My money is on Jose Bautista!!!!
;)
ping!
Stage | Type | Date | Start and Finish | Distance |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | En ligne | Saturday 2 July | Passage du Gois La Barre-de-Monts > Mont des Alouettes Les Herbiers | 191.5 km |
2 | Team TT | Sunday 3 July | Les Essarts > Les Essarts | 23 km |
3 | En ligne | Monday 4 July | Olonne-sur-Mer > Redon | 198 km |
4 | En ligne | Tuesday 5 July | Lorient > Mûr-de-Bretagne | 172.5 km |
5 | En ligne | Wednesday 6 July | Carhaix > Cap Fréhel | 164.5 km |
6 | En ligne | Thursday 7 July | Dinan > Lisieux | 226.5 km |
7 | En ligne | Friday 8 July | Le Mans > Châteauroux | 218 km |
8 | Medium mountains | Saturday 9 July | Aigurande > Super-Besse Sancy | 189 km |
9 | Medium mountains | Sunday 10 July | Issoire > Saint-Flour | 208 km |
R | Rest Day | Monday 11 July | Le Lioran Cantal | |
10 | En ligne | Tuesday 12 July | Aurillac > Carmaux | 158 km |
11 | En ligne | Wednesday 13 July | Blaye-les-Mines > Lavaur | 167.5 km |
12 | High Mountains | Thursday 14 July | Cugnaux > Luz-Ardiden | 211 km |
13 | High Mountains | Friday 15 July | Pau > Lourdes | 152.5 km |
14 | High Mountains | Saturday 16 July | Saint-Gaudens > Plateau de Beille | 168.5 km |
15 | En ligne | Sunday 17 July | Limoux > Montpellier | 192.5 km |
R | Rest Day | Monday 18 July | Département de la Drôme | |
16 | Medium mountains | Tuesday 19 July | Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux > Gap | 162.5 km |
17 | High Mountains | Wednesday 20 July | Gap > Pinerolo | 179 km |
18 | High Mountains | Thursday 21 July | Pinerolo > Galibier Serre-Chevalier | 200.5 km |
19 | High Mountains | Friday 22 July | Modane Valfréjus > Alpe-dHuez | 109.5 km |
20 | Individual time-trial | Saturday 23 July | Grenoble > Grenoble | 42.5 km |
21 | En ligne | Sunday 24 July | Créteil > Paris Champs-Élysées | 95 km |
Are you ready for the prologue TT?
This year the tour is throwing in a little twist. This from the Director:
JEAN-FRANÇOIS PESCHEUXS ANALYSIS : A change of custom
It has been a kind of tradition since 1967 that the Tour starts with a prologue. But, as in 2008, we will start with a road stage. We wanted to shake up the teams plans a little bit and change the way they operate. Only 10 riders can realistically contend for victory in a prologue. But each one of the 198 riders could win this stage and pull on the yellow jersey. Three years ago, the race started in Brittany, and this time were starting in the Vendée. The route will follow the coast before turning inland towards Les Herbiers and the Mont des Alouettes. This is not an hors catégorie test, but even so its a finish for the strong men. The pure sprinters will struggle. It will suit someone like Thor Hushovd or a puncheur like Thomas Voeckler.
Well whattdya know a 198km curveball to start the game...
LET THE FUN BEGIN!
READY TO RUMBLE!
Good to see everyone back. Is this Andy’s year?
Can't believe it's that time again... July = American Independence Day and... Tour de France! Nice to see some old FRiends on this thread. :-)
http://tourdefrance.nbcsports.com/
Looks like we have to pay $29.95 for "all access"? Does that mean we can no longer read blogs by Phil Liggett, Bob Roll and Paul Sherwen for free, like usual? You've gotta be kidding me...
Then by way of retaliation a bunch of the Euros started chatting about the Tour de France. Most of the Americans had no clue about it but a few of us knew a little.
Three or four of us private messaged each other to see if we could have some fun with the situation.
American 1: Tour de France what is that? Some sort of Vacation Holiday Package?
American 2: No its some sort of train trip to see pasty white Europeans laying around on France's dirty Beaches.
Angry Frenchman: No you American twit it is a bicycle race. Typical you know nothing of what is going on outside your little redneck American World.
American 3: Oh Yeah I remember now.
American 1: Yeah, its where all the cyclists from Europe Compete in a big long Bike Race.
American 2: Yeah they compete to see who gets to finish in 2nd Place behind Lance Armstrong.
Needless to say afterwords there was much profanity and flame wars on the chat channel for the duration of the Tour.
hehehehe
Cheers!
Hey Freddy! How are you! Thanks for posting the live thread this year! It’s a lot of work but all us slackers surely appreciate it! As I’m on MDT I’m watching via DVR again. (I have to admit that I really enjoy speeding through all those ads! )
Amazing finish today. I think if the entire Peloton had finished together we might have had some carnage at the end (beyond the obvious from the crashes we had further back). As it is, I am thrilled to see AC 1.20 back. Karma is so tough...
I notice they never mention Lance Armstrong this year. It’s like the guy never existed.
Contador: anyone else believe that he sucks this year because he had to stop doping and that his last two TDF wins were dope assisted?
Good job R4F, throw my name on the pings list for the TdF if you got one going.
Go Andy, Anybody But Contador!
Ready, thanks to you for the initial post, followups.
Crikey Cadel! What a ride! These last two days of Le Tour have been great.