2008 Tour de France Stage 13 - Friday, July 18: Narbonne - Nîmes, 182km



thoughtforfood said:
If Versus/Phil don't quit with the Cavendish/USA references, I am going to blow a fuse. Yesterday they showed a graphic with his name in first, and an American flag following Columbia. Today, Phil said somehing to the effect of "Cavendish carrying the flag for the Americans?" It is really farking stupid....he rides for an American team in license only.
Are you joking? Are they really claiming he is American because the team is US registered?
 
All the other sprinters faces read something like: faaaaaark, I got nothin'.

I don't think you could get much more of a predictable stage than that one. Script was written before the day started.
 
Rolfrae said:
Are you joking? Are they really claiming he is American because the team is US registered?
Not claiming he is American, just emphasizing his US attachments.....which are minimal considering.....I guess they are trying to keep an American audience interested? My feeling is that if you are the type of person who needs American ties to watch, ****ing go find another sport.
 
Cavendish: a star is born, that's all I can say about that. Presuming he's not being enhanced in anyway, he's clearly got class.
 
thoughtforfood said:
My feeling is that if you are the type of person who needs American ties to watch, ****ing go find another sport.
As a Scot I would have had no reason to watch the Tour since Robert Millar retired if I only cared about my countrymen winning. The French would all have switched off long ago.
 
I have to notice that Cavendish looks to good to be true.
Two stages in a row (adding to previous two) with such advantage after very hard mountains, without Fassa Bortolo-like train at his age and experience...
I don't know.
 
thoughtforfood said:
Not claiming he is American, just emphasizing his US attachments.....which are minimal considering.....I guess they are trying to keep an American audience interested? My feeling is that if you are the type of person who needs American ties to watch, ****ing go find another sport.
Hello--- the American Flag is there because the team is American based.
 
thoughtforfood said:
Not claiming he is American, just emphasizing his US attachments.....which are minimal considering.....I guess they are trying to keep an American audience interested? My feeling is that if you are the type of person who needs American ties to watch, ****ing go find another sport.
That may be your feeling, but I'm sure Vs. is sweating it this year. They need ratings, and goddammit, I want them to have ratings, because I'm guessing that there have been some serious talks in the boardroom about dispensing with the Tdf for more scintillating programming, like bullriding or Texas Hold 'Em or whatever the hell else that network typically runs. If they need to manufacture American allegiances for the riders to keep the schmoe in Albequerque tuned in for awhile, I have no problem with it. Besides, after years of training and psychotherapy, I now manage not to gag at each of P&P's hyperboles.
 
couchcyler said:
Hello--- the American Flag is there because the team is American based.
....did you actually read my posts? I know precisely why it is there, and it has nothing to do with the team being registered in San Louis Obispo, it is marketing...period. They want people like you who don't read too well to watch the tour. You need symbols to help you along.
 
rejobako said:
That may be your feeling, but I'm sure Vs. is sweating it this year. They need ratings, and goddammit, I want them to have ratings, because I'm guessing that there have been some serious talks in the boardroom about dispensing with the Tdf for more scintillating programming, like bullriding or Texas Hold 'Em or whatever the hell else that network typically runs. If they need to manufacture American allegiances for the riders to keep the schmoe in Albequerque tuned in for awhile, I have no problem with it. Besides, after years of training and psychotherapy, I now manage not to gag at each of P&P's hyperboles.
The miracle of the internet means that we can watch without P&P's moronic commentary. I for one couldn't care less if Versus carries it. Hell, I followed it when on a good day, all we got in the AJC was a list of the top 5.
 
Rolfrae said:
As a Scot I would have had no reason to watch the Tour since Robert Millar retired if I only cared about my countrymen winning. The French would all have switched off long ago.
...yea, the poor French don't even have a star on the horizon. They thought they did in Chavanel (in fact I was hoping he would move into a contenders role), but he just doesn't quite have it.
 
thoughtforfood said:
....did you actually read my posts? I know precisely why it is there, and it has nothing to do with the team being registered in San Louis Obispo, it is marketing...period. They want people like you who don't read too well to watch the tour. You need symbols to help you along.
It is people like you that make this forum impossible. I will retire to a forum that actually talks about cycling and not give negative, moronic idiots room to expose their stupidity.
 
couchcyler said:
It is people like you that make this forum impossible. I will retire to a forum that actually talks about cycling and not give negative, moronic idiots room to expose their stupidity.
Don't let the door hit your ass on the way out.....and if you don't like sarcasm, don't write prickly statements. You wont gwet wowr feewings hwort that way....I mean, hell, I toned it down for you. I could have written my initial thought.
 
thoughtforfood said:
...yea, the poor French don't even have a star on the horizon. They thought they did in Chavanel (in fact I was hoping he would move into a contenders role), but he just doesn't quite have it.
You never know if he does in fact have it in a level playing field. Same with Casar, if we were living in an eutopia with no dopage Casar could be in with a shout.
 
Jan the man said:
You never know if he does in fact have it in a level playing field. Same with Casar, if we were living in an eutopia with no dopage Casar could be in with a shout.
That could be true, but I am doubtful that the entire French riding contengent is clean. Doped Frenchmen cant compete...
 
1. Why is it that just because the French Federation has a tougher antidoping programme that by definition all French riders are assumed to be clean? TFF is right. There has not been a real French contender for GC in one of three big national tours for some time, doping or no doping.
2. I actually wonder about Cavendish also (I know I should not think this way) but as Andrija said he is dominating in the same way Petacchi did. Once again, it took a while, but what happened in that case?

Oh well. I am not in the most positive mood when it comes to cycling these days. :eek:
 
Powerful Pete said:
1. Why is it that just because the French Federation has a tougher antidoping programme that by definition all French riders are assumed to be clean? TFF is right. There has not been a real French contender for GC in one of three big national tours for some time, doping or no doping.
2. I actually wonder about Cavendish also (I know I should not think this way) but as Andrija said he is dominating in the same way Petacchi did. Once again, it took a while, but what happened in that case?

Oh well. I am not in the most positive mood when it comes to cycling these days. :eek:
Yea, I am still in denial about Cav....if you can believe someone is doping and still deny that they are at the same time...that is where I am..
 
thoughtforfood said:
Yea, I am still in denial about Cav....if you can believe someone is doping and still deny that they are at the same time...that is where I am..
omg I'm with you on that one.
 
I would love to think he is just that much faster than anyone else. Funny how he was getting spanked in the classics and is now destroying all without a real winning train.

Fine, the competition is not top-notch in this tour given McEwen's bad season and other missing riders (it would be nice to see him sprinting over a number of stages in a grand tour against Petacchi, Bennati, and Boonen, to name a few), but he is doing awfully well...
 
Powerful Pete said:
I would love to think he is just that much faster than anyone else. Funny how he was getting spanked in the classics and is now destroying all without a real winning train.

Fine, the competition is not top-notch in this tour given McEwen's bad season and other missing riders (it would be nice to see him sprinting over a number of stages in a grand tour against Petacchi, Bennati, and Boonen, to name a few), but he is doing awfully well...
yeah, but I would think that Columbia would be a bit smarter than SD and would have pulled him if they were worried, right?
 

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