"Tour de Bore"

[BillytheKid]

On Belgian TV they said today was the 6th HC climb and not one single attack on any of them. The only guy who could attack was not allowed to! The most interesting thing about the race was to watch Froome make a laughing stock out of Wigans

The only ones who somewhat saved the Tour was Jürgen Vandenbroeck who showed the most determination and fighting spirit IMO and the French riders, even though they were helped by Sky's complete disinterest and other teams' complete disability to chase

You want clean racing, and yet, you expect some kind of super human performances.

Froome look daft with his hand jestures at Wiggins. He has the physical talent, but I doubt if he can lead a team.

 

[H2OUUP2]

I don't know about the most boring, but it isn't exactly exciting. I don't even mind Wiggins Either. Wiggins fan or not, this is not exciting racing.

 

[Bavarianrider]

Actually a very good Tour. Appart of a winner with a bad charakter and some soft pedaling at certain stages.

 

[rhubroma]

You want clean racing, and yet, you expect some kind of super human performances.

Froome look daft with his hand jestures at Wiggins. He has the physical talent, but I doubt if he can lead a team.

Clean racing doesn't mean no attacks. It means slower times.

 

[theyoungest]

Clean racing doesn't mean no attacks. It means slower times.

Doping increases the differences between riders. So logically, it also increases the chance for an attack to stick. And the chance for one favourite to really impose his will on the other favourites.

But if Bradley Wiggins is among the best climbers in the race, there's also just a lack of quality in the field. He's obviously a very good rider, but he's just not a super climber. He can barely leave the saddle.

 

[rhubroma]

Doping increases the differences between riders. So logically, it also increases the chance for an attack to stick. And the chance for one favourite to really impose his will on the other favourites.

Cycling history has always evidenced attacks. Before EPO there were attacks. Doping has always been widespread in the peloton, but not the kind of doping one has now, which has increased the speeds and made it much harder to gain time attacking than decades ago.

Get of today's dope, the speeds come down, and the best will be making a greater difference.

Doping has nothing to do with attacks per se, if anything it has discouraged them, since the overall fitness of riders is higher than it was decades ago. In this sence, today's doping has made the sport faster but more boring.

 

[Clemson Cycling]

Everyone saying this is the weakest tour field since 1999 do not have it right at all. 2006 was a much weaker field after Operación Puerto broke and knocked out Ullrich, Basso, Sevilla, Mancebo, and Vino. Also, one Bradley Wiggins finished 124th that year.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_teams_and_cyclists_in_the_2006_Tour_de_France

 

[rhubroma]

Everyone saying this is the weakest tour field since 1999 do not have it right at all. 2006 was a much weaker field after Operación Puerto broke and knocked out Ullrich, Basso, and many other Tour favorites. Also, one Bradley Wiggins finished 124th that year.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_teams_and_cyclists_in_the_2006_Tour_de_France

This is precisely why I find his credibility to be zero. 124th that year for goodness sake.

 

[marioni]

Eh, I think that Tour de France organizers/directors just want to be sure, that 100th annual Tour de France will be best in last years and clearly better that TdF 99 year before, so they took it easy this year...

You're giving them too much credit. I think they just messed up. Joke course, joke Tour. Bore.

 

[sjonnie]

This is precisely why I find his credibility to be zero. 124th that year for goodness sake.

I suppose a rider who abandoned his first two tours and finished 97th in his 3rd would also have no credibility in your eyes?.

 

[Magnus]

This is precisely why I find his credibility to be zero. 124th that year for goodness sake.

So what is the worst placing a GT winner can achieve in order to remain credible in your view?

 

[rhubroma]

So what is the worst placing a GT winner can achieve in order to remain credible in your view?

Don't know exactly, but 124th is not very promissing. I'd prefer to go back to the pre EPO years to get an actual indication, when Tour winners always did top 20 in their early attempts.

Today even a rider who finished 124th on the right program and team can win, which is just absurd.

 

[guncha]

Eh, I think that Tour de France organizers/directors just want to be sure, that 100th annual Tour de France will be best in last years and clearly better that TdF 99 year before, so they took it easy this year...

It gives no excuse to make crap from this year's Tour.
TDF 09 was traumatic experience for me. If they'll continue making such kind of routes I might stop watching it...

 

[Wiggins_Sideburn]

It gives no excuse to make crap from this year's Tour.
TDF 09 was traumatic experience for me. If they'll continue making such kind of routes I might stop watching it...

I do not for a second think anyone will miss you. bye bye already.

 

[guncha]

No, it definitely wasn't. The first 7-10 stages of this Tour were above average - the last not so much. But That's already more than you can say about the whole Giro.

Prologue to Stage 8 made no GC relevance in this year's TDF. After Stage 9 this TDF was over. Somehow I found much more excitement in this year's Giro. At least organizers cared about well designed mountain stages, not collecting money from towns in valleys and Pau...

 

[Magnus]

Don't know exactly, but 124th is not very promissing. I'd prefer to go back to the pre EPO years to get an actual indication, when Tour winners always did top 20 in their early attempts.

Today even a rider who finished 124th on the right program and team can win, which is just absurd.

Why that? You need the right training and racing program to perform. Weight loss makes a tremendous difference. If you are capable of producing 300 watts and drops your weight from 75 to 70 kg you save more than two minutes on a 10 km climb. That's a tremendous difference.

 

[guncha]

I do not for a second think anyone will miss you. bye bye already.

We'll see if they can make worse route than this one...

 

[luckyboy]

This has been the worst Grand Tour I can remember (been following Tour since 03, Vuelta 04, Giro 05).

 

[Libertine Seguros]

The best GT this year has been the Giro Donne. By so far that it's depressing.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

I do not for a second think anyone will miss you. bye bye already.

Christ, some 18 post nationalist Wiggins fanboy wishes people would stop complaining about the worst Tour route and worst race in many years.

 

[rhubroma]

Why that? You need the right training and racing program to perform. Weight loss makes a tremendous difference. If you are capable of producing 300 watts and drops your weight from 75 to 70 kg you save more than two minutes on a 10 km climb. That's a tremendous difference.

So he's 15 minutes faster. That's hardly enough time to make up the difference to actually win.

I'm tired of the farce of it all.

 

[Mellow Velo]

The best GT this year has been the Giro Donne. By so far that it's depressing.

Say what? It was the pits.
Most stages, they couldn't even get a break away.
Mostly, they sat around watching each other.

Apart from Stevens's win, on the only half decent mountain stage, it was just a question of whether Vos would contest the sprint, or not.


Anyhow. Thoughts upon the Tour de Flop:
http://inrng.com/2012/07/romanticism-prudhomme-tour/

 

[auscyclefan94]

Actually a very good Tour. Appart of a winner with a bad charakter and some soft pedaling at certain stages.

That is because there was lots of TT and little climbing which suits your boy, martin.

This tour has depressed me!

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Say what? It was the pits.
Most stages, they couldn't even get a break away.
Mostly, they sat around watching each other.

Apart from Stevens's win, on the only half decent mountain stage, it was just a question of whether Vos would contest the sprint, or not.


Anyhow. Thoughts upon the Tour de Flop:
http://inrng.com/2012/07/romanticism-prudhomme-tour/

Yes, but Stevens' stage win and Vos' comeback the next day were still more entertainment than we've seen in either the Giro or the Tour.

 

[Magnus]

So he's 15 minutes faster. That's hardly enough time to make up the difference to actually win.

I'm tired of the farce of it all.

I don't know how you calculate the 15 min. But the 2 minutes in 10 km @ 8% isn't just 2 minutes. It's the difference between lead group and also rans. Which changes the riders position in the team. That in itself can make a big difference, as I'm sure you'll agree. Comming from the track as Wiggins it is not surprising that he improves on the road as he focuses more on that. Besides, not all riders are stars from the beginning. Some improve gradually over time. CAS and Mørkøv come to mind as an example of riders who gradually improves season after season.