Most boring/ exciting Tour de France in last decade?

[Zam_Olyas]

Libertine, 2010 Giro should be next?

 

[SuperBesse]

Re: Re:

A bunch of people crash, Cancellara makes everyone wait for Schleck, and the bunch rides in together behind Chavanel.
3 - there are cobbles. A bunch of people crash, Cancellara doesn't make everyone wait and instead rides off into the distance. Chavanel punctures. Cancellara doesn't wait.

LOL

 

[Miburo]

Thanks libertine!

 

[bassano]

Re: Re:

Rodriguez was the strongest. But he threw it away, literally. One hilly stage riders were "on strike" doing nothing, the others was Bassos "train", then nothing, then Rodriguez sprinting from 500 meters out... But that was still better than the Schlecks complaining about rain, downhills, and else, plus "attacking" after the finish line. Never seen such "competition" before and after. And no, two stages dont make up for 19 shitty ones. 2012 was heaven in comparison to the 2011 TdF...

Right, Hesjedal should arrive to alps with minutes behind like this year, he is strong in last week bad he suffered a lot in first but noone did a race, Basso did not have a legs as Scarponi
and 2012 TDF was crappy because of course with easy climbs and ridiculous long TT, also Sky killed every fun

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Libertine, 2010 Giro should be next?

You're a horrible person, Zam. This is going to be a much longer undertaking.

1 - Wiggins wins the ITT because Cancellara didn't turn up. BMC come 2nd and 3rd, leading to hope that their team might actually be able to support Evans. It is forlorn.
2 - Worthless flat stage. Sky test out their Tour de France strategy for 2010, of crashing at key moments, enabling Evans to take the maglia rosa.
3 - The Dutch version of Jeux Sans Frontières, with 900 obstacles and gale force winds. The majority of the field crash. Marzio Bruseghin rides the last 50km with his buttocks exposed. Anguish for Sky fans as Froome loses eight minutes. Wouter Weylandt achieves his greatest career win.
4 - Back in Italy, Nibali gets the maglia rosa because of BMC's weak team. Sky are horrified as Froome is dropped in the TTT and drops another 2 minutes. Basso gains over 2 minutes over Scarponi.
5 - Worthless flat stage... except Pineau wins it from the break because the bunch is badly organized.
6 - Matt Lloyd wins solo and takes the GPM. Danilo Hondo celebrates his 3rd place even though he watched Bertogliatti roll over the line for 2nd right in front of him.
7 - Nibali crashes in the maglia rosa, causing a riot when Vino and Evans don't wai... no wait, that was July. Nobody cares. It rains, the roads are strade bianche, bikes are impossible to control and everybody is covered in mud, which is universally agreed is awesome. Evans wins in the rainbow stripes and Vino takes the lead. Arroyo gets into the front group but nobody pays any attention. Nibali shepherds Basso to the line 2 minutes back. Sastre loses 5 minutes. Froome drops 24 minutes, and the world wants to know, can he take it back on the mountains to come?
8 - the mountains arrive, and Chris Anker Sørensen wins from the break. The main contenders treat this as a minor day off so this is actually slightly disappointing, a word that had previously not been used once in the Giro. Froome drops another 12 minutes and it seems his bid for victory is over.
9 - Worthless flat stage.
10 - Worthless flat stage.
11 - Half of the BMC team abandon so that Evans can get back to his comfort zone - being isolated. Astana have a complete brain-fart in heavy rain and forget to count how many riders are trying to attack, or even who they are. Over 50 riders escape and gain 13 minutes before the stage hits the airwaves, and the group includes past and future GT winners. Fans have a coronary as they try to work out what's going on. Astana domestiques drop out. Vino takes a pull. Richie Porte somehow ends up in the maglia rosa. Evgeni Petrov wins, and nobody had his name down as even being in the group. This is the 2010 Giro.
12 - Worthless flat stage - except late on a Pozzato initiated group somehow enables Vino, Nibali, Basso and Scarponi to get into the group and gain a few seconds. The culprit is clearly swiftly found and brought to justice, as Cadel Evans starts punching Daniele Righi.
13 - The break is allowed to go because the péloton really needs a rest. Manuel Belletti wins.
14 - The long quest to win back the time lost on stage 11 begins as Liquigas assault Monte Grappa. Nibali attacks on the descent and Australian cycling fans on the board go apoplectic as Ivan Basso is NOT accused of wheelsucking when he refuses to help chase his teammate down. Porte, in the 3rd group back, cedes the maglia rosa to Arroyo, in the 2nd.
15 - Ivan Basso grinds everybody to dust on Monte Zoncolan. Evans unexpectedly stays with him too long going into the red then blows up.
16 - Stefano Garzelli rolls back the years to win the Kronplatz ITT. Evans wins back some time and Arroyo stays in the maglia rosa.
17 - Unofficial rest day as the break is allowed to go. Damien Monier wins solo. Danilo Hondo somehow outclimbs Steven Kruijswijk for 2nd.
18 - Worthless flat stage.
19 - Liquigas and Scarponi massacre everyone on the Mortirolo. David Arroyo is possessed by the ghost of Paolo Savoldelli, even though Savoldelli hasn't even died yet. Nibali sighs audibly as he tries to guide Basso down the Mortirolo descent with Arroyo gaining nearly 2 minutes, catching and dropping some strong descenders. Vino refuses to work with the Spaniard, and the gap goes all the way back up on the way to Aprica. Scarponi takes the stage, Arroyo's dream is ended. For doing such a good job of being dropped on the climb, nearly crashing on the descent and being made to look like a fool, David Harmon gives Cadel Evans the title of "rider of the day". Chris Froome is kicked out of the race for holding on to a motorbike. It is universally agreed that the stage is awesome.
20 - The snowbanks on the Gavia are so high the break is hard to spot, so Vino gets into the second one. Simoni tries to win the Cima Coppi but is unable to compete with the might of Johan Tschopp. Arroyo doesn't attack on the descent to some disappointment. Basso descends so slowly that the bunch allows a big enough gap to go out for Tschopp to win the stage. Basso and Evans gain a few seconds.
21 - ITT. Due to its short length, it is more ceremonial than anything else; Larsson wins but is swiftly forgotten about. Arroyo loses over a minute to prove Basso would probably have won anyway.

 

[Gigs_98]

rofl

 

[Red Rick]

There should be some sort of library/sticky thread for this.

 

[Miburo]

Let's take it to the next step with pics, libertine. Where's that pic of froome getting dropped?

 

[Escarabajo]

Re: Re:

Wiggins tour was fantastic, such a close race between him and the rest of Sky.

At least we had two ITTs involved in 2012. Now its just wheelsucking with the objective of protecting a placement. Pathetic.

TdF has had difficulties to find a right balance between TTing and mountaintop finishes.
This year = too much mountains
2012 = too much TT (and no HC mountaintop finishes, only three cat 1s)

2015 Tour with a longer ITT it would be 100% over by now. At least there is some hope without it.

 

[Eshnar]

I'm disappointed Libertine. You mentioned Froome a hundred times but failed to mention the only, awesome uphill attack in the whole Wiggins' career.
It lasted 300m, but in those 300m you could clearly see a GT winner in the making.

 

[Eshnar]

Re: Re:

Wiggins tour was fantastic, such a close race between him and the rest of Sky.

At least we had two ITTs involved in 2012. Now its just wheelsucking with the objective of protecting a placement. Pathetic.

TdF has had difficulties to find a right balance between TTing and mountaintop finishes.
This year = too much mountains
2012 = too much TT (and no HC mountaintop finishes, only three cat 1s)

2015 Tour with a longer ITT it would be 100% over by now. At least there is some hope without it.

There's not much of a hope anyway...

 

[LaFlorecita]

I just came to say that so far, this Tour has been mind-blowingly boring. Hopefully something happens in the next few stages to chance that, but I'm not optimistic.

 

[Zam_Olyas]

Libertine, 2010 Giro should be next?

You're a horrible person, Zam. This is going to be a much longer undertaking.

1 - Wiggins wins the ITT because Cancellara didn't turn up. BMC come 2nd and 3rd, leading to hope that their team might actually be able to support Evans. It is forlorn.
2 - Worthless flat stage. Sky test out their Tour de France strategy for 2010, of crashing at key moments, enabling Evans to take the maglia rosa.
3 - The Dutch version of Jeux Sans Frontières, with 900 obstacles and gale force winds. The majority of the field crash. Marzio Bruseghin rides the last 50km with his buttocks exposed. Anguish for Sky fans as Froome loses eight minutes. Wouter Weylandt achieves his greatest career win.
4 - Back in Italy, Nibali gets the maglia rosa because of BMC's weak team. Sky are horrified as Froome is dropped in the TTT and drops another 2 minutes. Basso gains over 2 minutes over Scarponi.
5 - Worthless flat stage... except Pineau wins it from the break because the bunch is badly organized.
6 - Matt Lloyd wins solo and takes the GPM. Danilo Hondo celebrates his 3rd place even though he watched Bertogliatti roll over the line for 2nd right in front of him.
7 - Nibali crashes in the maglia rosa, causing a riot when Vino and Evans don't wai... no wait, that was July. Nobody cares. It rains, the roads are strade bianche, bikes are impossible to control and everybody is covered in mud, which is universally agreed is awesome. Evans wins in the rainbow stripes and Vino takes the lead. Arroyo gets into the front group but nobody pays any attention. Nibali shepherds Basso to the line 2 minutes back. Sastre loses 5 minutes. Froome drops 24 minutes, and the world wants to know, can he take it back on the mountains to come?
8 - the mountains arrive, and Chris Anker Sørensen wins from the break. The main contenders treat this as a minor day off so this is actually slightly disappointing, a word that had previously not been used once in the Giro. Froome drops another 12 minutes and it seems his bid for victory is over.
9 - Worthless flat stage.
10 - Worthless flat stage.
11 - Half of the BMC team abandon so that Evans can get back to his comfort zone - being isolated. Astana have a complete brain-fart in heavy rain and forget to count how many riders are trying to attack, or even who they are. Over 50 riders escape and gain 13 minutes before the stage hits the airwaves, and the group includes past and future GT winners. Fans have a coronary as they try to work out what's going on. Astana domestiques drop out. Vino takes a pull. Richie Porte somehow ends up in the maglia rosa. Evgeni Petrov wins, and nobody had his name down as even being in the group. This is the 2010 Giro.
12 - Worthless flat stage - except late on a Pozzato initiated group somehow enables Vino, Nibali, Basso and Scarponi to get into the group and gain a few seconds. The culprit is clearly swiftly found and brought to justice, as Cadel Evans starts punching Daniele Righi.
13 - The break is allowed to go because the péloton really needs a rest. Manuel Belletti wins.
14 - The long quest to win back the time lost on stage 11 begins as Liquigas assault Monte Grappa. Nibali attacks on the descent and Australian cycling fans on the board go apoplectic as Ivan Basso is NOT accused of wheelsucking when he refuses to help chase his teammate down. Porte, in the 3rd group back, cedes the maglia rosa to Arroyo, in the 2nd.
15 - Ivan Basso grinds everybody to dust on Monte Zoncolan. Evans unexpectedly stays with him too long going into the red then blows up.
16 - Stefano Garzelli rolls back the years to win the Kronplatz ITT. Evans wins back some time and Arroyo stays in the maglia rosa.
17 - Unofficial rest day as the break is allowed to go. Damien Monier wins solo. Danilo Hondo somehow outclimbs Steven Kruijswijk for 2nd.
18 - Worthless flat stage.
19 - Liquigas and Scarponi massacre everyone on the Mortirolo. David Arroyo is possessed by the ghost of Paolo Savoldelli, even though Savoldelli hasn't even died yet. Nibali sighs audibly as he tries to guide Basso down the Mortirolo descent with Arroyo gaining nearly 2 minutes, catching and dropping some strong descenders. Vino refuses to work with the Spaniard, and the gap goes all the way back up on the way to Aprica. Scarponi takes the stage, Arroyo's dream is ended. For doing such a good job of being dropped on the climb, nearly crashing on the descent and being made to look like a fool, David Harmon gives Cadel Evans the title of "rider of the day". Chris Froome is kicked out of the race for holding on to a motorbike. It is universally agreed that the stage is awesome.
20 - The snowbanks on the Gavia are so high the break is hard to spot, so Vino gets into the second one. Simoni tries to win the Cima Coppi but is unable to compete with the might of Johan Tschopp. Arroyo doesn't attack on the descent to some disappointment. Basso descends so slowly that the bunch allows a big enough gap to go out for Tschopp to win the stage. Basso and Evans gain a few seconds.
21 - ITT. Due to its short length, it is more ceremonial than anything else; Larsson wins but is swiftly forgotten about. Arroyo loses over a minute to prove Basso would probably have won anyway.

Thank you...excellent as always.

 

[SeriousSam]

Giro 2010
3. Anguish for Sky fans as Froome loses eight minutes.
4. Sky are horrified as Froome is dropped in the TTT and drops another 2 minutes
7. Froome drops 24 minutes, and the world wants to know, can he take it back on the mountains to come?
8. Froome drops another 12 minutes and it seems his bid for victory is over.
19. Chris Froome is kicked out of the race for holding on to a motorbike. It is universally agreed that the stage is awesome.

 

[42x16ss]

Re:

Giro 2010
3. Anguish for Sky fans as Froome loses eight minutes.
4. Sky are horrified as Froome is dropped in the TTT and drops another 2 minutes
7. Froome drops 24 minutes, and the world wants to know, can he take it back on the mountains to come?
8. Froome drops another 12 minutes and it seems his bid for victory is over.
19. Chris Froome is kicked out of the race for holding on to a motorbike. It is universally agreed that the stage is awesome.

We can close the thread now - not even Libertine can top that

 

[SeriousSam]

What? The text is from his post. Edited to make this unambiguous.

 

[djpbaltimore]

2015 has been one of the more exciting ones IMO. The GC guys have had to be attentive and battle it out for seconds on many occasions even on minor stages and the Alps looks to be just as exciting. There has been very few stages this year that have been uninteresting.

 

[Tonton]

This is quickly becoming one of my favorite threads. Chapeau Libertine Seguros.

 

[Red Rick]

The only bearable thing in this Tour is the repeating question whether in which fashion Sagan will get 2nd this time. All the jerseys were decided after 12 stages. There's not even a fight for the polka dots with this overly lopsided system. White jersey was decided before the race started.

 

[gazr99]

Can see this TDF kicking off Wednesday on the Col D'Allos, then a Froome v Quintana head to head on Alpe D'Huez

 

[Tonton]

Re:

The only bearable thing in this Tour is the repeating question whether in which fashion Sagan will get 2nd this time. All the jerseys were decided after 12 stages. There's not even a fight for the polka dots with this overly lopsided system. White jersey was decided before the race started.

I disagree. The battle for podium spots should be really interesting. And I still have a little hope that Movistar will go all out, with a win or nothing attitude.

 

[May0maniac]

Chapeau Libertine, great stuff.
Yes, the Tour was pretty boring until now, maybe the final week will save this Tour.
We could get some rain on the Col D'Allos, so maybe there's some hope.

 

[Irondan]

1 - Wiggins wins the ITT because Cancellara didn't turn up. BMC come 2nd and 3rd, leading to hope that their team might actually be able to support Evans. It is forlorn.
2 - Worthless flat stage. Sky test out their Tour de France strategy for 2010, of crashing at key moments, enabling Evans to take the maglia rosa.
3 - The Dutch version of Jeux Sans Frontières, with 900 obstacles and gale force winds. The majority of the field crash. Marzio Bruseghin rides the last 50km with his buttocks exposed. Anguish for Sky fans as Froome loses eight minutes. Wouter Weylandt achieves his greatest career win.
4 - Back in Italy, Nibali gets the maglia rosa because of BMC's weak team. Sky are horrified as Froome is dropped in the TTT and drops another 2 minutes. Basso gains over 2 minutes over Scarponi.
5 - Worthless flat stage... except Pineau wins it from the break because the bunch is badly organized.
6 - Matt Lloyd wins solo and takes the GPM. Danilo Hondo celebrates his 3rd place even though he watched Bertogliatti roll over the line for 2nd right in front of him.
7 - Nibali crashes in the maglia rosa, causing a riot when Vino and Evans don't wai... no wait, that was July. Nobody cares. It rains, the roads are strade bianche, bikes are impossible to control and everybody is covered in mud, which is universally agreed is awesome. Evans wins in the rainbow stripes and Vino takes the lead. Arroyo gets into the front group but nobody pays any attention. Nibali shepherds Basso to the line 2 minutes back. Sastre loses 5 minutes. Froome drops 24 minutes, and the world wants to know, can he take it back on the mountains to come?
8 - the mountains arrive, and Chris Anker Sørensen wins from the break. The main contenders treat this as a minor day off so this is actually slightly disappointing, a word that had previously not been used once in the Giro. Froome drops another 12 minutes and it seems his bid for victory is over.
9 - Worthless flat stage.
10 - Worthless flat stage.
11 - Half of the BMC team abandon so that Evans can get back to his comfort zone - being isolated. Astana have a complete brain-fart in heavy rain and forget to count how many riders are trying to attack, or even who they are. Over 50 riders escape and gain 13 minutes before the stage hits the airwaves, and the group includes past and future GT winners. Fans have a coronary as they try to work out what's going on. Astana domestiques drop out. Vino takes a pull. Richie Porte somehow ends up in the maglia rosa. Evgeni Petrov wins, and nobody had his name down as even being in the group. This is the 2010 Giro.
12 - Worthless flat stage - except late on a Pozzato initiated group somehow enables Vino, Nibali, Basso and Scarponi to get into the group and gain a few seconds. The culprit is clearly swiftly found and brought to justice, as Cadel Evans starts punching Daniele Righi.
13 - The break is allowed to go because the péloton really needs a rest. Manuel Belletti wins.
14 - The long quest to win back the time lost on stage 11 begins as Liquigas assault Monte Grappa. Nibali attacks on the descent and Australian cycling fans on the board go apoplectic as Ivan Basso is NOT accused of wheelsucking when he refuses to help chase his teammate down. Porte, in the 3rd group back, cedes the maglia rosa to Arroyo, in the 2nd.
15 - Ivan Basso grinds everybody to dust on Monte Zoncolan. Evans unexpectedly stays with him too long going into the red then blows up.
16 - Stefano Garzelli rolls back the years to win the Kronplatz ITT. Evans wins back some time and Arroyo stays in the maglia rosa.
17 - Unofficial rest day as the break is allowed to go. Damien Monier wins solo. Danilo Hondo somehow outclimbs Steven Kruijswijk for 2nd.
18 - Worthless flat stage.
19 - Liquigas and Scarponi massacre everyone on the Mortirolo. David Arroyo is possessed by the ghost of Paolo Savoldelli, even though Savoldelli hasn't even died yet. Nibali sighs audibly as he tries to guide Basso down the Mortirolo descent with Arroyo gaining nearly 2 minutes, catching and dropping some strong descenders. Vino refuses to work with the Spaniard, and the gap goes all the way back up on the way to Aprica. Scarponi takes the stage, Arroyo's dream is ended. For doing such a good job of being dropped on the climb, nearly crashing on the descent and being made to look like a fool, David Harmon gives Cadel Evans the title of "rider of the day". Chris Froome is kicked out of the race for holding on to a motorbike. It is universally agreed that the stage is awesome.
20 - The snowbanks on the Gavia are so high the break is hard to spot, so Vino gets into the second one. Simoni tries to win the Cima Coppi but is unable to compete with the might of Johan Tschopp. Arroyo doesn't attack on the descent to some disappointment. Basso descends so slowly that the bunch allows a big enough gap to go out for Tschopp to win the stage. Basso and Evans gain a few seconds.
21 - ITT. Due to its short length, it is more ceremonial than anything else; Larsson wins but is swiftly forgotten about. Arroyo loses over a minute to prove Basso would probably have won anyway.

Great post Libertine! If there was a competition for best comment of the year I'd nominate this one.

 

[gregrowlerson]

Great write ups again LS!! Another quote to highlight; "Which is universally agreed is awesome"!

But I really hope that you do one that doesn't have this comment. The 2012 Tour. Come on. You know you wanna

 

[Eshnar]

Re:

Great write ups again LS!! Another quote to highlight; "Which is universally agreed is awesome"!

But I really hope that you do one that doesn't have this comment. The 2012 Tour. Come on. You know you wanna

Nah I want the 2005 Giro instead. Which is universally agreed is awesome