[Closed] TdF Stage 3 - Rolling Into The Capital [Spoilers]

your link to the winners league is not working

Was good the see Jens in the Polka dot

Thanks for doing these threads very much appreciated and good to se you have a job this year guven the start time 😛

your link to the winners league is not working

All fixed, thanks for pointing that one out 🙂

good to se you have a job this year guven the start time

Cheeky... The time difference does help though 😉

mmm my team is slightly better than I recall but a little unbalanced- just picked cheap names to add up to a 100.

Drop me an e-mail as I assume yours has changed

So what's the strategy for OPQS now? Go for stage wins with Terpstra contesting bumpier stages such as 5, and support someone like Renshaw for sprints?

Im in town today - but I think it might be a little busy down on the queen's driveway so will probably give it a miss. 🙂

Go for stage wins with Terpstra contesting bumpier stages such as 5, and support someone like Renshaw for sprints?

I was thinking about that too - they've still got Renshaw and Petacchi. They might want to save their leadout train for individual efforts, especially Martin for the TT. A lot of them can breathe a sigh of relief though - they're potentially on for a much easier tour as they won't be expected to chase down breaks and such without Cav.

Well I have Kwiatkowski in my team so hoping he'll have some good days - I expected him to do well yesterday.

Wasn't gonna include this cause it sounded really lame, but it's actually pretty cool

Doubt you'd get signal on your garmin though so what's the point?

Strava KOMs are so last year - now its about the KOS (King of Subterranean)

After the previous two days riding in Yorkshire, today's route looks uber dull.

@Realman - yes another thank you for the threads, always enjoyed them.

I'll add another voice to say Chapeau Yorkshire, what a wonderful job !

I decided not to travel up to Yorkshire but plan to be around the finish/Palace/St James Park, probably about 10 rows back and watching the ITV player coverage !

On board stuff from Stage 2. Starts about 3mins in.

Selfie ****erz causing issues:

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2014/jul/06/tour-de-france-2014-selfies-pain-arse-riders

Selfie ****erz causing issues:

the Lithuanian Ramunas Navardauskas was seen angrily swiping at anyone who got too close.

I've seen the crowds of nutters in the french mountain stages and figured it's just the kinda daft thing johnny foreigner does 😉 felt bad when UK crowds were doing it tho.

any footage of the dip in/out of Ewden beck between midhopestones and bradfield? Highlights missed it out completely, rode it a few weeks ago and reckoned it could be "interesting" for the peleton.

Good effort from Saffron Walden crowds on a Monday.

Was going to watch today... but felt guilty that i was leaving work understaffed this afternoon when we'll be vbusy for one reason or the other.

So thought I ride some on the route this morn from Chelmsford to Epping... then make my way back home to Sunny Brentwood and get the train into town.

Except....

I really did have the roads to myself hardly another biker on them let a lone a car.... so I carried on all the way to about the 1k kite.

What a ride!! My very own TdeF sportive..... can't believe they waasn't more doing the same!?!

And I still get to see them as they flying along lower thames street.

Viva le Tour

Waited 3 hours to get this shot...

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bit of a procession today then ...

That's a lot of people.

Well done.

Footflaps, good shot! I was up at Parker's Piece standing above a sign so that I could watch them set off. Absolutely amazing experience.

Town was rammed full of people and there was a really good pro-cycling buzz about the place. Lots of people in their own cycling club kit walking around.

@footflaps - nice, optimistically hoping for a shot of riders and Buck House but as I'm still at my desk that's clearly a fantasy.

@mattjg - the start was neutralised today

@Ro5ey - there was a yellow TdF Boris Bike at the stand today, was very tempted to ride it down the Mall but had a meeting to get to 🙁

Lovely shot footflaps. Saffron Walden looked fantastic, I think we'll have to award some of these places honorary Yorkshire status.

I was at the 0km sign just out of town in Trumpington, and it was pretty busy up there too. Loads of kids out enjoying the sunshine which was good to see (not in a Rolf way)

(not in a Rolf way)

Thanks for clarifying. I was beginning to have my suspicions 🙂

Just seen riders (on the TV) stopping by the roadside for a wee. OK when you're in the peloton and relatively easy to catch up, maybe even in a larger break, but if you're one of the 2 blokes in the breakaway today, what do you do?

Piss down your leg?

Wait till a descent? I think I've ridden for over 7 hours without needing a piss - if you're working hard you'll be sweating and you don't need to piss as much I think.

A few more snaps:

[url= https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5478/14593883984_376519feb7_c.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5478/14593883984_376519feb7_c.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/oeBtgo ]Tour De France 2014 Stage 3 Cambridge Kings College and Peleton[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/people// ]brf[/url], on Flickr

[url= https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5569/14409231059_231c80db2f_c.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5569/14409231059_231c80db2f_c.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/nXi5og ]Tour De France 2014 Stage 3 Cambridge Kings College and Peleton[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/people// ]brf[/url], on Flickr

[url= https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3856/14595119192_900849f38b_c.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3856/14595119192_900849f38b_c.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/oeHNs5 ]Tour De France 2014 Stage 3 Cambridge Team Sky[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/people// ]brf[/url], on Flickr

[url= https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5478/14409185080_56ddde6920_c.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5478/14409185080_56ddde6920_c.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/nXhQHw ]Tour De France 2014 Stage 3 Cambridge Kings College and Mavic Neutral Service Car[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/people// ]brf[/url], on Flickr

Somebody on the roof on Kings College Chapel watching
[url= https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3836/14592575541_df7f9777d0_c.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3836/14592575541_df7f9777d0_c.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/oeuLj2 ]Tour De France 2014 Stage 3 Cambridge Kings College[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/people// ]brf[/url], on Flickr

I do like the look of that Mavic car.

"I think we'll have to award some of these places honorary Yorkshire status."

High praise indeed.

Looking forward to seeing Roxwell, where I started today,and Morton (although they are only little villages)

Epping High Street was looking good earlier lots of people already out at 08:30.

Not so sure after that, East London didnt seem too worried... and it will defo be quiet around docklands.

[quote=D0NK dijo]
any footage of the dip in/out of Ewden beck between midhopestones and bradfield? Highlights missed it out completely, rode it a few weeks ago and reckoned it could be "interesting" for the peleton.

I have day 1 and Day 2 on the PVR and can copy footage onto a USB stick/harddrive (.ts format - VLC will play it fine) if anyone want the chance to see themselves...

Got the full ITV version of day 2 on the telly box, only had chance to watch the first half yesterday (upto holme moss), figured I'd better get genned up on the rest with the highlights show, might have a flick through later see if they showed it.

I've ridden for over 7 hours without needing a piss - if you're working hard you'll be sweating

Have you forgotten where you are posting that is two weeks worth of riding and think how many pie shops and pubs you would need to pass

Spectators taking out a few riders.

Idiot was standing so far out in the road on this one...

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Looks like East London is interested

Would be nice if the break could stick until the end. I don't think the peloton will let them though.

Was just thinking about haeding down onto lower thames street (below the office).... look out the window and they are 5 deep !!

DONK, I'm afraid even the full ITV playback of Day 2 won't show all of Ewden Beck. They show the descent and then it breaks up (tree coverage?).

I can report that they all made it through without incident 🙁 although they were well spread out at that point. One guy was off the back by about 5 minutes and had a sticky bottle up the hill 🙂

Another win for Kittel.. He's unstoppable.

Another win for Kittel.. He's unstoppable.

Watching him power to the win... wow.

Fantastic end to the race though. Really good tactics by Team Giant at the end though and a good win for Kittel.

It's got to be Kittel today, I think he's going to be unstoppable this year. Sagan to be up there as well though. Greipel who?

Ahem.

If only I could have been that smart when picking my fantasy team..

Was at the Palace sunshine in Yorkshire and a little rain in London, we couldn't have let them depart without a little weather. Crowd was quite subdued I thought. Motorcycle and bike helmets only in view but worth it.

Can I mention Kittel's eyebrows?

*is jealous*

I have Kittel but I have also had Cav for the last 2 stages 😳
really should have swapped him out earlier 🙂

Let's hope the team cars don't get affected by the delays in the channel tunnel..................

Watched from Upper Thames Street. Good atmosphere, dampened by the rain, not helped by the late start and delay on the expected arrival. without one or the other it would have been grand!

Great fun, though. We nipped in and out of the pub from half 1ish, watched the peleton flash past, then the team cars and the backmarkers no more than a minute or so behind, back to the office 60 seconds' walk away and came through the door to see the reception telly showing the final turn and the sprint up the Mall. Pretty swift trip through central London!

Amazing finish from Kittel, hit the front from so far out.

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I'm starting to feel very foolish for not having Sagan in my fantasy team 🙁

It'll more that just froomy cycling the tunnel if they can't get across the channel

Went down to Finchingfield which was busy but comfortable. Was able to get the largest slice of cake I've ever seen from the cafe there.

Probably the first time a traffic cop has ever been cheered.

Pics of the cake?

I would wager the TdF vehicles will get through the tunnel fine, would not want to be on a privately booked crossing though, back of the queue !

That was perfect from argos shimano. They are like HTC used to be with Cav and Renshaw.

Amazing finish from Kittel, hit the front from so far out.

ahem. Just watched the highlights. I must have been blinking when the guy in front peeled off! 😳

great day out watching near the beginning nr Duxford.... went to the museum all afternoon with impromptu aerobatic display from 2 spits, 2 mustangs and an me109. (the American display hall is something else !!!)

I sat on high on the bridge above the Limehouse Link in East London

45 mins of rain and then suddenley the peleton through in 15 seconds, great atmosphere though. Just watching the highlights on Itv4 and could see myself sitting up there on the bridge 🙂

I rode out to Epping forest, thinking it would be quiet(er). Fool.
Crikey they go like the clappers.

e_s - must confess I did do a freeze frame search for myself, but no.

Some chap in ridiculous skintight flouro gear got in the way. Does he think he's in the Tour de bleedin' Frarnce of summink?!

rode out to Finchingfield in Essex. 110 mile round trip for a 10 second glimpse of some cyclist's helmets... loved it.

What's up with Greipel? If I was his team I'd be properly pissed at being made to ride at the front the whole day and then he just backs out at the finish.

Not long since broken his collarbone, elbows out on wet roads? Meh!

Kittel was ridiculous really, they couldn't even come round 'im. Next flat stage will be Giant/Shimano's to control start to finish, why bother putting a man on the front when Kittel is that strong.

110 mile round trip

Good work! Puts my 60 second stroll from the office to AB1 to shame!

Possibly, but he was nowhere on Saturday as well even before the crash. Kittel's a monster (which is why he's in my team) but the rest of the sprinters seem pretty average, I was expecting a 3 way drag race between the 2 big Germans and can, as it is you could see kittel taking 6 stages or so this year.

Watched from Green Park, the crash really spread the field into the finish and the last riders received the loudest cheers. A fine 1-2 for my team. Can't see past Kittel on flat stages. I suspect that was what Sagan was thinking too.

Was on the roof of St John's College. Great fun but very fleeting.

Does anyone know how/where I could get an HD quality recording of the ITV highlights ?

We saw very little on the day but the camera angle coming in to the Palace was looking "straight at use" in from of the fountain.

Was on the roof of St John's College. Great fun but very fleeting.

I've been up there, great view of Cambridge:

[url= https://farm1.staticflickr.com/5/10424377_e3b8b52b29.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm1.staticflickr.com/5/10424377_e3b8b52b29.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/VqND ]Cambridge from the roof of St Johns[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/people// ]brf[/url], on Flickr

I was down at Fitzwilliam Museum i was very jealous of those with there rooftop vantage points

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I had a great day in Cambridge and London yesterday , the crowd in Cambridge was unbelievable but sadly couldn't get a decent viewpoint in London . Still a great day and easily one of the best Grand Departs ever. Despite living near Edinburgh I'm glad Yorkshire , Cambridge and London got the depart as It's hard to see how this could have been better supported.
Also It has to be said that Cambridge is a beautiful city and I will return.

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Good to see from the above poor quality pic the faces of excited schoolkids and City Bankers enjoying the occasion.

Nibali in yellow, and in the background possibly Froome catching a sneaky peek of Berties stem ! 😀

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