This is the Tour de France thread.

fel bautista · Post by **fel bautista** » Fri Jul 07, 2006 10:37 pm

Perfect leadout for Mcewen-me thinks Boonen is get miffed about the whole thing

And tomorrow the time trial

MarcusR · Post by **MarcusR** » Sat Jul 08, 2006 7:04 am

The young Swedish rider Gustav Larsson is doing well right now on the time trail

On Wednesday it begins for real!

Flyingcursor wrote:I always called that "hang gliding". Then again I have never done it but it looks like fun.

It is FUN! Speedgliding is hangliding on a timed short downhill course with check points you have to pass through, under and straight over. Fastest time after two runs wins. Quite spectacular as it is quite a bit of ground scimming.
Normal hangliding comps are like a long distance track where you have to verify by photo the various turnpoints. You can chose your route as you like as long as you pass the turnpoints and make it back to goal.

Speedgliding cource ~ 1-2 minutes
Hangliding course ~ 3-6 hours (x 2-7 days)

/MarcusR

fel bautista · Post by **fel bautista** » Sun Jul 09, 2006 9:50 pm

This should go in the conspiracy theory department but my riding buddy came up with this:
1) Landis' time trail bike was ok with the UCI at the prologue but not the time trial
2) the UCI says right before the TT start that the bars need to come down a bit. So Landis complies. He starts his ride, but then signals the team car because the bike is not working right. The team car has his spare bike with the original bar set up and that's what he finishes on.

We also came up with eliminate the aero bikes and make the teams use normal road bike; eliminate all the aerodynamics- yes, its goes backwards, but then there is the hour record that is done on essentially a track bike without the bars and such.

How's them apples???

fel bautista · Post by **fel bautista** » Fri Jul 21, 2006 10:52 pm

Stage 17-OMG- no one, no one would have believed it; i've followed cycling for 20+ years and it was a MONUMENTAL stage 17. Hats, Please, Off to Floyd!

Loren · Post by **Loren** » Sat Jul 22, 2006 8:57 am

Pretty amazing, wasn't it?!?! Can't imagine what the guy could do this year if he didn't need a new hip.

Loren

MarcusR · Post by **MarcusR** » Sat Jul 22, 2006 3:02 pm

MarcusR wrote: With Valverde out of the race I think Floyd Landis will win this year.

Hehe

He better keep on pumping tomorrow.

/MarcusR

fel bautista · Post by **fel bautista** » Sun Jul 23, 2006 1:02 pm

Its over... totally amazing tour. Shows what happens when no one team dominates. Now I can go back to practicing music at night!

Loren · Post by **Loren** » Sun Jul 23, 2006 5:18 pm

fel bautista wrote:Its over... totally amazing tour. Shows what happens when no one team dominates.

What, the outcome was the same?

Sorry, I'm old enough to remember the days when the rest of the world laughed and made fun of U.S. cyclists, constantly saying an American would never win the Tour, that we just weren't mentally tough enough, and on and on. So, I'm going to gloat a bit longer

Oh yeah, and chalk one up for the Fat Tire riders! Landis was a former Mountain Bike racer - take that you skinny tire, frame polishing, weight weenies!

Right on Floyd, PA rules!!

Loren

fel bautista · Post by **fel bautista** » Sun Jul 23, 2006 9:37 pm

You forgot Rassmussen as well and Robbie "The Pimpernel" McEwan raced BMX.

From one of those frame polishing, frame weight obssesive roadie types who remembers way back when wool was worn as the garment of choice!

Good Night and good riding!!

Loren · Post by **Loren** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 7:27 am

Ahh, wool!!! Now those were the days (sigh)..........

Loren

lenf · Post by **lenf** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 9:15 am

Loren wrote: Oh yeah, and chalk one up for the Fat Tire riders! Landis was a former Mountain Bike racer - take that you skinny tire, frame polishing, weight weenies!

I found a nice article about Landis which went into his background more fully than most. Yes, he was a MB racer, but not a very good one. Seems his favored way of training was high mileage and speed, not the shorter bursts needed in mountain bike racing.

Then one day he and a friend entered a road race on a lark, and he blew away the competition. Of course, he then became a roadie, and if he ever looks back, it's probably because that's where most of the other riders have to stay...

Loren · Post by **Loren** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 9:31 am

Hey, I never said he was a good MTB racer, lol! In fairness, he didn't stick with it long, and it is a totally different thing - even Armstrong had trouble with MTB racing. But then, you couldn't take the best fat tire guy, throw him on a road bike and expect him to win immediately either.

Loren

fel bautista · Post by **fel bautista** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 12:47 pm

Loren- take a look at my avatar- wool Brooks jersey that they made up for the Eroica ride in Italy in 2005(?4)

So someone answer how did the kid in Breaking Away get a real Italian Masi and was able to afford it.

Sylvester · Post by **Sylvester** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 3:19 am

Ok, the Tour is OVER. What's the sense of keeping on talking about the past?

Nothing to do with the fact that the two Spaniards let their chances fly away due to a non-collaborative behaviour. We are just like that...

fel bautista · Post by **fel bautista** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 9:26 am

hey- I'm just trying to figure out how a kid from Bloomington, IN was able to afford an Italian Masi with washing cars at his dad's used car lot the only form of income.