Tour de France *** 2014 *** [LIVE THREAD]

Le Tour ^ | July 2, 2014 | Various

[Baynative]

While the media tries to make soccer into a real sport we are only three days away from the 2014 Tour de France a genuine test of men against men, men against nature, men against elements and men testing their own hearts and will.

[Ms. AntiFeminazi]

Pulled my yellow t-shirt out of the closet last night!

Anyone have a map? 9 flat stages seems like a lot.

[Baynative]

Anytime you want to saddle up and have a go at slowest Cat3, just say the word. I had more DFLs than I like to remember and considered just finishing in the pack in Cat3 an accomplishment.

I worked my way up over time through combined Cat4 and Masters 40+ 4/5. I was never a threat in road races with serious climbs because of my size, but I was always competitive in Cat4 Crits and ITT. My mates enjoyed that I could hammer in the wind.

I kind of think Cat3 is just a quick step for Pro1/2 riders to get in a better mix of competition and only guys over 35 stay there for awhile. In one of my early Cat3 circuit races I was completely spit out and abandoned so I didn't have to ride past the finish stand all alone. The humiliation sucked. I couldn't imagine not being able to suck wheels in a 60 rider bunch with no real climbing.

But there was a sliver lining. Our club had been working on bring more people into competition and we had some good younger riders who were capable of giving it a go. I was able to down grade to Cat5 and ride with them as a "coach on course". Those races were honestly the best times I had in USCF.

[Baynative]

9 flat stages
5 hill stages
6 mountain stages with 5 altitude finishes
1 individual time trial stage
2 rest days

I love mountain stages with finishes at the top. I've always thought that after several hard climbs a daredevil descender shouldn't be able to chase down the leaders. Yes, I know descending is a tough game, but that's the way I think.

Regardless of where the race stands after stage 16, 17 and 18 can change it all. Stage 17 has four hard climbs stuffed into just 124K. After 50K on the road it will be a brutal tactical couple of hours. If that's not enough, the next day is Col du Tourmalet, and Hautacam in 145K. There will be no pretending on either of these short stages.

[Ms. AntiFeminazi]

6 mountain stages with 5 altitude finishes - Yay!

1 individual time trial stage - Booo!

I love mountain stages with finishes at the top. I've always thought that after several hard climbs a daredevil descender shouldn't be able to chase down the leaders. Yes, I know descending is a tough game, but that's the way I think.

I agree.

[Baynative]

Bike Ping

TV viewers will feel like being in the middle of the peloton of the Tour de France with revamped graphics, improved air relay and on-board cameras on bicycles this year. The race will be even better to watch!

TEN STAGES WITH FULL LIVE COVERAGE, 90 HOURS IN TOTAL

The 2014 Tour de France will be broadcasted more than the previous one hundred editions of the race as ten stages will be seen in full, which is one more than last year. Ninety hours of live coverage will be supplied to the broadcasters, including the three English stages with an exceptional programming on ITV, simultaneously on ITV1 (UK's number 2 TV channel) and ITV4.

TV viewers will have access to more relevant information thanks to revamped graphics in the live footage. For instance, the slope's gradient will appear during mountain stages. In other circumstances, the strength and direction of the wind will be visible on screen, as well as the instant measure of the riders' speed. Coming close to the finishing line, the remaining distance will be calculated every hundred meters and the maximum speed of the sprinters will be timed by radar. Riders' positions will also be tracked by satellite throughout the race.

Onboard cameras are commonly used in motor sports. They'll make their debut at the Tour de France in a trial over three weeks of racing. Every day, four riders from two different teams will carry an ultra-light camera. They'll turn it on themselves as they'll approach the key moments of the race. After each stage, a video will be edited, published on letour.fr and available for team's websites and broadcasters.

[Baynative]

"1 individual time trial stage - Booo!"

One of the things I like that Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme has done is the elimination of the stupid and worthless ultra short Prologue TT that was used to set the GC.

By opening with a medium long road race through rolling hills on a potentially windy course team play comes out strong at the beginning. It sort of throws the Yellow Jersey up for grabs and means that it can change hands a few times before the road tilts up.

Then with a 54K TT before the final day it puts the pressure to perform on the shoulders of the leader. I think it makes for asphalt drama.

...and speaking of drama, let's not forget those cobbles

[Para-Ord.45]

I use this one, lots of links:

http://www.steephill.tv/

.

[golux]

Ji Cheng will most likely be as good for the sport as American riders of the 80s were, especially if he can win a stage.

[Cecily]

I’m looking forward to the Yorkshire scenery.

[Baynative]

Several reports say he can hammer and is a great lead out man. That sometimes means he is a capable number 2 in sprints if his man gets boxed in and he has breakaway ability.

[Calm_Cool_and_Elected]

PING!

[UlmoLordOfWaters]

Love that story and great comment from Jens.

I saw two stages of the Tour of California this year; would love to be in France to watch the Tour.

[Yogafist]

Yeah. I am really hoping the old man can pull off a stage win this year.

[visually_augmented]

Don’t be such a namby-pamby! I’m sure that back in the early years of the competition, there were much more severe methods used to get a leg up! You could argue that it was unfair for the first aero-helmets and skin-suits as well. Or the first bikes with changeable gears. It’s just the same - using technology to improve your chances and performance. Personally, I think anybody should be able to ingest anything they wish. If they choose to kill themselves for glory or shorten their life for a sport, then so be it. We honor men who give their lives on the battlefield for their country, perhaps we should have the same regard for those who do so for the love of their sport??

[Baynative]

Bike Ping

Mountain passes & hills Leeds / Harrogate 190.5KM

Km 68.0 - Côte de Cray1.6 kilometre-long climb at 7.1% - category 4

Km 103.5 - Côte de Buttertubs4.5 kilometre-long climb at 6.8% - category 3

Km 129.5 - Côte de Griton Moor3 kilometre-long climb at 6.6% - category 3

Thierry Gouvenou's view

A British rider's dream

The Tour de France will kick off with a road stage instead of a prologue, like in 2013, when its Corsican adventure started with Marcel Kittel pulling on the yellow jersey everyone expected to see on Mark Cavendish's back. The British sprinter is already plotting revenge. First of all, because the Grand Start will take place in Great Britain, on his home turf and in front of his home crowds. Second, because the stage finishes a stone's throw away from where his mother used to live. And finally, because pulling on the fabled jersey for the first time would fit in nicely with his numerous accomplishments. I think he is the odds-on favourite to take this stage with gorgeous landscapes and pancake-flat roads in the final 60 kilometres.

All eyes are on Mark Cavendish ahead of stage 1 for two reasons: with twenty-five wins, he's the record holder of Tour de France stage victories among the contemporary pro cyclists and he's the local hero as the race will finish in Harrogate where his mother Adele hails from. But he looks at the Tour beyond the inaugural stage just like Chris Froome and Team Sky who ride as defending champions on home soil. They could feel the pressure as they were introduced to almost 12.000 fans in the Leeds Arena on Thursday evening.

“It's incredible that for the second time in my career, the Tour de France starts in the UK”, said Cavendish in his pre-race press conference in Leeds. “This is the biggest race in the world. I'm ready for an exciting challenge. I remember coming here in Yorkshire many summers to see my grand-parents. My uncle still lives in Harrogate. It's nice to return where I came when I was young.

It would be an honor to get the yellow jersey on Saturday but there'll twenty days to go after that stage. The Tour starts in Yorkshire but doesn't finish in Yorkshire.” His lead out train looks extremely qualified on paper with the likes of Mark Renshaw and Alessandro Petacchi. “Omega Pharma-Quick Step has built an incredibly strong team”, Cavendish noted. “We're here with quite a formidable line-up, not only for sprinting but also for GC, for the time trial with Tony Martin who is the world champion.

We've been super successful this whole season and we want to be successful again during the next three weeks. I feel in good condition. The support we get here in the UK for the Tour is phenomenal. When I came to recce the stages, I could feel the vibe. People who know about bike races and people who don't know about bike races are concerned. I can anticipate how big it'll be over the week-end.”

Born and raised in Kenya, Chris Froome doesn't have the same kind of personal history in Yorkshire but he carries the flag for Great-Britain and Team Sky. “There's definitely an increased pressure being the defending champion and racing on home soil but it's all positive energy that I feel”, said the winner of the hundredth edition of the Tour de France. “Life definitely changes after winning the Tour de France. Alberto Contador has showed that he's in a much more competitive situation than last year. But there are lots of main rivals that we'll be looking at. We're up for it. We've geared our training towards the Tour de France with mostly the same group of guys going for altitude camps in Mount Teide. I've had issues to deal with since the beginning of the season: pain in my lower back, chest infection, crash at the Dauphiné… But last week has been very good and I'm here in a similar kind of form as I was one year ago.”

Team Sky principal Dave Brailsford refuted the idea of racing as defending champions. “We're not here to defend anything”, he said. “It's another challenge. Every year it's a different race, with time trials or not, with cobbles or not, with different mountains… We're ready for the fight. We'll give our best shot and what will be will be.”

See ya'all tomorrow!

[PeteB570]

I saw a little clip somewhere where Brailsford explained it was a hard decision to make - not bringing Wiggens, but does anybody know the inside scoop on why?

[nutmeg]

Thank you for the TDF ping, FRiend! Looking forward to this year’s Tour. Happy Fourth of July to you and yours...

[deport]

July 5, 6:00 am edt, NBCSN live coverage........

[Baynative]

There has been a lot of talk about Wiggins not being 100% physically. All Dave Brailsford has to say is that it wan an agonizing decision and it kept him awake at night. It is pretty common knowledge that Wiggins and Froome don't get along. How much of that played a part is impossible to say.

Being a team sport, cycling takes continuity to sty strong in a multi stage event and I would bet cohesion has a lot to do with it all. I agree with Brailsford when he says his philosophy is to win, not to defend.

I have a feeling that Richie Port is a factor in all of this. Not because of personality as much as his combination of speed and climbing ability. With Contador healthy and other teams having strong climbing partners, there may have been concerns about Froome being left alone in the mountain.

A surprise for me is Chris Horner on the Lampre roster after almost being killed just two months ago when he was hit in a dark tunnel and found on the road. Thank GOD he wasn't hit again while he was lying there. If he is strong he will be there to mentor Rui Costa who just might deliver a couple of surprises of his own.

[patriotspride]

Great stuff. Should make for more interesting viewing.