OFFICIAL 2025 Tour de France thread

Kloddz

polaris_x wrote:

Kloddz wrote:

Weird first 2 stages this year... Too bad Andy has lost over 40 seconds to Contador today due to the fall, these things might prove costly at the end. :? I just hope he's alright (seems like he hurt his elbow) and can take the start tomorrow. Cobbles ahead, yeehay, I just hope they won't be too wet, or else we'll see some more guys going down... :(

they caught back up with the leaders ... andy didn't lose any time to contador or armstrong today ...

Yes, now I saw that, too - the 40 secs are just in the GC, still from the first time trial.

polaris_x

imalive wrote:

funny how they honor all these unwritten rules of fairness....................and dope like crazy at the same time! :shock:

soooo true!! ... haha

good stage today ... there is a slim possibility a canuck could be in yellow by days end! ... woooohooooooo ... he's in the lead group now but will need 4 mins on the peleton ...

looks like this canuck (ryder hesjedal) will assume team lead for garmin with vandevelde not starting today? ... crazy ... although i assume garmin is now riding for farrar in the sprints ...

polaris_x

it's pure chaos right now! ... flats all over the place ... looks like frank shleck is out of the tdf ... amazing stuff ... go RYDER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wobbie

every day so far (except the prologue) has been chaos! these dudes are tough. you just know some of them wanted to say "fuck THIS!" today.

Kloddz

Bad day for Luxembourg with Frank crashing out, looks like his shoulder is pretty fucked up... :( But hey, we still have one Schleck brother in the race, and did a pretty good job today! Go Andy!

Pats54

Kloddz wrote:

Weird first 2 stages this year... Too bad Andy has lost over 40 seconds to Contador today due to the fall, these things might prove costly at the end. :? I just hope he's alright (seems like he hurt his elbow) and can take the start tomorrow. Cobbles ahead, yeehay, I just hope they won't be too wet, or else we'll see some more guys going down... :(

Saxo was tough driving the pace. Radioshack was no where to be found. LA losing 1 min to AC is a crusher. AC is a monster in the Mt's and will put more time into him.

polaris_x

Kloddz wrote:

Bad day for Luxembourg with Frank crashing out, looks like his shoulder is pretty fucked up... :( But hey, we still have one Schleck brother in the race, and did a pretty good job today! Go Andy!

it'll be interesting to see how andy rides without frank pulling him ... i suspect the mtn stages will have all the gc contenders riding together with one by one cracking ... it'll take a lot of cajones to attack the main guys ... i'm hoping its possible ...

Pats54

Kind of funny how Saxo demanded that the peloton slow down and ride tempo in stage 2 to let Andy Schleck catch back up. Schleck's tour would have been over if not for this. Yet yesterday they drove a torrid pace as some GC contenders had mechanical problems or were caught up in some crashes. AC will crush them in the Mt's.

polaris_x

Pats54 wrote:

Kind of funny how Saxo demanded that the peloton slow down and ride tempo in stage 2 to let Andy Schleck catch back up. Schleck's tour would have been over if not for this. Yet yesterday they drove a torrid pace as some GC contenders had mechanical problems or were caught up in some crashes. AC will crush them in the Mt's.

i'm a bit torn on that ... half the peleton crashed with many of the GC guys ... contador wanted to wait for the shlecks too ... part of the reason for the crash tho was the motorcycle leading the tour crashed and spilt oil all over an already slick road ... making it virtually impossible to stay upright ...

i think cancellara's/saxo's opinion is that if you are gonna slow down and let everyone catch up - then there shouldn't be a sprint at the end which i kinda agree with ... also, cancellara was the big loser in all of it because he lost his yellow jersey at the time ...

yesterday's stage was different because flats are part of the racing day ...

as for AC in the mtns ... yer probably right but my understanding of this years climbs are that it favours the guys that can go up steady and the guys like contador who have a third lung don't necessarily have that huge an advantage ... or so i read ...

Kloddz

An interesting article I read today has Andy with one advantage over Contador, and that is Lance's support. Given the brooding animosity between Lance and Contador, once Lance has lost enough time to not be a contender himself anymore (which some might say he has already), he might tend to helping Andy catch up on Contador's escapes in the mountain stages rather than letting the guy just get away without contention. Just pure speculation of course, but worth looking at once the mountain stages hit.

Anyways, today is the sprinters' turn to show off. I hope it will be a safe arrival this time!

Kloddz

polaris_x wrote:

Pats54 wrote:

Kind of funny how Saxo demanded that the peloton slow down and ride tempo in stage 2 to let Andy Schleck catch back up. Schleck's tour would have been over if not for this. Yet yesterday they drove a torrid pace as some GC contenders had mechanical problems or were caught up in some crashes. AC will crush them in the Mt's.

i'm a bit torn on that ... half the peleton crashed with many of the GC guys ... contador wanted to wait for the shlecks too ... part of the reason for the crash tho was the motorcycle leading the tour crashed and spilt oil all over an already slick road ... making it virtually impossible to stay upright ...

i think cancellara's/saxo's opinion is that if you are gonna slow down and let everyone catch up - then there shouldn't be a sprint at the end which i kinda agree with ... also, cancellara was the big loser in all of it because he lost his yellow jersey at the time ...

yesterday's stage was different because flats are part of the racing day ...

Yes, that was pretty much the Saxos' explanation.

Wobbie

Kloddz wrote:

An interesting article I read today has Andy with one advantage over Contador, and that is Lance's support. Given the brooding animosity between Lance and Contador, once Lance has lost enough time to not be a contender himself anymore (which some might say he has already), he might tend to helping Andy catch up on Contador's escapes in the mountain stages rather than letting the guy just get away without contention. Just pure speculation of course, but worth looking at once the mountain stages hit.

so....lance is vindictive?? I'm shocked, i tell you, shocked! i love this event. i'm kind of half watching, right now, but I'll have 3-4 more chances to really watch later (which is a good thing).

Pats54

polaris_x wrote:

Pats54 wrote:

Kind of funny how Saxo demanded that the peloton slow down and ride tempo in stage 2 to let Andy Schleck catch back up. Schleck's tour would have been over if not for this. Yet yesterday they drove a torrid pace as some GC contenders had mechanical problems or were caught up in some crashes. AC will crush them in the Mt's.

i'm a bit torn on that ... half the peleton crashed with many of the GC guys ... contador wanted to wait for the shlecks too ... part of the reason for the crash tho was the motorcycle leading the tour crashed and spilt oil all over an already slick road ... making it virtually impossible to stay upright ...

i think cancellara's/saxo's opinion is that if you are gonna slow down and let everyone catch up - then there shouldn't be a sprint at the end which i kinda agree with ... also, cancellara was the big loser in all of it because he lost his yellow jersey at the time ...

yesterday's stage was different because flats are part of the racing day ...

as for AC in the mtns ... yer probably right but my understanding of this years climbs are that it favours the guys that can go up steady and the guys like contador who have a third lung don't necessarily have that huge an advantage ... or so i read ...

Plus Saxo was driving a huge pace prior to hitting the major cobbles, RS could not or did not hang. The new rules they were discussing during the telecast seem messed up re: team cars and flats. You get a flat you are pretty much screwed can set you back up to 2 minutes. LA said it took over 40 secs to get back on the road after his flat.

Pats54

imalive wrote:

Kloddz wrote:

An interesting article I read today has Andy with one advantage over Contador, and that is Lance's support. Given the brooding animosity between Lance and Contador, once Lance has lost enough time to not be a contender himself anymore (which some might say he has already), he might tend to helping Andy catch up on Contador's escapes in the mountain stages rather than letting the guy just get away without contention. Just pure speculation of course, but worth looking at once the mountain stages hit.

so....lance is vindictive?? I'm shocked, i tell you, shocked! i love this event. i'm kind of half watching, right now, but I'll have 3-4 more chances to really watch later (which is a good thing).

Agree 100% great event. This year has had a lot more drama earlier on in the race. Love the cobbles to mix it up a bit. Really disappointed that there is no team time trial one of my fav's to watch. VS. is good with all of the replays they really need to ease of the commercials a little way too many

polaris_x

Pats54 wrote:

Plus Saxo was driving a huge pace prior to hitting the major cobbles, RS could not or did not hang. The new rules they were discussing during the telecast seem messed up re: team cars and flats. You get a flat you are pretty much screwed can set you back up to 2 minutes. LA said it took over 40 secs to get back on the road after his flat.

ya ... not sure where the heck the rest of the RS guys were ... kloden had an earlier flat so he wasn't around ... but basically, you need a teammate to give up wheels like lancaster did for sastre yesterday ... and there were no RS guys around ... frig ... i think lance was the only RS guy to finish in the top 3 groups ...

also, i don't see lance pulling for anyone but himself ... he might pull for levi if he's in contention but i don't see him pulling for andy ... lance is gonna crack large on the tourmalet ...

Wobbie

Pats54 wrote:

VS. is good with all of the replays they really need to ease of the commercials a little way too many

omg, so true. just last night, i told my wife if you dvr'd the 2 hour show, you could probably watch it in 30 mins. :roll:

Pats54

polaris_x wrote:

Pats54 wrote:

Plus Saxo was driving a huge pace prior to hitting the major cobbles, RS could not or did not hang. The new rules they were discussing during the telecast seem messed up re: team cars and flats. You get a flat you are pretty much screwed can set you back up to 2 minutes. LA said it took over 40 secs to get back on the road after his flat.

ya ... not sure where the heck the rest of the RS guys were ... kloden had an earlier flat so he wasn't around ... but basically, you need a teammate to give up wheels like lancaster did for sastre yesterday ... and there were no RS guys around ... frig ... i think lance was the only RS guy to finish in the top 3 groups ...

also, i don't see lance pulling for anyone but himself ... he might pull for levi if he's in contention but i don't see him pulling for andy ... lance is gonna crack large on the tourmalet ...

I know it is early but I am wondering how good this RS team really is. Nothing like the postal teams earlier in the decade when they had GH & Eki etc.

Pats54

imalive wrote:

Pats54 wrote:

VS. is good with all of the replays they really need to ease of the commercials a little way too many

omg, so true. just last night, i told my wife if you dvr'd the 2 hour show, you could probably watch it in 30 mins. :roll:

Could also use a little more of Phil and Paul in prime time not just the last 30secs of the race.

Pats54

Props to Tyler Farrar riding over those cobbles with a broken wrist.

Wobbie

Pats54 wrote:

Could also use a little more of Phil and Paul in prime time not just the last 30secs of the race.

more phil + paul = less craig hummer :thumbup: