And so we come to the 19th hole, our 22nd stage. It’s all gone so fast! Lots to share for you to read while you get over your hangovers and tour withdrawal. I warn you now, this is quite long, very picture heavy, and contains the obvious spoilers.

Photos:

Photos from Stage 21

Steephill photos from the entire three weeks

Heroes. All of them.

The Big Picture tour photos, part one

OGE’s Facebook photo album, there’s even a fat bike hiding in there somewhere..

OPQS’s gallery here, full of wonderful (if perhaps slightly biased pictures), including this gem

Pretty sure Martin was running a 58t chainring, and obviously he can push it. So how fast do you have to be going before you aero tuck instead?

We were told it was his last tour last year, and now we’re being told it’s his last tour this year. I have a feeling this really is it though. Please god someone give him a commentary position. One of the biggest legends in cycling ever, he will never be forgotten.

http://www.itv.com/tourdefrance/features/full-interview-jens-voigt-the-tour-makes-you-laugh-makes-you-smile-makes-you-cry

Well there were doubts, but not from him. A classy sprint from a fairly messy finish. I can see Kittel beating Cavendish’s records.

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VySU6s2Cyzc[/video]

http://www.itv.com/tourdefrance/tour-de-france-2014-the-three-minute-movie – always enjoyable

http://www.cyclingnews.com/blogs/robert-millar/robert-millar-coming-up-short-at-the-tour-de-france – Millar calls it like he sees it

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/pinot-and-peraud-bridge-30-year-gap-at-tour-de-france

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/nibali-joins-elite-club-with-tour-de-france-victory

http://road.cc/content/news/125010-vincenzo-nibalis-tour-de-france-numbers-how-astana-rider-made-history

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/tour-de-france-director-christian-prudhomme-thrilled-with-2014-race

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/tour-de-france-shorts-nibalis-yellow-bike-martin-celebrates-with-a-burger-and-fries

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest-news/geraint-thomas-signs-team-sky-end-2016-131464

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/cheng-becomes-the-first-chinese-starter-and-finisher-of-the-tour-de-france

http://www.bikeradar.com/us/road/gear/article/time-trial-gear-part-1-21-days-of-tour-tech-41873/

http://road.cc/content/news/125105-tour-de-france-tech-2014-peter-sagan%E2%80%99s-green-machine%E2%80%99-cannondale-supersix-evo

Tour giving you road bike fever? Thinking of giving it a go? Might be worth having a read of this

http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/humour-tips-for-becoming-a-roadie-14451/

…if a mountain biker says a ride is ‘technical’, you can assume that there is loose shale, several ledge drops, high-penalty (e.g., death) exposure on one side of the trail, or slick, mossy roots twisting along the singletrack. If a roadie calls a ride ‘technical’ on the other hand, it most likely means that there is a roundabout somewhere in the ride.

Also if you enjoy that article, you’ll probably enjoy this one too..

http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/humour-so-you-want-to-be-a-mountain-biker-14501/

Now as I understand a lot of you may have never tried racing. Well hopefully today you’ll have a bit of time, so I suggest watching this

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkQJ4hS9G50[/video]

It’s a lot easier than you might think – 4th cat racing is a walk in the park if you’ve got any fitness whatsoever, and you don’t need Dura Ace and carbon wheels. It is a HUGE amount of fun. It’s a bit scary starting out, but you won’t regret it.

A few useful links

Steephill
Final Classifications
Withdrawals
Fantasy League Standings
Loser League Standings

As for the fantasy and loser leagues it all got a bit chaotic – who could have seen Froome, Contador, and Cavendish crashing out so early? And Sagan not winning a single stage? Nibali performing as well as he did?

It turns out Chef’s Choice by The Swedish Chef and Witton Weavers by Craig saw it all coming (or may claim so), and they have taken the fantasy and loser league wins, respectively, both by a respectable margin. Well done to both of you, and I hope to see you defending your wins next year!

And while it’s great to look backwards at what has happened in the past few weeks, it’s always good to look forwards as well.

http://www.letour.fr/le-tour/2014/us/grand-depart-2015.html

I can imagine it will be a great tour – I think Holland will be an amazing grand depart (maybe not as good as the UK mind), and a lot of young stars will really be coming into their own. I’m wondering if someone is finally going to emerge who can challenge Sagan for green too. I’m also wondering if the UCI are at last going to get off their asses and bring the weight limit down.. I want to see some lightweight bling.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/tour-de-france-shorts-lalpe-dhuez-back-in-2015-nibalis-big-bonus

Tour de France Stage 22 Preview

Along the way a lot of you have expressed your appreciation for the threads – I may not have always acknowledged these messages, but I did read them all, and each one made me smile, thank you for all the kind words. I’ve really had fun doing these threads, and I hope you’ve all enjoyed this year’s tour as much as I have. Go get riding!

If you’d like to show your appreciation then chuck a couple of quid this way. I lost my best mate last year, and another good friend last week, so it would mean a lot to me. Alternatively, donate to STW, as we wouldn’t be able to do these threads without this website.

This is like fan-fiction, but in real life. “Lower…”

Don’t ask.

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iFdJRvXDQM[/video]

Service will resume as normal sometime early July I imagine. See you then (although I may consider the Vuelta…)!

These threads win the interweb, every single time!

Brilliant.

And thanks for this:

…if a mountain biker says a ride is ‘technical’, you can assume that there is loose shale, several ledge drops, high-penalty (e.g., death) exposure on one side of the trail, or slick, mossy roots twisting along the singletrack. If a roadie calls a ride ‘technical’ on the other hand, it most likely means that there is a roundabout somewhere in the ride.

Thanks Realman, always enjoyed these posts… 🙂

Great work RealMan. Way above and beyond the call of forum posts, you made this the go to place for stage summaries and chit chat, which is some going considering the competition.

Yup RM proper thread(s), great coverage and I’ve enjoyed them, ta.

😀

Yup +10 big thanks to Realman. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed a wonderful Tour and these threads have really contributed towards that.

Good stuff RM. I really enjoyed this year’s tour and your posts were part of that.

Thanks Realman. Excellent coverage as usual.

Your threads should be a permanent TDF fixture, like the finish on the Champs Elysees. Just wouldn’t be the same event without them.

realman = legend.

RealMan thanks much appreciated

Another thanks from me!

Thanks for the effort Realman , your post’s are appreciated. I personally thought It was a great tour and Nibali deserved the win , It’s a shame all the talk will be on what mught have been but to attack on the stage 5 and Hautacam shows the class act he Is. I dont think Contador or Froome would have given him a good run for his money as Froome didn’t like right from day 1.

Just in case anyone didn’t read all of the words above, they may have missed this snippet stuck in the middle 😉

RealMan wrote:
Along the way a lot of you have expressed your appreciation for the threads – I may not have always acknowledged these messages, but I did read them all, and each one made me smile, thank you for all the kind words. I’ve really had fun doing these threads, and I hope you’ve all enjoyed this year’s tour as much as I have. Go get riding!

If you’d like to show your appreciation then chuck a couple of quid this way. I lost my best mate last year, and another good friend last week, so it would mean a lot to me. Alternatively, donate to STW, as we wouldn’t be able to do these threads without this website.
A huge thanks from me as well for the posts.

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-QQjz0EchQ[/video]

Another thanks to RealMan

leffeboy: thanks for highlighting that, donation on it’s way

Now a question amount Tony Martin in the photo up there ^. The aero position seems a bit pointless when his mouth is always flapping about like a carrier bag in the wind. Still he must be doing something right!

Realman …. the Jens Voigt of STW.

Hard working, dedicated, a fans fav and always interesting to hear what you’ve got to say.

Chapeau

Here’s hoping you aren’t going to retire from these thread

Merci Beaucoup

Great threads Realman, thanks!

Pretty sure Martin was running a 58t chainring, and obviously he can push it. So how fast do you have to be going before you aero tuck instead?

I think he runs a 14t smallest sprocket (less resistance?) so 52kph rather than 67kph with 58/11… still mansize!

Funny too that with all the references to Nibali as “The Shark”, Martin was constantly getting referred to as “The Basking Shark” 😀

Heroes. All of them.

’nuff said!

There was a reference to him in Cycling Weekly, “powering away with his bottom lip outstretched like a prize pike”. Brilliant!

Apologies if it’s already been posted, but a mate has just sent me this picture of Bartosz Huzarski’s legs after Stage 18:

link

Really impressed with Nibble’s regular podium camel toe.

I think he runs a 14t smallest sprocket (less resistance?) so 52kph rather than 67kph with 58/11… still mansize!

Apparently running the wi-fli rear mech with an 11-32 cassette too which is a bit unusual for a TT. Ran it so that he could stay in the big ring all the way around. Images here.

Another vote just to say huge thanks RealMan for these threads over the last three weeks! 🙂

Indeed! I have really enjoyed them. Thank you.

Loving the reworking of the hitler sketch tee hee 😀

bump, thanks again, year in, year out my go to threads during the tour

Chapeau

Thanks again for all the kind words! Just a few more things:

Mind = blown

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYP14j993uQ[/video]

also this

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5youGtXTrs[/video]

and this

http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/top-10-conclusions-from-the-tour-de-france

Thanks for the threads RM, great stuff.

Well I’m very late to this one. Been in the Highlands since Sunday so managed to miss the last stage despite my best efforts. What a tour that turned out to be . People will say Nibali wouldn’t have won if Contador/Froome had been there, he is obviously doping bla bla bla. But he was strong and strong enough to beat everyone including them in my opinion. A well deserved win. Also good to see smaller teams doing well and getting on the podium and youger riders coming through strong to take the place of older riders like Jens. Ah Jens.

Thoroughly enjoyed it. Especially stage five which was epic and imo will go down in history.

I’ll join everyone else in saying a massive thank you to realman. Really good job. A vuelta thread would be absolutely brilliant.

Having watched Froome and Contador riding so aggressively on the first mountain stage in the Dauphine, and Contador’s attempt to make up for his strategy mistake and try to catch Talansky, it seems clear that they would have made Nibali look pretty ordinary in the Tour climbs.

Another vote just to say huge thanks RealMan for these threads over the last three weeks!

Absolutely! Always watch the highlights, so avoid the threads on the day, which saddens me slightly, as they’re a fantastic resource. There’s always something wonderfully poignant about the last stage of the tour, the final highlights show summed it up wonderfully, and this thread has done the same, chapeau RM!

Thanks again! 🙂

One final (probably) update

http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/10-conclusions-from-the-tour-de-france-1

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgfaIY8d36Q[/video]

Epic bit of Jens in the final episode of backstage pass – with a hint of more to come maybe?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgQUOKDVHSM

Wondering if RealMan has one of these yet…

Bertie posted on twitter that they’d downloaded his powerfiles- he crashed at 76kmph. Still feel ill thinking about him getting back on and riding with a broken tibia 😯

The current Tour of Pologne has had hailstones, fallen trees, major crashes just on stage one

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XtI-qtiAbag

Many thanks for the posts Realman, donation made 8)

Bertie posted on twitter that they’d downloaded his powerfiles- he crashed at 76kmph. Still feel ill thinking about him getting back on and riding with a broken tibia

That’s 6kmph more than my fastest ever speed on a bike…whenever I get a shift on, I always think to myself “you’ll be a right bloody mess if you come off at this speed” 😯