As for drama queen Tommy- apparently none of the riders trust his act anymore. He's like the boy who cried wolf. But who knows, maybe that's just his face when he rides- kinda like how Chris Horner has that strange Joker smile all the time.
Does anyone else feel like the rest of this week is just going to be a big let down? Green Jersey is all tied up and no one is even bothering with contending for it, Sky has things so locked down that no one gets away that has any chance of threatening the yellow jersey, and so it seems we need to be content watching folks far back in the field battle it out for stage wins. I guess I can only hope that Frank takes a chance for a stage win on Thursday when it's a mountain top finish.
Oh- and meanwhile, Al you seem to be safely in front of Chris and I. But MooJo is still kicking cow tail
I finally got caught back up today - thank goodness for the rest day and a couple of "Meh" stages.
Drama Queen - Today Paul said T Voeckler won the award from the Ministry of Funny Faces... allusion to Monty Python. I LOVE his passion, histrionics and intuitive riding/racing style. NO HR monitor, no PM, hell, NO RADIO today. And what was with the sunglasses exchange - he dumped them on the way up the last climb, then got a new pair for the finish? He's so FRENCH! While he deserves it, I think he looks better in the EuropCar kit than polka dots.
It's so poignant seeing all the old guys whose names begin with "V" giving it a last gasp - Vino, Jens, Christian.
Would somebody tell Tejay to be a little more demonstrative on the podium, cock his head, change his expression, anything, and don''t stay up there so long.
The number of commercials has reached an absurd level. Do they pay Phil and Paul by the word? Gotta get tivo going. At least I can now flip to the British Open.
Still mulling the Nibali Valverde deal. I guess the break wasn't going to push it knowing they'd get caught with Nibali there. But if he stays and they work they put the pressure on Sky. Now, no pressure which effectively keeps Sky in the climbs, untaxed. Nothing changes. Guess we shall see.
The mobile app, which is the NBCSports feed minus commericials, reveals that Phil and Paul (especially Paul) keep talking right through the breaks - they're going non-stop for like 3.5 hours? It's kinda fun to figure out when they are back on the network feed ... Phil always leads in and out of the break, with a mini-summary, and he raises his voice a bit. Given the volume of words they spew, I'm amazed Liggett (at his age) doesn;'t make more mistakes. At least he's got Paul to gently correct him. ANd Paul keeps a constant ear on race radio, and on the rider tracker on the computer.
As to their "homer" bias - they could provide a little more insight into teams like Astana, Katusha, Lampre, etc.
Would somebody tell Tejay to be a little more demonstrative on the podium, cock his head, change his expression, anything, and don''t stay up there so long.
Oh let him linger up there all day, please! :-)
I've been DVRing the morning show and watching it on my lunch break and at night- so I FF through the commercials. What's funny is that I even notice what Al is talking about with regards to how Paul and Phil lead in and out of breaks. I can always tell when a commercial is coming by the way they do a sort of wrap up of the last few minutes along with an attempt to give a tease for what is coming up. My fast forward fu is strong :-)
And can anyone confirm how you say Nibali? Both Phil and Paul say it differently!
Keith- I was cracking up watching them attempt to throw attacks today- I kept imagining that stupid retractable leash!
I bet a lot of teams will be reconsidering how they train/race next year. You have to hand it to Sky- they are all very strong and they obviously have formed very strong bonds to promote solid teamwork.
@ Nemo I think the Italian would be Ni-BAL-i, though Phil tends to say NIB-a-li
Nice stage today. I admit that I have not historically been a Cav fan, but major props to him and Sky for reeling in the break (None other than Yellow/Wiggo himself hammering the whole field on the front) and a HUGE turn of speed by Cavendish. To go a full bike length clear of Goss and Sagan is pretty remarkable.
Bodes well for him at the Olympics road race, I have to say; if he is anywhere near the first 10-20 riders with 300M to go, look out.
As we say in the old country that was 'bloody marvelous'. Scared the life out of the cat by screaming my lungs out at the TV over the final 200 meters. Great to see the big pull from Wiggo!
In the new country it was Bad Ass !! Sagan looked a little hemmed in but no one could have touched that rocket. That was spectacular. Two full grand tours rides and a bunch of varied sprint wins. Long, short, good leads, on his own......gotta hand it to him. Cav is awesome.
It will be interesting to see if they have as many TT miles in the tour next year. Will also need to see how Andy does without Frank around. But Andy vs TJ would make for a very happy Nemo! Lots of eye candy. But if Wiggo returns the favor to Froom I fear we'll be stuck looking at those awful side burns day after day again!
I forsee a prologue, TTT, and and an uphill TT, with the usual 3 mountain top finishes. We haven't seen Mt Ventoux for a while. Anyway,more of a climber's Tour. Let's not forget Ryder H. next year ... He'll be angry like Wiggins was after his 2011 Tour crash.
Why can't/don't so many of the Pro riders drop their heads below their shoulders in the TT? Do they just not care about their time?
@ Al, Agree with you on rough content of the 13 TdF route. Recall, it's the 100th anniversary of the race ... so, I do predict several of the true classic Tour climbs (Galibier, Tourmalet, Luz Ardiden, Ventoux, Aix Les Thermes, Peyresourde, plus Alpe du Huez, etc.) My bet is on the uphil TT at the Alpe or the Ventoux -- either is an absolute brute. Also, next year is clockwise, so Alps first, which means the Ventoux would also be in the second week. Imagine if the first mountain stage was a TT up the Ventoux. Talk about ripping the race apart.
Just finished my climbing camp, back in Atlanta for a few days, then Madison, then home. Soooooooooooooooooooo hoping I had enough room on the Tivo to record the stages I've missed.
Domination. Sorry I've missed this thread along the way, but since I"m not doing any tri's this year, I haven't been on the forums much. I trained for the Tour with nightly sessions of the Dauphine and the Tour of Switzerland. I put in many late nights watching the DVRed stages and thought my fitness was in great shape for the big race. It must be my age (43), but this year seemed tougher than ever. 3+ hours/night seriously ate into my sleep, and if the 2nd rest day hadn't come when it did, I may have been forced to abandon. I managed to cling on in the groupetto, though, and survived to the finish in Paris. Here are my observations: - Obviously Sky dominated...don't see how they hold the band together next year. Guessing Froome will go be a team lead somewhere else, and can't think there's any reason for Cav to stick around. This year he trades yellow for Wiggo for a shot at gold, but next year he's going to want a team helping him win 4-5 stages again. - Chris Horner was an inspiration...guy's 41 years old and just missed being in the top 10. What was Radio Shack thinking when they initially left him off? - Tejay looks like the real deal...will be interesting to see what happens with him and Cadel... - Thomas Voeckler is definitely my new favorite non-American rider...super gutsy performance throughout and those weird facial expressions to boot
Can't believe no one has mentioned Jens courageous performance on his last day of racing at the Tour. What in the world are we going to do without him? Letting George lead into Paris was super special and touching. But I have to admit, in the back of my mind I was thinking "what happens to his 17 Tour record if the Lance crap goes down" Grrrrrr- horrible to have stuff like that taint a beautiful moment. Love George and will miss him too!
Next year I'm going to follow MooJo's advice a bit closer. She did quite well in the competition for a little cow. Perhaps she has some connection with those cute donkeys.
Jens really left it all out there and he had a great tour. Seems like that really was his finale. Although with 6 kids at home, he may want to still go for long rides once in a while.
A special tour for me for obvious reasons. As a cycling fan back in England in the 70s it would have been impossible to imagine a Brit winning more than1 stage in the TdF let alone a whole Tour. This is very much an (impossible) dream come true. All the stars aligned this year, the sponsorship, the culmination of the training program, a tour designed for a time trial list who could also climb, an awesome team to support, and a number of key challengers not in attendance. Cav winning in Paris was the cherry on top.
I think the team may stay together for a while longer but I can completely understand what Bill said. How you balance the competing ambitions of a talented team will take some special management,
For now though it is onto the Olympics....and I still await Patrick to eat his words re Wiggo ;-)
Well earned Ian. I can also see how Cav might be persuaded to another team. It's one thing to go for stage wins this year and save his legs for gold, but you gotta imagine he is itching to be back in green soon. If Wiggo is true to his words, he owes Froome. I guess time will tell.
All the rumors of Schleck(s???) going to Astana makes me want to barf.
Finally- The polka dot podium hostesses seemed to get a break on the final day and actually looked quite nice. I guess they handed over the ugly dress award to the woman who sang Britain's National Anthem. And what the heck was the French Ambassador to the US doing in those shorts and T-shirt during the white jersey presentation? Am I the only one that thought he seemed a bit under dressed?
I guess that wraps it up for this year. I'm off to plan my Geocaching trip through Germany :-)
And what the heck was the French Ambassador to the US doing in those shorts and T-shirt during the white jersey presentation? Am I the only one that thought he seemed a bit under dressed?
That was former US Sprinter Maurice Greene. Either I didn't know he was an ambassador, or the commentators misspoke on who he was! Either way, he was WAY under-dressed to be up there.
Comments
I finally got caught back up today - thank goodness for the rest day and a couple of "Meh" stages.
Drama Queen - Today Paul said T Voeckler won the award from the Ministry of Funny Faces... allusion to Monty Python. I LOVE his passion, histrionics and intuitive riding/racing style. NO HR monitor, no PM, hell, NO RADIO today. And what was with the sunglasses exchange - he dumped them on the way up the last climb, then got a new pair for the finish? He's so FRENCH! While he deserves it, I think he looks better in the EuropCar kit than polka dots.
It's so poignant seeing all the old guys whose names begin with "V" giving it a last gasp - Vino, Jens, Christian.
Would somebody tell Tejay to be a little more demonstrative on the podium, cock his head, change his expression, anything, and don''t stay up there so long.
I only saw the last bit of the final climb and the descent to the finish. Looking forward to catching this on TiVo and seeing how it all unfolded!
Gotta get tivo going. At least I can now flip to the British Open.
Still mulling the Nibali Valverde deal. I guess the break wasn't going to push it knowing they'd get caught with Nibali there. But if he stays and they work they put the pressure on Sky. Now, no pressure which effectively keeps Sky in the climbs, untaxed. Nothing changes. Guess we shall see.
As for Phil Liggett- time to get the hook.
The mobile app, which is the NBCSports feed minus commericials, reveals that Phil and Paul (especially Paul) keep talking right through the breaks - they're going non-stop for like 3.5 hours? It's kinda fun to figure out when they are back on the network feed ... Phil always leads in and out of the break, with a mini-summary, and he raises his voice a bit. Given the volume of words they spew, I'm amazed Liggett (at his age) doesn;'t make more mistakes. At least he's got Paul to gently correct him. ANd Paul keeps a constant ear on race radio, and on the rider tracker on the computer.
As to their "homer" bias - they could provide a little more insight into teams like Astana, Katusha, Lampre, etc.
Oh let him linger up there all day, please! :-)
I've been DVRing the morning show and watching it on my lunch break and at night- so I FF through the commercials. What's funny is that I even notice what Al is talking about with regards to how Paul and Phil lead in and out of breaks. I can always tell when a commercial is coming by the way they do a sort of wrap up of the last few minutes along with an attempt to give a tease for what is coming up. My fast forward fu is strong :-)
And can anyone confirm how you say Nibali? Both Phil and Paul say it differently!
Keith- I was cracking up watching them attempt to throw attacks today- I kept imagining that stupid retractable leash!
I bet a lot of teams will be reconsidering how they train/race next year. You have to hand it to Sky- they are all very strong and they obviously have formed very strong bonds to promote solid teamwork.
Nice stage today. I admit that I have not historically been a Cav fan, but major props to him and Sky for reeling in the break (None other than Yellow/Wiggo himself hammering the whole field on the front) and a HUGE turn of speed by Cavendish. To go a full bike length clear of Goss and Sagan is pretty remarkable.
Bodes well for him at the Olympics road race, I have to say; if he is anywhere near the first 10-20 riders with 300M to go, look out.
My favorite part of today's coverage was the donkeys- they were adorable!
..... And yes the donkeys were very cute :-)
Sagan looked a little hemmed in but no one could have touched that rocket. That was spectacular.
Two full grand tours rides and a bunch of varied sprint wins. Long, short, good leads, on his own......gotta hand it to him. Cav is awesome.
If there ever was a soundly won stage, Cavendish did it. And the lead-out was gorgeous. Team Sky just keeps shining.
Nemo -- I agree. T.J. can stay on the podium for a million years. Ahh.
Drive your car @ 45 mph. Stick your hand out the window. Imagine being able to accelerate on your bike into that wind. Sunday should be fun.
Rumor has rhe schlecks going to Astana.
TJ vs Froome vs Andy in 2013?
Why can't/don't so many of the Pro riders drop their heads below their shoulders in the TT? Do they just not care about their time?
@ Al, Agree with you on rough content of the 13 TdF route. Recall, it's the 100th anniversary of the race ... so, I do predict several of the true classic Tour climbs (Galibier, Tourmalet, Luz Ardiden, Ventoux, Aix Les Thermes, Peyresourde, plus Alpe du Huez, etc.) My bet is on the uphil TT at the Alpe or the Ventoux -- either is an absolute brute. Also, next year is clockwise, so Alps first, which means the Ventoux would also be in the second week. Imagine if the first mountain stage was a TT up the Ventoux. Talk about ripping the race apart.
Anyway, it will be fun to watch.
http://www.velopeloton.com/2013-tour-de-france-route/
Meanwhile let's enjoy what should be a great sprint tomorrow !
And I'm already suffering withdrawals.
Well,Hail, Britannia!
And congrat to the couageous Britspeed, Ian.
But I could have won with that lead out today. No......no, I couldn't.
- Obviously Sky dominated...don't see how they hold the band together next year. Guessing Froome will go be a team lead somewhere else, and can't think there's any reason for Cav to stick around. This year he trades yellow for Wiggo for a shot at gold, but next year he's going to want a team helping him win 4-5 stages again.
- Chris Horner was an inspiration...guy's 41 years old and just missed being in the top 10. What was Radio Shack thinking when they initially left him off?
- Tejay looks like the real deal...will be interesting to see what happens with him and Cadel...
- Thomas Voeckler is definitely my new favorite non-American rider...super gutsy performance throughout and those weird facial expressions to boot
Vive le tour!
Next year I'm going to follow MooJo's advice a bit closer. She did quite well in the competition for a little cow. Perhaps she has some connection with those cute donkeys.
Thanks Al!
A special tour for me for obvious reasons. As a cycling fan back in England in the 70s it would have been impossible to imagine a Brit winning more than1 stage in the TdF let alone a whole Tour. This is very much an (impossible) dream come true. All the stars aligned this year, the sponsorship, the culmination of the training program, a tour designed for a time trial list who could also climb, an awesome team to support, and a number of key challengers not in attendance. Cav winning in Paris was the cherry on top.
I think the team may stay together for a while longer but I can completely understand what Bill said. How you balance the competing ambitions of a talented team will take some special management,
For now though it is onto the Olympics....and I still await Patrick to eat his words re Wiggo ;-)
All the rumors of Schleck(s???) going to Astana makes me want to barf.
Finally- The polka dot podium hostesses seemed to get a break on the final day and actually looked quite nice. I guess they handed over the ugly dress award to the woman who sang Britain's National Anthem. And what the heck was the French Ambassador to the US doing in those shorts and T-shirt during the white jersey presentation? Am I the only one that thought he seemed a bit under dressed?
I guess that wraps it up for this year. I'm off to plan my Geocaching trip through Germany :-)
That was former US Sprinter Maurice Greene. Either I didn't know he was an ambassador, or the commentators misspoke on who he was! Either way, he was WAY under-dressed to be up there.