Tour de France 2012 [congrats Bradley Wiggins!]
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Waking up early to watch it, starts here at 5 AM. The stage today was crazy. After today, Hesjedal is in 8th, 18 seconds behind. But a couple of contenders got caught out because of the crashes.
A few riders are skipping to concentrate on the Olympics but a few are going to try both. Cavendish being one.
A few riders are skipping to concentrate on the Olympics but a few are going to try both. Cavendish being one.
I liked that dodgy turn near the finish. I can imagine the planners thinking 'have we made this a bit TOO tight? Nah.'
If the stage had been flatter, with the leadout trains for the sprinters, that corner would have been carnage. Since it was at the end of some cat 3's and 4's, the racers were spread out a little more. No, not too tight.
Would have been fun if it was a hairpin turn. Maybe next year.
Would have been fun if it was a hairpin turn. Maybe next year.
On July 14th, it comes to within forty minutes of our place.
That should be fun (But I still wish they'd added le Mont Ventoux this year... it's even closer and so so scarey-steep!)
On July 14th, it comes to within forty minutes of our place.
(But I still wish they'd added le Mont Ventoux this year... it's even closer and so so scarey-steep!)
Up or down? Whiteknuckling down would be pretty bad - there used to be a pretty good whiteknuckle by my house - easily match the cars on the freeway right alongside on a fixie.
Up and down. And I was in a car
I've decided I'd rather they went around it, rather than up (or down). It really is too steep. Someone will fall off and Really Hurt Themselves.
Actually I think I'd rather they just went towards it. That would take them past my place and I could hang a little sign on my gate that said - politely - "Go, Cadel!" And maybe he'd be so far ahead he'd have time to hop off and come inside for a nice cold drink and a pain au chocolat or something.
That would be fun
ETA : *sigh*. It's not going to happen, though, is it?
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Poor Cavendish. That was awful. And if that's going to happen on the flat straight bits, I don't want them anywhere near Old Baldy.
It makes me laugh (or maybe despair) when I see footballers rolling around in agony when they've not been touched and compare it with cyclists lke Vino-whatsis last year who managed to keep going even as they're stitched up.
One year, Tyler Hamilton finished the race with a broken collarbone. He crashed in the tail end of the first week, just before the mountain stages. These cyclists will go on with one leg sometimes. The second stage this year, that young frenchman going up a cat 4 with one hand, the other hanging down because it was too painful to have it on the bars with his fingers dislocated. It's been said that if you're a professional cyclist you are going to it the pavement, hard, at some point in your career.
It takes a different sort of animal to get into those mass sprint finishes on the 'straight bits'. Cavendish's helmet looked a mess, imagine if he wasn't wearing it.
I like the mountain stages, the agony of the guys going up, steeper and steeper. Then the descents, flying down like madmen. Some are better descending than ascending. Throw some rain into the mix and it's really crazy.
It takes a different sort of animal to get into those mass sprint finishes on the 'straight bits'. Cavendish's helmet looked a mess, imagine if he wasn't wearing it.
I like the mountain stages, the agony of the guys going up, steeper and steeper. Then the descents, flying down like madmen. Some are better descending than ascending. Throw some rain into the mix and it's really crazy.
I like it all. I get so mesmerized... the sweeping landscape, the distant vistas... the breathing motion of the peloton... oh wait, wasn't that a 500 year old building we just glided by? It's soo beautiful... and then there's the odd chance of rider in a breakaway actually winning...
I'd really like to see Thomas Voeckler on the podium in Paris by his own effort... and if Andreas Kloden has really become team captain... I'll laugh and laugh, because he's been trying so long to be a team captain! (remembers him as a cocky pup and trying to oust Jan Ullrich for captain!)
I'd really like to see Thomas Voeckler on the podium in Paris by his own effort... and if Andreas Kloden has really become team captain... I'll laugh and laugh, because he's been trying so long to be a team captain! (remembers him as a cocky pup and trying to oust Jan Ullrich for captain!)
Obviously, I want Bradley Wiggins to win it, but that's about as likely as a British man getting to the final at Wimbledon...
Another sprint, another crash. I read that after the race Tyler Farrar was a tad upset (understatement) at the rider whom he thought caused the crash. It was the fourth time he's hit the pavement in 3 days I think. Sky decided to give Cavendish a lead out train this time but it didn't work. Probably still feeling the effects of yesterdays tumble at the finish.
The biggest crash so far today. That was just carnage. Poor Frank Schleck couldn't even find his bike.
Missed all but the last 12 minutes today - I was writing
Looking forward to the hills, though
With Schleck losing time today Kloden becomes the team leader for Radio Shack. He's still in 9th overall, 18 or 19 seconds back.
It seems the whole Garmin team was involved in the crash except Farrar (who had been dropped by the peloton) and Zabriskie (who was in the breakaway). Too bad for Hesjedal, losing 13+ minutes. Didn't think he was going to win but a top ten finish would have been nice.
It seems the whole Garmin team was involved in the crash except Farrar (who had been dropped by the peloton) and Zabriskie (who was in the breakaway). Too bad for Hesjedal, losing 13+ minutes. Didn't think he was going to win but a top ten finish would have been nice.
Those Aussies haven't put a foot wrong. Unlike Sky, who seem to crash roughly once an hour.
Thank you. And your Andy Murray did nicely at Wimbledon
He's now officially Britain's Andy Murray, as opposed to Scotland's.
I know. I actually wikied him just to be sure. There are a bunch of Andy Murray - Scottish or British? pages: and a little facebook page that sums it up nicely.
