Le Tour d' France 2015 (Live thread)

LeTour.com ^ | 7/3/15 | Site staff

[Baynative]

Pinot (Thibaut) - (fra) / Bardet (Romain) - (fra) © Presse Sports

In the lead up to the start of the 102nd Tour de France in Utrecht, letour.com has chosen to highlight five key stages. Of symbolic importance in the development of the race or perhaps decisive with regard to the final general individual classification, they feature the required characteristics for an extraordinary sporting show. The last episode is l'Alpe d'Huez where the final battle is scheduled on the eve of the grand finale in Paris. In a recent past, Frenchmen have performed on the so-called «Dutchmen's climb». Will they do well again this year?

[Baynative]

Bike Ping

Andre Greipel has surprised me by coming out of the group and besting Cavendish, Sagan and the rest, not once, but twice now. He's always been good, but he's showing some stuff up against what I think are superior lead out squads.

Peter Sagan has seemingly not lived up to the hype of his earlier Tours, but he's been a good soldier working for Contador. As is routine in his second place finishes so far, the separation from his tire and the winner is barely the width of the white finish line stripe. He always finds a way to be there even though he's working as a lone wolf once Contador is safely placed within the lead bunch and lets him go.

Tomorrow is a hilly course with an uphill finish which suits his style. It also runs along the coast where head winds and side winds will be prevalent. He's my choice for Stage 6.

[Eric Roelfsema]

Team cars are not allowed to go ahead of the riders of the team unless there is one in the breakaway. For example with today’s breakaway, only Europcar, Cofidis and the other team are allowed to be allowed to be ahead of the peloton. All the other team cars are behind the peloton.

[golux]

Le Tour d'France? Whet the heck is this?
I checked with Jenny Sais Qwaa and she's possed.
Freepers who don't love the sport and never did love to pause once a year to say
I just don't follow cycling anymore. Cats, tour riders used to "dope" with beer and champagne. Then it was cocaine and amphetamines... Does it make any difference?
You ride over a hundred miles a day for a freakin' month and have some frecke-faced kid tell you you can't have a pain-killer!
Few understand the Tour. Win? To complete the Tour is a lifelong accomplishment.
How many start vs. finish?
Now - THREE CAN KEEP A SECRET AS LONG AS TWO ARE DEAD.
In the Tour everyone knows everyone's secrets.
Howe many people know Serena is a man?

[PeteB570]

“...Daniel Teklehaimanot: “My childhood dream comes true”

I’m really happy about what happened today. I can’t believe it. That was my childhood dream to get the polka dot jersey at the Tour de France. I was excited about having just for one day. I followed exactly the team’s plan we were had this morning. I made it in a group of three riders. After I scored two points, I was nervous that I wouldn’t take one more, otherwise I would be left with nothing...”

Congrats Daniel. Good ride and way to snap up the three points for the Polka-dot Jersey.

[Baynative]

Bike Ping

I'm off on my prediction ...by just a little, as Sagan is second once again. I think he's going to become the resident owner of 2nd place if this keeps up.

But one thing I really enjoyed is seeing a name I've never heard before come through with a stage win. Hats off to Zdenek Stybar and anyone who can pronounce his name correctly.

Another thing I'm enjoying is all the various news sites from VeloNews to LeEquipe to LeTour and even CNN giving well deserved accolades to Daniel Teklehaimanot without mentioning his skin color. To me the much bigger story not mentioned much is that he's undergone surgery to correct tachycardia, a condition resulting in a faster than normal resting heart rate. I'd be afraid to ride at this level after such an experience. Well deserved props to Daniel, I'd say!

[Eric Roelfsema]

Too bad Tony Martin had that crash yesterday, broke his collarbone and had to pull out of the race.

[PeteB570]

Great sprint at the end today....

Way to go ___________ . :)

[Baynative]

The roundabouts (and furniture) in the last 3k had me a bit worried. But, this was as good as it gets for a full field sprint. The Manx Missile proved he’s still got it.

[nutmeg]

Another thing I'm enjoying is all the various news sites from VeloNews to LeEquipe to LeTour and even CNN giving well deserved accolades to Daniel Teklehaimanot without mentioning his skin color. To me the much bigger story not mentioned much is that he's undergone surgery to correct tachycardia, a condition resulting in a faster than normal resting heart rate. I'd be afraid to ride at this level after such an experience. Well deserved props to Daniel, I'd say!

Amen! Phil and Paul did briefly mention Daniel's surgery to correct tachycardia during Stage 6.

[nutmeg]

Exciting win (finally) by the Manx Missile today!

Stupid NBC SN TV not running any repeats of Stage 7 until midnight ET. NASCAR all afternoon/night.. GRR! What's up with that??

Does anyone know of any websites where my husband can watch a video of good part of today's stage? (He was at work this morning) The video on NBC SN's site only has the last 1:45 minutes of the stage.

Couldn't fit this morning's feed on our DVR... guess we'll have to upgrade.. :-(

Thank you in advance.

[Baynative]

We have a cable channel that used to be OLN, then it was Velocity, now I guess it might be the NBCSN - I don't even know any more. But it shows the tour stage live at 5:00Am PST , then again at 5:00 PM. It's the only channel I see in listed coverage on TV. My google search shows several live simulcasts on the web, but trying to down load them got me nowhere. I think the internet knows when a person is over 60 and shuts down live feeds.;-[

[PeteB570]

Cocaine???????

Luca Paolini tests positive for cocaine

http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/cycling/33489804

“...”Sorry to all my fellow riders,” he added. “I have always believed in testing because they are making this sport ever more credible. I want to remain silent and resolve my issues...”

Cocaine? Yeah, I’d say he has some issues.

[PeteB570]

Bummer - NBC sports ran Iron Man stuff today. No live coverage of the TdF.

Hope they have it tonight.

[Baynative]

It was on the main network affiliates right from the start. Same tomorrow, I think.

[PeteB570]

Dang - didn’t look there.

The NBC sports channel was running a couple of short shows of the TdF this afternoon and I caught the last 30 minutes.

Well, it is Hurricane Season so I cleaned out the gutters.

Also sneaked in 10 miles on the bike.

[PeteB570]

Just checked my TV Guide app and it shows Stage 9 live starting at 8:00AM on NBC Sports. Recap of 8 from 6:00 to 8:00.

[PeteB570]

Got the TdF going on the TV. 15 minutes to go until the start.

They are saying about 30 minutes to complete the course.

Go BMC!

[PeteB570]

Tomorrow is a rest day but come Tuesday...

http://www.letour.fr/PHOTOS/TDF/2015/1000/PROFIL.png

[PeteB570]

Bad news

Ivan Basso withdraws with cancer

http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/cycling/33509974

“Italian rider Ivan Basso has withdrawn from the Tour de France after revealing he has testicular cancer.

“We discovered this two hours ago. I have to stop,” the former Giro d’Italia winner, 37, told a shocked news conference on Monday.

Basso was set to be one of Alberto Contador’s key lieutenants in the mountains over the next two weeks...”

[PeteB570]

With mountains looming, handicapping the Tour de France favorites

Read more at http://velonews.competitor.com/2015/07/news/with-mountains-looming-handicapping-the-tour-de-france-favorites_377861#UdRqbDfJ2pzRDXuW.99

“...This is a Tour of three parts: the opening week, the Pyrénées, and the Alps. Here’s where the favorites stack up as the peloton takes its first of two rest days ahead of the first major climbing challenges of the 2015 Tour...”