[OT] Any Tour de France Fans out there?

[EOL]

Hamilton and Leipheimer are with 99% certainty out of the race. That really sucks. It makes it a less interesting tour and more importantly it taes out two people who had build their entire seasons around the tour. A dark day, especially for the americans.

 

[Samnell]

The second, little known, thing, is that it was created by an anti-dreyfusard.

I'm intensely and irrationally proud of myself for recognizing that term without thinking about it.

 

[nopantsyet]

I'm French, I like bicycle riding, but I'm never interested in sportive events, tour de France included.

In fact, there are [edit] three things I reproach to that competition.

As a lover of cycling, and one who finds it this time of year bittersweet, being now unable to participate in my favorite athletic activity, I've got to express strong resistance to the arguments I've heard time and time by would-be detractors from cycling.

The first is that it's more about pharmacetics than about cycling.

The drug problem is really a nationalism-meets-sour-grapes problem. Drug allegations are casually bandied about every time some country thinks it's prized cyclist/team should have won a given race, and are more often disproven than proven. Cycling has more extensive drug testing than most other sports, and it has more severe penalties than most as well.

The second, little known, thing, is that it was created by an anti-dreyfusard.

If we opposed everything that was founded by someone with reproachable morals, we would be left with contemplating the universe beneath a bodhi tree. Not to mention we would all be morally required to turn in uprising against our own nations, boycott nearly all commercial interests, and subject ourselves to ascetic self-punishment.

[/B]The third, that I nearly forgot, is that the current organisators of cycling events are blocking all innovations in the bicycle sector. They only accept the same old classic bike, while more efficient designs have been made (the speed record with a non-conventionnal bike is 130 km/h!). And because of them, we don't see these new, better bikes in stores. Grrr. [/B]

I don't see that as a bad thing. This is an athletic event, not an engineering competition. Besides, we really don't need to see these guys going even faster--there's plenty of injury at current speeds.

Personally, I think that their position is good for cycling because it promotes cycling over cycles. They don't categorically eschew all innovations; but they are very conservative and consciencious about preserving the sport as an athletic competition rather than letting it degenerate into another "richest-man-wins" schtick.

All that said, "Go Lance!!!!"

 

[Christian Walker]

I agree with the poster before me reagrding innovation. When I started racing years back, I had a hunk of crap Univega. Fortunately, the technology gap between myself and other racers wasn't very large. As a result, the saying, "It's the engine, not the chasis" was still relevant. I had a fighting chance. I think the same applies today, when you consider, say, low budget teams and powerhouses like Telekom and USPS. The bikes are very similar in design, so it's more competitive. Smaller teams might not be able to keep up, due to budget constraints.

I'm glad that the UCI is very conservative with what kind of gear they allow. Some designs do, in fact, make for a faster ride, but there is a safety factor to be considered. Certain aero bars, for example, are a bad idea in a pack.

Christian, who's watched stage 1 three times today...

 

[GamerMan12]

2 Aussie wins in 3 days!

First, Brad McGee on Day 1 and now Baden Cooke on Day 3,
fantastic effort.

And Brad is still in the yellow jersey!!!

GamerMan12

 

[johnsemlak]

I'm surprised Stewart O'Grady has started so poorly in the sprints. He's my man for the Green Jersey!

 

[johnsemlak]

Well...

A Frenchman has taken the Yellow Jersey for the first time in 2 years.

Any thoughts on who will win the team time trial today?

Highest praise to Hamilton for continuing, he's one 'tough dude'. I hope he doens't get hurt any worse, though.

 

[tleilaxu]

damn i thought this thread was about kraftwerk

word, i used to watch folk spinning on cardboard to that stuff...

bum, bum bum buuum, bum bum bum, bum, bum buum buuuum bum, tour de france tour de france

 

[EOL]

Any thoughts on who will win the team time trial today?

I'd have to pick Postal, generally ONCE is the team to beat, but this year they're missing at least one big name (Igor Gonzalez de Galdeano) and the haven't been as dominate in general.

As far as O'grady is concerned he's only contested one intermediate sprint so far (yesterday) and in general I don't get the feeling that he's as motivated (or as fast) as he's been in years past.

 

[johnsemlak]

US Postal win team time trial!

That puts Lance Armstrong in 2nd position, just behind is own teammate Pena. Strong result for US postal.

Speaking of US Postal, any thoughts on Heras' chances for a top 5 finish in the Tour, perhaps a podium spot?

As far as O'grady is concerned he's only contested one intermediate sprint so far (yesterday) and in general I don't get the feeling that he's as motivated (or as fast) as he's been in years past.

It sure looks that way. He had had a pretty good year so far, so I'm surprised.