil Liggett but he'll really be missed when he retires.

Mike
 
Agreed on the fitness levels of these guys, even the ones that come in last. Yesterday's cut off time for the last rider was 40 minutes after the winner came in. I thought that was pretty aggressive for such a difficult stage.

What is there to make fun of Phil Liggett for? In my eyes he's the voice of cycling. I love his phrases and the impromptu stuff he comes up with. I imagine sitting down and having a beer with him would be an evening you wouldn't forget.
 
I agree totally on Phil L. but tons of racers dislike or make fun of him. He does screw up on occasion, names, numbers and things like that. Also some of his calls on a big sprint finish stage can be funny but that's all part of his charm to me. I'd love to have drinks with him! I'd buy all night long just to listen to him.
As far as fitness levels and let's face it genetics, quick story, we have a couple local pros that race our "tues nite worlds" when they're in town. I remember one race when a break of about six of us got away including myself and a local pro that raced for health net.com. I was bleeding from the eye sockets just trying to hang on when I look up and see the pro taking off his vest and checking out his phone. I don't think he was even sweating! Then you think he wouldn't even be pack fodder in the euro Peleton!

Mike
 
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