Tour 'de France

[TonyBellew_BUM!]

Does anyone know whether there are any British riders comming through that have any chance of winning a Tour? Swifty is a young prospect does he stand a chance in the future?

 

I also find it strange that we have never had a tour winner from the UK, but Ireland have had 2, and we have about 10 times more people in the UK.

[L19red]

Does anyone know whether there are any British riders comming through that have any chance of winning a Tour? Swifty is a young prospect does he stand a chance in the future?

 

I also find it strange that we have never had a tour winner from the UK, but Ireland have had 2, and we have about 10 times more people in the UK.

 

At a grass roots level british cycling has never been setup the way continental cycling is. Almost all club events in the UK are run as time trials whereas the europeans have mass start events. We've often had great track cyclists and time-trialers and in the current crop we have wiggins and millar who are amongst the best in the world at the time trial.

 

Ireland has only had 1 tour winner, Steven Roche. Sean Kelly won the vuelta a espana and many other short stage races and one day classics but never the tour.

 

Robert Millar should also have won the Vuelta in 1985 but a combination of terrible weather, bad luck and a hopeless directeur sportive allowed the Spanish teams to swindle him out of it so that a domestic cyclist would win it. I think it was pedro delgado.

 

Ben swift - we need to see what he is like as a climber, nothing yet suggests he is good enough. Geraint Thomas will win some one-day classics, but not the tour.

 

Such a shame about wiggins because on his june form he would likely be in the bunch with evans and the schlecks just behind voekler in this years tour.

[Haan'sThunderbolt]

At a grass roots level british cycling has never been setup the way continental cycling is. Almost all club events in the UK are run as time trials whereas the europeans have mass start events. We've often had great track cyclists and time-trialers and in the current crop we have wiggins and millar who are amongst the best in the world at the time trial.

 

Ireland has only had 1 tour winner, Steven Roche. Sean Kelly won the vuelta a espana and many other short stage races and one day classics but never the tour.

 

Robert Millar should also have won the Vuelta in 1985 but a combination of terrible weather, bad luck and a hopeless directeur sportive allowed the Spanish teams to swindle him out of it so that a domestic cyclist would win it. I think it was pedro delgado.

 

Ben Swift - we need to see what he is like as a climber, nothing yet suggests he is good enough. Geraint Thomas will win some one-day classics, but not the tour.

 

Such a shame about wiggins because on his june form he would likely be in the bunch with evans and the schlecks just behind voekler in this years tour.

 

Can't disagree with any of that. Also, GB tended to have a preference for the track, as opposed to the road, whereas in Europe, it's the opposite.

As for the Brits; Ben Swift is a sprinter, and may become a classics man - the same as Geraint Thomas, who won the junior version of Paris-Roubaix, there is also young Manxman Peter Kennaugh, who does seem if he can climb.

I would like to see the media realise there is more to cycling than 3 weeks in July - the other 2 Grand Tours, as well as the Classics: Ronde Van Vlaanderan, Paris-Roubaix, Fleche-Wallone, Amstel Gold, Liege-Bastogne-Liege, etc

[L19red]

Big big day for Contador and Evans, they put a minute into the Schleck brothers and with the time trial to come the brothers have to build a lead of a minute or two or they have no chance.

[kelster]

Big big day for Contador and Evans, they put a minute into the Schleck brothers and with the time trial to come the brothers have to build a lead of a minute or two or they have no chance.

 

The Schleck brothers really are the most gutless riders I have ever seen. They should have been looking to break Contador if not Evans over the past week, yet they've just been looking at everyone else hoping something will happen for them. It's like they think they can win with some default riding. Anyway, Cadel for the tour as he actually got a pair unlike Frank 'n' Andy.

[L19red]

I think Bertie will put some time into him on Thursday. Its going to go down to the ITT on Saturday. Watching Andy Schleck drop off the back of the peleton today was interesting, and with an even harder descent tomorrow into Pinarello he could lose more time. They should have attacked more in the pyrenees because Bertie's form is obviously getting better all the time.

[Unrighteous]

I, honestly, wasn't expecting, at the beginning of the race, the Schlecks to do anything other than hang tight to the favourites and try to break them in the Alps.

 

Disappointing to see Andy falling off the back, and makes me wonder why...

[James Dean]

I started off wanting one of the Schlecks to win it, but with their gutless riding in the pyrenees I'm hoping for Evans. He seem lot more relaxed this tour as well.

[Captain]

It's a long way to go yet, but I like Evans right now.

[Haan'sThunderbolt]

I started off wanting one of the Schlecks to win it, but with their gutless riding in the pyrenees I'm hoping for Evans. He seem lot more relaxed this tour as well.

 

They're like Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee - absolutely hopeless!! Same as at L-B-L...in April.

Why on earth didn't they attack Bertie last week when he wasn't 100% fit? They've let him back in - and have revealed a huge weakness - descending. Whose to say both Evans & Bertie won't attack before the summit, and descend like madmen - the Schlecks won't be able to go with them.

 

The next 3 days in the Alps will be fantastic......hoping Evans can do it.

[James Dean]

It is the best TDF I've seen in years .

[Code]

Saying the Schelcks, which I really cant stand, are gutless and then hoping for the ultimate hanger Evans to win it does not really make sense to me?

 

Hushovd with two stage wins in the World Champions jersey have not happened in 30 years, made up for him.

[niallers]

Major doubts that the big stage on thur will be shortened or it'll go a different route as the weather is supposed to be terrible, snow sleet the lot. Last time that happened was in 96 bjarne riis won the stage and the tour but alot of experts believe ulrich would've beaten him if the full stage was ran. If the same happens the evans has it in the bag as bertie wont have many oportunities to attack him.

[Unrighteous]

Major doubts that the big stage on thur will be shortened or it'll go a different route as the weather is supposed to be terrible, snow sleet the lot. Last time that happened was in 96 bjarne riis won the stage and the tour but alot of experts believe ulrich would've beaten him if the full stage was ran. If the same happens the evans has it in the bag as bertie wont have many oportunities to attack him.

 

A shortened route would definitely benefit to some riders over the others, because stage 19 is short as well, and we'll have to expect attacking from the beginning.

[L19red]

It should go ahead, the bad weather has moved through and they have plenty of time to clear any fresh snow. I rode the Col du Galibier from the south side in the middle of May and it was clear to the top back then so unless they have bad weather on the raceday then they'll be ok.

[TonyBellew_BUM!]

All this Tour De France and watching riders take on the mountains has convinced me to buy another bike.

 

Yesterday I went to Quinns the best bike shop in the city, and put a deposit down on an Allez 2011 Elite.

 

Not top of the range but it will do me just fine.

 

So watch out North Wales and Watch out the Peak District.

[L19red]

All this Tour De France and watching riders take on the mountains has convinced me to buy another bike.

 

Yesterday I went to Quinns the best bike shop in the city, and put a deposit down on an Allez 2011 Elite.

 

Not top of the range but it will do me just fine.

 

So watch out North Wales and Watch out the Peak District.

 

Nice bike. 53*12 up the horseshoe pass!

[TonyBellew_BUM!]

Nice bike. 53*12 up the horseshoe pass!

 

53 mintues 12 seconds up the horseshoe, my nan could walk up it faster.

 

 

We dones rides to wales via the Runcorn bridge out to Chester up the steps (a hill which goes up in 3 steps, it also has a sign at the bottom which says PANT, quite funny). Then over to Corwen for something to eat, then on to the Horseshoe, and from the very bottom to the very top takes no moree than 30 mins.

 

How old are you?

[L19red]

53 mintues 12 seconds up the horseshoe, my nan could walk up it faster.

 

 

We dones rides to wales via the Runcorn bridge out to Chester up the steps (a hill which goes up in 3 steps, it also has a sign at the bottom which says PANT, quite funny). Then over to Corwen for something to eat, then on to the Horseshoe, and from the very bottom to the very top takes no moree than 30 mins.

 

How old are you?

 

53 12 is not a time measurement, and im 42.

[TonyBellew_BUM!]

53 12 is not a time measurement, and im 42.

 

Oh the teeth on the rings of the bike.

[L19red]

aye 53 on the front chainring and 12 on the rear cog. Hardmen crusie uphill in their 53 * 12. Mortals suffer all the way in a 34 * 25 gear and homs on mountain bikes do it in a 24*30

[TonyBellew_BUM!]

aye 53 on the front chainring and 12 on the rear cog. Hardmen crusie uphill in their 53 * 12. Mortals suffer all the way in a 34 * 25 gear and homs on mountain bikes do it in a 24*30

 

What about the 53*39 on this Tarmac then.

 

Specialized Tarmac - S-Works Tarmac SL3 Dura-Ace - 2011

[L19red]

beautiful, but they dont have it in my size.

[James Dean]

Tour of Norway.

[TonyBellew_BUM!]

beautiful, but they dont have it in my size.

 

The only reason you would need a bike like that would be for racing, there is absolutely no other reason why you would buy that bike as it would be a huge case of over kill. It would be like buying a sports car, has very little practical purpose apart from posing.