The Tour De France 2011

[llamafarmer]

Another amazing stage, in such an unpredictable Tour! I'm thoroughly hooked again this year!

Galibier was brutal today and they get to do it all over again tomorrow on the back of Telegraph and follow it up with Alpe D'Huez.... Fuck!

I was going off Andy Schleck, but he was superb today, Evans deserves massive credit for leading the chase and Tommy Voeckler just won't give up on yellow - balls of steel! These guys are superhuman!

 

[llamafarmer]

For a man of Hushvod's build to win a mountain stage is just remarkable. He weighs 17kg more than Contador. That's a he'll of a lot of extra weight on a climb averaging 7/8%.
Back on the flats tomorrow and time for Cav to do his thing!

He was descending at just shy of 70mph on his first stage win apparently mg:

 

[whl_yid1982]

Another amazing stage, in such an unpredictable Tour! I'm thoroughly hooked again this year!

Galibier was brutal today and they get to do it all over again tomorrow on the back of Telegraph and follow it up with Alpe D'Huez.... Fuck!

I was going off Andy Schleck, but he was superb today, Evans deserves massive credit for leading the chase and Tommy Voeckler just won't give up on yellow - balls of steel! These guys are superhuman!

I was feeling the same as you after his moaning in the previous two stages. But i had nothing but admiration after his performance in yesterdays stage. Still not sure i want him to win tho.

 

[Super Tottenham]

Shame Cavendish lost 20 points on Jose Joaquin Rojas although I think he should have enough on him as long as he doesn't lose another 20 today then it could be very tight!

 

[Dov67]

He was descending at just shy of 70mph on his first stage win apparently mg:

and Hushvod is one of cycling's gentlemen!

The fastest descent i've ever done was Mount Hermon in the Galiliee where I hit 58 mph and I'm not ashamed to say I shat myself!!!

Riding at the speed these riders are going isn't just about having balls of steel and skill. The physical demands you put your body through on a long descent are really tough.

Whether you're riding the hoods or on the drop bars you're shoulder muscles are tensed and taking all the weight. If its a descent with many hair pins in quick succession you have to ride the brakes, and after a while your forearms muscles are on fire!

Descending is not as tough as climbing but its still really tough and very frightening.

 

[Dov67]

Yesterday was one of the most incredible stages i have ever seen! I cannot believe the other teams allowed 3 LT riders to shoot ahead like that and didnt react.

Voeckler - I salute you! Likewise Cadel Evans who has been fantastic the whole tour.:bowdown:

Unbelievably gutsy move by Andy Schleck attacking like that with 60k to go. Almost unprecedented.

Unless something remarkable happens in the time trials, whoever finishes in yellow today wins the tour.

The HTC team are going to have to work really hard to help Cav. If he loses another 20 points he could lose the green jersey.

Today is the day......the legendary, iconic Alp Du Huez.

 

[Dov67]

By the way if anyone is interested in the GC teams' stats, check this out. You scroll through each rider per stage.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/99111257

 

[yawa]

By the way if anyone is interested in the GC teams' stats, check this out. You scroll through each rider per stage.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/99111257

Thats mental...the max rpm has blown me away. Im blowing it out my arse at 140rpm at a spin class.

 

[yawa]

Sat in the office at the moment and watching some of the coverage. Voeckler is hanging in there with the Schlecks at the moment. Although im not sure for how long.

 

[Bus-Conductor]

Another rip-snorting stage. Contador put in a monumental shift. I haven't enjoyed a tour as much as this one.

That performance by Schleck thursday was one of the most courageous moves I've seen in any tour de france, if it wins him the tour then he deserves it, and Voeckler's fight to retain his jersey by a few seconds, incredible.

 

[Bus-Conductor]

So boys, Cadel Evans it is then. Is it possible for the lead to change hands tomorrow ?

 

[Marty]

So boys, Cadel Evans it is then. Is it possible for the lead to change hands tomorrow ?

Incredibly unlikely, think the last time the win changed hands on the last day was 1989, and that was on a time trial stage!

Poor Andy Schleck, seems doomed to become the perennial runner-up.

 

[al_pacino]

Poor Andy Schleck, seems doomed to become the perennial runner-up.

He needs to start racing to win some of the 1 week stage races, then maybe he learns how to do a ecent TT under pressure.

 

[GDG]

Incredibly unlikely, think the last time the win changed hands on the last day was 1989, and that was on a time trial stage!

Poor Andy Schleck, seems doomed to become the perennial runner-up.

Don't forget Evans has finished second twice, too. And he did a truck load of work chasing Schleck down on Thursday when no-one else would/could, then still had the gas to blow away everyone in the field except a guy who'd been saving his legs for a couple of days specifically to take out the time trial. Thoroughly deserved win for Cadel.

 

[Marty]

Don't forget Evans has finished second twice, too. And he did a truck load of work chasing Schleck down on Thursday when no-one else would/could, then still had the gas to blow away everyone in the field except a guy who'd been saving his legs for a couple of days specifically to take out the time trial. Thoroughly deserved win for Cadel.

Oh absolutely, Evans has deserved it, he's had a brilliant tour from day one and in the last few days he rode magnificently.

 

[llamafarmer]

Incredibly unlikely, think the last time the win changed hands on the last day was 1989, and that was on a time trial stage!

Poor Andy Schleck, seems doomed to become the perennial runner-up.

I think I'm correct in saying that traditionally you don't challenge the leader in Paris (I'm not sure how long this has been the case and obviously it would be a different story if the final stage was a TT). Plus it's a flat stage so BMC would easily chase down a Schleck breakaway, particularly as HTC will be more than happy to help.

I don't particularly feel for Schleck, as mentioned above Cadel has been the runner up before and if you can't time trial you're always going to struggle to win the Tour.

I'm pleased to see a mountain biker win it :grin: Quite an achievement to be mtb and road world champ and now TDF winner.

 

[llamafarmer]

BMC deserve loads of credit too - driving the peloton for long periods, keeping Evans away from all the crashes in the first 2 weeks and setting him up brilliantly. George Hincapie has now been in the winners' team 9 times!

 

[Bus-Conductor]

Brilliant article by Paul Kimmage in the The Sunday Times titled France falls in love with the tour again, about the guy that trained Voeckler. I would have loved for him to hang on and keep his jersey, but I don't begrudge anyone in that race winning it, it was the best TDF that I've watched. Every day was interesting, eventful, with some fantastic team and individual performances.

I started this thread saying that I could forgive these guys for doping, and to a degree I still can, but I having read that article and enjoyed this years TDF more than any other, I kind of understand why it's important that the sport rids itself of this taint.

Some of these guys have fought a gallant struggle to compete honestly and drugs like EPO took doping to a new level of cheating. And more than cheating the sport, they were cheating their fellow cyclists, the ones that go through that tortuous, gut wrenching feat of endurance without cheating and deserve more accolade than any other sportsmen on this planet.

This really was a tour that something for everyone. We saw stage wins by The French, English, Norwegian, Spanish, Belgian, Australian, Portuguese, German, Luxembourgian. The bravery of Voeckler, the brilliance of Cavendish, the indefatigable Evans, the superb teamwork of HTC, The Schleck brothers, even Contador showed glimpses of his former glory.

I love the World Cups and Euro's, a competitive Ashes isn't bad, but there really isn't an event that touches the Tour de France for what it means to human achievement and sporting endeavour.

 

[ravo]

I've just realised there is a thread for this! I'm an absolute cycling nut!

This was the best TdF I can remember. Not just because Cadel won either. Every stage had drama, attacks, breaks staying away, crashes (not a good thing), Voekler in yellow again.

Absolutely brilliant. Chapeau to Cadel - absolutely deserved the win. That stage where he dragged the whole leading bunch to take 3 minutes out of A.Schleck was epic. Got to be one of the greatest performances in Australian sports history.

The Schleck sisters - well, they certainly were during the first week. The whining and bitching was pathetic. Andy made up with that superb attack to be fair.

Contador - the injury did hurt him, but he said himself that the Giro affected him more, so crash or not, I still don't think he would have won.

Here's a website with good articles and great photos by a Canadian cyclist, who lives in Melbourne.

http://www.cyclingtipsblog.com/

 

[ravo]

I also love the fact that Pierre Rolland won the stage on the Alpe d'Huez (I've climbed that and most of the other tour climbs and it's awesome!). The white jersey for France was brilliant too. He might be one to watch in a few years.

Also think Boasson Hagen is going to be as good as Thor. He can do it all.

Richie Porte is another to look out for. I would like to have seen him get in a break on a mountain stage - unfortunately, he had to support Contador.

Looking forward to next year already. This year's parcours was for the climbers - so if Andy couldn't do it this year, he might struggle to do it at all. If the race goes back to the traditional two ITTs, then he may lose five mins.