tOfficial Tour de France Thread: aka Bob & Nord talk bicycle racing

[Nordic]

More Euro Sports!

Just watched Stage 1 on the DVR. Gaviria, a rookie, beats the big sprinters in stage 1 and it wasn't even close. He won going away. Great lead out. That was a team sprint win. Big splits from the main contenders with crashes in the last 20km should spice things up a bit right out of the gate.

I haven't digested who is in and who is out this year. I see two of my favorite sprinters in Sagan and Kittel (best hair in all of sports). Cavendish? Is that old dog still riding? I didn't hear his name, but wasn't total paying attention.

Bob, who has a chance to beat Fromme this year?

[kingstonlake]

Can't wait to see Greg LeMond and Bernard Hinault battle it out.

[Robert J Sakimano]

Can't wait to see Greg LeMond and Bernard Hinault battle it out.

ill never forget the last stage onto the Chammps Elysses in 1989. Epic.

[Robert J Sakimano]

More Euro Sports!

Just watched Stage 1 on the DVR. Gaviria, a rookie, beats the big sprinters in stage 1 and it wasn't even close. He won going away. Great lead out. That was a team sprint win. Big splits from the main contenders with crashes in the last 20km should spice things up a bit right out of the gate.

I haven't digested who is in and who is out this year. I see two of my favorite sprinters in Sagan and Kittel (best hair in all of sports). Cavendish? Is that old dog still riding? I didn't hear his name, but wasn't total paying attention.

Bob, who has a chance to beat Fromme this year?

great thread, dude!

Richie Porte maybe. I'm not sold on Quintana. Nibali possibly.

I wouldn't have thought that the TTT on stage three would have an impact.. but Sky has to have a good day after the disastrous stage 1 for Froome.

If Sky shows some cracks, Froome could be in trouble this Tour.

What do you think?

[tGreenWay]

It’s a damn shame Taco Bell hasn’t come up with something the cyclists can eat and ride and poop all at the same time.

[Floyd Robertson]

I rode to Armada and back today. I'd like to see how they handle mile after agonizing mile of straight and near zero elevation.

[Robert J Sakimano]

I rode to Armada and back today. I'd like to see how they handle mile after agonizing mile of straight and near zero elevation.

I always enjoy watching an hour of a stage, going on a nice ride, coming back and they still have 50 K to go.

[The Pantry]

I rode to Armada and back today. I'd like to see how they handle mile after agonizing mile of straight and near zero elevation.

That's an impressive ride. You're killing it.

Did you quit smoking?

[Floyd Robertson]

I always enjoy watching an hour of a stage, going on a nice ride, coming back and they still have 50 K to go.

What took me 3.25 hours today would probably take them 18 minutes

That's an impressive ride.  You're killing it.

Did you quit smoking?

Thanks, I did quit six months ago yesterday. TBF, I hopped on the trail at Van Dyke & West road. Still, it was probably 26 miles round trip.  Yesterday I went from my garage to Metro Parkway and Groesbeck, maybe 28 miles. I'm hoping to make Richmond (only another 7 miles each way on top of today's ride) and Metro Beach and back by the end of summer. At this very moment, though, I'm not sure I want to sit on a bike again.

[Robert J Sakimano]

I always enjoy watching an hour of a stage, going on a nice ride, coming back and they still have 50 K to go.

What took me 3.25 hours today would probably take them 18 minutes

That's an impressive ride.  You're killing it.

Did you quit smoking?

Thanks, I did quit six months ago yesterday. TBF, I hopped on the trail at Van Dyke & West road. Still, it was probably 26 miles round trip.  Yesterday I went from my garage to Metro Parkway and Groesbeck, maybe 28 miles. I'm hoping to make Richmond (only another 7 miles each way on top of today's ride) and Metro Beach and back by the end of summer. At this very moment, though, I'm not sure I want to sit on a bike again.

that's awesome. Congrats.

[The Pantry]

I always enjoy watching an hour of a stage, going on a nice ride, coming back and they still have 50 K to go.

What took me 3.25 hours today would probably take them 18 minutes

That's an impressive ride.  You're killing it.

Did you quit smoking?

Thanks, I did quit six months ago yesterday. TBF, I hopped on the trail at Van Dyke & West road. Still, it was probably 26 miles round trip.  Yesterday I went from my garage to Metro Parkway and Groesbeck, maybe 28 miles. I'm hoping to make Richmond (only another 7 miles each way on top of today's ride) and Metro Beach and back by the end of summer. At this very moment, though, I'm not sure I want to sit on a bike again.

Awesome. Serious congrats on quitting. Quit for 20 years but took it up again when the divorce hit. Much tougher to quit now.

[Floyd Robertson]

Awesome. Serious congrats on quitting. Quit for 20 years but took it up again when the divorce hit. Much tougher to quit now.

Thanks. Chantix. It got me through the first couple of months.

[Robert J Sakimano]

Love catching the stages live in the mornings, then watching the evening coverage as well. The best production of any sporting event on the planet.

Also, the voices of Phil and Paul are the voices of summer for me.

[Nordic]

Also, the voices of Phil and Paul are the voices of summer for me.

This. They can make 6 hours of bike racing riveting. Though are getting old and losing their minds. Some of their actually calls on what is happening is

Watching the soccers recently, I got the same vibe from Alexi Lalas.

[tGreenWay]

Love catching the stages live in the mornings, then watching the evening coverage as well. The best production of any sporting event on the planet.

Also, the voices of Phil and Paul are the voices of summer for me.

So, you hate Phil and Paul, too?

[Nordic]

What do you think?

A lot of good GC riders (Nibali, Uran, Bardet, Landa, Valverde, Porte) are 50s ahead of Froome because of the day 1 shenanigans. Probably won't matter, but it will add some excitement as he tries to claw that back and fight off numerous counter attacks from the above. Should be a fun tour.

My non-Froome/sleeper pick is Bardet.

[Robert J Sakimano]

team TT was pretty uneventful - not surprised to see BMC ride well. Certainly helped Porte.. Sky is obviously still very strong but they do seem to be a step behind where they've been the last couple of tours. Froome, Porte, Uran, Nibali all within 15 seconds or so of each other.

I do agree, Nordic, that Bardet might be a sleeper to keep an eye on.

(spoiler alert - see below)..











today's stage was pretty insane - who would've thought that a (relative) no name from Columbia would have two stages wins already and Cavendish would have zero.

[Robert J Sakimano]

It's le Alp d'Huez day!

[Nordic]

It's le Alp d'Huez day!

This is getting interesting Bob.

It is a foregone conclusion that it is Thomas or Froome. Here is the problem I see for Froome. Froome needs someone with a shot at the GC to attack so they both have to chase and Thomas falls off.

But there is no one that can attack them. If no one can attack Froome/Thomas, Sky can play it safe and just ride through the mountains. Froome is going to have to attack his teammate.

[Nordic]

This guy says it more eloquently..

Which leads to the million-dollar question: assuming Thomas does not crack – a major issue for a rider unproven in the final week of the Tour – how will Froome react when or if he feels he could win? Will he sit back and let his teammate claim victory, or will he attack him, risking team unity?

Having courted controversy alongside Bradley Wiggins in 2012, Froome knows full well how public opinion would greet any hint of a knife in Thomas’s back. Which takes us back to De Muynck: in an interview last year, he said he had not spoken to De Vlaeminck since his “treachery” in 1976. The wounds opened when a team leader clashes with an ambitious teammate can run deep indeed.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/jul/21/geraint-thomas-tour-de-france-chris-froome-flex-team-muscles

[tGreenWay]

Hey Bob,
There is a guy in our neighborhood who went with his family on a vacation last summer. While his wife and kids walked village to village, he rode his bike on the Tour course through parts of the Pyrenees. Was that you?

[Robert J Sakimano]

Hey Bob,
There is a guy in our neighborhood who went with his family on a vacation last summer. While his wife and kids walked village to village, he rode his bike on the Tour course through parts of the Pyrenees. Was that you?

nope.

But I'm pretty certain I know who you're referring to.

[tGreenWay]

Hey Bob,
There is a guy in our neighborhood who went with his family on a vacation last summer. While his wife and kids walked village to village, he rode his bike on the Tour course through parts of the Pyrenees. Was that you?

nope.

But I'm pretty certain I know who you're referring to.

That’s hardcore.

[Robert J Sakimano]

nope.

But I'm pretty certain I know who you're referring to.

That’s hardcore.

I don't know him that well.

[tGreenWay]

That’s hardcore.

I don't know him that well.

I still have questions. Did he race or just ride? What kind of bike? Are his calves the size of cantaloupes, as if he were a Mexican drug mule?

[Robert J Sakimano]

I don't know him that well.

I still have questions. Did he race or just ride? What kind of bike? Are his calves the size of cantaloupes, as if he were a Mexican drug mule?

if we're talking about the same guy, he just rode one/two of the legendary climbs while he was there with his wife and two daughters. I think he rode up the Col de Peyresourde.

Not sure what kind of bike. I suspect he rented a good bike there.

[tGreenWay]

I still have questions. Did he race or just ride? What kind of bike? Are his calves the size of cantaloupes, as if he were a Mexican drug mule?

if we're talking about the same guy, he just rode one/two of the legendary climbs while he was there with his wife and two daughters. I think he rode up the Col de Peyresourde.

Not sure what kind of bike. I suspect he rented a good bike there.

[Floyd Robertson]

So I made it the length of the Macomb-Orchard trail to Richmond and back today, plus a little extra that probably put me at 49 miles today. Then I cleaned up and passed out.

[aualum06]

Well at least froome ain't winning

[Robert J Sakimano]

So I made it the length of the Macomb-Orchard trail to Richmond and back today, plus a little extra that probably put me at 49 miles today. Then I cleaned up and passed out.

that's quite a ride!

[Robert J Sakimano]

Well at least froome ain't winning

yeah - vaulted himself onto the podium today with his TT.

I'll give him credit for being a great teammate for Geraint Thomas.

[Nordic]

Bump.

2019 Tour starts Saturday

2019 Tour de France odds
Geraint Thomas: 9-4
Egan Bernal: 11-2
Jakob Fuglsang: 11-2
Adam Yates: 12-1
Richie Porte: 14-1
Nairo Quintana: 16-1
Thibaut Pinot: 18-1
Mikel Landa: 20-1
Steven Kruijswijk: 20-1
Enric Mas Nicolau: 25-1
Romain Bardet: 25-1
Vincenzo Nibali: 30-1
Rigoberto Uran: 30-1
Wouter Poels: 40-1
Emanuel Buchmann: 60-1
Daniel Martin: 80-1
Alejandro Valverde: 80-1
Rohan Dennis: 80-1
Tejay Van Garderen: 100-1
Fabio Aru: 150-1
George Bennett: 200-1
Julian Alaphilippe: 200-1
David Gaudu: 250-1
Wilco Kelderman: 250-1
Rafal Majka: 250-1

[Robert J Sakimano]

No Froome.. Crashing into a wall at 45 kph is not advised.

[Turtleneck]

Team time trials are not my favorite. Thursday looks like a casual ride around EL. Just a leisurely peddle.

[Robert J Sakimano]

Strange for the TTT to be so early. Of course, this Tour is pretty insane, in terms of stages.

[Turtleneck]

Strange for the TTT to be so early. Of course, this Tour is pretty insane, in terms of stages.

Not as crazy as the stages in the Tour de Macomb described above.

[Robert J Sakimano]

What a ride by Alaphilippe.

a Frenchman takes the maillot jaune.

[Nordic]

He knew the course and took advantage. Nice work.

[Robert J Sakimano]

this year's route is pretty insane. VandeVelde said it was probably the nastiest Tour he's ever seen. The fact that there was a 121 mile opening stage, followed by a TTT and then a 3rd stage with some 12% climbs.. yikes. Most years, the first week is for the sprinters and pretty much the entire peloton has the same time.

not this year. Thursday's stage up La Planche des Belles Filles has brief segments of 22% to 28% gradient at the end. What the actual fuck?  

gonna be interesting to watch.

[Nordic]

Haven't they said that the last two years? Either way, the tougher and more diverse the course the better. Gives more riders a chance to win. The last two Tours were fun to watch. Some have just been parades.

[Sponsored content]