Tour de France

[tonydawe]

I'm a huge fan of the Tour de France and couldn't resist posting a comment on the race, given that an Australian (Simon Gerrans) currently holds the yellow jersey and the Australian Orica-Greenedge Team won the team time trial stage in Cannes yesterday. An historic day in Australian cycling.

It's the middle of winter here in Oz, so its wonderful to sit in front of the TV on a cold night (less than 10 degrees celcius) with the heater on and drinking a warm cup of cocoa and watch the race wind its way through the magnificent French countryside. It's almost like going on a nightly holiday, a guided tour and a history lesson each night, with some great cycling thrown in.

Of course the race cuts into my modelling time, so I have moved the spare TV into my hobby room so I can combine my enjoyment of both. My wife doesn't expect me to emerge from my Man Cave until the end of July when Le Tour finishes.

 

[Meticulous]

Am always hoping for a cyclist figure kit... have never seen one.

 

[megroot]

Great to here there are more cyclist fans on the PF.
I follow it on work at the PC with a Livestream. I cannot mis one minute from the Tour since I whas 8 years old.
I surely hope that the drugtime has gone for ever, and enjoy cycling as it should be.

Marc

 

[Mirofsoft]

OK ! Kids took they rear little wheels off, they put their Goldorak helmet on, they causes immense trafic jams and .....
... Panem et Circenses

 

[Meticulous]

Great to here there are more cyclist fans on the PF.
I follow it on work at the PC with a Livestream. I cannot mis one minute from the Tour since I whas 8 years old.
I surely hope that the drugtime has gone for ever, and enjoy cycling as it should be.

Marc

Read an interesting book on Marshall Taylor recently, which asserted that "doping" was prevalent as early as the 1890s. I was a bit surprised by this, but the author clearly laid out a pattern of abuse and cheating that has spanned the century.

I am an avid cyclist myself (raced a bit in my 20s)... sad to see the constant scandal...

 

[Gerry]

As a ex racing cyclist and avid tour follower i realy hope its not tainted by drugs this year!! and also wish all this
crap about the so called rivalry between brad wiggins and Chris froome would go away!! its a bike race not a soap opera!!theres bound to be this kind of thing happening there both determined people!! but lets get back to the cycling!! dont get me started on Lance Armstrong!! hes just a cheat to the sport and a bloody liar!! but all i can ask for is a drug free tour!! wishfull thinking??

 

[tonydawe]

Wishful thinking??? Yes, probably. It's clear that while Lance Armstrong was rightly the focal point of the investigations into systemic doping, the sports' governing bodies and its senior administrators are equally complicit in the scandal and profited enormously from Armstrong's celebrity and dope-fuelled acomplishments to enhance cycling's commercial appeal. These people appear to have escaped sanction or scrutiny. While everyone is rightly tearing at the shreds of Armstrong's tattered reputation, these faceless men are still running the show. So long as they are, cycling will always be tainted by the spectre of doping and fans will always have lingering doubts about the "cleanliness" of the star cyclists.

 

[Mark S]

It appears the cycle just goes round and round. As Tony says there seems to be many links in this dirty chain. Those pedalling this kind of illegal gear need to be barred. Athletes doing the right thing are ironically saddled with a handicap...shame.

BTW....An Oppy figure would do well I reckon.He's respected throughout Europe and elsewhere.

 

[megroot]

Not for praising the drugs to heaven but there is doping in all kind of sports.
Only the cycling has the most controle's ever.
tweet from Cavendish: "Looked forward to a rare Tour de France lay in til 10 this morning, but I was woken up to piss in a pot at 6:30 for anti-doping control.
— Mark Cavendish (@MarkCavendish) July 4, 2013"
But when he won the stage yesterday he whas allready controlled. That's two times in 24 hours. They are gone nuts.
There whas a dope into the athletic's world some years ago. There where 5 lines into the newspaper. The Festina scandal in 1998 (without any prove that time) whas worldwide covered with more then 2 pages.
Why is it always the cycling world that should be blamed????
Is it because it give's story's, as there where always storys from the cycling world. Without the storys there would be not such great events as the Tour de France.

 

[Paul Kernan]

I was fortunate to check off one of my 'bucket list' items last year. I was able to watch Brad Wiggins win in Paris. The final leg involved the riders circling the downtown area 6 times (Rivoli, Champs-Elysees, etc)......lots of photo ops.

 

[AJLaFleche]

Another fan of the Tour here. We have only one TV so I often only get to see the later part of the coverage. In my early 30's, lo those many years ago, I tried citizen class criterion races and was soundly outclassed. Then did a couple running/cycling biathalons, but they were few and far between and soon became extinct. After a long layoff from sporting type activity partly due to a knee injury (incurred while walking the dog) I've returned to a social level of cycling.
I agree on the doping issue...the organizers bear some blame if they ban some for life, others for a year, while having Armstrong pass more tests than anyone else and still be undetected. And if everyone in contention is using the same "illegal" tactics, doesn't that level the playing field?

 

[user 5827]

I am a huge fan, watch every stage, I love cycling too all year long from winter (I am located in Canada) to summer, love to climb.

IMO opinion no one climb 2 000 meters the way they does been 100% clean, also IMO you can do the Tour without taking any substance but you will not win..

Matter of fact, I do not care if they took EPO, blood exchange etc...

I simply enjoy the show

 

[Gerry]

I am a huge fan, watch every stage, I love cycling too all year long from winter (I am located in Canada) to summer, love to climb.

IMO opinion no one climb 2 000 meters the way they does been 100% clean, also IMO you can do the Tour without taking any substance but you will not win..

Matter of fact, I do not care if they took EPO, blood exchange etc...

I simply enjoy the show

And you call your self a cycling fan? so you support the use of Ilegal drugs bieng used?? i'm sure an attidude like that realy cripples ANY sport why not have a drugs only Tour!!
come on Mate that's not sport it's cheating and cheating is NOT sport.. how can you, as you put it 'enjoy the show?

 

[Captain Sprout]

I do care if they dope but I do love the tour..other half is a triathlete so cycling is a bit of a thing and I do love the spectacle.

It's clear they do dope and it is widespread..look at Contador without his drugs.

Life bans is about the only thing that would get rid of it..but then there might be no one left to ride it.

I think most of the riders in the tour will have doped at some point or other.

But the mountain riding is magical. I guess the dust isn't just fairy though.

 

[user 5827]

And you call your self a cycling fan? so you support the use of Ilegal drugs bieng used?? i'm sure an attidude like that realy cripples ANY sport why not have a drugs only Tour!!
come on Mate that's not sport it's cheating and cheating is NOT sport.. how can you, as you put it 'enjoy the show?

Where do you saw me telling that I support drug uses?

I do hope that nobody uses, it will be the best scenario, but please don't be naïf and thinking that is not there, because it is pretty much....The guy climb at 35km/h at 2000 meter percentages from 8% to 20% after cycling for more than 150 km,

c' mom....

 

[Gerry]

A sport ive loved as long as I can remember, ive raced, ok not as a pro, but it didn't even cross my mind to take any stimulant of any kind
its a bloody tuff sport! i'm not silly doping does go on but its got to end! when drugs come into any sport as far as i'm concerned its not a sport i want to watch anymore as sad as that may sound! why do it,? it's cheating pure and simple! and any one doing it should pay the price! it's just not right in my book! you have to get to the route of the problem the Drug Doctors, and all there 'hangers on' should struck be off and face jail!. There guilty big time! Racheal, you Mention Contador without the drugs to name names, it could just as well be Cavendish etc, if there not on something does it make for a boring tour? maybe slower, not a show for the Public? isn't that sad? I personaly say have a slower drug free tour that is clean and fair, but will that ever happen i can only pray it does? but as i said before is that really wishfull thinking! @ debito you did say it didn't bother you if they take EPO etc thats what i meant, I do Care! so its ok then?I Know your looking for a clean tour, But you did quote this read your post!!

 

[Captain Sprout]

I agree Gerry, though I would have banned Contador altogether.

I was more using him as an example of what a rider looks like on drugs and then what he looks like coming back from a ban.

 

[Don]

Not a huge fan but enjoy watching when I can. I think this year has had the best ever event a few days ago, a leading group of sprinters took off and the peleton followed along as ususal. Sadly this year they had to stop shortly after as the barriers came down, as a train crossed the road. Knocked the peleton back quite a bit.

Am I correct in thinking that years ago I was in a bar owned by the great Eddie Merkx? Antwerp or Ghent if I remember correctly.


Don

 

[megroot]

Am I correct in thinking that years ago I was in a bar owned by the great Eddie Merkx? Antwerp or Ghent if I remember correctly.
Don

No Don, as far as I know Eddy just own a cycling factory under his own name.
No bars or what so ever.

Marc

 

[Don]

Thanks Mark, I remember being in a bar in Belgium, yes I know there are a few. The place was festooned with bikes and it was around the time off one of Eddies numerous TDF wins. Easy mistake to make. I knew he had a small factory making bikes but for some reason thought the bar was his.

Don