The final round before the finish in Paris. What will come out of this 53.5 km time trial on rather flattish terrain, except the first part on the rolling hills of the Perche region? Personally, I expect gaps of two to three minutes between leaders. Three weeks into the race, 53.5 km are a long way to go in a time trial. This also holds true for the yellow jersey, who will probably come behind specialists such as Martin or Cancellara. Think of the Pauillac time trial in 2010, when Cancellara took the win on a similar course and Menchov, the freshest of all the leaders, propelled himself onto the final podium.
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Well, it's got to be Wiggins hasn't it? Also expecting Tejay, Evans and Froome to place quite highly. It's a shame we've lost two of the best TTers in the race. The current top 15:
1. WIGGINS Bradley 83h 22' 18''
2. FROOME Christopher + 02' 05''
3. NIBALI Vincenzo + 02' 41''
4. VAN DEN BROECK Jurgen + 05' 53''
5. VAN GARDEREN Tejay + 08' 30''
6. EVANS Cadel + 09' 57''
7. ZUBELDIA Haimar + 10' 11''
8. ROLLAND Pierre + 10' 17''
9. BRAJKOVIC Janez + 11' 00''
10. PINOT Thibaut + 11' 46''
11. ROCHE Nicolas + 12' 54''
12. KLÖDEN Andréas + 14' 05''
13. HORNER Christopher + 14' 22''
14. SORENSEN Chris Anker + 18' 46''
15. MENCHOV Denis + 22' 54''
Great pictures as always.
http://www.steephill.tv/2012/tour-de-france/photos/stage-18/
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As of right now we haven't had an update from Stage 18, so not sure what it's looking like going into the TT..
http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/stw-tour-de-france
A few useful links
[url= http://live.cyclingnews.com/ ]Live Cycling News Text Updates[/url]
[url= http://www.steephill.tv/tour-de-france/ ]Steephill[/url]
[url= http://www.letour.fr/le-tour/2012/us/live/aso/ ]Official Tour Live Feed App[/url] [b]- really useful for today.[/b]
[url= http://www.velogames.com/tdf/leaguescores.php?league=25113755 ]Velogames Fantasy League[/url]
[url= http://www.letour.fr/le-tour/2012/us/classifications.html ]Classifications[/url]
[url= http://www.letour.fr/le-tour/2012/us/withdrawals.html ]Withdrawals[/url]
I'm gonna go ride my bike(s).
And we're off 🙂
hmkm just turned on sky go for the eurosport stream, should be triathlon and then TDF, but womens tennis is on WTF!!
Wiggo wins it or does enough to cruise to victory tomorrow
Top 5 unchanged IHO
I feel like it is Christmas and the homecoming - he lives a few miles from me- will be just awesome
never in my wildest dreams did i expect to see a UK rider win the TdF when i started watching it in the 80's
Allez Wiggo
oooohhh get you and your "I knew 'em before they became famous"
just makes you old JY 🙂
I was still glued to dukes of hazard and the a_team in the early 80's
So was I, I am only 41 - only being something you add once you reach that age not something you say before getting to 40 obviously
Echo junkyards comments watching Paul Sherwin struggle through the tour in the early 80s I never thought I would see a Brit win .I also remember trawling through my dads daily telegraph for the tour report as a kid in the 70s
had the printing press even been invented in 1964 edric?
😉
anyway.....enough taking the piss out if geriatrics... 🙂
anyone know who the first TT specialist in low GC order will be to go out and when?
dodgy campsite wifi, monkey tdf website, and a tablet keyboard not making it easy to find out.
Well, it's got to be Wiggins hasn't it?
Not Sagan then?
anyone know who the first TT specialist in low GC order will be to go out and when?
Start list: http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/tour-de-france-stage-19-time-trial-start-order
The most immediately obvious TT specialist off early is David Millar at 12:54. Not that he's really a specialist any more, or likely to win, but you'd still expect an ex world champion (even if that win was a bit dodgy) to put in a good time.
Oh and also Zabriskie, off at 12:50 - he's won TTs fairly recently
Cheers c
Off for a look
There's a start list on the official tour live feed app thing, link in the op as always.
Not Sagan then?
I know a guy who knows a guy, and apparently Sagan is just training through the tour, he's planning on peaking for something else. Apparently.
Froome to catch Nibali?
Froome and Wiggins will be close today, Wiggins is starting to look tired. I've got cash on froome for the stage win.
Don't know about catching Nibali, what was the gap in the first tt? Nibbles has been practicing this you know.
I suppose we'll know in an hour or so.
Froomes smashed it from the start i expect him to be better at 1st split than wiggo before wiggo hits the afterburners.
Tjvg passes Cuddles
wiggins fastest pre after burners
brave to bet on Froome as the TT is wiggos thing.
Poor cuddles, I feel for him
Glad he got a win seeing as he was the only clean rider for years during dirty tours.
Trail - you's wrong, wiggo smashed the first 1/3 and took 12's outta froome!!
Froome into 1st and the 2nd check
Wiggo takes 54 seconds outta froome!!
Impressive.
llama - Member
Froome and Wiggins will be close today, Wiggins is starting to look tired. I've got cash on froome for the stage win.
Yeah,riding like he's all spent ha ha
Hmm maybe it is wiggo's day after all!
Wiggins is flying ,must have a rocket up his arse.Sanchez face is a picture.
😯 Boom! Allez Wiggo! 😀
Must say I thought it would be close between Froome and Wiggo today. Even if just cos Wiggo doesn't need to go so quick, his position is safe as long as he doesn't lose 2 minutes.
But Bloody Hell! 54 seconds quicker at 1/2 way, at 50km/h average! He's out to prove the Olympic road TT is his too I'd say, as Cav was yesterday with his sprint finish statement for the road race.
Wiggins is smashing this 🙂
I think wiggins is making a point on froomes gestures on Thursday's final climb!
Sanchez face is a picture.
I think he's guessed. 😛
I think wiggins is making a point on froomes gestures on Thursday's final climb!
That pic of Brad finishing just behind Froome with a wry smile on that stage says a lot I think........
We have a winner
Enhorabuena Bradders.
Fantastic ride, hats to the bradders
What a fantastic ride by Bradley. the sign of a true champion
Looking forward to road race and TT at the olympics
Bah! The pubs in the lakes seem to think that watching some blokes dresses as pimps hitting a little ball into a hole is more worthwhile viewing than watching someone British achieve the greatest sporting goal
Like JY - I never thought I'd see this in my lifetime. We always seemed like, say, Derby county being promoted to the premiership. Just there to make up the numbers. GO ON BRADLEY LAD!!! Stage win to crown the yellow!!!
There were times when I though we would never get stage wins never mind the yellow jersey, the world road and the Olympics to come as well.
So the question remains, will it be 3 British stage wins in a row tomorrow? If it is, will 7 British stage wins in a single TdF also be a record?
Junky - do you remember just a few years ago thinking how fantastic it was having a British rider who could win stages at will and likely to win a jersey in Paris?
Bradley Wiggins - the greatest British cyclist ever. Simply immense.
What an achievement for Bradley and Froome , well chuffed for Team Sky . TdF must be the hardest major sports event to win , a massive boost for british cycling.
It still is aracer and yes cav is an awesome rider and probably , given the turn of speed he has in a sprint, the best sprinter I have ever seen and by some margin.
Long time since getting excited by the other millar in 84 though
Amazeballs
I got a bit of dust in my eye when he finished.
Way to answer your critics Big Wig!
Well done Bradley. Its good to see that the yellow jersey wearer can come out and show how its done on the last day and show they deserve the jersey.
great ride by Bradley and the rest of the team , a great achivment.
That was the definition of smashing it ) I find tts a bit dull normally, not today!
What a legend.
wiggo power
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Sipping wine in a French square contemplating with Mrs s the sheer unparalleled pedigree of the GB Olympic road race squad on the back of this season's race performances. Its surely unmatched in the modern era?
Pah we only have 4 stage winners out of the 5 man team [ the other is not riding] ,the TdF winner, TdF second place, the road world champion, the fastest sprinter, home turf advantage .....think you are over egging it tbh ...that wine and heat is affecting your judgement
Great isn't it?
🙂
****ing YES!!
This is the first year I've been following the tour a bit more closely so I guess I'm your classic glory-hunter - but from my limited perspective that was a stunning performance. There's been a fair bit of negativity and speculation about Froome being stronger and some hints that Wiggins wasn't a worthy winner - seems like he answered that pretty spectacularly.
Wonder if there will be a homecoming/celebration event in Chorley? 🙂
Is it me or was Wiggins using an eliptical chain wheel?
(I used to have an old Dawes with a 'Bio-Pace' chainwheel - never went that quick, though!)
I still can't quite believe that a British rider has won The Tour!
Is it me or was Wiggins using an eliptical chain wheel?
He was.
[url= http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/osymetric-chainring-just-in-30581/ ]http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/osymetric-chainring-just-in-30581/[/url]
the sky team dinner table 🙂
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Lolcopters! Who's kermit?
[i]Who's kermit? [/i]
who indeed, a question for the sky chef (who posted it on twitter)
Cav, it was dressed as him on the bus earlier in the week.
Was busy during the live feed so waited for the highlights. Fantastic result. Enjoyed his interview too. Looking forward to tomorrow.