Tour de France 2015

I have a stage finish to look forward to (next year though, meh) Strangely no mention of TJ or the other bloke in the local rag, just the big 4 plus some hype for a local rider from Gonneville. Should be an entertaining tour, can't wait for Le Depart!

I'm looking forward to it. Seems like we do have three real contenders for GC who appear to be in form. Nibali hard to call-but it is his only focus for the year (and he will have a big go on the cobbles I reckon), Froome in a good place in the Dauphine and prob has the best team around him and Conatdor looked imperious in the Giro. He would be favourite for me with a lots of hilly stages and no long TT.

I suspect Quntana, TJ and the two young French lads will figure but may not make the podium if everyone else stays upright. big 'if'.

A year ago we were having a fabulous time here with the Tour-what a weekend! The kick-on from that has been excellent, it really has boosted the economy and image of the area as well as further raised the cycling profile. We have new races this weekend and roads shut etc. Unheard of before the Tour. Hotels have been booked for months with groups coming to ride routes again around the anniversary-but also all year interest. Several hotels and B+B's I know have built bike garages as visitors are asking for places to store kit when they call to book.

Bruce

I’m looking forward to it, hopefully it will stay tight until the end.

The three big hitters seem evenly matched. As Bruce said Contador was head and shoulders above the rest in the Giro, the most naturally gifted rider, but if the Giro is anything to go by, he’ll be isolated, with no team mates as soon as the roads steepen.
Nibali is very consistent, you’d put money on him finishing and finishing high in the classement.
Froome’s got a strongest team in terms of personnel, preparation and attention to detail but their performance in the race is sometimes amateurish. Last year if I remember correctly, Froome was involved in 2 incidents where there wasn’t a team mate around give him assistance. In this years Giro, Ritchie Port, sky’s team leader was involved in a crash with no team mates around to give him a bike or rapid assistance. He also had a puncture with no team mates around, he was given a wheel by a mate from another team and incurred a 30 second penalty. Hard to understand when they’re so meticulous in other areas.

I think we might see Froome and Nibali teaming up in an attempt to put Contador in trouble.

Hi all Naim enthusiast,

Welcome everyone in my home town, Utrecht

Enjoy the cycling, the Tour, the city and everything else!

This evening I was at the team introduction at park Lepelenburg and after that I road the first stage route on my bicycle.

cheers,

Bart

Sounds absolutely fantastic. I hope the road closures don't lead to a backlash. You know, because cyclists don't pay road tax .

Cycling in the UK is great. The best place I've ever lived for cycling was Bristol. I still miss it.

Enjoy the tour. Contador is the guy I want to see succeed. (And as far as I'm concerned Astana aren't even riding.)

Great performance by Dennis. Finishing ahead of Martin and Sparticus is some achievement.

The main contenders where pretty even. Quintana's got to be pleased with his performance, only 10 seconds behind Contador.

I don’t think Cavendish is going to very popular around the Quickstep hotel tonight. His team work their socks off to give him the best possibility of winning the stage and what does he do. When he realises he isn’t going to win, sits up allows Cancellara to take third place and the time bonification that leapfroggs him over Tony Martin.

Not how I saw it. Renshaw(?) just ran out of gas too soon and put him in the wind too far out. At that point, what can he do?

I'm with Winky, Cav only had one team mate that was it and he had to go. As for sitting up at the end I think everyone knows for Cav it is win or not win. He does not look like he is actively going for the green jersey to me.

Iooking forward to the cobbles; if the weather stays a factor I predict Nibali and others having a go for some time back.

Bruce

Getting back into this to respond I see there are parallel threads now running here for the 2015 TDF. Confused me at first

Maybe I should ask the mods to lock this one and if possible merge it into Bert's thread as it has more responses? Or are two threads a good thing?

Anyhow my thoughts on Stage 2 are minimal, as it's only Stage 2. The most shocking aspect for me was, after not seeing him since last TDF, how gaunt Greipel looked in his post-stage victory interview. Has he got gas in the tank to be a factor in later sprint stages?

I though he looked a bit scary actually. He's a big bony guy.

Bruce

The fact that Reneshaw/quickstep wasn’t able to put Cavendish in a winning position is a totally different matter. I’m not criticising Cavendish for not winning, but for not completing the sprint and sitting up in the last 20. If he’d have finished 3rd, his team would be in yellow, sponsors would benefit from the publicity and team mates from bonuses.

Or maybe keep the other thread open for discussion of drug taking and other misdemeanour's.

Fair enough.

Awful, yet spectacular crash today.

What are the odds on Chris Froome keeping the Yellow until the finish then..?

Big day on the cobbles tomorrow, hope it doesn't get too ugly as Nibbles and co. try to make up time or bring Froome out of his comfort zone. Hoping it doesn't rain or even more carnage can be expected. 

Bit of rain would be fun, get Geraint Thomas out there in his element!

Bruce

I hate to see the crashes, but yes, it certainly adds to the overall spectacle. I broke a bone as youth going downhill over the handlebars so can emphasize with that. Still, the worst for me seems the road rash; something I've been fortunate to avoid. Today's crash at over 30 mph, sliding along the pavement to a stop .... yuk!!! I feel for those guys that will persist on with large open sores. More so as I get older. All part of the race.

Agreed - would love to see G given a chance to lead one of the Grand Tours but seems to be being cast in the role of Super Domestique

I did the Etape de Yorkshire sportive last Saturday and looked at my speedo just before I passed a chap who had crashed on a descent - I wasn't rushing but was still doing over 40mph.  I later learned that he was admitted to hospital with two damaged vertebrae and cracked ribs (amongst other injuries).  He landed 5 feet away from a 100 foot drop.  Didn't half chasten me, as did the accident yesterday - fortunately no-one hit the lamp standard full pelt.  The road rash looked truly dreadful.

Peter

For someone who presumably rode in the rain a lot as a junior, GT was a bit of a serial crasher in his first few years of professional riding. He seems to have improved a lot in the last two seasons to the point where people aren't joking about it any more.

I have never understood this love affair with cobbles. Who in their right mind would cycle on them wet or dry?

What ever your views on the cobbles it made for an exciting bike race. Well done to Tony Martin good to see him in yellow, don't think Chris will be to upset. This is turning out to be a great tour.

I'm 100% with you on this one!  Every year some pals start early lobbying in the naive hope that I can be convinced to join them travelling over to Europe to ride the Bergs or some other nightmare cobbled surfaces.  Every year I refuse.  Every year they come back with tales of the damage inflicted onto their bikes and banter over whose fault it was that such and such came off!!  Every year I try to make sense of it.  Every year I fail completely!!

Peter