Loyal2TheRoyal's Official Tour De France Preview............J'adore La Tour!!!!!

he came fourth

Loyal2TheRoyal wrote:

samin10 wrote:Another great performance from Roache to finish fifth. Well done.

I thought he came fourth?

watched it last night on tg4, he came 4th alright. Skysports report had said he was fifth. Was a bit annoying the coverage, dont think Roache got a mention untill the last km when they finally decided to show who was actually trying to win the stage. The whole coverage was based around Contadors group. (understandable is suppose as the yellow jersey is the most important thing) still would liked to have seen a bit more of Roache. Encouraging stuff from him anyway.

Yeah very encouraging Sam. Sean Kelly says he's going "to become very hot property". And it was Roche who done most of the work chasing down the breakaway group of four which is why he didn't win the sprint finish for second. Up to sixth in the Green Jersey competition as well only ten points behind Tyler Farrar in fifth - the second best sprinter in the Tour.

Yeah on the leader board for green and white jerseys. definately very good going, obviously good in the mountains like his da. Who is his team leader? Needs to be made into main man in a team to really progress

shame about Wiggins losing it a bit today, let's hope he can make up lost time in tomorrow's time trial

SamiPremier08 wrote:shame about Wiggins losing it a bit today, let's hope he can make up lost time in tomorrow's time trial

I think Wiggo will make time on most riders tomorrow but I'm not sure if it'll be enough to gain him a podium spot. Hope the Schlecks can improve their time-trialing and maybe leave themselves in with a chance of a podium with the climb to Mount Ventoux to come. Cancellera to win in my opinion.

Is this farce of a race still going on??
Has Armstrong not injected his way to victory yet?

Cavendish does it again. Unbelievable.

samin10 wrote:Cavendish does it again. Unbelievable.

I don't believe it!

Awww the Manx Missile is something else. Nobody thought there'd be a bunch finish today and even when everyone started to realise there might be, nobody expected Cav to get over the mountain. The way he held them off after Tony Martin took up Mark Renshaw duties and tired too soon was awesome. Cav shouldn't have won given how early he was in the lead but nobody can match his power. He is class.

samin10 wrote:Cavendish does it again. Unbelievable.

'Unbelievable' in the way that Greg LeMond referred to Contador yesterday, or in a good way?

In a good way, didnt hear what Greg Lemond said about Contador but i can only imagine that he must have been suggesting drugs. Why do people assume someone is a drugs cheat because they won. I think the Tyrone team of last year must have been on drugs because them winning was "unbelievable"

'Why do people assume someone is a drugs cheat because they won.'

Earth to Samin, this is cycling we're talking about.

Thomas Clarke wrote:

samin10 wrote:Cavendish does it again. Unbelievable.

'Unbelievable' in the way that Greg LeMond referred to Contador yesterday, or in a good way?

Contador is a rare talent. He is the best climber in the world and one of the top time-trialists too. One of the reasons he beat Cancellera and other specialists in that discipline could be that Fabian was simply very tired after a two and a half weeks cycling as were the others whereas Contador is only getting the maximum out of himself in the last week of a Grand Tour. Andy Schleck put in a surprising time-trial too.

mossbags wrote:'Why do people assume someone is a drugs cheat because they won.'

Earth to Samin, this is cycling we're talking about.

how many have tested positive this year? cycling certainly went through a dodgey spell for a few years i would just prefer to believe in sportsmanship and innocent untill proven guilty. I dont think its fair to put down sportspersons achievements just because of something others in the sport have done in the past.

Each to their own. Personally I find some of the feats of some beyond belief ... continually.

samin10 wrote:

mossbags wrote:'Why do people assume someone is a drugs cheat because they won.'

Earth to Samin, this is cycling we're talking about.

how many have tested positive this year? cycling certainly went through a dodgey spell for a few years i would just prefer to believe in sportsmanship and innocent untill proven guilty. I dont think its fair to put down sportspersons achievements just because of something others in the sport have done in the past.

Is this a wind-up? Seriously?

samin10 wrote: how many have tested positive this year?

Giro d'Italia runner-up De Luca tested positive this week alone Samin.

mossbags wrote:

samin10 wrote:

mossbags wrote:'Why do people assume someone is a drugs cheat because they won.'

Earth to Samin, this is cycling we're talking about.

how many have tested positive this year? cycling certainly went through a dodgey spell for a few years i would just prefer to believe in sportsmanship and innocent untill proven guilty. I dont think its fair to put down sportspersons achievements just because of something others in the sport have done in the past.

Is this a wind-up? Seriously?

Why?

Galway team of 2001 must have been drug cheats. Joe Canning must be a drug cheat. (personally would rather believe he is just a special talent)

Thomas Clarke wrote:

samin10 wrote: how many have tested positive this year?

Giro d'Italia runner-up De Luca tested positive this week alone Samin.

1 out of 170 starters then. They must be all at it then. I am not saying that it does not go on, just not going to accuse anyone and certainly not someone (Armstrong) who time after time tested negative.

Also its not as if Contador has gone from time-trialing like a sprinter to time-trialing like Lance Armstrong in his day. He has always been a brilliant time-trialist.

What a lot of people have difficulty with is that he beat the world's time-trialing champion Fabian Cancellera by three seconds. Now I may be wrong here but has Cancellera won many time-trials at a Grand Tour outside of the prologue? I don't think so. He also spent the climb the day before trying to split the peloton for the Schlecks so he must have been tired.

I was more surprised by Andy Schleck's time-trial than Contadors but in a good way.

right if you don't like cycling and think it's a sport full of drugs then piss off to another thread!

SamiPremier08 wrote:right if you don't like cycling and think it's a sport full of drugs then piss off to another thread!

I do like cycling, and have watched it for 25 years, but it is the drugs that I don't like (and yes, it does still have a major drugs problem, unfortunately).

Thomas Clarke wrote:

SamiPremier08 wrote:right if you don't like cycling and think it's a sport full of drugs then piss off to another thread!

I do like cycling, and have watched it for 25 years, but it is the drugs that I don't like (and yes, it does still have a major drugs problem, unfortunately).

yeah understood, i just feel that this thread should be for appreciating the race not slagging it off with drug related whines as always!

Hey Sammy (as Cliffy used to say in Cheers) don't get all moral and indignant on us now! I reckon TC and myself adored the Kelly-Roche years. We have had more than enough reason to be suspicious (rather than cynical) since. Cycling has been a shocking mess for years now and IF its clean it will have to EARN its respect back.

Don't go all Michael Jackson on us ......