2014 Tour de France

[OldPhiKap]

Been an interesting first three stages. Really sad to see Cavendish wipe out and get relegated at the opening stage, in his mother's hometown nonetheless. Stage two was very interesting. Not your typical opening regime.

[devil84]

Hated to see Cavendish go out like that.

I'm watching live and/or the afternoon recap; not sure if the prime time recap has finished in all time zones, so I won't spoil any outcomes in today's stage. Just a reminder to all potential thread participants: as we discuss the race, please be considerate and don't post spoilers of today's stage until the prime time telecast is over. Thanks.

One thing that seems to be pretty clear is that the UK fans are turning out in DROVES to watch. The crowds have been crazy huge -- impressive!

However, they're also taking WAY too many pictures out in the street, especially selfies, endangering themselves and others. The one spectator taking pictures that got hit today had plenty of room to back up a few feet staying out of the way of the cyclists and still get a fantastic picture. I loved Tejay van Garderen's tweet: "Standing I the middle of the road with you back turned while 200 cyclists come at you, just to take a selfie. #think #TDF2014" Today's spectator was facing the peloton, but many others are not. I'm not understanding why you'd travel all that way to see the stage, then NOT WATCH IT while you take a picture of yourself while the only 30 seconds of action you'd see streams behind you. *SMH*

[devil84]

No spoilers here...you'll see it when you turn it on. The weather for Stage 5 is awful: cold and rainy. Brutal conditions for cobbles. At least they took out a couple of sections of cobbles for safety reasons. Didn't look like any fun today!

[OldPhiKap]

No spoilers here...you'll see it when you turn it on. The weather for Stage 5 is awful: cold and rainy. Brutal conditions for cobbles. At least they took out a couple of sections of cobbles for safety reasons. Didn't look like any fun today!

Looking forward to the cobbles! I love Paris-Roubaix too. Should be interesting.

[devil84]

Interesting is right! Defending champ Chris Froome is out. Brutal.

Note to self: riding at high speeds in the cold rain does not look like fun.

[OldPhiKap]

Interesting is right! Defending champ Chris Froome is out. Brutal.

Note to self: riding at high speeds in the cold rain does not look like fun.

Especially on the. bobbles yesterday.

Interesting thing about the TDF -- in a week after the Alps, it will be hot and brutal after Provance.

It is a race of team endurance, for sure.

[Duke79UNLV77]

I agree with most of the riders that the cobblestone stage was a bad idea. As several indicated, even where crashes were not on cobblestones, you have to factor in they their tire pressure was lower, they were on different bikes, etc.

It seemed akin to putting a goony golf hole on August National for the Masters to me. Yes, everyone had to do it, but it introduced an element of random luck, plus skills from a different sport (a cyclocross stud won the stage), that are not in the spirit of the event. With the champ out, they've also lost some intrigue.

[OldPhiKap]

I agree with most of the riders that the cobblestone stage was a bad idea. As several indicated, even where crashes were not on cobblestones, you have to factor in they their tire pressure was lower, they were on different bikes, etc.

It seemed akin to putting a goony golf hole on August National for the Masters to me. Yes, everyone had to do it, but it introduced an element of random luck, plus skills from a different sport (a cyclocross stud won the stage), that are not in the spirit of the event. With the champ out, they've also lost some intrigue.

Yeah, but the flip side is that Paris-Roubaix is a Spring Classic and is on the same cobbles. It is part of French cycling.

It's like going to the Varsity in Atlanta. You may not want to do it, you know it might hurt you, but it's part of the Tradition.

[devil84]

Yeah, but the flip side is that Paris-Roubaix is a Spring Classic and is on the same cobbles. It is part of French cycling.

It's like going to the Varsity in Atlanta. You may not want to do it, you know it might hurt you, but it's part of the Tradition.

I agree. The cobbles have been in the Tour forever, and are part of the Paris-Roubaix. Leave 'em. Most of the crashes this year were due to the wet roads, not the cobbles. If it had been a dry, gorgeous day with fewer crashes between the cobble segments, I think the riders would have the flat roads to mentally recover. Instead, they were cycling among the carnage of multiple crashes. There are only 15.4 km/9.6 mi of cobbles in the stage (fewer, because they removed 2 of the sections this year). Suck it up, guys. It's the freakin' Tour, not the local charity ride. It's supposed to be the ultimate cycling challenge.

To me, the cobbles allow someone else to take the spotlight for a stage. Just like some stages favor sprinters, others climbers, others showcase the GC guys. I like that there are so many different skills needed to complete the Tour, not the least of which is the endurance to finish (and deal with the media, fans, and selfies to boot).

[roywhite]

I agree. The cobbles have been in the Tour forever, and are part of the Paris-Roubaix. Leave 'em. Most of the crashes this year were due to the wet roads, not the cobbles. If it had been a dry, gorgeous day with fewer crashes between the cobble segments, I think the riders would have the flat roads to mentally recover. Instead, they were cycling among the carnage of multiple crashes. There are only 15.4 km/9.6 mi of cobbles in the stage (fewer, because they removed 2 of the sections this year). Suck it up, guys. It's the freakin' Tour, not the local charity ride. It's supposed to be the ultimate cycling challenge.

To me, the cobbles allow someone else to take the spotlight for a stage. Just like some stages favor sprinters, others climbers, others showcase the GC guys. I like that there are so many different skills needed to complete the Tour, not the least of which is the endurance to finish (and deal with the media, fans, and selfies to boot).

If performance enhancing drugs can't kill this event, some slippery stones won't do it, either.

[OldPhiKap]

If performance enhancing drugs can't kill this event, some slippery stones won't do it, either.

The rain may kill the tour participants this year. Soggy bottom boys, indeed.

[DukieInKansas]

So, what have I missed? I was on a mission trip with youth. Only electronics were the laptop for the nightly blog posts. Since we don't let the youth bring electronics, I don't use mine for anything but phone calls to parents and posting to the blog.

[OldPhiKap]

So, what have I missed? I was on a mission trip with youth. Only electronics were the laptop for the nightly blog posts. Since we don't let the youth bring electronics, I don't use mine for anything but phone calls to parents and posting to the blog.

Stage one ended in a town Cavendish's mom was from (or something like that) and the town came out for him. But he caused a wreck on the run-in to the line, and was out of the tour by the end of day one.

Chris Froome withdrew after a crash on stage five left him unable to continue. It was the cobble stage, although IIRC his wreck was in the rain on the normal roads.

Contador, Porte, Nibali all riding well.

Today is day two in the Alps.

Oh, and the other thing to know: NO SPOILERS on this thread until after the prime time show.

[DukieInKansas]

So, what have I missed? I was on a mission trip with youth. Only electronics were the laptop for the nightly blog posts. Since we don't let the youth bring electronics, I don't use mine for anything but phone calls to parents and posting to the blog.

Wish some of the other adults had stuck to it also. When we arrived back at church, one of the youth headed for the family car for her phone. It was dead. Made me chuckle.

[OldPhiKap]

Wow. LOVE the mountain stages!

[devil84]

I can't believe how Contador went out. How he could ride nine miles in the mountains with a broken leg that will require surgery is beyond me. Adrenaline is a powerful drug (or maybe it's that doping is pretty powerful...but that's another topic for another board).

The broken bike wasn't one he was riding, which is good. Sad to see a $10,000 bike broken because it was run over (or clipped by another team car while on the roof rack -- I've seen both stories). If it had broken at the top tube and down tube while he was riding it, he'd have been in much worse shape, I'd think.

Mountain stages are great! Today's a much needed rest day for the athletes. A day of withdrawal for spectators.

[Duke79UNLV77]

Should have ridden Le Tour this year. It would have been his to lose.