Tour de France - Anyone watching?

[escape]

I enjoy watching the Tour de France. I can't imagine going up all those mountains though! Whew!

Go Team Columbia and Team Garmin-Chipotle!!!!!

 

[jmasgat]

Susie We finally got cable this year (yes, one of a handful of American families who didn't have it) and have been watching live as much as possible. When I'm at work, I go to cyclingnews.com and keep their live race report in the background (great coverage--especially the cow comments!) My DH is a big cyclist/cycling fan (Does cyclocross and rides of 60-70 miles are routine. In fact, he's out for one now!). Last year, my DD and I went to London and saw the prologue for the Tour. Totally cool--didn't score any free stuff though.

So go Columbia and Garmin-Chipotle (dontcha love the team names) and here's hoping Kirchen hangs on the the maillot jaune for a few days.

Maura

 

[escape]

Susie We finally got cable this year (yes, one of a handful of American families who didn't have it) and have been watching live as much as possible. When I'm at work, I go to cyclingnews.com and keep their live race report in the background (great coverage--especially the cow comments!) My DH is a big cyclist/cycling fan (Does cyclocross and rides of 60-70 miles are routine. In fact, he's out for one now!). Last year, my DD and I went to London and saw the prologue for the Tour. Totally cool--didn't score any free stuff though.

So go Columbia and Garmin-Chipotle (dontcha love the team names) and here's hoping Kirchen hangs on the the maillot jaune for a few days.

Maura

Wow! for your DH. Whew! Can you imagine riding ~100 miles a day for a period of time like the Tour guys do?

A good friend of mine went to Spain a couple of years ago to "run with the bulls." While there, they went to France for a day to watch a leg of the tour. I can't remember which leg it was but it was a mountain day and it was Lance's last Tour. She said about a couple of hours before the cyclists came through, there were promotional cars riding up and down the streets handing out all kinds of Tour freebies - the free stuff that you were referring to, I guess. My DH wants to go so badly, he can taste it. Maybe someday....

As for Kirchen, YES! I hope he can hang on to that yellow jersey for a while!

 

[ironz]

I'm watching it...as best as I can. For some reason, my Versus channel is cutting in and out, and the picture gets all pixel-y and sometimes goes black. None of the other channels do this (not that I've wanted to watch anything else). The cable co. said they can get someone out on July 16 to try to fix it! I said, You know this is JULY, and it's THE TOUR, don't you?! I've been able to watch most of it so far, at least, in between the channel acting up.

sort of cheering for Vandevelde and Valverde right now.

 

[lap3]

Susie We finally got cable this year (yes, one of a handful of American families who didn't have it) and have been watching live as much as possible. When I'm at work, I go to cyclingnews.com and keep their live race report in the background (great coverage--especially the cow comments!) My DH is a big cyclist/cycling fan (Does cyclocross and rides of 60-70 miles are routine. In fact, he's out for one now!). Last year, my DD and I went to London and saw the prologue for the Tour. Totally cool--didn't score any free stuff though.

So go Columbia and Garmin-Chipotle (dontcha love the team names) and here's hoping Kirchen hangs on the the maillot jaune for a few days.

Maura

Wow! I'm jealous! I would have loved to catch the TDF in person. For my 40th birthday a couple of years ago, my DW was planning on sending me to France to watch some of the stages until she realize how much it would have cost!

BTW, I'm watching it now, too! I think Evans will win with Valverde a close 2nd but I'd like to see Devolder make a good showing. He would be my outside favorite.

Let's hear it! Who do you pick to wear yellow into Paris?

 

[TEK224]

I'm watching, too. In case you didn't see my post in the other thread - I'm doing the "Tour de Living Room". When I get home from work, I hop on my spinner and ride along with the Tour.

Susie - I agree with ya. Don't know how they can handle the mountains. I turn up the resistance on my spinner and go for as long as I can and I'm huffin and puffin.

I usually ride about an hour while watching the Tour and guesstimate that I'm doing about 16 miles (of course the Tour guys are doing about 30 in that same time frame).

Terri

 

[Scott H]

Been a big Tour fan for many many years, use the DVR so I can watch it when I get home. I like Phil and Pauls commentary better than the evening recap. Phil is so annimated.

 

[Lynn G]

I'm watching it...as best as I can. For some reason, my Versus channel is cutting in and out, and the picture gets all pixel-y and sometimes goes black. None of the other channels do this (not that I've wanted to watch anything else). The cable co. said they can get someone out on July 16 to try to fix it! I said, You know this is JULY, and it's THE TOUR, don't you?! I've been able to watch most of it so far, at least, in between the channel acting up.

sort of cheering for Vandevelde and Valverde right now.

Are you sure it is not Versus problem - they have alot of trouble with the transmission of cameras from the motorcycles in the trees - the commentator will usually make some comment on the picture - then they go to a different camera. If your picture does it on the helicopter shots, then you might have a problem.

 

[escape]

I'm watching, too. In case you didn't see my post in the other thread - I'm doing the "Tour de Living Room". When I get home from work, I hop on my spinner and ride along with the Tour.

Susie - I agree with ya. Don't know how they can handle the mountains. I turn up the resistance on my spinner and go for as long as I can and I'm huffin and puffin.

I usually ride about an hour while watching the Tour and guesstimate that I'm doing about 16 miles (of course the Tour guys are doing about 30 in that same time frame).

Terri

Terri - WHAT A GREAT IDEA! Why didn't I think of that?

I just bought a new road bike a few weeks ago and DH has an old trainer I could put it on. I can be riding right there with the best of them.

Tour de Living Room. I LOVE it!

 

[FireDancer]

I have it DVR’d every day and go home and watch it. I haven’t seen today’s yet but I am hoping one of the GC winners come from one of the American teams but for sentimental reasons I would love to see George Hincapie win.

 

[ironz]

Are you sure it is not Versus problem - they have alot of trouble with the transmission of cameras from the motorcycles in the trees - the commentator will usually make some comment on the picture - then they go to a different camera. If your picture does it on the helicopter shots, then you might have a problem.

Nope...not the camera....that I could deal with up in the mountains, and am used to that, having followed the Tour since the Lance string of victories.

It is the station...it even cuts out in the commercials sometimes. and was totally black screen for a while the other day, when I called the cable company.

I had thought it was the DVR sort of corrupting the signal, because I tape the early (live) broadcast of each stage...like Scott, I like the Phil and Paul commentary best....but then I went to the actual live channel and it was doing the same.

So...I am watching it...sometimes with a good picture, sometimes splotchy and pixely...until hopefully they fix it next week.

The good thing is....if my early broadcast gets screwed up, they show it like 5 times a day (more edited), so I can try to watch again if I have to!

 

[ironz]

Terri - WHAT A GREAT IDEA! Why didn't I think of that?

I just bought a new road bike a few weeks ago and DH has an old trainer I could put it on. I can be riding right there with the best of them.

Tour de Living Room. I LOVE it!

I love to ride "with" them on the trainer. Just don't lean when they take a hard corner!

Unfortunately (or fortunately), tomorrow must be an outdoor ride...no way can I get a 6 hour ride done on the trainer...even with the TDF on!

 

[perfectmatch300]

I've been watching the Tour for years. Pretty much since it first started showing up on cable!

After reading this thread, I'm thinking I need a trainer or exercise bikew I could set up in the house to ride along! That sounds like fun, & I think it would be really motivational, too!

I'm another George Hincapie fan. I'd love to see him at least win a stage, but I'm afraid a Tour GC win for him will probably be sacrificed to support one of his team-mates. I guess I'm pulling for Kircher for the GC, or maybe Vandevelde.

 

[Duanerice]

Watching it right now - 3.9 mi to go! The finishes are always exciting.

enjoy,
Duane

 

[MouseDogMom]

I agree that Evans and Valverde both have good shots at the GC, although I'm another sentimentalist who'd love to see Hincapie. I think his days are past, though, since there's new younger talent on Columbia.

I've joined Terri in her Tour de Living Room one day - hope to do more, but I usually only cycle 1x/week. I did about 19 miles in the 1:10 I rode, while DH and DD did nothing but remind me that the "real" Tour riders were riding about twice as fast as I was!

Jackie

 

[Scott H]

OK Guys a rule here : never disclose a stage winner till the next day, this is for us that DVR, Thanks Much, I am sure you all understand, watching today right now.


Betsy, call your cable or dish folks, we are on dish and it is fine, except for as Lynn said.

I am impressed at the efforts to clean things up drug wise. A good attitude.

Not sure who is my favorite at this time, gotta see what the Mts bring.

 

[thndrmatt]

lol, should have known this thread would be on here... clearly i'm not alone!
(just got off a 1 hour 45 minute ride on the trainer a few hours ago after watching yesterday's stage that I DVR'd)

I'm planning on a century at the end of Aug so I'm riding 5 days a week and the long rides are getting longer...

 

[Scott H]

Mts today should be good.

 

[escape]

Uh, oh! Interesting turn of events. No spoilers till tomorrow so others who Tivo'd can see.

 

[smileyk8]

I have to admit i'm not a giant fan of tour de france, but to be fair i've never really given in a chance. However, I just found out that my uncle was allowed to participate in one of the stages!!! Now that's cool. Didn't see it unfortunately, but i bet he loved it. Nice to see some fans on here.