Tour de France 2013

[PDH]

Froome can pull himself inside out...he suffered mightily to win today.  Contador no longer can as he doesn't seem to be pumped full of drugs.

Quintana needs a couple of more years.  Then he will dance up all the way of the big mountains.

[mongers]

Froome can pull himself inside out...he suffered mightily to win today.  Contador no longer can as he doesn't seem to be pumped full of drugs.

Quintana needs a couple of more years.  Then he will dance up all the way of the big mountains.

Indeed.

Though one has to wonder if Froome can keep that up through the next week on the mountains without cracking; he looked almost in trouble but kept going.

[mongers]

Peter Sagan's one handed wheelie on a 10% slop as he was about to be over taken by the peleton (his job having been done for the day) was rather impressive.

Haven't found a photo of the event, but similar to what he does here, but up a hill:




Video here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=WAMR7ToP_Ag

[Liep]

Froome just set the best time ever recorded up Ventoux, faster than both Armstrong and Pantani when their drug abuse was at its highest. And now he's puzzled and sad that people suspect him of doping.

Compare:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/article-129478/Tour-France-Lances-blast-dopes-Ventoux.html
http://www.rte.ie/sport/cycling/2013/0715/462560-fed-up-froome-sick-of-doping-talk/

[mongers]

Froome just set the best time ever recorded up Ventoux, faster than both Armstrong and Pantani when their drug abuse was at its highest. And now he's puzzled and sad that people suspect him of doping.

Compare:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/article-129478/Tour-France-Lances-blast-dopes-Ventoux.html
http://www.rte.ie/sport/cycling/2013/0715/462560-fed-up-froome-sick-of-doping-talk/

By all accounts the weather conditions were pretty favourable yesterday, a good following wind for much of the way, temperatures cooling to 18C on the summit and even a fair amount of cloud cover to protect them in places. 

So it's not that surprising that a cyclist in possibly the form of their life, giving it their all (too much in my opinion, given what's coming next) should give such a performance.

[lustindarkness]

Just watched yesterday's stage, some great climbing. I expect to see a lot more of out colombian friend in years to come. Froome performed awesome.

[mongers]

Interesting stage today; Contador comes down over cooking the final descent, Froome reacts somewhat arrogantly, as if people shouldn't react to him, forgetting that he himself didn't have to chase Contador's back wheel. 

[mongers]

Enjoyable mountain time trail today. 

Lots of interesting technical decisions to be made; the change of bikes at the top of the 2nd mountain was entertaining in a 'It's A Knockout' way.

[Liep]

I'm afraid I'm never going to like Froome. With his obvious display of "I'm stronger than the captain" last year and this "Oh, I didn't really go full speed today, so I'm surprised I won".

Another influence is, of course, that he's making the Tour boring by being so much stronger than everybody else.

[mongers]

I'm afraid I'm never going to like Froome. With his obvious display of "I'm stronger than the captain" last year and this "Oh, I didn't really go full speed today, so I'm surprised I won".

Another influence is, of course, that he's making the Tour boring by being so much stronger than everybody else.

Yeah, I'm not liking him in comparison to Wiggins.

And I don't get his dispute with Contador over yesterdays incident. Contador has the right to race as he wants, attack who and how he want and if he overcooks the cornering that's his own fault.

But why is Froome whinging about Contador being reckless, nearly bringing himself down? If he can't hack it or was a bit too timid, then don't follow on the guy's wheel, just back off and then there's no story.

[Liep]

Yeah, I think Bjarne Riis said it well in reply to Froome being worried about the coming descent on Alpe d'Huez: "Froome has brakes on his bike, he can use them if he wants."

Also this gem from Gadret in the same article: "It's cycling, we're not footballers. If it starts to rain I'll be thrilled as I suffer in this heat."

http://www.lequipe.fr/Cyclisme-sur-route/Actualites/La-descente-qui-fait-peur/386503

[mongers]

Two nicely put opinions.   

[Liep]

What is happening? Froome is desperately trying to close gaps to attackers on the first mountain of the stage, his team is already completely broken. I've never seen the yellow jersey this confused.

[mongers]

What is happening? Froome is desperately trying to close gaps to attackers on the first mountain of the stage, his team is already completely broken. I've never seen the yellow jersey this confused.

Not watching it at the mo, but maybe he thinks he can do it all on his own ?

[Liep]

Froome's reaction to his 20 second penalty is ridiculous. Wanting Porte to take the blame, even if he clearly was the one to send him down for food.

"At the end of the day a rule is a rule and if I've been given 20 seconds I'll have to take that, but if you look at the technicality it was actually Richie Porte who fed from the car not myself. I fed from Richie Porte so maybe that's something that needs to be taken in consideration," he said.

Best fan comment: "Now he can't say he didn't cheat."