No Bronies - It's the 2012 Tour de France thread

With closet Brony Andy Schleck out with a broken pelvis and Alberto Contador on enforced vacation we're gearing up for the Grand Boucle. With any luck Pipi and Popo will take this year as an opportunity to get out of the Lance lock groove and we can look forward to three weeks of Brad Wiggins sitting on Cadel Evans' wheel.

100km of time trials, 3397km of other stuff and a laugh a minute from the team Radioshack-Nissan.

He's Ready

http://www.cyclingfans.net/2012/images/2012_tour_of_california_stage2_santa_cruz_peter_sagan_leader_podium_girls1a.jpg

They're Ready

http://cdn2.media.cyclingnews.futurecdn.net//2012/06/10/2/bettiniphoto_0113471_1_full_600.jpg

Your prescription is ready.

http://www.epoboost.com/images/epo-boost2_custom.jpg

Old hat, we're all on this now:

http://southernresearchco.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/a/i/aicar_1.jpg

pls send 10 cases without delay, my CX training plan is looking p. shaky atm

sky honchos have met with the ASO to reassure them they're not going to be saunier duval mk II

http://hamishbrown.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Mark-Cavendish-Cyclist-Saatchi-Hamish-Brown-451.jpg

HE'S READY

Excited for the madness that is a thousand journalists submitting pieces that include the phrase "THE ASHES OF CYCLING" or some variation.

http://nile.impingesolutions.com/projects/web/Robert_Lamb/Cyclingnewsasia.com/Live/images/stories/RoadWorlds2010/majdog_gallery__600x399.jpg

THEY'RE READY

(Sorry, that is still my favourite cycling-related photo ever.)

and we can look forward to three weeks of Brad Wiggins sitting on Cadel Evans' wheel

That's actually not what Wiggins does - he basically time trials up mountains and pretends nobody else is there. He doesn't respond to any attack or change of pace, just completely ignores it and keeps going at a steady power output. Sometimes it means he gets dropped, but then gets back 30-60 seconds later, sometimes it means he's at the front of the pack stringing it out and burning people off the back.

does anyone have a chance of stopping this becoming the Wiggins v Evans show? Sammy? Nibali? little Tommy Voeckler?

Up till this morning, I thought Gesink might be in with a shout, he won the Tour of California and has been going good but he faded today in the Tour de Suisse. You have to wonder about Frank Schleck who went well today but ditched the giro and there's Levi Leipheimer who has been going well but might be riding for Chavanel. I'd stick a fiver each eachway on Tom Danielson and Ryder Hesjedal. As for Europcar, I think Pierre Rolland is the one to watch.

xxp I'll admit "never enter the red zone" seems a pretty sound tactic on paper

/!\ voeckler in doubt with knee injury /!\

/!\ rumors of late payments to radioshack-nissan riders; bruyneel might be persona non grata at tour /!\

no panache???

no batshit craziness??????

johnny hoogerland's back tho!

/!\ horner IN, bruyneel OUT /!\

rabobank squad looks strong - looks like they're loading up on alternate GC chances if gesink falters, though.

Boss of Trek seems to have had something to do with it. RSNT without a US rider can't have been great for the sponsors. There are some very angry Danes out there, Fugulsang seems to have been the unlucky party.

https://twitter.com/JBTrek08/status/214881498594164736

I love the girl on the right in that first photo. That just exemplifies what kissing should be about, the contact, the closed eyes, the foxiness of kisser etc.

I'd like Brad Wiggins to win but he's a dadrock twat.

The Girls at the giro and the Tour of California have been using some super transferable lipstick of the riders all did their interviews with big red kisses on their cheeks. I love how Peter Sagan is in an ecstatic daze in that photo

He's Ready

https://p.twimg.com/AvskiVZCQAICFhc.jpg

easily the best pro cycling-related photo of 2012.

wait is that cav??

and Rob Hayles

LORDS OF FIXED

Garmin Barracuda is now Garmin Sharp
Saxobank is now Saxo Bank Tinkoff Bank also replacing their crotch eagle with a yellow streak

http://www.team-saxobank.com/flash_grafik/195.jpg
http://cdn4.media.cyclingnews.futurecdn.net//2012/06/25/2/saxo_tinkoff_jersey_220.jpeg

i watched like 2 hours of hype recaps and personality profiles last night and now im fairly amped

Team Sky have a trailer

i watched like 2 hours of hype recaps and personality profiles last night and now im fairly amped

― lag∞n, Monday, June 25, 2012 1:56 PM (6 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

ooh where can i watch stuff like this

nbc sports channel

Good preview:

http://velocastcc.squarespace.com/race-radio/2012/6/24/tour-de-france-preview.html

thx bronies

inner ring has comprehensive TDF guide, if you're not a regular reader: http://inrng.com/tour/

and here's father ted singing about Stephen Roche (thanks to the Resonance FM Cycle Show)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYzrdKJN2fg

No really surprising that "Tinkoff Bank" would add a yellow splash.

But it should be banned, make 'em wear pink like they always did with ONCE!!!!!!!!!11!!

btw is it me or is this tour going to be more wide open than we're expecting

I still can't read the English word "once" without pronouncing it ON-THAY.

^^^

or thinking about Alex Zulle or Laurent Jalabert

I can't help but buy a can of KAS whenever I am in spain

http://i47.tinypic.com/zswpyu.jpg

I always seek out Credit Lyonnais cashpoints in France.

In 1990 I kept a plastic carrier bag from Super-U supermarket in Normandy as a souvenir.

Spent last night listening to various Pete Shelley tunes to work out which was closest to the classic TDF theme. I think this is it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkASxKgoE1g

Talking of the classic TDF theme, if you've got *a lot* of time on your hands, this is worth checking out:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GB98tZjDr8s
This guy has uploaded the entirety of the Channel 4 coverage of the 1989 tour (i.e. half an hour of every stage).

This is off-track but real story: I based a primary school project back in the EARLY 1990s on Tony Rominger (basically a poster explaining his POLKA DOT EXPLOITS) and had marks deducted because I didn't know what a "CLAS-Cajastur" was.

"If you're going to do a school project on the man, you should at least know what his team name means. I mean, you know what Adelaide Crows mean, right?"

lolll

OK Balls on the grill here. These are some predictions:

Yellow - Wiggins
Green - Sagan, Cav is too focussed on the olympics and Sagan can get intermediates and uphill finishes.
Peas - Not sure but I like the idea of Froome getting it because he's out there for Wiggins every day
White - Rolland, also I reckon he's on the podium.

podium: wiggins, evans, oooh maybe gesink for 3rd
green: valverde (!)
polka dot: matt lloyd
white: yeah rolland seems a good pick

Perfect

A British rider (who's already won two stages of the race plus three major stage races this season) wearing the yellow jersey leading out a British rider (who's also already won two stages of the race) wearing the rainbow jersey as he goes on to sprint to victory on the Champs Elysee. This is about ten times above my wildest dreams.

Yeah, but Tejay van Garderen just got to meet Maurice Greene! Who I think Phil Liggett may have just mis-identified as the American ambassador!

yeah i thought it was odd that the american ambassador was wearing shorts and a t-shirt

"Have a safe journey home, don't get too drunk."

xpost -- yeah I was all 'Man I know going casual is a good thing but'

"We're just about to draw the raffle now..." - Oh, Wiggo. Never change.

http://inrng.com/2012/07/tour-de-france-winning-moment/

https://p.twimg.com/AybRPlpCQAA7G0p.jpg

inrng's 'the rise of wiggins in 21 photos' post was good too.

Is picture for real?

https://twitter.com/TelegraphSport/status/227081999691706369/photo/1

this one definitely is:

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/images/2012/0723/1224320623748_1.jpg

How did cav get changed into his street clothes so quickly?

I believe the anthem picture is 4 real. This is my other favourite TDF12 pic.
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/07/21/article-2176903-142848D1000005DC-181_306x423.jpg

L'Equipe is all like "a win for Indurian", guffaw.

Fair play to Wiggo, him and the Sky crew rode the bloody wheels off this tour and I do like his stand up material.

DOESN'T EXCUSE THE SIDEBURNS, THROUGH

sweet outfit wiggins son

oh shit, this photo

http://instagram.com/p/Neh2MRTL4M/

ha nice

Browsing for analysis of yesterday's loss, found this quote from Wiggins re. telegram the Queen sent to congratulate him on the tdf win:

"It's all very strange. Those sorts of things don't happen to guys like me. My wife kept going on ecstatic that Queen had sent us a letter. I kept saying, 'F*** the Queen, Johnny Marr has sent me a text on Twitter.' But she said, 'It's the Queen.' I said, 'And this is Johnny Marr, Cath, come on'. I had a message from 'God', too, Robbie Fowler."

<3

'And this is Johnny Marr, Cath, come on'

a+

The women's Olympic road race was blimming great.

i admit that i bought a king of the mountains cap from france off ebay and it is too small and now i am sad

If it is one of the free promo ones they hand out they are indeed very wee.

it says champion on it and has an exited lil guy whos legs are the the n

do the french have small heads

their children do

fuckers

http://www.quantieme.com/ebay/champion_cap-2007s.jpg

its not even that cool, these things r not that easy to find on the internet tho idk why

i guess its not like i ever wouldve worn it anyway

i got carried away

maybe i can find a child to give it to

http://www.ahoodie.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/mad-hectic-tour-de-france-jet-caps-4-e1336070511548.jpg

i found this one but it is in japan, and has the logo of the stupid company all over it, besides that v nice design tho imho

http://www.ahoodie.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/mad-hectic-tour-de-france-jet-caps-1-e1336070456315.jpg

i mean 'real mad hectic' come on

http://www.ezisports.com.au/product_images/q/816/Headsweats_TDF_3__06033_zoom.jpg

needs more polka dots

http://www.quantieme.com/ebay/cap_polka_07_ver.jpg

the most common and most horriblest version

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gc1lnLPWeoc/T0POWAtp6fI/AAAAAAAAHI4/PD8BcPOwB74/s1600/KOMscyclingcap.jpg

this one is from etsy, needless to say

and thats abt it, idk why there arent more models available, its almost like people dont want polka dot hats or something

http://www.maggiemae.com/maggie-mae-pics/ShirleyDer73-001web.jpg
Any use to you?

tis lovely

http://i.imgur.com/lQYXp.jpg

So does this mean Jan Ullrich is a 4 times Tour winner?

My dad'll be cheesed, to put it mildly. (He's currently hiking somewhere in the Sierras so it'll have to wait until he hits civilization again.)

John Krolik ‏@JohnKrolik
HAHA! I'M JUST AS MUCH OF A HERO AS LANCE! -- Floyd Landis, drunk off Crown Royal in a log cabin, to nobody in particular

triatheletes, maaaan

Thom J. ‏@CelestialBeard
Lance Armstrong has been abjured from all bikes. he will phase through them now, as if they are ghosts

So does this mean Jan Ullrich is a 4 times Tour winner?

― American Fear of Pranksterism (Ed)

My first thought as well! HAIL DER KAISER!

Several people on twitter have suggested awarding the 1999 Tour to Christophe Bassons

Riis admitted to cheating in '96 and said he didn't care if they stripped him of the title. A Five time champ then?

Might as well take Pantani's title too while they're at it (which might have eventually happened had he lived) ... six time champ Jan Ullrich?? This is fun!