Has the Tour become the "Palin" of bike races?

[Parrot23]

I wonder if the Tour is like it is with politicians: when they start to laugh at you personally, you're in trouble. Is the Tour becoming the "Palin" of bike rices? (I'm saying this neither for nor against her).

Like the French fans' joke about riders on the road a few years ago: "Courage, the pharmacy is just round the next corner".

Tour this yr. has the flavour of a "stage"-managed pantomine. We all knew who (just 1-3 guys) was going to win in the first week (if things remain unchanged). And we all pretty well know who is going to win the sprints. The rest is a charade; they're just going through the motions.

Combo of the route and Astana.

Solutions?

- mountain top finishes

- no race radios for key stages (eg. mountain stages, etc.)

- no TTT's (eg. Evans is stronger than Armstrong so far, but he's 3 minutes behind and has no chance)

Ideas? eg. Why is the Giro more competitive?

 

[mr. tibbs]

I wonder if the Tour is like it is with politicians: when they start to laugh at you personally, you're in trouble. Is the Tour becoming the "Palin" of bike rices? (I'm saying this neither for nor against her).

Like the French fans' joke about riders on the road a few years ago: "Courage, the pharmacy is just round the next corner".

Tour this yr. has the flavour of a "stage"-managed pantomine. We all knew who (just 1-3 guys) was going to win in the first week (if things remain unchanged). And we all pretty well know who is going to win the sprints. The rest is a charade; they're just going through the motions.

Combo of the route and Astana.

Solutions?

- mountain top finishes

- no race radios for key stages (eg. mountain stages, etc.)

- no TTT's

Ideas?

-No TTT

-Two mountaintop finishes in both mountain ranges w/ each being preceded by at least two Cat 2 or higher climbs

Actually, just omitting the TTT would have made this race SO much closer.

 

[Animal]

"her"??

This is Palin:

 

[Futuroscope]

I wonder if the Tour is like it is with politicians: when they start to laugh at you personally, you're in trouble. Is the Tour becoming the "Palin" of bike rices? (I'm saying this neither for nor against her).

Like the French fans' joke about riders on the road a few years ago: "Courage, the pharmacy is just round the next corner".

Tour this yr. has the flavour of a "stage"-managed pantomine. We all knew who (just 1-3 guys) was going to win in the first week (if things remain unchanged). And we all pretty well know who is going to win the sprints. The rest is a charade; they're just going through the motions.

Combo of the route and Astana.

Solutions?

- mountain top finishes

- no race radios for key stages (eg. mountain stages, etc.)

- no TTT's (eg. Evans is stronger than Armstrong so far, but he's 3 minutes behind and has no chance)

Ideas? eg. Why is the Giro more competitive?

i agree with those solutions and i also wanna add that the other teams need to grow some balls.

 

[podilato]

Should like cycling have some form of salary cap like other sports?

 

[Sophistic]

Having TTTs is not bad but they should be on a somewhat "safe" course and not too long.There are obviously too many stages with the mountain top far from the finish line.
An ideal tour for me would be:

1 Short time trial(Prologue,~10km)
1 Team time trial(~30km)
1 ITT with hills
1 ITT flat
4 tough Mountain top finishes
2 medium mountain top finishes(2nd or 3rd category)
2 mountain stages with downhill/flat finishes
This leaves 9 stages for sprinters and breakaways

 

[Parrot23]

"her"??

This is Palin:

LOL, you are right. Hey, but the Monty Python attitude to the Tour still works.

You can tell where I live (U.S. vice-presidential candidate Palin was basically laughed at/ridiculed into ineffectiveness, as in the Tour is starting to become "ineffective" and lack credibility as a real race).

Should see fans' laughter at the last few stages. It's become somewhat of a joke.

 

[Coach Hawk]

The rest is a charade; they're just going through the motions.

Although I agree in certain respects, I have to say I don't think many people saw Brice Felliu winning a stage...

 

[Cobber]

"her"??

This is Palin:

No, I think he meant this one... (I think the photo was taken after Sunday's stage)

My solutions"

1. Very short TTT of 10-20k (maybe a prologue like the Giro)
2. 1 shorter (20-30k) ITT with hills
3. 1 longer (40-50k) ITT mostly flat
4. 3 mountain-top finishes (1st or HC; 1 in the first mountain range, 2 in the 2nd)
4. 3-4 mountain stages that do not finish uphill, but do not have 40-50k of flat following the last climb.
5. 10-11 "filler" stages.

 

[gttim!]

I haven't watched the tour in years. It is a very boring race. I now prefer the one day races. As far as grand tours, the Giro is a favorite because it is very challenging. The climbs are steep and hard. The TTs do not dictate the race, the climbs do. The racers can gain more when they attack.

The Tour did everything this year to have the TTs dictate the outcome. The many climbs have been neutralized. None of the climbs will make much of a difference in the race. The Tour also tried to make the few climbs that could shake things up a tad come in the third week. Hell, the race is pretty much over by then. The Giro had race changers in all three weeks.

 

[Clemson Cycling]

I think of The Tour as the Wimbledon of bike racing (most hyped, most historic and the one the great GC contenders of all time dominate) (that might be a better comparison then the stupid soon to be ex governor of Alaska). There is a good chance that one of the top 3 or 4 favorites is going to win it but the biggest race none the less.

 

[Anonymous]

"her"??

This is Palin:

thats what i thought... around the world in 80 days, pole to pole and all that malarky...

One of the most important days of my life was when I learned to ride a bicycle. - Micheal Palin

 

[Anonymous]

I haven't watched the tour in years. It is a very boring race. I now prefer the one day races. As far as grand tours, the Giro is a favorite because it is very challenging. The climbs are steep and hard. The TTs do not dictate the race, the climbs do. The racers can gain more when they attack.

The Tour did everything this year to have the TTs dictate the outcome. The many climbs have been neutralized. None of the climbs will make much of a difference in the race. The Tour also tried to make the few climbs that could shake things up a tad come in the third week. Hell, the race is pretty much over by then. The Giro had race changers in all three weeks.

begs the question, if you havnt watched it in years, how do you know it is boring?

you have watched it havnt you..

i recommend waiting until after ventoux to decide if tt's dictated the tour.. your talking like its over.. its far from over..

it aint over till ullrich does his song

 

[L29205]

i recommend waiting until after ventoux to decide if tt's dictated the tour.. your talking like its over.. its far from over..

it aint over till ullrich does his song

I agree the tour has been boring so far. I don't think that ASO was planning for a team like Astana or a sprinter like Cavendish. I thnk they were planning on a race controlled by the team of the climbers. That was the motivation for the TTT. I don't think they figured that Astana would get LA and Kloden added to the rouster.

ASO tried but failed.

I don't think they have much to worry with Astana. It is easy to buy success when oil is at $150 per barrel at $60 it will be tougher. And the internal fights will break it up into two teams.

But Cavendish will continue to win for the next couple of years. And will probably move on to be a good all arounder.

The tour will come back

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

Ideas? eg. Why is the Giro more competitive?

TTT was much shorter for starters. Then, and this is the key, even though none of the big and famous climbs were in this year's Giro (Gavia, Stelvio, Motirolo, etc.), and even though the two toughest stages were somewhat snipped, they still had several stages where the final was either an uphill finish, sometimes steep, or close to a final climb. This caused the GC riders to come out from hiding. They couldn't control the pace of the race with a course like that, so they were forced to go mano-a-mano. If the Tour would have found a way to have a 2-4km, 11% climb at the end of a Stage like 11, (or 10, 9, 8, etc.) we would have much more likely seen the GC riders going at each other. And because some of the Giro climbs like this are short like this, while there are gaps, they are in seconds. So the shake-up isn't so much it decides the race. Take a look at Stage 14 from the Giro, especially the profile. This is a great course design. Now, take a look at the finish.

The other thing the Giro had was that DiLuca, and mostly Ivan Basso were not afraid of losing. So they would attack. Basso's attacking on Stage 15, the day before the brutal queen stage to Monte Petrano, was gutsy.

I haven't watched the tour in years. It is a very boring race.

I feel your pain. Especially this year so far. I agree on the Giro, but I do hope you'll watch this year's Vuelta. The best course design there in several years. Three mountain top finishes in a row. Back to back to back. Should be very exciting.

BTW, I don't know about you guys, but I'd probably vote for Michael Palin for world leader.

 

[croix_de_fer]

I think that calling this year's tour boring is a little premature! For heavens sake, we are only half way through the race. The third week should have the usual fireworks and changes in GC. The non-Astana boys have no choice but to go on the attack in the next few days.

Moreover, with Astana being such a strong team, something which has been known for months, it was somewhat preordained that this race would be very controlled. If this race really is boring, I think it is not the course but Astana that has created this lull.

 

[avanti]

Keep the TTT but:
(1) Use a fast safe course
(2) Apply results to team classification only, not to overall classification
(3) Increase the prize money for the stage

Pro: Keeps beautiful and spectator friendly event in tour.
Con: Top tour contenders/teams may not think its is worth winning.

One problem I have with ITTs and TTTs is that conditions can change dramatically during the time it takes to run them (rain, wind, temperature). One reason I like hill climb type time trials.

 

[Barracuda]

What the ????

Vince Lombardi said " Winning is everything, if it wasnt why do they keep score? "

Bout time the other teams got off their backsides and rode like they stole it!

Instead of giving fans the opportunity to criticize the race and how "predictable it is!" Play the game and take it up to the two dominant teams!

After all..... they are doing what the need to do to win ...... the others should too!

 

[Jl3793]

So boring, really boring

TdF has become so boring. The "leaders" all fight it out to zero difference most days. So now only 10 days in a row like that? Let's get back to real time at the finish - no more same time for everyone in the peleton. And let's have some time bonuses throughout the day. Then if you want to win you can't just hang back and wait for a mountain stage or depend on your TTT. You have to go out everyday and prove that you are the best. I want to see the strong man win and the weak ones get left behind. That doesn't happen but on a few stages anymore. For me the TDF has turned into a one day mountain race. That's the one I will watch the rest is just sooooo boring. I might even be forced to go out and do some more miles myself.

 

[Bagster]

I wonder if the Tour is like it is with politicians: when they start to laugh at you personally, you're in trouble. Is the Tour becoming the "Palin" of bike rices? (I'm saying this neither for nor against her).

Like the French fans' joke about riders on the road a few years ago: "Courage, the pharmacy is just round the next corner".

Tour this yr. has the flavour of a "stage"-managed pantomine. We all knew who (just 1-3 guys) was going to win in the first week (if things remain unchanged). And we all pretty well know who is going to win the sprints. The rest is a charade; they're just going through the motions.

Combo of the route and Astana.

Solutions?

- mountain top finishes

- no race radios for key stages (eg. mountain stages, etc.)

- no TTT's (eg. Evans is stronger than Armstrong so far, but he's 3 minutes behind and has no chance)

Ideas? eg. Why is the Giro more competitive?

1. Agreed the mountain stages this year so far have been a joke, roll on the Alps

2. No race radios: Total failure. As we saw the riders control the race as a spectacle and they just owned the UCI and their stupid radio ban. No radio? no problem just shut down every breakaway, now that makes for exciting racing....not! Better still lets not race at all and have another rest day!

3. Agreed in part,TTT a total disaster for the very reason that they originally dropped it in the first place. Evans stronger than Armstrong? Not on any evidence that I've seen to date. Guess we will see next week.

Maybe the Giro is more competitive because the really elite stage racers are either just using it for TdF training and hence are not in top condition, or they are not there at all eg Contador. Therefore the race becomes more even whereby slightly lesser riders can compete with them.

 

[Anonymous]

one thing i would say, is that removing the time bonus's for intermediate sprints and flat stages clearly hasnt worked.. the last two years have been severely affecfted without them..

they need to bring them back..

thats my only complaint..

 

[unsheath]

3. Agreed in part,TTT a total disaster for the very reason that they originally dropped it in the first place. Evans stronger than Armstrong? Not on any evidence that I've seen to date. Guess we will see next week.

You missed the first stage then? Unless you thought your holiness was holding back?

 

[Mongol_Waaijer]

So far this is the most tedious tour I have ever seen.

It almost seems as though there is a collusion between ASO, Astana and the strongest teams to follow the Armstrong script.

It's not really a race right now - it's an entertainment product created for cycling's new market audience with LA as the star, Contador the bad guy and Cavendish the impetuous young buck.

All the sponsors, riders, ASO, UCI, Nike, Trek et al all stand to benefit financially from this script.

 

[badboyberty]

Maybe the Giro is more competitive because the really elite stage racers are either just using it for TdF training and hence are not in top condition, or they are not there at all eg Contador. Therefore the race becomes more even whereby slightly lesser riders can compete with them.

Maybe the Giro had more uphill finishes, a shorter TTT and one of the best ITT courses in the last forty years?

A Category 3 hilltop finish or two in the first week of this tour would have mixed things up a bit.

 

[gttim!]

begs the question, if you havnt watched it in years, how do you know it is boring?

you have watched it havnt you..

Actually I keep an eye on it on Cycling News, like I do the Giro and The Vuelta, along with a few classics. If it is not exciting, I do not bother to turn on the TV coverage later on.

So I know it is boring by reading about it. I do not watch it. The last year I watched it, was when Rasmussen was making Contador his ***** on the climbs. That was fun. AC would attack with all his might and Ras would just hold his pace and reel him back in. Nothing more exciting than two dopers battling it out! Then ASO had to make Rabobank pull Ras and give the jersey to an undeserving AC. Just that would be another whole reason not to watch it anymore.

Now The Giro and The Vuelta- those are fun races. Not Paris-Roubaix, but fun!