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Le Tour 2016

July 2, 2016, 10:57 a.m.
Posts: 1770
Joined: Aug. 6, 2009

Nice finish today. It would be nice to see Cavendish and Sagan have a real competition for green this year, but I think Cav might drop out of the race early due to the Olympics.

July 2, 2016, 12:14 p.m.
Posts: 5731
Joined: June 24, 2003

Too bad for Contador putting himself behind the eight ball right away. Not my favourite anyway. His riding technique is awful.

Debate? Bikes are made for riding not pushing.

July 2, 2016, 12:25 p.m.
Posts: 3834
Joined: May 23, 2006

Ok for the first time my 'puter is up to a speed I can justify buying access. Where'r you watching?

Freedom of contract. We sell them guns that kill them; they sell us drugs that kill us.

July 2, 2016, 6:58 p.m.
Posts: 7707
Joined: Sept. 11, 2003

Ok for the first time my 'puter is up to a speed I can justify buying access. Where'r you watching?

SportsNet1 on Cable.

July 3, 2016, 5:59 p.m.
Posts: 1770
Joined: Aug. 6, 2009

If Sagan places top 10 (I can't believe he could medal, but who knows) in the Olympic XC race, he'll make an already great year even more impressive.

July 4, 2016, 9:07 a.m.
Posts: 16818
Joined: Nov. 20, 2002

Another W for Cav after a photo finish against Greipel!

I think Cav might drop out of the race early due to the Olympics.

That seems pretty disrespectful of the team. I can't imagine team management allowing any rider to start without a commitment from the rider to take any grand tour to the finish, barring serious illness or injury. Even the sprinters contribute to the team tactics on stages where they don't/won't make points.

When one person suffers from a delusion, it is called insanity.

When many people suffer from a delusion, it is called religion.

July 4, 2016, 9:55 a.m.
Posts: 1770
Joined: Aug. 6, 2009

He's said he plans to go all the way to Paris, but he's also said that he won't risk poor health prior to the Olympics. How he makes out in the mountains will likely decide it.

As always, plenty of sub-plots to keep things interesting during the Tour.

July 4, 2016, 12:42 p.m.
Posts: 7543
Joined: June 17, 2003

Cav will drop out for sure. Contador hit the deck again, not looking good for his long-term prospects. Peloton went on strike today and so they should…these long flat stages are pointless and outdated.

"The song of a bird…We used to ask Ennesson to do bird calls. He could do them. How he could do them, and when he perished, along with him went all those birds…"-Return from the Stars, Stanislaw Lem

"We just walk around, and sometimes we go out and dance, and then we listen to the environment."-Ralf Hutter, Kraftwerk

July 4, 2016, 9:37 p.m.
Posts: 3834
Joined: May 23, 2006

.these long flat stages are pointless and outdated.

Only because Eddie's not there.;)

Freedom of contract. We sell them guns that kill them; they sell us drugs that kill us.

July 5, 2016, 11:17 a.m.
Posts: 2906
Joined: June 15, 2006

So should the race organizers change to accommodate the new style of racing or should the riders change ?

Chicken or egg?

This trip to Kelowna was definately an undertaking - Liam and I had been planning this project for 24 hours. We worked really hard to pull out all the stops in this video. We had slo-mo goggle shots; time lapses; pedal flips; outrageous product shots; unloading and loading the bike; walking through the field with your hand in wheat. At the end of the day this trip was all about just getting out and riding with all my friends.

www.letsridebikes.ca

July 5, 2016, 2:45 p.m.
Posts: 7543
Joined: June 17, 2003

So should the race organizers change to accommodate the new style of racing or should the riders change ?

Chicken or egg?

The Vuelta and Giro have already moved to shorter, punchier stages. It's the Tour that is behind the times.

Maybe the Tour organizers are keeping the longer stages for revenue (fees from municipalities along routes.

"The song of a bird…We used to ask Ennesson to do bird calls. He could do them. How he could do them, and when he perished, along with him went all those birds…"-Return from the Stars, Stanislaw Lem

"We just walk around, and sometimes we go out and dance, and then we listen to the environment."-Ralf Hutter, Kraftwerk

July 5, 2016, 3:13 p.m.
Posts: 7543
Joined: June 17, 2003

From Velonews:

Tao of Sagan
“Tour is Tour. How they doing the stages, we have to race. Yesterday was long day because it was like was. It’s like that.” – Peter Sagan, weighing in on Monday’s slow and snoozy Tour stage. Hard to argue.

"The song of a bird…We used to ask Ennesson to do bird calls. He could do them. How he could do them, and when he perished, along with him went all those birds…"-Return from the Stars, Stanislaw Lem

"We just walk around, and sometimes we go out and dance, and then we listen to the environment."-Ralf Hutter, Kraftwerk

July 6, 2016, 11:57 p.m.
Posts: 7707
Joined: Sept. 11, 2003

That seems pretty disrespectful of the team. I can't imagine team management allowing any rider to start without a commitment from the rider to take any grand tour to the finish, barring serious illness or injury. Even the sprinters contribute to the team tactics on stages where they don't/won't make points.

It happens a lot. Many of the top riders use the Vuelta as a warmup for the World Championship and quit part way through the Tour to ride in the Worlds. Ryder has done it too. Besides, Cav would be nowhere close enough to support for his GC teammates in the mountain stages near the end (he is there to win sprint stages). He notoriously hangs off the back of the peleton in mountain stages often near or over the time limit. The only reason for him to stay for the later stages would be to win the sprint on the Champs-Élysées.

July 7, 2016, 10:06 a.m.
Posts: 16818
Joined: Nov. 20, 2002

Interestingly, after winning his third stage today, he's pretty much setting the stage for either an exit or just sitting back for the rest of the tour.

From his post-win interview;

Only one stage victory at the Tour de France makes a career or a season, so I'm obviously happy with three this year and if I win only one more by the end of my career, I'll be happy as well. I'm glad to wear the green jersey today but when we'll hit the mountains, there's no way I'll beat him (Sagan). Nobody can. He's just on another level.”

When one person suffers from a delusion, it is called insanity.

When many people suffer from a delusion, it is called religion.

July 7, 2016, 10:08 a.m.
Posts: 16818
Joined: Nov. 20, 2002

An interesting little factoid - with completion of stage 6 today, it marks the first time the tour has gone this far along with no riders exiting the race.

When one person suffers from a delusion, it is called insanity.

When many people suffer from a delusion, it is called religion.

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