[OT] Any Tour de France Fans out there?

[Dr. Strangemonkey]

It'd be nice if I could see an ocasional soccer mach here but very few people know what I'm talking about when I mention The Real Madrid. Oh well...

I live in Texas, even outside of Austin we do watch the tour and cheer for Lance, and I have to say that Real Madrid is on a lot of my friends lips.

Might just be the people I know, but acquiring Beckham (spelling?) was, if nothing else, a huge public relations triumph.

 

[johnsemlak]

Petacchi now has 4 stage wins. Unbelievable.

Now it's into the mountains...

Does Lance take the Yellow Jersey today?

 

[Christian Walker]

Petacchi now has 4 stage wins. Unbelievable.

Now it's into the mountains...

Does Lance take the Yellow Jersey today?

Good question!

Here's my prediction. The course does not favor any of the contenders trying to blow the field apart. While there is a massive climb near the end, the race does not finish there. The finish lays beyond, after a decent and a longish flat section. You usually don't see the race leader making a stand until stages that finish atop mountains.

I think that the tour favorites will keep a close eye on one another. the pace will be high, in an attempt to tire one another out. However, there will be no major shakeup. A few, non-threatening riders, will make a break, win the King of the Mountains jersey, but there will be a largish group finish at the end. VHP will stay in yellow, and will so until he gets used up, there is an ITT, or a mountain finish.

Then again, Simoni (3 min. A) might go for broke in a crazy attempt to make some time back...

I guess we'll know in 8-9 hours, eh?

 

[johnsemlak]

That analysis sounds pretty good. Of course, Lance is in a good position as it is, compared to previous tours at this point, so he doesn't really need to worry for now.

I just watched highlights of yesterday's stage and yes, O'Grady was damn close to winning. Also, in one of those flukes in sports, he's now fifth in the King of the Mountains competition. Don't think he'll stay there too long .

Does anybody know how many green jersey points are awarded to the Stage winner? What if the stage finishes on a climb?

 

[Zarrock God of Evil]

Re: Re: Re: US Postal win team time trial!

In other words I'd bet good money that Simoni will not finish higher than Ullrich. Course I'm the guy that thought Hamilton would finish on the podium , so you should take whatever I say with a certain amount of caution...

(#1441).

You would have been right if Hamilton hadn't suffered his injury. Even with it, he rides like a giant on wheels, now we'll just have to see if his body has can cope with the strains of the mountains.

-Zarrock

 

[Krug]

Lance 2nd overall. Looking good.

 

[EOL]

For some reason I take particular pleasure in seeing Gilberto Simoni crack. I guess it was all the "smack" he was talking before the tour, about how Lance has never been really challanged in the climbs, how he should be in yellow by Alpe d'Huez. Of course that was mostly earlier in the day, then I came across his tour diary and Bicycling.com and I felt a little sorry for him.

Botero I just don't understand at all. Apparently he's been training in secret all year. What's up with that?

In any event I'm not very coherent tonight, but as my final thought it was very cool to see Hamilton finish with the "elite peleton" I'm even more interested to see what he does tommorrow.

 

[johnsemlak]

It is amazing to see Tyler Hamilton still racing strong. They keep predicting he won't make anohter stage.

Another curious rider in this tour is Ullrich, actually. I've heard the commentators say several times they don't think he'll stay near the top of the standings during the mountain stages because he's not prepared enough (IIRC he only had 2 months of full training or something like that). Yet after the first mountain stage he looks strong. Any commnets on how long he'll remain near the top of the standings?

As far as Lance, he is in a good position. I'm guessing he'll go for the yellow and the stage today.

 

[EOL]

It is amazing to see Tyler Hamilton still racing strong. They keep predicting he won't make anohter stage.

When you hear about him attacking Armstrong on the slopes of Alpe d'Huez. That's just incredible. Is there any chance he could be faking it?

Another curious rider in this tour is Ullrich, actually. I've heard the commentators say several times they don't think he'll stay near the top of the standings during the mountain stages because he's not prepared enough (IIRC he only had 2 months of full training or something like that). Yet after the first mountain stage he looks strong. Any commnets on how long he'll remain near the top of the standings?

He wasn't quite able to stick with the Armstrong group today, but he didn't lose much time and I think he's still a great time trialist. There are plenty of people who have won the tour by just sticking close in the mountains and then making all of their time in the time trials. He's not out of it yet.

As far as Lance, he is in a good position. I'm guessing he'll go for the yellow and the stage today.

He got the yellow, but not the stage. My prediction is that he'll still win, but his margin of victory won't be quite as great. We'll have to see he didn't do a lot of attacking today so maybe he was just content to sit back and watch. He was strong enough to take 3rd place and get the 8 second time bonus.

 

[johnsemlak]

It's surprising to hear Lance so frankly admitting that he was a bit weak yesterday. I wonder if this is more bluffing or for real. Personally, I thought Lance didn't need to be more agressive than he was--he had an advantage on all contenders and maintianed it or increased it (with the exception of Mayo, but they don't seem overly concerned with him).

I'm guessing he'll respond well in the next time trial and in the next mountaintop finish (in the Pyrenees?). We'll have to see, eh?