The MN peloton heading for the Alps and then Paris. The TdF thread. Hopefully we're not on drugs. Actually, do nicotine and alcohol get you banned? In which case I'm buggered...

[ariadneoliver]

Starting tomorrow in Utrecht

The stages

1 Individual time trial Saturday, July 4th Utrecht / Utrecht 13.8 km

2 On-line Sunday, July 5th Utrecht / Zélande 166 km

3 On-line Monday, July 6th Anvers / Huy 159.5 km

4 Hilly Tuesday, July 7th Seraing / Cambrai 223.5 km

5 On-line Wednesday, July 8th Arras Communauté Urbaine / Amiens Métropole 189.5 km

6 On-line Thursday, July 9th Abbeville / Le Havre 191.5 km

7 On-line Friday, July 10th Livarot / Fougères 190.5 km

8 On-line Saturday, July 11th Rennes / Mûr-de-Bretagne 181.5 km

9 Team time trial Sunday, July 12th Vannes / Plumelec 28 km

• Rest day	Monday, July 13th	Pau		
  

10 Mountain Tuesday, July 14th Tarbes / La Pierre-Saint-Martin 167 km

11 Mountain Wednesday, July 15th Pau / Cauterets - Vallée de Saint-Savin 188 km

12 Mountain Thursday, July 16th Lannemezan / Plateau de Beille 195 km

13 Hilly Friday, July 17th Muret / Rodez 198.5 km

14 Hilly Saturday, July 18th Rodez / Mende 178.5 km

15 Hilly Sunday, July 19th Mende / Valence 183 km

16 Hilly Monday, July 20th Bourg-de-Péage / Gap 201 km

• Rest day	Tuesday, July 21st	Gap		
  

17 Mountain Wednesday, July 22nd Digne-les-Bains / Pra Loup 161 km

18 Mountain Thursday, July 23rd Gap / Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne 186.5 km

19 Mountain Friday, July 24th Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne / La Toussuire - Les Sybelles 138 km

20 Mountain Saturday, July 25th Modane Valfréjus / Alpe d’Huez 110.5 km

21 On-line Sunday, July 26th Sèvres - Grand Paris Seine Ouest / Paris Champs-Élysées 109.5 km

www.letour.com/le-tour/2015/us/overall-route.html

Teams

www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/cycling/tour-de-france/11693097/Tour-de-France-2015-teams-and-riders.html

Hope you've all got bottles and musettes filled for the long haul!
Allez MN Peloton

Just today. A positive test on Tuesday, apparently.

A few hours ago :( Didn't know anything about texting a dealer last year though.

It's a toughie isn;t it DA? The offender(s) have gotten off lightly. Reading the stuff that goes on in the peloton from 'been there done that' ex-riders it isn't a massive surprise this ugly issue raises it's head, is it? I'd just fear that the 'accommodating' reaction from the black/African riders isn't perceived as a weak thing to be exploited.

It's a chance for the UCI to show leadership and make explicit statements on this, a la 'lets kick racism out of football' kind of thing. Lack of leadership and culture-setting leaves a vacuum. imho.

Texting last year - it was a joke. Last year he was photo'd in the Tour with a mobile phone whilst riding - he says he didn't know it was on him until it rang. Though they wear skin suits..
I was being playful....

Not a surprise I suppose, but disappointing to hear all the same.

Agree completely that the UCI need to take a tough line on racism.

@nedboulting tweets about Luca last year....I like mavericks too...but not at their best in a very long push bike race.

"... cocaine-carrying bees having pollinated his beard ..." - Gary Imlach at his deadpannest best

It's possible.....

Off to France in the morning! Going to be catching a stage next week. Allez

Enjoy yourself Pan. Any chance of a bit of on-the-spot reporting from the frontline?

Have a great time Pan, what stage are you going for? I'll be off to Paris a week on Wednesday!

I think if you get the TdF app you can stream live stages whilst in France.

Not watched yesterday yet as had friends for dinner, but checked results and happy for the Green

Very jealous Pan have fun!

May I join in, only just found you.
Reasonably keen armchair fan here, will hope to learn more listening to you guys, but have obsessive dh and ds(18). They went to France on Friday and took their bikes, rode the TT route yesterday and watching today. The hotel they booked months ago happens to be where loads of the teams are staying, ds got a selfie with Cav in the lift!
Tomorrow they are heading down to Lourdes for more cycling/watching. Ds will be heading off to university in September (results allowing), the rest of his summer is full of plans with his friends, so it's lovely he can spend this time with his dad and that they have this shared passion.

ooh, well done to your DS on the selfie with Cav!!
Tony Martin has a picture on his twitter feed of his compound fracture.

Hello Antares (hopes I interpreted your name correctly) - some are more knowledgeable than others here, but any ignorance seems fortunately to be well tolerated

Sounds like your dh and ds are having a great time My dh and dd2 are planning a follow-the-tour trip next July, after her A levels - they are already excited about it!

Thanks Atia, dh and ds did the trip last year too and had a great time. Think half the fun is in the planning!

The time trial was far more exciting than I expected, I don't dislike sky but was quite pleased to see bmc pip them by a second,
I think the gc is still very open and I cant wait for the pyrennes. On a more downbeat note why would paolini have taken cocaine it surely wouldn't have any performance enhancing properties as it is so short acting and I cant believe any tdc would be using it recreationally, certainly not in the run up to the tour?

Well, rest day now so anyone who missed it can fill in some time by giving the Christmas quiz a go. See if you can beat Pan's score (I still owe him a prize, sorry Pan will sort that out when I get home from work)

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/sports/2265727-MN-Peloton-Christmas-Quiz

Very sad news, Ivan Basso abandons after being diagnosed with testicular cancer

Blimey just read about Ivan basso in cycling news, sounds like a lump was discovered after he injured his testicle in a crash in stage 5 and therefore had a scan. Terrible news for basso but that crash could end up saving his life due to early treatment. Best of luck to him for successful treatment.

Oh, sad news :(
link

That is really sad. Fingers crossed for a full recovery for Ivan.

Wow, poor Ivan, here's to a speedy recovery.

Just watching the press conference with Ivan now.

I am jealous of anyone able to get to France to watch - last time I saw it in France was 11 years ago (before eldest started school). I've worked out that I'll be able to go in 2 years time as youngest will have finished GCSEs - if they don't want to come then I'll leave them behind !

Hope all goes well for Basso

We're planning Paris this year and the Alps next year before DD starts school next September. Then we'll have to wait till she's older!

For the last three (four?) years, we have just abandoned the kids with my mum and gone to the Tour Much better that way, lol!