Tour De France

[T_Dog]

Euro Sport Live TV has it on every evening. One of many websites for highlights:

http://www.steephill.tv/tour-de-france/

Looks like it will be an interesting one this year!

[Travel2003]

Thnx a lot for the link.

Have not seen it on Truesport (any of the channels).

[T_Dog]

Thnx a lot for the link.

Have not seen it on Truesport (any of the channels).

Yeah, we're lucky to be watching it on our cable network. Great scenery tonight and some fantastic racing as well. Two guys are 40 seconds ahead of the pack but 26km to go so I doubt they will stay there.

[Atmos]

we get EuroSport on cable; bloody T de F - say to myself 'don't watch' but can't help checking channels, like last night - only 30km to go!

I'm always hoping the breakaway group actually gets away, last night they were reeled in and well overtaken

Apart from the cycling - wonderful scenery through the old French towns - many look like they haven't changed in 100 years.

[Travel2003]

Watched it today.

on the link provided here.

Again the breakaway got reeled in, about 1-2 KMs from finish line.

Im proud and impressed of Hushovd.

[T_Dog]

The finish was a great one! Cavendish sure got the job done. There were about seven guys there that had the chance.

[coldfusionPaul]

true channel 102 every night at 8:30pm has the previous day's highlights. it's the same summary that velonews used to offer on their web site in previous tours (but don't seem to do so this year).

[T_Dog]

true channel 102 every night at 8:30pm has the previous day's highlights. it's the same summary that velonews used to offer on their web site in previous tours (but don't seem to do so this year).

Sounds good. We watched the whole last two hours last night and it is amazing how much beautiful country-side they roll through. I was always keen on the mountain stages but the flat stages are just as scenic.

Wife was asking how long the race is and thought I would post that here:

"Running from Saturday July 2nd to Sunday July 24th 2011, the 98th Tour de France will be made up of 21 stages and will cover a total distance of 3,430.5 kilometres."

I can not imagine a tougher sport in the world.

(From http://www.letour.fr/us/homepage_horscourseTDF.html )

[coldfusionPaul]

the race across america (RAAM) is tougher: http://bit.ly/olGvn0 that's 3000 *miles* done in one shot (8 days or so straight thru, no rest days, little or no support). it never gets much coverage.

[T_Dog]

Nice to see Norway on the podium! His team must train with studded tires.

[apetley]

Been watching the final 3 hours or so of every stage live on Eurosport through Astro. Heaven! Shows up the <deleted> that is True for the absolute crap and ripoff that it is.

[T_Dog]

Euro Sport is not only showing it live, they also provide a replay about 12 hours later. Nice! Seems like any time I put the TV on, I can watch the race.

[Atmos]

those **** cars - an accident was always going to happen, there are far too many media and support vehicles out there

Tour de France 2011: Car thrown off race after crash

Flecha and Hoogerland were knocked off the road by a television carTour de France organisers threw a television car off the race after it sent two riders flying across the road on a crash-marred ninth stage.

The car hit Team Sky's Juan Antonio Flecha as it overtook, while Dutchman Johnny Hoogerland fell into a fence.

"They caused the crash of both riders. This behaviour is intolerable," said Tour director Christian Prudhomme.

[T_Dog]

those **** cars - an accident was always going to happen, there are far too many media and support vehicles out there

--------------

So far, one pedestrian, one motorcycle, and now a car have knocked riders out. The driver of the car looks like he was talking on a cell phone on that narrow road as it is such a fast swerve. Intolerable as the race official says. You can see it here:

http://www.steephill.tv/players/720/aso-tdf-2011/?title=Official+Stage+9+Highlights&dashboard=tour-de-france&id=1046453592001&yr=2011

Edited July 11, 2011 by T_Dog

[Travel2003]

the race across america (RAAM) is tougher: http://bit.ly/olGvn0 that's 3000 *miles* done in one shot (8 days or so straight thru, no rest days, little or no support). it never gets much coverage.

Why are these guys not on the big stage then?

[Atmos]

^^ - good highlights clip, thanks - bloody hell, that car incident looks like an organised 'hit' the swerve is so extreme/sudden

^ the USA race - being held a couple of weeks before T de F puts in down in the rankings in terms of the riders taking part, the prestige of T De F would surely be a preference for anyone in the top teams. Sounds like a great event though - across that distance they'd see some huge differences in terrain and climate to - a lot different to the France event. Wonder if it gets much coverage within USA?

Back to T de F - the worst part - my partner likes watching, more the scenery than the riders I think, and must say the helicopter coverage is amazing - she suggested we take a holiday in France!

****

and not road racing, but my nephew has twice completed the Crocodile Trophy in Queensland Australia, 1250km in 10 days, no rest days.

It's advertised as "the hardest, longest, most adventurous mountain bike race in the world"

Shortest stage 85km, longest 162km. Keeps him fit for his road racing.

Edited July 11, 2011 by Atmos

[coldfusionPaul]

well some RAAM racers are local "champs". for instance 5 time winner jure robič was on the slovenian (slovak??) national team & won a bunch of races. but i think it's a different type of riding than most stage races, they average *only* 22-23km/hr, no sprint finishes, not much in the way of support, etc. which maybe requires a different kind of athlete.

it gets no real media coverage in the US which is really too bad--though i have no idea how they would cover it, US media can barely cover the TdF.

ps: jure robič was killed last year in an accident, hit by a car while out riding. there have been 2 fatalities during the RAAM, all by cars.

[coldfusionPaul]

there should be jail time for the motorcycle/car drivers.it's a tough enough race without having to worry about some retard running you over.

[Travel2003]

^^ - good highlights clip, thanks - bloody hell, that car incident looks like an organised 'hit' the swerve is so extreme/sudden

Exactly what both my brother and I said when we saw the clip (separately.

Let's hope it is a stupid accident.

Hopefully, the driver is out of the event.

[coldfusionPaul]

here's a trailer for a RAAM documentary, "bicycle dreams":

[Chrisdr]

So gutted when Wiggins went down and had to quit, also messed up the rest of that stage for the team, hoping Bosan Hargen was going to go for two stage wins in a row, although it would have been tough against Cav.

[T_Dog]

Ooops. Wrong link

Edited July 12, 2011 by T_Dog

[oldgit]

^^ - good highlights clip, thanks - bloody hell, that car incident looks like an organised 'hit' the swerve is so extreme/sudden

Exactly what both my brother and I said when we saw the clip (separately.

Let's hope it is a stupid accident.

Hopefully, the driver is out of the event.

I've just seen an interview with Christian Proudhomme.He said that the car was ordered to pull back and make way for the team managers' vehicles but didn't take any notice.It's right that the police have been called in because if that had been on a normal road,the driver would have been banged up.What made it worse was that he sped off after the hit.Incidently,wouldn't it have been fair that,after an incident like that,Flecha and Hoogerland should have been given the same time as Thomas Voeckler (at least)as they were bang in contention and would have definitely been vying for the stage win?

[Travel2003]

^^ - good highlights clip, thanks - bloody hell, that car incident looks like an organised 'hit' the swerve is so extreme/sudden

Exactly what both my brother and I said when we saw the clip (separately.

Let's hope it is a stupid accident.

Hopefully, the driver is out of the event.

I've just seen an interview with Christian Proudhomme.He said that the car was ordered to pull back and make way for the team managers' vehicles but didn't take any notice.It's right that the police have been called in because if that had been on a normal road,the driver would have been banged up.What made it worse was that he sped off after the hit.Incidently,wouldn't it have been fair that,after an incident like that,Flecha and Hoogerland should have been given the same time as Thomas Voeckler (at least)as they were bang in contention and would have definitely been vying for the stage win?

Its a very interesting question, regarding the time each of those riders ended up with, and what they could have had.

Competition or not, this was a regular hit and run incident.

The car should have stopped and made sure someone (them or someone else) could help the riders.

We all know the first seconds and minutes in first aid is the critical time.

They were hit in about 60 Km/h speed, which normally will kill anyone in the traffic.

[oldgit]

^^ - good highlights clip, thanks - bloody hell, that car incident looks like an organised 'hit' the swerve is so extreme/sudden

Exactly what both my brother and I said when we saw the clip (separately.

Let's hope it is a stupid accident.

Hopefully, the driver is out of the event.

I've just seen an interview with Christian Proudhomme.He said that the car was ordered to pull back and make way for the team managers' vehicles but didn't take any notice.It's right that the police have been called in because if that had been on a normal road,the driver would have been banged up.What made it worse was that he sped off after the hit.Incidently,wouldn't it have been fair that,after an incident like that,Flecha and Hoogerland should have been given the same time as Thomas Voeckler (at least)as they were bang in contention and would have definitely been vying for the stage win?

Its a very interesting question, regarding the time each of those riders ended up with, and what they could have had.

Competition or not, this was a regular hit and run incident.

The car should have stopped and made sure someone (them or someone else) could help the riders.

We all know the first seconds and minutes in first aid is the critical time.

They were hit in about 60 Km/h speed, which normally will kill anyone in the traffic.

It seems that Sky are contemplating legal action against the driver but I would lodge a protest with the result of the Stage as,unlike the Wiggins event which resulted in a collision between riders,this was an incident outside the race confines,which prevented Flecha and Hoogerland from winning the stage.

[Travel2003]

Hoogerland seems to be one the bad luck riders this tour.

I believe this was not the first incident (personal or mechanical) during the tour.

[T_Dog]

Hoogerland seems to be one the bad luck riders this tour.

I believe this was not the first incident (personal or mechanical) during the tour.

He is lucky to be alive after that catapult into the barbed wire fence. Over 30 stitches. He would be so much farther ahead as said in the earlier post.

Anyone able to get speed/heart-rate SRM data to work? Mine attempts time out.

http://data.srmlive.de/TDF/

[Atmos]

Johnny Hoogerland, one of two victims of the stage-nine crash caused by the driver of a French television car on Sunday, has become a star back home in the Netherlands. Robert Gesink (Rabobank) could be their best hope of a top overall finish, but Hoogerland (Vacansoleil) is the rider the Dutch want to read about.

The Dutch media have been run off their feet following the story, which continued on stage 10 to Carmaux with Hoogerland defending his polka dot King of the Mountains jersey, finishing the stage on Tuesday in 111th place at five minutes, 59 seconds. The strength of Hoogerland's personality was clear on Sunday when he broke down on the podium to receive the jersey before being whisked off to hospital where he had 33 stitches to his back side, calf muscle and arms. It was there again on Tuesday, when he exited the team bus to an awaiting throng of media and produced a piece of the barbed wire that he became entangled with in the accident. He's not letting the notoriety get to his head, though.

*****

Plenty of sites to follow progress - I like this one; and I think the tv coverage has been excellent - first time I have seen anything but short highlights packages, apart from the cycling a great advert for tourism in France.

Edited July 14, 2011 by Atmos

[T_Dog]

I think we'll see some separation of the riders tonight with the first real stage with significant climbing. Stage 12 is a tough one!

[dutchguest]

Yes Hoogerland is becoming a little bit of a cult hero in Holland and people tend to forget how good cyclist he is. Talking with a reporter who said that now – thanks to his accident- he can earn a lot of money in the criteria after the tour he said that he would have preferred to have won the stage (after which he also could earn a lot of money in the criteria).

I think after today Gesink will be more in the spotlights. Normally he can play a good role in the higher mountains and when everything goes well even play a role in the battle to win the tour.