2015 Tour de France

[peterlip]

The toughness of these guys never ceases to amaze me. Michael Matthews is in the break, with broken (or cracked) ribs.
"He's had two weeks to recover from his injuries, so may go for the stage today". Really???
I cracked a rib 4 weeks before the East Link ride a couple of years ago. 75km, but I managed to do it, but it wasn't easy, and I really struggled for deep breaths when the pace was up.
I can't imagine having ridden over 2500km in 15 days and consider going for a stage with cracked ribs.
And as I type that, MM is dropping back to the peloton.

[rpmspinman]

Last night’s stage epitomised all the things that I find wonderful about watching cycling. Up front you have a bearded grown man in tears because after all the years of sacrifice and hard work he has finally achieved a childhood dream. Meanwhile, down the back you have another young man in tears from the devastation of realising that all his sacrifice and hard work is coming to naught. And in the middle you have the complex interplay between tactics, skills, luck and talent leaving you wondering how it will all unfold and afterwards contemplating how things might have gone if the tactics or lady luck had been different.

Well said. If it was just about Froome maintaining the yellow jersey these past 2 weeks alone I would have switched the tv off back then, but the mortality of the riders and how they are fairing is just amazing to watch.

[bigfriendlyvegan]

Did anyone see Fuglsang go down last night? When I saw it, I said to the missus that he looks like he hit a motobike. Here's the proof. Goose driver almost hits one rider then goes on to collect Fuglsang.

News is the driver has been ejected: http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/motorbi ... sang-crash" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

You can't even escape motorised vehicles in a segregated race!

[Grgic]

Thought something like that might have happened.

[Chris249]

Yep - an otherwise inexplicable crash on a clear road almost simultaneous with an overtaking move by a moto. Thanks for the vision, BFV, but I can feel some very slender splinter of sympathy for the moto rider when I see how Birdsong veered across the road at such an angle.

Great stage, great riding by Bardet and, among others, by Froome. And it was over roads I'll be riding over in a few weeks. Whoot!

I'm just hearing on SBS that Tomolaris has just received an award for covering 20 tours. I have a friend who is in a senior position at SBS who says that if it was not for Tomo himself, we would not have live coverage. She says he went in their and pushed the concept personally because of his own passion for cycling.

Many thanks Tomo!

[BenGr]

Yep - an otherwise inexplicable crash on a clear road almost simultaneous with an overtaking move by a moto. Thanks for the vision, BFV, but I can feel some very slender splinter of sympathy for the moto rider when I see how Birdsong veered across the road at such an angle.

Isn't that why they're on their horn when coming up? Regardless of the crash, it was the first move that was completely inexcusable.

[peterlip]

That was another brilliant stage. Sleep deprivation is worth it.

[CKinnard]

so where's the bleating for Nibali to release his power data???

[Xplora]

so where's the bleating for Nibali to release his power data???

It's only been a couple hours dude.

Besides that, Nibali is definitely on the gear gIven his links to Astana and generally otherworldly performance in world tours over the past couple years.

[gabrielle260]

so where's the bleating for Nibali to release his power data???

It's only been a couple hours dude.

Besides that, Nibali is definitely on the gear gIven his links to Astana and generally otherworldly performance in world tours over the past couple years.

Great post Xplora!
Last night's stage confirmed why I don't like Nibali. Whilst I think the unwritten rule about not taking advantage of falls/mechanicals is a little outdated, I am appalled that Nibali thinks he can get away with "Oh, I didn't see Froome stopped on the side of the road". Come off it- he took two looks and then took off, all clearly captured by the camera!!

[jasonc]

and that's why i still want quintana to win
despite what they were saying on the footage, froome did crack

[CKinnard]

It's only been a couple hours dude.

They were accusing Froome before he finished the first stage in the Pyrennes.
It's really quite gutless for the Team Sky naysayers to remain mute on the performance of Astana and Katusha teams.
This highlights that the TS attacks primarily by the French are driven by :
- old school ignorance and anger towards the success of a more scientific approach to training and tactics.
- sore losers x30.....France haven't won TdF since 1985.
- being too gutless to attack Eastern European teams. I have my well informed reasons why the UCI and Western European media treat Eastern European teams with kid gloves, but most couldn't stomach it.

[warthog1]

That's all well and good but there's a doping thread for that discussion. This is a racing thread.

[RonK]

so where's the bleating for Nibali to release his power data???

It's only been a couple hours dude.

Besides that, Nibali is definitely on the gear gIven his links to Astana and generally otherworldly performance in world tours over the past couple years.

Great post Xplora!
Last night's stage confirmed why I don't like Nibali. Whilst I think the unwritten rule about not taking advantage of falls/mechanicals is a little outdated, I am appalled that Nibali thinks he can get away with "Oh, I didn't see Froome stopped on the side of the road". Come off it- he took two looks and then took off, all clearly captured by the camera!!

Isn't that the same thing that Astana did in the Giro?
And when Contador crashed in front of Porte on the previous stage, didn't we see Porte immediately get on the radio, presumably to pass the news to Sky/Froome?

[timbo]

While there is a leading climbers jersey, there should also be a leading descenders jersey as well.
Watching the riders descending down the mountains right on the limit was breathtaking.

[Strydz]

It's only been a couple hours dude.

They were accusing Froome before he finished the first stage in the Pyrennes.
It's really quite gutless for the Team Sky naysayers to remain mute on the performance of Astana and Katusha teams.
This highlights that the TS attacks primarily by the French are driven by :
- old school ignorance and anger towards the success of a more scientific approach to training and tactics.
- sore losers x30.....France haven't won TdF since 1985.
- being too gutless to attack Eastern European teams. I have my well informed reasons why the UCI and Western European media treat Eastern European teams with kid gloves, but most couldn't stomach it.

I would hardly say that the media were handling Astana with kid gloves, I don't think there would be many around who would not have serious doubts about Astana. Also remember who climbed the final climb faster last night which was Quintana.

[Strydz]

so where's the bleating for Nibali to release his power data???

It's only been a couple hours dude.

Besides that, Nibali is definitely on the gear gIven his links to Astana and generally otherworldly performance in world tours over the past couple years.

Great post Xplora!
Last night's stage confirmed why I don't like Nibali. Whilst I think the unwritten rule about not taking advantage of falls/mechanicals is a little outdated, I am appalled that Nibali thinks he can get away with "Oh, I didn't see Froome stopped on the side of the road". Come off it- he took two looks and then took off, all clearly captured by the camera!!

Yeah but that's been changing in cycling for a while now, Contador attacking Schleck when he dropped his chain, Astana and Saxo both did it to eachother in the Giro, Evans and BMC did it in the Giro when his GC rivals were caught in and behind a crash. Also Nibali isn't a threat to Froome in the GC so it's not like he's attacking to win the whole race, yes it's not nice but it's the way cycling is

[BenGr]

And when Contador crashed in front of Porte on the previous stage, didn't we see Porte immediately get on the radio, presumably to pass the news to Sky/Froome?

Isn't the rule more about situations beyond your control, not just flubbing a corner?

[CKinnard]

I would hardly say that the media were handling Astana with kid gloves, I don't think there would be many around who would not have serious doubts about Astana. Also remember who climbed the final climb faster last night which was Quintana.

I suggest you revisit last year's tour.

[biker jk]

And when Contador crashed in front of Porte on the previous stage, didn't we see Porte immediately get on the radio, presumably to pass the news to Sky/Froome?

Isn't the rule more about situations beyond your control, not just flubbing a corner?

Maybe Froome should have avoided that stone which was lodged in his brakes? Froome is a cry baby.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/tour-de ... al-problem

[Xplora]

I can understand the chafe getting away for a breakaway to take a stage, every dog has his day, but cycling's quaint practices of chivalry are one of the things that makes the sport wonderful. Let the legs decide, not the bike.

[Mulger bill]

While there is a leading climbers jersey, there should also be a leading descenders jersey as well.
Watching the riders descending down the mountains right on the limit was breathtaking.

+Lots.

[Chuck]

Froome is a cry baby.

A bit harsh mate.

[Grgic]

Another idiot attacking Froome last night, this time with a golden golly.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/tour-de ... -on-froome" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[RonK]

And when Contador crashed in front of Porte on the previous stage, didn't we see Porte immediately get on the radio, presumably to pass the news to Sky/Froome?

Isn't the rule more about situations beyond your control, not just flubbing a corner?

Dunno about that. I recall that LA famously actually waited for Jan Ullrich when he flubbed a corner, ran off the road and crashed.