Tour de France 2012

Fingers crossed for Vande Velde.

As they say in cycling jargon

Too good from Paul that

neat work from fedrigo.

@ TV Froome has shown of the riders here, he seems to be one of the stronger ones in the mountains, if you can climb and TT you can win any of the grand tours. Froome has shown he can do both, so is in with a shout in the ones that he is sent in for.

I have no idea what he can or can't do, and I'm not for one minute assuming he is a shoe in to win a tour, it takes as much luck, as it does determination. But he is a contender for sure.

Ps. Alot of the interviews I have read about Froome, have mentioned the fact that he was left to his own devices out in Kenya so pretty much devised his own training regime, and is pretty individualistic, so I'm thinking its probably a bit of a culture shock to come into the marginal gains of the Sky ethos, and probably why he is as outspoken (relatively) as he has been about his desire to win a grand tour, whether this one or one in the future. In my head I've got Froome down as a road racing Obree, without the craziness.

Kiserlovski crash seq..

http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/12414/Gallery-Kiserlovski-and-Leipheimer-crash-puts-Astana-rider-out-of-Tour.aspx

A look of real concern there from Brajkovic - "Is his wheel OK???"

Millar's tweets this morning were funny. Referring to the Sky team bus as the deathstar and bemoaning the pain they have inflicted on the peloton on every stage. Hammering every climb at tempo is taking its toll.

Love the deathstar comment/pic! I lolled

Should I watch the whole stage tonight? Or will the highlights suffice?

Highlights.

highlights

Bit OT:

Does anyone elses other half ask questions about the TDF as they sit down to watch the 7pm highlights?? I tell seem to tell her the same things every night. I don't know if she subconsciously chooses not to listen or what. Its really annoying now. Bless her.

Just make stuff up. Golden opportunity, innit. "That guy there is Napoleon's great great grandson. He's the only guy in the peloton who is riding with a carbon fibre prosthetic hand. He's not allowed to drink champagne if he wins anything because it'll dissolve the crabon hand as the alcohol moves through his bloodstream"

Millar's tweets this morning were funny. Referring to the Sky team bus as the deathstar and bemoaning the pain they have inflicted on the peloton on every stage. Hammering every climb at tempo is taking its toll.

very funny

https://twitter.com/millarmind/status/224759553294737409

Highlights.

highlights

Thanks.. Didn't see to read like a wowzer of a day

Most dull day yet!

Bit OT:

Does anyone elses other half ask questions about the TDF as they sit down to watch the 7pm highlights?? I tell seem to tell her the same things every night. I don't know if she subconsciously chooses not to listen or what. Its really annoying now. Bless her.

Every single time without fail, year after year my wife comments that the people on the mountain stage are too close to the riders and they should be banned or marshalled properly. She has tried to start the argument 3 times so far this year and I have managed to deflect her. Other than arguing about that I think she finds it unbearably dull

^^ my girlfriend gets confussed when the lead out let the sprinters overtake and win the stage a the end. I get:

'Ohh he's come all that way, done really well at the front, then gets overtaken at the end. He must be so cross'. Silly bint.

even my girls know was a lead out train is.. i take em all the way to LMNH on sunday mornings.. they drop me at st johns st.. get their flat whites / muffins / cookies and say 'last man pays, them is the rulez', when i toddle in..

ha, pesky kids

I love Cav.

Phil Liggett really is a dozy old twonk.

Yentz Voigt is superb.

Fucking love Jens - just promised us 5 more tours.

As mad as a badger.

Has anyone see Didi the devil this year? I can't recall seeing him yet?

Heal up from your brain surgery Didi.
See you next year

I stopped going to football forums because of the constant curicular arguments:

...and there's the tack throwing football fans (According to Bradley who hopes that when the police find the culprits they'll send them to a football match)

Wiggo is a Liverpool supporter and so has an odd view of football supporters. I can also understand why he might consider going to a football match as a punishment.

#Avoidsenteringintoacircularfootballargument