2013 Tour de France

[sogood]

Qunitana magic, Jens magic. Rodriguez and Porte were fantastic too! After stuffing up his energy management and going into deficit in the earlier stage, Froome was never going to recover sufficiently to whip everyone else. All he had to do was just to survive and win the Tour. Done for another year!

Now, will Cav win in Paris again? Last question of this tour.

[jamesn184]

Hope Cav wins in Paris,
Last night was the most I've seen Quintana face move ever...
Nice to see him smile when he won the stage

[toolonglegs]

There was a bit of maneuvering by Froome on that stage ... Not exactly "a gift" but pretty obvious.

[RobM]

I'm hoping Sagan wheelies first across the line in Paris. Bum squeezes for everyone!!

[sogood]

Last night was the most I've seen Quintana face move ever...

Botox effect has finally worn off.

[jamesn184]

Botox effect has finally worn off.

He's got a damn good poker face

[Mulger bill]

Did I actually see CF honking last night?

[clackers]

Roland getting away with trying to run someone off the road ... come on refs, a little less parochialism, please!

[Xplora]

I found this clip of Sagan doing a no-hands wheelie up Alpe d'Huez on YouTube.

PETER SAGAN - Tour de France 2013 - Wheelie on Alpe d'Huez

Obviously he is a crowd favourite for good reason.

His team mate must have been thinking "damn sumbitch, no one even cares I'm here!!"

[find_bruce]

Roland getting away with trying to run someone off the road ... come on refs, a little less parochialism, please!

The 100th edition of le tour is all about tradition, and one of those traditions is being parochial towards the French riders

[pentlandexile]

Great finale. Loved the twilight finish and the lightshow on the Arc. Just not Cav's year was it?

[g-boaf]

It was a great Tour. Even from cold, dark Sydney - I loved every moment of it.

[trailgumby]

70721410

[grantw]

Yeah, I really enjoyed the tour this year, I'll be glad to get my sleeping back on track though!

[gabrielle260]

Yeah, I really enjoyed the tour this year, I'll be glad to get my sleeping back on track though!

Me too!
Post tour separation anxiety?

[AUbicycles]

With the late finish and sleep deprivation I couldn't wake up in the middle of the night to watch pro-cyclists riding slow and sharing champagne and cigars. The finale on the Champs-Élysées is worth it but I had SBS on when they were hosting a studio forum with a panel sharing opinions on mind-numbing topics like social media (twitter) in the tour and before I knew it, the TV was off.

[RonK]

Just not Cav's year was it?

Yeah - wasn't it great to see somebody else get the money.

[toolonglegs]

yet again I stayed away from the Champs-Élysées while in Paris ... Been a long month, after I watched froome on the podium about 10.15pm... I headed off for a 10.20pm showing of world war z.
One day I will put my hand up for the VIP tickets... Anyway apparently the champagne and water ques were very long... Shame on you ASO lol.

[briztoon]

One day I will put my hand up for the VIP tickets... Anyway apparently the champagne and water ques were very long... Shame on you ASO lol.

So to were the queues for the toilets. No queues fro soft drinks or water where we we "seated" however. As for seating in the stands, well what a joke. Waaaayyyyy over sold, probably 3 people for every 2 seats.

Funniest event of the evening, doing a drink run for our group and there is an American lady complaining to the staff of the drinks tent about the excess of people in the stands. I mention that all the stands are like that and she says "well it's just not good enough, they should remove people so we can sit down and watch the race". She then asks who's in charge and heads towards an official looking type who's checking peoples entry tickets. I mention the episode to our tour operator as I return with the drinks, and he makes the comment that maybe she'll be the first person removed to allow others to sit.

[brentono]

It's over for another year, and the commentators must re-group for next year.
Froome wins the 100th Tour, one that you could say was almost designed for him.
Richie Porte by his side, and possibly the best asset Froome had.
Great win for Marcel Kittel (Argos-Shimano) on the Champs-Élysées topping off
4 great stage wins, and best in this year's Tour. Greipel the only concern on the Champs
Great to see Peter Sagan so consistent once again for the "Green Jersey" and
well deserved. Still young and a long way to go. Great all-rounder.
And Rojas Nairo Quintana a great finishing burst. Great for a young bloke.
If there were more mountain stages, the Tour could almost be designed for him.
Joaquin RODRIGUEZ consistant as ever.
Contador put up a great fight, and deserves acknowledgment for it, but this
year he was unable to change his fate. Never really able to recover from his
questionable suspension, and return to former glory. KREUZIGER was a great ally.
And together a great Team effort, along with the rest.
Another episode of the Greatest show on earth. Looking forward to next year.

[Zynster]

If I had a dollar for every time Phil said, "Ritchie Froome"......

[newie]

If I had a dollar for every time Phil said, "Ritchie Froome"......

Or called Contador, Valverde, or vice versa.

Edit: I don't want to sound mean about him, as their commentary is designed for newbie's to following the sport, and does that successfully. Their explanation of everything that was going on when I first started watching kept me interested and got me in. But there do seem to be an awful lot of mistakes these days. I just don't know whether it is because I am more knowledgeable now, or whether Phil is starting to lose it a bit.

[warthog1]

Contador put up a great fight, and deserves acknowledgment for it, but this
year he was unable to change his fate. Never really able to recover from his
questionable suspension, and return to former glory. :

Heard a theory today from a current procyclist that the reason Contador tested positive for Clenbuterol was because he had been using it in training.
The blood he took out at that time and reinfused during the tour therefore busted him. Would also explain the plasticisers in his blood.

[RonK]

Contador put up a great fight, and deserves acknowledgment for it, but this
year he was unable to change his fate. Never really able to recover from his
questionable suspension, and return to former glory. :

Heard a theory today from a current procyclist that the reason Contador tested positive for Clenbuterol was because he had been using it in training.
The blood he took out at that time and reinfused during the tour therefore busted him. Would also explain the plasticisers in his blood.

Have you only just realised this? It's how Landis was caught out too.

[jules21]

Heard a theory today from a current procyclist that the reason Contador tested positive for Clenbuterol was because he had been using it in training.
The blood he took out at that time and reinfused during the tour therefore busted him. Would also explain the plasticisers in his blood.

that's what most people assumed. it's called a 'ghost positive' or something.