Tour de France 2012

A few months early, but does anyone have any predictions?

I reckon that one of the Schleck brothers will win it this year, most likely Andy.

I predict a juicer will win it.

menalawyerguy wrote:I predict a juicer will win it.

Cadel Evans will never juice.

You like this Glen? Usually I find it boring but now I know you like I'm going to watch every second I can.

kyro7 wrote:You like this Glen? Usually I find it boring but now I know you like I'm going to watch every second I can.

I used to find it boring as well, but once I started watching it around 3 years ago, I really got into it. I find the tactics fascinating, and the finishes of the sprint stages are incredible. Mark Cavendish in particular is an entertaining rider.

Is anyone going to be joining me tomorrow in cheering on master Cadel?

No, Wiggins!

The Manx Missile was flawless again.



What an exceptional athlete.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/othersports/article-2168802/Tour-France-2012-Mark-Cavendish-crashes-out.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

Cav.

Nicolas Roche will be champion one day

Cavendish got destroyed today, I never thought that I would see him get beaten so comprehensively.

limerickcitykid wrote:Nicolas Roche will be champion one day

hear his name every year mentioned as one of the riders supposed to be in the top, and every year he ends up not sitting with the favorites in the important stages.

Cancellara absolutely smashed this time-trial, will be interesting to see what Cadel and Wiggins got for us.


Wiggins lashing out at the press was nice, media ought to let the drug controllers be the jerks and ask race specific questions instead.

Wiggins is already 1 minute 53 seconds ahead of Evans at this 9th stage of the Tour. Absolutely crushed this stage, Cancellara beaten with 57 seconds and his own team mate Froome by 35 who was fantastic as well compared to the work he has done the last few days. Froome is 3rd in the GC 2:07 after Wiggins. The Brits are really in the July sports this year.

That said Wiggins with his sideburns and redish hair looks like some kind of crooked cop from the 1970s.

That was a really good display from Wiggins. I didn't really think that he had it in him before the Tour, but he is really starting to show himself well.

This was the first stage of the tour I've watched, I'm a bit disillusioned with cycling right now, but I had to tune in to the time trial stage, that was my main discipline when I used to cycle.

Great performance by Wiggins.

Muhkoo wrote:

limerickcitykid wrote:Nicolas Roche will be champion one day

hear his name every year mentioned as one of the riders supposed to be in the top, and every year he ends up not sitting with the favorites in the important stages.

Cancellara absolutely smashed this time-trial, will be interesting to see what Cadel and Wiggins got for us.


Wiggins lashing out at the press was nice, media ought to let the drug controllers be the jerks and ask race specific questions instead.

you hear him as one of the top riders? Im in Canada so I watch on an American channel and they never even mention him. He is quite good though, in 10th right now after falling a spot because he isnt the greatest at time trials. His team is the greatest either. They are never there to help him. He is basically always having to ride for himself so I think if he would get more support he would have a better chance. I know the last few years anyway his team would be supporting this other guy who was supposed to be #1 on their team even though Roche was better. Just hoping he can hold in the top 10 this year.

Did anyone hear Phil Liggett pull a Gary Neville today?

Peter Sagan is the new unknown star at this year's Tour. He has already won three stages this year and I believe this is only his 2nd tour that he has ridden. I read that he predicted he would win two stages in this race.

His celebrations are amusing, if a bit arrogant.

limerickcitykid wrote:

Muhkoo wrote:

hear his name every year mentioned as one of the riders supposed to be in the top, and every year he ends up not sitting with the favorites in the important stages.

Cancellara absolutely smashed this time-trial, will be interesting to see what Cadel and Wiggins got for us.


Wiggins lashing out at the press was nice, media ought to let the drug controllers be the jerks and ask race specific questions instead.

you hear him as one of the top riders? Im in Canada so I watch on an American channel and they never even mention him. He is quite good though, in 10th right now after falling a spot because he isnt the greatest at time trials. His team is the greatest either. They are never there to help him. He is basically always having to ride for himself so I think if he would get more support he would have a better chance. I know the last few years anyway his team would be supporting this other guy who was supposed to be #1 on their team even though Roche was better. Just hoping he can hold in the top 10 this year.

We have a variation of commentators on the TV channel that airs the grand tours, a journalist that has covered it for 7 years now, a former pro rider and another journalist/film creator/man of the world that has covered it for 30+ years (20 on TV) Roche is always mentioned along with riders like Menchov and perhaps Nibali in the early stages of the race as ones you have to watch for in the top 3, even more this year without any proper schleck brother or Contador.

Sagan was interesting, a bit like Philip Gilbert was last year.

Well done by Voeckler today, Dots and a stage victory isn't bad for a guy who was plagued by knee injury for first half of the season.


Millar and Zabriske are good tweeters, about todays stage and the big breakaway group.

David Millar
‏@millarmindDEFINITION OF SNAFU: @dzabriskie to me once break had formed, DZ - Think you can out sprint Sagan? ME - Think you can out climb Scarponi?

on the rest day

After watching @millarmind talk to his sister so friendly like I was thinking about calling my sister and talking with a British accent.

Do they even show this on UK tv nowadays? ITV used to play it, but I haven't seen it for a while.

I miss seeing the devil running along side the riders, in the wonderful french countryside.

BillyBrightJogOn wrote:Do they even show this on UK tv nowadays? ITV used to play it, but I haven't seen it for a while.

I miss seeing the devil running along side the riders, in the wonderful french countryside.

Not even sure, I swear that America gives better coverage of European sporting events than England.

Glen Damon wrote:

BillyBrightJogOn wrote:Do they even show this on UK tv nowadays? ITV used to play it, but I haven't seen it for a while.

I miss seeing the devil running along side the riders, in the wonderful french countryside.

Not even sure, I swear that America gives better coverage of European sporting events than England.

Doesn't surprise me, tbh.

They even charge people for Formula 1 over here now.

I might move to the US, see more British sports.

The police force are always looking to hire.

Glen Damon wrote:The police force are always looking to hire.

Tempting. I'd get to use a gun.



Who's winning the tour so far? My dad is always going on about Bradley Wiggins and that other fella from the UK

It's on ITV4, it's also on Eurosport (the best coverage IMO).

ayvee1 wrote:It's on ITV4, it's also on Eurosport (the best coverage IMO).

Quality, i was checking ITV2 for some reason.

Do Eurosport have loads of adverts like ITV?

Don't think I've ever watched Eurosports since I've had it on sky.

BillyBrightJogOn wrote:

ayvee1 wrote:It's on ITV4, it's also on Eurosport (the best coverage IMO).

Quality, i was checking ITV2 for some reason.

Do Eurosport have loads of adverts like ITV?

Don't think I've ever watched Eurosports since I've had it on sky.

Eurosport do have adverts, but they are better ones, more european style. The commentators make it worth watching though, I assume it's still David Harmon and Sean Kelly.

Phil Ligget and Gary Sherwen on ITV make me want to cry. Every two minutes during the time trial they'd go on about the skinsuits and the disc wheel and explain that they are aerodynamic. Yes, we know. Just get a lot more insight from the Eurosport boys.

Bradley Wiggins showed a lot of class today.