Tour de France 2017 ***SPOILERS***

[brommers]

The 'Cat' has quit the race

 

[Bonus]

Some pics from Thursdays Stage 12 . . . .

1) Find a spot with a view. We were on a climb on the route but we could also see down across a field to where they would come from.
2) Set up Camp
3)Wait for the Publicity Caravan to come through so you can get "free stuff" - we got loads :-)

We're supporting SA cyclists (having lived in SA for a while) and British Cyclists - 'cos were Brits.

Which camp does Froomey fall into???

 

[Bonus]

After we'd watched Stage 12 (twice!) we jumped in the car to drive to our hotel in Saint-Girons ready for tomorrows start.

Part of our drive was on the course they'd just used and then we swung off north-east where they had ridden south-east. Shortly after we left the days course we passed the Fabio Casartelli memorial on the Col de Portet d'Aspet. Fabio died of head injuries at this point after crashing during Stage 15 of the Tour de France back in 1995 while riding for Team Motorola.

The following day, the Peloton let his team mates ride ahead of the pack and finish together as a mark of respect to their fallen team mate.

"His Motorola team continued the Tour de France, crossing the finish line of the next stage first, side by side in Pau. The Peloton followed behind, riding slowly. The Société du Tour de France awarded the stage prizes as normal, and the riders donated all the money won that day to a fund established for his family. The Tour later matched that amount, and thousands of individuals contributed to the fund"

 

[smutchin]

@Bonus - either you've been messing about in Rick Moranis's lab again or the Casartelli monument is much bigger than I thought.

 

[SWSteve]

How do I go about getting a Lotto-Soudal skinsuit? The only protean one I've seen in last 12 months have been one of Steve Cummings that showed up on facebook

 

[smutchin]

I had Lammertink on my list of possible Wildcard picks - not necessarily for this stage though. Doesn't look like he's going to do it either.

 

[SWSteve]

Where the hell is Aru. About to lose the tour, that's where

 

[Fight.The.Power]

Silly Aru

 

[smutchin]

Ned is saying Aru has lost the jersey but is that certain? Didn't they change the rule this year so it needs to be a 3 second time gap for a split in the bunch to count?

 

[smutchin]

OK, just seen the final classification: 4 second gap behind the Froome group, so I guess that counts.

 

[SWSteve]

Ned is saying Aru has lost the jersey but is that certain? Didn't they change the rule this year so it needs to be a 3 second time gap for a split in the bunch to count?

Yes, three seconds, there's a 4 second gap between the Froome group and the third tranche of riders (if Aru even in third pack)

 

[themosquitoking]

Ned is saying Aru has lost the jersey but is that certain? Didn't they change the rule this year so it needs to be a 3 second time gap for a split in the bunch to count?

Not sure if that counts for today, pure sprint stages definitely.

 

[smutchin]

Not sure if that counts for today, pure sprint stages definitely.

Good point. They've got the EBH/Froome group as 1 second behind the top two, so that would suggest not.

Aru is well down anyway - there was a 7 second gap between the Benoot group and the next bunch led in by Cimolai, and Aru wasn't even in that group.

 

[Supersuperleeds]

Get in Froome.

 

[SWSteve]

Good point. They've got the EBH/Froome group as 1 second behind the top two, so that would suggest not.

Aru is well down anyway - there was a 7 second gap between the Benoot group and the next bunch led in by Cimolai.

25 seconds lost? Doughnut