Tour de France thread

I wouldn't take the times as incontrovertible proof that they're all juicing. A lot of factors go into those
times besides raw power/weight ratios. I don't know if Froome is clean, but I think it certainly possible these days. The most doping controls and sanctions can do is alter the cost benefit calculus to athletes such that doping isn't worth it. They can't catch all dopers. I think the bio passport and other techniques have swung the balance in favor of the clean athlete. Some will still juice, but I do think it's possible to race clean and win now. Doping is only the tip of the iceberg considering where technology is going. Lance and his EPO will look downright quaint in a few years. I don't think more esoteric technology is yet so advanced that these guys are using it. This is probably a golden age for clean competition. Cycling as especially the Tour were always dirty. In the old days the cheating was even more blatant, fishing line on cars, dudes getting rides etc.

 

Wtf?

 

Exactly.

 

Anyone watching this year?

Quite the day today. Pepper spraying farmers that blocked the road with hay bails.

Gilbert crashing and flying head first over a wall and down an embankment. He has pulled out of the tour. http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/philippe-gilbert-abandons-the-tour-de-france/

 

Spoiler alert!

 

He remounted after that bad crash and gave it a try. Take that, soccer players.

 

Yeah those guys are tough

 

I haven’t been watching like I normally do this year. I usually try to follow so see where the Americans are.

 

Glad he’s OK but he must ride a Harley. Typical real wheel panic lock.

 

Correction, Philippe Gilbert actually finished the stage (with 60 kms left) and called it quits an hour and a half after he was done. Respect.

 

DVR it and watch it every night.

 

just saw the Gilbert crash. I thought the camera bike was gonna go in behind him.

 

I felt for Sugar Bear (as my wife calls him). It was a hard tumble. I'm sure he was injured but manned up and finished anyway. He was only about 8km away from the finish anyway. I wish he would've won.

 

When i raced xc, endurance, enduro mtbs from 03 to 014, some of my peers were absolutely doing illegal performance enhancing chit.

 

It started yesterday. Anyone watching today’s team time trial?

 

Got the DVR set.

 

I watched some of it. Decades ago I raced USCF racing- Cat. 2. I did a few Natl Prestige Classics too. Never close to a podium finish on a big stage race though.

 

We have a Quebecer in the tour this year. Hugo Houle is a domestique for Jacob Fulgsang (Astana). It must have been a major bummer when Fulgsang crashed on the very first day. He remounted, but the time they lost, they'll probably never be able to make up. Houle must have been like "here goes 3 weeks of pain and suffering for absolutely nothing". Fack !

 

If he’s a domestique he’s not there to win the tour. He and his teammates are there to support the lead rider/s and possibly try to get into breakaways and get a stage win.

 

But his role as domestique helps secure Fulsgang's win (in theory). If Fulsgang is far enough behind already, then Houle's ride will be a lot of pain for not much reward. Hopefully Fulsgang is far enough behind that the team will release the others to go for stage wins.