Official Tour de France Thread - DPChallenge Forums

07/01/2006 03:16:15 PM · #1

So any predictions? The Americans cam in strong today in the prologue. Thor Hushovd won the prologue but has the same time as George Hincapie. Thor doesn`t climb. George is a mountain goat.

Who do you think will win the overall title and by how much? My money is riding on the 4 americans in the tour - Floyd Landis, George Hincapie, Levi Leipheimer, and David Zabriskie.

Andreas Kloden of Germany has a chance but not a strong team to back him up. Iban Mayo is the same way.

Vive le Tour!

Samsung Galaxy S21, S21+, S21 Ultra

07/01/2006 04:09:55 PM · #2

For sentimental reasons, I'd love to see George win. He's been a workhorse for so long, it would be nice for him to have his time in the sun. Landis has been very strong this year, and Levi can be very steady. Zabriskie has horrible luck, poor guy. I still can't get over his fall in the team time trial last year.

Bear_Music

Sony 24-70mm F4 Vario-Tessar T* FE OSS

07/01/2006 04:15:05 PM · #3

I'd be delighted to see Hincapie win, and I have to assume he has a great chance with Ulrich and Basso both out of the event... I'll be watching it, that's for sure. I love watching Tour de France. I first became aware of it in the late 50's when we lived over there, and actually got to stand by a road and watch the whole thing buzz by one year. It was pretty cool :-)

R.

07/01/2006 04:37:38 PM · #4

I can remember waiting for the half hour's worth of coverage per week on some Sunday afternoon sports show. Then there came the internet, where I could "read" the French accounts, although my French is pas tres bien. Then came the "live" web reports, from some guy in a car listening on the team radio, then typing into a laptop. Now that was cool! And eventually, the Phil and Paul show also broadcast via internet. Used earphones and listened at work when I could. Now, we have OLN. I have a cable solely for OLN. It costs me a whole lot more than I care to admit to watch television for three weeks in July. :-)

Hope to be there in person for at least a few stages next year!

07/01/2006 06:10:56 PM · #5

One of my best tour memories is Georgie winning a stage last year. I'm hoping to see him do something amazing. He's 33, and starting to hit the point where he's gonna think about winding down.

This is my FAVORITE event of the year. 23 days in July.

Predictions, Georgie, Levi, and Floyd top three in various order.

Team Classification winner- Discovery
Points- O'Grady. I don't think Boonen is gonna make it through the mountains this year.
King of the Mountains- Heck if I know. All my picks got the boot.
Best Young Rider- Again, not sure.

Wildcards- Zabriskie, Valverde.

Go Georgie!

Nikon AF Zoom-Nikkor 18-135mm f/3.5- 5.6G ED DX

07/01/2006 09:45:47 PM · #6

Hey, what was up with Landis missing his start time for the prologue??

JeffryZ

Nikon D80

07/01/2006 10:14:53 PM · #7

The disqualifications are sad. The riders are only under investigation- nothing has been shown so far that any of them did anything illegal under cycling rules. Basso- the hottest rising star. Ulrich- probably getting towards the end of his career with one win and FIVE second place finishes to Armstrong and at least one third place. That is impressive. He must feel cursed by the race. And Alexandre Vinikourov- not implicated but enough of his team mates were so that he and the team are not allowed to compete. It may be like the year Bjarne Reis won- he only got his because some of the best weren't there or at their best. Jan wanted this one bad and was in his best shape. Basso took the Giro. I believe that eleminates everyone from the top five of last year. Cycling is the most tested of all sports. I think that riders like Jan and Lance Armstrong know they are watched and are not dumb enough to try to dope. I hope not. It had the potential to be a fantastic and dramatic Tour. Hopefully it still will be, but some of the glitter of the race is gone for this year. I vote for Hincapie.

Message edited by author 2006-07-01 22:16:19.

07/01/2006 10:25:57 PM · #8

My vote goes to good ol' Georgie as well. George has been Lance' liuetenant for so many years. His win last year in the mountain stage erased any doubts that a big guy like Hincapie doesn't know how to climb.

GC: George Hincapie
Green Jersey: Thor Hushovd
White Jersey: Andreas Kloden
Polka Dot: Michael Rasmussen

Team Classification: Team Discovery

07/02/2006 09:23:07 AM · #9

Originally posted by Melethia:

Hey, what was up with Landis missing his start time for the prologue??

Tire problem.

07/02/2006 09:52:07 AM · #10

Yeah, they mentioned that on this morning's show. That had to be a bit nerve-wracking for him!

Pretty day in France today. I have a friend who's hopefully getting a few pictures!

Nikon AF Zoom-Nikkor 18-135mm f/3.5- 5.6G ED DX

07/02/2006 12:15:36 PM · #11

Big George is in Yellow!

Azrifel

Nikon Coolpix P340

07/02/2006 12:42:50 PM · #12

Gawd, someone hanging over the fence with a camera hit the wearer of the yellow jersey with his camera....
They say it was a PMU hand (the green thingies) but when you look good on a big screen you can see that someone is too late to draw his arm and camera back. Big open wound is the result.

The public at the tour is getting more and more stupid every year. Me me me me and f* everyone else.

JeffryZ

Nikon D80

07/02/2006 12:43:06 PM · #13

He picked up a time bonus for a third place finish in one of the intermediate sprints. It is early in the race to try to defend the jersey though.

07/02/2006 01:47:47 PM · #14

Good on George, but I hope Thor will be able to ride tomorrow. They really need to have a set of intermediate barriers at this point, I think, to keep the crowds from being able to reach the riders.

07/02/2006 04:20:38 PM · #15

From Velonews:

Hushovd suffered cuts on his right arm and was transferred to a hospital in Strasbourg, where the main gash needed several stitches. He was listed as a probable starter for Monday's stage 2.

"Those [signs] are dangerous, and it's not the first time this has happened," said stage winner Casper. "I think we should not have them in the last 500 meters."

Indeed, Tour officials agreed and issued a communiqué late Sunday evening ordering the giant plastic hands to be banned in the final two kilometers of flat stages, where mass sprints are more likely than not.

07/02/2006 11:50:22 PM · #16

Originally posted by JeffryZ:

He picked up a time bonus for a third place finish in one of the intermediate sprints. It is early in the race to try to defend the jersey though.

Right. Too early. The middle stages are the true tests specially without the TTT this year :(

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro

07/03/2006 07:38:16 AM · #17

I'm so mad. I had to go to work and missed the last 5 minutes of the stage. Silly me, I said "eh, it's a flat stage. Should be no big deal."

*bangs head*

Then we had no power, so I missed the rebroadcast! *sulk*

The promoters just have not learned. Couple years back it was Lance taking that tumble when his bike caught up on a bag. This year Thor. And he's lucky. Had that object been harder or hit an artery it would have been much, much worse.

alexgarcia

Canon EOS-350D Rebel XT

07/03/2006 07:48:29 AM · #18

Sorry for not being with your beloved Hincapie, but GO VALVERDE. I think this year Alejandro Valverde (from my country, Spain) has opportunities. We'll see when mountains arrive...

Álex.

Nikon AF Zoom-Nikkor 18-135mm f/3.5- 5.6G ED DX

07/03/2006 09:09:21 AM · #19

The beauty of the Tour is at the end of the day it's just fun watching everyone race. :) I love watching the Vuelta. The terrain is just amazing in Spain.

I was all set to pull for Ivan Basso this year. I love Ivan, and think he's an amazing rider to watch. The mountains are always the best. I love watching the Spaniards climb. I especially love watching them in Basque country.

Vive la Tour!

JeffryZ

Nikon D80

07/03/2006 09:13:10 PM · #20

Part of the excitement of the race is the colors and beautiful scenery and if you are lucky enough to be there to be close to the cyclists as they zoom past. Fans have caused problems in the past. Striking workers have blocked the race. On the really steep climbs like Alpe dHuez they help push their favorites up the hill. I think it was Bernard Hinault who punched out a fan who got in his way.

In the early years, you were your entire support. If you wanted to have a spare bike, you had to carry it with you while you rode. Same for spare tires and wheels. One rider had his frame break and he sought out a blacksmith to help him repair it, but the rules made him even do his own welding.

jusdino4it

Canon EOS-350D Rebel XT

Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 APO DG Macro for Canon

07/03/2006 09:14:19 PM · #21

WHO CARES????? Lance isent in it...LOL DONT KILL ME

07/03/2006 10:07:38 PM · #22

I care. I LOVE this thing.

They're throwing bikes at intermediate sprints! Think these guys are having fun or what?

Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 APO DG Macro for Canon

07/03/2006 10:28:48 PM · #23

All the folks who ride care. It's because we have all suffered the agony of climbing high mountain tops and enjoyed the fast descent. There is nothing more exhilirating than travelling faster than most cars on a downhill ride.

I love riding in the early morning and hearing the spokes slice through the wind. I love the sound of precise shifting. I love knowing that when I'm in pain going up a steep mountain that I wasn't in my lowest gear.

Cycling is a sport that most don't seem to understand. The team dynamics and the tactics are second to none. It puts a smile on my face whenever I see my on-board computer and it reads "1500 miles", 44mph top speed... all in one year :)

In the end, it doesn't really matter as much who wins the Tour. It's just the joy of watching it on the screen that I love this time of year ;)

Message edited by author 2006-07-03 22:29:08.

jusdino4it

Canon EOS-350D Rebel XT

07/03/2006 10:30:00 PM · #24

CHILL...It was a joke...we all know lance dopes anyway