Tour de France 2013 *spoilers*

[themosquitoking]

I am considering flying with Turkish airlines though... it seems that on every flight you've got Kobe Bryant and Messi (and ice cream)

The ITV4 adverts are making me sing about a fruit based drink that i think tastes like poison.

 

[Strathlubnaig]

The absolute best top story from this years TdF, belongs to The Jensie.
Basically Voigt in no man’s land waiting to be caught, tries to give a bidon to a kid, the kid gets elbowed out of the way by some dude, Voigt sees it, turns around, goes back down the hill a bit and shames the perp to give bidon back to the kid – crowd goes wild! Chapeau Jens !!!
http://video.lequipe.fr/video/2cf051f2b00s.html

 

[laurence]

years ago, at the TTT in Arras, Robbie Mckewen was walking through the crowd after getting his green jersey, someone tried to nad the bidon from his bike... he turned around, grabbed the bloke and forced him to hand the bidon back... then turned around and handed it to a child standing nearby.

we all clapped Robbie.

the kid was gobsmacked - really. just stood there with his mouth wide open!

 

[rich p]

Svein Tuft has taken over the Lanterne Rouge after the withdrawal of Tom Veelers.
That is all.

 

[rich p]

Anyway, Froome is impregnable barring an act of god so it's really about the fight for the minor placings today. A break may stay away but will Quintana or J-Rod attack on the penultimate climb, or leave it to the Semnoz?
The Revard is 15.9km long but only 5.6% so maybe not steep enough to distance Contador, for instance. Quintana needs 21 seconds on Bert to take over 2nd place and Purito is a further 26 secs back.
I hope it kicks off before the last climb but Quintana may reckon he can get enough time on the Semnoz @ 8.5% for 10.7km.

 

[raindog]

The absolute best top story from this years TdF, belongs to The Jensie.

The story is actually from last year's Tour. He wrote about it on his blog. Fantastic anecdote.
Everyone loves Jens.

 

[smutchin]

Movistar have published SRM data from yesterday's stage:
http://www.srm.de/news/road-cycling/le-tour-de-france-stage-19/

If I didn't already feel inadequate just watching these guys, I certainly do now.

 

[smutchin]

Anyway, Froome is impregnable barring an act of god so it's really about the fight for the minor placings today. A break may stay away but will Quintana or J-Rod attack on the penultimate climb, or leave it to the Semnoz?
The Revard is 15.9km long but only 5.6% so maybe not steep enough to distance Contador, for instance. Quintana needs 21 seconds on Bert to take over 2nd place and Purito is a further 26 secs back.
I hope it kicks off before the last climb but Quintana may reckon he can get enough time on the Semnoz @ 8.5% for 10.7km.

I can't see anything much happening on the Revard for the simple reason that they have that long flat section after the descent before they start the Semnoz. Plus, because it's such a short stage, Sky and/or Movistar can afford to go at it hard and try to control the race from the start. (When I say I can't see much happening, I mean in terms of attacks - I think the pace will be high enough for the peloton to be whittled down to a very select bunch by the top of the Revard though.)

Btw, I've done some more calculations, and if Quintana wins the stage, he takes the polka dot jersey regardless of what happens elsewhere. He will also win it if he comes second and Froome comes third or lower. If Quintana comes third, he needs Froome to come fifth or lower to take the jersey.

My left field prediction for the day is for Porte to win the stage. Quintana will do enough to take 2nd overall and the polka dot jersey. Contador to hold third place from Purito by a whisker.

 

[raindog]

Btw, I've done some more calculations, and if Quintana wins the stage, he takes the polka dot jersey regardless of what happens elsewhere.

I'd love to see this. He's impressed us all so much, hasn't he? yet he still hasn't won a stage.

 

[smutchin]

Another thing Quintana should do is stop making those big mountains look so easy... #stickyourreasonablesuspicionupyourarse

http://www.velominati.com/anatomy-of-a-photo/anatomy-of-a-photo-after-the-finish-on-ventoux/

 

[PpPete]

I'd love to see this. He's impressed us all so much, hasn't he? yet he still hasn't won a stage.

+1

On the other hand....

My left field prediction for the day is for Porte to win the stage. .

Love to see that even more.
If ever a guy deserved a reward...

 

[StuAff]

The absolute best top story from this years TdF, belongs to The Jensie.
Basically Voigt in no man’s land waiting to be caught, tries to give a bidon to a kid, the kid gets elbowed out of the way by some dude, Voigt sees it, turns around, goes back down the hill a bit and shames the perp to give bidon back to the kid – crowd goes wild! Chapeau Jens !!!
http://video.lequipe.fr/video/2cf051f2b00s.html

Jens is the man. When he came over for that charity ride in the New Forest in April, he did it for the cost of his plane from Berlin.

 

[Noodley]

I reckon a win for Andy Schleck today...

 

[smutchin]

I reckon a win for Andy Schleck today...

That doesn't sound as ridiculous as it would have done three weeks ago.

 

[laurence]

i think the main battle will be for the polka dot jersey. Rolland wants it for keep and Nieve and Quincy are close. if the latter goes for it, it may cause some action in the pack as Paxo react to stop him gaining in the GC.

i'm going for a Basque win, just because.

Gora Euskadi!

oh, Jens is the tops... we need a separate thread for Jensies... one more from me. many years ago, for the PruTour (remember that) i went to the start in Chessington for the BBC and was hanging around waiting to be allocated a car to travel in. there was a Gan rider there in a purple jersey. i checked the programme for his number and it was Jens, leading the points competition. he was just hanging around and chatting to people. i asked him if he intended to keep the jersey for the next two days. he looked down at it and then said "yes, the colour suits me". that was my introduction to Jensie's world and i've loved him since.