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[AngusW]

National Champs Jerseys

Not exactly a Tour-centric question, but why don't some of the National Champions have their country's flag plastered all over their jerseys as in past?

I thought being the current national champion meant you were supposed to stand out.

Leopard-Trek have totally minimalised the Luxembourg and Swiss jerseys, Movistar have continued to make the current champion look like a former champion (a la Valverde in 2008) and the Russian champion's jersey has been similarly vandalised like Pozzato's abomination of an Italian champion's jersey was in 2009.

Does anyone know why?

 

[Anonymous]

some teams respect the national champions jerseys, some teams dont. Some federations insist on certain standards (Italian), some federations dont.

The swiss and luxembourgish champions jerseys are frankly not really worth much and leopard seem to have the same view.

NOticable that the Belgian jersey is always big and bold whoever wears it, same with the french. Guess those riders have more pride in their national championships. If being luxembourg champion was really important to schleck he would make more of it.

put it this way, if Leopard had the italian or belgian champion on their team there is no way those two national federations would settle for a band around the middle.

 

[Publicus]

Anyone know why AC isn't riding the SL4? From what I can tell he's still on a SL3.

 

[Marva32]

Anybody know if the motorcycle rider that came a bit too close to Nicki Sørensen will get booted from the caravan? Seems to me that he should, if ASO really cares about rider safety. A sketchy course is debatable, but reckless motor cycles in the caravan should not be tolerated IMHO.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/tour-de-france-race-director-blames-nervousness-for-crashes

According to this, he was banned from the rest of the Tour.

The driver explained to Cyclingnews that he wasn't consulted regarding the incident. "There were four motorbikes who wanted to pass the peloton. Contador was back in the peloton and the first motorbike slowed down to take photos which is not allowed. Through the radio Mr. Pescheux told us that we had to drop back. I pulled over to the right hand side of the road and didn't move from that line. Suddenly I heard that noise," the driver said, referring to the bike that clung to his motorbike.

From the information available, the motorcycle came up from behind Sorensen and appeared to have dragged his bike and/or him for about 200 meters. If the motorcycle had just been told to drop back, how did he drag a bike forward? His explanation doesn't quite fit.

 

[pedaling squares]

Well, he was right in that he maintained his line. But he advanced on Sorensen and hit him from behind, so his words are a bit misleading and minimize his responsibility for the collision. There is a better video out there somewhere, but this one captures the last couple of seconds pre-collision.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPgNHY5rTDk

 

[Marva32]

Well, he was right in that he maintained his line. But he advanced on Sorensen and hit him from behind, so his words are a bit misleading and minimize his responsibility for the collision. There is a better video out there somewhere, but this one captures the last couple of seconds pre-collision.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPgNHY5rTDk

Exactly my point

 

[Parrulo]

Anyone know why AC isn't riding the SL4? From what I can tell he's still on a SL3.

he did not train with the sl4 so he is not used to it. therefore he prefers to ride with a bike he already knows. i don't remember where i read it tho. but it was a quote so thats the true reason

 

[Marva32]

Anyone know why AC isn't riding the SL4? From what I can tell he's still on a SL3.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/tour-de-france-tech-custom-aero-bottles-for-rabobank

One rider who notably isn't on one of the new machines is last year's Tour de France winner, Alberto Contador (Saxo Bank-Sungard), who is still using his elaborately custom painted S-Works Tarmac SL3 bikes from last year. According to Sims, Contador simply hasn't had enough testing time on the updated version to race on it for such an important event so he stuck with what he knew.

 

[Publicus]

http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/tour-de-france-tech-custom-aero-bottles-for-rabobank

Thanks. A bit surprising that they didn't make every opportunity to get him the bike earlier (though I guess he was riding the Giro)

 

[ImmaculateKadence]

Considering the way he threw it in the ditch yesterday, he wasn't too happy with it. Maybe he should upgrade

 

[Andre.J]

I wonder why they removed the Lotto news about Sergeant having to juggle 3 riders: Gilbert, VDB and Greipel.

 

[Archibald]

I wonder why they removed the Lotto news about Sergeant having to juggle 3 riders: Gilbert, VDB and Greipel.

did they?
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/sergeant-downplays-talk-of-strife-within-the-team

 

[Andre.J]

thank you Archibald

 

[myrideissteelerthanyours]

Do people still refer to bradley wiggins as wigans or whatever? Is that his unofficial nickname?

 

[Jamsque]

Do people still refer to bradley wiggins as wigans or whatever? Is that his unofficial nickname?

Some do, I think the usage of 'Wigans' died out a little this season, especially since he won the Dauphine. Most seem to just go with 'Wiggo' now.

 

[cycladianpirate]

How accurate is the speed indicator on the LeTour website?

It was showing 82.8kph during today's sprint....

 

[goggalor]

How accurate is the speed indicator on the LeTour website?

It was showing 82.8kph during today's sprint....

With that long, straight finish, the 8 man lead out and a tail wind I don't doubt its accuracy.

 

[Magnus]

Was checking out the official french tour magazine. They've got a pick of Meckx from 69 holding up white, green and yellow jersey. Is the white jersey for the mountain classification? (It seems the youth classification wasn't introduced until 1975.)

 

[Bala Verde]

Was checking out the official french tour magazine. They've got a pick of Meckx from 69 holding up white, green and yellow jersey. Is the white jersey for the mountain classification? (It seems the youth classification wasn't introduced until 1975.)

Sure it's not the combination classification? (Which he won in 1969... see lapjestrui or in english combination classification)

and http://www.cyclingstory.nl/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/Shirt-Johan-van-de-Velde-kopie-223x300.jpg

Back then in 1968 and later it was awarded in the form of the white jersey, later it was actually a 'quilt-like' jersey.

 

[Captain_Obvious]

With that long, straight finish, the 8 man lead out and a tail wind I don't doubt its accuracy.

It was also only slightly downhill. Still though... The speeds sprinters reach are just insane.

 

[Ragerod]

How accurate is the speed indicator on the LeTour website?

It was showing 82.8kph during today's sprint....

Clearly not that accurate. They covered the last km in 65s which is an average speed of about 55kph. I wouldn't be surprised if they were doing 70kph in the last 200m but 80kph seems too high.

 

[Magnus]

Sure it's not the combination classification? (Which he won in 1969... see lapjestrui or in english combination classification)

and http://www.cyclingstory.nl/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/Shirt-Johan-van-de-Velde-kopie-223x300.jpg

Back then in 1968 and later it was awarded in the form of the white jersey, later it was actually a 'quilt-like' jersey.

Thanks. Makes sense.

 

[rides like a girl]

I am wondering with all the crashes and riding wounded, what is allowed and what isn't in regards to getting better? I don't want this to go to the clinic, that isn't my question. My knowledge of getting players better comes from American football or basketball. If a guy is hurt in american football or basketball, they go to the locker room where medical help is given. From those players I have heard they can drain fluid that is collecting in knees, give cortisone, give pain meds.

What can a cyclist legally do? I see on the road seemingly all they just spray that spray and wrap wounds?

 

[bruce gabow]

road rash

Does anyone know if the riders on the tour use a special cream or something else to toughen up their skin against road rash?

 

[Benneth]

I was wondering how they always have a jersey ready for the podium presentations complete with the correct sponsors for the rider who has won it on that day. Do they have a mass stash of each jersey for each team in case a rider from that team wins? If so there would be a lot of unused jerseys each day emblazoned with a team/sponsor name that didnt win it. Or do they have some equipment at the finish line which applies the team/sponsor badge onto the jersey(s) in the few minutes between the end of the stage and the podium ceremony.

I hope that isnt a dumb question...