MichaelRobartes Posted July 2, 2016 Report Share Posted July 2, 2016 12 minutes ago, Red Right Hand said: Sorry, meant to say a record number of sprint stages. He should at least equal Hinault now barring accidents but Merckx is probably a bit too far ahead as you say unless he has a real storming race and wins virtually every flat stage! Sorry, I should have realised that! Shame that he's had a few fairly barren years (by his standards) but his record is incredible. Be interesting to see if he finishes the race this year with the Olympics on the horizon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 2, 2016 Report Share Posted July 2, 2016 39 minutes ago, MichaelRobartes said: Sorry, I should have realised that! Shame that he's had a few fairly barren years (by his standards) but his record is incredible. Be interesting to see if he finishes the race this year with the Olympics on the horizon. Pretty sure he'd have suppassed 34 wins had the HTC team stayed together. It was such a finely tuned beast. The move to Sky never really helped either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lanterne Rouge Posted July 2, 2016 Report Share Posted July 2, 2016 41 minutes ago, MichaelRobartes said: Sorry, I should have realised that! Shame that he's had a few fairly barren years (by his standards) but his record is incredible. Be interesting to see if he finishes the race this year with the Olympics on the horizon. I think last time it was an Olympic year he was advised not to ride the mountains as it would affect his chances so I expect the same to happen this time. Last time was London though so it would have meant more to him then I suppose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelRobartes Posted July 2, 2016 Report Share Posted July 2, 2016 3 minutes ago, Tomarse said: Pretty sure he'd have suppassed 34 wins had the HTC team stayed together. It was such a finely tuned beast. The move to Sky never really helped either. He might well have done. That said, he did better at Sky than OPQS/EQS, and without Renshaw as well. Three wins in three years after leaving Sky wasn't ideal but of course 2014 was just bad luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Esmond Million's Bung Posted July 3, 2016 Author Report Share Posted July 3, 2016 On 2 July 2016 at 10:45, TRL said: Playing spot the doper? As somebody far more knowledgeable than I said many moons ago, try riding 150 miles a day for 3 weeks, sat on a razor blade saddle, at break neck speeds, with barely any space between 170 bikes, having blood curdling injuries (that any modern day over paid pussy footballer would still be screaming about 6 months later) without taking drugs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lanterne Rouge Posted July 3, 2016 Report Share Posted July 3, 2016 9 minutes ago, Esmond Million's Bung said: As somebody far more knowledgeable than I said many moons ago, try riding 150 miles a day for 3 weeks, sat on a razor blade saddle, at break neck speeds, with barely any space between 170 bikes, having blood curdling injuries (that any modern day over paid pussy footballer would still be screaming about 6 months later) without taking drugs. You forgot going up mountains that your car would struggle to climb and coming down the other side at 80 miles an hour round hairpin bends with 100 foot drop offs at the sides. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 3, 2016 Report Share Posted July 3, 2016 10 minutes ago, Red Right Hand said: You forgot going up mountains that your car would struggle to climb and coming down the other side at 80 miles an hour round hairpin bends with 100 foot drop offs at the sides. Did anyone read about the guy who followed the route a day behind on a raleigh chopper last year? http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest-news/chopper-charity-rider-causes-bemusement-on-tour-de-france-mountains-185788 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRL Posted July 3, 2016 Report Share Posted July 3, 2016 20 minutes ago, Esmond Million's Bung said: As somebody far more knowledgeable than I said many moons ago, try riding 150 miles a day for 3 weeks, sat on a razor blade saddle, at break neck speeds, with barely any space between 170 bikes, having blood curdling injuries (that any modern day over paid pussy footballer would still be screaming about 6 months later) without taking drugs. Like I said let them all take drugs and risk long term health for riding a bike fast. To me the sport is dead. Including the history of it when pretty much all the winners 2nd 3rd we're dopers. Fair dos to those that follow it avidly... I just cannot find any interest in the whole seedy sport anymore Ps I like the pictures Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lanterne Rouge Posted July 3, 2016 Report Share Posted July 3, 2016 24 minutes ago, TRL said: Like I said let them all take drugs and risk long term health for riding a bike fast. To me the sport is dead. Including the history of it when pretty much all the winners 2nd 3rd we're dopers. Fair dos to those that follow it avidly... I just cannot find any interest in the whole seedy sport anymore Ps I like the pictures I do believe it`s (relatively) clean now and riders like Chris Froome and Mark Cavendish don`t do it - and that`s coming from one of Lance Armstrong`s biggest fans back in the day. I think his crimes caused a bit of a watershed where everyone said `this can`t go on any more` and genuine efforts have been made to clean things up led in no small part by the Sky team and their stand on not employing anyone who had ever been found guilty of doping. It was always going to prove hard to eliminate it entirely - it`s a bit like legal highs, the chemists are always one step ahead of the testers - but I am convinced it`s a lot cleaner now than ten years ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelRobartes Posted July 3, 2016 Report Share Posted July 3, 2016 Contador down again today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Esmond Million's Bung Posted July 3, 2016 Author Report Share Posted July 3, 2016 4 hours ago, TRL said: Like I said let them all take drugs and risk long term health for riding a bike fast. To me the sport is dead. Including the history of it when pretty much all the winners 2nd 3rd we're dopers. Fair dos to those that follow it avidly... I just cannot find any interest in the whole seedy sport anymore Ps I like the pictures You have to apply the same logic with football, cheating without the drugs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robbored Posted July 3, 2016 Report Share Posted July 3, 2016 Over the last 3 or 4 years I've been getting into Le Tour thanks to those knowledgeable users on here have a explained the finer points of the strategy of Le Tour. However I'm still not sure why there is inevitably a break away that nearly always get caught before the end of the stage. I don't know if the riders in the breakaway are purposely there with team orders or whether they just decide themselves to tear off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRL Posted July 3, 2016 Report Share Posted July 3, 2016 1 hour ago, Esmond Million's Bung said: You have to apply the same logic with football, cheating without the drugs. Not really. I'd equate that to another rider pushing an opponent off a bike. Drugs are illegal in both sports. So logic does not apply until it's proven the top 10 footballers in the world have been taking performance enhancing drugs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelRobartes Posted July 3, 2016 Report Share Posted July 3, 2016 Pleased to see Sagan finally get a yellow jersey. Bad day for Contador though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lanterne Rouge Posted July 3, 2016 Report Share Posted July 3, 2016 4 minutes ago, MichaelRobartes said: Pleased to see Sagan finally get a yellow jersey. Bad day for Contador though. He has deserved it over the years - well done to him. Nasty little finish too so pleased that CF finished safely in the pack. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Portland Bill Posted July 3, 2016 Report Share Posted July 3, 2016 On 2 July 2016 at 15:01, Tomarse said: Two weeks of decent daytime TV. Really want to go over one year to watch.. Need to save up for that campervan Get a bike and join in, much cheaper! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 3, 2016 Report Share Posted July 3, 2016 11 hours ago, Red Right Hand said: You forgot going up mountains that your car would struggle to climb and coming down the other side at 80 miles an hour round hairpin bends with 100 foot drop offs at the sides. There is the odd time the peloton don't catch them but yeah it's something that always confuses me a bit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 3, 2016 Report Share Posted July 3, 2016 Although reading up on it apparently one thing is it rewards the teams sponsors with some airtime.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moloch Posted July 3, 2016 Report Share Posted July 3, 2016 6 hours ago, Robbored said: Over the last 3 or 4 years I've been getting into Le Tour thanks to those knowledgeable users on here have a explained the finer points of the strategy of Le Tour. However I'm still not sure why there is inevitably a break away that nearly always get caught before the end of the stage. I don't know if the riders in the breakaway are purposely there with team orders or whether they just decide themselves to tear off. The breakaway riders are trying to do 2 things. First, and most importantly, they are getting airtime for their sponsors. Secondly, they are trying to win the stage. On a flat stage, the bunch will let a small group of riders away. The breakaway will suffer from riding in the wind all day and so the peloton be able to go much faster at the end of the ride (they can easily gain 1min every 10km and more on a hill). The bunch will aim to catch the escape between 20 to 15 km from the end and then ride flat out to stop any other breakaways. They sometimes misjudge and the breakaway will win the stage. There is usually only 1 small breakaway because the bunch will prevent any secondary groups from getting away as the situation will be too hard to manage. On a hilly or mountain stage, the tactics essentially the same but the climbs can lead to a lot of selection (splits in the bunch) and only the teams of the leaders will chase and only if it affects the overall lead. http://www.abelard.org/france/le-tour-de-france-tactics.php#breakaway Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robbored Posted July 3, 2016 Report Share Posted July 3, 2016 Thanks Moloch, that's very helpful as the link. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Esmond Million's Bung Posted July 4, 2016 Author Report Share Posted July 4, 2016 10 hours ago, Tomarse said: There is the odd time the peloton don't catch them but yeah it's something that always confuses me a bit if the breakaway contains nobody who might be a danger to any of the leading GC contenders, the teams of those leading GC contenders usually will not help the peloton to reel them in and the breakaway will survive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 4, 2016 Report Share Posted July 4, 2016 Nice one Cav. That was close! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelRobartes Posted July 4, 2016 Report Share Posted July 4, 2016 Amazing. Brilliant from Cav again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 4, 2016 Report Share Posted July 4, 2016 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Esmond Million's Bung Posted July 4, 2016 Author Report Share Posted July 4, 2016 What a man Mark Cavendish is, just when many have written him off AGAIN. Number 2 on the all time Tour de France stage winner list joint with the great Breton Bernard Hinault only Eddie Merckx 6 ahead now. Super happy especially after Griper thought he had won the stage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robbored Posted July 4, 2016 Report Share Posted July 4, 2016 1 hour ago, Tomarse said: Nice one Cav. That was close! About a 16th I reckon. Very very close..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maltshoveller Posted July 4, 2016 Report Share Posted July 4, 2016 3 hours ago, Esmond Million's Bung said: What a man Mark Cavendish is, just when many have written him off AGAIN. Number 2 on the all time Tour de France stage winner list joint with the great Breton Bernard Hinault only Eddie Merckx 6 ahead now. Super happy especially after Griper thought he had won the stage. Fair play to Cav To be along side two of the 3 greatest riders ever is some feat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelRobartes Posted July 7, 2016 Report Share Posted July 7, 2016 Cav again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 7, 2016 Report Share Posted July 7, 2016 2nd all time on his own... is he going to stay for the entire tour of focus on the Olympics? He could easily get another 1-2 under his belt this year and go for the all time record next year at this rate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lanterne Rouge Posted July 7, 2016 Report Share Posted July 7, 2016 Cav you belter! Get in my son, what a finish. 29 stage wins now and counting - to beat Merckx`s total would one of the greatest sporting achievements ever. PS they just said on TV that if you take time trials out, he`s way ahead already! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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