Tour de France 2014

Great Resoul!

Amazing win.

Majka has earned a holiday now pls Oleg.

Nice finish there. Looks so brokenly happy as he crosses the line.

ITV subtitles: "Junkers Doctorow is in fourth place..."

What a stage. Majka wouldn't even have been there if he'd had his own way. Young French riders cracking Valverde. Goats. It had it all.

3 Frenchies in the top 5, what's going on?

Nibali looks so imperious, only a mechanical or crash can stop him now. Great to see the French riders animating a stage, great for the event so many of them high in the GC.

I love that Nibs raced Peraud for the line. Shark instincts and no LA passive aggressive mind fuck 'gift' BS.

Tinkov's plan C is going a fair bit better than Sky's.

3 Frenchies in the top 5, what's going on?

Even the TDF is "cyclisme a une vitesse" now

Nibali looks so imperious, only a **failed medical ** can stop him now. Great to see the French riders animating a stage, great for the event so many of them high in the GC.

.

Oh, come on. He's riding well against an unconvincing field. Is it really so hard to believe that the only realistic GT candidate in the race is going to do well? Did anyone seriously think even at the beginning that Horner and Valverde were going to put up a major resistance?

It's almost as if some people don't realise that someone will be the strongest rider in the race.

Nibali is also getting a very easy ride from the press corps, as he has consistently ridden like throughout his career, unlike some. That's despite there being a Ferrari connection. He certainly wouldn't be having it this easy if Froome and Bertie were still riding, but it's getting a little processional now, he is just so strong.

I want to believe in him, but there's the barrier of Astana...
If ever there was a team that results always will have an asterisk.

He hasn't always ridden for Astana, nor did he suddenly improve when he started to.

I don't really care. I don't trust Astana.
I really like nibali.

Meh. I'll cheer now and curse later when the bio passport flags get raised.

It'd be hugely unambitious of him to keep doping when even his main rivals have been eliminated from the race, let alone have the terrifying prospect of fending off a distinctly limited Valverde who is relying on rival riders' charity in winching him up the climbs yet has still eeked out a first loser position on the GC.

Oh, come on. He's riding well against an unconvincing field. Is it really so hard to believe that the only realistic GT candidate in the race is going to do well? Did anyone seriously think even at the beginning that Horner and Valverde were going to put up a major resistance?

First place loser Valverde is in my Fantasy team because he's had an amazing season so far. The fact remains I'd rather anyone else was on the podium and I hope his seat in the team bus is uncomfortably close to the smelly toilet.

Fugslang I picked because I thought Nibali was certain to disappoint, as he has done all year (bar the National RR).

It turns out being good yesterday isn't really a show of form for the tour :-)

You win some, you lose some.

I don't really care. I don't trust Astana.

Fair enough.

The new, cuddly Bjarne Riis at Sexytikoff is still FUBAR but he's blending in nicely and everyone is forgetting. But hey it could be worse.

Trentin's result for Stg12 is wiped due to moves in the sprint, obstructing Degenkolb.

I may be the last to hear. Apol's if it's a repost.

Oh, come on. He's riding well against an unconvincing field. Is it really so hard to believe that the only realistic GT candidate in the race is going to do well? Did anyone seriously think even at the beginning that Horner and Valverde were going to put up a major resistance?

I wasn't saying he's doping, I was just saying that if he is it could be a reason for him not getting to Paris.
I have no idea who is and who isn't cheating, but I don't for a moment think the peleton is totally clean, and when someone is head and shoulders better than everyone else day after day you have to have doubts. I've been watching racing for 40 years.
I have enough experience to suspect that a positive test is possible.

Fucking chapeau to the goats though, stars of the stage as far as I'm concerned and definitely have more TV magnetism than watching Valverde getting frozen out of the grouppetto

^^ Are there even tests for the latest choice pick-ups? There's such a kludge of (possibly) performance-enhancing products now.

Anyway, doping >>>

Arnaud suggests you might want to leave it a minute or two like

https://v.cdn.vine.co/r/videos/A4FDF14A991102257791391137792_26a7be9bf0f.1.2.5417098843735694095.mp4?versionId=0lxe26E114c62FTOOrdVyAFw4sKldEA1