Le Tour de France - 2007

MarcusR · Post by **MarcusR** » Sun Jul 15, 2007 7:13 am

Just currious who else is watching

I have seen parts of the initial stages but as it really started yesterday I'll be benched for the comming week. Got a live subscription on the internet so I can follow it while (semi-)working

Impressive preformance by Gerdemann yesterday, and he is only 25y.
Rasmusen seem to be set to get the polka dot jersey today.

/MarcusR

fel bautista · Post by **fel bautista** » Sun Jul 15, 2007 8:39 am

Marcus- you beat me to it. I was going to post to see if anyone else is watching. What with all the other stuff swirling around the Tour, I feel deflated watching it. I still enjoy the race, but my heart isn't in it this year.

I'm going for a ride!

fel bautista · Post by **fel bautista** » Sun Jul 15, 2007 1:13 pm

Just watched today's stage- what an effort. Riders look tired... maybe that's a good sign

Chuck_Clark · Post by **Chuck_Clark** » Sun Jul 15, 2007 8:17 pm

I've been watching since the prologue. Some days I've had to go through three different showings to get the bulk of the race. Actually watching the finish as I type.

mkchen · Post by **mkchen** » Sun Jul 15, 2007 11:01 pm

I'm following it too, but only on the web. Had to cancel my cable TV service this year to save money for my daughter's treatment. I'm usually at work or on the way to work here in the Pacific Time Zone while the stage is underway. The live updates from VeloNews do spice up my mornings! "Now please don't move, ma'am. I'll be back to finish your Pap smear after I make sure the breakaway makes it down off the mountain without crashing." (Just kidding, in case any of my patients are reading this.)

Bummer about Rogers crashing out today.

Ming

Sylvester · Post by **Sylvester** » Mon Jul 16, 2007 1:45 am

The Tour is one of my few annual TV appointments. It's widely watched in Spain since Delgado and Indurain used to win. Sort of currently draught though. However, few people know that after Landis affair, Spanish Oscar Pereiro is the unofficial winner of 2006. The organization never was willing to publicly announce him as a winner and he wan't given the number 1 in his maillot...

Great exhibition by Rasmussen yesterday. Spaniards didn't do bad at all. A 2nd and a 3rd. 10 of first 20 arriving were Spanish. Mayo seems to be fit but he's awful against the chrono. Alejandro Valverde is more skilled. He might have some chances at Paris.

Not having a super-favourite leader turns into a ubiquotous team over-controlling guys movements. This fact may favour freedom for individual unbiased attempts and good show.

Let's see.
Rgds

Rafa

MarcusR · Post by **MarcusR** » Mon Jul 16, 2007 6:55 am

fel bautista wrote:Marcus- you beat me to it. I was going to post to see if anyone else is watching. What with all the other stuff swirling around the Tour, I feel deflated watching it. I still enjoy the race, but my heart isn't in it this year.

I felt the same way last year, with the sudden rider loss due to the Fuentes affair. This year I really enjoy it, it is wide open and it is good to see that riders fall back and don't perform at 100% for 21 days in a row. Makes them a bit more human.

mkchen wrote: Bummer about Rogers crashing out today.

It loked real bad, especially when Arroyo did a header over the barriers

I was very surprised to see him climbing up so fast, you could see the trees still shaking. Miller was very tough, hangin in for so long, there was some shots of his bruced rib cage in the end as they pulled him off, it looked quite bad.

Sylvester wrote: Not having a super-favourite leader turns into a ubiquotous team over-controlling guys movements. This fact may favour freedom for individual unbiased attempts and good show.

I agree, it is more room for team tactics and variation when the top contender dont have strong lead and only sits with the peleton.

Sylvester wrote: Great exhibition by Rasmussen yesterday. Spaniards didn't do bad at all. A 2nd and a 3rd. 10 of first 20 arriving were Spanish. Mayo seems to be fit but he's awful against the chrono. Alejandro Valverde is more skilled. He might have some chances at Paris.

It will be interesting to see how many minutes Rasmusen and Mayo can gain tomorrow and in the Pyrenees as both of them dont do to well on the time trial. The Spaniards are loking good this year and Valverde is a good bet for the final win. I also hope to see a bit more from Carlos Sastre in the next few days.

Vinokourov is now 5.23 after but you never know with "Vino" if he heals up and dont lose much tomorrow, we might see him pop up in the top at the end of the week, if not I think Astana will focus on Klöden for the yellow jersey in Paris.

The sky is blue, no wind, 25 deg C, no TdF on tv --> I'm off for a ride

Cheers!

/MarcusR

J-dub · Post by **J-dub** » Mon Jul 16, 2007 12:53 pm

Eventhough I have been put off by so much doping shenaningans, I faithfully watch the tour anyways, it is an amazing spectacle. It gets me motivated to tackle some big climbs. Watch the tour, ride the bicycle, watch the tour, ride the bicycle, watch the tour, ride the bicycle...

Just rode a 5,000 ft accent this last weekend, hopefully I will do an even bigger ride this week; Alpine loop to Wolf creek pass, 8,000+ vertical, ya baby.

What riding adventures are you dudes palnning this week? We can pool how far we all ride during the tour, a Chiff 'n Fipple cumulative vertical/mileage score, and see wether the total comes close to that of the Tour!
How many Chiffy Nipples does it take to finish the tour!

fel bautista wrote:I'm gong for a ride!

That's it Fel, glad to hear you are getting some time on the bicycle, just don't try and pull that stunt that Arroyo did, it takes training to flip over the gaurd rail and land gracefully down the embankement

That was some great riding by Rasmussen yesterday, I'm stoked he won both polka dot and Maillot Jaune. I hope he can keep a hold of it now!

John.

fel bautista · Post by **fel bautista** » Mon Jul 16, 2007 1:00 pm

This weekend, its my monthly "ride around Palos Verdes peninsula", about 38 miles round trip with 1000 ft of climbing, according to a GPS printout. Seems ALOT more than that.

So I'm in for 1000

MarcusR · Post by **MarcusR** » Tue Jul 17, 2007 5:54 am

J-dub wrote: It gets me motivated to tackle some big climbs. Watch the tour, ride the bicycle, watch the tour, ride the bicycle, watch the tour, ride the bicycle...

I feel the same way, just so much more fun to hit the road when you are pumped up from watching the race. The draw back is that you easily get over confident in them hills

J-dub wrote:What riding adventures are you dudes palnning this week? We can pool how far we all ride during the tour, a Chiff 'n Fipple cumulative vertical/mileage score, and see wether the total comes close to that of the Tour!

Great idea!

Lets start from yesterday, I went 28 miles (45 km, avg speed 33.5 km/h),

An hour and 30 min until they start todays big clime

Cheers!

/MarcusR

fel bautista · Post by **fel bautista** » Tue Jul 17, 2007 7:07 am

I've surrendered; taping things as we climb...had to see the Telegraphe and the Galibier.

fel bautista · Post by **fel bautista** » Tue Jul 17, 2007 8:12 pm

MarcusR · Post by **MarcusR** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 6:24 am

fel bautista wrote:I've surrendered; taping things as we climb...had to see the Telegraphe and the Galibier.

It sure took it's tolls, lots of tired faces

"Vino" had to give in and now seem to be out of hope for the yellow jersey this year.
Impressive ride by Soler, 2007 seem to be a good year for many of the new young riders

The Telegraphe and the Galibier was a tough one but I bet Port de Pailhères and Plateau-de-Beille will be even worse

Even though one don't often win the tour on the big cimbs, one can for sure lose everything.

I hope Jens Voight (CSC) will win todays stage.

The cumulative C&F TdF report:
Did another 22 miles yesterday (35 km, avg 32 km/h)

/MarcusR

J-dub · Post by **J-dub** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 2:03 pm

Did any of you see the video of the rider hiting the dog crossing the course at the start of the stage? It ws on the VS. internet site yesterday. the impact completely crumpled the carbon fiber front wheel - it was a rather portly pooch. The dog just slinked away. It is a real free-for-all with the spectators and such at the Tour, and it seems like things get more dangerous each year.

Local ex-pro Marty Jamison told me about a whole bunch of really close calls and just plain stupid behaviour of some spectators his first year riding the Tour, luckily he had been well prepared for such mayhem by his surviving the"Tour de Satan' in Salt lake in his formative years

The problem with the VS. coverage is that they only have very selective coverage. I would like to catch a glimpse of another local, David Zabriskie, but he is far enough back in the GC that VS. does have show any feed of him. It is rather humbling to know that he is that far back of the top climbers, especially when I've had 'Zaba' rip past me up hill when I was doing a pretty hard effort, all the while saying 'hello, how's it going' like he is taking a stroll

I'm getting too old

Dang, I did not get any riding in yesterday evening either

If there is no clear leader after the time trials, the Pyrennes are going to be really exciting!

John.

fel bautista · Post by **fel bautista** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 7:13 pm

Don't you hate it when you are climbing using a compact, working like a dog and some kid comes up in his big ring and a 14 and blows by you like a TIE fighter going to light speed. GGGRRRR