Tour de France

[ZooCougar]

Aw man, I missed this thread. didn't think to look for it here. Zoo, did you get kicked off twitter or something?

Well... I was looking forward to the Wiggo-Froomedog drama on Sky, but then Wiggo crashed out of the Giro and Froome would probably have a death grip on Sky's #1 spot for whichever Grand Tour he wants from here on out. I even followed Michelle Cound on twitter hoping for some juicy smack talk but that didn't happen. My team, Garmin, had a decent tour, the next couple years will be focusing on developing Dan Martin and Andrew Talansky, hope both of them don't get lured to another team with a bigger budget. I think Tejay will be back on form next year and I think he will be on a grand tour podium in the next 2-3 years.

Side note - I think Marcel Kittel, if he re-signs with Argos or goes to another team with a good lead-out, could really make life hard for Mark Cavendish in the latter half of his career. Cav and OPQS looked very average this time around, though there were fewer sprint stages to get their game plan refined.

Anyway, those projections on the Arc de Triomphe in the evening were really cool huh?

Jungle,

Taking a break from twitter. Last summer ago I was getting PMs from Tyler Hamilton and Floyd Landis (@Graymanrod) though and it was waaay more interesting.

I like Garmin, I hate Sky. I wish they would set Ian Boswell and Joe Dombrowski free.

I am really getting enthused with Taylor Phinney. That win in the Tour of Poland last week was pretty impressive, he is turning into a younger version of Cancellara. I am also 100% positive that he is clean, the younger Americans won't even take IV's or finish bottles. Garmin even has a no needle policy.

 

[junglehusky]

Great attack and win today by the youngster Lachlan Morton in the tour of Utah... rockin' the Michael Cera stache.

 

[ZooCougar]

The Sporting Director for OPQS was the same one that was Sporting Director Columbia-HTC. Pretty obvious that he is trying recreate those conditions for Cavendish. For these teams, their sponsors get ROI through wins. Plus OPQS is a Belgium team, and Belgium is to cycling what Alabama and Texas are to football. They are insane. It's probably the one country over there where cycling is the #1 sport other than the Netherlands perhaps.

When a Belgian team like OPQS doesn't show well in the Classics they get pilloried in the media. They either win or people start getting fired.

 

[ZooCougar]

Just expressing opinions myself. I'm sorry if I come across heavy handed. It's not the first time I've been accused of that.

But I got to say, I'm far from the first person who believes you skinny tire guys feel like you are looking down on the rest of us.

http://www.adventure-journal.com/2011/01/reader-poll-which-sport-has-the-smuggest-participants/

Heat wave is over tomorrow, just in time for my ride day. I will STFU, climb on the bike and spend some time in the woods with everyone I don't routinely piss off. Yes, I ride alone.

Honestly, I haven't encountered this. Not doubting it exists. Around KC we have more road racing than anything but most of the serious people are in every race, weather it is road, crits, TTs, MTB and Cyclocross. Cyclocross is a really big deal in Kansas City, there is a race nearby nearly every weekend in the fall.

 

[tdrink]

Honestly, I haven't encountered this. Not doubting it exists. Around KC we have more road racing than anything but most of the serious people are in every race, weather it is road, crits, TTs, MTB and Cyclocross. Cyclocross is a really big deal in Kansas City, there is a race nearby nearly every weekend in the fall.

Zoo, I never meant to blast you or Fishy, you seem like a good guy and good ambassador for the cycling community. I think of myself as a cyclist, not just a mountain biker. But the group of riders I bike with has little crossover road to mountain, and almost no one I bike with races or ever talks about racing. We ride trails, build trails and maintain trails ( we even blow the leaves off of trails in the fall). We talk about beer and wether we should let our daughters go out on dates with guys who show up in high powered sports cars. Almost no one i ride with tracks distance or speed on rides. We essentially compete against ourselves.

That poll is really just a joke and doesn't mean anything, but of course vibing happens. The results of the poll are more of a reflection on the interaction with people doing the sport. Road bikers are high profile. Everyone who drives has some interaction with them. I've had far wore attitude dumped on me while golfing and the one time I tried surfing. But there are some aspects of the road bike culture that seem a little weird - like shaving your legs, for example.

 

[ZooCougar]

Nothing weird about it at all LOL. Your legs get filthy on 60-70 mile ride, it's easier to get embrocation to work and road rash with leg hair? No thanks.

 

[tdrink]

I have trouble keeping up with the areas I already shave.

 

[ZooCougar]

Anyone watching the Vuelta on Universal Sports? I think that day in, day out this has been better racing than the Tour. Has an American won the Vuelta before? It's about to happen.

 

[junglehusky]

I've been reading some of the reports on cyclingnews but will try to catch a stream today if the boss isn't looking over my shoulder. Horner is a warrior... he was sort of a peripheral guy during the doping era, so I don't know if he was clean or not (since he wasn't on Postal he wasn't a witness against Armstrong) but he is an interesting guy. Would love for him to work for NBC when he retires, though I'd guess he might want to go into managing a team.

 

[ZooCougar]

I've been reading some of the reports on cyclingnews but will try to catch a stream today if the boss isn't looking over my shoulder. Horner is a warrior... he was sort of a peripheral guy during the doping era, so I don't know if he was clean or not (since he wasn't on Postal he wasn't a witness against Armstrong) but he is an interesting guy. Would love for him to work for NBC when he retires, though I'd guess he might want to go into managing a team.

Horner is really strong on climbs where the grade is insane, meaning 20% and up. I remember a few years ago where he dominated his teammate Levi Leipheimer on Mt. Baldy in th Tour of California.

It helps that he was hurt all spring and in the early summer. Nibali is class rider but he absolutely doesn't have the legs.

I tend to think that Horner is probably clean. He has never been a big contract guy, it takes a ton of private cash and a legion of helpers to run an effective doping program. If he was on the hot sauce I think something would have popped by now, it's even more expensive to keep it quiet.

As a GC guy, his failing has always been in time trials. Usually the dopers have absurd TT and unexplained performances is TTs. Like a 130 lb Contador besting Cancellara in a windy TT.

Don't want to spoil today's results...

 

[ZooCougar]

The Giro starts today, Tour of California starts in a couple of days. Starting to get into the meat of the season.

I really want to see Contador and Nibali stick it to Team Sky this summer. Contador has been on fire all spring.

A couple of thoughts on the Classics... OPQS is pretty much my favorite team now. I love Tom Boonen, but Terpstra had a better spring and launching in the last 10K at Roubaix was pretty impressive.

I think Dan Martin would have won Liege Bastogne Liege, I can't believe he crashed like that, in the last corner.

 

[junglehusky]

The Giro starts today, Tour of California starts in a couple of days. Starting to get into the meat of the season.

I really want to see Contador and Nibali stick it to Team Sky this summer. Contador has been on fire all spring.

A couple of thoughts on the Classics... OPQS is pretty much my favorite team now. I love Tom Boonen, but Terpstra had a better spring and launching in the last 10K at Roubaix was pretty impressive.

I think Dan Martin would have won Liege Bastogne Liege, I can't believe he crashed like that, in the last corner.

Yeah I was watching a feed of LBL, I thought Martin slipped on the white paint but later they tweeted that it was a pen that had been thrown out by the promotional caravan. That suuuuuuucks ... I hope he can rise to the occasion of a grand tour, I don't know if that's in his future or not. He got a minor ankle injury, I think, but he and Ryder Hesjedal will be Garmin's GC guys for the Giro.

Also... Tour of California is starting up. TV coverage on NBCSN. so I'll be watching that.

 

[Fishy]

Can someone give me a link to the best way to watch the Giro online?

Those Euro sites are so amazingly horrible with the constant attempts to get you to download malware, etc.

 

[ZooCougar]

I'd actually like to go see the ToC in person. That's one thing I miss about Europe, catching a train to see the tour come through Metz, and then get home for a late dinner.

I think Dan Martin is best suited to hunt stages and go for GC in week long stage races. Unless something changed, he is a terrible time trialist.

 

[ZooCougar]

Can someone give me a link to the best way to watch the Giro online?

Those Euro sites are so amazingly horrible with the constant attempts to get you to download malware, etc.

Www.steephill.tv or cycling fans.com

I just keep clicking until something works.

I am playing hooky, going for a long ride later, so I am watching it in HD on Beinsports.

These Eurosport announcers are so much better than Phil and Paul.

 

[BarkingDog]

BBC reporting it was a wet manhole cover Martin slipped on. Broken collarbone. Sucks.
I was impressed with Nairo Quintana during last year's tour and am pulling for him. With 8 mountain stages in the giro he has a legit chance.

 

[ZooCougar]

BBC reporting it was a wet manhole cover Martin slipped on. Broken collarbone. Sucks.
I was impressed with Nairo Quintana during last year's tour and am pulling for him. With 8 mountain stages in the giro he has a legit chance.

Poor Garmin. There is always something with that team. They are like the kid who always forgets his lunch, or the guy who always shows up late to the group ride and then five miles in realizes he didn't check his tire pressure.


There are teams that win because they have th stuff together, and then there is Garmin. If it's not bad luck, it's just bad preparation. Oh and their helmets and sunglasses look idiotic.

Sucks for Martin though.

 

[junglehusky]

Poor Garmin. There is always something with that team. They are like the kid who always forgets his lunch, or the guy who always shows up late to the group ride and then five miles in realizes he didn't check his tire pressure.


There are teams that win because they have th stuff together, and then there is Garmin. If it's not bad luck, it's just bad preparation. Oh and their helmets and sunglasses look idiotic.

Sucks for Martin though.

Ze goggles! Zey do nossink!

 

[ZooCougar]

The TT helmet is a crime against humanity.

 

[coachRD]

Poor Garmin. There is always something with that team. They are like the kid who always forgets his lunch, or the guy who always shows up late to the group ride and then five miles in realizes he didn't check his tire pressure.


There are teams that win because they have th stuff together, and then there is Garmin. If it's not bad luck, it's just bad preparation. Oh and their helmets and sunglasses look idiotic.

Sucks for Martin though.

As a fan of Garmin and their "blacksheep" vibe with the fact that they don't just have a team of robots, but actually have personalities, it saddens me how much I agree with your first paragraph! You are spot-on, those sunglasses are DUMB. And I know that the "technology" associated with athletics is ever-changing, but there is NO WAY the throwback frame design is better from a comfort/performance perspective. No way.

 

[SubbaBub]

I think I liked bike racing better when I knew most of the competitors were doping. Now, it seems like most are clean, except for the guys at the front. The irony being a cleaner, yet less fair competition.

 

[ZooCougar]

I think I liked bike racing better when I knew most of the competitors were doping. Now, it seems like most are clean, except for the guys at the front. The irony being a cleaner, yet less fair competition.

The doping now is still going on, but they are on lighter stuff like tramadol.

 

[junglehusky]

The doping now is still going on, but they are on lighter stuff like tramadol.

And... Xenon? Or was it Argon... one of the noble gasses.

As far as those POC helmets... I guess they work at least.

@philgaimon 12m
I dare you to make fun of how our @POCSports helmets look now. @RohanDennis @Ride_Argyle. His brain says thanks. http://instagram.com/p/n4DxljzMXt/

But I will go to my grave defending the gogglez. They're so lame, you would only wear it to be ironic. Like an 80s hair band T-shirt.

 

[junglehusky]

Now if you really want to get mad about someone's style, how about Taylor Phinney's hair. #lookatthisf_ckinghipster

 

[ZooCougar]

Now if you really want to get mad about someone's style, how about Taylor Phinney's hair. #lookatthisf_ckinghipster

He's been in Europe too long.