Tour de France 2018 - General Thread

letape

Couple of phone pictures from about 5km into the course

You did well there !!!!! Great shots. Did you get any swag? Looked like Brailsford in the shot of the Sky bus.

letape

[Deleted User] wrote: »

You did well there !!!!! Great shots. Did you get any swag? Looked like Brailsford in the shot of the Sky bus.

Cheers! Yep Brailsford (well spotted) out of the bus for a good while looking cocky and confident. Saw the teams warming up on rollers before the start but fairly well blocked by hangers on within the cordoned off areas so hard to get good pictures. Lots of haribo sweets, Evian water and Skoda caps given away by the publicity caravan before the race. I bought a few team bottles for €5 each and a couple of retro caps from one of the unofficial sellers that follow the race. We had our car with us and managed to catch the race in two small villages as well as the start in Cholet. Great atmosphere in the villages with lots of local support and a real festival feeling. Not easy keeping small kids interested though!

1bryan

The true test of how little I care about this year's Tour was going to come if/when Dan Martin won a stage, and whether or not I'd care enough to be happy for him.

I'm happy for him, sure, but really, I couldn't care less. Sums up this tour.

But well done Dan. It's not his fault cycling has gone to sh@t.

gmacww

1bryan wrote: »

The true test of how little I care about this year's Tour was going to come if/when Dan Martin won a stage, and whether or not I'd care enough to be happy for him.

I'm happy for him, sure, but really, I couldn't care less. Sums up this tour.

But well done Dan. It's not his fault cycling has gone to sh@t.

I hate to admit after 30 years of following cycling and the tour religiously I just don't really care anymore. I was happy for Dan but watching the Giro I jumped out of the seat when Sam won. How that race panned out and everything that is going on now and has gone on since I've lost the drive and interest in the sport now.

Sure I know you could say really, after Lance? Yes. Now there is something different. It's open season now and I just can't.

mloc123

A have had little interest in the last 2-3 years. it is incredibly predictable. Sky will grind out 2 weeks of dull dull marshalling of the peleton. Froome will work on maybe 2 stages and take his winning margin.

dahat

Anyone seen odds for tomorrow's stage?

retalivity

dahat wrote: »

Anyone seen odds for tomorrow's stage?

https://www.oddschecker.com/cycling/tour-de-france/tour-de-france-stage-9/winner

Nibs 66/1,
Kwia 80/1,
Vanmarcke 100/1!

I know theyre on the leash but still....circumstances change...

Cookie_Monster

****ing sky nz. cut both stage 7 and 8 off at about the 10km to go mark, ***** :mad:

dahat

retalivity wrote: »

https://www.oddschecker.com/cycling/tour-de-france/tour-de-france-stage-9/winner

Nibs 66/1,
Kwia 80/1,
Vanmarcke 100/1!

I know theyre on the leash but still....circumstances change...

I'm thinking a GC guy might win here tmrw, Nibali isn't a bad call at all.
Kelly fancied Thomas on the Europsport board cast today.

dastardly00

I knew I wouldn't be able to watch the stage live today. So had decided to avoid all spoilers and results and watch the highlights on Eurosport2 at 9.30 tonight...
Turned on the channel a few minutes ago but the programme hadn't started yet. On comes Eurosport News... I tried to switch before it said the stage winner but I was too late.

For
Fcuk
Sake!

tuxy

Can anyone explain what's going on here? I've slowed it down but still can't figure it out. I don't believe mechanical doping is happening but it is a another weird video to add to the list.

Weepsie

Just go with TG4 highlights (in English too), eurosport are mad for that type of thing. S4C have highlights in Welsh too at 10

dahat

Decals make it look like it's rotating faster than it actually is?

dastardly00

Weepsie wrote: »

Just go with TG4 highlights (in English too), eurosport are mad for that type of thing. S4C have highlights in Welsh too at 10

I normally do watch the TG4 highlights show but today is the stage that I have been looking forward to the most, so I wanted to see as much of it as I can. The TG4 programme is so short, it's over before you know it. It's on Eurosport now

Weepsie

Weepsie wrote: »

Just go with TG4 highlights (in English too), eurosport are mad for that type of thing. S4C have highlights in Welsh too at 10

It's actually a really good package. Official Tour one and proper edited highlights as opposed to the last 50km or so of the race on Eurosport.

BowSideChamp

tuxy wrote: »

Can anyone explain what's going on here? I've slowed it down but still can't figure it out. I don't believe mechanical doping is happening but it is a another weird video to add to the list.

He lifted the bike and the crank arm pushed against his leg driving the wheel.

Just wondering what shape some of the ladies will be in for Tuesday after the Giro Rosa. Theres a few of them down to do it straight from the Giro

Van Vleuten

might carry the form on, heres hoping!!!!

tuxy

BowSideChamp wrote: »

He lifted the bike and the crank arm pushed against his leg driving the wheel.

Actually looking at it now I think he spun the crank with his hand off screen to see if the wheel was ok. It looks like he just rolls the bike onto the road and lifts the back but actually he used to seat to hold the back up all the time.

jimbobaloobob

Enjoyable stage, great to see the yellow jersey up the road.

Good tour so far.

jimbobaloobob

Is it my imagination or does Geraint Thomas shadow every move Dan Martin makes. Hes on him whenever he shows is face of the front of the peleton.

coco0981

tuxy wrote: »

Actually looking at it now I think he spun the crank with his hand off screen to see if the wheel was ok. It looks like he just rolls the bike onto the road and lifts the back but actually he used to seat to hold the back up all the time.

That's exactly what happened despite the usual loons shouting motor

https://twitter.com/LeTour/status/1018154312944496640?s=19

RIGOLO

Im starting to lose my love for Dan . 
Can someone please convince me otherwise ? 
For so long and so often Ive supported him and Ive gotten my hopes up for him to deliver a knockout GT only for some mishap, missed break, crash, delayed attack to puncture it all (pun intended). 
Im starting to think its not just bad luck, its down to Dan, a poor racing brain , taking poor options, poor bike handling . 
Id like to be proven wrong, can someone convince me otherwise. 
And please dont just post a single event to say , ohh this proves Dan has been unlucky, keep it broad . He gets into a good position over the first few days and then boom he is playing catchup for the rest of the GT. And the top 10-20 guys he competes with none of tehm you could say have had the litany of cockups Dan has had in the same time. They might have 1 GT affected badly by a big mistake , but with Dan its every tour at this stage. 

And yes he still has had a great career and some top notch wins, chapeau for that, but obviously he has more talent and ability than say Nico, but theres alot of 'what ifs' about his palmares for me.
And as a long time supporter of him I just want to get my excitement for Dan back.

dastardly00

RIGOLO wrote: »

Im starting to lose my love for Dan .
Can someone please convince me otherwise ?
For so long and so often Ive supported him and Ive gotten my hopes up for him to deliver a knockout GT only for some mishap, missed break, crash, delayed attack to puncture it all (pun intended).
Im starting to think its not just bad luck, its down to Dan, a poor racing brain , taking poor options, poor bike handling .
Id like to be proven wrong, can someone convince me otherwise.
And please dont just post a single event to say , ohh this proves Dan has been unlucky, keep it broad . He gets into a good position over the first few days and then boom he is playing catchup for the rest of the GT. And the top 10-20 guys he competes with none of tehm you could say have had the litany of cockups Dan has had in the same time. They might have 1 GT affected badly by a big mistake , but with Dan its every tour at this stage.

And yes he still has had a great career and some top notch wins, chapeau for that, but obviously he has more talent and ability than say Nico, but theres alot of 'what ifs' about his palmares for me.
And as a long time supporter of him I just want to get my excitement for Dan back.

He is often towards the middle/rear of the peloton.
He knows he should be up closer to the front, but is happier to accept the added risk of a crash so that he can hang out in the middle of the bunch.

neris

https://twitter.com/BMCProTeam/status/1018853401017376768

CrowdedHouse

^^
Yes and that subtle orange colour will be in the World Tour.....

https://twitter.com/petercossins/status/1018859370652762112

Weepsie

What will happen to the other CCC team? Will Guerciotti get the call up to WorldTour?

Pa8301

I think Dan has been unlucky in that he has been racing in the same era as Valverde. He would definitely have picked up a few more Ardennes classics wins if Valverde wasn't around. Valverde is probably on the wane now but I fear Alaphillipe is the coming man and could well dominate those races like Valverde did.

In relation to riding for GC in grand tours I don't think he has managed to ever really find the right team. Garmin never really seemed the strongest or best organised of teams when it came to the grand tours while he was there. I think that's where he got his habit of riding towards the middle and back of the peleton, like Hesjedal.
Quickstep were perfect for him for his one day aspirations but obviously Kittel was always going to be their focus at the Tour. Dan's gc placing was a bonus.
I don't think his present team is strong enough. Atapuma and Durasek should help him in the mountains but that's about it. He still has to share leadership with Kristoff, who looks to be a busted flush at the moment. In fairness they did well yesterday to get him through the cobbles but the team tt wasn't good.

neris

Slightly off topic but Trek Segafredo announced at the TDF they are launching a womens team next year with Lizzie Deignan as leader. Wonder will she get Phillip a slot on the mens team when Sky remember he rides for them and dont give him a new contract

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/trek-segafredo-confirm-womens-team-set-to-race-on-the-womens-worldtour-in-2019/

Weepsie

Weepsie wrote: »

Just go with TG4 highlights (in English too), eurosport are mad for that type of thing. S4C have highlights in Welsh too at 10

Hilarius hearing Kelly go down with cramp while comentating