TDF Stage 15 - Monday, July 19 2010, Pamiers - Bagnères-de-Luchon, 187 km

[kukiniloa]

Versus thread please

Just when LA sits up on the Bales climb today they will say how he is saving his energy so he can attack and win a stage....I laugh so hard it hurts. Phil and Paul should get a show on the comedy channel.

By the last stage they will tell us how LA invented the bicycle!

No, but he did teach Bertie how to ride. Literally. When he was 3 years old.

But seriously, I do my best to ignore the Versus audio (I like the picture...) the pro LA spin, and the criticism here, are pretty funny. I mean, there is some standard for sports journalism, isn't there? If so, they've clearly ignored it.

I mean, Versus has this marketing agreement with Radio Shack, right? So they are contractually obligated to represent RS and give them as much coverage as possible, right?

And why should we have to look at this motley crew. Bob looks like a toad. Can't we have some female personalities? Or better yet, just show the race, I certainly don't want to hear what any of these guys have to say about cycling...

I can still recall Frankie covering the 09 Tour of California - he was convinced that Mancebo was an unknown.

 

[Publicus]

That's great.

I'm at work, following the race through this thread and text feeds. YOU ARE MAKING ME HEAR THE STUPID VERSUS COVERAGE BECAUSE YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT IT.

You are proliferating the crap you are complaining about. Just stop it, watch a foreign feed if you don't want to hear them talk. Start a new thread talking about how much the Versus coverage sucks... but don't take up three pages in the race thread talking about it when it has nothing at all to do with the race.

I really don't even mind a comment or two... the problem is once his name gets mentioned... we have three pages of people just saying "Lance is AWESOME!" or "The Uniballer sucks! HA, HA, HA!" And neither group seems to realize that THEY are just as annoying as the other group.

I just pointed out why your upbraiding of folks was misguided. If you are upset that it is making it harder for you to follow the race, you have options.

 

[alberto.legstrong]

All of you are not helping when it comes to talking about cycling and today's stage...

Let's just discontinue the "Phil-and-Paul-are-idiots-and-stop-mentioning-that-Phil-and-Paul-are-idiots" back and forth.

Use that precious time to learn Dutch, French, Italian or Spanish and watch Sporza or another real cycling channel.

Someone had just mentioned how boring the stage is when I posted. Thought going a little off topic would be tolerated until things heat up. Sorry.

 

[sublimit]

I just pointed out why your upbraiding of folks was misguided. If you are upset that it is making it harder for you to follow the race, you have options.

Dont know why he put such a sprawling post down, i gave up reading it after 2 lines.

I'm going to stick my neck out and say Turgot gets this stage.

 

[kurtinsc]

I just pointed out why your upbraiding of folks was misguided. If you are upset that it is making it harder for you to follow the race, you have options.

Yes, but I'm trying to avoid using the ignore button. While some of you talk about Lance way too much... you also have interesting comments when you do in fact talk about the race.

That's the whole point of watching a thread like this instead of simply following a race update. People DO actually add stuff... I just hate having to wade around "Lance is awesone", "Lance sucks", "Bob is ugly" posts to get to it.

It would be simple if the people posting those weren't also the people who add interesting comments sporadically as well.

Well... and the other side is that this thread is usually AHEAD of the official race comentary by a minute or two.

 

[Bala Verde]

Dont know why he put such a sprawling post down, i gave up reading it after 2 lines.

I'm going to stick my neck out and say Turgot gets this stage.

Isn't he a sprinter?

 

[cyclestationgiuseppe]

Mondory seems to have the climbing weight compared to everyone else...

Only 64 kilos
AG2R 2 in a row?

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

+10...

So who will win the stage? Any guesses?

Vandborg
van Summeren
Ivanov
Mondory
Ballan
Reda
Roberts
Voeckler
Turgot
Aitor Perez

Aitor Perez? Ivanov?

Vansummeren, Voeckler or Ivanov.

V Summeren is 31th in the GC so probably the best climber

 

[khodder]

KM 9 is where this climb really starts, bumps up into double digits.

 

[khodder]

Time to see com classic Voigt breaking of riders behind him.

 

[Publicus]

Yes, but I'm trying to avoid using the ignore button. While some of you talk about Lance way too much... you also have interesting comments when you do in fact talk about the race.

That's the whole point of watching a thread like this instead of simply following a race update. People DO actually add stuff... I just hate having to wade around "Lance is awesone", "Lance sucks", "Bob is ugly" posts to get to it.

It would be simple if the people posting those weren't also the people who add interesting comments sporadically as well.

Well... and the other side is that this thread is usually AHEAD of the official race comentary by a minute or two.

You aren't brand new around here, so I don't understand the venom. Nothing is happening. We typically fill that time with speculation about riders in the race and make snarky comments about the stupid crap commentators say during the race. Once the action gets hot, the discussion focuses around that.

Chill the fark out. It ain't that serious.

Btw: if you have an iPhone, the versus TdF app is pretty good for streaming. I'm using it now (well after I post this update)

 

[sublimit]

Isn't he a sprinter?

Yes, So i'm thinking he can descend very quickly.

it all depends what happens whether he can hang on on this the climb, if he gets over the top near the group you have to back him.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Bit boring so far. Hope they start fighting soon

 

[Bala Verde]

Riis pre-race intverview on Sporza, basically a reflection of today's stage so far:

"today will be interesting"

"Andy will attack when the legs are good"

"he was not playing [when he got food]. Right thing to do at the moment when it was not hectic. Better than trying to do it on the downhill"

Re a question about psychological games between Contador and Schleck: "there is too much speculation"

For the rest, ahem, he didn't really give anything away.

Guido Bontempi pre-race interview:

"No MTF, prolly same games today, could be a photocopy of yesterday"

"We want to win the war, not the battle"

"today another escape"

"Contador is good"

Will Alberto attack: "who knows, we'll see"

yawn...

 

[kurtinsc]

You aren't brand new around here, so I don't understand the venom. Nothing is happening. We typically fill that time with speculation about riders in the race and make snarky comments about the stupid crap commentators say during the race. Once the action gets hot, the discussion focuses around that.

Chill the fark out. It ain't that serious.

I guess in the past, the snarky comments have at least been about riders doing something or in the race.

Things like the bazillion Karpets puns everytime he attacks in a race or comments on Levi sucking someone's wheel seem more appropriate then talk about Lance when he's 20 minutes down.

I just got through a weekend listening to the Versus guys talk WAAAY too much about Lance during stages he did nothing. Now I'm getting more of that through a forum where I expected better. Perhaps that's my mistake.

And this isn't in any way venom. It's annoyance. But I'll shut up and be annoyed quietly from now on.

 

[The Hitch]

Nasty crash. Iban Mayoz and Cervelo.

 

[Beech Mtn]

Crash. Mayoz looks hurt.
FDJ also down and a Cervelo

 

[khodder]

Well of course Astana will want to win the battle and not the war, and they can win the war in the ITT.

However Schlecklet has to win the war in the Mountains meaning he has to win some of these battles too. However to do so he has to attack. Will he....

 

[The Hitch]

KM 9 is where this climb really starts, bumps up into double digits.

How far from the finish is that?

 

[Bala Verde]

Saxo upping the pace a bit.

 

[TourOfSardinia]

Ivanov anniversary

It's a year to the day since Ivanov won a stage on the tour

 

[cyclestationgiuseppe]

gap under 10 now ... 9:33

 

[sublimit]

I guess in the past, the snarky comments have at least been about riders doing something or in the race.

Things like the bazillion Karpets puns everytime he attacks in a race or comments on Levi sucking someone's wheel seem more appropriate then talk about Lance when he's 20 minutes down.

I just got through a weekend listening to the Versus guys talk WAAAY too much about Lance during stages he did nothing. Now I'm getting more of that through a forum where I expected better. Perhaps that's my mistake.

And this isn't in any way venom. It's annoyance. But I'll shut up and be annoyed quietly from now on.

You take it too seriously, relax and take it easy.

 

[superconfex]

Perez for the win plz

 

[khodder]

How far from the finish is that?

About 30 or 29, However the Map I was looking at had the climb at 18.5 KM and this climb is 19.3 so I could be out by a KM or so.