Tour de France 2010

[Boognoss]

Anyone else catch the music they played in the credits after the TT stage on SBS? Kermit and Fozzie bear, Movin' Right Along. Love it

[brentono]

In theory, at stage 14, Contador was 31 secs behind, then 8 seconds ahead (= 39 seconds) and now Schleck is 39 secs behind - does that mean that if the mechanical was discounted there would be two winners this year?

Straight from Schleck's mouth, after the TT...

I made no mistakes… ah, well, I do regret that I dropped the chain the other day
but still he would have won by two seconds and I can’t go back on that.

Cheers,
BrentonO

[Parrott]

On Eurosport they started the TT coverage late however before going over to the live action they showed schlecks bike and (I think ProLogo) saddle with special anti-slip grips.

Before we really saw Contador slip off his saddle, Andy Schleck was as well. For Andy, the discomfort could be explained by the possible saddle sores from yesterdays stage in which he sent off the cameras while with the doctor. Still - very unusual to see this happening so much with the TT position and bike meant to be optimal.

The problem is they can't get the set up optimal within the UCI regs, specifically the nose of the saddle 5cm behind the bottom bracket. All the riders I saw were sitting on their perineum on the nose of the saddle which happens as they slide forward to develop power in an aero postion. Problem is it's not very comfortable perched there. If the saddle was allowed to be further forward the riders would be more comfortable and we would see less of this.

[jules21]

BTW..if it was a crossed chain from cross chaining...then that is pretty slack as I don't think skinny little Andy puts out masive watts...and he may rue the day not running a simple chain catcher may have lost him the tour.

if you look at this photo of a saxo bank bike, it seems he may have been running one.

[Chuck]

Don't thinking racing the Giro will be part of the plans of anyone focusing on the Tour after the recent efforts of Menchov 09 and Cadel/Basso this year.

They still might ride the Giro as preparation, but they won't be racing it.

Interesting comments from Contador re the Giro and Vuelta next year....

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/contado ... -struggled

....surely he's not planning on riding all 3 GT's is he going to skip the Tour and go for the 08 double again

[Chuck]

Hats off to Robbie and Cadel for making it to Paris, respect.

Really enjoyed the Tour shame about the slim pickings for the Aussies.

[jules21]

i dunno.. if you look at someone like Vino, he didn't seem to fazed by his efforts in the Giro. he didn't win either, though.

i think contador was just saying that he could ride either the giro or vuelta. surely he wouldn't contemplate all 3?

[toolonglegs]

LA is being a naughty boy with his team today... .

[toolonglegs]

Ha..they had to stop and change jerseys and numbers and everything...good photo op all the same .

[norbs]

Ha..they had to stop and change jerseys and numbers and everything...good photo op all the same .

Nice way to get loads of TV time

[Strawburger]

LA is being a naughty boy with his team today... .

Typical attention seeking Americans If he wants to ride in a charity ride, he should turn up to a charity event, not the Tour de France. There is a time and place for everything...

[sogood]

Typical attention seeking Americans If he wants to ride in a charity ride, he should turn up to a charity event, not the Tour de France. There is a time and place for everything...

Well, he is the "BOSS" of the Tour!

[AUbicycles]

Thanks for that Parrott.

I missed the LA jersey, just saw the fluro numbers and pinning them up.

Getting exciting right now - 8,6km to go.

[Chuck]

i dunno.. if you look at someone like Vino, he didn't seem to fazed by his efforts in the Giro. he didn't win either, though.

Yeah he rode strongly at both GT's.

i think contador was just saying that he could ride either the giro or vuelta.

That's more likely I guess, he is after all the defending TDF champ.

[AUbicycles]

Tough year for the Aussies - a collarbone (Adam Hansen) a broken arm (Simon Gerrans) and a fractured elbow (Cadel Evans) plus Robbie McEwen has his fall.
Brento On the 39secs - I think Schleck may have gotten it wrong. Checking on the net - a few other blog authors have noticed this as well... Winner stands though.


Agree on the comments on Radioshack... at least the courtesy to ask in advance... or if it was important maybe it should have been the LiveShack RadioStrong team from the start - they could have been pushing this message the whole time.

Lets see if Petacchi gets to keep his green (for discussion here)

[arkle]

I don't get it. How did they know that Contador had won the Tour after the time trial competition but the riders were still racing in the stage that ended in Paris?

arkle

[Robdog]

I don't get it. How did they know that Contador had won the Tour after the time trial competition but the riders were still racing in the stage that ended in Paris?

arkle

I haven't seen the stage yet, but the way it normally goes is that they have a very slow, relaxing parade type stage until they get to the Champs Elysee where the time is calculated (?), then they do 10 laps of racing around the Champs Elysee - Arc du Triomphe circuit, and may the best man win. Green jersey points are given out as normal at the end of the 10 laps, and a stage win is awarded, but no time gaps are given after the first 'finish line'

[Vipul]

What a great tour it has been!

So guys, here is the agenda for TDF 2011,

1. Australia gets its hopes up high for Evans
2. At this point, I make a bet about buying you guys campy bora or reynolds wheelsets if Evans wins the tour
3. Evans wears MJ
4. Evans loses MJ
5. At this point, I don't buy any of you any wheelsets
6. Contador/Schleck wins the tour

Good day

[jules21]

I don't get it. How did they know that Contador had won the Tour after the time trial competition but the riders were still racing in the stage that ended in Paris?

actually this is an easy trap to fall into. while most of the peloton was sipping champagne, Andy Schleck attacked Contador in one last effort to wrest the yellow jersey off him. luckily Contador was marking him though and pulled him back in

[arkle]

I don't get it. How did they know that Contador had won the Tour after the time trial competition but the riders were still racing in the stage that ended in Paris?

arkle

I haven't seen the stage yet, but the way it normally goes is that they have a very slow, relaxing parade type stage until they get to the Champs Elysee where the time is calculated (?), then they do 10 laps of racing around the Champs Elysee - Arc du Triomphe circuit, and may the best man win. Green jersey points are given out as normal at the end of the 10 laps, and a stage win is awarded, but no time gaps are given after the first 'finish line'

OK so what if Schlek had broken away and crossed the first finish line a minute ahead of Contador? Or what would have happened if Contador had crashed and not finished the stage? Or a spectator who didn't want Contador to win had pushed a stick in his spokes?

arkle

[jasimon]

OK so what if Schlek had broken away and crossed the first finish line a minute ahead of Contador? Or what would have happened if Contador had crashed and not finished the stage? Or a spectator who didn't want Contador to win had pushed a stick in his spokes?

arkle

If Schleck tried to break away, a lot of hard men would have chased him down and given him a headbutt. If Contador crashed or otherwise got held up the Peloton would have stopped and waited for him. It is the way it is.

[jules21]

paul sherwen was talking about this last night. apparently someone once congratulated bernard thevenet (i think) on his win ahead of the last stage and eddy merckx responded - "what win?" merckx attacked on the last stage and was pulled in. i imagine there were a lot of p****d off riders in the peloton who had to chase.

[arkle]

Ahh I see, so it's a matter of tradition and honour that, even though you could technically win the tour on the last stage, in practice nobody tries to do so. Or do they? Why wouldn't they try to break away? If there can be breakaways on normal stages surely a team could manage a breakaway on the last stage? Would it be disrespectful? If I really wanted to win I'd be saying bugger the tradition, let's go! And Contador didn't stop for the slipped chain did he? So why would Schleck stop on the last stage.

arkle

[jules21]

that's correct. in practice, the stage is so short and flat and the sprinters' teams so hungry that it is very difficult to get away, unless your name is Vino.

[arkle]

that's correct. in practice, the stage is so short and flat and the sprinters' teams so hungry that it is very difficult to get away, unless your name is Vino.

How would the Tour cyclists, and the cycling community generally, have reacted if Contador had had a puncture and Schleck had continued on and won the Tour?

arkle