OFFICIAL 2025 Tour de France thread

Pats54

Glad they are finally in the Mt's. PL quote of the day " If Sylvian Chavennel doesn't have hearing problems he will after this stage, with all these people yelling in his ear on this climb"

Wobbie

Pats54 wrote:

PL quote of the day " If Sylvian Chavennel doesn't have hearing problems he will after this stage, with all these people yelling in his ear on this climb"

and paul said tomorrow will see the "first pedal strokes turned in anger."

Pats54

imalive wrote:

Pats54 wrote:

PL quote of the day " If Sylvian Chavennel doesn't have hearing problems he will after this stage, with all these people yelling in his ear on this climb"

and paul said tomorrow will see the "first pedal strokes turned in anger."

From one of the "Heads of State"

Wobbie

Pats54 wrote:

imalive wrote:

Pats54 wrote:

PL quote of the day " If Sylvian Chavennel doesn't have hearing problems he will after this stage, with all these people yelling in his ear on this climb"

and paul said tomorrow will see the "first pedal strokes turned in anger."

From one of the "Heads of State"

goes without saying!

Pats54

LA is cooked. Levi now team leader of RS?

Pats54

Another f'n crash for LA

norm

damn! lance got worked today!

Pats54

norm wrote:

damn! lance got worked today!

3 crashes in one stage, that was strange. Don't think he had that many in the 7 he won. What a crazy day for him. Go Levi

Wobbie

gonna be interesting to see how lance adapts to his new role as domestique :shock: . I'm thinking he should have been satisfied with last year's result. radio shack has got to be majorly bummed....they're probably on the ledge . Since levi has about the same dull personality as lance, but without the aura, I'm jumping on the andy schleck train.

Thoughts_Arrive

Go Cadel!

polaris_x

great stage yesterday ... especially brilliant ride by andy shleck - didn't do any work up at the front and just rode behind everyone including s. sanchez ... lance never had a shot at this tour - he has cracked all year on the long climbs ... making excuses on the crash is just lance being lance ...

gotta give props to the canuck who held more than his own and is still 6th in GC!! ... go Ryder!

still like contador to win but andy should be there ... wide open for 3rd i think ... i don't see cadel keeping up in the pyrenees ...

Riverrunner

Last night my husband and I wondered if Lance would now drop out. But he says he is staying in the help the team. Maybe he can redeem himself (at least a little) in my eyes if he actually stays in and works for Levi. Although I don't think Levi can do it. In the past I have been a fan of Levi and Chris Horner, but after last year's debacle with Lance and Levi bad mouthing Contador all of the time I became much less of a fan. I think Contador handled himself so much better than they did, and he has continued to earn my respect this year. So I like Contador and Andy Schleck and Cadel. Now I'm rambling. I guess I don't have a favorite. I'm just going to sit back and enjoy the race.

AND I have to add that I always enjoy seeing Vino ride, although he bonked a bit in the mountains yesterday.

polaris_x

Riverrunner wrote:

Last night my husband and I wondered if Lance would now drop out. But he says he is staying in the help the team. Maybe he can redeem himself (at least a little) in my eyes if he actually stays in and works for Levi. Although I don't think Levi can do it. In the past I have been a fan of Levi and Chris Horner, but after last year's debacle with Lance and Levi bad mouthing Contador all of the time I became much less of a fan. I think Contador handled himself so much better than they did, and he has continued to earn my respect this year. So I like Contador and Andy Schleck and Cadel. Now I'm rambling. I guess I don't have a favorite. I'm just going to sit back and enjoy the race.

AND I have to add that I always enjoy seeing Vino ride, although he bonked a bit in the mountains yesterday.

i really don't think he has the fitness to help levi ... i don't see levi keeping up on the bigger climbs especially the ones tomorrow ... if anyone is gonna protect levi it will be andreas kloden ...

in any case - it will be interesting to see how lance does in the ironman series ...

Riverrunner

polaris_x wrote:

Riverrunner wrote:

Last night my husband and I wondered if Lance would now drop out. But he says he is staying in the help the team. Maybe he can redeem himself (at least a little) in my eyes if he actually stays in and works for Levi. Although I don't think Levi can do it. In the past I have been a fan of Levi and Chris Horner, but after last year's debacle with Lance and Levi bad mouthing Contador all of the time I became much less of a fan. I think Contador handled himself so much better than they did, and he has continued to earn my respect this year. So I like Contador and Andy Schleck and Cadel. Now I'm rambling. I guess I don't have a favorite. I'm just going to sit back and enjoy the race.

AND I have to add that I always enjoy seeing Vino ride, although he bonked a bit in the mountains yesterday.

i really don't think he has the fitness to help levi ... i don't see levi keeping up on the bigger climbs especially the ones tomorrow ... if anyone is gonna protect levi it will be andreas kloden ...

in any case - it will be interesting to see how lance does in the ironman series ...

Yes, your are right. LA probably doesn't have the fitness to help too much. Do you think he may try for a stage win?

I bet Lance will do well in an Ironman. Age is much less of a factor it seems in those events. The only thing - he can't hire a team to pull him along on the bike! - like in Leadville last year.

Riverrunner

Side note: Over the weekend we were in St. Louis celebrating my husband's birthday. We went down to the sports bar in the hotel to catch one of the replays of the end of the stage before going out for the evening. We had to ask the manager to change the channel to find versus for us. The couple next to us at the bar said "we've never seen anyone want to watch cycling on tv." The bartender was shocked too. The next day we came in he remembered us as the bike people. Ha!

polaris_x

Riverrunner wrote:

Yes, your are right. LA probably doesn't have the fitness to help too much. Do you think he may try for a stage win?

I bet Lance will do well in an Ironman. Age is much less of a factor it seems in those events. The only thing - he can't hire a team to pull him along on the bike! - like in Leadville last year.

i predict either one of two things with lance:

1. cites injury and pulls out before the pyrenees
2. report comes out of his doping - he pulls out

i don't see him being satisfied with rolling in with the other domestiques on the tough climb days ... also, don't see him deciding to break away on a flattish stage to rehash some long lost glory ... but that's just me ...

i think lance will be surprised how fast the top-end ironman athletes can ride a bike ... it'll be interesting to see if he can run a sub-3 hr marathon after a swim and a long bike ride like the top end guys can in hawaii

Pats54

polaris_x wrote:

Riverrunner wrote:

Last night my husband and I wondered if Lance would now drop out. But he says he is staying in the help the team. Maybe he can redeem himself (at least a little) in my eyes if he actually stays in and works for Levi. Although I don't think Levi can do it. In the past I have been a fan of Levi and Chris Horner, but after last year's debacle with Lance and Levi bad mouthing Contador all of the time I became much less of a fan. I think Contador handled himself so much better than they did, and he has continued to earn my respect this year. So I like Contador and Andy Schleck and Cadel. Now I'm rambling. I guess I don't have a favorite. I'm just going to sit back and enjoy the race.

AND I have to add that I always enjoy seeing Vino ride, although he bonked a bit in the mountains yesterday.

i really don't think he has the fitness to help levi ... i don't see levi keeping up on the bigger climbs especially the ones tomorrow ... if anyone is gonna protect levi it will be andreas kloden ...

in any case - it will be interesting to see how lance does in the ironman series ...

Kloden has not looked too good so far. I don't think that this team is really that strong. Horner, Lance, Klodin and Levi are all pretty old pushing mid to late 30's. Nothing like those old postal teams with GH, Eki Et al. Levi will have some pressure tomorrow.

Pats54

Rest Days suck!!

Wobbie

Pats54 wrote:

Kloden has not looked too good so far. I don't think that this team is really that strong. Horner, Lance, Klodin and Levi are all pretty old pushing mid to late 30's. Nothing like those old postal teams with GH, Eki Et al. Levi will have some pressure tomorrow.

yep, it's a good team....but an old team. kinda reminds me of the teams my SF Giants put around Bonds....and they didn't win shit!

polaris_x

Pats54 wrote:

Kloden has not looked too good so far. I don't think that this team is really that strong. Horner, Lance, Klodin and Levi are all pretty old pushing mid to late 30's. Nothing like those old postal teams with GH, Eki Et al. Levi will have some pressure tomorrow.

kloden is actually looking a lot like kloden ... steady ... he lost major minutes the other day because of food poisoning but bounced back pretty decent yesterday ... he'll be with levi and will help drag him up the mtns but i don't see how he won't be dropped ... we're talking 10% grades tomorrow ... if there wasn't the stage to the tourmalet, tomorrow would probably be the hardest stage ...