Tour de France 2016

True, but if it takes some of the sprint trains a while to get organised after that ramp, and say someone like Cummings makes a break for it and puts out 400+ watts for 10 minutes, they might make it.
Will make a bit of a change from the Cav, Sagan, Greipel and Kittle show.

It never crossed my mind, but now I am absolutely gutted it didn't happen.

Same here, I've warmed to him. Didn't like him at first for some reason.

Also pissed off I signed up to Eurosport only to be presented with shit loads of adverts on the highlight video.

Bernie Eisel and Sagan complaining about rider safety in the bunch on stages like these. The irony of everyone trying to be at the front to avoid crashes is that it makes it more likely to happen.

A brilliant TdF drinking game takes place in a Belgian film called The Misfortunates: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1075110/

This is what I'm hoping for. Cancellara might take a flyer with any luck.

I like these stages where it could be one of 20/30 riders. That's what makes grand tours so exciting.

U mad bro? Ned and Millar are a massive improvement.

(Although Millar's use of 'hence why' is grating).

if power data is your thing, check these riders' strava pages. (y u no Sky? or Dumoulin? anyway, it's a start)

Yeah, with the GC teams chasing not to lose time, and the sprint teams chasing the breakaway down, without any collaboration.
I can imagine there will be some panic if the likes of Sagan, Cancellara, Dumoulin make a go of it together.

The heart rate data is telling, one guy spending 64% of yesterdays stage in z1. I look at my bike and I'm in z2. Madness.

It's 3 stages. From 21.

What the fuck do you expect?

Day 1:
Mountains.

Day 2:
Bigger Mountains.

Day 3:
Mountains, with a sprint finish over cobbles.

Day 4:
Time trial using a dutch bike.

First four hours yesterday were 32-33kph average. There have been stages with that kind of profile where it's been in the 50's

I was having the usual TdF conversation..........

Mate - 'They dont look like they're working. Bet we could sit in there'
Me - 'They always look like that. Bet the Power spikes when the Wind catches you would kill us'

Then.

Mate - 'They're averaging like 32kph FFS'
Me - '......ah'

All our work internets goes through the U.S. so I can't use Eurosport Player or watch ITV highlights, which is quite annoying.

Any ideas for a workaround?

If your mobile is 3, and you still have unlimited 4g... come off WiFi.

Cheers.

Really? I know Paul and Phil weren't perfect but Ned can't do the frantic final sprint commentary that Phil did. Phil used to get loads wrong admittedly but Paul would always correct him.

I dunno maybe I'll warm to them but it just seems wrong to me.

I'm on 3 but PAYG (always have been). They do have a half price for six months offer on the cheapest unlimited data tariff...

Maybe I should just get a new job.

Concentrate on the Tour first.

As we all know come july . Work gets in the way of watching le tour . Bosses should know that when they employ us .

Any new African riders this year?
Or other interesting non-westerners?

New to the Tour this year with Merida

http://www.letour.fr/le-tour/2016/us/riders/lampre-merida/grmay-tsgabu-gebremaryam.html

I'm quite liking Ned and Millar. And I fucking loathe Millar. Weird.

Sucks that ITV highlights are at 1am the following morning instead of 7. Used to be able to avoid the news and twitter all day and come home to catch highlights. Have to avpid all media all evening now.

Is there an evening highlight show on Sky or Eurosport that makes the temp subscription worthwhile? Not fussed about watching live. I never get time anyway.

I miss a few Liggetisms though. "Tapping out the rhythm" for example.