Tour De France 2013

[Dave Ewing's Back 'eader]

I think Contador has been hanging fire so far this season. I think he has been keeping powder dry and he has a Tour that seems to favour his strengths. Froome will need a lot of support!

 

[In the land of Barcodes]

I think it will be interesting to see if Sky do their manipulation of the pace again. I must admit I love watching them form up, crank the speed up and then control the race by gradually upping the pace - very few teams, if any, can keep with them if they do this.

I love seeing those jerseys at the front and watching other riders fall by the wayside unable to keep the pace and being cast adrift like an empty waterbottle

 

[Dave Ewing's Back 'eader]

I just hope some riders (plural) from a range of teams make a race out of it, and not just try to sneak a minute and then spend two weeks or so defending it! Oh for the days of Coppi and Bartali!

 

[Tim of the Oak]

I will be out there from the 9th to the 20th, stating near Toures for 2 stages and then on to Grenoble as a base for some of the stages in the Alps.

 

[Dave Ewing's Back 'eader]

I will be out there from the 9th to the 20th, stating near Toures for 2 stages and then on to Grenoble as a base for some of the stages in the Alps.

I really fancy this kind of thing. What are the logistics involved beyond a normal holiday? What time do you have to be 'up the road' etc?

 

[discopop]

Nice to see Dan Martin being given the nod by Garmin Sharp, no team leader at the moment so he could go very well, big break through for the lad this year with the liege Bastogne liege and winning the Tour of Catalunya, Top 5 shot.

And if he was Team leader I would have a serious look at Quintana for a podium.

I hope Froome wins it of course but one thing in Contador's armoury is the ability to gain help from pretty much every Spanish rider out there, all set to be a corker was over there last year for a couple of stages and the Buzz is brilliant.

My Cycling News Fantasy Tour Team

Froome, Quintana, Pinot, Kloden, Martin, Voeckler, Voigt and two whippets Cavendish and Sagan<br /><br />-- Thu Jun 27, 2013 8:39 am --<br /><br />

I will be out there from the 9th to the 20th, stating near Toures for 2 stages and then on to Grenoble as a base for some of the stages in the Alps.

I really fancy this kind of thing. What are the logistics involved beyond a normal holiday? What time do you have to be 'up the road' etc?

For a mountain stage very early maybe 8 hours or so, plenty camp out overnight and the camper vans arrive days before.

 

[dan_bo]

Yeah i get it now sort of.

I have been watching the 2009 tour mainly to see how well Brad did as you mentioned it.

On Stage 20 on Mont Ventoux the Schlecks attacked to try and get Frank on the podium and Armstrong followed Brad. The crowds were massive and Brad kept 4th by 2 seconds. I thought to myself what a cool head is needed in such circumstances. The pressure was really on then.

That was a fine day's racing.

 

[Rodney Marsh's Hair]

I've entered a Cycling News fantasy Tour Team. It's free and it adds some interest to the different stages.

If you'd like to join, I've set up a mini league. The league name is: Chain Male and the password is tdf1.

Enter and have some fun during the tour. There's some good prizes too!

 

[Rodney Marsh's Hair]

Bumped!

 

[stonerblue]

Bumped!

surely you mean bunny-hopped?

Can't wait to kick off me flip-flops, grab a cold beer and sit in the Portuguese sun all day watching the tour for a week.

I'm having a fiver on Randy Van Warmer