The Offical TdF Thread (Spoliers included).

[bike <3'er]

Adam Hansen was an animal for several key miles there, pulling Team Columbia down to the bridge and the key, final hill. Hincapie wasn't there to take off, Kim Kirchen did his best to use Hansen's great pull, but couldn't get to the line before Velvarde. Frank Schleck did nicely, I'm rooting for him.

Great stage and interesting way to see the race begin.

[Bill Bove]

I thought the Bud commercial was great. The one where some G.I.s were walking through an airport and people start clapping for them. I hate bud beer but that ad brought a tear to my eye so I will force myself to swallow a couple of gulps tonight before I switch over to Blue Moon.

[pdxmech13]

I can't believe they are giving a car away. Pretty good chances of winning as the audience can't be that large. Did anyone else notice the EPA of fuel for the car they are advertising. 17mpg isn't much more than some heavy duty trucks.

[bike <3'er]

I can't believe they are giving a car away. Pretty good chances of winning as the audience can't be that large. Did anyone else notice the EPA of fuel for the car they are advertising. 17mpg isn't much more than some heavy duty trucks.

What's even funnier is we are normally SICK of the Saab commercials which seem to run every 90 seconds, so what does Saab do? They make a commerical that has a repetitive script, it repeats several times within itself. Brilliant.

[pdxmech13]

funny fo shur :D

[bluto]

I thought the Bud commercial was great. The one where some G.I.s were walking through an airport and people start clapping for them. I hate bud beer but that ad brought a tear to my eye so I will force myself to swallow a couple of gulps tonight before I switch over to Blue Moon.

Agreed! I too found Bud's 'airport scene' commercial to be well done. Trek's commercial on "simpler ideas" providing "bigger solutions" was also a hit around here.

[Bill Bove]

I like Treks "Pink is the new yellow" print ads. Too bad I'm dropping Trek at the end of the month.

[Samster]

it's just gotta be killing RR to be forced into wearing a suit + tie.

[David Kirk]

I can't believe they are giving a car away. Pretty good chances of winning as the audience can't be that large. Did anyone else notice the EPA of fuel for the car they are advertising. 17mpg isn't much more than some heavy duty trucks.

At least if they give one away they will have one less in the huge storage lot at the shipyard.

17MPG city is a joke eh? It seems that the new tactic is to make cars that get crappy mileage and then say it's good enough times that folks will start to believe it.

About the stage today. That was real racing at the finish. That climb went on for much longer that I thought it would. Cool stuff to have the Tour back.

dave

[1centaur]

Looking at the replay it's clear when Valverde decided nobody else was going to catch Kirchen, and his catch was awesome. As for no time splits, uh, what race were those judges watching? If you're going to take out time bonuses, how can you possibly justify being lenient on the time splits? Apparently every second does not count (though if Val were thinking they would he should have dug for the line because he had multiple seconds on Evans).

[Climb01742]

interesting jersey valverde wore. the team clearly wanted the team to jump off the jersey, not that he is spanish champ. afterall, who's paying him? not spain. also interesting that over the years, spanish teams didn't want guys going for spanish championship to get in the way of wearing team jersey in the tour. again, who's paying them? i guess valverde's handlebars are enough, eh? could that yellow be louder?

[paczki]

That was pretty exciting! Thor definitely deserved that one. Kim Kirchen is a beast.

[cadence90]

That was pretty exciting! Thor definitely deserved that one. Kim Kirchen is a beast.
And Thor is even beastier. :)
Do his parents still follow him around the Tour, cooking him dinner? That's great. He's very cool.

So is Adam Hansen, who contributed extensively (and still does when he has time) on Weight Weenies. I met him at the Tour of CA. a few years ago after he moved up from Elk Haus to (the then) T-Mobile. A very humble, self-effacing, friendly guy, who has maintained those qualities even after going top PRO and being Ozzie champ, etc.

Both those guys are class acts, imho.

But I think it really is Valverde's Tour.

[paczki]

But I think it really is Valverde's Tour.

I don't know. Could be peaking early. The mountains are yet to come! I think it's going to be a real surprise.

[cadence90]

I don't know. Could be peaking early. The mountains are yet to come! I think it's going to be a real surprise.
Maybe. It's always an open proposition. But he's in great form, has the strongest team, the will, the experience, and generally Dauphine' winnners do well in the Tour. I'm not betting against him, that's for sure.

But someone some days ago mentioned Zubeldia; good call. I'd love to see a Eus/Eus Basque win it. I'll never forget Laiseka's completely all-out, painful, completely self-draining attacks in the Pyrenees a few years ago. Those guys deserve to turn orange into yellow, at least once.

[ada@prorider.or]

good interview with greg at velonews

[michael white]

But someone some days ago mentioned Zubeldia; good call. I'd love to see a Eus/Eus Basque win it. I'll never forget Laiseka's completely all-out, painful, completely self-draining attacks in the Pyrenees a few years ago. Those guys deserve to turn orange into yellow, at least once.



totally agree . . . those guys are a trip and a half!

[Ozz]

totally agree . . . those guys are a trip and a half!
:beer:

[Samster]

looks like they've lost the suits and ties... :beer:

[1centaur]

I always liked Zubeldia for his consistency, but it takes seconds in the mountains and seconds in the TTs to win GC in the Tour, and Zubeldia does not have breakaway speed in the mountains nor a top 5 TT capability in this crowd.

Valverde could, I guess, be a top 5 TTer based on recent form, but will he ever win a mountain stage by more than a few seconds? The profile fits him better than it does most years, but if Evans gets 30-60 seconds on him in TTs and plays his usual grim limpet game in the mountains he would be hard for Valverde to catch (even assuming Val has 3-week recovery ability).

I kind of think it will be someone surprising, someone very good in either TTs or climbing who will surprise in the other discipline, but I can't figure out who fits the profile. Maybe a Schleck. Maybe someone given too much leash, like Sammy Sanchez.

[fierte_poser]

I thought Chavanel had a good ride today. At least he tried to stay away until the very end. The camera work of the peloton closing in on him was fabulous.

Not much noise from Garmin-Chipotle yet...btw, I dig the way Sherwin/Liggett pronounce Chipotle. :beer:

[mikki]

At least if they give one away they will have one less in the huge storage lot at the shipyard.

17MPG city is a joke eh? It seems that the new tactic is to make cars that get crappy mileage and then say it's good enough times that folks will start to believe it.

About the stage today. That was real racing at the finish. That climb went on for much longer that I thought it would. Cool stuff to have the Tour back.

dave

+1 on both the crappy mileage car and the vote of confidence for the Tour; I have highly enjoyed both days. Thor looked so strong today!! (I have a bet with my husband that Valverde will win the tour)