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Original poster

Tour de France 2013

455 replies

Panonabike · 29/06/2013 13:43

Are we having a spin on Le Tour this year? They are half way across Corsica already, and Cav and Froome are settled in. Cav's looking for a stage win.

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Original poster
Panonabike · 04/07/2013 11:09

Gracie says that the giro rosa and all it's 150 riders had to stop yesterday - at a level crossing so a train could pass!
Could you imagine..

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prettybird · 04/07/2013 14:04

That happened last year in the TdF - the breakaway got stopped at a level crossing, so the peloton caught up with it! Shock They were eventually allowed to re-establish their buffer after complaining.

Original poster
Panonabike · 04/07/2013 15:31

The Orica chaps have been out front all day.

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LostInWales · 04/07/2013 20:26

I had a big Grin when I was trying to follow on twitter and one of the tweets was 'Chavanel at the front again'.

Original poster
Panonabike · 04/07/2013 21:02

It's true isn't it? At one stage he looked like he was issuing team instructions. To other teams.Grin

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LostInWales · 04/07/2013 21:48
Grin
ChairmanWow · 04/07/2013 22:53

Okay, I'm not going to talk about today Sad, but I've just got the Jens Voight app and it's friggin' awesome.

Night all

DuchessOfAvon · 05/07/2013 08:05

Howgoodisthat?!

Actually, I have been contemplating a name change for a while.....

HowGoodIsThat · 05/07/2013 08:09
Original poster
Panonabike · 05/07/2013 09:14

tres bien!

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LostInWales · 05/07/2013 09:54

Well Orica Green Edge and Simon Gerrans just became even cooler and so far my favourite Tour team ever. Gerrans 'hands over' yellow jersey.

LostInWales · 05/07/2013 09:54

Excellent NC HowGoodIsThat. I think I might make mine I need more coffee Wink.

Original poster
Panonabike · 05/07/2013 10:03

I'd read about that hand over on Cyclenews yesterday. Reminded me a bit of Wiggo hitting the front with 1km to go in Paris last year to help lead out Cav. Of course he couldn't have 'lost' the yellow at that stage but he was putting himself in the potentially dangerous mix in the build up to it to ensure a win for the team sprinter.

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LostInWales · 05/07/2013 11:19

Totally, I utterly loved cycling for that moment. Actually, cycling as a whole is all about those moments isn't it? The only sport where you have to make everyone want to help you if you are going to win. Or be a cheating, selfish, bully bastard (Yes Lance, I'm looking at you.)

ChairmanWow · 05/07/2013 13:09

Yes, that and Wiggo slowing down the peloton when Cadel got a puncture when tacks had been thrown onto the road by some idiot. He wore the yellow well, did Bradders. Armstrong has been exposed as an egotist and a bully. So, so glad the bad old days are over (almost).

Am finding the Chris 'n' Ned technical snippets very interesting, mainly because they expose the strange obsession with tradition within the sport. It makes me realise what a pioneer Brailsford is with his marginal gains strategy. Sky are getting a lot of stick but you can bet other teams are watching and will gradually break those traditions.

I'd change my name to thisneedstobestitchedtogether but I reckon on Mumsnet that means something else entirely!

Original poster
Panonabike · 05/07/2013 20:59

I think that was a really interesting stage, n'est-ce pas? Just thought of a few more reasons to not like Sagan.

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prettybird · 05/07/2013 21:51

Have to say, can't fault the Cannondale tactics although I still don't like Sagan

Should really try to warm to Cannondale - after all, ds has a Cannondale Sora Caad8 (his race wheels cost more than dh's road bike! ShockShock) Hmm

prettybird · 05/07/2013 21:53

Should include a Envy in there too! Grin

EndoplasmicReticulum · 05/07/2013 22:16

Here's a question. How does Sagan pronounce his name? Because the commentary team don't seem to know. Is it Saggan or Sargan?

Original poster
Panonabike · 05/07/2013 22:34

Sagan? It's pronounced 'c*nt'. I think it's the goateeish and a sleazy look. He did pinch the bottom of one of the 'podium girls' a while back. But yes it's a bit of a lottery re pronunciation.

I did wonder why the Sky team weren't more active in getting Boassen-Hagen better placed? It looked like he was flying solo from quite a bit out when the train was well in place before hand.

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LostInWales · 05/07/2013 22:44

Damn, we are camping so I have no idea what is going on in the tour but so far Sagan just fucks me off big time. And his facial hair is well dodgy.

Original poster
Panonabike · 05/07/2013 22:49

I did feel a bit sorry for the folks of Albi who would have stood in the sweltering heat for hours only to see half the peleton incl big sprinters just idle into the finish. But then it's a live show, as we hear, and the mountains start tomorrow so energy is a premium I guess? Still, not a good spectacle for the crowd at all.

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prettybird · 05/07/2013 22:59

The Sky team were like that last year with Cavendish - they are totally focused on the GC to the exclusion of all else Hmm Cavendish won his early stages last year without a train by cadging lifts on other trains. He had to plead for help in the stage near the end which he thought he had a chance in ( tour geek junior ds would be able to tell me which one) and Wiggins supported him. The only other time he got the full train was the Champs Elysées.

Original poster
Panonabike · 05/07/2013 23:10

yes prettybird I remember Cav saying after in won a stage that in the pre-stage plan he had to ask 'can we go for a stage win at all?' - which they did, and he won. It just seemed so odd to NOT give BH a go when they were so close to it.

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ChairmanWow · 05/07/2013 23:22

I was going to say that I thought Sagan was okay, but he pinched the bum of a podium 'girl'? How twatty. Now I hate him and am rooting for Cav to totally bring it on post-Pyrenees. Greipel def can't win because he looks like an evil frog. Now bum-groper Sagan has to be denied am ignoring the fact Cav's missis is a former topless model

Agree on BH. Why bother having any sprinters in the team if they won't get any support? I cheered when Cav left, not because I'm not behind team Sky but because he was so stifled having had such success with Columbia HTC.