Tour de France

[stgn 39]

I hope Lance win and then he should be kind and retire we dont wanna see Indurang(that Spanish guy) all over again.

I like the sport beacuse of the landscape, the fact that enybody wanna race up and down mountains and actualy do it. Because it is excating to see if the "shit whats it called in english" the ones which brake loose from the oher and drive away and then to see if the other ones can chach the first ones again.

STGN

[ozanzac 0]

But you know, the tour is different than that. It's the atmosphere that comes with it, along with these weird large things they have comming out of the ground, called mountains I believe

lol...Very true. Takes guts going up them. Quite an adrenaline rush going down them.

Quote[/b] ]

Quote[/b] ] Last year it was the Barossa Valley.

ahhh i remenber the berrosa vally. Lots of vineyards there right.

Yes, thats the area.

[ralphwiggum 6]

I really don't dig hundreds of dudes in short spandex shorts riding bicycles.

Ditto. I don't really understand the attraction to the sport. Especially not when there's a football turnament.

i spent a good portion of my childhood riding bikes and it was a blast.

[Tex -USMC- 0]

Those are some tough bastards- I remember seeing a guy crash and end up in a tree, and he just climbed down, got back on his bike, and got back in the race. That's why I watch- it's athleticism as it's best.

And for some reason I enjoy hearing a guy with an Australian accent say 'peloton'. Go figure.

[Guest]

My favourite story is about Greg Lemond. This French guy was cycling up one of the worst mountains....hurting, but doing ok, not too far behind the leaders. Quick as you like, Greg overtakes him and disappears up the mountain. But he left a smell behind him. See Greg had quite bad diarrhoea which was leaking out of him as he rode up the mountain, but still he was overtaking nearly everyone! He went on to win the Tour that year...either through hard work or making the rest of the field throw up!

[ozanzac 0]

@ June 24 2004,01:41)]Those are some tough bastards- I remember seeing a guy crash and end up in a tree, and he just climbed down, got back on his bike, and got back in the race. That's why I watch- it's athleticism as it's best.

And for some reason I enjoy hearing a guy with an Australian accent say 'peloton'. Go figure.

Lol, you get that guy too?

I'm not sure if he's Australian, (I think he's british?) but he certainly works with an Australian TV network to cover the Tour de France, and does a great job of it too.

The guy on the right. Phil Ligget. Cycling on TV wouldn't be the same without him.

[Tex -USMC- 0]

The guy on the right. Phil Ligget. Cycling on TV wouldn't be the same without him.

Exactly. He's one of the best sports commentators of our time.

[Albert Schweitzer 10]

T*E*A*M T*E*L*E*K*O*M

[bn880 5]

I will win, I've trained for 3 days already.

Unfortunately this is a team sport as well, so I gather someone good but also wit ha good team to push him along.

[Guest]

Phil Ligget is great. I think he is one of those rare commentators that can get you interested in a sport just from the way he talks about it. He does work in Australia for SBS who have shown a few stages live over the last couple of years (remember there's quite a time-delay and not huge interest in Aust).

I remember watching one of the mountain stages with a shot of the Pelaton riding along a valley with a huge mountain waaaaay off in the distance. Phil said "And the finishing line today is right up the top of that mountain...". I said "Gfed!"

[blackdog~ 0]

I really don't dig hundreds of dudes in short spandex shorts riding bicycles.

Ditto. I don't really understand the attraction to the sport. Especially not when there's a football turnament.

i spent a good portion of my childhood riding bikes and it was a blast.

I bet you did it in spandex shorts, too.

In fact you probably still do!

[Albert Schweitzer 10]

Since a few days I though about buying a cross-bike, for the ones of you who dont know what that is. See here

A few friends of mine are doing it and it realy looks like a hardcore fitness testing.

But unfortunately this bikes start at a much higher price limit than ordinary racing bikes. Still I saves allready quite a few euros and 2 more months and I should be ready to go.

[Winters 1]

I ride on a regular basis (great cardio workout) and was a Bike messenger in NYC when i was a teenager.

[bn880 5]

Since a few days I though about buying a cross-bike, for the ones of you who dont know what that is. See here

http://www.kocmo.de/kocmo/raeder/cross.jpg

A few friends of mine are doing it and it realy looks like a hardcore fitness testing.

But unfortunately this bikes start at a much higher price limit than ordinary racing bikes. Still I saves allready quite a few euros and 2 more months and I should be ready to go.

I prefer fairly light mountain bikes, you get to do more of a workout in much less distance and much lower speed, safer and less path/road needed.

The one you posted is a good bike if you intend to ride on nice roads for long distances.

[Albert Schweitzer 10]

Well I what I like about Crossbikes is the following.

- the aerodynamics are great only the wheels slow you down a bit.

-you can go offroad since the structure and wheels are more stable than those of a racing bike

-you can drive savely in rain without risking to slip. My old racing bike was pretty dangerous..well too dangerous for city traffic anyway

-you dont have to fear every bump in the road

Mountainbikes are a good option too. Actually I think a Fitness-bike (slim Mountainbike with tiny or no shock absorbants) is actually a good choice too. But I made the experience that a racing bike is the pure speed-drug and believe it or not the top speed and acceleration of such a bike is far higher than that of a Mountainbike. I dont know if you have tried a modern one but they are realy flying bullets!

[bn880 5]

Well I what I like about Crossbikes is the following.

- the aerodynamics are great only the wheels slow you down a bit.

-you can go offroad since the structure and wheels are more stable than those of a racing bike

-you can drive savely in rain without risking to slip. My old racing bike was pretty dangerous..well too dangerous for city traffic anyway

-you dont have to fear every bump in the road

Mountainbikes are a good option too. Actually I think a Fitness-bike (slim Mountainbike with tiny or no shock absorbants) is actually a good choice too. But I made the experience that a racing bike is the pure speed-drug and believe it or not the top speed and acceleration of such a bike is far higher than that of a Mountainbike. I dont know if you have tried a modern one but they are realy flying bullets!

Indeed, and that's exactly my point, I prefer not to have the speed as it requires I use more distance (yes it is demoralizing when people pass you on road bikes). And seriously biking on most roads here is dangerous to say the least. If I ever have to I'll do the bike path here twice in a higher drag MTB and not drive on roads.

Also with an MTB I can actually go mountain biking a little if I have to. (but that really kills the equipment)

EDIT: In conclusion, if you plan to ride with your friends, get the same kind of a bike, you can't ride an MTB with people who have cross road bikes etc.

[Apollo 0]

I'm a regular Cycling fan and do it as hobby a bit to ,then again i'm Belgian it's in my blood.Every year i go watch the classics and ive been to the tour 2 times. (climbed Alpe Deux once myself ,well "climbed")

Anyway most fun story was 2 years ago in Gent-Wevelghem. Now Erik Zabel ,a famous German sprinter ,was already known for his abbilety to hit the dirt unpleasently (he falls a lot) ,fell that day off his bike in an unusual way as he was hit by a speeding pony.Apparently 2 pony's managed to flee their meadow and chased the leading cyclers group for 5 minutes ,resulting in an increased gap between lead group and peleton because the cyclers were scared of the Pony's breathing in their neck. (seriously)

I laughed my ass of when Zabel's worker who was riding in front on him commented after the match that he suddently felt someone blowing load in his neck and he watched back to check Zabel and he saw the pony chasing him and he was like tottaly shocked.

[bn880 5]

LMAO that's what i call good coaching.

[brgnorway 0]

YES!!!!!!!!

" THOR de FRANCE "

Thor Hushovd is the overall leader in Tour de France!

- and he can swap the green shirt with the yellow one

Follow the Tour here!

[brgnorway 0]

Yay - he did it again!              

Hushovd claims victory

 

Norway's Thor Hushovd won the eighth stage of the Tour de France with a last-gasp sprint to the line.

The Credit Agricole rider just edged out Luxembourg's Kim Kirchen in 3:54.22, with Erik Zabel of Germany third.

[Apollo 0]

Congratulations with Hushovd's gain.

As Belgian i'm happy about this years tour to ,Tom Boonen won a course so thats 1 for Belgium. (and 0 for holland )

[brgnorway 0]

Quote[/b] ]Congratulations with Hushovd's gain.

Thanks

Gunn Rita Dahle won the MTB world cup as well - and she'll win the olympic medal too I guess!

Quote[/b] ]As Belgian i'm happy about this years tour to ,Tom Boonen won a course so thats 1 for Belgium. (and 0 for holland )

Hehe......what's neighbours for lol. I kind of like the fact that there isn't a swedish stage winner yet - and there won't be one of course

[Guest]

Congratulations with Hushovd's gain.  

As Belgian i'm happy about this years tour to ,Tom Boonen won a course so thats 1 for Belgium. (and 0 for holland   )

2 for Belgium? Robbie McEwen lives in Belgium, rides for a Belgium team and is married to a Belgium

[Winters 1]

Once this race gets into the mountains Lance is gonna make his move, he always pulls ahead in the steeper climbs and has never really been a sprinter.

[brgnorway 0]

Once this race gets into the mountains Lance is gonna make his move, he always pulls ahead in the steeper climbs and has never really been a sprinter.

Well, Lance's strength is not the climbing. There are many others far better than him. He's more like Michael Schumacher in F1 - a complete driver/cyclist mastering all the aspects of cycling/driving quite well. On a given day they'll shine in every respect (Michael almost always do ) , but Lance is the tactical cyclist - always collecting points when it matters.

I like Schumi - but not Lance though