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This is it, this is the big one. Expect stuff to happen today, and not just in the GC since there are sprint points clearly up for grabs. And RealMan is still in bed, like all Real Men should be 🙂
I think tomorrow is the big one. 😉
it's a 48 hour big one.
and even then without big time gaps it's still all to play for in the ITT
Have they cleared the snow off the Galibier?
Done the Izoard, Agnel and Galibier, though not in one day and certainly not the "rideout" before them either.
Make no mistake, at pace these are going to be Hard.
Bertie for the win today, Tommy to come in having lost a minuite on Cadel..
Hard I tell ya's.
bah, this isn't RealMan service - where are the links to streaming tv, gaps etc ?? 👿
Yeah I do wonder if snow is going to be an issue... It's been snowing apparently.
I think tomorrow is the big one.
tomorrow could be interesting as it's short so anyone wanting to make up time will have to attack from the start - but that depends on what happens today.
today is definitely the big day in terms of the route and potentially where one of the contenders could drop a lot of time.
going to be interesting two days for sure.
They're 'only' riding the easy side of the Galibier today. Tomorrow, they ride the hard side en route to Alpe d'Huez 😯
rather them than me,riding all that 😯
Is there snow on the Agnel & Izoard too? Galibier looked like it need bobsleighs, not bikes yesterday.
Had to pass this one on 😀
[url= http://drunkcyclist.com/2011/07/20/check-the-schlecktacles/ ]Schlecktacles[/url]
Cheers
Hope the Shlecks take the fight to Contador today and hope Tommy can hang in there as long as possible. Europsort player at the ready, office door locked and phone off the hook! Bring it on...
Every time I see that profile I think there's going to be a few riders who get their front wheels caught in that ditch just after Briancon.
me wife has crashed the car this morning (she's fine) so I'm working from home to make sure shes ok and to sort out recovery etc, just so happens I've set up my work laptop in front of my 42 inch HD TV with Eurosport HD on.... bring it on.
why do people want to watch junkies ride bikes, its a nice day i could go in to Manchester city centre and do that!
why do people post stupid comments on threads they have no interest of knowledge about? it's a nice day, they could go out somewhere decent.
clubber - Member
why do people post stupid comments on threads they have no interest of knowledge about? it's a nice day, they could go out somewhere decent.
lol its true, they are junkies and they are on bikes, road cycling and drug takeing go hand in hand, it pisses me off that these wasters get any time on TV at all,
Can you watch the whole stage on ITV player rather than just the highlights?
I love mountains, me, and I'd like to see plenty of scenic shots, along with all of the racing.
Edit: and I'm at work this afternoon, so what's available this evening?
moving on
am really looking forwards to the next couple of days stages - maybe the picture of who has the legs this year will clarify itself
ilovemygears, did you read the thread title? why open it? It pisses me off that ill-informed ignoramuses get any internet space.
ned - the coverage on ITV player starts at 1pm
Wacko, my afternoon sat in front of spreadsheets at work starts at 1pm, too. Can't get on iplayer here. I'd like to watch the whole thing at home later.
stream? I know at 2 ITV4 turn on but until then.
Looking forward to this, nice couple of days off work to watch smackheads ride up mountains.
Hoogerland in the break today. Surely there's not a man alive that wouldn't want to see this one succeed.
Carbon, try steephill.tv
Watching live coverage on TV, checking here and cycling news forums on lap top. Cup of tea and packet of ginger biscuits beside me . . . gonna be a great afternoon.
🙂
bah, this isn't RealMan service - where are the links to streaming tv, gaps etc ??
Just can't get the service round here can you.
Some useful links:
http://live.cyclingnews.com/
http://gaps.letour.fr/us.php
http://data.srmlive.de/TDF/
*Nods approvingly towards Molgrips*
Although as it's a summit finish, do we not get one of these?
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😀
Everyone to attack towards the tops of climbs, to open a gap on the Shlecks, then make it bigger on the descents. Cavendish to wheelie down the descents whilst pissing and chatting to the guy next to him, pulling mad drifts around all the corners, easily hitting 70mph through the bends, and occasionally doing a whip whenever he gets any air.
Evans for yellow.
Alberto Contador is a long way down in the yellow jersey peloton and there don't appear to be any other Saxo Bank-SunGard riders in that group. Worrying times for the Spaniard? Or is he bluffing? He was back at the doctor's car earlier in the race, but yesterday it seemed as though his knee problems were behind him.
Contador to pull out of the race from annoyingtitus and Cav to wheelie past him giving him the finger.
Whos the bloke in the breakaway? Garmin rider in world champs stripes? I've seen him a few times, surely Hushovd is the only one allowed to wear stripes on a normal road stage. and no, its not hushovd in the break...
confused.
Whos the bloke in the breakaway? Garmin rider in world champs stripes? I've seen him a few times, surely Hushovd is the only one allowed to wear stripes on a normal road stage. and no, its not hushovd in the break...
There's been more then one World Championship road race, and it's not just Thor that's won it.
Yes, it's all very interesting to see what's happening at the front of the race, but the linky above shows Cavendish out the back of the pack already.
Green going to Gilbert/ Rojas cos Cav gets timed out?
Mind you, he'll get back on the descent, eh?
Is there much potential for garden/ home visits by riders today?
There's been more then one World Championship road race, and it's not just Thor that's won it.
But only Thor can wear the full on stripes for this season. and you don't get stripes for U23 world champs etc.
I think its Ramunas Navardauskas and the stripes are actually the lithuaniun national chanpion colours
Oh you mean like full on stripes? I think you're always allowed to wear them on your sleeves if you've ever won it.
Alberto Contador is a long way down in the yellow jersey peloton and there don't appear to be any other Saxo Bank-SunGard riders in that group. Worrying times for the Spaniard?
He's got Euskatel riders in the front group. It looks like they are happy to work for both Sanchez and Contador for the time being, I suspect partly for nationalistic reasons but also paying back favours granted them by Contador in the Giro.
As for the world championship jersey. Thor is the only rider allowed to wear the rainbow Jersey on a road stage as he his the reigning champion. I think previous word champions can incorporate the stripes onto the sleeve design of the jersey in much the same way as former national champions can include theirs
EDIT
I think its Ramunas Navardauskas and the stripes are actually the lithuaniun national chanpion colours
That sounds the most likely explanation.
Look how good those roads are in the Alps. Ours get a bit of snow for 4-5 days a year and fall apart.
Just heard the tyres scream from the sky car 😀
What was that website tracking riders and power output?
Thanks!
Thanks!
Flash, put the map on Terrain.....its scary
mcboo that's a great link. 😀 cannot keep it on unfortunately as it will eat into my monthly internet credit.
MCBoo, I know the terrain there very well, I ski on it! 🙂
Paul Sherwin says Andy Schleck has been renamed Andy Stiffneck, cos he keeps looking behind him . . .
Always liked Ser Che & Briancon is a really nice place to pass some time.. or to meet your mates before heading off on a Crusade
did the Marmotte last year, was a whole bunch of punishment but the ride down from Galibier (the side they are about to climb) was the ultimate in wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! Just goes on and on, then that beautiful River Isere valley all the way to Bourg d'Oisans. They get to do that tomorrow of course.
I bloody love that part of France, locals are super-nice too <no seriously>
Good point to go to ads, ITV4 🙄
(spoiler for those without Eurosport to flick to)
& they make Tartiflette 🙂
Andy goes.
nice!
Tartiflette perfection right here - http://www.lebercail-serrechevalier.com/
Mmmmm, Tartiflette.
massive risk going this early. will he stay away on the descent, if not will he have anything left for the galiber?
StiffNeck attacking? He's got to go downhill in a moment, he'll probably poo his lycra the moment it goes beyond horizontal.
Andy goes.
Finally showing some aggression he's got two mates up ahead too. Interesting.
I reckon Andy's move is a softener for Franks attack on the final climb, looks too far out to be successful in its own right.
Everyone else letting him go probably wasn't in the original plan though.
I wanted TV to win, but is AS wins it off this big attack (with a good bit of team tactics - teammate still up front to help on the descent/valley) then he has to deserve it. The only trouble is, the last time I can remember an overall contender heading off on an epic this far out was in 2006...
The only trouble is, the last time I can remember an overall contender heading off on an epic this far out was in 2006...
Reminded me of that too.
"which one of the guys who's won the TdF recently has attacked so far away from the finish of a mountain top finish"
Floyd Landis, Paul, Floyd Landis 😉
Look at Andy's stem. That * is slammed to *. How can he not win?
Schleck, A. not holding anything back on the descent on this one !
Andy Schlecks team mate to show him the line to take down the mountain and then TT him along the valley floor to the final climb?
So who was it saying AS couldn't descend?
This is become a classic stage - loving it - apart from the f'ing adverts!
Can't say I've noticed any adverts (and it's refreshing to get Harmon/Kelly for a change)
Go stiffneck! Will it all payoff? Not looking bad for leopard.
Frank will be hanging on the back wheel like a bad smell of anyone who moves out of the yellow jersey group now. I reckon it's going to stick unless Bertie goes ballistic on the last climb.
Contador & Sanchez chatting while descending at +60km/h . . . remember yesterdays thread about "us" descending? lol
what helmet is it that sammy sanchez is wearing, big horizontal vents, looks pretty kool?
ps Yell for Cadel 🙂 I remember getting a 1999 video of him winning the UCI world cup in Mountain biker international
New bike for Bertie...
Contador descending through those cars is like watching an artform - no matter what history he has you cant deny his talent on a roadbike
So, the Basque v Spanish issue is solved then! Euskaltel car helping Bertie out there!
Bertie switches to the battery powered bike for the climb...
Helmet is catlike
15km of headwind coming up . . . .
It's looking like a stage + yellow for Shreck the younger, unless he blows up on the Galibier.
AS has arranged for snow on the Galibier - so the stage will be shortened 😉