No Tour de France Thread? You're joking right?

[scottish steve]

I'm a little out of touch over on the other side of the planet with a TV service which gets cut every time something contentious comes on, but why is there no Tour thread?

http://www.letour.fr/le-tour/2012/us/gallery.html

I'm seven hours ahead, bit will try, social commitments permitting, to tune in live tomorrow night.

Please give a shout out if you too are interested in this fine Sporting Festival.

[orchyboy]

I love watching the tour. I especially loved watching it all last year as Cadel stayed in contention the whole way and snatched it on the final Time Trial.

I just found out I can stream it on the internet on my other monitor, so I can watch it while I surf the web or in bed... (My room is a bit of a computer Den)

[Rushman2112]

I watch it most nights on Eurosport here, a pity about Sean Kelly's tedious commentary though. Great finish from Cav, but the main focus has to be Wiggins for Yellow.

[Nick_B]

My favorite sporting event of the year. Don't know how watching cyclist ride their bikes for 5 hours a day, 3 weeks straight could be interesting... but when its that time of the year its all I can think about. I love it!

[Dennis]

I've really soured on pro bike racing. Too many dopers to know if what you are seeing is real or not.

[scottish steve]

That's what all the testing's for. Bear in mind doping is also a huge problem in many other sports, in America too.
It was a nervy stage 3 today. I got to see the last 2 hours online. Quite a bad feed but good enough to get a feel for things. Great last few kms but it was sad to see so many crash and one rider out with a broken collarbone. The concave home straight was really well planned- with one lone rider going up the crest and the pellaton descending at speed to catch up with him, like a horde of Mongols on horseback.

[Rushman2112]

Sagan again, got to be worth a few quid on for green.. Wiggins' chances dented by the abandonment of one of the train, I think Evans could be the man again.

Edited to say Ladbrokes have Sagan at 4/11 and Cav at 4/1. I don't think Cav will finish, he might well save himself for the Olympics and 4/11 is just not tempting enough.

[scottish steve]

Every single live website I try to access is being blocked!
Can someone please explain to me how cycling is counter-revolutionary?
Is Cadel Evans the head of some anti-Communist movement I'm unaware of?
JESUS!

[Shadowsforbars]

Hesjedal won the Giro but I'm not sure if he has recovered enough to make the podium in Paris. So far, he has had a safe ride and is sitting just 17 seconds back.

[The Count of Merkur Cristo]

The Mrs. and I always enjoyed watching the Tour every year when Lance was racing, but since he retired we haven't a clue who's the best bet and in the lead.

"If you worried about falling off the bike, you'd never get on". Lance Armstrong

[nannahill]

Once again I've reached into the suitcase of courage and am dancing on the pedals watching the argee bargee in this year's Tour de France. I think Wiggins will have the ride of his life if he can avoid the shadow boxing and will win the Mellow Johnny.

Bingo! God love Phil and Paul.

Sagan looks awesome in the sprints. Cav is missing his lead out train for sure. But he's still quicker than any of them over 100-200 metres. I think Sagan will win green. Cav is under too much pressure with Wiggins on his team. I bet Cadel is happy with no sprinters on BMC. That was one of his biggest complaints about prior teams - having a sprinter.

Week 1 crashes are in full force. Gilbert's shin looks awesome.

No spoilers please fellas ...

[Dennis]

That's what all the testing's for. Bear in mind doping is also a huge problem in many other sports, in America too.

Doping is a big problem in many sports. I just checked the wiki on past tour winners:

1996 - Riis - Admitted using EPO but never tested positive
1997 - Ulrich - Failed tests, banned in 2006 tour
1998 - Pantani - Multiple failed tests
1999-2005 - Armstrong - Currently being sued but never tested positive
2006 - Landis - Multiple failed tests, vacated win, banned
2007 - Contador - Failed tests, vacated 2010 win. Banned for 2 years.
2008 - Sastre - Never tested positive!
2009-2010 - Contador - see above
2011 - Evans - Never tested postive!

So you can see where my negativity comes in. I started following pro cycling in the early to mid 1990s, shortly before Lance Armstrong came on the scene. A long, long string of "winners" either tested positive or admitted to doping. I am losing track of who the tour winners are after wins are vacated after the tour is done. It is quite frustrating when efforts you see on the course that you want to be real turn out to be false after the fact. If Lance is proved to have doped, that will be almost 15 straight years of doping on the tour. Sad. Only Carlos Sastre and Cadel Evans in that group are clean so far - good on them!

[nannahill]

Not a happy 4th for Tyler, unlike last year.

[nole1]

Every single live website I try to access is being blocked!
Can someone please explain to me how cycling is counter-revolutionary?
Is Cadel Evans the head of some anti-Communist movement I'm unaware of?
JESUS!

If you have an iPhone the tour has a great app (free) that shows live timing of the race and even updates where the different groups are locate on the route.

[scottish steve]

No iPhone I'm afraid. I managed to catch an intermittent feed tonight. Missed all the drama from yesterday but still managed to get into it, albeit with some frustration. Another thing I like about it is just being tuned in to live TV in my own language and being able to see France live. I got a bit homesick tonight in fact, sitting watching Le Tour with a glass of something Scottish.

[Matthew h]

First mountain climb yesterday and it resulted in a cracking stage. Been a great tour so far

[Rushman2112]

Another great stage last night, Sky did another awesome job. Looks like Wiggo's biggest challenge will come from his own team mate Froome! Evans looked in real trouble, Nibali couldn't make his attack stick but up into 3rd. Will be out the next two nights and so will miss the action, but it cannot be helped. Big stage coming up today, a couple of nasty climbs to kick off and then see what the green jersey guys have left on a 100km drag toward the finish, only to find a cat 3 20km from the line.

[nannahill]

Yesterday was just nasty. My boy Cadel has some work to do. He suffered on the last climb and the loss of time to Wiggins showed that. Sky is riding very well. Froome is probably riding even better than Wiggins.

[Rushman2112]

Another stage win for GB, but prattish spectators get the headlines with their flares(!)

[Woodash]

FROOME FOR PRESIDENT!!! (or Prime Minister, or King, or SWMBO, or whomever is the Supreme Commander in your neck-of-the-woods ).
He's making the Wiggy look bad (and even while holding back).
Seriously, seems like this guy is the complete package....