Be Excellent To Each Other

I'm mildly surprised we don't have a thread about this yet. So after 15 stages Bradley Wiggins is leading the general classification in the TdF - we could be on course to have the first ever British winner, yet it's the Olympics that dominates the sport headlines at the moment, and that hasn't even started yet.

I read about those tacks that some idiot spread on the course the other day. Was it Wiggins who called for the pack to slow down so those affected by it could catch up? That's sportsmanship.

Yes.

Yep, it's an unwritten rule that no rider should benefit from mechanical problems with bikes, so Wiggins ordered the peloton to slow down and allowed Cadel Evans to catch up. He's now been nicknamed Le Gentleman by the French media.

What's that French for?

Exceptionally so, given that Contador won a couple of years back by ignoring this rule when Schleck lost his chain (and doping), I think on Le Tourmalet? There were murmerings that the rule died that day.

I've had a lot more opportunity to follow it this year which makes me happy. However, will miss Paris on Sunday, although we'll know the winner at that point anyway, would be nice to see if Cav gets his fourth Paris win.

I'mr eally looking forward to tomorrow's stage and Thursday's, too. Only chance to make up the serious time difference for anyone that isn't Wiggins. Yesterday's stage was a bit dull. I've been quietly amused at Wiggins's "Oh, it's another big hill" attitude, and the way he jsut grinds up it at a cosntant pace. it doens't make great, exciting racing, but it's the best way to go about it, I suppose. The devil has been poorly this year, he's had fluid in his brain, and said something about feeling like a nuclear reactor after a lot of therapy or something.
Froom eis one to watch in the future, despite having a dire first week, Cavendish is doing great service as a domestique. Voekcler's busy being a cunt, as per usual.

If you haven't read it, read Millar's "Racing through the Dark". It's brilliant. Alistair Campbell thinks so to, as he told me only on Saturday. I like David millar now, I've forgiven him.

So do you think Cav has sabotaged his own green jersey attempt by helping Brad, or is he holding back for the Olympic road race?

I think his primary role is to be a domestique, and grab stage wins when it is clear that W is safe. I wouldn't be surprised if the pact is "help W win, and he'll ride you up Box Hill 9 times to get the gold and lead you out on teh last day". After that, who is to say?

You're probably right. If he hadn't won the green jersey last year he might not have made that pact.

He was the only one not to have won a medal in China, which must have really, really hurt on the way home.

Yep, so I guess gold in London is his main aim this year.

yeah tour!
booh! we're doing abysmal.. (most dutch have abandoned)

yeah! i'll be watching the time trial live in france saturday... holidays starts thursday...

I've been following this pretty closely this year. Would have been interesting to see Froome have a go to win it, but safer for the team to bring W home. I think Froome will be the primary rider for a team next year, Sky if Wiggo doesn't fancy it, or somewhere else if Wiggo wants another crack at it.

It's for them Froggies to talk to each other.

but that isn't important right now.

The Olympics is dominating the regular headlines, too, and it shouldn't even be news.

Schleck fails drugs test.

I'm blaming Salmon Rushdie for this.

I was going to say which one when I saw your link. Glad it wasn't Andy as it makes a mockery of winning the whole thing.

Of course, it's sad to think that they're all pretty much at it still.

2/198. That's a pretty good year for the tour so far.

Read David Millar's book.

Just ordered it. I had my book about the irish drug mule in a venezualan prison to finish. Would recommend. 8/10.

Good idea. Is Lance Armstrong's any good also?

Don't know, I'm considering getting it. My friend's ex wife used to work in the same building (in ATX) as his charity was based. She shared elevator rides with him a few times and he was always "very polite".

Anyway, today is the big day, on what has been a fairly quiet tour so far. I'm hoping for massive attacks from Evans and Nibaldi all day to wear Wiggins down. The problem for them is Froome sitting in second in the GC, so they're effectively having to do twice as much work.

Which one will be 3D and which one will be Daddy G?

it's clearly far too early, as I've not a clue what you mean.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massive_Attack

D'oh! Of course.

I wonder about this.

Tactics are what it is about today. The chasers don't want to break Wiggins too early on the ride, as all that would happen is that Froome will be released which means that overall, they've gained nothing other than maybe +1 in the GC. Therefore, it could be that the first part of the day is hard paced, to take it out of both riders, but with the real push coming later on. The hope then being that Froome also breaks from carrying Wiggins all day.

However, I dare say that Wiggins will fix a pace which he won't move from, and let some small breaks occur knowing that he can reel them back, as he did on more than one occasion to Evans last week. The man is a machine.

This will probably happen, but I'd like it to start from the get go. There's some big hills about.



He doesn't so much as climb up the mountains, he grinds up them, and I think that's really, really good.

Worst case for SKY I suppose is that Wiggins cracks about halfway through, and Froome gets petulant and zooms off. Although I suspect he is too professional for that. Despite leaving his noseplugs in on day one.

Nonetheless, I won't get to see it today, as I'm off to Leeds straight after work to grab some dinner and attend the theater. Boohiss. I might be able to watch the highlights on my return.

I may try and get a laptop sorted and work from the canteen this afternoon. This probably won't happen though.

I'll have to rely on the gruaniad live coverage (hopefully, it won't be the nitwit that won't publish the emails I dictate to MrsA to send him), Aunty or the Torygraph. I might, tomorrow, try and do a 7am-3pm dy so I don't miss to much when i get home and smack on ITV4.

Shitty fucking cockballs. We're off to see MrsA's ex and his wife on Saturday, so i'll miss them going up and down the Champs Elysses. I'll push to put off going to this concert until after that, but I'll have to sit in their living room with cats.

BMC have got a couple of riders three and a half minutes up the road already.

/ignoredopingmode

today the exciting pyrinees stage!!!!

Interesting that Wiggo has said that if he wins the Tour, he'll ride domestique for Froome in the future!

Cynically, I think that it's because there has been a lot of talk about the 100th Tour being very mountain-y, and Froome is the better climber, but not so good at time trialling, compare to Wiggins. Also, Contador might be back, and a few others, which would increase the competition by quite a lot. So, for Wiggins to win this one, then not defend it next year, but help Froome instead, could be a decent excuse.

However, we won't know the route until January, so it's all conjecture.

from the torygraph.

Isn't he just concerned that Froome will think "fuck it" and challenge him in this tour though? This is just a "please don't and i'll be your best bud"

Unlikely. Wiggo is the team leader and Froome will not challenge him unless he no longer has a chance to win.

Sure, it's unlikely, but you never know

Only if the sun gets to him and he suffers a huge attack of The Mentals, follwoed by "I didn't ever want another job anyway". Cycling is a fair and gentlemanly sport. Remember Indurain riding Delgado up the mountains in 1990, sacrificing places himself for his leader?

He's a TDF rider, doesn't mental come as part of the package

Most of them are thick as pigshit, by accounts.

Quiet day for Evans and friends so far it seems.

...that's full of cheating druggies.

I try not to think about that, as it breaks my heart time and time again. Virenque, Pantani, Hamilton to name but three.

Evans appears to have been dropped.

Nibaldi on the GO GO GO!