Tour De France 2011

Fixed or just made nonsensical, Clive?
The Italians are having as bad a tour as you'd expect. I suppose tomorrow we will see if Basso and Cunego have anything.

My Italian colleague is convinced Cunego and Basso are going to tear it to pieces. I await with interest.

Fixed or just made nonsensical, Clive?
The Italians are having as bad a tour as you'd expect. I suppose tomorrow we will see if Basso and Cunego have anything.

It was nonsensical to start with.

Will Wiggins be able to keep his ludicrously low weight and his form through an enforced lay ioff and on to the Vuelta?

He'll ride the Vuelta as prep for the World Championships, not as a goal in itself.

@ TV. Does your Italian colleague find there is a lot of prejudice directed towards mentally ill foreigners?

1. He was in better form than in 2009.

2. Contador probably used his best form on the Giro.

3. 2009 showed that he can possibly do better than Evans.

4. One crash involving Andy Schleck could have changed everything.

Instead, the crash involved Wiggins.

There is a lot of chance in the Tour as well as a lot of bloody hard work.

Yes to all of those.Wiggins was in the form of his life, he was leaner than he's ever been winning the Criterium and showing Evans up in the mountains there. I guess we'll never know now and he isn't getting any younger. Next year who knows what might happen but I cant see Wiggins challenging again for GC. I hope I'm proved wrong and I'm glad British cycling is where it is at the moment. I remember watching Tours without British riders then Boardman came along who excelled in TT but was never going to challenge and then Millar and we all know how that ended. So its nice now to see Cav getting stage wins Millar leading Garmin and Sky pushing though young British cyclists.

The idea that those who disagree with you are necessarily mentally ill, is a concept that has a great deal of mileage in totalitarian regimes.

I can see a Stalinistic streak in Will.

You are quite right Clive, Basso and Cunego are going to light up the Tour.

Now you are being bonkers.

He told me he thinks Basso is a very good time trialist.

I didn't have the heart to point out that his ability is limited without a blood transfusion.

Can vegans have blood transfusions?

Yes.

You are confusing them with Jehovah's Witnesses.

Basso... ...his ability is limited without a blood transfusion.

like on Monte Zoncolan in last year's Giro you mean?

His time trial ability.

Neither will Sky, I doubt they will exist next year

Why?

Sky's sponsors may be rid of Murdoch next year. A world of possibilities exist,.

I thought it was due to James Murdoch that Sky were involved. Or is that bollocks?

Sky are reporting huge profits (that's why Murdoch want in, in, in).

Investment in 'green' things (like the projects with WWF, cycling and cycle sport) have been used to help them reposition the brand.

I have a funny feeling the organisers encourage breakaways to make it more exciting for the viewers.

No shit, Sherlock. :)

No shit, Sherlock. :)

To be fair, although people love getting out on their bikes, the strange and sometimes complex world of pro-cycling is still a mystery to most. As they get drawn into the Tour and enjoy it more, they start to understand the baffling things they are seeing in the race.
I've explained to dozens of people this week why it is that Cav isn't in the yellow jersey, what the green jersey is about, why people race on their own for 100k and everyone rides behind them in a big gang, what all the cars and motorbikes are for.
As a Tour n00b, Yeesh has simply stumbled onto one of those questions and worked out the answer.

If I sat down and watched cricket it would take me ages to work out what the fuck is going on, but the difference is that I'd probably just switch off and go do something else rather than unravel the mysteries of this drab looking sport.

Will Wiggins be able to keep his ludicrously low weight and his form through an enforced lay ioff and on to the Vuelta?

He was at a peak, possibly nearing the end of it if you look at his Daupniné and nat champs wins. Enforced rest may be no bad bad thing in order for him to peak again later in the year....

To be fair though was Wiggins ever a contender for the GC? Yes he got 4th on a easyish tour....

Hold on a fucking moment. That makes bugger all sense. If the tour was "easyish" then that would make it even harder to get into the top ten as loads of other riders would be rightup there as well. That argument just makes him a better rider.

I've explained to dozens of people this week why it is that Cav isn't in the yellow jersey, what the green jersey is about, why people race on their own for 100k and everyone rides behind them in a big gang, what all the cars and motorbikes are for.

And a couple those people actually asked you to.

Just watched the itv coverage, crap commentating as per, but the Hoogerland interview was inspiring.

To be fair, although people love getting out on their bikes, the strange and sometimes complex world of pro-cycling is still a mystery to most. As they get drawn into the Tour and enjoy it more, they start to understand the baffling things they are seeing in the race.
I've explained to dozens of people this week why it is that Cav isn't in the yellow jersey, what the green jersey is about, why people race on their own for 100k and everyone rides behind them in a big gang, what all the cars and motorbikes are for.
As a Tour n00b, Yeesh has simply stumbled onto one of those questions and worked out the answer.

If I sat down and watched cricket it would take me ages to work out what the fuck is going on, but the difference is that I'd probably just switch off and go do something else rather than unravel the mysteries of this drab looking sport.

Recommend to them to watch Chasing Legends after the highlights tomorrow too.