Tour De France

[murrinman]

aussie aussie aussie you have to be happy with that result

[catwho]

A champion performance,by a true CHAMPION and a great bloke.

i backed at 6 to 4 to win on thursday...thanks cadel

[burgdawg]

...I just re-watched Cadel Evans awesome Time Trial performance. The announcers call him "The Diesel."

Amazing form, style and almost won the Stage win.

Congrats for Cadel Evans...finally, this year, he had a supportive team to call his own.

I did not know that at age 34, Cadel is the oldest winner of the Tour de France post WWII.

There are 4500 workers that tear down the Stages each day and reassemble, 2500 vehicles and 14,000 gendarmes (police).

Tomorrow is the Coronation of Cadel Evans of Australia, wooohooooo!

Congrats.

Fine ride and race.

Two big competitions on the horizon: Alberto's court hearing date, early August and then the Tour de Spain, late August 2011.

[fredob43]

aussie aussie aussie you have to be happy with that result

I for one am really p/ss off with the tour have been glued/watching it every day Live, and today is the last one. Why cant they just do another week. I'm not an Aussie but you must be very proud with the result. About time what a MAN. I only wish I was as fit as his left toe.

[murrinman]

did it drug free thats something special these days

[Atmos]

Cadel Evans to become first Australian to win the Tour de France

Now all Evans has to do is remain with the bunch for the sweetest 95km of his life and cross the finish line. Even if there was an attack, which would be viewed as outrageous by the peloton, it would be near impossible for Andy Schleck to reverse the damage that was done in last night's time trial and make up 1min 34secs.

Still, when the race gets to Paris it will come alive for the sprinters and the bunch will hit speeds in excess of 50km/h meaning Evans will want to avoid trouble at all costs. But if there was a serious crash in the peloton and Evans was unable to finish - providing it was in the final 3km he would still be deemed the Tour winner.

Riders will start at 2.50pm (local time) and while the official neutral zone is 7.7km long, tradition means the race will stay together for almost the entire day.

Mark Cavendish leads the classification on 280, despite being docked 20 points for failing to finish Thursday's stage to Galibier within the time limit. Only two men can take it from him in Paris - Jose Joaquin Rojas in second place on 265 points and Philippe Gilbert third on 230 points. But Cavendish will be hard to catch after making Paris a happy hunting ground where he has notched stage wins for the past two years.

With no climbing points on offer, Spaniard Samuel Sanchez has secured the polkadot jersey for the first time.He finishes the Tour de France with 108 points in the climber's classification, to beat Andy Schleck (98), Jelle Vanendert (74) and Cadel Evans (58).

Frenchman Pierre Rolland is expected to retain the white jersey as the Tour's best young rider.

[Travel2003]

I think most, if not all of us, agree that he really deserves this.

He has been there for years, and always almost.

This time let's hope for certain.

Congrats.

Well deserved.

[fredob43]

Not taking anything away from Evens he is the man. But didnt Mark Cavendish do well Third win in Paris and the first Brit to win a jersey ever in the Tour of France well done to both of them.

[Mr Conrad]

Not quite, Cavendish first brit to win the Green Jersey for sure, and first ever person to win the final stage in Paris three times in a row.

Robert Millar won the Polka Dot Climbers Jersey at the 1984 tour.

Still a great tour and congratulations to Cadel Evans a worthy winner in the end.

Regards

Edited July 24, 2011 by Mr Conrad

[burgdawg]

...tip of the cap to the OP T_Dog for even starting up this thread! And to all the contributors....

pretty amazing race, all in all. I can't get over the speeds these guys are climbing UPHILL. I can barely match those speeds

going downhill, hahahahahh!

Edited July 24, 2011 by burgdawg

[burgdawg]

TIME TO PLACE YOUR VOTE(s) FOR 2012--provided one is even run....

you have two choices:

1) The rider you identified with most you read up on the stats....

2) The rider you pick to win 2012.

Mine is one in the same: Sammy Sanchez of Spain.....

place your wager now and we'll all reconvence from our wayward lives a year from now, okay mai?

[Travel2003]

2 Impressions I will remember from this tour.

[yotspeed]

Although I'm from the Dark Side (MTB), cycling is cycling and it was great to watch this year's TdF. The action was high octane, the scenery spectacular, the riding was awesome and the crashes....... ouch!!

Well done Cadel Evans - a worthy winner, also the Manx Missile and to everyone who took part. I do think they need to sort out better crowd control (especially on the narrow country lane and town stages) and also the support and press vehicles & motorcycles - amazing/lucky there were only a few serious injuries!!

Thanks T_Dog (OP) and all contributors for a great thread.

No thanks to True who gave us (with no access to cable) a measly 30 mins a day highlights for such a world renowned and prestigious international sporting event. I fully understand your priorities in dedicating a whole channel to Academy Fantasia in HD - NOT

Edited July 27, 2011 by yotspeed

[Atmos]

not Tour de France, and not Thailand

yesterday London had a practice run for part of the 2012 Olympic cycle course

London Olympics 2012: Cyclists race in Games test event

Organisers have hailed as a success the biggest test event yet for the 2012 Olympic Games, with some of the world's top cyclists riding through London. The London-Surrey Cycle Classic took the riders from The Mall in central London to Box Hill and back.

There was a bonus for estimated 100,000-strong home crowd, as British cyclist Mark Cavendish rode to victory.

Debbie Jevans, director of sport for London 2012 organising committee Locog, said she was "very, very pleased" with the way it went.

****

Thousands of spectators who lined the course to get an idea of what the Olympics will be like saw Tour de France green jersey winner Mark Cavendish win in three hours 18 minutes 11 seconds.

Sacha Modolo of Italy was second and France's Samuel Dumoulin third among the 145-strong field.

****

The route of the one-off race was shorter than the one the men will tackle at the Olympics.

In 2012, seven more large loops will extend the men's race to 155 miles (250km), while the women's will still be 87 miles (140km).

The Olympic cycling road race is among the events that will be free to attend at London 2012.

more

link to Your pictures: The London-Surrey Cycle Classic