Tour De France 2011

If Cav wins today, that'll probably put him in green. He's a sulky little fucker but he knows how to get his head straight for the next stage - he doesn't repeat mistakes. I reckon we'll see a classic lead out with plenty of men protecting him, but I also think we'll see Lotto riders working hard - Greipel has had a taste of glory and will want more.

But he is good enough to stay with a breakaway and then win in a small group sprint. The GC contendors won't be racing on the Aubisque (sadly) as any time gained on the ascent will be lost on the run in to the finish.

possible indeed. looking forward to it anyway, hoping for a race up nonetheless

It will be very interesting to see how Gilbert goes in the mountains. When was the last time someone won green and finished top ten? I'm not saying either is going to happen, but there is a chance.

No there's not.

Stop prevaricating. Tell us how you really feel.

No there's not.

Ok. What odds will you give me?

Last person to do it was Jalabert in 95. And Sean Kelly did it a few times.

Ok. What odds will you give me?

Last person to do it was Jalabert in 95. And Sean Kelly did it a few times.

100-1.

Gilbert is good, but has yet to show any aptitude whatsoever in the high mountains. This Tour is back loaded, with all 6 mountain stages condensed into 8 days racing and anyone who's been going full gas in the first week will be totally wasted by the time the race gets to Paris.

We all know how Jalabert achieved it, and Gilbert is good, but he's no Sean Kelly.

100-1.

Agreed.

£1 to you if Gilbert either doesn't finish in the top ten in GC, or doesn't win the green jersey.

£100 to me if Gilbert both wins the green jersey and finishes in the top ten in GC.

I'll PayPal you the £1 as surety.

There's a lot more probably. Maarten Tjallingii does not eat meat, came 3rd in Paris Roubaix this year. AC is off meat since well you know when.
[edit] ow, vegan. that's no animal products at all right? [/edit]

All the money they save on steaks can pay for HGH, EPO..

Agreed.

£1 to you if Gilbert either doesn't finish in the top ten in GC, or doesn't win the green jersey.

£100 to me if Gilbert both wins the green jersey and finishes in the top ten in GC.

I'll PayPal you the £1 as surety.

You're on. No need for a surety, I'm sure your credit is good.

going full gas

Aaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrggggggghhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!

This is interesting:

2002: 189 starters, 5 withdrawals due to crashes, 2.65% attrition
2003: 198 starters, 6 withdrawals due to crashes, 3.03% attrition
2004: 188 starters, 10 withdrawals due to crashes, 5.32% attrition
2005: 189 starters, 8 withdrawals due to crashes, 4.23% attrition
2006: 176 starters, 4 withdrawals due to crashes, 2.27% attrition
2007: 189 starters, 9 withdrawals due to crashes, 4.76% attrition
2008: 180 starters, 4 withdrawals due to crashes, 2.22% attrition
2009: 180 starters, 5 withdrawals due to crashes, 2.78% attrition
2010: 197 starters, 9 withdrawals due to crashes, 4.57% attrition
2011: 198 starters, 16 withdrawals due to crashes, 8.08% attrition

List of reasons:

Some say the race has used too many narrow roads (but others counter that many crashes haven’t happened at tricky points)
Some blame carbon rims and over-rigid frames (but these were in use last year)
Perhaps the weather is a factor (but it has rained a lot in past editions when the race crosses northern France)
Maybe the lack of a prologue has left too many riders in contention, making the bunch more nervous?
I’ve read some claims that riders losing weight for the mountains get more brittle bones, meaning a crash causes bone fractures
Some say race radios mean riders can’t hear what’s going on because of the crackle in the ear
Similarly team orders barked over the radio mean riders are “forced” by their team manager to go the front
The size of the field is too big in relation, especially in relation to the multiplication of “street furniture” in recent years
There could be a feedback loop with more crashes making more riders nervous, so more pressure to fight to get to the front
And what about sheer bad luck?

http://inrng.com/2011/07/crashes-falls-and-fallacies/#more-4234

Gilbert and Lotto fluffed position in the intermediate sprint. Good work by HTC.

Todays stage goes almost past my inlaws road end (Gailac is their closest big town) and i could not make it out there. Disappointed.

[cool story etc]

It will be very interesting to see how Gilbert goes in the mountains. When was the last time someone won green and finished top ten? I'm not saying either is going to happen, but there is a chance.

Sean Kelly just quoted saying, "there's not a hope in Hell of Gilbert going any higher than top 15 in this Tour, and he's never, ever stayed with the favourites through the high mountains. He hasn't done the training for that kind of riding."

Todays stage goes almost past my inlaws road end (Gailac is their closest big town) and i could not make it out there. Disappointed.

[cool story etc]

Refroidir histoire ore!

Sean Kelly just quoted saying, "there's not a hope in Hell of Gilbert going any higher than top 15 in this Tour, and he's never, ever stayed with the favourites through the high mountains. He hasn't done the training for that kind of riding."

What odds will he give?

I appreciate it is highly unlikely, I just don't think it is impossible.

What odds will he give?

I appreciate it is highly unlikely, I just don't think it is impossible.

Sean was waiting to see what andyp said. Now he's giving 100-1.

What is the best biography of Sean Kelly? The David Walsh book?

We all know how Jalabert achieved it, and Gilbert is good, but he's no Sean Kelly.

I love Sean Kelly, but he's as bad as any.
He failed a drug test in '84 after a urine test - he had a rubber johnny full of someone else's piss stuffed up his arse and squirted that out instead of his own during the control.

Turns out the donor of the piss had been popping Benzedrine all night to stay awake. Kelly was suspended for one month but had it overturned.

Food on the brain today.. this cracked me up from the cyclingnews live feed easton prize contest

14:06:52 BST Voeckler is eating again, without taking his hands off the bars. He just seems to suck in the energy bars like a stork eating fish.

he had a rubber johnny full of someone else's piss stuffed up his arse and squirted that out instead of his own during the control.

That's a pretty neat trick. I wouldn't have the manual dexterity to pull it off after a classic.

Refroidir histoire ore!

Is that off Google Translate?

'Refroidir' is the verb 'to cool' in the infinitive. And 'ore'?

I have no idea how you'd translate the phrase into French, though--French slang is really hard.

admit it, your idiot savant maths brain is compelled to count those vegans.

340

Any chance of HTC screwing up and closing down the break too soon?

Might get some interesting counter attacks again today. Puncheur action from a team Sky rider?