to watch every moment of the Tour de France

[stubbornhubby]

No, Wait!

...with the man Cavendish in real contention for Green, a British team for the first time in yonks, and Bradley Wiggins capable of getting on the podium, and a route that takes the peleton up the tourmalet not once but twice..

IASNBU

Lance Armstrong starts in 25mins...

Sorry for hijacking your topic but I thought that this may be of interest to you www.commandostourdefrance.co.uk It starts on Sunday in London and will hopefully pick up some press coverage as it is for a fantastic cause and shows true Royal Marine courage.

BLimey Ruby - your DH did phenomenally well. Its all very well to look back and think he might have made the final few km but the reality is that he wouldn't have. Once you go, you go. And kudos on the not walking - it makes him "proper".

Ruby that is amazing and agree your dh is a hero.

Couldn't agree more re contador - that was the lamest excuse for an apology I have seen. Ok Now I have calmed down I see it's a grey area about stopping but if he had said I went as menchov etc weren't stopping an couldn't risk losing time I would have thought more than the fakest apology I have heard. Tomorrow is going to be fab and am gluing to try and watch every minute.

Lol at your voeckler love ah- I must admit I do quite like hushovd for his Scandinavian calm and humour so am quietly backing him if cav can't get green.

i just got back from working as physio for a charity team who rode the entire route of this years tour 2 weeks ahead of the actual tour.
DH also rode the etape stage (without the 8000 other riders that the etape attracts, yuk).

our riders were not professionals. the etape riders do a great thing but imagine what our guys went through doing the same distances every day for 21 days. they did it in the same schedule (only 2 rest days).

incredible stuff. and makes watching the actual tour so much more amazing, the speed they go up the tourmalet in unbelievable.

was quite please with my 50k every 2nd day but was in no position to go boasting bearing in mind what the riders were achieving each day.

vive le tour!

i will throw in a boast about DH though who completed the etape stage in 8 hours and looked scarily fresh at the top.

are poppy and I the only ones with secret tour mini-crushes? (Except for easywriters general love of cyclists).

ruby congrats to your husband! nevergoogle and yours!

Contador can't apologize for something that's so obvious on film. I actually don't mind as much that much that he didn't wait, but I'm offended that he got up on his pedals and sped up! He was trying to make sure Schleck had no chance of catching...

secret tour mini-crushes?
Andy Schleck, right?

Same.

my tour crushes:

Cancellara (sp?)
Schleck
Armstrong

Michael Rogers

but all sweaty cyclists in Lycra make my heart beat a touch faster......

Anyone watching today? Seems the rising wind is causing alot of problems for the top riders.

Have my fingers crossed for Schleck - hope he didn't come out too strong, at a pace he can't maintain.

Yep watching it- think it's not going to change anything for schleck but may not lose as
Much as he thought.

Reason no 305 not to be a big fan of contador- matching yellow shoes to go with his jersey...

So - Contador is now ahead by 38 seconds.

Didn't he gain 39 seconds on Schleck the day of Schleck's mechanical problem?

Yes - that point mentioned here too...

Any sightings of Contador and Schleck together after today's race? Wonder if their friendship really can be salvaged if Contador goes on to win - as he most certainly seems certain to do.

ooo you lot might be able to help my dh. He really wants to see today's stage (19), the live version, but our digibox didn't record it so do any of you know anywhere online he can see the live show from earlier today? I've tried loads of sites already but no luck If not he'll have to make do with the highlights on the itv player

Arggh! I hate that the race was so close after Schleck's mechanical... What a disappointment after an amazing time trial by Schleck....

(sorry eddas - no help here).

i don't think you can watch the live programme any other time that live. we pay a monthly subscription to eurosport.com but if you miss the live programme it's highlights thereafter i'm afraid.
was 19 the 2nd tourmalet stage?

thanks nevergoggle, I didn't think he would be able to watch it, but he is happy now as he managed to see the highlights. Stage 19 was the time trial stage which he's been looking forward to for the whole tour, bless him.

Sigh......

It's all over.

If Cav hadn't sat up when he lost the early spring, he'd be in green.
If Andy's chain hadn't gone sproing and Contador hadn't taken the advantage.....

It's been a top Tour.

I did think it was arrogant of Lance & Radio Shack to muck about today, though.

I watched Contador pass by in a whirl of gears on the outskirts of Pau. I've never been that interested before but now I'm quite caught up.

Ruby I looked for you. My cousin also did the Mondovelo and he managed to do it all, he said it was the hardest thing he had ever ever done so your dh did jolly well given that out of 10,000 only 6,000 made it to the end.

Not spring - sprint

Did commentators Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen have a falling out? Phil made reference to it on coverage today, and I couldn't tell if he was joking (a bit), or if it was a serious rift......but neither man made eye contact or smiled.

What is the story?

would cav really have made green if he'd not sat up? He's so talented but just can't get his head around contesting anything other than first can he?

Can I just say that Voeckler is my hero? So that must make me one of the French housewives too.

Oh I missed the nuances between Phil & Paul. I wonder what happened? Or is Paul narked that he didn't have an hommage banner a la Phil?

I think they said that Cav would have won by 1 point if he'd managed the third place on the finish when he sat up.

Don't you think Voeckler has a passing resemblance to a young Harry Enfield? Or is it just me?