tour de france--C/D, S/D

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inspired by talk of exercise bicycles.

the same thing could be done in ILM, but the answers might not be the same.

― allez, allez, ally, Wednesday, 5 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

new bike racin' answers

― new answers, Wednesday, 5 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Bicycle,Bicycle - I want a bicycle race...

(Ding Ding)

― Pete, Wednesday, 5 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Classic and a family passion thanks to my dad, cycling nut. There's a huge poster of Greg LeMond in his garage and another of Eddy Merckx (I hope I have the last name right). The only time my dad has ever gotten pointlessly mad with me was when I didn't set up the VCR properly to tape LeMond's legendary first victory.

― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 5 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

AB_FAB! But coming from 'le continent' , my opinion must be redundant and pretty eurotrash on this thread...

― Laetitia, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Michael Cimino's follow-up to 'Heaven's Gate' was going to be 'The Yellow Jersey' w/Dustin Hoffman(!) but unsurprisingly it never got made.

― Andrew L, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Tour de France = excellent viewing. Phil Liggett on Channel 4 is a superb commentator, good knowledge of subject matter plus enthusiastic (but not too enthuisiastic) style leads to exciting, informative commentary.

Abdoujaparov, the Tashkent terror isn't it? hmm? marvellous

― chris, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

What's the original title of a film (1978/79)by Peter Yates about some boy living in a Middle America small town mad about cycling and speaking Italian/French all the time to keep up with his Merckx dreams? Dennis Quaid is one of the friends of the main character, who is not performed by anyonet that famous

― Laetitia, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

American flyers? something like that anyhoo.

― chris, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Its called 'Breaking Away'.

― Andrew L, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Lance Fucking Armstrong. End of thread.

― Samantha, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I don't get it Samantha, is that because you find him odious or inspirational? I've heard he was a bit of a cold fish, but you can't ignore his record.

― chris, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Lance Armstrong is only the last one in a long thread of cold fish, uncharismatic top notch cyclists...since Delgado/Bugno, I would say.

― Laetitia, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

exactly, it seems some sort of pre-requisite in road cycling.

― chris, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Lance is the man. That's why i thought his name should end the thread. He's a Texan, how can I not love him? And remember, he only has one testicle.

― Samantha, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

one year passes...

The Tour de France 2003 edition is starting in a couple of weeks' time. Having read the extraordinary tales of heroism and skullduggery in the Observer last month I feel duty bound to try and follow the thing this time round. Yet every time I sit down and watch it, I feel like I'm being kept out of some secretive loop. Could someone - Ned for example (see above) - prepare me for viewing this year's tour and help me to enjoy it?

― Daniel (dancity), Saturday, 21 June 2003 07:22 (twenty-two years ago)

kraftwerk to thread!

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Saturday, 21 June 2003 07:32 (twenty-two years ago)

We became interested in the Tour de France because of the glamour and the technical aspects. It was all so irresistible. We will be there, Ralf and I, with our synthesisers by the roadside again this year.

― Florian Schneider (floriankraftwerk), Saturday, 21 June 2003 07:38 (twenty-two years ago)

cool man!

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Saturday, 21 June 2003 07:43 (twenty-two years ago)

blimey

― stevem (blueski), Saturday, 21 June 2003 13:00 (twenty-two years ago)

ooh ooh, let me try.. um.. kevin shields to thread!

― mitch lastnamewithheld (mitchlnw), Saturday, 21 June 2003 13:10 (twenty-two years ago)

could take a while...

― stevem (blueski), Saturday, 21 June 2003 13:13 (twenty-two years ago)

***********.....................~~~~~~~~~~~~~*breathy SIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGH*------------

― Kevin S. (Ned), Saturday, 21 June 2003 13:19 (twenty-two years ago)

i just marvel at the stereotypical efficiency of florian's post ;)

― stevem (blueski), Saturday, 21 June 2003 14:58 (twenty-two years ago)

two weeks pass...

Kraftwerk's new single aside, is anyone following this year's Tour? I watched last night's (absurdly late night) coverage on ITV and found myself hooked. It is compelling stuff. That crash on the first day, for a start!! What exactly do the teams do in order to help their own? This is the bit that flummoxes me.

― Daniel (dancity), Tuesday, 8 July 2003 14:05 (twenty-two years ago)

you can conserve up to 30% of your energy riding in someones
slipstream, so the team element comes into play by skilfully choosing
who rides behind who, saving the specialists energy for a important
break/sprint etc.

i miss marco pantani.

― joni, Tuesday, 8 July 2003 17:08 (twenty-two years ago)

Like pacemaking in longer distance athletics, I guess, but that's a hell of a stat! They were saying on TV tonight (or maybe last night) that the other riders miss Cippolini, because his team was so well organised that they helped the riders of other teams through. They said that today's stage was a mess - making it interesting for spectators, but nasty for the riders.

― Daniel (dancity), Wednesday, 9 July 2003 00:29 (twenty-two years ago)

If Cipo had been there it would have been single file through that corner because his team would have been leading it out so fast nobody would have tried to come around. McEwen, Zabel, and Petacchi would have been sitting on his wheel hoping he started his sprint too early. With 5 teams in the mix, each with one lead out guy and one sprinter, its more like an amatuer criterium. Which I can tell you from personal and often painful experience often end in crashes exactly like that one (just not as fast).

― David Beckhouse (David Beckhouse), Wednesday, 9 July 2003 00:53 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm impressed, David. What level of cycling have you been involved in? By the way, how come that guy with the broken collarbone is tenth overall? Every time I see him on TV he seems to be trailing the peloton.

― Daniel (dancity), Wednesday, 9 July 2003 07:34 (twenty-two years ago)

Or am I confusing him with the neckbrace bloke?!!

― Daniel (dancity), Wednesday, 9 July 2003 07:35 (twenty-two years ago)

Tour de France is wicked, I'm only gutted that I haven't got timeoff to watch it live on Eurosport, whose coverage is fantastic.

Jaan Kirsippuu (probably spelt wrong) is way cool, gutted he missed out to Baden Cooke the other day.

― chris (chris), Wednesday, 9 July 2003 09:22 (twenty-two years ago)

I like it when they have a piss en route.

― Pete (Pete), Wednesday, 9 July 2003 09:28 (twenty-two years ago)

in australia we get a late night highlights package that runs for about 30 mins. it was only last year, i discovered what an exhilarating spectator event the tour is. the scenery is beautiful, especially those mountain stages. it also helps that we aussies are just so damn good on two wheels.

― Chris Radford (Chris Radford), Wednesday, 9 July 2003 09:34 (twenty-two years ago)

It's quite a recent phenomenon really (I remember Cadel Evans from my mountain bike magazine reading days - he was junior world champion)and the French are in apoplexies about it, this is about the worst time ever for French cycling.

― chris (chris), Wednesday, 9 July 2003 09:37 (twenty-two years ago)

c'mon chris, you must know the standard of australian spectatorship - any international sporting success = instant bandwagon jumping and beating of drums.

― Chris Radford (Chris Radford), Wednesday, 9 July 2003 09:42 (twenty-two years ago)

William Fotheringham has written a nice piece about Tour etiquette, including bladder-emptying:
http://sport.guardian.co.uk/tourdefrance2003/story/0,13704,994401,00.html

― Daniel (dancity), Wednesday, 9 July 2003 09:43 (twenty-two years ago)

Fotheringham is a very very under-rated sports writer.

And yes, agreee entirley about the Australian fandom comment, which is why the coverage from Mount Federer on Sunday was so sweet ;o)

― chris (chris), Wednesday, 9 July 2003 09:47 (twenty-two years ago)

not much can be done against such flawless tennis.

― Chris Radford (Chris Radford), Wednesday, 9 July 2003 09:51 (twenty-two years ago)

Just when I thought I was getting a grip on the rules of this thing, along comes robbie McEwen to take the ... green jersey (?), as he has the highest number of ... points(?). Could anyone shed some light? By the way, the ITV tour de france website is astonishingly crap, even though they are the channel with screening rights. I guess I shouldn't be surpised.

― Daniel (dancity), Friday, 11 July 2003 07:50 (twenty-two years ago)

and itv couldnt seem more disinterested about scheduling the highlights....last night it was on at 2am after a rubbish 'new comedy talent' show and a half hour profile on michelle branch....the green jersey is for the sprinters, points are awarded at specific checkpoints along the course for the first/second/third man to cross the checkpoint....some points are awarded at the end of stages as well...the polka dot jersey works the same way for the peaks of steep hills and mountains...check the bbci site instead, has these really great little flash movies for each stage.

― joni, Friday, 11 July 2003 07:59 (twenty-two years ago)

There are various jerseys to race for:

yellow = overall time
polkadot = king of the mountains (i.e. who gets to the top of all the big hills etc first the most - can't remember the breakdown for first second third etc)
green = points (there are certain sprint spots along each stage as well as at the finish, runs the same as the king of the mountains)
white = youth rider.

They are currently owned by:
yellow = Victor Hugo Pena (until today probably when SuperLancce will get it)
Polkadot = (Frederic Finot - thanks to his breakaway the other day no doubt, mind you this has just been hills so far, the fun starts this weekend)
Green - McEwen (Pettachi can't be far behind though)
White - Vladimir Karpets (I'm not sad enough to get this interested!)

Cross post but I've typed it all now.

Joni - get Eurosport, their coverage is ace.

― chris (chris), Friday, 11 July 2003 08:01 (twenty-two years ago)

good site = http://www.letour.fr/2003/us/index.html

― chris (chris), Friday, 11 July 2003 08:02 (twenty-two years ago)

Yes, the bbci site explains things nicely. Soz, I should've checked it first. The Guardian's tactics flash thingy is terrific. Joni, a couple of nights ago, ITV's highlights were on after a repeat (a repeat!!) of Strictly Soho. Priorities, eh? Maybe they're trying to say to us, well that serves you right for not getting ITV 2. Wankers. Thanks Chris, for taking the trouble.

― Daniel (dancity), Friday, 11 July 2003 08:09 (twenty-two years ago)

In 1994, the Tour included a stage in Great Britain that passed through my home town a few yards from my house. My dad was v. v. pleased as he watches it religiously on TV every year.

For a couple of hours, a suburban dual carriageway become a carnival venue. There was an enormous build-up as an endless motorcade of sponsorship and support vehicles rumbled through ahead of the riders. Then a HUGE cheer as the lead riders closely followed by the peloton zipped past in a matter of seconds.

― robster (robster), Friday, 11 July 2003 08:12 (twenty-two years ago)

I was going to say, ITV2 do show it at a reasonable time, but the Eurosport coverage is a gnats better.

Phil Liggett = one of the best commentators around, at any sport, I reckon.

― chris (chris), Friday, 11 July 2003 08:15 (twenty-two years ago)

Yes, (lock) robster. I've heard the speed is phenomenal and people in France spend hours having a piss-up and what have you in preparation for waving their arms and screaming for the merest seconds.

Phil Liggett and Jack Bannister = separated at birth. (Genial Midlanders, capable of putting the boot in when they have to.)

The BBC - what a cracker of a site. Certainly better than the official tour site, IMHO. Maybe they'd be rubbish if they ever got TV rights, just as I suspect the LIb Dems would be if they ever actually cam to power.

― Daniel (dancity), Friday, 11 July 2003 08:21 (twenty-two years ago)

The BBc site does sport really really well.

― chris (chris), Friday, 11 July 2003 08:22 (twenty-two years ago)

oh, i did look into getting eurosport but it was too expensive (i dont watch much tv so i would be getting cable just for the tour). i shared a house last year that had eurosport and the coverage was excellent....when they ran out of things to talk about they would go on about the meal they had the night before and the quality of the local cheeses!
i miss pantani cos he was the only person who could seriously challenge lance in the mountains, i really hope someone else can come to the fore this year cos it could all be over in a week.....

― joni, Friday, 11 July 2003 08:23 (twenty-two years ago)

The Basque rider could have a go at Lance this year, I just can't remember his name right now.

― chris (chris), Friday, 11 July 2003 08:28 (twenty-two years ago)

Beloki, that's the feller.

― chris (chris), Friday, 11 July 2003 08:30 (twenty-two years ago)

They mentioned on last night's commentary that last year there was some kind of mountain love-in between Armstrong and Ulrich. Can we infer that Ulrich is a serious challenger?

― Daniel (dancity), Friday, 11 July 2003 09:15 (twenty-two years ago)

"I picked my head up during an interval and saw an enormous ostrich zigzagging in the road. I swung wide to get by - and just as I did he started chasing me. These guys can motor. I had to sprint to drop him." Tyler Hamilton.

From the BBC's race quotes page.

Has the green jersey ever been won by an animal?

― Daniel (dancity), Friday, 11 July 2003 09:21 (twenty-two years ago)

Daniel, a couple of years ago Armstrong and Ulrich (who is a challenger, yes) were descending at speed, when Ulrich crashed. Rather than take advantage, Armstrong waited for him. What a gent.

It's all outlined in one of those Will Fotheringham articles about Tour etiquette.

― chris (chris), Friday, 11 July 2003 09:27 (twenty-two years ago)

Armstrong swerved out of the way of poor Beloki and sped down a field on Monday. Is this permitted? Is there anything to stop him just avoiding the roads altogether? OK, silly question, but I'm surprised there's apparently nothing in the rules about this.

― Daniel (dancity), Wednesday, 16 July 2003 07:18 (twenty-two years ago)

There is, but they decided not to penalise him.

― Vicky (Vicky), Wednesday, 16 July 2003 07:24 (twenty-two years ago)

It's perfectly fine, especially as he didn't use it to gain an advantage, he rejoined the road with the group he'd been with before (minus poor old Beloki, whose crash was bloody horrific).

As Vicky says, the penalisation process is there, but only for people actually cheating, and not avoiding killing competitors.

― chris (chris), Wednesday, 16 July 2003 07:25 (twenty-two years ago)

a couple of years ago Armstrong and Ulrich (who is a challenger, yes) were descending at speed, when Ulrich crashed. Rather than take advantage, Armstrong waited for him. What a gent.

yesterday we had exactly the opposite: armstrong fell down, and ulrich waited for him (and made the group wait with him), letting armstrong recover the seconds he had missed and eventually win the etape. i was so impressed i wanted to cry.

― joan vich (joan vich), Tuesday, 22 July 2003 11:34 (twenty-two years ago)

One of the few stages I've missed and it's the best of the tour, dammit.

― chris (chris), Tuesday, 22 July 2003 11:36 (twenty-two years ago)

This whole Tour is awesome, definitely the best since Armstrong came back. The time trial on Staurday is going to be very interesting as Ullrich has had a considerable advantage in the two individual time trials so far.

― Nick H, Tuesday, 22 July 2003 19:52 (twenty-two years ago)

i read that armstrong did the same for ullrich a few years ago during ullrich's crash on a steep descent in the pyrenees.

― gygax! (gygax!), Tuesday, 22 July 2003 19:55 (twenty-two years ago)

Monday's was a phenomenal stage. What gets me is the steepness of the climbs. It's hard enough for me to get back home to North London, via the Archway Road, on my bike. These guys go up ludicrous gradients for 10s of km at a time. And then speed back down the mountain at 50 or 60 miles per hour! And with nutty fans lining the roads and encroaching in front of them virtually blocking the route! Mad. A French friend of mine says that the Alpe d'Huez is astonishingly steep. There are x number of hairpin bends, which are numbered on the road so you know how far you've gone. As you round each bend you go into straights so steep that your car has difficulty even in the lowest gears. As for Ullrich and Armstrong, they don't seem to like each much, beyond grudging respect. Have I interpreted that right?

― Daniel (dancity), Tuesday, 22 July 2003 23:19 (twenty-two years ago)

They get along OK, but when Ullrich was bouncing around from team to team this winter and the team he finally settled on went belly up a few weeks into the season Armstrong noted in the press that he should have accepted an offer from CSC (which is a very well run team but offered less money), Ullrich said quite plainly that Lance should shut up.

― David Beckhouse (David Beckhouse), Tuesday, 22 July 2003 23:28 (twenty-two years ago)

Its not exactly the TDF but here's me at the State Criterium championships (all the way on the right in the yellow jersey, with the blue and red sleeves, and a white helmet, trying to breath through my eyeballs)

http://www.printroom.com/ViewGalleryPhoto.asp?userid=ap9Cycling&gallery_id=19238&image_id=47

― David Beckhouse (David Beckhouse), Wednesday, 23 July 2003 04:14 (twenty-two years ago)

people are going on about the time trail on saturday but there are still some stages before then, and judging by whats happened in the last week anything can happen. after all the drug scandals of a few years ago the sportsmanship shown between lance + jan is a lovely thing. awww....

― joni, Wednesday, 23 July 2003 06:58 (twenty-two years ago)

Respect to David!

― Daniel (dancity), Wednesday, 23 July 2003 08:00 (twenty-two years ago)

And now that it's over, Armstrong's fifth straight victory, only the second guy to do that. Only other people to have won five tours in all -- Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, Miguel Indurain and Jacques Anquetil. The man's truly a legend now -- he's talking about next year already, do you think he can pull it off or will he repeat Indurain?

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 27 July 2003 18:03 (twenty-two years ago)

It was something of an anti-climax, the last day of the TdF. I suppose this is to be expected, given that the finishing time was something in the order of 80 hours or so - i.e. it's pretty miraculous that the margin was only a minte or so. But Armstrong was named as the winner at the very start of the programme this afternoon and there were interminable interviews, so I switched off. They say it was one of the best tours for years. What do regular watchers think?

― Daniel (dancity), Sunday, 27 July 2003 21:44 (twenty-two years ago)

do you think he can pull it off

Oh, sure he can. The guy overcame a cancer that had spread to his brain, not to mention left his testicles in disrepair. He's got heart, and he has something extra to prove on top of it.

― Kenan Hebert (kenan), Sunday, 27 July 2003 22:29 (twenty-two years ago)

That CBS recap was pretty melo-dramatic and not at all focused on the event. I thought I was watching the Olympics or something. Good thing there's OLN.

― David Beckhouse (David Beckhouse), Sunday, 27 July 2003 23:04 (twenty-two years ago)

Hey, nobody will question his own personal grit there, Kenan! But even Indurain looked unbeatable, almost a robot, until when he was indeed taken out in a race, and Armstrong's victory this time was by no means assured. Personally I like to think Armstrong could do that and essentially become The Guy -- six tour victories, all in a row, would be a jawdropping benchmark. But a lot can happen in a year, and we will have to see.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 28 July 2003 00:17 (twenty-two years ago)

twenty years pass...

hes done it m8

THE LEGEND DID IT ! 😍 MARK CAVENDISH (ASTANA) WINS STAGE 5 OF TOUR DE FRANCE IN SAINT VULBAS!
👏🇬🇧 THE MANX MISSILE BREAKS THE RECORD OF STAGE WINS IN TOUR DE FRANCE: 35, BABY! #TDF2024 pic.twitter.com/UJazfNHF0Q
— Mihai Simion (@faustocoppi60) July 3, 2024

― lag∞n, Wednesday, 3 July 2024 15:48 (one year ago)

He did indeed, crazy! I look forward to watching the stage in general later today.

― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 3 July 2024 16:02 (one year ago)

damn I wanted to see this as it happened.

― ledge, Wednesday, 3 July 2024 20:51 (one year ago)

primoz roglic simply cannot stay on his bicycle

― lag∞n, Saturday, 13 July 2024 00:24 (one year ago)

yeah he seems v likely to end up a “best who never.” i appreciate his dignity i think. i was root root rooting for him or c-rod. the ineos c-rod.

― well below the otm mendoza line (Hunt3r), Saturday, 13 July 2024 01:45 (one year ago)

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