Tour de France

[Johnny K]

Originally Posted by Dirk Hofman

I think this is the first time in my 51 years since I was about 8 that I've haven't watched or cared. The Froome decision by the UCI was as corrupt and wrong as anything I can imagine. I can't abide watching that clown parade around France again. They're killing the sport for me.

I think I am with you in this camp. I've been watching or paying attention to bicycle racing since I started bicycle racing in the late 70's. and it's been over 10 years and -80 lbs ago that I last toed a start line. I have always accepted that the riders were getting 'help', and to think otherwise is rather naive.

However, it's gotten silly. I'm not going out of my way to watch. I didn't even watch 1 second of the Giro, nor any of the spring classics. If you asked I couldn't even tell you who won Paris-Roubaix or the Tour of Flanders and they're my favorite one day races.

If it weren't for Peter Sagan, I would probably not watch at all. And Quintana is the George Hincapie of Tour Contenders. All the talent in the world, but no killer instinct to win. Froome has the charisma of a roll of paper towels, but he get the job done. If he weren't so bland, he probably wouldn't get as much stick as he does. Love him or hate him, Armstrong was a rock star and he knew it and acted like one. That kind of thing keeps folks tuned in and interested.

[Dirk Hofman]

Originally Posted by Johnny K

I think I am with you in this camp. I've been watching or paying attention to bicycle racing since I started bicycle racing in the late 70's. and it's been over 10 years and -80 lbs ago that I last toed a start line. I have always accepted that the riders were getting 'help', and to think otherwise is rather naive.

However, it's gotten silly. I'm not going out of my way to watch. I didn't even watch 1 second of the Giro, nor any of the spring classics. If you asked I couldn't even tell you who won Paris-Roubaix or the Tour of Flanders and they're my favorite one day races.

If it weren't for Peter Sagan, I would probably not watch at all. And Quintana is the George Hincapie of Tour Contenders. All the talent in the world, but no killer instinct to win. Froome has the charisma of a roll of paper towels, but he get the job done. If he weren't so bland, he probably wouldn't get as much stick as he does. Love him or hate him, Armstrong was a rock star and he knew it and acted like one. That kind of thing keeps folks tuned in and interested.

I don't have anything to add but I liked the hell out of your post.

[imwjl]

With a new Brandon Semenuk video out, I'll watch that instead.



As much as the Lance era has been good for biking overall, it did inject a lot of new riders without a good attitude. I spend a lot of time aiding youth and adult cycling and find it crazy to be a polite and considerate driver and get so much attitude from modern Lance-a-likes on the road. I'm hoping all these other new riders are better examples.

Things might not be health or good at a pro level and Le Tour but the people pedaling is good overall. My favorite stars are the ones I've learned have transformed their lives.

[endpin]

To do my part, I point toward Paris when I see riders done up in yellow jerseys on the local trails.

[patrickgm60]

Peter Sagan's performance so far is amazing; likely will be considered the greatest road cyclist of all time, in the future.

[Johnny K]

Originally Posted by patrickgm60

Peter Sagan's performance so far is amazing; likely will be considered the greatest road cyclist of all time, in the future.

I like him too (almost as much as my all time favorite, Mario Cipollini) but he will never surpass Eddy Merckx.

[patrickgm60]

Lots of great racing and some surprises, after 10 stages. The human interest story comes from a young American rider, Lawson Craddock. Broke his shoulder and cut his face in the opening stage, yet he is still in the race! He's in last place, overall, but must finish within a strict time limit, each day. His charity is raising a great deal of donations, as a result.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/...our-de-france/

[Bikewer]

Yesterday, the “1A” show on NPR interviewed Lance Armstrong in the first half and then Phil Ligget and Paul Sherwen for the second half.

Armstrong didn’t really have anything new to add, essentially re-iterating that when he was racing, everyone was doing it and if you wanted to be competitive....
Sherwen and Ligget were pretty entertaining, giving some notion of just how hectic trying to cover the tour is.
Sherwen is multi lingual and says they frequently have race feeds in Spanish, Italian, and others all coming in to their car at the same time... While trying to monitor the race on a little portable TV.
At the end of the stage, they then have to drive to the next stage to set up, often arriving late at night.

[ziapack]

Yea, great race so far, I'm busy, only catching highlights and watching the last 3-5 kilometers of the stages. Thought Sundays race on the cobbles was great, in pained me to watch Tijays bad day at the office. Sagan's presence is evident, is Cav even racing?

[patrickgm60]

Originally Posted by ziapack

Yea, great race so far, I'm busy, only catching highlights and watching the last 3-5 kilometers of the stages. Thought Sundays race on the cobbles was great, in pained me to watch Tijays bad day at the office. Sagan's presence is evident, is Cav even racing?

Yes, the amount of cobbles was surprising. And brutal.

Cav is out; so is Kittel. : (. Didn't make the time cut on the mountainous Stage 11.

[ziapack]

Originally Posted by patrickgm60

Cav is out; so is Kittel. : (. Didn't make the time cut on the mountainous Stage 11.

Yes, caught that last night

My Son was telling me he was too old, couldn't hang with the new upcoming and coming sprinters, Bob Roll pretty much reiterated that with the announcement Cav was out. Blasphemy I say!

[Johnny K]

Originally Posted by ziapack

Yes, caught that last night

My Son was telling me he was too old, couldn't hang with the new upcoming and coming sprinters, Bob Roll pretty much reiterated that with the announcement Cav was out. Blasphemy I say!

I felt the same as you when Super Mario wasn't killing it anymore at the line.

[patrickgm60]

With only the final stage (a mostly ceremonial ride consisting of loops in Paris) remaining, it looks like Team Sky will defend its title, but not with the rider they had planned on. Teammate Geraint Thomas has been consistently stronger on every stage that counted. His time bonuses for stage wins compensated for the seconds lost in today's time trial.

Peter Sagan will finish in green, battered and bruised. American Lawson Craddock, who broke his shoulder in the first stage, will likely earn the "lantern rouge" (last place) award, 2,000 miles later. What a tour!

[Kerbie]

Yep... probably nothing left but for Thomas and crew to enjoy the champagne down the Champs-Élysées.

[Dirk Hofman]

What a joke that a former track rider is now crushing everyone in the mountains. Team Sky is just shamelessly flaunting their doping program for the world to see...again. The UCI has turned this sport into a farce.