Official Thread: TdF Stage 9, Saint-Gaudens - Tarbes 160.5 km

[whiteboytrash]

Don't really know where to put this, since there's a thread running, but it's also relevant here.
IMO, the most consistently exciting stage race, by a country mile, is Paris-Nice.
Highlight of the season. Always produces oceans of attacking, exciting fare.
Why? Because of it's parcours, which, over the past few years, the ASO have honed to perfection. It's a course that is constantly going up or down or twisting and narrow.
Makes it all the more mystifying, that they then turn around and give us this mish-mash of bloated botchism.(my word)
Btw: +1 on the DL, too

Agree on all of this. PN has been a pearla for the last few years. Love watching it.

I'll get bashed for this but what spoils the Tour is one team controlling the race. It's farks it up. Saxo probably not strong enough last year to destroy the race but this year Astana is turning it into a bore fest. Thank god for Contador's attack. I couldn't care less if they fill the top 6 places I just want to see some racing. Watching Armstrong chase the break today & telling them to come back is just plain stupid. Then watching the entire field ride over the Tourmalet with Ag2R pacing lacks respect for the highest mountain in France.

I think cut team sizes by two & add two more teams. Either that cur riders with bald heads & one testicle.

 

[Cobber]

Agree on all of this. PN has been a pearla for the last few years. Love watching it.

I'll get bashed for this but what spoils the Tour is one team controlling the race. It's farks it up. Saxo probably not strong enough last year to destroy the race but this year Astana is turning it into a bore fest. Thank god for Contador's attack. I couldn't care less if they fill the top 6 places I just want to see some racing. Watching Armstrong chase the break today & telling them to come back is just plain stupid. Then watching the entire field ride over the Tourmalet with Ag2R pacing lacks respect for the highest mountain in France.

I think cut team sizes by two & add two more teams. Either that cur riders with bald heads & one testicle.

LOL!

I would add... cut stages with 50k of flat after a HC climb!

 

[blaxland]

boring,boring,boring........need mountain top finishes....

 

[RigelKent]

Agree on all of this. PN has been a pearla for the last few years. Love watching it.

I'll get bashed for this but what spoils the Tour is one team controlling the race. It's farks it up. Saxo probably not strong enough last year to destroy the race but this year Astana is turning it into a bore fest. Thank god for Contador's attack. I couldn't care less if they fill the top 6 places I just want to see some racing. Watching Armstrong chase the break today & telling them to come back is just plain stupid. Then watching the entire field ride over the Tourmalet with Ag2R pacing lacks respect for the highest mountain in France.

I think cut team sizes by two & add two more teams. Either that cur riders with bald heads & one testicle.

I posted similar on the LA thread, but why is it Armstrong's fault? Did he set the course? Blame him for for many things, but the quality of the racing is hardly his fault. Only allowing the "right break" is part of racing. It's why they kicked Cadel out of the break the day before. Were you crumbing on Hincapie and Canc for that? C'mon!

 

[auscyclefan94]

Boring pyrenees route this year

The last 70km of last nights stage was pointless. They could of made a stage like the Blockhaus stage in the Giro. Finish at La Mongie so their would be some action. What a snooze fest! They could of done an ITT from the bottom of the Tourmalet to La Mongie or an ITT up the Aspin. That would make it very interesting.

 

[RightWingNutJob]

They should have gotten that one dude to jump his mountain bike over the peloton at varying intervals to excite things.

 

[Bala Verde]

And to conclude with the most exciting moment of the stage...

 

[BroDeal]

I was pulling for Pellizotti. I have always like the guy. He keeps getting better every year..

 

[craig1985]

I was happy for Fedrigo to win. I have always been a fan of the team and Fedrigo (outspoken against doping as well). I mean you know what your going to get with Bouygues, they can't win the Tour, but instead they get in breaks and go for stage wins, and now they have two so really it can't get any better for the team (aside from more wins).

I noticed Pellizotti has an SRM on his boke, would be interesting to know the watts when he was sprinting against Fedrigo.