Tour de France 2017 General Thread

My partner was commenting earlier that even the scenery wasn't as great as previews years? Have to agree there but maybe thats because the Giro won that competition too this year.

If I had to pick a highlight for the tour? Uran taking a stage win on a fixie.

Burkie1203

Interesting article in indo today by kimmage relating to itv4 coverage. They had a former team mate of tom simpson on discussing the lack of an official commemoration of his death as it is 50 years. They didnt mention the tubes of amphetamine he had on his person just that there was bittersweet circumstances.

Yet every time Contador attacked this week they mentioned his drugs ban.

And team sky are whiter then white. I really hope they are clean but i have my doubts. If any other team were doing what sky have there would be a lot of raised eyebrows from british media

Macy0161

Burkie1203 wrote: »

And team sky are whiter then white. I really hope they are clean but i have my doubts. If any other team were doing what sky have there would be a lot of raised eyebrows from british media

To be fair, it's elements of the British media that have been pursuing the Tue/ jiffy bag stuff. It's the UK media, imo, that brailsford/ sky are running scared off with the no press conference bs.

Too many vested interests in the ITV coverage. I like Boardman, but he's compromised by his previous relationship with British cycling, and Millar is both a friend of brailsford and obviously his sister works for sky. Friebe is pretty balanced on the likes of the cycling podcast, but obviously a very specific role for itv.

Burkie1203

Macy0161 wrote: »

To be fair, it's elements of the British media that have been pursuing the Tue/ jiffy bag stuff. It's the UK media, imo, that brailsford/ sky are running scared off with the no press conference bs.

Too many vested interests in the ITV coverage. I like Boardman, but he's compromised by his previous relationship with British cycling, and Millar is both a friend of brailsford and obviously his sister works for sky. Friebe is pretty balanced on the likes of the cycling podcast, but obviously a very specific role for itv.

Newstalk had the guy from the daily mail on there months ago who was brilliant. Its just a bit hypocritical to say the least to demand a memorial service for simpson while critical of contador.

Macy0161

Burkie1203 wrote: »

Newstalk had the guy from the daily mail on there months ago who was brilliant. Its just a bit hypocritical to say the least to demand a memorial service for simpson while critical of contador.

Not really sure it is. It could be argued that Simpson was a victim of the culture of the time, whereas not sure you can really argue Bert was? Similarly, I'm pretty sure that Kimmage himself has portrayed athletes that have allegedly died of blood like treacle/ epo abuse as victims in the past.

Haven't read the article yet, but thought Kimmage would be above digger-esque over simplification of what happened with Simpson tbh. Disappointed if that's his level on this.

Eamonnator

Burkie1203 wrote: »

Interesting article in indo today by kimmage relating to itv4 coverage. They had a former team mate of tom simpson on discussing the lack of an official commemoration of his death as it is 50 years. They didnt mention the tubes of amphetamine he had on his person just that there was bittersweet circumstances.

I didn't hear that ITV4 segment, but if I'm not mistaken, the former team mate of Tom Simpson referred to is Barry Hoban, who married Simpson's widow a couple of years after Tom's death.

Eamonnator

I watched ITV4's coverage of the Tour most days. I thought it was reasonable. I like the insight that Boardman and Millar brought to it.
BUT:
ITV4's coverage is sponsored by a crowd called Watchfinder & Co. They have ads on in between, and during, the good stuff. In one of them a guy has a bike turned upside down on the road, while he messes about with a wheel. UPSIDE DOWN, wtf is that all about. In another ad he's putting the front wheel back on a bike and the skewer is on the incorrect side, That's just TRAGIC. In another ad, yer man is on the bike, he's riding along at about 10kph, maximum and he changes from the little ring into the big ring, 10KPH.
Who allows these things to be shown on TV, during The Tour de France, of all times?
It's a travesty, that's what it is, a FCUKING TRAVESTY.

rant over. I'm off on my bike to cool down.

Kaisr Sose

Deleted User wrote: »

If I had to pick a highlight for the tour? Uran taking a stage win on a fixie.

Possibly the only time he hit the front of the race ...

bazermc

Eamonnator wrote: »

I watched ITV4's coverage of the Tour most days. I thought it was reasonable. I like the insight that Boardman and Millar brought to it.
BUT:
ITV4's coverage is sponsored by a crowd called Watchfinder & Co. They have ads on in between, and during, the good stuff. In one of them a guy has a bike turned upside down on the road, while he messes about with a wheel. UPSIDE DOWN, wtf is that all about. In another ad he's putting the front wheel back on a bike and the skewer is on the incorrect side, That's just TRAGIC. In another ad, yer man is on the bike, he's riding along at about 10kph, maximum and he changes from the little ring into the big ring, 10KPH.
Who allows these things to be shown on TV, during The Tour de France, of all times?
It's a travesty, that's what it is, a FCUKING TRAVESTY.

rant over. I'm off on my bike to cool down.

^

There's a right and a wrong side for the skewer?

Eamonnator

bazermc wrote: »

^

There's a right and a wrong side for the skewer?

Of course. Skewers go on the left.

Beasty

Eamonnator wrote: »

Of course. Skewers go on the left.

Depends which end you're looking from:p

Eamonnator

Beasty wrote: »

Depends which end you're looking from:p

Or if the bike is upside down!

joujoujou

Short moment ago (while they're waiting for start) saw Michał shooting that - now already posted:

https://twitter.com/michalkwiatek/status/889133487470587904

rtmie

Eamonnator wrote: »

I watched ITV4's coverage of the Tour most days. I thought it was reasonable. I like the insight that Boardman and Millar brought to it.
BUT:
ITV4's coverage is sponsored by a crowd called Watchfinder & Co. They have ads on in between, and during, the good stuff. In one of them a guy has a bike turned upside down on the road, while he messes about with a wheel. UPSIDE DOWN, wtf is that all about. In another ad he's putting the front wheel back on a bike and the skewer is on the incorrect side, That's just TRAGIC. In another ad, yer man is on the bike, he's riding along at about 10kph, maximum and he changes from the little ring into the big ring, 10KPH.
Who allows these things to be shown on TV, during The Tour de France, of all times?
It's a travesty, that's what it is, a FCUKING TRAVESTY.

rant over. I'm off on my bike to cool down.

All of the above but still not as much of a travesty as the Alpecin "fight for your hair" ad on Eurosport. Nearly had my TV flying out the window by the end of the tour.

Lumen

rtmie wrote: »

All of the above but still not as much of a travesty as the Alpecin "fight for your hair" ad on Eurosport. Nearly had my TV flying out the window by the end of the tour.

I don't mind that one. The car ad with the dude flicking the other dude into the pool. JESUS!!!!!

velo.2010

After reading a couple of articles today, I think there will be a movement to get Froome and his exploits recognised more by the British public. He wasn't even nominated last year for BBC SPOTY and so I think he will be pushed front and centre by much of the British media to be knighted and win that award.

rtmie

velo.2010 wrote: »

After reading a couple of articles today, I think there will be a movement to get Froome and his exploits recognised more by the British public. He wasn't even nominated last year for BBC SPOTY and so I think he will be pushed front and centre by much of the British media to be knighted and win that award.

That will require BBC effectively advertising Sky all through December. The Dirty Digger will be delighted.

godtabh

velo.2010 wrote: »

After reading a couple of articles today, I think there will be a movement to get Froome and his exploits recognised more by the British public. He wasn't even nominated last year for BBC SPOTY and so I think he will be pushed front and centre by much of the British media to be knighted and win that award.

The BBC have a good article up in that today. It's tag is along the lines of Froome is the least liked elite champion sports person who is "British". Good read.

Don't think he'll ever win it

neris

rtmie wrote: »

All of the above but still not as much of a travesty as the Alpecin "fight for your hair" ad on Eurosport. Nearly had my TV flying out the window by the end of the tour.

Worst ad of the cycling season so far by a long way. The sagan Bora ad nearly looks like professional acting against that ad

Inquitus

neris wrote: »

Worst ad of the cycling season so far by a long way. The sagan Bora ad nearly looks like professional acting against that ad

I would say its a toss up between Pajama Mommas and the Katusha Alpencin Bus Ad.

CrowdedHouse

All jerseys and stages won using Dura Ace Di2

petethedrummer

joujoujou wrote: »

Marcel Kittel quit. No good.

They should retrospectively revoke stage wins if you don't finish the tour....

....of course, I have not thought this through.

BowSideChamp

CrowdedHouse wrote: »

All jerseys and stages won using Dura Ace Di2

and Dura Ace Di2speed.

Lusk_Doyle

Is Peter Sagan allowed back into France again?

Brian?

That was actually a great Tour to watch. Some phenomenal stages, great attacking and great defending. Excitement right up until the last mountain stage.

The crushing sense of inevitability never really went away though.

Some random thoughts:

Froome has more tours than Lemond now.
Dan Martin can win a Grand Tour, just maybe not the Tour.
Alberto Contador is finished as a GC force in any Grand Tour, but man is he entertaining.
Next years Tour should have no time trial.

1bryan

Brian? wrote: »

That was actually a great Tour to watch.

really? I thought it was dull as hell. The short mountain stage was a little bit exciting, but overall the route didn't lend itself to an interesting race at all, especially with 2 of the main characters and 2 of the main GC contenders going out early.

The tour de france really needs to reinvent itself. It is a damp squib almost every year.

odyssey06

Brian? wrote: »

Next years Tour should have no time trial.

I think they should bring back the team time trial, that was exciting to watch (on TV at least) as teams try to hold onto their 'fifth man'. I don't think individual time trials are great as spectator events and likely if you are a fan at the finish line any time trial wouldn't be great either as you don't have the timings.

Maybe keep a short ITT prologue, enough for the dedicated trial triallers to go for a stage win but not enough to allow GC riders to get a signfiicant lead.

There's probably too many teams for it to work in the TDF, but a wacky relay stage where you have different phases e.g. a team time trial at the start with 3-5 riders, then you pick a rider for the next relay stages e.g. a hilly section, mountain section, a descent, and a section for your best time trialler.

Brian?

1bryan wrote: »

really? I thought it was dull as hell. The short mountain stage was a little bit exciting, but overall the route didn't lend itself to an interesting race at all, especially with 2 of the main characters and 2 of the main GC contenders going out early.

The tour de france really needs to reinvent itself. It is a damp squib almost every year.

Did you watch too much? I only watched the last hour of most stages, sometime 90 minutes of a mountain stage.

Brian?

odyssey06 wrote: »

I think they should bring back the team time trial, that was exciting to watch (on TV at least) as teams try to hold onto their 'fifth man'. I don't think individual time trials are great as spectator events and likely if you are a fan at the finish line any time trial wouldn't be great either as you don't have the timings.

Maybe keep a short ITT prologue, enough for the dedicated trial triallers to go for a stage win but not enough to allow GC riders to get a signfiicant lead.

There's probably too many teams for it to work in the TDF, but a wacky relay stage where you have different phases e.g. a team time trial at the start with 3-5 riders, then you pick a rider for the next relay stages e.g. a hilly section, mountain section, a descent, and a section for your best time trialler.

I despise TTTs.

Cee-Jay-Cee

Brian? wrote: »

I despise TTTs.

Me too, don't generally watch them as they're as dull as dishwater. The ITT isn't much better (unless its wet) and Saturdays had a bit of excitement at the end as froome almost caught Bardet but over all I think TT's should be forgotten about or else change how the results effect the GC, eg 1st place gets a 10 second bonus, 2nd 9 seconds etc etc as far as 10th place.

Overall I enjoyed it but looking forward to the Vuelta as it has more mountain stages which I think TDF needs to liven it up a bit.