Le Tour de France 2016

[whp.blue]

Not seen a thread yet so here it is! Forget the Euro misery guys. This is where it's at in world sport!
Sit back, enjoy and marvel at the athleticism and the scenery.
Can't wait.....

Pro cycling is the only sport in the world where you have to wait six years to see who won

 

[Tim of the Oak]

We rock at sitting down sports

Haha. Another way of looking at it is we are just shit at football. We are a sporting superpower overall.

 

[Jacob Smith]

We rock the Olympics at cycling, rowing and sailing. Add to this Hamilton won the F1 and we won the doubles and singles in the wheelchair tennis.

If we can only figure out a way to sit down during the football, we might win that as well.

Aussies can fuck off, we are better than them at just about every sport these days.

We're brilliant at sports that typically cost a lot of money to be good at haha!

Brailsford was right in his interview yesterday in saying that half the time it feels like Sky aren't in a race because everybody else is waiting for them to make a move then react, rather than making the first move themselves.

Henao's doing a fantastic job for Froomey so far in his debut Tour!

 

[Paul Lake's Left Knee]

Sad to hear that Purito has decided to call it a day, one of my favourite riders in the peloton, I will miss him but he is getting on in sporting terms.

 

[Bewar3them00n]

I don't think Froome gets enough respect or recognition post "Wiggo 2012" that breakaway was half inspired, half lunacy! Reaching speeds of 90 km/h in that tucked position and peddling!
Having recently had a nasty fall myself, taking the flesh of the left arm and knee, as well as damaging my ribs ( I did get up and carry on to work with blood everywhere) I can only doff my hat to the riders who get up and carry on for the rest of the day, I'm still recovering after 6 weeks off the bike while the rib heals.
Hopefully that new fabric they're using on some of the jersey/ shorts, that helps protect during falls will filter down for us mortals!

 

[discopop]

I don't think Froome gets enough respect or recognition post "Wiggo 2012" that breakaway was half inspired, half lunacy! Reaching speeds of 90 km/h in that tucked position and peddling!
Having recently had a nasty fall myself, taking the flesh of the left arm and knee, as well as damaging my ribs ( I did get up and carry on to work with blood everywhere) I can only doff my hat to the riders who get up and carry on for the rest of the day, I'm still recovering after 6 weeks off the bike while the rib heals.
Hopefully that new fabric they're using on some of the jersey/ shorts, that helps protect during falls will filter down for us mortals!

Froome suffers from not being Wiggins and that is his only problem, pity as he is a fine cyclist and a fast learner a year ago you would never have a downhill attack but that's why they go to training camps and work on this stuff. If we are to class Froome as British (His passports says so) then he is the best Grand Tour rider we have had however Wiggins is by far the best cyclist we have had so far his palmares is quite fantastic.

Sorry to read about the off I have had a few and they seem to get harder to get over as you get older, no clothing will ever protect from road rash, if you ever want to doubt the cojones of cyclist check out the name Jonny Hoogerland and the 2011 tour. Hard as nails

 

[supercity88]

Froome suffers from not being Wiggins and that is his only problem, pity as he is a fine cyclist and a fast learner a year ago you would never have a downhill attack but that's why they go to training camps and work on this stuff. If we are to class Froome as British (His passports says so) then he is the best Grand Tour rider we have had however Wiggins is by far the best cyclist we have had so far his palmares is quite fantastic.

Sorry to read about the off I have had a few and they seem to get harder to get over as you get older, no clothing will ever protect from road rash, if you ever want to doubt the cojones of cyclist check out the name Jonny Hoogerland and the 2011 tour. Hard as nails

Completely agree, Froomey suffers because Wiggins was a huge personality in cycling and was seen to be taking his place. He's by far the better tour cyclist, there's no argument. He probably could have won it the year Wiggins did - there seemed times in the mountains where he was stopping to wait for Wiggo to keep on his wheel.

Many seem to drag in the fact he grew up in Kenya but he's actually more English/British than Wiggins, who has an Australian father. Froome grew up in Kenya with two English parents. That descent was a joy to watch, I don't think I've enjoyed a mountain stage descent as much since Pantani's days.

 

[Gareth Barry Conlon]

Completely agree, Froomey suffers because Wiggins was a huge personality in cycling and was seen to be taking his place. He's by far the better tour cyclist, there's no argument. He probably could have won it the year Wiggins did - there seemed times in the mountains where he was stopping to wait for Wiggo to keep on his wheel.

Many seem to drag in the fact he grew up in Kenya but he's actually more English/British than Wiggins, who has an Australian father. Froome grew up in Kenya with two English parents. That descent was a joy to watch, I don't think I've enjoyed a mountain stage descent as much since Pantani's days.

Froome suffers as he doesn’t have hair like Paul Weller! In sporting achievement terms Froome is dominant where as Wiggo won it once (with a visibly fitter Froome helping him round). Geraint Thomas and Cavendish seem to be able to develop a great guy image where as Froome doesn’t project much of a personality via the media! It’s a shame in a way as we will probably never have a better grand tour cyclist! Really enjoying watching SKY this year, I have a feeling they are still holding a lot back even though they have the yellow and look totally in control.

 

[discopop]

Completely agree, Froomey suffers because Wiggins was a huge personality in cycling and was seen to be taking his place. He's by far the better tour cyclist, there's no argument. He probably could have won it the year Wiggins did - there seemed times in the mountains where he was stopping to wait for Wiggo to keep on his wheel.

Many seem to drag in the fact he grew up in Kenya but he's actually more English/British than Wiggins, who has an Australian father. Froome grew up in Kenya with two English parents. That descent was a joy to watch, I don't think I've enjoyed a mountain stage descent as much since Pantani's days.

Froome is as also tarred with the brush of being a power meter freak which although might be true is a bit unfair as they mostly all train and race with them, one thing that separates them both though is style Wiggins looks perfectly at home on the bike and has a classical style where as Chris looks as though he is fighting the bike a little bit but fook me I wish I could climb like that man.

Wiggo was probably in even better nick the year before he won his Tour and would have destroyed what was a pretty average line up however you bin it and do the collar bone and thats that. In 2012 when he did win it I think he would have had enough to hold off Froomey in the time trial, he had over 3mins at the end which is almost a light year in GC terms, anyhow both great riders and the pool is much deeper in British cycling then it ever was so I think we could see a Yates on the Podium in the next 2-3 years

Glad its back on today yesterday was grim without the fix

 

[supercity88]

Froome is as also tarred with the brush of being a power meter freak which although might be true is a bit unfair as they mostly all train and race with them, one thing that separates them both though is style Wiggins looks perfectly at home on the bike and has a classical style where as Chris looks as though he is fighting the bike a little bit but fook me I wish I could climb like that man.

Wiggo was probably in even better nick the year before he won his Tour and would have destroyed what was a pretty average line up however you bin it and do the collar bone and thats that. In 2012 when he did win it I think he would have had enough to hold off Froomey in the time trial, he had over 3mins at the end which is almost a light year in GC terms, anyhow both great riders and the pool is much deeper in British cycling then it ever was so I think we could see a Yates on the Podium in the next 2-3 years

Glad its back on today yesterday was grim without the fix

It's also the fact Wiggo was an Olympic hero from the track and as another poster commented - is a proper Paul Weller man and has a bit of street-cred/personality because of it. It's quite remarkable how he applied himself to the tour, dropping in bulk and being able to just keep the rhythm going as if he was on a track bike - but doing it up mountains.

Froome deserves some more limelight, hopefully this win will ensure he gets it. I worry that with Cav winning sprints again, the huge improvement in Yates and an Olympic year, if he does win the tour the achievement might be lost among other stories. We'll see.

As you say, glad it's back and it's almost worth the wait for what's to come on this weeks stages!