Tour de France 2009 - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

Bagor · 07-11-2009, 09:33 AM

Might as well get a thread going on it as they're now in the middle of the first mountain stages in the Pyrenees. As someone that used to do loads of cycling and a frequent visitor to France this is one of my favourite viewing events of the year both for the race and the scenary.

Looks like it's going to be between Astana team mates Armstrong and last year's winner Contador. What's good this year is that the last time trial and hardest climb of the race is on the third last and penultimate day as opposed to the race being decided in the mountain with the last 3-4 days often being a formality.

Yeah, I know it's called Le Tour nowadays with excursions outside of France but for me it'll always be the Tour de France.

http://www.letour.fr/us/homepage_courseTDF.html

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/othe...ng/default.stm (spoiler, stage 8 result up here)

valo403 · 07-11-2009, 10:35 AM

I don't follow this all that closely, but isn't the whole 2 teammates competing thing going to be an issue? My understanding is that the teams typically work to push one guy through with the rest sort of being sacrificial lambs. How does that work when the team has 2 guys going for the top?

Bagor · 07-11-2009, 10:57 AM

Yeah, definitely. An unusual situation to have two of the favourites in the same team.

As of now there is no 'official' team leader and it's going to be a matter of the team working for both of them and the best man going for it on the big climbs (which are unusally solo breakaways or breakaways with riders from other teams) and the time trials.

e.g. If one rider was to break away with say 4 members of his own team I can't see any team orders for a couple to drop back but at the same time I can't see any orders for the rest of the team to slow down (or not assist) the chasing pack.

habernac · 07-12-2009, 12:26 AM

The Armstrong/Contador relationship is certainly an interesting one. Contador will win I think, but I'm impressed the old man still has something left. Lots of racing to go. It may turn out like the Hinault/Lemond scenario of the mid 80's.

Lurch · 07-14-2009, 09:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by valo403

I don't follow this all that closely, but isn't the whole 2 teammates competing thing going to be an issue? My understanding is that the teams typically work to push one guy through with the rest sort of being sacrificial lambs. How does that work when the team has 2 guys going for the top?

A little unusual, but last year CSC had basically 3 riders with a shot to win it all until the last time trial, and Carlos Sastre ended up taking it. CSC seemed much more amicable though, and I thought Andy Schleck was ok with Sastre winning. Astana seems more like the old T-Mobile team that had Ullrich, Kloden and Vino all competing to lead the team, which did end up hurting the chances one of their riders could win (2004 or 2005 IIRC).

mykalberta · 07-14-2009, 04:17 PM

Why would Lance not go with a different team. Or was he contracted to go with that team for some reason?

Great photo montage of his life

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/flash...leryId=3826120

Bagor · 07-15-2009, 01:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mykalberta

Why would Lance not go with a different team. Or was he contracted to go with that team for some reason?

I'm guessing ......... Johan Bruyneel.

Quote:

Lance Armstrong will make his much-anticipated return to professional cycling with Kazakhstan's Astana team. The Luxembourg-based team is run by Armstrong's friend and former sporting director Johan Bruyneel, who helped the American win all of his seven Tours.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/othe...ng/7632837.stm

I've 2 comments on the above video.

1. What is it with the people that coach people like Armstrong to do the Tony Blair, Clinton, Harper, Obama lets clasp our hands together and it makes our words sound better. It just looks coached and false to me. Why can't people speak as they are?

2. Someone should slap Chris Boardman for his stupid comment at the 1:20 mark.

'think it's a bit sad that he couldn't find anything else to do. He's won this race 7 times yet the only thing he can think of to do is to go back and do it again'

Whether he wins it or not ... he wins.

habernac · 07-15-2009, 01:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mykalberta

Why would Lance not go with a different team. Or was he contracted to go with that team for some reason?

Great photo montage of his life

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/flash...leryId=3826120

it's all about Bruynell. And Lance is working for free to boot.

simmer2 · 07-15-2009, 01:49 PM

Close race so far with Armstrong and Contador within seconds of each other, both being outdown by a relative newcomer....the Alps should be interesting.

habernac · 07-15-2009, 03:19 PM

Nocentini only has the jersey because Astana doesn't need to exert the energy to take it yet.

Bagor · 07-18-2009, 02:08 PM

Alps start tomorrow followed by a rest day.

Should be a interesting day of attacks.

habernac · 07-20-2009, 08:12 AM

Contador dropped the hammer and showed who's boss yesterday.

Bagor · 07-20-2009, 09:12 AM

Yeah, just went into a league of his own. Only problem he had was with one idiot spectator. Armstrong's twitter thoughts on some of them.

Quote:

Can all idiots with guns, no underwear, camera tripods, and iodiotic comments to make, please NOT come to the Tour de France.

http://twitter.com/lancearmstrong

Also addresses Hincapie missing out on yellow the day before blaming the Garmin team for stepping on the gas.

Thought the Cavendish decision was BS and a ###### move by Hushovd to complain. Cavendish doesn't need to obstruct him to outsprint him.

Quote:

"I hope Thor can sleep at night," said Cavendish. "If it means that much to him, then so be it.
"Thor either thinks so highly of himself that he thinks I was looking out for him or he thinks so highly of my team that the only way he can beat us is to complain like that."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/othe...ng/8158113.stm

Despite what's being said I refuse to believe this thing is over until after the mega climb at Mont Ventoux on Saturday. Going to be absolutely crazy.

habernac · 07-20-2009, 09:22 AM

yep, Ventoux will be something. Sadly, I'm going to miss it as I'm racing all weekend.

FurnaceFace · 07-20-2009, 02:17 PM

I don't know what The Versus crew will do now. Lance all but said the race is Contador's now. They've had such a chubby over Lance all tour I can only see them wearing black armbands for the rest of the race.

Kidding aside, Contador sure threw down the gauntlet going up Verbier. I'm always in awe of how freaking fast these guys ride up the mountains but to pull away like that is at another level. I am impressed how Lance was there through the better part of the climb. You could tell though he looked like he was suffering.

All I know is I'd be one happy guy if I was even half as fit as the worst rider out there. They're all freaking machines.

habernac · 07-20-2009, 02:40 PM

You can't help but be impressed at Armstrong. The dude was retired and has come back and looks to have lost only what age has taken from him. Presently, only one guy has ridden better. That's pretty awesome. He sure looked gassed after the stage yesterday.

Yeah, climbing is my downfall, too. Once in awhile, I'll get a good rythym going and kill it, but these guys make it look easy.

awildermode · 07-21-2009, 07:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by habernac

You can't help but be impressed at Armstrong. The dude was retired and has come back and looks to have lost only what age has taken from him. Presently, only one guy has ridden better. That's pretty awesome. He sure looked gassed after the stage yesterday.

Yeah, climbing is my downfall, too. Once in awhile, I'll get a good rythym going and kill it, but these guys make it look easy.

i like climbing, but at a certain point, i just bottom out. watching contador the other day had me speechless. these guys are going uphill as fast as i go on the flats.

for some reason i am slow on descents. i think it is the windy curves and approaching cars get to me. watching these guys bomb down the slopes is just amazing.

FurnaceFace · 07-21-2009, 08:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by awildermode

for some reason i am slow on descents. i think it is the windy curves and approaching cars get to me. watching these guys bomb down the slopes is just amazing.

Did you catch the shot in the first week after the climb the second place rider had unzipped his jersey and was attempting to zip it up while he was going down hill? Guy is screaming down the hill, sitting up, both hands at the bottom of his jersey trying to get the zipper up. It's one of those "oh man, this could end so bad" moments.

habernac · 07-21-2009, 09:03 AM

yeah, the speed is a little scary. Nothing quite like flying downhill with a tiny patch of rubber being the only thing holding you on the road. I've done enough scary mountain bike descents that I'm pretty comfortable with it, but I most definitely pay attention to tire wear a lot more on the road bike.

Clever_Iggy · 07-21-2009, 09:37 AM

I didn't really appreciate these athletes until this year's tour. Maybe for me it was the boredom of Lance always dominating the field, but this year that climb by Contador blew my mind.

I am by no means a big time biker or racing fan, but after witnessing the past couple days of racing, I'm in awe.