[Archived] Le Tour

[Perth_Rover]

Anyone one here interested?

Should be a good tour, a lot more people capable of winning this year then the previous. This is mainly due to astana being back this year. The contenders being,

From Team Astana

Contador, Armstrong, Leipheimer and Kloden; Not very often a team will have 4 people capable of winning the overall classification, will this create an invincible team that no-one will touch or will we see a repeat of t-mobile a few years back where vinni-k, ullrich, kloden and rogers attacking each other. My thoughts, an amazing comeback by armstrong to make it back to this level, but if anyone could do it, it was always going to be him. But he won't have the legs to beat contador, kloden could be a threat though.

Team Columbia-Highroad

Kirchen and Rogers

Kirchen not good enough to be a threat, poor choice to lead ahead of rogers as he would be a threat for the title.....(no aussie bias, honest)

Cavendish will destroy a lot of people in the sprints, ill say 3 stage wins for him this year and if he can handle any hills maybe even the green jersey

Team Ag2r

Not too much here, maybe vlad efimkin to bob up for a stage win

Team Agritubel

Moreau cannot win overall, best chance is setting up stage wins in the sprint for Feillu

Team B-Box Bouygues Telcom

The usual, taking a stage from a breakaway. When there is a breakaway there will be a b-box

Team Caisse d'Epargne

Pereiro, nobody flies down a mountain like him, especially if he stays on his bike. Another win for him overall? No, too much talent this year but might be a shout for the king of the mountains. No Valverde, but sanchez might get a stage win.

Team Cervelo Test Team

Sastre, no he won't win again but will have a good shout for being there abouts as he won on one good climb last year. Thor hushovd will challenge cavendish for stage wins and the green jersey.

Team Cofidis

Duque will be in the sprints, not much else happening at cofidis

Team Euskaltel-Euskadi

No Sammy Sanchez this year, so no real threat for overall classification but Anton and Txurruka can climb with the best of them, maybe a polka jersey for the basque boys this year? Side note, I ride there bike: the orbea orca, very very very nice bike.

Team Francaise des jeux

Casar is handy on a climb, apart from that expect only excitement from a breakaway.

Team Garmin-Slipstream

Can Vande Velde repeat last years heroics? Maybe but expect top 10 rather then podium from him. Julian Dean is a very talented rider, should be there abouts in the sprints this year. Wiggins or Zabriskie could bob up for a stage win at some point.

Team Katusha

Robbie McEwen is not here and he is always good for a stage win, but they should still find one or two from steegmans and pozzato. Karpets and Botcharvo will not be good enough to challenge for the yellow.

Team Lampre-NGC

Ballan is a handy sprinter

Team Liquigas-Doimo

Bennati is a good sprinter, will challenge for some wins. Kreuziger is there overall hope, struggle for top ten

Team Milram

Fothen and Gerdemann too young to challenge this year. Ciolek might steal a win, doesn't have a good lead out train though.

Team Quickstep

No overall hope, Boonen is a very very good sprinter, good shout for green jersey.

Team Rabobank

Menchov is good enough top five, not good enough to win. Freire will be up for the green jersey again, will come down to him, cavendish, hushovd, boonen and steegmans.

Team Saxo Bank

Good all round team, but the schleck brothers won't be on the podium in paris, except in a polka colour jersey. Cancellara is a very good time trialist. O'grady and voigt are two of the hardest working team players in cycling. Except the team time-trial between them, columbia and astana.

Team Silence Lotto

Evans losing Dekker just before the tour was a blow, and Kohl many months ago hurts his chances, but no more McEwen does free up more team resources for him. In all honesty I don't see him winning (i hope i eat my words) but I don't believe he can keep up with the turn of speed up the mountains that contador, kloden, sastre & co posses. Someone said he was like a diesel engine, just puttering along slowly building up speed. Is it just me or does he always sound like he is about to cry when he speaks? Will most likely be a bridesmaid again

Team Skil-Shimano

Good luck, most likely involved in a lot of breakaways.

Predictions

Yellow

1st Contador (AST)

2nd Kloden (AST)

3rd Evans (SIL)

Big Mover; Rogers (COL)

Green

1st Boonen (QST)

2nd Cavendish (COL)

3rd Freire (RAB)

Suprise Packet; Steegmans (KAT)

Polka

1st Pereiro (CDE)

2nd Sastre (CER)

3rd A Schlek (SAX)

Smokey; Txurruka (EUS)

White

1st Andy Schlek (SAX)

[herbergeehh]

Tour de France is one of the highlights every summer for me.

I have Contador as my favourite too, but I don't think Klöden will end 2nd. Might end up having problems in an Astana team with [at least] two leaders. Cadel Evans will fight though, as will Menchov. Sastre is there, but I think he'll end up top six, not top three.

Cavendish will win the green jersey, his biggest opponent in my opinion will be Hushovd, who I of course hope can pull it off. Cavendish has got a really strong team behind him, Kim Kirchen and Hincapie will chase down anyone - which can only be good for Cavendish, and the other sprinters for that matter.

I like the Schleck-brothers, and hope they do well. And I really, really hope Arvesen can get a stage win again, he's such a team player, and his engine is amazing. One stage win for Arvesen, two for Hushovd (today, and the last stage in Paris) and Contador (yellow), Cavendish (green), Andy Schleck (white).

I think Gert Steegmans is out of the race, unfortunately.

Oh, and team: Astana by a mile.

[Claytons Left Boot]

Always take an interest which stems back to my days in the saddle. Haven't a clue who any of the teams are these days nor most of the riders but nevertheless still tune in when the Tour is on. Love the mountain stages - I was in the Spanish Pyrenees last year so I will be looking to see if the Tour passes anywhere near.

[Paul]

I'm very interested but never seem to remember to watch the TV coverage! plus I'm more likely to be out on the road doing it rather than watching..............

I'm hoping Armstrong can do it though it seems hard to imagine he will

[T4E]

Tried watching earlier but I'm totally confused by it. Why are there so many different coloured jerseys, and what do they mean? What do you have to do to win the thing overall?

[gumboots]

Try reading this http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_spor...ing/8129490.stm. called understanding the tour de France

[Paul]

Tried watching earlier but I'm totally confused by it. Why are there so many different coloured jerseys, and what do they mean? What do you have to do to win the thing overall?

Jerseys

Team jerseys - obvious really!

Yellow - current race leader

Polka Dot - King of the Mountains i.e the best climber

White - best young rider

Green - sprint leader

To win you need to gain the highest points total. Points are awarded in each stage at all sorts of levels. I don't understand enough to explain clearly but basically the mores stages you win the better your chance! Myself I just find a certain beauty in watching the riding and the event rather than worrying too much about the scoring.

[AussieinUk]

Myself I just find a certain beauty in watching the riding and the event rather than worrying too much about the scoring.

So true, back in Oz, I was always staying up late to the wee hours of the morning, watching the stages unfold and listening to Phil Leggit (sp). The mountain climbs is what makes ithe race interesting IMV.

Isn't there also special allowances for riders to wear certain other jersey's (i.e. European Champion etc)?

Favorite rider for me is Danny Menchov

[Perth_Rover]

So true, back in Oz, I was always staying up late to the wee hours of the morning, watching the stages unfold and listening to Phil Leggit (sp). The mountain climbs is what makes ithe race interesting IMV.

Isn't there also special allowances for riders to wear certain other jersey's (i.e. European Champion etc)?

Favorite rider for me is Danny Menchov

Yes, every national champion can wear the national colours on there team jersey. Also world time trial champion has the rainbow jersey

[Paul]

ITV4 tonight is showing at 8.00pm - straight after the Le Tour coverage - Race Across America. Now this is the name of a cycle race so it may be this is the subject of the programme.

[Big A]

Things really hotting up today. Cavendish couldn't have asked for a better two days with most of his rivals for green taken out by the stage 2 crash and being left behind by the Columbia break today. If he gets to Paris and keeps winning flat stages then he must have a genuine chance of green.

Meanwhile I'd love to be a fly on the wall at Astana currently. Contador should by all rights be team leader but it looks like some of Armstrong's old mates like Popovych are riding for him. They seemed on pushing the Columbia break on and extending the gap to the peleton, despite Contador being stuck back there. An Astana self-destruction must be the best hope Contador's rivals have. Feel a bit sorry for Kloden who'd be a genuine contender for yellow anywhere else if he wasn't stuck in the middle of the Contador-Armstrong tug of war.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

Really enjoy watching it,could do with going out and cycling more though.

I hate this guilty feeling I get annually around this time of year as I sweat tucking into my fish 'n' chips tea.......BURRRRRRRRRRRRRPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP!

Probably THE fittest athletes on the planet these Le Tour riders.

I've promised myself I will go the France and watch a mountain stage one day......BURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRPPPPPPPPPPPPP!

[T4E]

Probably THE fittest athletes on the planet these Le Tour riders.

They are quite wonderful athletes. Its superhuman levels of endurance we're talking about here.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

Thats true T4E,many riders are physiologically very gifted...Miguel Indurain was reported to have a resting heart rate of only 28 bpm!

It seems astounding that these fellas can cycle for say 150 miles at race pace over mountains and then the next day get up and do it all over again!

Then again, for many of the not so gifted cyclists EPO and her friends have always been there with a helping hand in the past..........

[Shevchenko]

Things really hotting up today. Cavendish couldn't have asked for a better two days with most of his rivals for green taken out by the stage 2 crash and being left behind by the Columbia break today. If he gets to Paris and keeps winning flat stages then he must have a genuine chance of green.

Hushovd is still in the game for green, the other favorites lost out by the breakaway today. Cavendish has not got to Paris yet and I´m not sure he´s got the stomach to last in the mountains so...we´ll see. Anything can happen in the Tour.

T4E, in addition to thus

Jerseys

Team jerseys - obvious really!

Yellow - current race leader

Polka Dot - King of the Mountains i.e the best climber

White - best young rider

Green - sprint leader

Every national champion wears his country colours. The world road race champion wears the championship jersey. The world time trial champion wears the championship jersey but only during time trials.

Paul, isn´t the points system gone now? To win the Tour (yellow jersey) you need the best overall time. If you want to win the green jersey (or points jersey) you need the most points.

I absolutely love the Tour. It is one of my absolute favorite sporting events to follow so every July is a highlight for me. My only regret this year is that I am working right through the summer and will miss most of stages. Otherwise I am quite happy to stay in front of the telly and watch each stage from start to finish. Great athleticism, tactics, TEAM sport, bravery and sportsmanship. And when you start to figure out the subtleties of cycling tactics it gets very interesting indeed.

[Paul]

Paul, isn´t the points system gone now? To win the Tour (yellow jersey) you need the best overall time. If you want to win the green jersey (or points jersey) you need the most points.

Yes, you're right. I realised this watching the highlights tonight. For the overall winner it is the total time that counts, for the other jerseys it's the points gained in the various time trials, sprints, climbs etc and sections. T4E the points can be won in sprints, like today when Cavendish got 35 for winning the sprint, then there are smaller points to be won at certain points through a day on the flat (first three past a certain point), team time trial where the time of the first five riders from your team count - this is on a specific day, points for climbs etc. To win a jersey the rider must complete the race, so the sprinters must reach Paris to win the green jersey.

[Eddie]

They are quite wonderful athletes. Its superhuman levels of endurance we're talking about here.

A little bit of mystery juice doesn't do any harm.

[ABBEY]

wow how good was todays stage!!

[Redrose49er]

Great entertainment as always, what odds a third for Cav today?

[Shevchenko]

Shame I´m at work all day, I´m missing all the fun!

But its great that Tomas Voeckler won today´s stage. Top bloke, he deserved a win.

[Tris]

Always enjoy watching the Tour de France, hard to believe that this one is already a week old with todays 7th stage, and one third of the way to Paris.

Felt gutted for David Millar yesterday, being swept up by the peleton just 1.2km from a well deserved stage win, fair play he was so philosophical about it in his interview afterwards.

Will be very interesting to observe the standings in the Astana team after the finish at 2,200m above sea level this afternoon, with the first big climbs surely starting to split things wide open.

It's days like these when two Sky boxes and a wireless video sender come in useful!

[Majiball]

Probably THE fittest athletes on the planet these Le Tour riders.

They are fit but this race takes some doing.

Sahara race

Hows Lance getting on in the tour?

[only2garners]

Hows Lance getting on in the tour?

He is a great bike rider but has been acting like a complete tw*t in his endless interviews. The whole return to cycling has been one big ego trip for him. It's clear he has no intention of accepting Contador as his team leader and is actively scheming to get the rest of the Astana team working for him instead. I'm just praying that we see Contador leave him for dead on the slopes of Ventoux in a couple of weeks.

[American]

Always enjoy watching the Tour de France, hard to believe that this one is already a week old with todays 7th stage, and one third of the way to Paris.

Felt gutted for David Millar yesterday, being swept up by the peleton just 1.2km from a well deserved stage win, fair play he was so philosophical about it in his interview afterwards.

Will be very interesting to observe the standings in the Astana team after the finish at 2,200m above sea level this afternoon, with the first big climbs surely starting to split things wide open.

It's days like these when two Sky boxes and a wireless video sender come in useful!

Or you can just use sky player and not have to justify having spent money on something that provides the same service while you are in the UK!!

[Tris]

Or you can just use sky player and not have to justify having spent money on something that provides the same service while you are in the UK!!

Ermm ... ... you've lost me. Eurosport player costs a fiver a month, but that's not even relevant here! If you're referring to Slingbox, why on earth would I use Slingbox in the house?

As for the TDF, totally disagree with O2G. Who says Contador is team leader at Astana? Clearly there were no "team orders" when the Spaniard jumped the group on Friday, but he absolutely had to do that just to get back on level par with Armstrong.

I think Armstrong is keeping his powder dry for the Alps, and he'll put some noses out of joint when the race gets over there next weekend. Contador's time will come, but if Armstrong can challenge for this Tour win then I hope he takes it. He deserves this slice of cycling history.