OVER THE HILL Posted 1 July, 2011 Share Posted 1 July, 2011 At last the sporting event of the year starts tomorrow Lots of British interest as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
archstanton Posted 1 July, 2011 Share Posted 1 July, 2011 Heres hoping for a Andy Schleck win,. Utmost respect for all the competitors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badgerx16 Posted 1 July, 2011 Share Posted 1 July, 2011 Heres hoping for a Andy Schleck win,. Utmost respect for all the competitors. I hope he's in better form than he showed in California a few weeks ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baj Posted 2 July, 2011 Share Posted 2 July, 2011 Having very recently gotten into cycling (as in, doing it myself) a bit more "properly", I'm going to make an effort to watch this properly for the first time. Any tips, points of interest for first time watchers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huffton Posted 2 July, 2011 Share Posted 2 July, 2011 Having very recently gotten into cycling (as in, doing it myself) a bit more "properly", I'm going to make an effort to watch this properly for the first time. Any tips, points of interest for first time watchers. Too much to list really if you'tr talking about finer points. Early stages are generally for the sprinters, bar the Team Time Trial which is a great spectacle. This year its a bit short to really affect the outcome. The race is generally won/lost in the last week mountains, and I see no reason why that won't happen this year. There is a also an ITT on the penultimate day which may throw a spanner in the works, good climbers don't generally time trial well. Oh, and look out for 'dutch corner' on Alpe d'Huez, those guys know how to enjoy cycling! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OVER THE HILL Posted 2 July, 2011 Author Share Posted 2 July, 2011 The highlights are on at 7.00 ITV4 tonight.The commentators and analysis are excellant . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyNorthernSaints Posted 2 July, 2011 Share Posted 2 July, 2011 Having very recently gotten into cycling (as in, doing it myself) a bit more "properly", I'm going to make an effort to watch this properly for the first time. Any tips, points of interest for first time watchers.http://www.burndenaces.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=5839.0 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huffton Posted 2 July, 2011 Share Posted 2 July, 2011 Bad luck for Cav today, didn't fall in the last crash but punctured trying to avoid it! Don't think he would have won anyway though, a bit too uphill for his liking. Serious time lost for Contador already, with the prospect of more tomorrow. The mountains are going to be very interesting this year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Winnersaint Posted 2 July, 2011 Share Posted 2 July, 2011 A spectacular first stage. Was tailor made for Phillipe Gilbert. Look out for him again on the Mur de Bretagne another 'puncheur's finish. Sky or HTC to win TTT tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baj Posted 3 July, 2011 Share Posted 3 July, 2011 Really enjoyed watching it live today, caught about the first hour and the last hour. Awesome crash at the end, bet that dozy woman in the yellow coat felt a bit stupid after causing it. Whats the deal with tomorrows time trial? How does that work? 20 odd kilometers? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huffton Posted 3 July, 2011 Share Posted 3 July, 2011 Its a bit short really IMO. Team time trials are usually longer, but they do tend to cause certain riders to lose a lot of time so the organisers have shortened it this year to keep things tighter. Basically each team goes off together at three minute intervals, and the time is taken from the fifth man to cross the line, with all riders finishing together getting the same time. Teams will occasionally drop weaker riders, who will then get their own time when they finish, but at 20k this shouldn't happen, and teams try to stay together as much as possible to give recovering riders a longer 'sit in' after their turn pulling on the front. The TTT is my favourite specatacle after the big mountains. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baj Posted 3 July, 2011 Share Posted 3 July, 2011 Ok, sorry for dumb questions... but if the team drop a rider, but the time is taken for the last rider, then surely they all suffer. Only, this clearly isnt the case and I've not understood something :/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huffton Posted 3 July, 2011 Share Posted 3 July, 2011 There is 9 riders in a team. The time is taken on the fifth man crossing the line. If the whole team is together they all get the same time. So in effect they can afford to drop four riders and it wouldn't matter to the first fives times, although in practice they will try to stay together as much as possible. Today could be very different with the short distance. Any riders suffering mechanical problems may well be left to fend for themselves Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baj Posted 3 July, 2011 Share Posted 3 July, 2011 Ah, 9 per team, ok that makes sense Do many of you on this thread ride? I've started riding for fitness about a month ago and am loving it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huffton Posted 3 July, 2011 Share Posted 3 July, 2011 I used to be a fairly decent club cyclist a few years ago, before the kids came along and I started driving for a living. Did quite a lot of time trials and a few road races. Just started getting back into it again earlier this year but have a looooong way to go before I;m any where near race fitness again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baj Posted 3 July, 2011 Share Posted 3 July, 2011 I used to be a fairly decent club cyclist a few years ago, before the kids came along and I started driving for a living. Did quite a lot of time trials and a few road races. Just started getting back into it again earlier this year but have a looooong way to go before I;m any where near race fitness again! Cool. Im selling my motorbike this month and using the money for a roadbike. I converted my MTB to slicks but I cant average more than 15mph. Ive got the fitness and legs from running enough, so cant wait to get on the proper thing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huffton Posted 3 July, 2011 Share Posted 3 July, 2011 Nice. You won't know yourself when you get on a decent roadie. MTB's are ok, but they're built for dirt, they just don't work on the road like a road bike does. A couple of other bits of advice (apologies if I'm teaching you to suck eggs) Riding kit, you might get laughed at, but get some decent padded shorts, your arse will thank you for it. Tyres, get the best you can afford, the more TPI the better, double punctures 40 miles from home are not much fun. Which leads us on to pumps, road tyres work best at 80+psi, emergency pumps are ok for a get you home, but a decent track pump is essential. What did you think of the TTT today? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badgerx16 Posted 3 July, 2011 Share Posted 3 July, 2011 (edited) Seeing as Huffton and Baj have got onto the subject of bikes, any ideas for a 'best buy' roadie, under £1000, ( probably nearer an £800 limit ) ? Looking to upgrade from my current 'cheap and cheerful' Raleigh as I'm tempted by the Pennine fells, which are only 30 minutes ride away, and need a better range of gearing. Currently debating between Specialized, Trek, and Boardman, ( with Scott Speedster as an outside bet ).m Edited 3 July, 2011 by badgerx16 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baj Posted 3 July, 2011 Share Posted 3 July, 2011 Nice. You won't know yourself when you get on a decent roadie. MTB's are ok, but they're built for dirt, they just don't work on the road like a road bike does. A couple of other bits of advice (apologies if I'm teaching you to suck eggs) Riding kit, you might get laughed at, but get some decent padded shorts, your arse will thank you for it. Tyres, get the best you can afford, the more TPI the better, double punctures 40 miles from home are not much fun. Which leads us on to pumps, road tyres work best at 80+psi, emergency pumps are ok for a get you home, but a decent track pump is essential. What did you think of the TTT today? The the TTT today was brilliant, more because I enjoyed the tactics of it, especially when (was it HTC?) that dropped one of their best riders at the start and were instantly a man down. Loved the tactics of it all. Thanks for the advice, my brother in law cycles, what i would call, properly. So have picked up a few bits from him. No dont have decent gear to wear at the moment, so will look into that. I have slicks on my MTB at 100psi, feel like rocks. Yeah, I have a track pump I also have a kit on my saddle which just consists of a spare innertube at, well, I dont even know what theyre called, but the things to pop the tyre off! So you're saying I should carry TWO spare inner tubes? As with Badger below, Ill have about £1000 budget, but that has to include my shoes, helmet and some riding gear, so probably looking around the £700-£800 mark, though I dont mind pushing a few quid over that if it's worth it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Winnersaint Posted 4 July, 2011 Share Posted 4 July, 2011 Seeing as Huffton and Baj have got onto the subject of bikes, any ideas for a 'best buy' roadie, under £1000, ( probably nearer an £800 limit ) ? Looking to upgrade from my current 'cheap and cheerful' Raleigh as I'm tempted by the Pennine fells, which are only 30 minutes ride away, and need a better range of gearing. Currently debating between Specialized, Trek, and Boardman, ( with Scott Speedster as an outside bet ).m So Baj and Badger if you're looking at the sub £1000 mark road bike all I can say is you will get a very good machine at what is a very competitive price point. Lightweight aluminium frame with carbon forks with mid range probably Shimano groupset (brakes, levers, front mech /rear deraillieur etc). My opinion and it is only an opinion is that you are probably best off going to your local bike shop, although Halfords will be your only option if you go down the Boardman route. Good bikes, well kitted. Try bikes out and above all get properly fitted. Some LBS offer this as part of the sale of your bike, others charge you up front for it and deduct it off the price. As far as what is the best bike - it will come down ultimately to your own personal preference. For Specialized look at the Allez and Secteur range SECTEUR SPORT TRIPLE - £769.99, ALLEZ ELITE COMPACT - £799.99, ALLEZ SPORT TRIPLE INT - £619.99. There are a lot of them about so many punters can't be wrong - however I would recommend a look at Cube bikes. The Cube Attempt at £999 is probably out of range if you want other bits with it. Cube Peloton at £849 is excellent, but I'm biased because I have the 2010 model of this bike. Not an expert only had my roadie since last August, but once bitten by the bug you'll not be able to stop yourselves. http://www.cubebikeshop.co.uk/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Special K Posted 4 July, 2011 Share Posted 4 July, 2011 Ah, 9 per team, ok that makes sense Do many of you on this thread ride? I've started riding for fitness about a month ago and am loving it. Got into it in a very casual way a few years ago, mainly due to friends signing me up for charity rides. Gave up for a few years as the youngest came along, but a mate has just taken it up and i've started trying to get some miles back in the legs! Did the usual stints, London to Brighton, London to Paris, Test Valley Tour. All good stuff, but I never wanted to be a club cyclist, probably because i was nowhere near good enough! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Special K Posted 4 July, 2011 Share Posted 4 July, 2011 Seeing as Huffton and Baj have got onto the subject of bikes, any ideas for a 'best buy' roadie, under £1000, ( probably nearer an £800 limit ) ? Looking to upgrade from my current 'cheap and cheerful' Raleigh as I'm tempted by the Pennine fells, which are only 30 minutes ride away, and need a better range of gearing. Currently debating between Specialized, Trek, and Boardman, ( with Scott Speedster as an outside bet ).m I got my LeMond from http://www.pedalon.co.uk and they were pretty good, especially with all the extras i needed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badgerx16 Posted 4 July, 2011 Share Posted 4 July, 2011 To get back on track, I don't think any of the contenders will really show until the last 5 stages, the Alps and then the ITT immediately before the finale - as long as Cadell Evans doesn't win. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huffton Posted 4 July, 2011 Share Posted 4 July, 2011 as long as Cadell Evans doesn't win. Evans won't win the Tour all the while hes got a hole in his arse Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Cat Posted 4 July, 2011 Share Posted 4 July, 2011 Weird finish today. It looked like HTC had it sown up for Cavendish, but then their train split and Garmin timed it perfectly. Nice to see Thomas having a go at jumping off the front to try and grab yellow. I'd imagine the leaders jersey will change hands tomorrow with Millar having a real chance of getting it if he can stay up front on the final little climb. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huffton Posted 4 July, 2011 Share Posted 4 July, 2011 It seems Cav and Hushove have been disqualified from the intermediate sprint. Stupid stupid decision, then again neither of them are French... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OVER THE HILL Posted 4 July, 2011 Author Share Posted 4 July, 2011 Cav robbed of 10 points for no good reason. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyNorthernSaints Posted 5 July, 2011 Share Posted 5 July, 2011 Seemed very harsh penalty on Cav and Thor. Especially as no punishment for rider pushing into Cav near finish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Winnersaint Posted 5 July, 2011 Share Posted 5 July, 2011 Stage 4 finishes on the Mur de Bretagne (Breton Wall). Much steeper than Stage 1 finish just like an Ardennes Spring Classic so Gilbert it will be, especially as it's his birthday. http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/cavendish-ready-to-prove-doubters-wrong Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Window Cleaner Posted 5 July, 2011 Share Posted 5 July, 2011 Seemed very harsh penalty on Cav and Thor. Especially as no punishment for rider pushing into Cav near finish. Cavendish has a reputation as a dirty sprinter so I don't think he'll get the benefit of the doubt when any claim is made against him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Cat Posted 5 July, 2011 Share Posted 5 July, 2011 Fair play to Hushvold for getting up that climb with the leaders. Not sure why Contador bothered attacking as the climb wasn't steep or long enough for him to gain any time on the GC contenders. Strong finish from Evans to nick it on the line. 3 Brits in the overall Top 10. Has this ever happened before? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaintSparky Posted 5 July, 2011 Share Posted 5 July, 2011 Fair play to Hushvold for getting up that climb with the leaders. Not sure why Contador bothered attacking as the climb wasn't steep or long enough for him to gain any time on the GC contenders. Strong finish from Evans to nick it on the line. 3 Brits in the overall Top 10. Has this ever happened before? He took 8 seconds from Andy Schleck and 6 seconds from Wiggins. This is exactly what he did in this years Giro, up hill finish and he attacked; considering he has losses from the first two days to pull back in this race and there are less up hill finishes compared to this years Giro it was no surprise at all that he had a go today. Hushvold was fantastic, Evans is probably quite happy that while winning the stage he did not end up in yellow as he does not need his team defending the jersey at this point in time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huffton Posted 5 July, 2011 Share Posted 5 July, 2011 Think thats the first time I've seen Contador grimacing a bit. The cynic in me wonders if it is because he is clean this time? Was hoping for a Gilbert win today, I can't stand Evans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Cat Posted 5 July, 2011 Share Posted 5 July, 2011 He took 8 seconds from Andy Schleck and 6 seconds from Wiggins. This is exactly what he did in this years Giro, up hill finish and he attacked; considering he has losses from the first two days to pull back in this race and there are less up hill finishes compared to this years Giro it was no surprise at all that he had a go today. Hushvold was fantastic, Evans is probably quite happy that while winning the stage he did not end up in yellow as he does not need his team defending the jersey at this point in time. That'll teach me to turn over as soon as the stage finished because my son was complaining he was missing his programmes! I'm sure I heard the commentator say Wiggins was in the front group too. Very suprised Andy Schlek lost time today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandwichsaint Posted 6 July, 2011 Share Posted 6 July, 2011 Great start, so many in the mix this year and Contador losing time in the first couple of days has really opened it up. Can't wait to get out there for the last week! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badgerx16 Posted 6 July, 2011 Share Posted 6 July, 2011 Ill have about £1000 budget, but that has to include my shoes, helmet and some riding gear, so probably looking around the £700-£800 mark, though I dont mind pushing a few quid over that if it's worth it. Found out yesterday that TREK have a sale on during July, so the 1.5 comes in @ £750, and 1.2 @ about £600 - if you can locate a participating local dealer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sherminator Posted 6 July, 2011 Share Posted 6 July, 2011 Think thats the first time I've seen Contador grimacing a bit. The cynic in me wonders if it is because he is clean this time? Was hoping for a Gilbert win today, I can't stand Evans. I noticed that. I was wondering whether it was an act to lull the others into a false sense of security. Early days yet. Promising start to the race from Evans and Wiggins. Would love to see Evans win it - I think he deserves it. Looks like Cavendish was a bit hard done by with the qualification, although i'm not sure he's 100% yet - he has been comfortably beaten on some of the intermediate sprints although good to see him compete. I'm sure he'll come good and win stages (today perhaps), but will it be enough for green. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandwichsaint Posted 6 July, 2011 Share Posted 6 July, 2011 Don't think Evans has the team to win it (though the lads done good for him yesterday) and he's probably too defensive as well. Contador probably carrying a bit of a hangover (no pun intended) from the Giro, it's a massive feat to win both in the same year but I certainly wouldn't write him off yet; he has the ability to take minutes from his rivals in the big mountains. If Contador hits his straps there's only really Schleck that can stay with him on a consistent basis. Agree, Cav has got it all to do from where he is but that can change quickly under the new format, if he were to win both today he would be right back in it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandwichsaint Posted 6 July, 2011 Share Posted 6 July, 2011 http://zonein.tv/7351745 Live Eurosport coverage here for anybody office-bound (or just listen to the chat TMS stylee). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Cat Posted 6 July, 2011 Share Posted 6 July, 2011 Wow, what a finish from Cavendish. That's got to be up there with his best ever Tour wins considering he had no lead out whatsoever. Brilliant stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huffton Posted 6 July, 2011 Share Posted 6 July, 2011 Brill win for Cav, and big lolz at David Harmon for thinking he was Matty Goss. Bring back David Duffield! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OVER THE HILL Posted 6 July, 2011 Author Share Posted 6 July, 2011 The best stage so far and my hero grabs another win.Three Brits in the top ten -fantastic. The ITV commentators are superb as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toofarnorth Posted 6 July, 2011 Share Posted 6 July, 2011 Am really enjoying this so far and a great performance from the brits so far. Like others am just getting into cycling but am just about to graduate from my hybrid to a specialized tricross as part of my commute will involve gravel. May look into getting a road bike if I get on ok with this bike and when i've paid this one off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Cat Posted 6 July, 2011 Share Posted 6 July, 2011 Brill win for Cav, and big lolz at David Harmon for thinking he was Matty Goss. Bring back David Duffield! Duffield is a legend. An old flatmate of mine would quite happily sit there watching the live Eurosport coverage with me despite the fact he had no interest in the race just for Dave's commentary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Winnersaint Posted 7 July, 2011 Share Posted 7 July, 2011 Absolute carnage yesterday. Bad luck on Brajkovic. Boonen lucky to still be in there. Seemed like Quicksteps all going down like dominoes at one point. Cav's finish was awesome. Uphill finish in Lisieux today so maybe no repetetion. Tomorrow stage has no categorised climbs, The only other one with none on the route is to the Champs Elysee. So its off to Chateauroux, birthplace of Gerard Depardieu and scene of Cav's first stage win in 2008. Probably wouldn't bet against him to win there again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huffton Posted 7 July, 2011 Share Posted 7 July, 2011 Duffield is a legend. An old flatmate of mine would quite happily sit there watching the live Eurosport coverage with me despite the fact he had no interest in the race just for Dave's commentary. Absolutley, I learnt more about France from 3 weeks of listening to him than I did from 5 years of GCSE.! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warsash saint Posted 8 July, 2011 Share Posted 8 July, 2011 I once through a water bomb at Chris Boardman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toofarnorth Posted 8 July, 2011 Share Posted 8 July, 2011 Poor old Bradley. He had had such a good start as well. Lets hope he can come back strong in the future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huffton Posted 8 July, 2011 Share Posted 8 July, 2011 Gutted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyNorthernSaints Posted 9 July, 2011 Share Posted 9 July, 2011 Gutted for Brad. Thought he was in great form and probably wont get a better chance of a podium finish. Not sure he will compete in tour next year due to olympics and following year he will be 33. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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