Tour de France 2014

Any ideas on who the World Champs course will suit? It seems there are two short climbs on the circuit. Too tough for the pure sprinters? If so, more suited to classics riders or GT contenders?

It's not as tough as many were expecting, given that the Spanish would normally favour a harder circuit. From what I've heard, it's too much for the pure sprinters like Kittel, Cavendish et al, but perfect for the likes of Degenkolb, Sagan, Kristoff etc.

Sagan marked into second. Kristoff impresses me more every time I see him. He's not the fastest but he's clever. Nearly caught Kittel out yesterday.

I think both Sagan and Kristoff could be let down by the relative weakness of their (national) team at the Worlds. That said, it didn't stop Rui Costa from winning last year.

He had an additional member in his 'national' team, though.

The Vuelta, ToB, Worlds and Lombardi, anything else to watch out for late season? And I'm not talking Beijing

The Eneco tour is usually worth a watch. The last few years they've tried to include stages similar to some of the spring classics, so last year they had an Amstel Gold style stage, a L-B-L style one and a Tour of Flanders one (including the Muur).

Poland, not so much.

What is your oldest TdF memory?

#askandyp

^^^I quite enjoyed watching the Paris-Tour Autumn classic last year....can't remember why. Think Degencolb won.

My earliest memory is us all gathered round a grainy black and white tv at the neighbor's house, trying to stay awake.

No, hold on, that was the moon landing.

Poland, not so much.

The balloons, man. Think of the balloons!

What is your oldest TdF memory?

Wanting a Fagor jersey sometime around '86 or '87; endless hours perusing the clothing racks at Howes Cycles in Cambridge but never actually buying one (a combination of saving money for other things, mainly cycle parts, and avoiding having "FAGOR" across my chest).

What is your oldest TdF memory?

#askandyp

Wiggo winning with the 'burns.

#comeontim

What is your oldest TdF memory?

this, probably

^Peter Winnen in '81?

correct!

I thought that was Bryan Adams.

Hippy posting a live feed on the forum in 07, and watching grainy feed in the newsroom I worked at in the Mirror offices. Guys on the Mirror Sport desks walking past and chatting to me about pro cycling, of which I knew nothing about.

What is your oldest TdF memory?

#askandyp

I can remember watching coverage on ITV's World of Sport in the late 70s and early 80s but only really started following it properly when Channel 4 started showing daily highlights in, I think, 1984. I liked Fignon, Millar and Kelly.

This will be memorable for those of a certain age.

tour de france intro channel 4 UK - YouTube

I thought that was Bryan Adams.

#cutslikeaknife

What is your oldest TdF memory?

#askandyp

Probably watching Big Mig with my next door neighbour and his Dad, who was crazy about him.

And even better:-

Tour de France Retro Channel 4 Theme Music - YouTube

Some great crashes in there, including someone being doored by their own mechanic.

This will be memorable for those of a certain age.

tour de france intro channel 4 UK - YouTube

That's from a year before I was born, but that intro is my first memory - first specific cycling memory would be Chris Boardman crashing in the rain on a prologue in 1995, although I remember seeing Big Mig so was definitely watching before then

Prologue Crash - 1995 TdF - YouTube

Some great crashes in there, including someone being doored by their own mechanic.

Looks like it might have been the doctors car door? Possibly after he'd taken someone else out whilst looking at the camera in the shot before?

What is your oldest TdF memory?

#askandyp

Hinault's bloody face, Hinault vs Lemonde, "It's Roche, It's Stephen Roche !" and generally Channel 4 80's coverage