2014 - Tour de France (1 Viewer)

[BassNBrew]

I like my team.

I know, I know. LOOOOOOOOOOONG way to go.

I like your team too, for what it's worth

Coquard looks frisky. Hopefully he stays in it and can cover some of Kittels points.

Still frisky....

Dang, I have the top two finishers today and still lose ground to you. Sagan really sussed out yesterday.

 

[DA RAIDERS]

Stage 5 better score me some points.

 

[Battles]

Dang, I have the top two finishers today and still lose ground to you. Sagan really sussed out yesterday.

The stage 2 shakeout on the GC standings is really helping me cover the extra points Kittel is getting.

 

[BassNBrew]

Dang, I have the top two finishers today and still lose ground to you. Sagan really sussed out yesterday.

The stage 2 shakeout on the GC standings is really helping me cover the extra points Kittel is getting.

Funny thing is I cut Nabili to make room for Kittel.

 

[Dinsy Ejotuz]

Christian Vande Velde is an excellent addition to the broadcast team. Love hearing him talk about what teams and riders are thinking.

 

[proninja]

If the high dollar guys on my team would stop crashing today, that would be great

 

[BassNBrew]

8 is the record for stage wins in a single year. Any chance Kittel matches that?

 

[Jaysus]

8 is the record for stage wins in a single year. Any chance Kittel matches that?

I keep hearing the number "5" tossed about as his ceiling for stage wins... but at this point I have to think that he is going to get more if there are more than 5 sprint finishes

 

[grateful zed]

question about yesterdays stage. why was saxo chasing down the break? they need to save themselves to get alberto thru the montains.

 

[Sand]

Just flying in here to post this excellent Stage 5 preview. If already posted sorry - avoiding today's conversations as I haven't seen Stage 4 yet.

 

[BassNBrew]

Just flying in here to post this excellent Stage 5 preview. If already posted sorry - avoiding today's conversations as I haven't seen Stage 4 yet.

I'm going to really enjoy watching this stage, but it has no place in a stage road race.

 

[proninja]

Just flying in here to post this excellent

Why do you say that? Because of the equipment demands on the poorer teams or because it's a style of riding that doesn't suit the gc contenders?

 

[BassNBrew]

Just flying in here to post this excellent

Just not a huge fan of luck potentially deciding the winner in a 3 week event. These bikes aren't designed for this type of riding and these roads weren't designed for 150+ peletons. I'm cool with the cobbles for single day classics. I'd even be OK with them in a 3 week tour if they were featured on 50%+ of the stages. One puncture for a GC guy and it could be minutes before assistance can get there.

They are a lot of potential podium guys this year so you'll have a huge number of teams fighting for the front of the field in addition to the sprinters teams. If this was going down later in the event we wouldn't have as many teams fighting for the front.

 

[Battles]

I fully expect carnage tomorrow.

I lean towards BnB's views on having it in, but they've had plenty of time to prepare, so it's a fair game at this point.

 

[BassNBrew]

I fully expect carnage tomorrow.

I lean towards BnB's views on having it in, but they've had plenty of time to prepare, so it's a fair game at this point.

Hopefully the carnage includes Sagan finishing 2 seconds in front of Nabili.

 

[BassNBrew]

Really wish they would have more stages like stage 2.

 

[Sand]

Christian Vande Velde is an excellent addition to the broadcast team. Love hearing him talk about what teams and riders are thinking.

I guess EPO does wonders for speaking ability, too.

(He's quite good and I can see him with a new profession here.)

 

[BassNBrew]

Oh no…rain.

 

[BassNBrew]

Two toughest cobble sectors have been removed due to being covered in water and mud.

 

[BassNBrew]

Garmin putting guys out in the cobble sections with wheels just in case. Three in one sector alone.

 

[BassNBrew]

Wish I could watch this straight thru but I have work obligations that will prevent that.

 

[BassNBrew]

Winds kicking up, getting dark, temp around 50 degrees. Nasty day. Reminds me why I didn't go pro.

eta - Maybe in the 60s and around 50s with wind/speed chill.

 

[BassNBrew]

Froome down again and has to catch back up.

 

[Dinsy Ejotuz]

Froome down again and has to catch back up.

What's the scoop with the entire Sky team lined up behind the team car for five minutes?

Rolle mentioned they might get docked time for that, but why isn't it an open and shut case? There's no doubt they were drafting there.

 

[BassNBrew]

Froome down again and has to catch back up.

What's the scoop with the entire Sky team lined up behind the team car for five minutes?

Rolle mentioned they might get docked time for that, but why isn't it an open and shut case? There's no doubt they were drafting there.

The contenders usually get slack on stuff like this.

Also did you notice that a BMC rider was in the front of the line behind the Sky car? I wonder if that was done on purpose to skirt the rules. Sky can say they were just following another rider and that rider wasn't following his team car. That BMC rider went to the end of the line once they cleared the Sky car.

 

[BassNBrew]

Rider down and the spectators are grabbing his bottles for keepsakes.

Things getting crazy already and we haven't hit the cobbles.

 

[BassNBrew]

Averaged 32 mph over the first hour of racing according to the commentators. I'm not buying that, but they are moving.

 

[Dinsy Ejotuz]

Froome down again and has to catch back up.

What's the scoop with the entire Sky team lined up behind the team car for five minutes?

Rolle mentioned they might get docked time for that, but why isn't it an open and shut case? There's no doubt they were drafting there.

The contenders usually get slack on stuff like this.

Also did you notice that a BMC rider was in the front of the line behind the Sky car? I wonder if that was done on purpose to skirt the rules. Sky can say they were just following another rider and that rider wasn't following his team car. That BMC rider went to the end of the line once they cleared the Sky car.

I wondered about the BMC rider and why he'd be helping lead the Sky team, but that does make sense.

Agree with you completely that adding a giant, essentially random variable to a competition is never a good idea. If the leading teams went to the front and neutralized the race through the cobbles I'd be fine with it. If not for the breakaway it'd be the smart thing to do for everyone.

 

[proninja]

People going down left and right around corners and we aren't even at the cobbles yet. I, also can't just watch it straight through, but damn, I wish I could.

 

[Dinsy Ejotuz]

I'm wondering if the tire pressure or some other part of the bike is set up for the cobbles, but not the rainy regular roads. Guys going down all over the place. Riders are going to be pissed at the end of the stage, I'd think.

 

[Dinsy Ejotuz]

Froome looks battered on this one.

Whoa... I'm not sure he'll be able to continue.

ETA: Holy ####. He's out.

 

[proninja]

Well, so much for my fantasy team.

 

[proninja]

Richie Porte, it's go time.

Wiggins is at home cussing right now

 

[BassNBrew]

Richie Porte, it's go time.

Wiggins is at home cussing right now

More like laughing.

Just rewards to Sky for screwing Wiggo.

 

[BassNBrew]

Not sure how Contrador got so far behind.

 

[BassNBrew]

Wish we could get an update on who's in the peleton.

 

[Dinsy Ejotuz]

Is this what the one-day classics are like? Incredibly entertaining -- but it's also blowing up the rest of the Tour.

 

[proninja]

Apparently talansky went down too. Rain really making this mayhem.

 

[proninja]

The Vuelta just got interesting. Wonder if sky will send Wiggo and Froome.

 

[BassNBrew]

Is this what the one-day classics are like? Incredibly entertaining -- but it's also blowing up the rest of the Tour.

Yup. Love the classics.

 

[BassNBrew]

Nabili can lock this up today.

 

[proninja]

Is this what the one-day classics are like? Incredibly entertaining -- but it's also blowing up the rest of the Tour.

The classics are my favorite racing of the year. Fun, unpredictable, and never boring.

 

[culdeus]

This is ridiculous.

 

[proninja]

Nabili can lock this up today.

Hanging with cancellara, vanmarke, Sagan, and the classics guys on a brutal day is shocking for a gc guy. Turning me into a big fan.

Isn't bike racing fun when it isn't just about w/kg and who can beat doping control?

 

[culdeus]

Brailsford is the biggest fail ever.

Wiggins has to be sitting there wondering why the hell he left Garmin 3 years ago, and now Sky may not even have the cash to pay him.

What a joke.

 

[BassNBrew]

Nabili can lock this up today.

Hanging with cancellara, vanmarke, Sagan, and the classics guys on a brutal day is shocking for a gc guy. Turning me into a big fan.

Isn't bike racing fun when it isn't just about w/kg and who can beat doping control?

Yup.

Bumped my level of respect for the toughest of these guys today.

 

[BassNBrew]

Battles is going to run away with the fantasy game.

 

[culdeus]

Nabili can lock this up today.

Hanging with cancellara, vanmarke, Sagan, and the classics guys on a brutal day is shocking for a gc guy. Turning me into a big fan.

Isn't bike racing fun when it isn't just about w/kg and who can beat doping control?

Yup.

Bumped my level of respect for the toughest of these guys today.

Define toughest?

How about respect for the dopers that took the time to learn how to handle a bike? You don't see lance or landis leaning into turns like that on slick roads.

 

[Jaysus]

Just flying in here to post this excellent Stage 5 preview. If already posted sorry - avoiding today's conversations as I haven't seen Stage 4 yet.

holy guacamole, that is not what I was expecting to see when i heard "cobbles"

 

[Jaysus]

P.S. I hope my power is back on in time to watch the replay tonight.