Tour de France 2017

It'll be interesting to see if Landa gets Sky's tacit blessing to go for it. I think usually the whole team hangs back to cross the line with the yellow jersey.

"tacit blessing" as apt a description i've ever seen :)

if Landa wants to try this at all (I don't think he will), I doubt Kwiat will be of any help

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DFXNolkXcAAGlMk.jpg

:D

De Gendt not getting that most attacking rider prize:

Don't care. I stopped caring about this whole charade after the ridiculously amateuristic Peyresourde bidon incident. (Bardet wins, Uran and Bennett get penalised -20 seconds for taking a bidon from someone during the climb, Uran's team leader posts a video of Bardet doing EXACTLY the same thing - first reply from the jury: "we can't be certain he drank from it because there's no video of that" - result later that evening: instead of penalising Bardet, they reverse their decision re: Uran and Bennett)

xp lol

Think he'll give it a half-assed go just to scare AG2R a bit.

Groenewegen in the sprints this tour finished something like 6th, 5th, 3rd, 2nd and a win on the last day. Good learning curve. Thought he might be a choker but here we are.

That was heartbreaking for Greipel! He accelerated just a split second too late and it was all over. German TV tried to interview him but he was just verklempt.

(I wish my German could keep up at that speed - they were definitely talking about Kraftwerk, after a long passage of going on about Tony Martin so I assume they were talking about Ralf Hütter's bike?)

Sorry to say but think Greipel's over the hill. His timing was way off. He's had a tour he'll want to forget quickly.

You make me wish I listened to the German telly now though. Tony Martin would make a great Kraftwerk stand-in.

Mostly they went on and on about how they wished Marcel Kittel was still in the race!

They showed about 20 seconds of Froome with his kid, saying "yeah, yeah, Froome gewinnt wieder, süß familie" then immediately cut off to find some German they could interview.

It's so interesting how the coverage differs in each country.

I'm sad it's over TBH. What / when is the next Bicycle Thing?

Yeah it def differs in each country. Think European side commentary trumps commentary in USA and Oz by a mile knowledge wise, been pouring one out for Ned and VG all TdF. Interesting too was that Groenewegen was completely composed in the post-race winners "interview" ("team did a good job, went well" etc) but he was sobbing like a baby on Dutch telly, just a mess of tears and insane happiness.

Next big round is La Vuelta, the tour in Spain. But now that you've enjoyed this and are lost without cycling anyway: Next Saturday is the next classic, Clasica San Sebastián \m/

RT @NOSsport: Dylan Groenewegen wordt vlak voor de huldiging gegrepen door zijn vriendin. #spontaan #TDF2017 pic.twitter.com/dxbEj5SF7u

— Jarno Gottemaker (@jajarno) July 23, 2017

Groenewegen's gf drawing him towards her before he steps on the stage is ace.

Next big round is La Vuelta, the tour in Spain. But now that you've enjoyed this and are lost without cycling anyway: Next Saturday is the next classic, Clasica San Sebastián \m/

Yeah I was about to ask if we should start a general non-TdF cycling thread -- finally started watching most of the big races properly thanks to the NBC Sports Gold package over here, so I first saw the Vuelta last year and rather enjoyed it. Different landscapes, different competitors (to a degree) -- fun race. Will be busy this Saturday so I'll have to miss that race.

Think European side commentary trumps commentary in USA and Oz by a mile knowledge wise, been pouring one out for Ned and VG all TdF.

Hahah, nah, VG is the one who's been suffering with Phil/Paul; I've been doing just fine with Keenan and McEwen, really enjoyed the change-up on various levels.

And yes, cheers for Groenewegen, stellar work in the clutch.

Mostly they went on and on about how they wished Marcel Kittel was still in the race!

Ha, yeah, him and Sagan would have been great in all this but such is life. (And jury decisions.)

Oh yeah, hold on, that AG2R rider who proposed to his partner early on in the stage, do we know if that was successful?

(Also will add I enjoyed what I saw of La Course -- had to do a bit of catch up both days, nice pursuit in Marseille there.)

Oh yeah, hold on, that AG2R rider who proposed to his partner early on in the stage, do we know if that was successful?

Update on the @LeTour marriage proposal by Cyril Gautier.... she said YES

— Robbie McEwen (@mcewenrobbie) July 23, 2017

Hurrah!

this gave me a wry lol

Poll: Who was the Most Combative Rider of the 2017 Tour de France? #TDF17 #TDF2017

— Neal Rogers (@nealrogers) July 23, 2017

I can't choose.

i feel bad for Greipel but he waited too long to make his move.

froome & babby froome super cute

weird seeing comments on matthews green jersey that he didnt deserve it / belongs to sagan etc
like i get being salty but dude rode his way into that jersey, cmon

Once again I'm left wondering what Gary Imlach does for the rest of the year. I might be alone here but I really like the ITV coverage, they all have a kind of wry humour that I enjoy apart from anything else.

Anyone who got any of the jerseys deserved it despite big names dropping out imo

(Also will add I enjoyed what I saw of La Course -- had to do a bit of catch up both days, nice pursuit in Marseille there.)

― Ned Raggett, Sunday, 23 July 2017 23:26 (yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

First stage was good, but it seems like the second stage's format didn't work for most people, including the riders themselves and I'm inclined to agree. I suppose it's a minor victory for women's cycling that it's double the length of previous editions, but I don't understand why they got rid of the Champs Elysees sprint they had in previous years tbh

weird seeing comments on matthews green jersey that he didnt deserve it / belongs to sagan etc
like i get being salty but dude rode his way into that jersey, cmon

― Yoni Loves Chocha (VegemiteGrrl), Sunday, July 23, 2017 11:03 PM (nineteen minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

See I follow a lot of commentary but have not heard anything even remotely close to this. Matthews not deserving green? Belongs to Sagan?! Different strokes I guess, idgi.

Yeah I was about to ask if we should start a general non-TdF cycling thread --
― Ned Raggett, Sunday, July 23, 2017 10:23 PM (fifty-nine minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

We def should, and need one. Consider it done.

La Course was a bit weird. But the ultra-conservative ASO deserves an inch of praise for experimenting and not just hosting a women's race but also trying to make it an attractive race. Don't think they succeeded this year, but it's a process since 2013 and it's not going away, which is good.

La Course Stage 1 was p great but I havent had a chance to see Stage 2 except for a few higlight clips.

i'd be into a general cycling thread. i get a lot of the non tour events bcz of my tdf event season pass with nbcsn so i should get san seb & vuelta i think
i dont usually watch but i might with ongoing chats :)

re commentating

most annoying thing this year for me re Phil & Paul is their endless nonsensical fanfics about what riders are saying or their motivations all spouted with this air of knowitallness, its really ridiculous

it's like listening to two kids playing TdF with little cycling toys and making up stories about the riders

lol

i would rather bob & christian & jens do their own commentary from upstairs tbh

La Course was a circus, ridiculous format. I love cycling so much, I honestly find it heartbreaking that it's 2017 and they can't sort themselves out. Plenty of major sporting events from Wimbledon to the London Marathon have parity in coverage and prize money between the men's and women's competitions. Even the bloody Boat Race! There's no excuse for the sports which haven't got their acts together on this.

Honourable mention for British Cycling's stance obv.

Dan Martin rode the last 12 stages with two fractured vertebrae.
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/dan-martin-diagnosed-with-two-fractured-vertebrae-after-tour-de-france-top-10/

jesus

Yech indeed.

Hey didn't Le Bateau say he'd start a general cycling thread?

Started a punless Rolling Pro Cycling thread, let's see how it fares.