Well that's a very steep hill, Criterium du Dauphine over here!

[MrSlant]

Eeek, this TT looks amazing, just waiting until Eurosport deign to bring it to my TV screen at 12.30. Can't wait to see how Contador and Froome get on.

Official website.

[MrSlant]

Ooooh, that was good.

[OnYerBikePan]

Signing in.

[MrSlant]

The TV coverage was shocking mind you.

[MrSlant]

Felt quite brave starting a thread, thought I'd be here talking to myself for the week.

[OnYerBikePan]

Both hands on handle bars please! Remember what happened last time you were waving midst peloton!!

13 secs. Could still be a prob. AND Porte looks good.

[MrSlant]

The finish today it was a bit like watching wild animals fighting! Can't believe no one was pulled up for that.

Porte looks great. I do have a soft spot for him.

[OnYerBikePan]

Speaking of no hands, on the way in this morning I did 6 full pedal stokes with both hands off the bars. First time ever! Next trick is the bunny hop think on and off pavements.

making zero contribution to the CdD development.

[ThisPanCan]

Fabulous Fabio! Still didn't think he'd hold on despite knowing beforehand he did!

[MrSlant]

I was shouting at the TV "stop turning to look, STOP THAT NOW" not knowing the result in advance (serious computer ban in the house until we have caught up with highlights, DS1 ruined the Giro for himself and now sticks to it properly!). He was awesome downhill.

Did you see Contador slingshotted back onto the peloton when he clipped a very skinny bridge and had to swap bikes. Looked very well done.

Chapeaux for the one handed cycling, very impressed. When I see them eating and drinking lazily pedalling with two hands off I always remember how scared and wobbly I feel sticking one hand out to indicate .

[ThisPanCan]

No I just saw the bridge. Who, who, just WHO is responsible for the red flag things??? That narrowing gap could have caused serious damage. Stone isn't bouncy at all.

yes practicing for when I take a stage win. I can't really cross the line with both hands holding on and have to admit to that rather becoming Spanish interviewer lady that I can't ride with no hands. One could say I'm thinking too far ahead and to cross that bridge (more bridges!) when I come to it....

[MrSlant]

I was surprised that no one was badly hurt/no big crash, they were all going hell for leather. There was even a stone step in a third of the way along the bridge making it even tighter. I was scared someone was going to go flying off the edge!

There is no harm in being prepared for your inevitable stage win and interview by the lovely Spanish lady. I am going to work up to taking both hands off but only hovering them over the bars next week. Ready for when I win the women's Tour de Yorkshire (I've decided to only go in for races where the winnings are equal to the mens and go past my dad's house).

[DramaAlpaca]

Just seen the thread so signing on a bit late.

Dauphine is getting quite exciting. Wonder if Bertie's form will be better tomorrow?

Not seen her so far, but is the Spanish interviewer the lovely Laura? I'm so envious of her language skills, she must be fluent in at least four. And she has an amazing job

Pan are you sock puppeting?

[ThisPanCan]

Morning DA,Thanks for joining us up the road! It was getting a bit tiring taking all of that wind between us.

Just caught up the two days. It's...um..highly competitive in the run ins isn't it? Elbows, shoulders, heads, anything goes it seems. At 35 mph on two teeny bits of rubber and no protective gear for legs. Brave.
Surprised at Porte's decision-making. He's a bit more punchier than Froome and could have distanced him well before the line.

Becoming Spanish interviewing lady - is it Laura? She's not been at CdD, and I think it suffers for that....

So for the next 2 days we have games of cat and mouse and mouse.

[prettybird]

Ds taught me, when I was 52 () to ride with two hands off . You have to shift your weight fort get backwards and it's actually easier to have your hands hanging down by your sides or above you celebrating a win than just hovering over the handlebars.

Trust me, it's an act of faith but it works.

[ThisPanCan]

yes the weight think - lifting hands off the bar leaves you still 'leaning fwd', so you have get your bum as far back in the saddle as possible before letting go, and controlling the bike with hips and thighs.

[prettybird]

...hips, thighs and core we've all got really strong cores haven't we?

That's why youth riders are encouraged to use rollers rather than turbos as it helps strengthen their core.

[MrSlant]

Hullo everyone .

Just watching DS1 saw an inch of my seat post as I can only just touch the floor on my tippy toes and nearly killed myself when I needed to come to a quick halt! There are people playing tennis on my television, I am not sure I approve, there are people out there on bikes that we need to be watching.

You are NEVER getting me on rollers.

[ThisPanCan]

oooh..sounds like a challenge there MrS

Yes I've seen people playing golf. GOLF! on my television. And driving cars very fast, round and round. It's not the way God intended.

[DramaAlpaca]

Oh but MrS there's a lovely player called Juan Martin del Potro playing tennis on your television. He's definitely worth watching IMO!

I'll catch up on the Dauphine later. Currently watching Ireland v SA playing rugby & hoping the Irish team do as well as England earlier today. They gave Australia a bit of a going over, which I enjoyed quite a lot.

Yes to being surprised at Porte's decision making yesterday. His team apparently told him not to ride with Froome, but he did so anyway.

[MrSlant]

It's ok, panic over the cyclists are now on screen plus all house bikes prepped and ready for a little spin out tomorrow. I may remove one hand and dangle it by my side to see how it feels. Whilst stationary.

Read a brilliant article by someone who has been heading out on her bike for decades and described how wearing denim shorts and a t-shirt made it much easier to find a bed for the night compared with today's lycra clad, cleated shoe modern cyclists. She calls them 'spandex covered penguins' because of the way they walk and now I can't get the image out of my head .

[MrSlant]

Porte said it felt "confusing" to work with him whilst his team shouted in his ear not to, I bet it did!

[prettybird]

MrSlant - it's not your hand you need to dangle, it's your back that you need to straighten up. Honest - it does make it easier my 11 year old had to teach me

[MrSlant]

Ooof, won't discuss stage until later .

Ok, well tomorrow I start my 'get to 40 miles' challenge I set myself. I am going to try and do about 5 miles on my new bike without falling off and scaring myself. I may attempt to straighten my back at some point if I find a bit of confidence. I need the equivalent of 'couch to 5k' for cycling .

[ThisPanCan]

I have highlights recorded for later. Right now it's Waaales in the Euros and then a lovely evening with my cycling/footie hating dd. Where did it all go wrong??/

[prettybird]

The instructions in this article are nice and clear - and also says it's an act of faith

It also mentions the fact that you need to be going at a reasonable speed - I'd forgotten that that had been part of ds' instructions.