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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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ChairmanWow · 09/07/2013 13:39

Just watching last night's prog on doping. Shots of Armstrong with the Fall's Mr Pharmacist playing in the background. Brilliant!

prettybird · 09/07/2013 14:09

LostinWales - are you actually in Wales and if so, North or South? We're thinking of coming down in the next week or so to do one of the K(?) series Youth Crits in Rhyl. My best friend lives in Penmaenmawr so we can combine it with visiting her. Ds is Youth B and wanting to get some race practice in before going off to Errigal.

Original poster
Panonabike · 09/07/2013 15:08

I am guessing that lostinwales is somewhere south. Maybe Pembroke?

My dd is 13. When she had her first bike, with stabilisers and a basket she was as proud as punch. I have piccie in a collage of photos on the dining room wall. And THAT was the pinnacle of her attachment to bikes. Nooo chance now.Sad

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LostInWales · 09/07/2013 21:38

I am in Wales yes! North Pembrokeshire (nicely deduced Pan Wink) DS1 loves training but has ASD and finds competing really freaks him out so we just go train but that is great because he can't really do sport due to his hereditary (sorry DS1) lack of coordination and it keeps him fit. I love all the children I see at cycling training and races, when we are in a random car park on a Saturday morning and it is freezing I look at the 30 odd kids pelting round and laugh that we think we have a nation of couch potato children.

So what happened today then? I didn't get home in time to see the highlights (it was just too warm in the sea, Grin) there was a crash and Cav came third? In spite of or because of the crash? and is my baby ok

Original poster
Panonabike · 09/07/2013 21:55

it's a gift I have.Smile

Well he was massively ticked off, I think with his team, and on the run in was impeded a bit (deliberately I thought) and reacted by going shoulder to shoulder and the other guy, the last lead out who drifted right just before a left hander so Cav would have to go the very long way round, hit the deck. Cav's media show outside the team bus wasn't his best moment...

We prob have reason to fear the Paris sprint?

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prettybird · 09/07/2013 22:08

I thought Cav was quite constrained for him , given he was still in that emotional period immediately following the sprint.

He could have used a lot more sweary words in the simple statement, "we'll be having words about that [the lead out train] later". Hmm I am that "later" did include a lot of sweary words Grin.

Anifrangapani · 09/07/2013 22:08

Pan have your kid(s) tried Glossop Kinder Velo. They are doing velo training at the moment but will (I am told) be doing cross and road racing soon. They teach racing technique. They feed a lot of kids into the BC talent scheme.

Original poster
Panonabike · 09/07/2013 22:13

Anifrangapani, nice idea thanks but she is far far away from this. She's built more like a middle-distance runner and she goes out running with a friend but biking is not even on any agenda.

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prettybird · 09/07/2013 22:32

Ds in full flight in a recent Omnium time trial. He wants to be the next Eddie Merckx - a sprinter, climber and GC contender. Nothing like having big dreams! Grin.

Currently dances up hills but doesn't have the thighs for sprinting or short distance time trials! Wink

Original poster
Panonabike · 09/07/2013 22:34

Ani I am going to exercise my mystical powers again and suggest you live somewhere between Glossop and Hayfield. Somewhere near the 'Lanterns' pub.
Always thought it would be a good idea to go up Chunal as a ride but haven't got round to it yet. Been up the Snake to the top tho'. Pretty windy!

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Original poster
Panonabike · 09/07/2013 22:36

Impressive. He looks a real GC contender!

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LostInWales · 09/07/2013 22:41

Prettybird I am torn between the beauty of your DS and the beauty of his bike! What a fabulous picture of them both together. I am going to harvest some of Pan's psychic skills and say I think he will achieve whatever he wants! You will have to wait for tomorrow for a pic of DS3 looking cute on his bike as I'm in bed now.

Also I will have to wait to see what happened in the sprint, as long as my boy was good to cuss he must be ok to fight another day Wink

prettybird · 09/07/2013 22:50

That's his club track bike. His expensive Cannondale is truly a thing of beauty - but don't have a good picture of him on it on my iPod.

I do think he is rather beautiful but as his mother I am biased

His challenge at the moment is that he is torn between cycling and rugby and is good at both. Sign of our commercial times though: he's said he will go pro in whichever sport offers him a contract first! Grin

Personally, I think rugby would be safer! Confused

ivykaty44 · 09/07/2013 22:58

prettybird your ds looks good Smile he didn't happen to be at blackpool on saturday by any chance?

prettybird · 09/07/2013 23:16

No he wasn't. This year (as a first year B) he doesn't have any BC points. He intends to be there next year though!

The Scots did well though. One of his friends got silver (losing by a tyre's width apparently) at Youth C.

We were at Blackpool at the end of May though. It didn't look anything like the photos from this weekend. My ski jacket (!) got soaked through and took over a day to dry!

He had sooooo been looking forward to the Blackpool stage of the North West Uouth Tour as he'd been told it had a hill - but the wind and rain did for him. Sad

LostInWales · 10/07/2013 08:17

Mini road racer He still had his warm top on though, it hailed about 5 minutes later! All this cycle watching certainly hardens you up as a parent prettybird! Don't let him play rugby that's how my lovely bil ended up in hospital. One mistimed tackle and so much damage can be caused. But then cycling on the roads is so dangerous too. Gah I'm keeping mine inside wrapped in cotton wool Wink.

prettybird · 10/07/2013 09:25

Cute Smile

I've seen many many more accidents cycling than I've ever seen at rugby. Dh had done his first aid course for the Minis' Rugby and hasn't used it in over 3 months since he did it.

He ended up using it 3 times over the weekend at the North West Youth Tour (and he wasn't even an official first aider) and saw 2 broken collar bones and a concussion (that he knows of). Hmm

At the track I've seen a broken wrist and lots of horrible "road" rash. But the kids are tough Grin

LostInWales · 10/07/2013 10:17

I know, thinking about it though my dad lost the sight in one eye, broke his wrist and dislocated his shoulder playing rugby but at least they aren't going 30 odd miles per hour wearing a thin slick of lycra on unforgiving concrete. (Our velodrome is outdoor and last time we went a little shit small boy was sitting on the edge throwing stones at the wheels as they went past Shock the speeds some of the club were doing made it SO dangerous. So the trainers told him and his mates off, parents of the little shits small children called the police, police came and told off little shits small children Grin)

frostyfingers · 10/07/2013 14:02

Poor old Cav - I know I'm biased but I do think he's been a bit hard done by, particularly by Veelers. OK, he doesn't help himself by being so "emotional" in the interviews but I always think it's harsh to interview them so soon after such an adrenalin rush and expect them to be cool, calm and collected (and that goes for most sports where they interview them within about 10 seconds of coming off the track, racecourse, pitch, etc).

Veelers def overreacted, probably from fright, but to me it looked like a bit of a professional foul - you know, make it look accidental but oops I just drifted across the main threat to my team sprinter....or am I turning into Cav and seeing conspiracy theories?!

LostInWales · 10/07/2013 14:34

I'm with you frosty, anyone endangers my Cav and they should be banned from cycling IMHO Wink.

ChairmanWow · 10/07/2013 15:14

my Cav. Love it LIW.

Agree re Veelers. Cav's the one who gets accused of being over emotional in post-stage interviews, but Veelers came out and said that Cav pushed him off his bike, like a snitching little kid. I can't call if it's deliberate but lead-out riders are taught to peel away safely when they drop off and at best he was all over the place

Love the pics of kids on bikes. I am so going to be a pushy parent and force my kids to become club cyclists Grin. DS now absolutely loves his balance bike so he's off to a good start! Ignoring the safety concerns (especially as a friend was knocked off by a hit and run driver last night and left with a broken arm. Bastard).

frostyfingers · 10/07/2013 15:26

My Cav LIW....not yours, well, ok our Cav!

Original poster
Panonabike · 10/07/2013 16:05

Anyhoos, back to the actual riding..Grin, The Froominator is at it again.

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Original poster
Panonabike · 10/07/2013 16:43

We ARE NOT going to appreciate this.

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frostyfingers · 10/07/2013 16:58

Poor Cav, he really gets it doesn't he? Veelers is rapidly becoming my least favourite person, but if I were there I wouldn't throw urine at him....

Hopefully it will fuel Cav's sprint speed, if nothing else.