[DUMBGRUNT]

Looking to be my first year not to put a wheel on the road, since ever.

My wife says the spinbike is good.

Our son says to be careful and stay mostly on the closed courses. Yes, I was on an (almost)closed course when that evil car gave me twenty days hospital...

But being occasionally able to stay with some of the slower young ones always feels good!

[Steely Tom]

Surprise! A Tour de France That Doesn’t Feel Like a Fait Accompli

Oh, this is important.

[EEGator]

I agree with your wife. Lots of texting and drunk Mexicans on the road...

[bigbob]

Sorry to hear of your accident and hope you’re recovery is going ok. It’s impossible to reduce risk to zero but consider dedicated bike trails or group tours. Cars behave better around groups of cyclists because they know there will be witnesses :-)

As long as they ride clean I don’t care who wins the Tour.

[Cecily]

Not many Americans in the race this year.

https://www.letour.fr/en/riders

[Hot Tabasco]

Disclaimer: Lance Armstrong deserved to get busted.....

With that being said, I lost all interest in the TDF after the USADA went after him with the same intensity Robert Mueller went after Trump.

Virtually ever other European rider was exempt from any US investigation and they got off scott free........

If Armstrong was able to test negative on all the tests given to all the riders on the European cycling circuit , you know damn well all the other top riders had figured out the same system.

[ifinnegan]

Sponsored by Amgen.

[Eddie01]

I worry about getting hit all the time. Also worried about crashing in the peloton. Dangerous business bike racing.

Only trained on open roads with the team.

Otherwise, we have a great policed metro park where cars take a back seat to training cyclists. 10 mile course without cross roads. Great place to train.

Every spring we traveled to Indiana just east of Bloomington for training camp. There is a State Park we left from for 60+ mile runs.

I raced road and criterium during my amateur career.

I got a late start. 4th in the state at my peak as a Cat 5. Made Cat 4, but those bastard 20 somethings ate my lunch. Race masters, but it’s been a few years now.

Ride a 14.5 lb Wilier. Campy Record 10spd compact all carbon. 12/25 for Crits or flat road. 13/27 for hill racing.

[ChinaGotTheGoodsOnClinton]

I got rid of my road bike as well. Now I just ride on trails.

[KC Burke]

My wife got me to first watch it twenty two years ago. It grows on you.

Last few years I see about 75% of it and really enjoy it.

Oldest son and his wife are riders and I worry about them despite their very safety minded attitudes.

[RoosterRedux]

I just bought a slightly used/like-new Trek Madone so I am ready for the Tour.

For the last few years, I have ridden my MTB on the local trail and a spin bike at my local gym in front the TV playing rides through France/Germany/Italy/Spain (youtube plays "Bike The World" vids--no sound--and the boom box blasts out a loud thumping bass).

Haven't actually watched the Tour since Lance got bounced (pretty discouraging that) but I am ready again for the climbs, cobbles, and flats.

Woohoo.

As for my "new" road bike, I am going to stick with the roads in the local state park until my bike handling skills return.

[wrcase]

I don’t know very much about Road Cycling, but can someone tell me why there are always a small number of cyclists who get way ahead of everyone at the start? They never factor in the final results as they get chased down by the peloton. Is it to force the peloton to go faster?

[deport]

Doping and TDF

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doping_at_the_Tour_de_France

[Falconspeed]

"WSJ ^ | 3 July 2019 | J. Gay" Wow. Lame article. Waste of time. Who is the audience for this silly article? People who wish to learn about bikes and France? The Tour de France starts Sat 7/6. Mr. Prudhomme designed the toughest race in 25 years. The lead will change every day. The talent is huge. Instead of two good climbers and two good sprinters, there are ten of each. Very few people can complete the Tour de France in three weeks. All riders are amazing. Funny how no one talks about Lance. And everyone is celebrating Merckx this year. Thankfully, Mercks is in a good mood this year and enjoys the fans.

Politically, NBC Sports is pushing women's cycling which is a waste of time. The best lady cannot beat the worst male rider at the junior level. Celebrating women's cycling is simple patronizing and kind of insulting to women. "We know you suck at Grand Tours so we shall pretend that you are cycling all-stars and give you air time."

The old timers from 1903 to 1930 would cycle with pork chops and wine.

[nutmeg]

Thanks fro this article. I would *love* to read it, but... do you know how to get beyond the stupid WSJ paywall?

[nutmeg]

Looks like only a handful of us are posting about the TdF now on FR. Wish there was a daily thread like in the old days. (Sorry, I can't create or contribute to a daily TdF thread like I used to.)

Did anyone see yesterday's TdF with Phil and Bobke very enthusiastically interviewing Lance Armstrong?? He appeared on screen via satellite from Aspen, CO. Armstrong and his pal George Hincapie now do a daily (?) podcast about the Tour de France. Hincapie was apparently sitting next to Armstrong during yesterday's appearance on NBCSN.

Lance and George (and other Americans found guilty of doping, etc.) were *shunned* -- at least on air -- by the NBCSN crew for years. Lance Armstrong was Persona non grata.

Now the NBCSN crew is advertising Lance's podcast, and he appeared for a rather long interview during yesterday's race. I'm really puzzled by that.

Also: Does anyone know why this year's teams only have 8 riders? Didn't they have at least 9 in past years? Thanks.