Best TdF?

[Chief]

For my money this year's TdF is the best that I can recall watching--never know what to expect on any given stage. What do you think?

[TMB]

With the exception of the last climb on today's route this is quite possibly the dullest TdF in memory, and I say that in full realization that the Armstrong years made the TdF something to sleep through.

[PBWrench]

I'm with Chief. With no super-dominant team (until today) and many capable riders, I've found this to be the most exciting tour in years.

[chuckroast]

Yeah, I'm diggin' it. Great tour this year.

[regularguy412]

This has been a very interesting tour -- given the way the stages have been set up and that no single team has really come to the fore until today. I'd have to think about the 'best I've seen', tho. LeMond's eight second, last day TT win over Fignon would be right up there. It was supposed to be Fignon's swan song. However,The ASO will likely never have another last day TT, due to the outcome of that one.

I think that this past Tuesday's mountain stage was a bit lack luster. Maybe all the favorites were just saving it up for the three monster climbs on today's stage.

This year's over all win is still up for grabs, given that the top three placed on GC are within 2 minutes. Strange stuff can 'still' happen in a TT. Remember Ulrich's taste of pavement and the rider whose rear lenticular Mavic rim delaminated only meters from the start house last year?

Even tomorrow's medium mountain stage could have some fireworks with a cat 2 and cat 4 climb right before the finish.

I'll be staying tuned.

Mike in AR:beer:

[BigMiles]

I am diggin this year's tour as well and I am especially looking forward to the next time trial. I never thought of the Armstrong era as "boring" due to the exciting mtn. stages. However, once they were past the mtns the final outcome was given
Rooting for Vandevelde to have a huge TT :banana:

[Louis]

I was going to give the following comment it's own thread, but it might not deserve one, so I'll put it here instead:

I'm happy you guys can still get excited about TDF-level racing, but I just can't get reved up about it. The near certain knowledge that a significant percentage of the guys are doping taints the whole thing for me. I don't want to sound like the folks who say "I stopped watching baseball after the strike and haven't gone back" or "I don't buy Japanese cars because of WWII" but clearly this is different. It's not ancient history - it's happening as we speak. Goodness know what undetectable Balco stuff is being used these days. Will the cheats always be ahead? I don't know, but they are ahead today.

If it isn't fair it isn't a good race.

Louis

[avalonracing]

I could care less about particular riders and I don't really care too much about the teams but I do like watching the best riders in the world practice their craft.
I literally can feel my heart rate go up when I'm watching attacks on a climb or when a few racera are jockeying back and forth waiting to see who is going to jump first on the sprint. It is like a Pavlovian reaction... and I love it.

[andy mac]

I was going to give the following comment it's own thread, but it might not deserve one, so I'll put it here instead:

I'm happy you guys can still get excited about TDF-level racing, but I just can't get reved up about it. The near certain knowledge that a significant percentage of the guys are doping taints the whole thing for me. I don't want to sound like the folks who say "I stopped watching baseball after the strike and haven't gone back" or "I don't buy Japanese cars because of WWII" but clearly this is different. It's not ancient history - it's happening as we speak. Goodness know what undetectable Balco stuff is being used these days. Will the cheats always be ahead? I don't know, but they are ahead today.

If it isn't fair it isn't a good race.

Louis


wanna make a bet on cadel being clean?

bet you he is. name the stakes!

:beer:

andy

[Fixed]

i like it when j.b. said they are going slow up the mountain yesterday .. ...
not like l.a. use to
we may never see the look , again ..
i liked the badger and lemond years the best, when they were on the same team fighting it out ... i still think some of the cats are juiced though imho
cheers

[El Chaba]

The Tour is still THE race, so it is always interesting...BUT there is a serious lack of firepower this year...sort of like an Armstrong era tour minus Armstrong.....

[Kevan]

the snow leopard on the glacier comment, last night?

Had to laugh. Glad I wasn't huffing up that mountainside. De pain...de pain!

[majorpat]

It is a great tour because a few dopers have been bounced, a few stayed away and some pretty good racing is going down. To all who miss the Armstrong years...phooey, I'd rather see 8 guys jammed together on a climb with each looking like they are about to blow chow, hurting.
I'm no expert, but if Astana was there what would the race be like? Maybe they are relieved to have been left out, Ricco sure didn't expect to get nabbed.

[soulspinner]

Doping at this point is still part of the sport whether we like it or not. What is very competitive is the racing, isnt that what we care about. Pesonally, I feel CSC waiting for the last day with 3 attackers was too little too late. Only time...trial will tell...love the racing this year!!!!! :beer:

[Bartape1]

I'm enjoying the race this year and so is my daughter who has watched every stage with me. Dopers suck...we all agree on this and that the organization has to continue to clear them out. I never thought I would say this but they are doing a decent job.

There are many young riders in the tour this year, which bodes well for the future. No clearly dominant leaders, which makes it exciting.

I'm diggin' it! :beer:

[jbrainin]

As French police are currently performing an all afternoon search of an automobile being driven by the Schleck's father, it seems there is a strong possibility that one or both of them may not be racing by tomorrow. If so, this very entertaining race will be irrevocably tainted.

I hope the French police are just being overzealous and find nothing.

[paczki]

As French police are currently performing an all afternoon search of an automobile being driven by the Schleck's father, it seems there is a strong possibility that one or both of them may not be racing by tomorrow. If so, this very entertaining race will be irrevocably tainted.

I hope the French police are just being overzealous and find nothing.

From cyclingnews:

"We have been asked about the Johnny Schleck situation, and understand that news reports say that no doping products were found in the car."

[Ti Designs]

Having watched a total of 1 stage in the past 5 years I don't know that I can even take part in this, but here goes anyway:

I loved some of the older tours, before all the scandals (not saying they didn't cheat, I'm saying it was viewed as a pure sport). A few that stand out in my mind were 1985, 1987 and 1992. 85 was the battle between teammates Lemond and Hinault, where Lemond could have won but for the team orders. It was a struggle to watch a kid of such pure talent struggle with his team and the press. I was also a struggle to listen to John Tesh the whole time - ya gotta take the good with the bad... 1987 was interesting in that France was trying to find it's next great superstar of cycling, but Roche wasn't going to get beaten. Talk about superhuman efforts, the guy nearly pulled a Tom Simpson at the end of the uphill time trial. Then there was 1992, a great race if you had grown up watching cycling the decade before. Al the big names from the past were there, the efforts were there, somehow they were getting old - that's the type of racing I can relate to.

If they have the camera work of today's coverage, the racing of the 60's, 70's and 80's, the lack of scandals of the past, and the tactical challenges that faced the riders in Merckx's days (without radios or team cars with TVs) I would be glued to my TV in July too.

[jbrainin]

From cyclingnews:

"We have been asked about the Johnny Schleck situation, and understand that news reports say that no doping products were found in the car."

Good news.

I wonder if Papa Schleck has grounds for legal action against the French police. They should be accountable for such draconian actions.

[BURCH]

...I'm happy you guys can still get excited about TDF-level racing, but I just can't get reved up about it. The near certain knowledge that a significant percentage of the guys are doping taints the whole thing for me. I don't want to sound like the folks who say "I stopped watching baseball after the strike and haven't gone back" or "I don't buy Japanese cars because of WWII" but clearly this is different. It's not ancient history - it's happening as we speak. Goodness know what undetectable Balco stuff is being used these days. Will the cheats always be ahead? I don't know, but they are ahead today...


+1
I haven't watched or read one second of coverage this year.

[1centaur]

Just as a question of cognitive dissonance, not because I have an opinion:

when SD was booted a lot of posters on forums said it was obvious they were doping because of how some of them rode the mountains.

Which team remaining in the Tour now looks like riding in the mountains is much easier for them than for others? The French police apparently have an opinion.

No matter what the cynics say, wanting to "believe" in the fairness of the race is the point, which is why we keep doing it, including me.

As an aside, and referencing a post elsewhere about Sastre's time up the Alpe, given the doping haze around almost all the people with similar times over the years, Sastre's time should be viewed as remarkable.

[paczki]

Good news.

I wonder if Papa Schleck has grounds for legal action against the French police. They should be accountable for such draconian actions.

He didn't seem to mind, he said it was a normal procedure.

[harlond]

He didn't seem to mind, he said it was a normal procedure.Scary.

[paczki]

Scary.

He's been in the business a long time.

[CNY rider]

He didn't seem to mind, he said it was a normal procedure.


Yeah it's not like they took an innocent guy and put him on a plane to Syria to be tortured for a year!

Oh you mean we did that here?????/

[TAW]

I love to watch it, and I've enjoyed this year's tour more than I have in the past, just because I think that the sport is at least trying to clean itself up. I'm against doping because it's cheating. It does bother me. But it seems to me that the NFL, MLB and nearly any other pro sport has at least as many, if not more, dopers, and yet those organizations have swept it under the rug for the most part.

[frogpirate]

The TDF will never be fair as long as the organization that puts it on is biased. There is a clear 'favortism' of French teams, and a clear 'anti' American and anti-Johan vibe from the owners of the TDF (and the French papers etc. ) that continues to taint the tour. IMHO. That said, I am glued to the TV for most mountain stages, and will go to France again to watch as soon as $$ allows.

As long as riders and teams are denied entry based on "rumors" and "alleged" charges, it will not be a fair race of the top riders. Where is 2/3'rds of last years podium?

My 2c, worth what you paid. :argue:

[cmg]

it's been a great tour. no real dominace by anyone. I would of never guessed that Sastre would be in yellow 2 weeks ago. Nice an unpredictable that's the way it's been. very cool.

[abqhudson]

For me, it's been great fun. I will miss it when it's over - withdrawal for sure.

[X'd Out]

Toomanybikes, with the exception of 1 day it's been extra boring in my opinion. However that one day was great.

[rounder]

I like this tour. If Johnnie Schlek's car was inspected, to me that is not a whole lot different than going through airport security on any given day these days. With all the previous people getting busted for drugs over the past few years, then a certain amount of intrusion should be inspected. We are not talking about civil liberties here. Anyway, with less than two minutes separating the top four riders the time trial on Saturday should decide the outcome. But what if after Saturday, times are within 10 seconds or so, do they race on Sunday. I think that would be great because usually the final stage is just a parade.

[BBB]

The TDF will never be fair as long as the organization that puts it on is biased. There is a clear 'favortism' of French teams, and a clear 'anti' American and anti-Johan vibe from the owners of the TDF (and the French papers etc. ) that continues to taint the tour. IMHO. That said, I am glued to the TV for most mountain stages, and will go to France again to watch as soon as $$ allows.

As long as riders and teams are denied entry based on "rumors" and "alleged" charges, it will not be a fair race of the top riders. Where is 2/3'rds of last years podium?

My 2c, worth what you paid. :argue:

I think the two American teams in this year's TdF are doing just fine :)

Best for my money would be '86, '87, '89 and '03.

2006, 2007 and 2008 have been very close and interesting to watch, but, with the exception of Landis' ultimately flawed comeback, they have not necessarily been that exciting.

[Fixed]

the camera work seems better this year .... imho
cheers

[Tom]

From the dispatches it sounds like it is worth seeing a few hours of the coverage.

[Fixed]

did you notice the train yesterday in the background with the cyclist that was art imho
cheers

[MerckxMad]

With the exception of following VDV's ride and Sastre's attack on Alpe Duez, this one's been a snooze. On each of the big mountain stages, the favorites just marked each other riding tempo (albeit a fast one). Somebody ought to show Evans the definition of attack in the playbook.

[harlond]

I like this tour. If Johnnie Schlek's car was inspected, to me that is not a whole lot different than going through airport security on any given day these days. With all the previous people getting busted for drugs over the past few years, then a certain amount of intrusion should be inspected. We are not talking about civil liberties here. Anyway, with less than two minutes separating the top four riders the time trial on Saturday should decide the outcome. But what if after Saturday, times are within 10 seconds or so, do they race on Sunday. I think that would be great because usually the final stage is just a parade.Some view freedom from unreasonable search and seizure as a civil liberty.

[Marcusaurelius]

I loved the shots of the chateaus (chateaux?) and farmer's fields. I however wouldn't see it's the best because as others have said--everyone played it safe too much. It was easily one of the most competive but I like to see a little more aggression I guess (must be all that boxing I did as a youth).

[93legendti]

It was unpredictable, but reminded me of the '02 Giro, which, for me, lacked luster.

That said, I find every Grand Tour compelling.

[Simon Q]

With the exception of following VDV's ride and Sastre's attack on Alpe Duez, this one's been a snooze. On each of the big mountain stages, the favorites just marked each other riding tempo (albeit a fast one). Somebody ought to show Evans the definition of attack in the playbook.
Did you see him attack to Hautacam the day after his crash?

Despite Cadel having some extremely impressive test stats, he actually apparently has a relatively low max power level. This means he finds it difficult to make and also to close gaps, as you would notice when he is attacked.

This guy deserves credit rather than armchair ridicule for almost winning the Tour singlehandedly against an awesome team. He was clearly close to empty on the final TT so left nothing on the road. Cadel has nothing be ashamed of.

[3chordwonder]

This guy deserves credit rather than armchair ridicule for almost winning the Tour singlehandedly against an awesome team. He was clearly close to empty on the final TT so left nothing on the road. Cadel has nothing be ashamed of.

+1, well said.

[Tom Byrnes]

Re: Cadel Evans: "This guy deserves credit rather than armchair ridicule for almost winning the Tour singlehandedly against an awesome team. He was clearly close to empty on the final TT so left nothing on the road. Cadel has nothing be ashamed of." I agree completely.

I look forward to the TDF each year and always find it very entertaining. I liked this year's because the outcome was in doubt up to the end.

Also, I was very impressed and surprised by Kohl's consistent and gutsy performance.

[MerckxMad]

Did you see him attack to Hautacam the day after his crash?

Despite Cadel having some extremely impressive test stats, he actually apparently has a relatively low max power level. This means he finds it difficult to make and also to close gaps, as you would notice when he is attacked.

This guy deserves credit rather than armchair ridicule for almost winning the Tour singlehandedly against an awesome team. He was clearly close to empty on the final TT so left nothing on the road. Cadel has nothing be ashamed of.

Actually, I don't recall Evan's "attack" to Hautacam. My recall of Evans in this and every other race that I've watched him in is an image of his wheel sucking. I do recall Sastre riding away from Evans and Menchov and the Schlecks, however. Evans just hasn't lived up to the hype or his supposedly flawless tour prep even though he may have ridden at his physiological limit. As for single-handedly riding against CSC, I seem to recall a few other riders that were served up by CSC's tactics in addition to Evans.

[BBB]

Actually, I don't recall Evan's "attack" to Hautacam. My recall of Evans in this and every other race that I've watched him in is an image of his wheel sucking. I do recall Sastre riding away from Evans and Menchov and the Schlecks, however. Evans just hasn't lived up to the hype or his supposedly flawless tour prep even though he may have ridden at his physiological limit. As for single-handedly riding against CSC, I seem to recall a few other riders that were served up by CSC's tactics in addition to Evans.

And what about his charge down the Bonnett-Restefond? He was trying to put pressure on Frank Schleck and ended up gapping Menchov for 30 seconds. I think the flawless tour preperation may have gone out the window when he hit the deck in the first mountain stage.

[3chordwonder]

My recall of Evans in this and every other race that I've watched him in is an image of his wheel sucking.

Well, I guess everybody sees and recalls what they want to see, and that's your personal recollection. Good for you.

[jcmuellner]

I really enjoyed this year's TdF. Made myself get up every day for the live coverage and on the West coast that sometimes meant 3:30am...a few friends would stop by between 5 and 6am. It was close enough in the top 10 and tactically interesting from beginning to end to keep my attention, even on some of the flat transition stages. Seeing Chavanel finally get a stage win was exciting as was VdV's boyish tenacity. All in all I thought it was one of the best tours in years.

I've done some good riding in France and I always enjoy watching the countryside and following along on a map. There's always a few new places to explore there and the riding is glorious.