Tour de France 2013

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  • Some... Fortunately you will also see riders relying on the engine rather than the potential marginal gain of a bike change.

    #HTFU

    Apparently Westra (in the hot seat), used a tt bike. He took 42 seconds out of De Gendt on the last descent.

    Maybe slightly more than marginal...

  • twitter reporting that Italian TV are reporting that Alpe d'Huez stage could be cut short at the end of the first ascent if it's raining..
    err.....

    Shit spreading because everyone has already forgotten that the Giro happened this year?

  • Proper actual rain on the TV now... looks sketchy

  • They should annotate the results with (W) a la Top Gear. and one for bike swap.

  • Isn't the descent route they are using this year meant to be really sketchy even in the dry?

    yes

    Descent from Col de Sarenne - YouTube

  • Damn, wouldn't like to be out there now. Van Garderen might have got very lucky today.

  • Pissing down now

  • A hundred years ago they could do stages exceeding 400km fixed and self-sufficient, occasionally exceeding 20 hours in and out of the saddle as they had to climb carrying their bikes and wade through the snow and mud... If they cut short tomorrow's stage because of a little rain it's a complete farce. Conditions might be tough, so ride accordingly.

    #HTFU

  • Cav on CAPSnotHATS (and hipsters)

    http://www.bicycling.com/video/mark-cavendish-capsnothats#/video/all/created/d/1?cm_mmc=Twitter-_-Bicycling-_-Content-Video-_-cav-caps

    I think he was a bit drunk there.

    Nonsense, he's just remembered to take his Ritalin.

    He's wrong though, this is where it's at:

  • A hundred years ago they could do stages exceeding 400km fixed and self-sufficient, occasionally exceeding 20 hours in and out of the saddle as they had to climb carrying their bikes and wade through the snow and mud... If they cut short tomorrow's stage because of a little rain it's a complete farce. Conditions might be tough, so ride accordingly.

    #HTFU

    Only relevant if you do a complete comparison of sporting, safety and life standards from 100 years ago.

    Pretty sure we'd come off as wimps in pretty much every way today...

  • Isn't the descent route they are using this year meant to be really sketchy even in the dry?

    It's twisty and technical, but I think they've resurfaced it for the Tour. (I rode down it in 2000 and the surface was terrible).

  • Saeco skinsuit and mankini = truly terrifying

  • The Little Prince! He's alive!

  • noticing that Chavanel's pedals allow quite a nice wide angle on his feet when he sticks his knees out. what pedals would they be?

  • "Only relevant if you do a complete comparison of sporting, safety and life standards from 100 years ago.

    Pretty sure we'd come off as wimps in pretty much every way today..."

    Was merely trying to argue that weather and road condition are all part of the game. On today's stage for instance, a bit of rain won't really affect your descend much... if you want it bad enough that is. Like I said, the ability and willingness to take risks is an inevitable part of racing; if you want completely "aseptic" watt-on-watt racing you need to stick to indoor track pursuit.

  • ^ this

  • Lynchman, and the riders at the time raged against desgrange for making it so hard. He envisioned a race where only one rider finished, is that what you want? Only froome rolling into Paris?

    If the organisers/riders make a decision that its too dangerous/risky to attempt the descent off Alpe d'Huez, who are you to call them cowards for doing so? Just so they can face for your entertainment?

    The riders are just as hard as their forebears, but times have changed and so has the acceptable limits of what can be asked of riders who risk so much anyway.

    If they call off the descent and 2nd ascent of d'Huez, it would just mean the riders attacking earlier on the first ascent, result a cut throat race to the top..

  • i hope froome cacked himself today in the rain, so not impressed with him or his tweets :(

    i'm signing off now.. for highlights tonight.. have fun peeps x

  • Was merely trying to argue that weather and road condition are all part of the game. On today's stage for instance, a bit of rain won't really affect your descend much... if you want it bad enough that is. Like I said, the ability and willingness to take risks is an inevitable part of racing; if you want completely "aseptic" watt-on-watt racing you need to stick to indoor track pursuit.

    I get what your gist is, but I think that the laws of physics may disagree pretty fundamentally with some of your statement - the qualifying "if" is a tad irrelevant!

  • Was merely trying to argue that weather and road condition are all part of the game. On today's stage for instance, a bit of rain won't really affect your descend much... if you want it bad enough that is. Like I said, the ability and willingness to take risks is an inevitable part of racing; if you want completely "aseptic" watt-on-watt racing you need to stick to indoor track pursuit.

    ^^Yes to a certain extent thats true, but at the same time, the burden of responsibility on the organisers to provide a certain level of safety for the athletes is massive theses days (hence me saying that your point about 100 years ago being completely irrelevant without further consideration). They have to have a cut off point, which must be a massively difficult task for them to decide upon, and it will be a massive shame if they have to call it. Lets hope they don't have to.

  • It's only a mountain road they are descending, they are possible to go down in the rain.

  • It's twisty and technical, but I think they've resurfaced it for the Tour. (I rode down it in 2000 and the surface was terrible).

    vid I posted was dated June 13 2013. doesn't look all that smooth

  • It just looks so odd,
    that extra-elliptical chainring
    as Froome warms up.

  • Ten Dribble off the ramp. Will be interesting to see if he can catch up a bit here.

  • "Lynchman, and the riders at the time raged against desgrange for making it so hard. He envisioned a race where only one rider finished, is that what you want? Only froome rolling into Paris?

    If the organisers/riders make a decision that its too dangerous/risky to attempt the descent off Alpe d'Huez, who are you to call them cowards for doing so? Just so they can face for your entertainment?

    The riders are just as hard as their forebears, but times have changed and so has the acceptable limits of what can be asked of riders who risk so much anyway.

    If they call off the descent and 2nd ascent of d'Huez, it would just mean the riders attacking earlier on the first ascent, result a cut throat race to the top..."

    I have no recollection of referring to the organisers or any riders for that matter as cowards. Good racing on the other hand is compiled from a wide combination of elements Strength and durability amongst other athletic qualities of course, but also being daring and the ability to adapt to and overcome a change of circumstances.

    You can make a strong argument for safety first and so on, but frankly it doesn't apply to the way I ride myself or my life long passion for and appreciation of professional road racing.

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Tour de France 2013

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