Tour de France *** 2012 *** [LIVE THREAD]

Various ^ | TdF Starts June 30th!! | Varous

[Ready4Freddy]

The Tour starts next Saturday, June 30th!

Now I need to find my ping list & html templates!

[golux]

Please add me to the list! Looks as if this will be quite a tour.

[aimee5291]

thanks for posting

wonder who will win???

[stayathomemom]

Please add me to your ping list. My husband loves to watch the Tour.

[Eric Roelfsema]

For everyone,

The Tour de France will be live each morning on the NBC Sports Network, formerly Versus, usually starting around 8am Eastern.

[Baynative]

Bike Ping

Keep an eye on sprinter Peter Sagan, folks. This guy is the real deal...

[Red Badger]

Cool........

[Red Badger]

The guy in front...........

[Mom MD]

Please add me to the ping list as well. Should be an interesting year

[green iguana]

Thanks for the ping Bay - looks like this is his first tour. What’s your over/under on stage wins for the young Slovak?

[PeteB570]

“The guy in front...........”

It is possible to win the TdF without ever winning a stage.

Considered bad form - but possible.

[PeteB570]

Here’s the Velonews wrap up of the contenders.

Rating the Tour de France favorites, from W(iggins) to Z

http://velonews.competitor.com/2012/06/news/rating-the-tour-de-france-favorites-from-wiggins-to-z_225068

A good number to pick from.

[patriotspride]

Thanks. Looking forward to the thread, tour, exchanges ....

[deport]

TV coverage dates/times, subject to change I'm sure

Also from the above link:
This year in addition to 14 hours of daily coverage on the NBC Sports Network, NBC Sports Group will air eight hours of live Tour de France coverage of two of the premier mountain stages on NBC during the weekend of July 7 and 8, the first time that the Tour de France will be broadcast live on network television in the U.S.

[PGalt]

Thanks for the ping. Interesting. Thanks to all linkers/posters.

[Baynative]

"...over/under on stage wins for the young Slovak?"

There are 9 stages that are sprinter set ups. Five are in the first week with a day of moderate hills in the mix. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see him win four of those six, maybe more. I also think he's a good bet to take the final stage in Paris if he hasn't abandoned for physical reasons.

In the Tour of California he flatted about four miles from the finish one day, changed a wheel, caught and worked his way through the peloton and won the stage. He won the first four stages in a row, one in which his lead out train got blocked in and he moved through the pack to get on the wheel of Tom Boonen who he edged out in the last 75 meters.

He also proved to be a capable climber. He won't win mountain stages, but his ability to handle hills could give him an edge on the two flat stages that follow mountain days.

I pick him for at least five stage wins.

[concentric circles]

Thanks R4F, Cycling Fans.com posts links to live streaming sources before starting time each day, a great help for the office bound and those unable to be in front of the tv broadcast. It sometimes requires muting the sound of a European broadcast and opening a second stream of live BBC english language coverage.

I wonder if the race officials will be spreading motor oil on a stretch of road like last year.

[nutmeg]

Thanks, Freddy! Looking forward to TdF 2012...

[nutmeg]

Thanks, FRiend! Looking forward to TdF 2012, and to your commentary on the race.

I guess we'll be watching the Tour on the "NBC Sports" channel now since they bought out Versus. Ugh, hope NBC doesn't ruin the event like they've ruined some of the Olympic sports events. I hope they have the usual TdF crew: Phil Liggett, Bob Roll and Paul Sherwen. (I forgot who the other guy was?)

Too much NBC in the world today... *barf*

[Baynative]

The Tour simply would not be the same without Liggett and Sherwin. I'm sure NBC knows that. Bob Roll is inciteful because he has logged lotsa miles himself. I think they are likely to use Frankie Andreau for some tech stuff. Terry Gannon also became a quick study working with Adrian Carstens who is no longer with us.

I am just praying that NBC doesn't torture us with Bob Costas. I hope he is occupied sticking his smarmy tabloid interview schtick at the Olympics. If they drag him out to pretend like he knows cycling I have a simple message for them both ...

[Baynative]

Bike Ping

Tour de France Trivia

DIDJA KNOW? - Every year the Tour 'd France reverses it course through France and the mountainous roads of neighboring countries; going clockwise one year and counter clockwise the next. Problems with the 2011 course because of roads under repair and intense lobbying by local communities wanting the tour to start or finish a stage in their town resulted and a compromised route in 2011. After moving clockwise through the first flat stages and then south through central France the route deviated to accommodate mountain stages. But, the Tour is back on track this year with a more traditional clockwise route.

That in depth and important knowledge might win ya a beer or cup of coffee after yer next training ride!

2009

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2012