Kiffster Posted July 6, 2014 Share Posted July 6, 2014 (edited) Anyone watching Tour de France or is it just me? Marcel Kittel won the first stage just like last year (although great effort by Spartacus Cancellara), and Mark Cavendish was forced to abandon with a dislocated shoulder after a heavy fall at the end of the stage. His fault. I'm happy because I can't stand the dude. [Youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6Zdi_wmGtk Very disappointed in Daryl Impey, who became the first S.African to wear the yellow jersey last year, after he tested positive for a banned substance and therefore not participating this year. Anyway, as always, I'll be rooting for Contador or Valverde to win this year. STAGE 1: Marcel Kittel (Ger, Giant-Shimano) Cavendish out! STAGE 2: Vincenzo Nibali (Ita, Astana) STAGE 3: Marcel Kittel STAGE 1: STAGE 2: STAGE 3: Day 3 in the UK, with some of the biggest crowds ever seen STAGE 4: Marcel Kittel STAGE 5: Lars Boom (Ned, Belkin) Froome out! STAGE 6: Andre "The Gorilla" Greipel (Ger, Lotto-Belisol) STAGE 4: Astana leading the pack STAGE 5: THIS IS SPARTA(cus)! The Wolverine Sagan on the pavé, with Nibali in the distance Nibali dreaming of the end of this brutal day STAGE 6: STAGE 7: Matteo Trentin (Ita, Omega Pharma-Quick Step) STAGE 8: Blel Kadri (Fra, AG2R-La Mondiale) STAGE 9: Tony Martin (Ger, Omega Pharma-Quick Step) STAGE 7: A regular sight at the TdF STAGE 8: Contador crossed the line in second place, with Nibali right behind him. STAGE 9: Astana controlling the pace again STAGE 10: Vincenzo Nibali (Contador OUT! ) STAGE 11: Tony Gallopin (Fra, Lotto-Belisol) STAGE 12: Alexander Kristoff (Nor, Katusha) STAGE 10: Another brutally epic stage through the mountains, which saw the other GC favourite crash out. R.I.P Froome and Contador Nibali on his way to stage victory, and to take back his yellow jersey. Sagan being Sagan STAGE 11: STAGE 12: STAGE 13: Vincenzo Nibali STAGE 14: Rafal Majka (Pol, Tinkoff-Saxo) STAGE 15: Alexander Kristoff STAGE 13: Ouch! Key support rider for Nibali, Jakob Fuglsang, with some nasty road rash after going down when Van den Broeck's (Lotto-Belisol) waterbottle landed under his wheel. STAGE 14: Second day in the high Alps STAGE 15: Jack Bauer, caught by the sprinters on the finish line. STAGE 16: Michael Rogers (Aus, Tinkoff-Saxo) STAGE 17: Rafal Majka STAGE 18: Vincenzo Nibali STAGE 16: STAGE 17: Second day in the Pyrenees. Nibali now has a nice 5'26" lead over second place Valverde STAGE 18: Up the Tourmalet Nibali on his way to his 4th stage victory STAGE 19: Ramunas Navardauskas (Lit, Garmin-Sharp) STAGE 20 (TT): Tony Martin STAGE 21: Kittel!!! STAGE 19: STAGE 20: Tony Martin, TT champ Nibali, 4th fastest time Not Valverde's best day in the TT, finishing 28th, but he secured 4th place overall. STAGE 21: YELLOW JERSEY: VINCENZO NIBALI (ITA, ASTANA) 2nd. Jean-Cristophe Peraud (Fra, AG2R) 3rd. Thibaut Pinot (Fra, FDJ) GREEN JERSEY: PETER SAGAN (SLK, CANNONDALE) 2nd. Alexander Kristoff 3rd. Bryan Coquard BEST CLIMBER: RAFAL MAJKA (POL, TINKOFF-SAXO 2nd. Vincenzo Nibali 3rd. Joaquim Rodriguez BEST YOUNG RIDER: THIBAUT PINOT (FRA, FDJ) 2nd. Romain Bardet 3rd. Tom Dumoulin BEST TEAM: AG2R-LA MONDIALE MOST AGGRESSIVE RIDER: ALESSANDRO DE MARCHI (ITA, CANNONDALE) Edited July 28, 2014 by W2B Link to comment https://gtaforums.com/topic/721586-the-peloton-general-cycling-topic/ Share on other sites More sharing options...
Apex. Posted July 6, 2014 Share Posted July 6, 2014 They're about to pass through where I live in about 5 minutes, kinda cool. Link to comment https://gtaforums.com/topic/721586-the-peloton-general-cycling-topic/#findComment-1065742970 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matty256 Posted July 6, 2014 Share Posted July 6, 2014 I watched some of it today, had it on in the background. Apex, Did you stand out in the street? I was looking for you when I heard they entered your town in case I noticed you Knowing you though you probably stayed inside. Link to comment https://gtaforums.com/topic/721586-the-peloton-general-cycling-topic/#findComment-1065744815 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hodgey. Posted July 6, 2014 Share Posted July 6, 2014 Yeah I've been watching cycling on a regular basis now for about 7 years. Froome will win it again. Link to comment https://gtaforums.com/topic/721586-the-peloton-general-cycling-topic/#findComment-1065744824 Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Dildo Posted July 6, 2014 Share Posted July 6, 2014 are they still all doped up on dope or is the sport clean yet? theadmiral 1 Link to comment https://gtaforums.com/topic/721586-the-peloton-general-cycling-topic/#findComment-1065744865 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hodgey. Posted July 6, 2014 Share Posted July 6, 2014 are they still all doped up on dope or is the sport clean yet? Did you post because you want a answer or just to further your post count? Link to comment https://gtaforums.com/topic/721586-the-peloton-general-cycling-topic/#findComment-1065744870 Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Dildo Posted July 6, 2014 Share Posted July 6, 2014 well now I have to post again since you didn't answer anything. is the sport clean yet? theadmiral 1 Link to comment https://gtaforums.com/topic/721586-the-peloton-general-cycling-topic/#findComment-1065744930 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hodgey. Posted July 6, 2014 Share Posted July 6, 2014 well now I have to post again since you didn't answer anything. is the sport clean yet? Google it. Link to comment https://gtaforums.com/topic/721586-the-peloton-general-cycling-topic/#findComment-1065744935 Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Dildo Posted July 6, 2014 Share Posted July 6, 2014 you're no fun. theadmiral and Hodgey. 2 Link to comment https://gtaforums.com/topic/721586-the-peloton-general-cycling-topic/#findComment-1065744938 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiffster Posted July 6, 2014 Author Share Posted July 6, 2014 Froome will win it again. Most likely, yes. Out of all the favourites, he is the best in the mountains and he's a brilliant time trialist, but anything can happen. I still want Contador to win and I've been a Contador fan for the last few years. Diablo: the sport is very clean, the cleanest it's been in many years, but still not entirely as I already mentioned in the first post. Impey says he is entirely innocent though... We'll see. El Dildo 1 Link to comment https://gtaforums.com/topic/721586-the-peloton-general-cycling-topic/#findComment-1065745039 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hodgey. Posted July 6, 2014 Share Posted July 6, 2014 Froome will win it again. Most likely, yes. Out of all the favourites, he is the best in the mountains and he's a brilliant time trialist, but anything can happen. I still want Contador to win and I've been a Contador fan for the last few years. Contador will always be tainted in my view since his ban, so I really dont care for him. Link to comment https://gtaforums.com/topic/721586-the-peloton-general-cycling-topic/#findComment-1065745076 Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Tiger~ Posted July 7, 2014 Share Posted July 7, 2014 They're about to pass through where I live in about 5 minutes, kinda cool. They passed through my little town too. I have never seen so many people in Hebden Bridge in all my life, and it is usually busy on a Sunday! Link to comment https://gtaforums.com/topic/721586-the-peloton-general-cycling-topic/#findComment-1065746245 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eram Posted July 7, 2014 Share Posted July 7, 2014 (edited) I've been a cycling fan for many years and with Eurosport 2014 season's (even more frequent) cycling transmissions, I've been pretty happy since Feb. I just thought that since Le Tour started and no thread was made about it, there were not that many fans around here willing to comment on it. Fortunately I was wrong, great that you made this thread W2B! I've been quite impressed with the huge crowds on the 1st 2 stages This only used to happen on big mountain stages at the Alps or Pyrenees (or on the big 1 day Classics). I've really enjoyed watching the British fans filling almost every meter of each stage, I just wish I could have been present like some of you did. Imo Team Sky, Wiggo, Froome and Cavendish have surely done well the last 4y or so, on getting the British fans back to road cycling. 2nd stage was particularly great to watch, what a nice finish for a fantastic +5h marathon. I thought it was for Sagan, but good for Nibali that finally got his 1st win on the Tour, I was happy for him. Today I think it will be Kittel's turn again, but maybe Greipel or some puncher like Cancellara/T. Martin can also do it. I'm surely looking forward for stage 5 cobblestone's kinda Paris-Roubaix stage As for final Overall, Id go like this: Fighting for 1st Place Contador-Froome; 3rd Place Nibali-Valverde 5th Place R. Costa-Kwiatkowski-Van Garderen Here is a link for those that can't watch it on TV http://www.steephill.tv/ Edited July 7, 2014 by EramVerdes Kiffster 1 Link to comment https://gtaforums.com/topic/721586-the-peloton-general-cycling-topic/#findComment-1065747696 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiffster Posted July 7, 2014 Author Share Posted July 7, 2014 Yeah the crowds have been amazing so far. I've been watching TdF for many years, and I've never seen so many people. It gets bigger every year. I personally can't wait for stage 8 because I think that's when the battle will really start between all the overall contenders. Speaking of them, I'm really surprised that Movistar decided not to send Quintana to this year's Tour. He rode brilliantly last year and came very close to winning the race, plus he won this year's Giro. I guess he needs the rest haha. Definitely a future winner of the Tour if you ask me. Also, I would love to see Valverde on the podium in Paris. I just hope he doesn't suffer the same bad luck he did last year in St13/14 if I remember correctly when the entire peloton was split apart by those crosswinds and the fast pace set by the leaders, as well as his puncture in the middle of nowhere. He lost his chances on that brutal day, even though he rode pretty damn well in some of the last stages. Link to comment https://gtaforums.com/topic/721586-the-peloton-general-cycling-topic/#findComment-1065748482 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eram Posted July 7, 2014 Share Posted July 7, 2014 (edited) Yeah, La Planche des Belles Filles is always a nice finish (and a nice name too ). I just think that stage 5 will be the 1st one that can put some top 10 contender out of it, if things go wrong. Regarding Quintana, I'm with you. We would definitely have 3 fighting for 1st place this year. But it's Valverde's last real chance as a leader on the Tour and being a Spanish rider (and older) he got the spot, Quintana will be present next year for sure. I guess Movistar didn't want to risk to go all Sky's 2y ago (with both Wiggo and Froome...). Valverde is on top form though, he just came out of winning the Spanish TT nationals, but imo there will be at least 1 day where he will be left behind by the top duo. Edit - Just heard that yesterday there were some 2.5 million watching it on the road!!! F*ing amazing. I really hope the Tour will be back to the UK soon! Edited July 7, 2014 by EramVerdes Link to comment https://gtaforums.com/topic/721586-the-peloton-general-cycling-topic/#findComment-1065748566 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiffster Posted July 7, 2014 Author Share Posted July 7, 2014 Just as many people at the side of the road today than there were yesterday by the looks of things, maybe even more. They will definitely head back to the UK after this. I just wish the Tour would come to SA one year haha Ah well, next year I'll be at the side of the road in France I think, hopefully supporting the MTN-Qhubeka wildcard team, maybe? They will be the first African team to take part in this year's Vuelta, which is awesome, so I really hope they'll be selected for TDF2015. Eram 1 Link to comment https://gtaforums.com/topic/721586-the-peloton-general-cycling-topic/#findComment-1065748809 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ninja_Gear Posted July 7, 2014 Share Posted July 7, 2014 They need to add some fairings to their bike, will make it go a bit faster: Anyway, big respect to these guys, some being doped or not, that distance is big as hell. HeavyDuke 1 Link to comment https://gtaforums.com/topic/721586-the-peloton-general-cycling-topic/#findComment-1065748828 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eram Posted July 7, 2014 Share Posted July 7, 2014 (edited) @W2B - MTN can very well be at the Tour on 2015, but they must show some results on this year's Vuelta or maybe sign some other big name beside Ciolek. I think most fans would like to see them go World Tour soon. Lots of people again on every single village, let's see how London welcomes them. @Ninja_Gear - We all know the sad cycling doping history, but even if there're still some cases every now and then, imo, the large majority are within the legal limits. The same can't be said about most of other sports though... This guys are being tested all year and several times during each competition, they even must report their whereabouts and be available for testing while on vacation, go figure it. Edited July 7, 2014 by EramVerdes Link to comment https://gtaforums.com/topic/721586-the-peloton-general-cycling-topic/#findComment-1065748922 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hodgey. Posted July 7, 2014 Share Posted July 7, 2014 Kittel is a beast this year. Link to comment https://gtaforums.com/topic/721586-the-peloton-general-cycling-topic/#findComment-1065749393 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiffster Posted July 7, 2014 Author Share Posted July 7, 2014 He was last year as well having won 4 stages, including the last stage on the Champs-Elysees. Great sprinter. Link to comment https://gtaforums.com/topic/721586-the-peloton-general-cycling-topic/#findComment-1065749508 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eram Posted July 8, 2014 Share Posted July 8, 2014 Froome just went down. Damage to his hip, shoulder and elbow... L'Equipe states that there were 7.5 millions watching TDF on the 3 days of British roads. Wow! And 130 million euros of net return... Today, I'll bet on Kittel yet again. Link to comment https://gtaforums.com/topic/721586-the-peloton-general-cycling-topic/#findComment-1065754895 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiffster Posted July 8, 2014 Author Share Posted July 8, 2014 (edited) Just a few bruises, he's fine. Voeckler is in the breakaway again (joking around lol). I wonder if he'll get his stage win this year? He tried pretty hard to get a win last year, but he was caught every time. I'm sure we'll see him in a few breakaways again this year. Also, Andy Schleck is out of the Tour after his fall yesterday. I almost forgot about the Schlecks. They were second and third overall in 2011, but the last couple of years they haven't really done anything. Edited July 8, 2014 by W2B Link to comment https://gtaforums.com/topic/721586-the-peloton-general-cycling-topic/#findComment-1065754993 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hodgey. Posted July 8, 2014 Share Posted July 8, 2014 Just a few bruises, he's fine. They keep saying here that he is complaining about his left wrist, which he may be able to work through but with the cobbles coming up over the next few days it could be pretty tough. Depending on how bad his wrist is. Link to comment https://gtaforums.com/topic/721586-the-peloton-general-cycling-topic/#findComment-1065755072 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eram Posted July 8, 2014 Share Posted July 8, 2014 (edited) Just a few bruises, he's fine. They keep saying here that he is complaining about his left wrist, which he may be able to work through but with the cobbles coming up over the next few days it could be pretty tough. Depending on how bad his wrist is. Yeah, it will be pretty hard on him tomorrow with all the shaking, even if he didn't had any bruises. It's his 1st time at the cobblestones (also Contador only once at Roubaix), as it will be for maybe 70-80% of the bunch. ie some years ago when the Tour was also in that area, L. Armstrong lost some 2 mins and Contador about 1m30s to F. Schleck. The forecast is to have some rain, so it will be a damn hard day for all of the guys, except maybe for tomorrow's top favourite - Cancellara Edited July 8, 2014 by EramVerdes Link to comment https://gtaforums.com/topic/721586-the-peloton-general-cycling-topic/#findComment-1065755716 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiffster Posted July 8, 2014 Author Share Posted July 8, 2014 Kittel wins again. 3 wins out of 4 so far. Link to comment https://gtaforums.com/topic/721586-the-peloton-general-cycling-topic/#findComment-1065756039 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Posted July 8, 2014 Share Posted July 8, 2014 Aye well done to Kittel for another win. Was a blur of black and white when I saw him at the end of stage 3. I feel tomorrow is gonna be particularly painful for at least one GC contender tomorrow. Those cobbles looked nasty enough in the dry earlier in the year.. Link to comment https://gtaforums.com/topic/721586-the-peloton-general-cycling-topic/#findComment-1065758674 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiffster Posted July 9, 2014 Author Share Posted July 9, 2014 (edited) Yup, gonna be a nervous ride over the wet cobbles. The route has been changed and 2 of the 9 cobblestone sections have been taken out. Edit: Froome falls again, this time on his right side. Now he's bruised all over... Edited July 9, 2014 by W2B Link to comment https://gtaforums.com/topic/721586-the-peloton-general-cycling-topic/#findComment-1065761863 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hodgey. Posted July 9, 2014 Share Posted July 9, 2014 Edit: Froome falls again, this time on his right side. Now he's bruised all over... Missed that as I've only just tuned back in for the cobbles. Was it a bad crash on just an average fall? Link to comment https://gtaforums.com/topic/721586-the-peloton-general-cycling-topic/#findComment-1065762220 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiffster Posted July 9, 2014 Author Share Posted July 9, 2014 (edited) Nothing serious. Got back on his bike immediately, but he lost some skin on his thigh.. And now Kittel went down as well. Very nervous day and many little crashes because of the slippery roads, and they haven't even reached the first cobbles yet. Edit: AND FROOME IS DOWN YET AGAIN AND ABANDONS TOUR!! Holy sh*t, what a brutal day!!! Edited July 9, 2014 by W2B Link to comment https://gtaforums.com/topic/721586-the-peloton-general-cycling-topic/#findComment-1065762250 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hodgey. Posted July 9, 2014 Share Posted July 9, 2014 Chris Froome is done for this Tour. f*cking sucks. Contador's to lose now. Link to comment https://gtaforums.com/topic/721586-the-peloton-general-cycling-topic/#findComment-1065762277 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts