Tour de France 2015 - may contain nuts and SPOILERS

[Bonus]

If you want to be at the front of the ten deep crowds on the Champs Elysee you need to get there before the riders even set off from the Depart. Maybe even the night before? I dunno cos we didn't even entertain the idea!

However, we had a great time, just wandering around looking at the crowds / soaking up the amazing atmosphere and watching it all sat on some grass looking at the big screen near the finish line. We also heard Wiggo's success speech, even tho we could not see him .. my advice .. just do it!
x

I've been there a few times and it's certainly worth it, but it doesn't come easy.
we were against the barriers within sight of the podium (which is stored up a side street for the day) and we got there around 6 am. We chose our spot and sat on our fold up chairs with our cool box and waited. The chairs allowed us to mark out a bigger area than we needed. Around 7am we were interviewed by a cycling magazine. By 8am all the barrier places were gone. By 10am the crowd was 3or 4 deep. By 11am the place was heaving. Bikes arrived around 4pm if I remember correctly! We could see a big screen and the finish line. We saw the riders go past 16 times and we saw the lap of honor after the finish.

It was well worth it :-)

 

[400bhp]

So pleased for Martin. Brilliant

Pinot proper lost his cool

 

[Berk on a Bike]

Just watching the highlights with 9km to go. And I'll say this now - this is a f***** great Tour.

+1
Sod the high mountains. Let them ride around northern France, Belgium and the Netherlands for three weeks.

 

[400bhp]

Was half expecting Thomas to ride off the front with exactly 4k to go.

 

[SWSteve]

Just finished watching the highlights on Eurosport - what a spectacular stage! Absolutely love it. Delighted for Tony Martin, superb move and once in front he was always going to win I felt. The ride is even more brilliant given the problems he had during the stage. Riding a bike which is quite different to his own, getting back into the group after losing connection through the bike change - awesome!



Hats off to Quintana not to lose any time. Didn't look comfortable at all and bit isolated in times? Didn't see many of his team around... but he made it which is the most important fact.

"He won with my bike" right at the end. Brilliant. Great to see a tea, so behind him, the photos after the stage of the huddle are great.

 

[SWSteve]

2 Riders to watch so far this Tour for me

Barguil - doing phenomenally well to state with Froome and Contador and not fall into any problems so far, doing v. Well

Uran - having a great time, again doing well to stay at the front of the race. It will be interesting to see how he fair in the mountains

 

[Berk on a Bike]

Who's a giddy kipper tonight then...

 

[smutchin]

2 Riders to watch so far this Tour for me

Barguil -
Uran -

Yep, both looking very good. I'd add Tejay to that short list too.

Don't really know what Barguil is capable of but he's an exciting prospect. Hope he doesn't turn out to be the new Rolland. He's got to be the best bet for a Frenchman on the podium now. Apart from Gallopin, the rest of the French contingent have been very disappointing - especially Pinot but Bardet too. And even before we get to the mountains both are likely to lose a load more time in the TTT.

Uran also very well placed and looking great. He and Tejay could be challenging for a podium spot too.

Disappointed to see Keldermann so far off the pace already. And the Yates brothers.

 

[MisterStan]

Have the Yates' not said they are targeting stages rather than GC?

 

[smutchin]

Have the Yates' not said they are targeting stages rather than GC?

Probably.

Quite a few climbers are already so far off the pace that they won't be a threat if they go on the attack in the mountains, looking for stage wins, but if recent form is anything to go by, stages like Alpe d'Huez are likely to end up with the big boys slugging it out and not allowing the climbers their moment of glory.

 

[Crackle]

There's such a lot going on in this opening week it's hard to keep track. Mollema is also riding extremely well and Uran paced Martin back to the front after his puncture. it's still too early to say but the positions after this first week are not what everyone was expecting.

I also agree with Smutch, Pinot doesn't seem to have that mental toughness that you need to win a GT. He's still young though, perhaps he can change that.

 

[martint235]

Who's a giddy kipper tonight then...

View attachment 95312

Let's just hope we don't see his yellow bike bouncing down the road (I assume Froome left his yellow bike at home cos of the cobbles.)

 

[roadrash]

pinot definately needs to change his mental attitude if yesterdays display of spoiled brat syndrome is anything to go by. as crackle says though , he is young and has time to adapt.

 

[HF2300]

Yep, both looking very good. I'd add Tejay to that short list too..

Tejay's really looking like the dark horse of this tour - hasn't really featured, but he's just quietly stuck with the leaders, kept out of difficulty and avoided clocking up any deficits. Be interesting to see if he can keep it up.

 

[HF2300]

To be fair, telly doesn't show a lot of the work done early in the race by other riders. Boom did quite a big turn on the front in the middle of the stage.

Yes, absolutely, but whereas some teams have been very present or - irrespective of sheer numbers - have made a good job of looking after their leaders, others seem to have dropped away just at the point where things become critical. Difficult to read too much into yesterday, given the cobbled sectors, but if it continues...