and so much more respect for him after that interview, that meant a lot to him.
Yes!!!!!! You beauty. Must admit I didn't expect it so all the more sweeter
Phil and Paul have been getting worse and worse! I think they started to believe their own press and had become a parody of themselves!! I started watching the tour in the 80's with Phil but it was definitely time for a change! David is getting better and I really enjoy the interplay between him and Ned!
I am sure the raphaistas are crying into their espresso about a change but it was needed!
Everyone kept doing down Robbie McEwan and Pettachi as they got older, but they were still pulling out stage wins in big races pretty much up until the end of their careers. Cav's experience will see him to wins even when he hasn't got the true top end speed due to track training.
Wonderful finish. Cool to see him on the podium with his daughter and very kind words from French TV for his first yellow jersey.
(Couldn't be happier with my prediction being totally wrong 🙂 )
Slightly bizare interview on tv with commentator asking questions in French which cav clearly doesn't understand !
Brilliant. I wonder if that track work has actually helped? Great for the team too.
Outstanding Cav, outstanding! However I'm watching in Canada and Paul and Phil are alive and well (-ish!).
8) love it, at last
However I'm watching in Canada and Paul and Phil are alive and well (-ish!)
You need to reach into your[b] suitcase of courage[/b] to listen to their commentary on [b]the sport of professional cycling[/b]
Which riders name are they mashing this year?
You flipping wee dancer. What an absolutely blinding result for Cavendish.
Which riders name are they mashing this year?
Jean-Christophe Peraud - they call him JC you know.
"Little" Tommy Voeckler
It says something about their level of research when all they can come up with is a nickname, their nationality (it's always "Geraint Thomas, the Welshman", never just Geraint Thomas...) an age given as "xx years of age" and sometimes the phrase "he's such a strong rider".
Well of course he is, he's riding the ****ing Tour!
Nothing about races won, a particular rider's role in the race...
They were a disaster, good riddance to them.
Was anyone dancing on the pedals?
and who is wearing yellow in the morning.
indeed I do like the not so subtle insinuation that Cav is "too" old by describing his competition as "kids", Greipel is 2 years older the only really young class sprinter is Sagan at 26 (5 yrs on Cav) but he's never as good as the others on a flat stage. Next youngest is Degenkolb at 27 with Kittel 28 (same as Kristoff), 5 years younger than Greipel who beat Kittel to the [url= http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/german-road-championships-2016/road-race-men/results/ ]German Title [/url]. I think the only deduction that can be made is that Mark has struggled since HTC-Highroad disbanded, for probably 3, reasons 1 theres more and better competition, 2 HTC were an awesome lead out train dedicated to delivering stage wins and lastly the french got fed up with him winning 4/5 stages every Tour 😉
Well I didn't think he would but he did, and I'm rather happy to stand corrected. I reckon now with the pressure off he's good for another.
Well done Cav. Seemed properly made up about it to.
I thought Kittel was very gracious when they interviewed him on ITV. Even though he was clearly cheesed off to have been second!
Cavendish might have had a good start to the TdF but I'm not doing so well. Currently 41,280th out of 42,166 in the Velogames fantasy league. :0.
My wife's team is some 30,000 places higher!
Anyone else spot that post-crash, Bertie Beefeater switched to his "signature paint job" bike?
Surely that would be his prime bike, so why wasn't he riding it earlier?
Hmmm....Makes you think...!
Stuck £5 on Cav this morning at 8/1 for the stage win. Had a wee feeling it was his going to be his day.
Great finish. Good first day, much better starting with a stage like this instead of a Prologue.
Surely that would be his prime bike, so why wasn't he riding it earlier?Hmmm....Makes you think...!
Motor was being charged...
Delighted, I do like MrCavendish .bravo.
Re the commentator change, I'm with crazy legs...
Fancy paintwork weighs 100g more.
A mate in America watched it on NBC where Phil & Paul still provide the commentary and he said they were awful. Missed moves, misidentified riders and told everyone at least a dozen times that Chris Froome was born in Africa.
I don't miss those two clowns in the slightest, I do miss [b]realman[/b] and his daily TdF thread though.
Surely a cycling race without Phil Ligget is like a nature documentary without David Attenborough? He might talk some shit, but his voice is synonymous to the Tour, and as such kinda adds some excitement.
Pleased for Cavendish. Long time coming that one. And did it properly, by a good bike length. Old school Cav.
It's the misidentification of riders that does my head in the most.
By the second week it becomes comical.
Fancy GVA for Stage 2. 17/2 for the betting men.
GVA's odds will be even shorter for 2nd place!
It's the misidentification of riders that does my head in the most.
By the second week it becomes comical.
Don't know what you're on about...
Currently Richie Froome is one of my favourite riders in the Peloton.
For those who haven't seen it... A very humble and poignant podium interview by Mark Cavendish. Well said.
Thanks Flipiddy.
You certainly didn't get to see that on BBC1 news this evening... FFS
Honestly, at the risk of sounding like a stereotypical STWer, what planet are the BBC Sports editorial team on?
The sports section of the main news this evening covered:
- Germany v Italy - fair enough
- Reaction to the Wales match yesterday - I'm Welsh and struggled to see the 'news' angle on this, but it's a once in 60 year story so I'll give them the benefit of the doubt
- Wimbledon - fine
- Austrian Grand Prix Qualifying - well I'm going to be less generous here as no one has won anything yet, in fact they haven't even started racing so it's a pretty low rating sports news story
- And... 'Back to you in the studio.'
So no mention of a world famous cycling race that takes place but once a year.
No mention of a British athlete beating world class competition in a thrilling finale.
No mention of a British athlete getting closer to some famous historic records.
No coverage of a surprisingly eloquent interview - see above.
I shouldn't be surprised by the lack of cycling coverage any more, but to neglect to mention the TdF entirely seems more than bizarre. And Cavendish gave them such as easy angle too.
Anyway, rant over.
http://www.bbc.com/sport/cycling
You can personalise the BBC Sport page a bit now, certainly on mobile. It works well. They have a lot of cycling coverage and a lot of womens stuff too. It's been a real step forward. Thomas is a contributor for the 2nd or 3rd year running.
Agreed, the online coverage is the best it's been, and I also like the GT contributions. I was quite impressed with the fitness stuff too (although that may have been there for a while and I only found it today).
But the quality and effort there makes the lack of editorial coverage on broadcast news even more dismaying.
Cavendish's win on an opening stage has been years in the making, and in any event the whole TdF only happens once a year. I wish I understood the BBC's rationale for not mentioning it at all on their main news tonight.
And / or their rationale for preferring coverage of Lewis Hamilton getting a pole position when that happens every couple of weeks.*
* OK, I'm being overly simplistic. But I'm feeling bad for Cav and the lack of recognition, so not being entirely balanced in my opinion.
To be a like more fair, it was mentioned in the North West local news as Cab, being a Manxman, is regarded as local. However it was mentioned before Mrs NBT had time to avoid seeing the result so she knew who won before we sat down to watch highlights :-$
Maybe Sagan today. He can do those short punchy little climbs up to a finish line.
Should be good today, the potential for crosswinds once again but with unpredictable finish climb rather than a bunch sprint. I think Cav will probably lose yellow today but what a win yesterday to get it!
I think Cav will probably lose yellow today but what a win yesterday to get it!
Yep, though we have seen some heroic and unexpected performances by riders who have donned the yellow jersey.
yep but he only has 10s on the rest and there will be a little split on the final climb
Do you think Sagan has a Grand Tour win in him? I'm not talking this year, or even next, but across the course of his career.
Do you think Sagan has a Grand Tour win in him? I'm not talking this year, or even next, but across the course of his career.
not without a considerable improvement in his climbing, he's still finishing some stages with the autobus.
not without a considerable improvement in his climbing, he's still finishing some stages with the autobus.
Yeah, I'd agree with that. However, he can climb when he wants to, so it's not inconceivable that he could transform himself into more of a climber, if he chooses to.
Do you think Sagan has a Grand Tour win in him?
No. There are so many better GC riders out there that he'd shed bucket loads of time to in the mountains and TTs.
I think we saw yesterday why Peter will never win the tour.
