Tour de France 2014 - Au revoir Yorkshire and the south, bonjour les montagnes et les côtes!!

[Panwearsjaune]

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Photo finish!!!

I do like finding a new sport to follow :)

Is anyone coming up to Glasgow for any of the Commonwealth Games cycling?

Pan The other Jack Bauer

Ah..

Really looking forward to the Kierin and Scratch session in the velodrome next Sunday

.....not yet worked out how I'm going to get from Ibrox (Rugby 7s) to the velodrome in 45 minutes and allow for airport style security

We'll be setting up dh's iPhone to be a mini hub so that we can watch the Champs Élysées on the iPad.

Poor Jack Bauer . We were all willing him to get to the line first.

Congrats to all this week's jersey wearers

Oh that was so

I fell asleep just after the Firemen's protest and missed the whole of the highlight show last night. Gah.

Will sneakily try to catch up during my lunch break...

So I can vividly recall the fact that Victor Lazlo was a Czechoslovakian freedom fighter in a film a billion years old, but my grasp of 24, an iconic piece of modern tv which I've never seen is so slight that I miss the Jack Bauer call-back. Maybe dd is right in her critique of by viewing habits.

and I'd wish SDTG to knit a special jersey for Endo please - she, and her I.T. Support, has sent me a link to Eurosports Stage2 coverage incl our reservoir and the roads and hill sides around, fabulous.

Endo you are a star

Another really interesting rest day programme on ITV4. Cav showing his scar, interview with the announcer guy who is retiring after 41 years (what a job!) and particularly fascinating interview with Christophe Bassons.

I'm going to visit my folks this week and not sure how much I will get to watch - my Dad is a very keen tour watcher and has been for years (which is why I remember the LeMond / Fignon time trial from 1989 they talked about today) - but they have a rubbish telly and not sure they get ITV4! They have no internet either. They live in the technology dark ages.

Will have to catch up with the Champs Elysees on Sunday.

Today, inspired by le Tour and my fellow cycling nuts on this thread I got out my trusty old Giant hybrid and cycled to work & home again. OK, it's only about a mile or so each way, but it's a start

The first hundred metres or so are flat, then I make a left turn onto a very steep hill. I don't know what the gradient is, but it's long and very steep. I was determined to get up it, so I put the bike in the lowest gear and zig-zagged up. I didn't even get a run at it because I had to stop and wait while a dog owner recaptured her feisty Jack Russell who was trying to snap at my wheels.

After that it's pretty much all downhill into the village. Of course, on the way back it's a long, slow drag most of the way - then you get to finish off with a nice run back down the steep hill.

I've discovered muscles where I'd forgotten I had them - I run a bit so I thought I'd be OK, but no! It was good fun, & weather permitting I'll do it again tomorrow.

Well done Drama!

I must be the only one on here who actually can't ride a bike. This may be why I enjoy watching cycling as I have so much respect for anyone who can actually make the things co-operate.

I'm with Calvin on actually riding. Believe me I've tried.

Endo I can ride a bike, but wouldn't do it for fun. But have only admiration for those who do, and am loving TDF.

Have missed loads of days due to selling house and having very little time to completion and nowhere to go, but am watching live today (yay for Mat leave!)

Am particularly looking forward to Cote de Fanjo

I rode a whole 10 miles today (possibly 11). It was hot.

Keep on spinning DA!

I didn't ride at all today or yesterday, being off with dd. But just as good I did take Spesh in for a service which meant adjusting the gear cable slightly. The mechanic looked a bit like Gandalf. You've gotta love independent shops!
And bought a bottle cage. There was a choice but plumped for one in Spesh's colour scheme..matt black with a swish of Spesh's white. £15 did seem excessive, but it looks like it's grown out of the tube rather than being screwed onto it.

and yes MW it was jolly hot! Went for a run this evening and left most of my body water on the trail.

Much too hot & sticky for a cycle or a run today. Will do one or the other tomorrow instead. Planning to cycle to work again .

Really enjoyed today's TdF stage. Lots of shake ups in the GC.

yes the podium places are a real battle aren;t they, esp with TJ having un jour sans.

I'm quite fond of the AG2R La Mondiale kit. Only because I think the brown looks a bit 1970's I agree it's not that pleasing to the eye...

My fave is Giant-Shimano because it really reminds me of the Newcastle United strip which then reminds me of DP.

Worst is Tinkoff Saxo by far. MY POOR EYES!

Just caught up now. Enjoyed todays stage. I hope the people who were dissing the crowds in Yorkshire watched today and saw there are always idiots on the climbs every year

I keep thinking Tinkoff-Saxo are wearing nappies!

Team kits - where to start? OK, off the top of my head:

Sky - I like it a lot, it's simple, distinctive & unfussy.
Belkin - might be my fave. I like the light green & black, and it stands out in the peloton. It'll no doubt change next season with the new sponsor.
Europcar - their jerseys never seem to change, but it's inoffensive. You know immediately who they are & who their sponsor is.
IAM - like it, good colour combo.
Movistar - also like this, classy looking.
Garmin - a bit too golf-ish for me, with its argyle pattern, but the blue is nice & stands out well.
OPQS - like it. I love the colour of their bikes too.
Astana - horrible mixture of turquoise & yellow.
Tinkoff Saxo - had to change it for the Tour, whose organisers thought it was a bit close to the yellow jersey, hence the day-glo effect.
Cannondale- I like green, but that's a bit too bright. At least you can see Sagan coming.
Ag2R - oh dear. Definitely the worst. Nico Roche hated it. It might be why he left the team
BMC - black & red, quite brash, but distinctive.

There's a bit too much black & white going on in the peloton these days. I miss the bright orange of Euskaltel-Euskadi. I know there's another lower tier team in orange, but it's not the same

Oh, I rather like the blue and brown combination - pic is of a freebie scarf from last year - I got two, but really wanted the brown version which was lush.

I like Movistar although there is something frog-like about it (is that just me??)

Like Cannondale, and their related merch is very nice too; dd3 bought herself a lovely t-shirt.

Cofidis is nice and bright, and I like Trek's codpiece effect

Here they all are - www.theguardian.com/sport/2014/jun/27/-sp-tour-de-france-2014-team-jerseys-sky-bmc-orica

I miss hearing Euskaltel Euskadi, lol! Best name :)