Tour de France ~2017~ NGC NGC

[Mayor_of_BBQ]

Welp I somehow missed the prologue yesterday but the DVR is now set and I haven't had cable+DVR to watch the whole race in several years. I'm pretty pumped. I haven't followed cycling seriously in several years, so I'm pretty out of the loop but I should catch up quick.

Anyone want to BS about le tour?

[Roebling3]

Bicycle helmets(?) being nearly useless; A close friends' son lost much of one ear in a crash while competing in Le Tour de France. He finished, too. R3~ 

[pehayes]

You missed day 1.  It was an individual time trial of only 14km in Dusseldorf.  Light rain throughout.  There were some senseless crashes in corners, mostly caused by the slick white paint used for crosswalks and road markings.  Valverde slid into a traffic barrier and tore up a leg so he's already out of the tour.  There were not that many turns on the course.  Seems the planners could have sand blasted away the striping all in one day and repainted all on the next day.  Poor planning.  The spectator barriers have feet that stick out.  OK if you hit the barrier.  Not so OK if the barrier tips and you impale on its support foot.  How about some cheap hay bales?

I'll be at Laguna Seca over the weekend for World Superbike and will miss several stages.

Patrick Hayes
Fremont CA

[Mayor_of_BBQ]

That was a shame about Valverde, he's a fighter, prob could have been in it for a stage win, Quintana is surely going to miss himm in the mountains.

Stage 2 was crazy, sucks to see Taylor Finney caught so close to the finish!  Nice to see an American in the polka dot KOM jersey tho!

Watched first half of S3 this moring, looks like we'll have an American in the polka dot for at least a couple days....  Will catch the finale tonight, see if this break away sticks till the end.

[roadscum]

Fun to  watch on TV but not so much fun if touring on your moto in that area. Roads closed and crowds.... yuck!

Paul

[pehayes]

Oh, boy!  The commentary and analysis are going to be all over the map on today's stage.  Depends on who your favorite rider is so as to establish perspective.  I have my opinions but will wait until I'm sure anyone interested has seen it.

Patrick Hayes
Fremont CA

[Irn]

Patrick, Sagan tossed.  His win yesterday was epic after coming out of his pedal and having to clip back in and sprint.  I think the UCI is so biased, it is a brutal sport.  So Patrick what say you?

[Chuck in Indiana]

it is a brutal sport

It certainly *is* that. Baseball? Tennis? Football? They got nothing compared to those athletes.

[pehayes]

So Patrick what say you?

West coast program starts at 0430.  I record it.  Rise every morning about 0600 naturally.  Sit with my espresso and watch and zap the commercials.  I have a hard time to imagine pedaling 225km and have the remaining huevos to sprint the final 3km.  Incredible machines and I don't mean the bicycles.

Meanwhile.  Cavendish saw a thin opening between Sagan and the wall and decided to take a chance.  Racing decision.  Demare jogged left to find a gap and suddenly created a space for Sagan to jog right and begin a full afterburn.  Racing decision.  If Sagan stays straight, he can't accelerate past the Demare.  For Cavendish, the gap closed  and he paid the price.  Search the Internet and watch a slo-mo.  Cavendish was in a full facial grimace and bad lean angle before Sagan's elbow ever came.  If anything, Sagan was anticipating a barge hit from Cavendish and thus bracing himself for stability against a lateral impact which never came.  I don't blame either rider.  Was Sagan supposed to say "excuse me, you first Gaston".  Its racing.  Swapping paint in NASCAR.  Swapping skin when on a bicycle.  I saw it as just a racing incident and no foul.  Too bad for Cavendish as I do like the little Manxman.  If you think Sagan should have remained straight behind Demare, then the same logic says Cavendish should have just sucked it up and stayed straight behind Sagan. 

I suspect there will be a lot of controversy and hand wringing after this decision to expel.

Patrick Hayes
Fremont CA

[Irn]

Patrick, spot on commentary.  The elbow throw was after the fact, Cavendish was going down.  The gap closed, and he didn't lift.  Sad to see Sagan out one of the most interesting racers to follow.  Been riding and following the tour since the days of once a week coverage Sunday mornings on CBS with the insipid commentary of John Tesh!  Love Bob Roll, but Steve Schlanger wow is he annoying.  I have the same routine, but go for a 40-mile ride first then come home and speed through the coverage.

[Mayor_of_BBQ]

You're dead-on PE.. that elbow flare wasnt a lash at Cavendish, but a corrective reflex...  I see cavendish going down already, had his shoulder coming across Peter's hip, both bikes leaning..

I call BS I want Sagan back... team is protesting but I bet he's done

[pehayes]

Anyone recommend a FREE app for following the Tour?  I loaded Tour Tracker but it says I have a 5-day free trial.  That won't work.  I'll be at Laguna Seca for the weekend and need to follow.  Also, I'm going to Italy on the 17th and will miss the final few days.  Would love to be able to get updates on my phone.

Patrick Hayes
Fremont CA

[Triple Jim]

I wonder which team has the highest output electric motors this year.