Tour De France 2013

[jhuskey]

Great race this year. I would love to see this type of stage selection every year.

 

[limerickman]

Originally Posted by vspa .

i don't think there is big drama inside SKY, they probably have british management know-how, they went step by step with Wiggins until he was crowned in the TDF, they saw how Froome was a better option for this years parcours and they crowned him the winner this time, no big deal, sometimes there are simple decisions for complex problems,

Walsh has given his endorsement of Chris Froome as a clean champion.

Walsh has been given fully access to SKY riders, the team support, team doctors. He writes in today's Sunday Times that given the level of access that he has had, and from talking to everyone at SKY, he's of the belief that Froome is clean!

 

[sitzmark]

It was a great Tour. Even with Froome's dominance there was constant battling for 2/3, sprint stages, deep digging for mountain stages - even the YJ hammered when he could have coasted. Good stuff.

 

[alienator]

I'd say it was a pretty good Tour, but I'd stop short of calling it great. A great Tour would have an epic battle for the yellow jersey, and that was lacking in this Tour. The race for the yellow jersey was, frankly, boring again.

 

[jhuskey]

I don't recall so many breaks actually staying away. I know many may differ but here is my opinion on intestinal fortitude awards.
#4 Froome- he dominated to win the yellow
#3 Quintana- Great climber with a lot of heart
#2 Port- Gave his all fro thge team and could still finish strong
#1 Jens V.- 41 and can still kick a** with the best. Hope he lands another contract.

 

[vspa]

" Born to be wild, trained to be obedient. " how about chose or decided to be obedient

 

[danfoz]

I like that the departure from the traditional opening prologue and the inclusion of the TTT allowed a couple more riders than usual to take home a yellow jersey. Porte and Quintana are going to be riders to watch in the future for sure. Pity for Valverde's big time loss, looked like he had good form through the final day.

 

[limerickman]

I thoroughly enjoyed this years TDF.

Several high points.

Dan Martin delivering a stage win (wearing my parochial hat).
Rui Costa's stage wins were superb pieces of tactical racing.
Froome's two killer accelerations in the mountains.
Ritchie Port's selfless and exceptionally strong riding.
Roman Kreuzinger starting to deliver on that talent.
Sagan for being Sagan.
Quitana's great GC/KOM/YR performance.
Riblon's aggressive riding throughout.

I liked the look of Talansky, he rode a fine race I thought. I felt sorry for Teejay.

Great to see Greg Lemond, BigMig, the Badger and Eddy doing the presentations and driving down the Champs in a vintage car.

And well done to the French for a superb closing ceremony!

 

[jhuskey]

Originally Posted by vspa .

" Born to be wild, trained to be obedient. "
how about chosed or decided to be obedient

I chose not to be broke.

 

[danfoz]

Originally Posted by limerickman .


Great to see Greg Lemond, BigMig, the Badger and Eddy doing the presentations and driving down the Champs in a vintage car.

For sure. I may have even shed a nostalgic tear when I saw Greg with his arm around Bernie

 

[limerickman]

Originally Posted by danfoz .


For sure. I may have even shed a nostalgic tear when I saw Greg with his arm around Bernie

It's good to see their Entente Cordial!

 

[alienator]

I thoroughly enjoyed this years TDF. Several high points. Dan Martin delivering a stage win (wearing my parochial hat). Rui Costa's stage wins were superb pieces of tactical racing. Froome's two killer accelerations in the mountains. Ritchie Port's selfless and exceptionally strong riding. Roman Kreuzinger starting to deliver on that talent. Sagan for being Sagan. Quitana's great GC/KOM/YR performance. Riblon's aggressive riding throughout. I liked the look of Talansky, he rode a fine race I thought. I felt sorry for Teejay. Great to see Greg Lemond, BigMig, the Badger and Eddy doing the presentations and driving down the Champs in a vintage car. And well done to the French for a superb closing ceremony!

The peloton seems to be rich with new talent. Hopefully the talent will continue to improve so that we can see actual fights for the yellow jersey in the next few years, maybe as soon as next year. Kittel was pretty amazing. Did his name even come up in sprinting discussions before the TdF?

 

[Busch]

Originally Posted by alienator .

I'd say it was a pretty good Tour, but I'd stop short of calling it great. A great Tour would have an epic battle for the yellow jersey, and that was lacking in this Tour. The race for the yellow jersey was, frankly, boring again.

Though is pains me to agree with my colleague here the great tours are with two or even three guys slugging it out. For me the Lemond years, and the Lance years, (doping aside), Schleck and Contador.

Doping was bad but it made for exciting racing.

I have great hopes for Quitana, Froome and Contador if he can get back on his form for next year.

 

[limerickman]

Originally Posted by alienator .


The peloton seems to be rich with new talent. Hopefully the talent will continue to improve so that we can see actual fights for the yellow jersey in the next few years, maybe as soon as next year.

Kittel was pretty amazing. Did his name even come up in sprinting discussions before the TdF?

Kittel was very good and I should have included him earlier.

Cavendish was interviewed on TV over here after the final stage yesterday and he sounded disappointed but he congratulated Kittel for the win which I thought was gracious. I hadn't reckoned for Kittel but I've little or no interest in pure sprinters either.

 

[slovakguy]

Originally Posted by limerickman .

I thoroughly enjoyed this years TDF.

Several high points.

Great to see Greg Lemond, BigMig, the Badger and Eddy doing the presentations and driving down the Champs in a vintage car.

And well done to the French for a superb closing ceremony!

and here's to absent friends/riders of the tour who are no longer around to have made this 100th edition that much more spectacular. one can only wonder how it would have been to see lemond, fignon and hinault sparring with each other down the champs one more time.

 

[limerickman]

The Isle of Man (where Cavendish is from) have issued an interesting set of commemorative postage stamps for 100th TDF showing

from left to right Eugene Christophe, Mark Cavendish, Brian Robinson, Miguel Indurain, Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Bradley Wiggins.

 

[limerickman]

I like this photo.

[COLOR= rgb(75, 75, 75)]Nuns of the Monastere de la Consolation in Draguignan wait for the pack to pass during the fifth stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 228.5 kilometers (142.8 miles) with start in Cagnes-sur-Mer and finish in Marseille, southern France, Wednesday July 3, 2013[/COLOR]

 

[limerickman]

Eurosport did a feature called The Ride involving an amateur, a former professional and a current professional ride one of the major climbs.

 

[steve]

 

[classic1]

  Though is pains me to agree with my colleague here the great tours are with two or even three guys slugging it out.  For me the Lemond years, and the Lance years, (doping aside), Schleck and Contador. Doping was bad but it made for exciting racing.

U think? Six of the Armstrong 'wins' were among the most boring tours I can recall.