Anyone else a Tour de France fan?

[Van Huskey]

Its that time of year! I am a Schleck fan but no Andy (broken pelvis) this year so I guess Frank will have to do, anyone but Contador, oh yeah he isn't there!!! I actually like the new Radio Shack-Nissan team, Frank Schleck, Chris Horner (US), LOVE Jens Voight (hardest workin' guy in the pelaton), Popvych, Kloden, Monfort, Zebeldia, Cancellara. I don't know much about Gallopin but he is young, French and riding well, didn't pay much attention to him when he was with Cofidis. I guess the Shack has someone to push on July 4th and Bastille day as well.

I just wish I had time to watch every minute like I have in the past.

Congrats to George Hincapie as he is tying the record for most tours ridden. I have a young friend on one of his development teams and rode with him on a couple of occasions in the mountains of North Carolina during his Postal days. Always hoped he would win the Paris-Roubaix but second was the best he could ever muster, but that still takes a hard, hard man, they don't call it the Hell of the North because of temperature!

[charlie knighton]

my brother is a fan, with all the power outages, he only lost his cable and was disappointed not to see the start

[Van Huskey]

my brother is a fan, with all the power outages, he only lost his cable and was disappointed not to see the start

Honestly, the best days to miss are the flat stages like at the beggining and end. As a fan you do NOT want to miss the big mountain stages nor the ITTs (individual time trials) these are the days the TdF is won and lost. The flat stages are merely processions to the final sprint finish, rarely anything to watch except the last 10-15k. While the prologue (first day) is a ITT it is so short the time gaps gained rarely mean anything in the end.

[Paul Incognito]

This year's tour looks like it's going to ba a good show. If Wiggins and Evans can stay out of trouble, it'll be an interesting showdown in the mountains. And I can't wait to see a head to head sprint between Sagan and Cavendish.
Yesterday's finish was pretty awesome with Cancellara attacking with 1 k to go
Paul

[Van Huskey]

This year's tour looks like it's going to ba a good show. If Wiggins and Evans can stay out of trouble, it'll be an interesting showdown in the mountains. And I can't wait to see a head to head sprint between Sagan and Cavendish.
Yesterday's finish was pretty awesome with Cancellara attacking with 1 k to go
Paul

I never had much respect for Cadel as far as a TdF GC candidate but the grit he showed in the mountain stages last year showed me some serious heart. Though I still felt bad for Andy, a bridesmaid again, but if you can't master the race of truth the top step of the podium is gonna be tough unless you have a serious mountain ITT. I love watching the Manx Missle, almost as much as I loved watching Super Mario. I didn't think Cancellara had a chance that far out given the topography and if the three of them hadn't been screwing around he could have gotten some time, maybe 10-15 seconds.

[Larry Edgerton]

I used to be until my knees got so bad I could no longer ride, then I lost interest. They all have my utmost respect, even the back burners.

I had a Colnago Masterlite, signed by Ernesto, full Campy Record Ergo with Ti Speedplays sitting in my office taunting me. I finally found a deserving young man and gave it to him. The bike deserved to be ridden.

I still have a full suspension mountian bike that I built from a Bianchi Cobra frame, laced the wheels with Nuke Proof carbon fiber hubs, XTR components.

I really miss riding. I rode about 10,000 miles a year till I got old. The feeling of freedom on a bicycle, riding alone on a country road, competing against yourself was some of the most important times in my life. Now it is too painfull to be fun, but I still remember the feeling.

I have Greg LaMonde and Armstrongs books around here somewhere Van if you want them I'll throw them in the mail. I'm never going to read them again. I will caution you that reading Armstrongs book may not make you feel all warm and fuzzy about him.

Larry

[John Pratt]

I never miss it. When I was stationed in Germany, I took leave every year at that time to see a few stages. Got to see Lance win his 5th. It really is amazing how fast they can ride and it is hard to get that sensation until you see it in person. I raced a lot over the years (not anymore with a bad back) and the amount of time they can hold the pace they ride at is truely amazing. They are definitely mutants and not like the rest of us mere mortals. IIRC Lance could hold the same watt output for 30 minutes that an average cyclist could only hold for 30 sec.

[mike holden]

Go Chavonel!

Sentimental favorite.

Mike

[Van Huskey]

Talking about Lance, some of us SC/NC locals would ride "with" Postal, when they trained in the mountains of NC, when they finished goofing off they dropped the local hard men like grandma on a Huffy with two flat tires, this was on their rest days... The speed these guys have in their pocket is incredible.

I have no illusions about the pro riders, they are all doped to the gills, Lance was just the master as getting away with it, there might be a handful that are clean but they are haulin' water bottles not counting points. Even the greatest of all, the Cannibal, was caught "doping" though his era of dope was less effective but the morality was the same.

Larry thanks for the offer but I have all the Lemond and Armstrong books, I even have Bob Roll's two books, great character, decent stories, horrible writer!




After stage 2:

Winner of stage 2 Mark "The Manx Missle" Cavendish his 21st TdF stage win puts him in 6th place all time, The Cannibal Eddy Merckx is first all time w/35, Lance is tied for fourth with 22.







GC Maillot juane: Cancellara

Points Green Sagan

Climber Polka Dot Morkov

Youth White Van Garderen

Team Sky

[John Pratt]

I agree there is a tremendous amount of doping that goes on that is not detected, but I wont say who or accuse without knowing for sure. Although in the old pictures of Fausto Coppi and some other you can see small vials on necklaces around there necks. The rumors were that they contained a certain white powder. I beleive it was Eddie Merckx who said, "A man does not win the Tour De France on water alone."

[David Weaver]

I used to be a fan, but at the time I was riding a road bike for exercise. I kind of lost interest after I stopped riding, and it's just a dope fest, anyway. I don't believe there are very many professional sports left where there aren't folks doping or cheating, it's just a matter of staying ahead of the curve in terms of the testing.

That itself doesn't necessarily ruin it for me, though, logic would say that in a world where folks already weigh their food, etc, and train with computer monitoring and assist to maximize, you have the best folks who are both genetically fit for it and who are dedicated. You are not going to have the top tier in that already elevated group be folks who don't have an edge from something else - the competition is too close. That is the essence of competition and staying ahead of the rules - when you want to be the very top in the entire world, you get to a level where the rules are not quite as simple as they appear to be. Rule #1 is to win.

[Bruce Page]

It's like watching paint dry for me but my wife records and watches it all! :rolleyes:

[Paul Incognito]

Yea, it's a dopefest. Just a matter of time until they start getting caught. Happens in the 2nd week of the tout every year.
I stopped paying much attention to the pro races a while back, but the tour is hard to miss.
I like Sagan, he's a freh face with lots of talent. Cavendish has oodles of talent, but I get tired of his mouth. I'm with you Van, never really liked Cadel. But the way he won world's road race was something special. Between that and his move to BMC, he's a changed man and a little more likeable.
Larry...Nuke Proof hubs? You're showing your age my man. Does it have cantis and 26" wheels too?
Time to watch today's stage!
Paul

[Dirk Lewis]

Being from Canuckistan, I'm rooting for Ryder Hesjedal - used to mt bike with him years ago and snickered when he turned into a roadie...now who's snickerin'!

[Peter Elliott]

Van, big time cyclist and fan of TDF. I worked in the bike industry for 15yrs and owned a bike shop. A far as Lance goes, sorry... he would have been nailed back then and by now. You can not go thru all those random drug tests, for that long.. I believe Lance was using something but it wasn't illegal then and my guess was one of 100's of supplements theses guys take. Some of those supplements are by injections too. There are so many sport science drugs and other natural drugs most atheletes use for recovery, muscle building, etc.. it's crazy. I think Pro Cycling has done a pretty good job trying to recover their image. Yes, it was totally out of control, too long and not right. In then end, I guess we'll never know. The US Drug has tried before and fail to show, so did the french labs. It's all on who you want to believe. I am pretty neutral because both sides have been proven wrong. My big gutt just says, he would have been caught, just like the other big names with the big time sports doctors.

[Van Huskey]

Nuke Proof showing ones age, I have a NP stem on one of my hardtails, oh yeah I did builf it 16 years ago, and it has Race Face Cranks and bottom braket, oh yeah gone too, XTR, still here but barely make V-brakes any more, Rock Shox SID without disc mounts, Mavic 517 Citron gone, oh yeah you can buy the same Chris King Hubs and DT Revo spokes, not so old afterall!!!

On the doping, I just can't see it not being almost universal, the recovery times alone are super human. I think the dopers are 3 steps ahead of the doping agencies and only get caught when they screw up. In the end I am cynical BUT I don't care since I think it is universal. I spent YEARS sure that Peter Edward Rose never bet on baseball, I didn't care if he did as long as he never bet against his own team, in the end I was crushed, never again will I attribute morals based on athletics.

After stage 3:

Winner of stage 3 Sagan, Forest Gumpin' across the line on his Cannondale "Tourminator" hmm that brings up a question, he is riding Red, in my mind THE sprinters group, need to check what Mr. Manx Missle is riding. I used to think Red was a bad climbers group since Andy's drop, but he proved the next year he could drop a chain with DI2...

GC Maillot juane: Cancellara

Points Green Sagan

Climber Polka Dot Morkov

Youth White Van Garderen

Team Sky

Most aggresive Markov

Sagan's cutstom Cannondale Super Six Evo "Tourminator"

[Paul Incognito]

It would be great to see Ryder do the double, but that's a pretty tall order.
Paul

Being from Canuckistan, I'm rooting for Ryder Hesjedal - used to mt bike with him years ago and snickered when he turned into a roadie...now who's snickerin'!

[Larry Edgerton]

Larry...Nuke Proof hubs? You're showing your age my man. Does it have cantis and 26" wheels too?

Paul

Ha! My first real bike was a Motobecane Grand Record in the late 60's, so ya I am old. I used to moonlight as a mechanic in bike shops just for fun, and that is how I paid for my bike habit. Simpler times.....

[Paul Incognito]

My first mtb had ringle stem and seatpost, back when the neon colors were in vogue. Today I ride a Niner with disc brakes and tubeless tires. There have been some great advances in cycling technology recently that make riding way more fun.

I agree with you on the doping. In my opinion, it's clear that someone's doping if they can get through a 3 week tour without a bad day.

My wife has Red on her road bike. I've tried it and don't care for it. It's way too finicky to adjust, I can't imagine using it for cross. I'll stick with my 9 speed DA.

Nuke Proof showing ones age, I have a NP stem on one of my hardtails, oh yeah I did builf it 16 years ago, and it has Race Face Cranks and bottom braket, oh yeah gone too, XTR, still here but barely make V-brakes any more, Rock Shox SID without disc mounts, Mavic 517 Citron gone, oh yeah you can buy the same Chris King Hubs and DT Revo spokes, not so old afterall!!!

On the doping, I just can't see it not being almost universal, the recovery times alone are super human. I think the dopers are 3 steps ahead of the doping agencies and only get caught when they screw up. In the end I am cynical BUT I don't care since I think it is universal. I spent YEARS sure that Peter Edward Rose never bet on baseball, I didn't care if he did as long as he never bet against his own team, in the end I was crushed, never again will I attribute morals based on athletics.

After stage 3:

Winner of stage 3 Sagan, Forest Gumpin' across the line on his Cannondale "Tourminator" hmm that brings up a question, he is riding Red, in my mind THE sprinters group, need to check what Mr. Manx Missle is riding. I used to think Red was a bad climbers group since Andy's drop, but he proved the next year he could drop a chain with DI2...

[Paul Incognito]

Nice!
I used to work part time in a bike shop just for the discount. I got paid in parts. You're right about it being simpler times.
Paul

Ha! My first real bike was a Motobecane Grand Record in the late 60's, so ya I am old. I used to moonlight as a mechanic in bike shops just for fun, and that is how I paid for my bike habit. Simpler times.....

[Van Huskey]

My wife has Red on her road bike. I've tried it and don't care for it. It's way too finicky to adjust, I can't imagine using it for cross. I'll stick with my 9 speed DA.

I have Red on one of my road bikes and actually prefer it to my Campy SR my other road bike. I haven't had a Shimano bike since their 2nd gen SIS. My wifes Bianchi has Ultegra and she loves it, but she has never really ridden anything else.


Was looking at Cavendish's helmet yesterday, wonder how much the "new" sprinters helmets are actually worth in a 100m sprint...

[Peter Elliott]

Always been a Trek OCLV guy with Ultegra.. good climbing bike and ultegra is about the best all around groupo. I remember when Sram got started. Rich dad bought his son a company. Didn't go so well but dad was smart enough to bring in good people. My daugters new bike has a 6speed gripshift, perfect for learning on gears.

I worked for Pro-Flex, the 1st MTB suspension company in bike biz.. we had a lot of fun and now many companies uses the same technology.

I road Cat IV and Intermediate MTB racing.. Im just too big boned get faster. But I got my USCF Road Mechanic license way back when at Colorado Springs and we practice with USCF Cycling teams. Some riding in the tour today. My big thing was building wheels for pros.. It was fun, one set won the MTB Worlds.

Nuke Proof -- one of my old customers/friend just found a set that was brand new, 20yrs old and brought into a local shop to have built up. They were going crazy on them, where did he get them in all.. Nuke Proof guys could really party!

I missed todays stage, so watch tonight.

[Van Huskey]

Peter, I have lots of NOS stuff from the 80s and 90s that I never built up or used. They are like children I just can't get rid of them. I have a Rocky Mountain Team Only Vertex built with Easton HBO Elite with the cool Maple Leaf fade paint job that has never had the threads chased on the bottom bracket, it did get as far as putting in the Race Face headset, stem and a SID fork, it is packed up with a set of my favorite wheels from the time (King hubs, DT, Mavic 517)Syncros post, complete XTR group, some uber light Specialized tires and Greenlite tubes.

I am a SRAM convert (but still love Campy on my bikes that are actually made in Italy). I got a DEAL on a Wilier Izoard XP a couple of years ago and had a full Force group (no mixy matchy like is the fad these days) and I really fell in love with it. I bought my RED group at the end of last year from Wiggle in the UK for very close to what you pay for Force here. In the end Force Like Ultegra is 99% the group that Red and DA are for a lot less money. In the end I don't need any of these things, I have Sora abilities on a Dura Ace bike... The worm has turned I am not the young kid hammering on the Masters on their Campy equipped Italian steel while I am riding some hand-me-down frame with a crazy mix of Suntour jink and wearing bottom of the barrel clothes and Detto Pietro shoes (god those were horrible), I am the old guy riding a bike fit for a grand tour (except it would be too light) gettin' dropped by children on low end C-dales and the like that look like they just took off the training wheels.

[Paul Incognito]

I am the old guy riding a bike fit for a grand tour (except it would be too light) gettin' dropped by children on low end C-dales and the like that look like they just took off the training wheels.
Yea, I know how you feel. The older I get, the faster I used to be. Sometimes I miss racing, but I'll never miss the training. If I can find some semblance of fitness this fall I may race cross, which is good, because 45 minutes is about all I have in me.
Paul

[Van Huskey]

but I'll never miss the training.
Paul

Training is just suffering, period. Maybe suffering I prefer over other forms of suffering but suffering none the less.


Spolier:



Stage 4 was a crash fest... big crash on the run up to the sprint not all the usual suspects were present

After stage 4:

Winner of stage 3 Greipel

GC Maillot juane: Cancellara

Points Green Sagan

Climber Polka Dot Morkov

Youth White Van Garderen

Team Sky

Most aggresive Arashiro

[Van Huskey]

Spoiler:

Great finish the 4 man breakway was caught within 100m from the end, I always pull for the long breakways groups! Greipel wins despite getting a face full of Tyler Farrahs bike (literally) in the last 300m. We shall see if Cavendish's hand gets better or worse, hard to sprint with a hurtin' hand, he did "win" the prime (of the peloton) earlier in the race. I think he was having a tough time, he was 5th but he crossed the line IN the saddle.

After stage 5:

Winner of stage 5 Greipel

GC Maillot juane: Cancellara

Points Green Sagan

Climber Polka Dot Morkov

Youth White Van Garderen

Team Sky

Most aggresive Ladagnous

[Paul Incognito]

I was rooting for the breakaway too. It really looked like he was going to pull it off!
Paul

[Van Huskey]

Spoiler:

Another big crash to the run up, Cavendish was caught up and missed the spint but not hurt, Ryder Hesjedal and Frank Schleck both saw their GC hopes evaporate due to the pile up. Griepel went down at least twice and was beat up going into the sprint and was unable to pull off the three in a row, Dave Zabriske was in the break away and made a mighty effort to stay away in the last couple of miles solo but got ran down inside 2k. Peter did it again, gotta love this kid.

After stage 6:

Winner of stage 6 Sagan

GC Maillot juane: Cancellara

Points Green Sagan

Climber Polka Dot Morkov

Youth White Van Garderen

Team Sky

Most aggresive

[Mike Cutler]

Look over at the guy next to you, see the little purple and orangish splotches on his cheeks, smile at him and pick it up a cog, and watch him die. Man I really miss racing. I used to love make guys spit out power bars. If you can't breathe, you can't eat and visa versa. Of course they were doing the same to me.
I saw the results from the crash. Our local boy, Tom Danielson, was taken out. Too bad because he is truly a very nice individual. I hope he recovers for the Vuelta.

Van
I'm like you.I have a ton of stuff in the basement just hanging from the overhead. Corima, Campy and Cervelo. I think I have a complete Carbon 9 speed Record Gruppo down there somewhere. I stopped using Shimano when they came out with the Dura Ace Bottom bracket that required a seperate tool for each side of the bottom bracket. That really Po'd me. I gave Stetina a little noise about it. Campy uses the same tool for both sides of the bottom bracket and the cassette.

[Van Huskey]

I stopped using Shimano when they came out with the Dura Ace Bottom bracket that required a seperate tool for each side of the bottom bracket.

One of the big issues now is their shifters aren't rebuildable. Wouldn't have been a big issue in the old days but with retail at $700 for DA STI controls that is a BIG bite.


Spoiler:

First day in the hills. Wiggins and Evans look to be on form taking 2nd and 3rd (no time difference), I was surprised lots of the climbers looked to have a bad day but the lead in to the climbs was FAST, many of the climbers looked like they were out of juice by the base of the climbs. Chris Froome lead Wiggins up the last climb and had more than Cadel in the end, great first stage win in his second tour. Bradley finished just bahind Cadel and took over the yellow jersey, looks like he and Cadel are truely the favorites this year. By virtue of his win Froome pulled on the Polka Dot jersy.

After stage 7:

Winner of stage 6 Froome

GC Maillot juane (yellow jersey) Wiggins

Points Green Sagan

Climber Polka Dot Froome

Youth White Taaramae

Team Sky

Most aggresive Sanchez (Luis-Leon, not Sammy)


Tomorrow we continue in the "hills", lots of smaller climbs and one 1st cat, no HC climbs yet...

[Peter Elliott]

I stopped using Shimano when they came out with the Dura Ace Bottom bracket that required a seperate tool for each side of the bottom bracket. That really Po'd me. I gave Stetina a little noise about it. Campy uses the same tool for both sides of the bottom bracket and the cassette.

Haha,, good ole Wayne from Shimano...

Dura Ace to me was never worth it. Ultegra was lighter and cheaper. Shimano did some funny things back then. Never like Campy, sorry! The stuff was made well but the shifting, etc was terrible.

[Mike Cutler]

Peter
The Campy shifting was flawless until they went to the 9 speed gruppo. We quickly found out that the solution was an already broken in narrow chain on a new group, especially with the shorter chain stay lengths of the bikes that were coming out. A classic Double Diamond probably wouldn't have had an issue
My Cervelo P3, TT, bike would not shift Campy Record 9 with a new chain. Put a used chain on and it never missed. My Corima Puma never had a problem with Record 9.

Wayne was a good guy, Dura Ace BB aside. He didn't design it, he just had to rep it.

[Van Huskey]

The one other time Campy was behind Shimino in shifting was the first couple of generations of index shifting, at least IMHO. I have a bike from the early 90's with a complete Campy C Record (the most gorgeous gruppo in my eyes, I really LOVE the LOOK of the Delta brakes) except it had DA derailleurs, hubs, cassette, chain and shifters, never thought about it but I guess its more DA than C Record!

[Van Huskey]

Spoiler:

Today's stage started with a attack by the oldest guy in the field Jens Voight and was finished off by the youngest rider in the field Thipaut Pinot. Wiggins matches all the attacks by Evans and ends with the same time Nibali was there too. BTW a word to the wise don't ask Mr. Wiggins about doping unless you want an ear full!!!




After stage 8:

Winner of stage Pinot

GC Maillot juane (yellow jersey) Wiggins

Points Green Sagan

Climber Polka Dot Kessiakoff

Youth White Taaramae

Team Radio Shack

Most aggresive Kessiakoff

[Chuck Wintle]

i think most of the riders are juiced up and are willing to take the risk of being caught. Modern chemistry has made it difficult to detect "the Juice".

[Van Huskey]

Tomorrow is the first real "race of truth" how much time can Wiggins put between him an Cadel???

[Van Huskey]

Spoiler:

Today marked the first real ITT and we have a convincing winner. Mr. Wiggins threw down the guantlet stomping out a 1:43 advantage over Evans in the 41.5km stage! Now with 1:53 to the good of Cadel, Bradley looks like the odds on favorite unless he pops in the mountains, especially with another ITT looming in the future. Tomorrow the pelaton gets to rest and back again to the mountains on Wednesday.




After stage 9:

Winner of stage Wiggins

GC Maillot juane (yellow jersey) Wiggins

Points Green Sagan

Climber Polka Dot Kessiakoff

Youth White Van Garde

Team Radio Shack

Most aggresive none


The next stage will have the first HC climb of this year, the storied Col Du Columbier, 4 routes up and as best I can tell by looking at the route they are taking the "easier" of the west side routes, the harder short route would be madness but I would LOVE to see it!