The Bicycle Racing Thread 2014

[The Boy]

Team NetApp to announce a new German sponsor on first rest day of the Tour. Great news that a German company is willing to step back into the sport, though I'm surprised that Giant-Shimano haven't found any joy in that direction.

 

[The Boy]

And Thor Hushovd to write a tell-all autobiography. Be interested to know what he has to say.

 

[Nigel Irritable]

This presentation is like having teeth drawn.

 

[Nigel Irritable]

Team NetApp to announce a new German sponsor on first rest day of the Tour. Great news that a German company is willing to step back into the sport, though I'm surprised that Giant-Shimano haven't found any joy in that direction.

Presumably it's a hell of a lot cheaper to finance even a high end Pro Continental team than a World Tour one.

 

[The Boy]

This presentation is like having teeth drawn.

More to the point, why is every cunt sporting a fucking baseball cap on stage? Whatever happened to casquettes?

 

[The Boy]

Presumably it's a hell of a lot cheaper to finance even a high end Pro Continental team than a World Tour one.

For shiz, but you'd also expect Giant-Shim to also have a lot more to offer in absolute terms with Kittel and Degennkolb.

 

[Nigel Irritable]

For shiz, but you'd also expect Giant-Shim to also have a lot more to offer in absolute terms with Kittel and Degennkolb.

I suppose the distinction is that there is a much larger pool of companies that might be able to find 3 million in their marketing budget for any given opportunity than there are ones which could stump up 7. Even if the larger payment would actually get more bang per buck.

It is a bit of an issue that none of NetApps biggest riders are German, mind you. And it's a gamble to throw money at any team that isn't guaranteed a Tour slot.

 

[Barking_Mad]

First one of the Tour.

Tour de France: Daryl Impey tests positive for masking agent

Orica-GreenEdge manager Shayne Bannan has defended the team's anti-doping regime, saying they have nothing to hide.

He has also called on his Tour de France riders to stay focussed in the wake of the news that team-mate Daryl Impey is embroiled in a doping scandal. Impey is off the team roster while he deals with a positive test for the masking agent Probenecid.

Bannan said Impey initially told him of the positive A sample last week and confirmed on Tuesday that the B sample result had also come back positive.

"Obviously the guys will be affected by what's happened, because of the friendship within the team," Bannan said. "How deep of an effect, we're really not too sure. It's really important that we stay focussed – we have absolutely nothing to hide. We can be proud of our short history in the sport. It's a matter of really just continuing the ethics that we stand by."

Impey's positive test has a massive impact on several fronts for Orica-GreenEdge. It is a major blow to the image of a team that commissioned anti-doping consultant Nicki Vance to conduct an independent review of their operations and staff in the wake of the Lance Armstrong scandal.

Impey's positive test comes nearly a year after popular Orica-GreenEdge veteran Stuart O'Grady retired and then within a few days confessed to doping once in the late 1990s. That revelation left his lofty reputation in tatters.

Froome speaks about it here, good friends apparently.

 

[Sigmund Fraud]

This presentation is like having teeth drawn.

The body language from Jill Douglas when the tall cunning linguist was in full flow...not much love there.

It was bad but in a euro way, ie for that type of thing it was quite good. Most of the crowd looked over 50 and were unlikely to have heard of Embrace, let along young enough to stand up when they were asked.

 

[belboid]

it is amusing seeing the Cote de Jenkins Road etc signs around the place (they'll be walking up it). Surprisingly, they're all still there at the moment.

 

[Sigmund Fraud]

You are Jonathan Vaughters, and I claim my five Euro.

Strangely I was on cyclingnews a few years back and mrs fraud looked over my shoulder and said 'you look like that bloke'; it was Vaughters. We are both about the same age and wear glasses. Sadly I cannot ride a bike as well as him.

 

[Nigel Irritable]

Strangely I was on cyclingnews a few years back and mrs fraud looked over my shoulder and said 'you look like that bloke'; it was Vaughters. We are both about the same age and wear glasses. Sadly I cannot ride a bike as well as him.

I do hope it was the sideburns and funny trousers.

 

[souljacker]

Anyone know where I can find times for Monday? I'm in Holborn all day so want to walk down to the embankment to see the tour go past but cant hang around for hours.

 

[belboid]

Anyone know where I can find times for Monday? I'm in Holborn all day so want to walk down to the embankment to see the tour go past but cant hang around for hours.

going past about 3.30

http://letour.yorkshire.com/media/100060974/ASO-Itineraire-Horaire-20-12-13.pdf

 

[Sigmund Fraud]

Anyone know where I can find times for Monday? I'm in Holborn all day so want to walk down to the embankment to see the tour go past but cant hang around for hours.

It will be 5 deep down there - unlikely you will see anything unless you get there early ie Sunday

 

[souljacker]

I'm very tall.

 

[Sigmund Fraud]

don't stand in front of me then.

 

[Sigmund Fraud]

I am thinking of going to watch in either Epping forest or in the brownfield industrial wasteland of Newham docklands - which should provide a strange backdrop to the tour megalith.

 

[belboid]

I'll be watching from an upper window in my house

 

[souljacker]

 

[belboid]

Harold is getting in the mood for Sunday's visit

 

[Barking_Mad]

it is amusing seeing the Cote de Jenkins Road etc signs around the place (they'll be walking up it). Surprisingly, they're all still there at the moment.

Here's a few pro's on a rece



Bit more here :http://blog.veloviewer.com/le-cote-de-jenkin-road/

 

[Barking_Mad]

I'm going to cycle the 10 miles to Harewood House tomorrow morning for the start proper. Then on Sunday morning I'm going to cycle to Cote de Holme Moss.

Proper proud of Yorkshire ☺

 

[belboid]

Here's a few pro's on a rece /

and that's without them just having ridden 150 miles!

 

[Supine]

Tour starts and ITV goes to adverts. A truly shit television station.

 

[poului]

Someone in that marching band needs to do some tuning up.

 

[hash tag]

Hiding behind the sofa, cringing....uuurrrggghhh, get on with it.
Ffs.

 

[Ponyutd]

At last.....

 

[The Boy]

When I saw the royals standing there I was hoping they were waiting to be executed by Bernard Hinault. Colour me disappointed.

 

[tommers]

I haven't kept up with things, what's the deal today? Is it a proper stage?