Tour De France 2015

[jeremyp]

Wow what a day. 2 major crashes and the tour stopped for awhile. Can't wait for the post race interviews. Amazing final climb, they must have been in 20th gear!

[guru]

Tour organizers gotta be loving it. Yesterday's weather caught Nibali and Quintana asleep, and the other GC-contending teams buried them. Then today the Mur de Huy finish, which though relatively short, gave Froome a chance to put almost a half-minute into Contador, and saw Tejay van Garderen show his Criterium du Dauphine performance was no fluke. No one could have predicted this after three days.

And tomorrow, the cobbles(thankfully, unlike last year, no rain predicted).

[jazzcyclist]

Based on his post-race interview, Tony Martin wasn't too pleased with Cavendish costing him the Yellow Jersey yesterday with his Asafa Powell-like finish.

[guru]

Based on his post-race interview, Tony Martin wasn't too pleased with Cavendish costing him the Yellow Jersey yesterday with his Asafa Powell-like finish.

Poor guy - missed yellow by a second yesterday to Cancellara because Cav quit, and missed it by a second again today to Froome.

[guru]

Amazing final climb, they must have been in 20th gear!

Here's the strava segment for the final Mur de Huy ramp. 15% avg grade, they were going 8-11 MPH lol

http://www.strava.com/segments/4994053

[jazzcyclist]

15% avg grade, they were going 8-11 MPH lol

Which means that us mere mortals would not be able to keep the bike upright.

[jc203]

Which means that us mere mortals would be able to keep the bike upright.

Speak for yourself!

[jazzcyclist]

Speak for yourself!

I'm sorry, I omitted a word. I meant "would not", not "would".

[JumboElliott]

Not sure how I feel about the time bonuses coming back.

[guru]

Not sure how I feel about the time bonuses coming back.

I know how Tony Martin feels about it lol


I like them on the sprint stages. Today was pushing it though

[26mi235]

They had a hill climb in LA that is the steepest street around -- 33%. I never did it but could out-ride some people I know who did do it [it helps to be 60kg]. We had one practice climb that was pretty close to this for a similar distance. A lot different if it is mile 99 and not mile 1.

I have seen this climb multiple times in the past from the Fleche Wallonne (and they do it three times).

[jazzcyclist]

As a fan of both cycling and track and field, I can't help but point out how the careers of Mark Cavendish (fastest man on two wheels) and Usain Bolt (fastest man on two feet)seem to be mirroring each other. Cavendish burst onto the scene in 2008 with four stage wins at the Tour, the same year Bolt became a star at the Beijing Olympics. And like Bolt in Berlin at the World Championships, Cavendish reached his height of his dominance in 2009 with six stage wins. Cavendish won his last stage in 2013, and in 2015, it appears that his reign is over. If Cavendish fails to win a stage at this year's Tour, it may be a harbinger of what awaits Bolt in Beijing at the World Championships.

[bambam1729]

Some guys have speculated on this message board about what cycling will be like if Africans start hi-level cycling. An Eritrean cyclist just took over the lead of the King of the Mountains classification i the 2015 Tour and tomorrow will wear the Polka Dot Jersey. A historic moment.

[jazzcyclist]

Some guys have speculated on this message board about what cycling will be like if Africans start hi-level cycling. An Eritrean cyclist just took over the lead of the King of the Mountains classification i the 2015 Tour and tomorrow will wear the Polka Dot Jersey. A historic moment.

Definitely! I love this sort of thing - Kenyan and Trinidadian javelin throwers, Chinese sprinters and jumpers, Black American distance runners, White American sprinters and of course a Black American closing in on becoming the tennis GOAT.

[Chris McCarthy]

Bit gutted for Martin today as it looks like his collar bone has gone. Hopefully Nibali / Quintana are OK.