Tour de France 2009

[FireDancer]

I love the TTT, but do feel badly for some of the quality riders on weaker teams. You couldn't have scripted the outcome any better. I agree with you Frank that Lance doesn't need the yellow jersey this early.

I have a question, why don't they have time bonuses for the finish any more? Do they just do it some years and not others or have they given it up for good?

Cindy

I think the reason they got rid of the time bonuses is to help the green and polka dot jersey competitions. In the past, the GC riders would have incentive to be in the group sprint at the end of a flat stage or a mini sprint at the end of a mountain stage. Taking away the time bonuses means that the people after the green jersey on the flat stages and polka dot on mountain stages don't necessarily have to also deal with the GC contenders since they have no incentive to win a sprint, they just have to finish in the bunch.

I like the TTT because it makes the teams bring a stronger contingent.

 

[ironz]

Hi...loving the tour so far!
Agree with the DVR issues...sometimes they piddle a little on the flat stages and you never know when they are actually going to catch up and get to the finish.
Though I definitely prefer the morning telecast since it is all Phil and Paul commenting (and not edited). Not a huge fan of Craig Hummer. Bobke is ok, though.

Firedancer...sounds like a great trip. My trip out there was with Backroads, and I know...not cheap...but a great vacation! I've done 5 trips with them, but only one in Europe. Really wanted to do their TDF trip this year, which would include riding and then watching the tour on Mont Ventoux! Ventoux is definitely on my bucket list!

 

[FireDancer]

Firedancer...sounds like a great trip. My trip out there was with Backroads, and I know...not cheap...but a great vacation! I've done 5 trips with them, but only one in Europe. Really wanted to do their TDF trip this year, which would include riding and then watching the tour on Mont Ventoux! Ventoux is definitely on my bucket list!

I looked at them but went with VBT.

 

[stenogoddess]

Just wanted to chime in and say hello. I've really been enjoying the Tour so far. Enjoying is probably down playing it a bit. I've been yelling at the TV like I'm watching the news. Actually DH has told me he's going to start putting sedatives in my Diet Pepsi if I don't calm the heck down, and he's the one that's supposed to be the cycling fan.

I've been lounging on the sofa the last couple of days due to a little fender bender, so possibly I've had some extra time to become over involved.

I LOVE the TTT. It was great to see that back in the race. I really was yelling at Bbox that day. Did you see that pile up in the rough? Good gracious! And they are a French team so there is no excuse for not going over the route better than that. They are so lucky more people weren't really hurt. That was just poor performance.

I was thrilled Lance didn't get the yellow. It's too early for that. Let somebody else work their tail off with that thing. Lance seems like he is following his usual pattern for doing well in the Tour. Not only is it nice to see, I find it amazing that this is a come back! It's like he never left. I have high hopes for him this year.

 

[Tiger Lily 03]

Enjoyed today's event. This is a fun few days for sure!

 

[Cruella de mom]

I remember when dh and I would set the vcr to record the 30 minute broadcast around 2 am! And once, when Indurain was about to win his 5th, we set the alarm and got up at 1 am to watch the coverage.

We tivo the morning cast because we can't stand all the silly stuff in the evening, but then we end up watching the recap at the end of the evening show too. I usually cheat and watch the noon recap because I tend to fall alseep as we watch. (Hazard of marathon training in summer - you can't stay up past 9 pm)

Personally, I like Cancellara. He's a nice guy. I like David Millar too - he was properly contrite for his past mistakes and has come back a much more interesting rider. I don't really think Lance is all that nice a guy, but then I remember him as a punk kid who was too cocky for his britches. Guess he proved me wrong! lol.

Watching the tour is like seeing old friends. I love Stuart O'Grady, George, and Levi ... and you hardly ever hear about them besides in the tour. They aren't stars but they are incredible bike riders.

Does anyone else get irrated by the sprinters? Maybe its the marathoner in me, but it burns my butt to see some guy lead the whole race and then some punk who drafted all day gets the glory. Dh says I just don't get the sport. But don't you alway hate that guy that passes you in the finish chutes?

Tonight we will watch with my sister, she is a big Millar fan so she is gonna be screaming! I guess I better sit between her and dh.

 

[FireDancer]

Does anyone else get irrated by the sprinters? Maybe its the marathoner in me, but it burns my butt to see some guy lead the whole race and then some punk who drafted all day gets the glory. Dh says I just don't get the sport. But don't you alway hate that guy that passes you in the finish chutes?

They will get theirs in the mountains. It doesn't really bother be that much since the removal of time bonuses has kind of set up this scenario. Plus every once in a while the break away works and there is a little revenge for the gamble of going early.

Fabian said that his goal was to win stage 1 and keep the yellow until the mountains so I think his tour was a success. Tomorrow could end with the top 3 being Lance, Alberto, and Levi. Levi was right on Alberto's tail in 2007 when he won and he climbed the Tour of California very well.

Now is when it gets interesting, who doesn't love HC climb finishes?

 

[stenogoddess]

Nah, I like the sprinters okay knowing that they will fall off in the mountains. I always have my boyfriends in the race.

Laurant Gelabert was my first love. He was a King of the Mountains. He retired and I picked Mario Cipollini. Who couldn't love a guy with that hair nicknamed Super Mario or the Lion King. He came and raced some at the Tour de Georgia and we got to see him go by at 100 miles an hour. That was SO cool! Then he retired and I moved on to Robbie McEwen. Do you know that his son is named Ewen McEwen. Which is so wrong, but I laugh every time I hear it. But I guess Robbie is out with an injury. My GC love is George Hincapie. I know he's never going to win, but he's just such a hard worker I think someone needs to love him.

My DH is all about Garmin this year and their sprinter Tyler something. I can see his face but can't think of his name. I was messing with him last night saying he doesn't care about George at all and has moved on with another team. I said how unfaithful he is, how George has worked hard for us for all these years, and my DH just wanders in his affections at the first sign of a hot new team in argle and tight pants! He informed me that he does too still care about George. It was a great argument I got out of him. I love pushing his buttons like that!

I really wanted the Scotsman to stay away yesterday. I love when that happens. It looks just crushing to see the peloton come pounding down after them like that. Oh, well, a win for Thor. I was happy for him, even if he's not my BF!

Speaking of the Tour de Georgia (sort of) we saw Lance go by that year too. DH and I went up in the mountains figuring that he would be going slower coming up the hill. I needed a better camera. Mine wasn't fast enough and so even with Postal "going slower" I still only got a shot of the Blue Train rear ends. DH said that could be viewed as a positive by some, but you can't even see their numbers well enough to see who is which butt. My upside, in the end, was that I got a faster, better camera, so I'll be ready the next time.

Is this whole post pointless or what? I'll plead muscle relaxers!

 

[ahoff]

Pretty impressive how Contador flew out of the pack near the end!

 

[stego]

it's always nice to sit down for an hour or so in the evening and catch up with what transpired thousands of miles away. I think most of the riders told it like it was: the tour is 3 weeks long and the mountains will dictate who wins. Contador demonstrated that clearly today but it is still way early. I was interested to hear how the peloton spit out Cancellara. The tour begins with 189 of the sport's best riders. It is quite fascinating to see the different strengths in some of the guys. Not everyone is racing for the GC.

I was watching the 2nd stage and they interviewed Cavendish. Seriously folks, you can not script this: "if you are going to race like a junior, you are going to get junior results". Cocky little bugger-they panned over to Bob Roll, one of the commentators, and he had this big ****-eating grin on his face.

As a racer, I totally get it and that was some serious throw down. There comes a fine line between confident and being brash. I have watched some of the interviews and for most purposes, the guys are being pretty tight lipped. That makes huge sense since the world is literally watching them moment by moment. It can be super difficult to scramble and do media recovery. The focus should be on the race. Us normal folks have to realize all these guys do is eat, sleep and breathe the bike. Try to think logisitically what is involved in each athlete and how to accomodate them for 3 weeks.

 

[Cruella de mom]

Laurant Gelabert was my first love. He was a King of the Mountains. He retired and I picked Mario Cipollini.

Who couldn't love Laurent??? Our daughter Elle (pronounced ellie) was a baby when he was in top form and we would call her "liitle Elle Bear" after Laurent. So now whenever the kids hear his name they yell "little elle bear!" I hope that doesn't come back to bite us when we are in france two weeks from now...

And Super Mario was amazing. I was so sorry to hear what happened to him. I guess thats why I have such a soft spot for Stuart O'Grady - he used to be battle Super Mario for the green...The old lady in me still thinks of Thor and Robbie as young punks but in reality they are the old men sprinters now.

This is going to be an awesome tour! I only hope we can get good coverage while we are in Europe. Don't laugh, Paul and Phil only commentate in English and there is no guarantee what coverage we will find. I will be at the mercy of French and Italian Bartenders to switch the sets to a channel that has English subtitles. Lucky for me the Europeans don't tip like Americans...

 

[FireDancer]

It looks like a battle of 2 for yellow after today. Lance played the perfect team mate. He knew he would still be close and instead of closing the gap and bringing 2 contenders with him he just sat on their wheels.

I wouldn't worry about finding cycling in Europe, even if it is not in English. While I was in Italy I watched the Champions League final and Monaco Grand Prix without any English subtitles and it didn't matter, the game and racespoke for themselves.

 

[Cruella de mom]

thanks Frank - although I will miss Phil and Paul. Hopefully I won't offend too many Europeans when I hoot and holler for the Americans!

Johan Bruneel is up to something. This is going to get interesting!

 

[stenogoddess]

Johan Bruneel is up to something. This is going to get interesting!

 

[FireDancer]

A flat stage with a bunch sprint won by Mark Cavendish with all the GC contenders coming in at same time.

At least today wasn't predictable.

 

[MouseDogMom]

A flat stage with a bunch sprint won by Mark Cavendish with all the GC contenders coming in at same time.

At least today wasn't predictable.

Sounds a little like Lance's interview before the stage when he suggested they just skip the day's ride and go on to the next day since the outcome seemed fairly predetermined...

I'm ready for a little action, or at least something different!

Jackie

 

[FireDancer]

After two boring stages at least we had a break away that lasted today. Tomorrow will probably not be hilly enough to sort out the Lance/Alberto question but it might get one of them the yellow.

Bring on the Alps!

 

[John VN]

After two boring stages at least we had a break away that lasted today. Tomorrow will probably not be hilly enough to sort out the Lance?Alberto question but it might get one of them the yellow.

Bring on the Alps!

Sure wish I was able to partake in these boring stages.

 

[FireDancer]

Not the end of the first Alpine stage I was hoping for. Unless Lance can stay with Alberto and blow him away on stage 20 I think I am starting to mentally prepare for Lance standing somewhere other than the top step of the podium next Sunday.

 

[jmasgat]

Frank I guess I'm in the camp that figures that Lance will be competitive, but not win it all. That said, I do wish someone would wipe the smile off Alberto's face. I don't know why, but I just don't care for him. Maybe it's the usual dislike of someone who is really good!
Anyway, now I think I'll focus some energy on cheering for Wiggo. Would be nice to see an American team boy get a podium position (since no hope for any other Americans-besides Lance)
And as much as I love Phil, Paul, Bobke and Craig, I hope maybe now the Verus coverage will stop being the "Lance Armstrong Show"--sometimes it gets a little much.

One thing for sure-it's been the most interesting tour in seeral years

Maura