Tour De France

I am a bit late with this thread this year, been on holiday,

Cavendish only one win up to now because he has been very unlucky with crashes,

Wiggins could take yellow today as its the 1st moutain stage,

Wiggins has a great chance of winning the race overall barring accidents,

Come on you Brits !!!!!!!!

Quoted from grimsby pete

I am a bit late with this thread this year, been on holiday,

Cavendish only one win up to now because he has been very unlucky with crashes,

Wiggins could take yellow today as its the 1st moutain stage,

Wiggins has a great chance of winning the race overall barring accidents,

Come on you Brits !!!!!!!!

I'd be surprised to see Wiggo in yellow tonight. The climb today goes up to 25% in parts - he can't handle those types of percentages. Last year's Vuelta proved that.

Cav has only missed out on one finish because of a crash. He got beat fair and square by Greipel and the other false flat finshed aren't really to his capabilities.

Chris Froome - what a ride yet again for Wiggo. Victory welll deserved.

Great result for the 1st mountain stage dropping shleck and radioshacks plan B Kloden also Basso didn't last considering these were relatively small mountains (3km but steep).

Though if only the last few days had gone better for Cav as sky now have the yellow and poka dot jerseys and are still the leading team (I think not sure how many riders they count)

Quoted from Paris Mariner

I'd be surprised to see Wiggo in yellow tonight. The climb today goes up to 25% in parts - he can't handle those types of percentages. Last year's Vuelta proved that.

Cav has only missed out on one finish because of a crash. He got beat fair and square by Greipel and the other false flat finshed aren't really to his capabilities.

I do like to be  surprised Paris, don't you ?    

Quoted from grimsby pete

I do like to be  surprised Paris, don't you ?    

Yes, I can remember watching Wiggo at the Lincoln GP so today was fantastic. Froome put in a brilliant shift. He rides himself into the ground for Wiggins. Be interesting to see how the time trial goes after tomorrow's slog.

Another good day for Bradley today, goes into tomorrows time trail 10 secs ahead of main rival Evans.

now Wiggins gets to follow so will get the time splits a long the route.

Also it seems he was in fine fettle this morning at the press conference see below nicked from @richardmoore73 twitter feed

Wiggins, asked about those who accuse him of doping: "I say they're just f*cking male masturbators. I cannot be doing with people like that It justifies their own bone-idleness because they can't ever imagine applying themselves to do anything in their lives It's easy for them to sit under a pseudonym on Twitter and write that sort of excrement, rather than get off their arses in their own lives and apply themselves and work hard at something and achieve something. And that's ultimately it. C*nts.

As richard Moore say it is bit more than just I have never tested positive

Froome on the road and Nibali, Evans and Wiggo about to go down the ramp. Can't wait for this.

Wiggins wins with a lead of 1 min 53 secs over Evans overall,

Froome another Englishman gets second in the time trail and moves into 3rd overall,

Great day for us Brits.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Totally incredible ride from Bradley Wiggins today. Forget about Evans, to beat Cancellara by nearly a minute is unreal  

Just as good from Froome - with 2 riders in top 3 Sky really should finish with th eyellow jersey now.

Incredible time gap today. Brilliant effort by Wiggins and Froome.

1-2 today and 1-2 overall, if Froome hadn't lost over a minute crashing last week!

Rest day tomorrow and they will need it,

Long day in the mountains on wednesday.

Best british Tour De France ever.

Let's not get carried away. Still 2 weeks to go and anything can happen - just look at last year.

Quoted from Paris Mariner

Let's not get carried away. Still 2 weeks to go and anything can happen - just look at last year.

True, with a bit of luck Evans will fall off his bike and have his jaw wired shut.

Sorry sick joke.

Cracking result Today. I thought Wiggo would take a couple of seconds off Evans but that was brilliant Knees, Porte and Rogers are gona have have there work cut out for them attacks galore from now on this could be fun. For that matter have a feeling there gona have to have Cav and Bernie leading the train along at the low bits just to save the others for the hills.

Quoted from leicmariner

Cracking result Today. I thought Wiggo would take a couple of seconds off Evans but that was brilliant Knees, Porte and Rogers are gona have have there work cut out for them attacks galore from now on this could be fun. For that matter have a feeling there gona have to have Cav and Bernie leading the train along at the low bits just to save the others for the hills.

Depends whether they want Cav to finish the Tour or not. Allegedly, he may not do it all in view of the Olympics. He's already done bottle fetching etc (not often you see a World Champion do that) but leading the train would be a big surprise, especially if he's to finish the Tour.

No change for the leaders of the tour today,

Voeckler wins the stage , with all the main contenders coming home together.

Good day today ( thurs ) for Wiggins and Froome as Evans struggles,

Brits now 1 and 2 overall.

Evans now over 3 mins behind in 4 th place.

Good day for the Brits again,

Miller wins the stage with Wiggins and Froome still 1 and 2 overall.

Just keeps getting better! Having being an avid fan of cycle racing for over 30 years this years Tour is like a dream come true.

Quoted from PrestwichMariner

Just keeps getting better! Having being an avid fan of cycle racing for over 30 years this years Tour is like a dream come true.

I could not agree more.  Fantastic !!!!!!!!!!!

A superb finish by Millar today.

It took fitness, form and brilliant tactical nous over the last few kilometres. I loved it.

7 days now in yellow for Wiggins,

Only poor day came from Cavendish, unable to keep up so could not contest the sprint finish.

Some idiot threw dozens of tacks on the road today, so there were a lot of punctures,

Wiggins had one and Evans had two

No  change in the lead for the race because Wiggins who got back to the front of the peloton got all the other riders to stop racing so Evans who was a minute or two behind got the chance to catch up with the rest of the leaders,

A good sporting gesture.

Monday-  boring day today, nothing happened, a breakaway succeeded because nobody could be bothered to chase them down,

No tacks on the road today so,

Wiggins and Froome still 1 and 2 going in to the rest day tomorrow,

Two hard days in the mountains follow,

If Wiggins can get through them still in the lead, he can not lose, can he ?

Quoted from grimsby pete

Monday-  boring day today, nothing happened, a breakaway succeeded because nobody could be bothered to chase them down,

No tacks on the road today so,

Wiggins and Froome still 1 and 2 going in to the rest day tomorrow,

Two hard days in the mountains follow,

If Wiggins can get through them still in the lead, he can not lose, can he ?

Please don't tempt fate Pete. Having seen Wiggins ride the Lincoln GP as a neo-pro back in the early noughties I find it particularly amazing to find British cycling in this situation. So, let's not have the fat lady singing until it truly is over. Granted, he's looking a firm favourite for Paris by the day, but a silly crash, a lack of concentration, down you go broken collar bone - it's so easy.

Frank Schleck banned, proved positive on drugs test,

He said he has done nothing wrong and asked for his B sample to be tested,

IF he did take  drugs , it has not done him any good,

He finished 3rd last year but has been behind the leaders in all the stages so far.

Wiggins and Froome gained more time on Evans today,

Evans unable to keep up on the steep mountains,

Voeckler had a good day, won the stage and takes the polka dot jersey.

One more day in the mountains to go.

Reckon its all over bar the shouting now. The fat lady is warming up on the sidelines!

Quoted from PrestwichMariner

Reckon its all over bar the shouting now. The fat lady is warming up on the sidelines!

Nnnnnnoooo!!

At the moment I keep thinking its gotta be but it only takes a second, look at Horner today very lucky to come away unscathed and Hincapie doesn't look to healthy just seen a pic very little skin left on his shoulder

Quoted from leicmariner

Nnnnnnoooo!!

At the moment I keep thinking its gotta be but it only takes a second, look at Horner today very lucky to come away unscathed and Hincapie doesn't look to healthy just seen a pic very little skin left on his shoulder

It should be all over,

BUT

Wiggins and Froome might collide with each other and crash out of the tour,

Its never over untill  the fat lady sings,

BUT

She has been spotted in Paris.  

What a day !!!!!!!

Chris Froome pulled Bradley Wiggins up the last steep climb to leave all the contenders behind them,

Froome could have won the stage but chose to stay with Wiggins to help him up to the finish

SO Brits still 1 and 2 overall and barring accidents they will finish the race on Sunday 1 and 2.

Well done team sky.

That was an awesome day

But I will not believe it till Sunday

Anyone know what the weather forcasts like for the time trial

Quoted from leicmariner

That was an awesome day

But I will not believe it till Sunday

Anyone know what the weather forcasts like for the time trial

Saturdays forecast is SUNNY  22 - 25 C

So everything looks good.

Now that was what I call fast!

WOW !!!!!!!!

What a finish, Wiggins leads out Cavendish who wins like a rocket.

They think its all over !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It is now , imo.

I was a good result yesterday.



On a side note  Team sky do have a tendency to launch Cav a little early yesterday he was ok cos he could use the break away but stage 5 he ran out team mates and had to drop back to find a wheel so I would say on the Champs elysees he maybe better off setting himself off Grypels wheel like his earlier stage win

Quoted from leicmariner

I was a good result yesterday.



On a side note  Team sky do have a tendency to launch Cav a little early yesterday he was ok cos he could use the break away but stage 5 he ran out team mates and had to drop back to find a wheel so I would say on the Champs elysees he maybe better off setting himself off Grypels wheel like his earlier stage win

I have to disagree with this. If you watched the Giro d'Italia when Cav had a dedicated train Sky had it down to perfection. It was like Cipollini's Saeco train in the 90s. The problem in this tour is that Sky haven't wanted to dedicate many riders to Cav so you naturally run out of team mates.

Quoted from Paris Mariner

I have to disagree with this. If you watched the Giro d'Italia when Cav had a dedicated train Sky had it down to perfection. It was like Cipollini's Saeco train in the 90s. The problem in this tour is that Sky haven't wanted to dedicate many riders to Cav so you naturally run out of team mates.

Thats my point at this race they havent timed it right at all. they only have a lead out of 3 and have tended to take it up to early. tomorrow there is going to be 2 full trains so weather they just have Brad and BH sit on the back of 1 of those trains and take it on from 2k to go rather than haveing 3 guys lead a seperate train that is liklely to run out of steam and get engulfed before hand

Quoted from leicmariner

Thats my point at this race they havent timed it right at all. they only have a lead out of 3 and have tended to take it up to early. tomorrow there is going to be 2 full trains so weather they just have Brad and BH sit on the back of 1 of those trains and take it on from 2k to go rather than haveing 3 guys lead a seperate train that is liklely to run out of steam and get engulfed before hand

The problem is you have to take it from far out to control the peloton otherwise you have people shooting off the front like yesterday. When Griepel beat him, he was just beat fair and square. I said at the beginning of the Tour that Cav would do well to win 3 stages this year and if he wins tomorrow I think it'd be fair to say he's had a good Tour.

definitely think hes had the best he could of hoped for other than the crash in the early stage.


He has already proved that without a massive train isnt a problem his first stage win was him, eisel and BH they just shepherded him up to the back of greipel, whos lotto team have a full team train which will control the peloton. To be fair BH was up there but never particularly close to cav to be classed shepherding.

And that is how a Champion crushes his opponents!

Wigggins the wonder man,

Over 1min ahead of 2nd place Froome,

Only Sanchez less than 2mins slower, the rest nowhere,

Cavendish to win his 3rd stage tomorrow to cap Britains greatest ever tour.

Three words: unbelievable.

I stand corrected they sort the train out and start from closer and cav nails it.

Right thats that done now for olympics!

Perfect end to a perfect tour,

Well done to Cavendish today , great win,

Well done to Wiggins 1st British winner of the tour,

AND

Well done to Froome a future winner I am sure,

Finally well done to all the other members of Sky, a truely fantastic effort.

From Steep Hill to the Champs Elysée. I can't believe it. I thought seeing Chris Boardman do a two up timetrial with the Lindsey Roads lads when he rode for Kodak was good. This is brilliant.

In his speech afterwards when he said "I'm going to draw the raffle tickets now" that was funny.

His speech was very good 'my mums over there, her son just won the tour de France'

Cav said it best 1 in every 3 stages was won by a Brit!

Mr W was actually born in Belgium should anyone try to say that he's not really English. However he moved to London aged 2 and his mother is ENglish. That's good enough for me and Belgium is a top country. Brussels and Bruges are top places. And the people are great, as is the Stella of course.