Tour de France 2014

Although I'm not too sure about Majka's posturing (winks and stupid victory celebrations) and definitely think he's a prick for blatantly cheating when he yanked on the motorbike's aerial yesterday, I think it's good there's characters like him and Sagan in the peloton. A nice foil to robots like Froome.

Great effort from him yesterday though

He's 24.
If I were winning Tour stages, I'd be ecstatic.

Watching the highlights this morning and it struck me that had Quintana been there this year, he'd have ridden everyone clean off his wheel day after day.

He'd need to, in order to make up the time he'd have lost on Stage 5.

@jim 1985 blatant cheating, pushing off on a bikes antenna versus having the extra long hold on the water bottle passed from the team car.
The riders he attacked didn't come anywhere near to catching him by the end of the stage so how much did that push off affect the outcome of the race. Not a lot I'd argue..

It didn't.

Winking aside my fave bit was the big dribble of froth dangling from his dehydrated chops while he convinced himself cheerily that his body wasn't in the final stages of complete respiratory collapse. He looked like a St Bernard who'd just realised there's a string of sausages on the camera bike.

I agree it made no difference to the result, I just found it odd that he did it so blatantly, there was a camera right in front of him. It's almost like he's trying to prove a point?

And Skinny, for sure, I'd be ecstatic n'all, I just am not so sure about his celebration style!

@jim 1985 blatant cheating, pushing off on a bikes antenna versus having the extra long hold on the water bottle passed from the team car.
The riders he attacked didn't come anywhere near to catching him by the end of the stage so how much did that push off affect the outcome of the race. Not a lot I'd argue..

The midweek slackers watching of a mountain stage of the TDF is set to happen again today. Stage 18. http://www.letour.fr/le-tour/2014/us/stage-18.html

TDF. Tasty pub lunch things for £6. Tourmalet, Hautacam. Beer. Talk utter bollocks face to face instead of on the thread. At the Prince Regent.

Table booked starting at 12:30 with the stage to be shown in ITV4 from 2pm.

/spam

@jim 1985 blatant cheating, pushing off on a bikes antenna versus having the extra long hold on the water bottle passed from the team car.
The riders he attacked didn't come anywhere near to catching him by the end of the stage so how much did that push off affect the outcome of the race. Not a lot I'd argue..

Isn't it similar to footballers inching forwards at throw ins or placing the ball for a free kick just that slightly more forward than it should be? Or much worse? In anyway he got punished for it?

Or diving, rolling around on the ground, using dubious sports doctors and a fuck ton of doping?

It's not so much the physical advantage, it's also the growing frustration experienced by other riders who witness the act which is likely to do more damage imo

The grab and the wink were a bit daft. Not as bad as Sagan grabbing that girl's arse. They're both young and hopefully someone will have a word with Majka.

ok dad.

The grab and the wink were a bit daft. Not as bad as Sagan grabbing that girl's arse. They're both young and hopefully someone will have a word with Majka.

Who, Tinkov?

LOL

I agree it made no difference to the result, I just found it odd that he did it so blatantly, there was a camera right in front of him. It's almost like he's trying to prove a point?

exactly, the motorbike was annoyingly getting in his way and he was trying to make that clear, he explained yesterday in a tv interview

See you bitches as soon as I get back from the airport, I've only managed to watch two or three stages this year... Disappointing...

Isn't it similar to footballers inching forwards at throw ins or placing the ball for a free kick just that slightly more forward than it should be? Or much worse? In anyway he got punished for it?

Think he got a 10 second penalty.

The midweek slackers watching of a mountain stage of the TDF is set to happen again today. Stage 18. http://www.letour.fr/le-tour/2014/us/stage-18.html

TDF. Tasty pub lunch things for £6. Tourmalet, Hautacam. Beer. Talk utter bollocks face to face instead of on the thread. At the Prince Regent.

Table booked starting at 12:30 with the stage to** be shown in ITV4 **from 2pm.

And for that reason, I'm out.

Phil and Paul can fuck off.

Nieve you cunt.

giving valverde a tow, must be looking for a new contract.

Watching the highlights this morning and it struck me that had Quintana been there this year, he'd have ridden everyone clean off his wheel day after day.

If we see him, Froome, Contador and Nibali staying upright next year though - wow.

It makes me wonder about the calibre at this TDF. At the Giro an on-form Majka wasn't near dominating - you had Aru, Kelderman, Arredondo and Quintana all climbing with him. All those are young guys passed over this year in favour of more experienced riders. The old guard (bar Nibali and Peraud) have been a bit overshadowed in the mountains. Pinot and Bardet have been great.

Isn't it similar to footballers inching forwards at throw ins or placing the ball for a free kick just that slightly more forward than it should be? Or much worse? In anyway he got punished for it?

Please, that's enough football talk for 2014.

:-)

And for that reason, I'm out.

Phil and Paul can fuck off.

Boo! We'll do our own commentary. If you have a way of getting EuroSport on the TV you're welcome to bring it.

I can bring a laptop with Eurosport and an HDMI cable. Would that tempt Andy down?

I have jam for Chris. I will attend. Just expect tirades of abuse at Tweedledee and Tweedledum on ITV4.

We can control the volume. The footage is all the same anyway.