Tour de France 2009

Yeah but WTF with ETA written all over the road? You'd think less of an irish 'barmy army' if they'd put (P)IRA all over the roads.

good point, and there's me thinking ETA was the new drug for cyclists.. go go EPO..

no pictures found but, just read LA twitter he's been out riding with the Columbia HTC team today, catching up with old pal Hincapie.. perhaps there is too much atmosphere within Astana.

Eurosport betting odds today for outright Green Jersey are:-

Hushovd - 4/5
Cavendish 11/10
Freire - 22/1

outright Yellow Jersey odds today:-

Contador - 1/3
Armstrong - 3/1
A Schleck - 14/1
Sastre - 25/1
Evans - 33/1
Leipheimer - 40/1
Kloden - 50/1
Wiggins - 66/1

bunch sprint finish predicted tomorrow.. or is it brunch, with sprite and spinach..
Also Bastille Day so expect a couple of Frenchmen getting noticed.

bunch sprint finish predicted tomorrow.. Or is it brunch, with sprite and spinach..

lolocaust

Best tdf shots check the grauniad website has a daily gallery:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/gallery/2009/jul/11/tourdefrance-cycling?picture=350139259

How has nobody mentioned the fact that there are no radios allowed on tomorrows stage? I would have though that'd be a pretty large area for discussion?!

How has nobody mentioned the fact that there are no radios allowed on tomorrows stage? I would have though that'd be a pretty large area for discussion?!

I didn't know, why is that?

Apparently Arsestrong complained that Bruyneel keeps making improper suggestions in his ear while he's riding so his good friends at the TdF have banned radios for a day.

How has nobody mentioned the fact that there are no radios allowed on tomorrows stage? I would have though that'd be a pretty large area for discussion?!

I'm not copying, could you repeat? I'm not copying, could you repeat? Over and out.

I didn't know, why is that?

The real answer is that it's an experiment; the idea being that riders no longer have to think for themselves as they get instructions from the team manager about when to attack, exactly who's in the break etc and that this makes racing duller and less spontaneous. The opposing view is that radios make riding safer by alerting riders to hazards and by removing the need for the manager to drive up past the peloton to speak to a rider.
There are very firm opinions in favour and against from riders, managers and fans.

How has nobody mentioned the fact that there are no radios allowed on tomorrows stage? I would have though that'd be a pretty large area for discussion?!

Why the fuck haven't you mentioned it if it means so much to you, Mr CB?
10-4 Good Buddy. Breaker breaker, Adolf Hitler...

Radios for riders are not necessary in the internet age. If they miss something while they're riding, they can just listen to it on iPlayer in the evening.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/vasseur-questions-managers-opposition-to-tour-radio-ban

Does the Garmin 705 not have 3G internet connectivity?
pfffft

Does the Garmin 705 not have 3G internet connectivity?
pfffft

Like that would be useful at 35 mph...

The real answer is that it's an experiment; the idea being that riders no longer have to think for themselves as they get instructions from the team manager about when to attack, exactly who's in the break etc and that this makes racing duller and less spontaneous. The opposing view is that radios make riding safer by alerting riders to hazards and by removing the need for the manager to drive up past the peloton to speak to a rider.
There are very firm opinions in favour and against from riders, managers and fans.

nice post.
was trying to find some info on it when they mentioned it earlier today.

nice post.
was trying to find some info on it when they mentioned it earlier today.

Will will tell you anything if it suits his evil purposes.
Frankly, it's a shocking war of bluff, counter-bluff and even triple-bluff.
Small wonder that so few trust him...

Like that would be useful at 35 mph...

Psssst
I was joking.

The real answer is that it's an experiment; the idea being that riders no longer have to think for themselves as they get instructions from the team manager about when to attack, exactly who's in the break etc and that this makes racing duller and less spontaneous. The opposing view is that radios make riding safer by alerting riders to hazards and by removing the need for the manager to drive up past the peloton to speak to a rider.
There are very firm opinions in favour and against from riders, managers and fans.

you know, since the subtitle take at least, probably a couple or more months to load for each word that's uttered from the commentor, that post is probably far more useful than trying to decode the engima that is the 'live television' bollocks.

I'm not surprise the UCI supported this, since they're hell bend on keep the technology from the turn of the century without those modern plastic codswallop, anyhow I for one fully support the idea of a no-radio rules for a day or two, it's too easy to depend on radio to get information on where and when to attack.

Quite like how we got so dependent on mobile phone, before mobile phone were readily available for the public, you'd simply organised almost a day ahead to meet your friends by the post office, or just go home after 10 minutes of waiting.
Now we're so dependent on mobile phone, it reach to the point that we find it hopeless to meet friends and such without a mobile phone, or 'handy' as the german said.

Psssst
I was joking.

Oh.
ROFL then...

Jesus Platini. I've had a stack of reported posts of yours in the last 24 hours. Are you in a bad place or something? All you seem to come out with is toxic posts making snide comments at people.

If you're in a bad place, just log off for a while. Really, you do yourself and this place no good just spending your time spitting rubbish all over the place, it's almost like you suffer an online version of tourettes or something. Just log off, count to ten, whatever works for you.

Note that this may wholly be down to the medium. Maybe you're in a good place but the humour isn't coming across. Whatever it is, to go from no reported posts to more than a few in a day is pretty good going.

Jesus Platini. I've had a stack of reported posts of yours in the last 24 hours. Are you in a bad place or something? All you seem to come out with is toxic posts making snide comments at people.

If you're in a bad place, just log off for a while. Really, you do yourself and this place no good just spending your time spitting rubbish all over the place, it's almost like you suffer an online version of tourettes or something. Just log off, count to ten, whatever works for you.

Note that this may wholly be down to the medium. Maybe you're in a good place but the humour isn't coming across. Whatever it is, to go from no reported posts to more than a few in a day is pretty good going.

VB

Don't be too harsh on him. The boy is young. Probably just youthful high spirits coupled with remorse that one suffers from being a northerner.

young? i thought he was a retired english teacher with nothing better to do.

Any truth in the rumours that today's stage will see riders carrying spare tyres around their chest, be wearing goggles and that they all had steak for breakfast?

Yes. And some of them have been told to smoke to counter their naturally low heart rates

And they slept in non-air-conditioned rooms last night.

And are drinking whiskey too.