At the outset of the 2011 Tour de France, I placed some bets over in London. I picked seven riders to finish atop the podium. I guess 2 out of 7 isn't horrible - especially with the carnage we saw in the first week. I'm quite satisfied with the result this year and I'm happy to say this is one of the best Tours I've ever watched.
It was close, there was a parity of rider skill, and there was only one positive drug test (that I've heard of) in all of the 21 stages.
Thanks to Versus and Eurosport for your coverage. Thanks to UCI and LeTour for your efforts as well.
See you again in the fall when they announce the route for the 2012 Tour de France. I plan to be in France for the whole of that race if you need a person on the ground during that edition.
Au revoir.
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Watching the Time Trial - 2011 Tour de France
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
I'm watching the final time trial in this year's Tour de France and the podium is set. It's going to be three men - of course - but the order isn't decided yet.
It will be Cadel Evans, Andy Schleck and Frank Schleck up on the podium tomorrow in Paris. But the three are jammed so close together it's too tough to tell who will pull on yellow tomorrow.
With 20KM to go, the computers say Cadel Evans is pulling back all the time he's lost over the past few days. He started down 57 seconds to Andy Schleck and now the timers say that he's only down nine seconds.
If this happens, Cadel will be the first ever Australian winner of the Tour de France. And for the second year in a row, Andy Schleck will have finished second by seconds. Last year he lost by 39 seconds to Alberto Contador.
I am shaking right now with excitement. How about you?
I'm watching the final time trial in this year's Tour de France and the podium is set. It's going to be three men - of course - but the order isn't decided yet.
It will be Cadel Evans, Andy Schleck and Frank Schleck up on the podium tomorrow in Paris. But the three are jammed so close together it's too tough to tell who will pull on yellow tomorrow.
With 20KM to go, the computers say Cadel Evans is pulling back all the time he's lost over the past few days. He started down 57 seconds to Andy Schleck and now the timers say that he's only down nine seconds.
If this happens, Cadel will be the first ever Australian winner of the Tour de France. And for the second year in a row, Andy Schleck will have finished second by seconds. Last year he lost by 39 seconds to Alberto Contador.
I am shaking right now with excitement. How about you?
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Stage 18 - The Day the 2011 Tour de France was Decided
Well, that headline might be a bit over the top, but so are the world's top cyclists. And the way they finished - except for the exceptional Thomas Voekler - might be the way they end up on Sunday.
Today, we saw Andy Schleck for the first time in the race. He shattered (more like tickled at) the field and ended up about 90 seconds ahead of the field.
We saw Cadel Evans lose a little time to both Andy and Frank Schleck. But not nearly insurmountable. What will depend on how Evans finishes is how the stage tomorrow shakes out. If Frank Schleck attacks and wins on Alpe d'Huez, then the top three in Paris might well go....
Frank, Cadel and Andy - in that order.
But I still think it's Evans race to lose. He can make up time on both those guys in the Time Trial on Saturday. And he just needs to hang on tomorrow and either take back a little time or not lose any.
Oh, Alberto Contador might be DONE for this year unless he wins tomorrow by three minutes or more.
What do you say?
Today, we saw Andy Schleck for the first time in the race. He shattered (more like tickled at) the field and ended up about 90 seconds ahead of the field.
We saw Cadel Evans lose a little time to both Andy and Frank Schleck. But not nearly insurmountable. What will depend on how Evans finishes is how the stage tomorrow shakes out. If Frank Schleck attacks and wins on Alpe d'Huez, then the top three in Paris might well go....
Frank, Cadel and Andy - in that order.
But I still think it's Evans race to lose. He can make up time on both those guys in the Time Trial on Saturday. And he just needs to hang on tomorrow and either take back a little time or not lose any.
Oh, Alberto Contador might be DONE for this year unless he wins tomorrow by three minutes or more.
What do you say?
Saturday, July 16, 2011
86.5KM to go - Stage 14
With almost 90KM to go in Stage 14, there are three riders off the front at 7:12 in front of the peloton. It might be a break that stays away for a bit because in it are Millar, Casar and El Fares, the best placed of these is Sandy Casar at only 8:47 back of the Yellow Jersey.
The other reason this break might stay away for a bit is that they'll have seven minutes with which to start climbing the next couple peaks.
Thoughts?
The other reason this break might stay away for a bit is that they'll have seven minutes with which to start climbing the next couple peaks.
Thoughts?
Shots from France
While I wouldn't be so bold to share photos of the French countryside taken as screenshots of the Versus broadcast, I will share some photos from my multiple visits to the Tour de France.
Enjoy...
OK, none of these photos are from the Pyrenees, but these are all from France. And those cows ARE actually on Alpe d'Huez.
Enjoy...
OK, none of these photos are from the Pyrenees, but these are all from France. And those cows ARE actually on Alpe d'Huez.
Stage 14 - 2011 Tour de France
We're still in the Pyrenees and today's biggest climb - Plateau de Beille - falls right at the end of this 168.5KM stage.
What's going to happen? A complete and utter shattering of the field is what I see. While there might be a small break or two early...desperate moves by riders who know they'll be off the back when the peloton gets to the mountains...we're all going to see either Sammy Sanchez or Cadel Evans (or maybe an inspired Ivan Basso) rock the race to its core with an unrelenting attack on the field up the HC Plateau to the finish.
Here are a few of today's updates I've gotten from my friends at Versus and Eurosport...
More coming in a bit...
What's going to happen? A complete and utter shattering of the field is what I see. While there might be a small break or two early...desperate moves by riders who know they'll be off the back when the peloton gets to the mountains...we're all going to see either Sammy Sanchez or Cadel Evans (or maybe an inspired Ivan Basso) rock the race to its core with an unrelenting attack on the field up the HC Plateau to the finish.
Here are a few of today's updates I've gotten from my friends at Versus and Eurosport...
20 riders took off early in a breakaway
Cadel Evans had to stop and get a bike replacement even before the live broadcast began
There are multiple chase groups between the 20 leaders and the peloton, which is 4:50 behind with 140KM to go.As I sit here typing, I wonder if it's ever worth the money to buy the Versus "all-access" package for the Tour de France. Mostly because the Eurosport broadcast doesn't start much before (if at all before) Versus. So the only thing all-access might offer you is no commercials and live feed. I'll research this for next year and will let you know if I find out sooner. I just can't see spending $30 for something that's free and off of my clock by 5 hours - making it a great program to grab on DVR and time-shift it.
More coming in a bit...
A Little Break
Sorry for my tiny departure during the past couple stages. I was away on business and was out of touch. MOSTLY because the application I've been using to stay updated - the Tour de France 2011 iPhone app - was abandoned in the same way 16 or so riders have abandoned this year's Tour.
The company that created the app - and charged money for it - http://twitter.com/protourtips - won't return emails and only had this cryptic message on their app news page...
What burns me is three-fold!
1 - I paid for this app, so it should be a little more stable than one I got for free (and by stable I mean I expect it to exist AT LEAST FOR 21 DAYS)
2 - I have the resources sitting right here on my couch to write and post dispatches about each and every stage of the race. I can't understand how the group was doing it before UNLESS they were actively violated copyright law and running dispatches verbatim from other sources.
3 - I now have to scramble to get info you guys for the important stages ahead - even today's 14th stage that I expect to blow the field apart.
So, I'll soldier on alone....updates to come on today's amazing stage.
The company that created the app - and charged money for it - http://twitter.com/protourtips - won't return emails and only had this cryptic message on their app news page...
What burns me is three-fold!
1 - I paid for this app, so it should be a little more stable than one I got for free (and by stable I mean I expect it to exist AT LEAST FOR 21 DAYS)
2 - I have the resources sitting right here on my couch to write and post dispatches about each and every stage of the race. I can't understand how the group was doing it before UNLESS they were actively violated copyright law and running dispatches verbatim from other sources.
3 - I now have to scramble to get info you guys for the important stages ahead - even today's 14th stage that I expect to blow the field apart.
So, I'll soldier on alone....updates to come on today's amazing stage.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Stage 9 - The Tour is a Shambles
A car knocks down some riders.
A famous rider breaks his hip and femur.
Somebody purportedly pushes Contador off his bike.
And the Yellow Jersey is NOT on the back of Thor Hushovd anymore.
I'll be blogging later and into tomorrow's rest day to bring you the details....stay tuned.
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Why I LOVE this Race - SPOILERS IN THIS POST STAGE 8
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
-------------
The final KM is here and I'm watching the big names in the 2011 Tour de France chasing down Vinokourov together. It's Cadel and Andy and Alberto in a pack of three chasing up the hill.
Cadel Evans has shot off the front and is cranking down the road and may have opened a tiny gap on Contador and Andy Schleck.
But no! The groupo ended up together - just back of the main leaders and Thor Husovd.
So nothing changes today in the GC other than a win by Movistar rider Rui Costa. Cadel Evans finished in third with Sammy Sanchez in fourth.
Wow. I suggest if you haven't watched any of this year's Tour, do so tonight. The real flavor of the race comes from about 6KM to go and keeps you glued to your seat.
See you tomorrow for stage 9.
-------------
The final KM is here and I'm watching the big names in the 2011 Tour de France chasing down Vinokourov together. It's Cadel and Andy and Alberto in a pack of three chasing up the hill.
Cadel Evans has shot off the front and is cranking down the road and may have opened a tiny gap on Contador and Andy Schleck.
But no! The groupo ended up together - just back of the main leaders and Thor Husovd.
So nothing changes today in the GC other than a win by Movistar rider Rui Costa. Cadel Evans finished in third with Sammy Sanchez in fourth.
Wow. I suggest if you haven't watched any of this year's Tour, do so tonight. The real flavor of the race comes from about 6KM to go and keeps you glued to your seat.
See you tomorrow for stage 9.
VINO!
At about 26KM, Alexandre Vinokourov took off up the climb. He's ahead of the peloton by about 30 seconds already.
Over the top of the category 2 climb, the lead group of two riders is almost three minutes ahead of the peloton.
The chase is on down the other side of the mountain with darkening skies coming and another climb - a cat 3 - ahead.
Back here after the conclusion of today's stage 8.
Over the top of the category 2 climb, the lead group of two riders is almost three minutes ahead of the peloton.
The chase is on down the other side of the mountain with darkening skies coming and another climb - a cat 3 - ahead.
Back here after the conclusion of today's stage 8.
VINO!
At about 26KM to go, Alexandre Vinokourov took off up the climb. He's ahead of the peloton by about 30 seconds already.
Over the top of the category 2 climb, the lead group of two riders is almost three minutes ahead of the peloton.
The chase is on down the other side of the mountain with darkening skies coming and another climb - a cat 3 - ahead.
Back here after the conclusion of today's stage 8.
Over the top of the category 2 climb, the lead group of two riders is almost three minutes ahead of the peloton.
The chase is on down the other side of the mountain with darkening skies coming and another climb - a cat 3 - ahead.
Back here after the conclusion of today's stage 8.
VINO!
At about 26KM, Alexandre Vinokourov took off up the climb. He's ahead of the peloton by about 30 seconds already.
Over the top of the category 2 climb, the lead group of two riders is almost three minutes ahead of the peloton.
The chase is on down the other side of the mountain with darkening skies coming and another climb - a cat 3 - ahead.
Back here after the conclusion of today's stage 8.
Over the top of the category 2 climb, the lead group of two riders is almost three minutes ahead of the peloton.
The chase is on down the other side of the mountain with darkening skies coming and another climb - a cat 3 - ahead.
Back here after the conclusion of today's stage 8.
VINO!
At about 26KM, Alexandre Vinokourov took off up the climb. He's ahead of the peloton by about 30 seconds already.
Over the top of the category 2 climb, the lead group of two riders is almost three minutes ahead of the peloton.
The chase is on down the other side of the mountain with darkening skies coming and another climb - a cat 3 - ahead.
Back here after the conclusion of today's stage 8.
Over the top of the category 2 climb, the lead group of two riders is almost three minutes ahead of the peloton.
The chase is on down the other side of the mountain with darkening skies coming and another climb - a cat 3 - ahead.
Back here after the conclusion of today's stage 8.
Cycling Cutlets
In some of my other column gigs, I have created a column format called Cutlets. Just little pieces of Jeff Cutler's mind for you to gnaw on.
So here are some little cycling Cutlets for you...
37.2KM to go. Dry roads. Peloton is only 2:20 behind the nine-rider breakaway.
Cervelo is the code word for today in the IZOD Sweeps. Go here to enter.
I really like the yellow jumpsuits on the guys on the timing motorcycle - a bright yellow BMW.
It's odd how so many of the motorbike riders and passengers drag their feet. Also, I don't think I could ever balance on the back of one of those bikes to wield a TV camera or even a DSLR.
The big climb is coming and I expect that the peloton will blow apart today. Riders are anxious. Commentators are saying Vinokourov could be the winner today. Interesting.
So here are some little cycling Cutlets for you...
37.2KM to go. Dry roads. Peloton is only 2:20 behind the nine-rider breakaway.
Cervelo is the code word for today in the IZOD Sweeps. Go here to enter.
I really like the yellow jumpsuits on the guys on the timing motorcycle - a bright yellow BMW.
It's odd how so many of the motorbike riders and passengers drag their feet. Also, I don't think I could ever balance on the back of one of those bikes to wield a TV camera or even a DSLR.
The big climb is coming and I expect that the peloton will blow apart today. Riders are anxious. Commentators are saying Vinokourov could be the winner today. Interesting.
Good Ads
I just saw an ad on Versus that was talking about how the right rules can keep you safe on the road. Particularly on a bicycle.
What occurs to me is that most folks don't even realize that in major metropolitan areas, the bicycle is subject to the same laws as motor vehicles and has to obey lights, stops, lanes and so forth.
That said, the RoadID ad was about remaining safe and efficient in the peloton or a riding group. Here's that link - I think you'll learn something.
What occurs to me is that most folks don't even realize that in major metropolitan areas, the bicycle is subject to the same laws as motor vehicles and has to obey lights, stops, lanes and so forth.
That said, the RoadID ad was about remaining safe and efficient in the peloton or a riding group. Here's that link - I think you'll learn something.
Sanchez?
I just recalled that one of my early picks - and a guy who I bet on with LadBrokes - is Sammy Sanchez and he might very well be the guy to win today. Add him to my prediction from a post earlier this morning.
Only time will tell - they're still about 62KM to go and there are nine riders at the front nearly five minutes ahead of the BMC Team-led peloton.
Chat in a bit.
Only time will tell - they're still about 62KM to go and there are nine riders at the front nearly five minutes ahead of the BMC Team-led peloton.
Chat in a bit.
Sanchez?
I just recalled that one of my early picks - and a guy who I bet on with LadBrokes - is Sammy Sanchez and he might very well be the guy to win today. Add him to my prediction from a post earlier this morning.
Only time will tell - they're still about 62KM to go and there are nine riders at the front nearly five minutes ahead of the BMC Team-led peloton.
Chat in a bit.
Only time will tell - they're still about 62KM to go and there are nine riders at the front nearly five minutes ahead of the BMC Team-led peloton.
Chat in a bit.
2nd Best Way to Watch the Tour de France
The best way to watch the Tour de France is roadside in France, but the second best way is to do what I'm doing today. Watch the video on Versus and listen to the live feed on Eurosport right here.
Gives the full on-coverage without the audio of all the stupid commercial breaks that come on TV. Seems that this year the number of ads and promotions is higher than any year in memory. I think that's why, in part, most of my cycling colleagues time shift the programming so they can avoid the ads.
How do you prefer to follow the tour?
Gives the full on-coverage without the audio of all the stupid commercial breaks that come on TV. Seems that this year the number of ads and promotions is higher than any year in memory. I think that's why, in part, most of my cycling colleagues time shift the programming so they can avoid the ads.
How do you prefer to follow the tour?
Stage 8 - Route and Prediction - 2011 Tour de France
Today is the first time during the 2011 Tour that I've been able to watch a stage live. As we all know, work gets in the way but now we're at the weekend. Today's dispatches/blog posts will be provided as things happen on the road. So sit tight. Info to come.
*Overnight news - Chris Horner abandoned after finishing Stage 7 yesterday.
Stage 8 is 189KM and goes from Aigurande to Super-Besse Sancy. On the route there are two category 4 climbs, one category 2 and the finishing hill is a category 3.
Today I predict (and by the way, all my prior predictions have taken place before I watched any of the day's riding) that the stage winners will be...
Andy Schleck
Levi Leipheimer
and Cadel Evans
Contador will likely try to pull away, but will end up in the groupo and not gain back any time. Conversely, he won't lose any time.
What do you think?
*Overnight news - Chris Horner abandoned after finishing Stage 7 yesterday.
Stage 8 is 189KM and goes from Aigurande to Super-Besse Sancy. On the route there are two category 4 climbs, one category 2 and the finishing hill is a category 3.
Today I predict (and by the way, all my prior predictions have taken place before I watched any of the day's riding) that the stage winners will be...
Andy Schleck
Levi Leipheimer
and Cadel Evans
Contador will likely try to pull away, but will end up in the groupo and not gain back any time. Conversely, he won't lose any time.
What do you think?
Friday, July 8, 2011
Stage 7 - 2011 Tour de France - Wrap-up
Here's how the stage ended today...
Mark Cavendish won the stage (that's two for him this year)
He was followed by Alessandro Petacchi and Andre Greipel to round out the top three. Doesn't do much to the overall standings which see these guys in the top ten...
Thor Husovd
Cadel Evans
Frank Schleck
David Millar
Andreas Kloden
Jakob Fuglsang
Andy Schleck
Tony Martin
Peter Velits
Robert Gesink
...and our good friend Alberto Contador is still back 1:42 off the lead.
Coming up tomorrow and the next day - some steeper stages.
Oh, the list of abandons is now at eight with Boonen, Wiggins and Van de Walle the biggest names on the list.
Mark Cavendish won the stage (that's two for him this year)
He was followed by Alessandro Petacchi and Andre Greipel to round out the top three. Doesn't do much to the overall standings which see these guys in the top ten...
Thor Husovd
Cadel Evans
Frank Schleck
David Millar
Andreas Kloden
Jakob Fuglsang
Andy Schleck
Tony Martin
Peter Velits
Robert Gesink
...and our good friend Alberto Contador is still back 1:42 off the lead.
Coming up tomorrow and the next day - some steeper stages.
Oh, the list of abandons is now at eight with Boonen, Wiggins and Van de Walle the biggest names on the list.
OUT OF THE RACE
I suspected some folks would abandon - and five riders already have over the prior six stages. But today might see some sprinters and others who were in crashes leave the 2011 Tour de France. That's based on the casual way in which Tom Boonen just got into the team car at 124KM to go and gave up on this year's race.
This post will list other abandons in today's stage 7 and where they gave up or were bounced out.
84KM to go and there's been one crash - but hardly of note. Best thing I saw in that crash was a following rider who leaned over while going about 20MPH and picked up someone's sunglasses right off the road. Crazy skill.
At the 78KM to go point, there are still four riders off the front by about five minutes.
Hey, if you've got the NBC All-Access pass, can you tell me if it just gives you the same broadcasts we get or if it's ALL of the Eurosport feed with FULL - I mean EVERY pedal stroke - coverage of the Tour?
48KM to go and there are five or six riders down. Waiting to see who and what happened. Radio Shack team has someone in there. So does Astana. OK. Doesn't look like any remained behind. Popovych from Radio Shack went down in that crash. They're chasing now.
Massive pileup of riders at the 37KM to go. There are easily a dozen riders in the crash. Bradley Wiggins his holding his arm. Collarbone looks broken - I've broken mine twice and know the look. Wiggins is down in the grass. Looks like he's going to abandon. Yup. He's out. Wiggins is out of the race.
Also in that crash, Remi Pauriol is down and doctors are working on him. Will have an update on that. A lot of big names caught in that crash including Chris Horner.
31KM to go and the race is a mess. Four riders off the front by two minutes. The peloton, a second peleton at 2:21 or more. And then a medium group of crashers off the back by 5:16.
Next post will have the stage wrap-up.
This post will list other abandons in today's stage 7 and where they gave up or were bounced out.
84KM to go and there's been one crash - but hardly of note. Best thing I saw in that crash was a following rider who leaned over while going about 20MPH and picked up someone's sunglasses right off the road. Crazy skill.
At the 78KM to go point, there are still four riders off the front by about five minutes.
Hey, if you've got the NBC All-Access pass, can you tell me if it just gives you the same broadcasts we get or if it's ALL of the Eurosport feed with FULL - I mean EVERY pedal stroke - coverage of the Tour?
48KM to go and there are five or six riders down. Waiting to see who and what happened. Radio Shack team has someone in there. So does Astana. OK. Doesn't look like any remained behind. Popovych from Radio Shack went down in that crash. They're chasing now.
Massive pileup of riders at the 37KM to go. There are easily a dozen riders in the crash. Bradley Wiggins his holding his arm. Collarbone looks broken - I've broken mine twice and know the look. Wiggins is down in the grass. Looks like he's going to abandon. Yup. He's out. Wiggins is out of the race.
Also in that crash, Remi Pauriol is down and doctors are working on him. Will have an update on that. A lot of big names caught in that crash including Chris Horner.
31KM to go and the race is a mess. Four riders off the front by two minutes. The peloton, a second peleton at 2:21 or more. And then a medium group of crashers off the back by 5:16.
Next post will have the stage wrap-up.
Figuring Out the Remote
Watching two to four hours of cycling programming per day isn't easy. And to make it a bit more efficient, I like to speed through the recorded stage coverage. Today, I figured out how to make it even better.
In the past - I think six - Tours de France I have always hit fast forward on the remote and sped ahead. Trouble with that is that the show info blocks the feed at the bottom of the screen so I'd have to keep stopping to get mileage and other info. In fact, when they run contests, they make it a point to hide code words and such in the bottom banner too. So I'd always miss the word of the day.
Well, now I figured it out. Just fast forward and then hit the EXIT button on the remote. It removes the info box and you can scroll ahead without anything blocking the view.
So easy, but took me years to figure it out. Yay!
In the past - I think six - Tours de France I have always hit fast forward on the remote and sped ahead. Trouble with that is that the show info blocks the feed at the bottom of the screen so I'd have to keep stopping to get mileage and other info. In fact, when they run contests, they make it a point to hide code words and such in the bottom banner too. So I'd always miss the word of the day.
Well, now I figured it out. Just fast forward and then hit the EXIT button on the remote. It removes the info box and you can scroll ahead without anything blocking the view.
So easy, but took me years to figure it out. Yay!
Stage 7 - 2011 Tour de France - Predictions
It's a rainy Friday here in Boston and I'm hoping the riders aren't in the rain again today as they were in yesterday's stage 6. That said, I think the stage today - 1/3 though this year's Tour de France - will actually shake up the GC minimally.
The reason I think this is because today's flat stage will present no real opportunity for the riders who are a bit behind to put some time into the rest of the group. There are no hills to speak of and if everyone stays with the peloton, they should remain safe.
For today, I predict that Cavendish will win his second stage (or maybe Tyler Farrar will do so).
Early highlights have a breakaway of about eight minutes with 140KM to go. I'll be back with a post about other news of the day.
The reason I think this is because today's flat stage will present no real opportunity for the riders who are a bit behind to put some time into the rest of the group. There are no hills to speak of and if everyone stays with the peloton, they should remain safe.
For today, I predict that Cavendish will win his second stage (or maybe Tyler Farrar will do so).
Early highlights have a breakaway of about eight minutes with 140KM to go. I'll be back with a post about other news of the day.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
SPOILER - Stage 6 - 2011 Tour de France
DON'T READ IF YOU HAVEN'T WATCHED YET
-------------
At about 3.8KM to go, Levi Leipheimer went into a guardrail and fell. He was outside the 3KM line, so he had to work like mad to get back into the peloton.
Uphill at 2.7KM to go. The peloton is stretched out. Racing for the win.
Cavendish's team is up there. Contador is at the front now, too.
It's really steep from the views on the TV. Van den Broek is at the front and is being chased by Philippe Gilbert. Are you kidding me? How could that be? The guys on the radio are saying it's Voekler at the front. Can't tell in the rain who it is.
1.5KM to go and the pack is almost all back together. Now the Sky team and other are coming up the right side and now David Millar has Cadel Evans on his wheel. Sprint is taking shape and they are now about 300M away.
Team Sky takes the win at the line! Levi Leipheimer finished about 1:07 back.
Winner today is Edvald Boasson Hagen.
Stage 7 tomorrow!
-------------
At about 3.8KM to go, Levi Leipheimer went into a guardrail and fell. He was outside the 3KM line, so he had to work like mad to get back into the peloton.
Uphill at 2.7KM to go. The peloton is stretched out. Racing for the win.
Cavendish's team is up there. Contador is at the front now, too.
It's really steep from the views on the TV. Van den Broek is at the front and is being chased by Philippe Gilbert. Are you kidding me? How could that be? The guys on the radio are saying it's Voekler at the front. Can't tell in the rain who it is.
1.5KM to go and the pack is almost all back together. Now the Sky team and other are coming up the right side and now David Millar has Cadel Evans on his wheel. Sprint is taking shape and they are now about 300M away.
Team Sky takes the win at the line! Levi Leipheimer finished about 1:07 back.
Winner today is Edvald Boasson Hagen.
Stage 7 tomorrow!
The Other Pundits Make Different Picks
Not that the guys at VersusTV are following my predictions here for the 2011 Tour de France, but they are going fully against my choices for today's podium.
Paul says that Cavendish will win. Bob says it's going to be Philippe Gilbert - same as the guys at on the iPhone apps and on Twitter. And Phil says Tyler Farrar will win.
Here are a few dispatches from the race if you didn't have time to watch...
107KM to go - in the feeding zone - more than three hours gone and more than 100KM ridden. The roads are wet and the crowds are pretty big. I see some sunlight coming out even though the roads look slick.
The bummer (as I've said before) with being in the United States during the Tour de France is that you miss the coverage of the race in its entirety. The TV coverage starts at about halfway through the race or further.
At 95KM to go, the peloton is back by 6:23 and five riders are at the front. It's still raining, even though there was some breaking sky earlier. While they travel east, I think that weather patterns are going with them and I don't imagine that the cyclists can outrace the storm. Worse still, I think they rode themselves into the rain.
I was wrong. You don't hear that often. At 85KM to go the sky has cleared and the riders HAVE ridden themselves through the storm. As most people don't realize, a rainy road is one that is horrible for tires. Not because it's slick - even though it is slick like snot, especially on painted lines - but because any grit on the road sticks to the wet tires and then works its way into the tire and causes a flat. So, while you might not see a ton of crashes when it's raining, you will often see a lot of tire swaps.
At 69.6KM to go, the five riders off the front are down to a lead of merely 2:15. At one point - before they went live on the air, the breakaway was up to 11:35 ahead of the peloton.
29.4KM to go - gap is two riders and it's down to 1:13 with some riders off the back by a couple minutes. The climb at the finish is relatively short, but steep. And the riders who were shaken out of the peloton went there because of intermediate climbs in the race. A category 3 as I recall.
Finish info coming up!
Paul says that Cavendish will win. Bob says it's going to be Philippe Gilbert - same as the guys at on the iPhone apps and on Twitter. And Phil says Tyler Farrar will win.
Here are a few dispatches from the race if you didn't have time to watch...
107KM to go - in the feeding zone - more than three hours gone and more than 100KM ridden. The roads are wet and the crowds are pretty big. I see some sunlight coming out even though the roads look slick.
The bummer (as I've said before) with being in the United States during the Tour de France is that you miss the coverage of the race in its entirety. The TV coverage starts at about halfway through the race or further.
At 95KM to go, the peloton is back by 6:23 and five riders are at the front. It's still raining, even though there was some breaking sky earlier. While they travel east, I think that weather patterns are going with them and I don't imagine that the cyclists can outrace the storm. Worse still, I think they rode themselves into the rain.
I was wrong. You don't hear that often. At 85KM to go the sky has cleared and the riders HAVE ridden themselves through the storm. As most people don't realize, a rainy road is one that is horrible for tires. Not because it's slick - even though it is slick like snot, especially on painted lines - but because any grit on the road sticks to the wet tires and then works its way into the tire and causes a flat. So, while you might not see a ton of crashes when it's raining, you will often see a lot of tire swaps.
At 69.6KM to go, the five riders off the front are down to a lead of merely 2:15. At one point - before they went live on the air, the breakaway was up to 11:35 ahead of the peloton.
29.4KM to go - gap is two riders and it's down to 1:13 with some riders off the back by a couple minutes. The climb at the finish is relatively short, but steep. And the riders who were shaken out of the peloton went there because of intermediate climbs in the race. A category 3 as I recall.
Finish info coming up!
Stage 6 - 2011 Tour de France
Alberto Contador isn't in the front. Andy Schleck isn't in the front. Thor Hushovd is there. And both Tyler Farrar and Mark Cavendish have won a stage in this year's Tour. So, what's going to happen today?
The stage is the longest in the 2011 Tour de France. It's an eastward journey from Dinan to Lisieux over the course of 226KM.
Predictions have Philippe Gilbert as the winner in this stage if he can stay with the pack for the entire day. I disagree. I think this is the first time that Alberto Contador will push the other riders around. The podium today will likely be Contador, Schleck and Sammy Sanchez.
Only a few hours will tell. Be back shortly.
Getting Ready for Stage 6 - 2011 Tour de France
Watching the Tour coverage and they gave the complete carnage info in a graphic on Versus TV. Here's a photo of that graphic...
Wow. Two more abandons and a lot of people aching today for the longest stage in the 2011 Tour de France.
Also, Thor Hushovd is still in yellow.
Next post will have stage 6 info.
Wow. Two more abandons and a lot of people aching today for the longest stage in the 2011 Tour de France.
Also, Thor Hushovd is still in yellow.
Next post will have stage 6 info.
Getting Ready for Stage 6 - 2011 Tour de France
Watching the Tour coverage and they gave the complete carnage info in a graphic on Versus TV. Here's a photo of that graphic...
Wow. Two more abandons and a lot of people aching today for the longest stage in the 2011 Tour de France.
Also, Thor Hushovd is still in yellow.
Next post will have stage 6 info.
Wow. Two more abandons and a lot of people aching today for the longest stage in the 2011 Tour de France.
Also, Thor Hushovd is still in yellow.
Next post will have stage 6 info.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
The Motorbike Madness - 2011 Tour de France
Today, in stage 5, there was one crash that involved a motorbike and a few cyclists. In fact, the highlights they ran on Versus showed a rider getting dragged by a motorbike on the road. But neither Phil or Paul would tell me why.
I looked at a few sites and found this report...
Stage 6 tomorrow. :-)
I looked at a few sites and found this report...
The motorbike driver of one of the Tour de France photographers has been excluded from this year’s race due to an accident which happened 77 kilometres from the finish of Wednesday’s stage. Danish rider Nicki Sørensen was riding on the right hand side of the peloton when a race motorbike came alongside him, hooked his bike and carried it away. The Saxo Bank SunGard competitor fell off and ended up at the side of the road.So, it was Nicki Sorensen and not Tom Boonen who was hooked by the motorbike and thrown to the ground. That was one of the craziest events of a day filled with insanity.
Read more here at Velonation.
Stage 6 tomorrow. :-)
And here are the crashes! 2011 Tour de France
Well, the people tweeting all day about stage 5 were not blowing smoke. They told the truth about crashes, and crashes there were. Here's what happened...
OK, it wasn't at 80KM to go, it was at 104KM to go and Bradley Wiggins was involved in a little incident with about nine other riders. That was the first one.
Next up was a crash at 90KM to go with a Radio Shack rider down and in serious pain. Banged his head and was unconscious when the race doctor got to him. It's rider 71 and I don't think he's going to continue. He didn't. It was J. Brajkovic and he abandoned the Tour after that crash.
THEN at 87.5KM to go, Alberto Contador went down and lost some time waiting for a new bike and milling about seeing if he was OK. Seemed to be, but who knows. Holy crap. Here's a shot of an indignant Contador throwing his bike to the side of the road.
....and we continue....
At 66KM to go, the gap between the peloton and the four breakaway riders was only 0:50 after being up over six minutes.
59.9KM to go - crash all across the road. Bikes in ditches and bikes littering the road. Looks like it happened about 3/4 or more back in the peloton. Two Quick Step riders down in the road, one is Tom Boonen who looks to have hurt his shoulder. He's in a rush to get back on the bike, but the doctors have sat him back down. More to come on this.
At 56.5KM to go, the four riders are back up to 1:30 ahead of the peloton. It also seems to me that I keep spelling peloton a different way each time. You won't notice, though as I'm going back through to change the wrong spellings.
The breakaway was caught at 28.4KM to go. Boonen is still off the back by 5:38 at this point.
20KM to go and the peloton is moving along nicely. There are now two leaders about eight seconds ahead. The two in the lead are Thomas Voeckler and J. Roy - both French riders. Now at 18.2KM to go, they're a minute ahead. Wow, they're cruising.
20KM to go and a rider clipped a barrier and went down. Waiting to see what the result of that crash is. Word is that he's back up and riding.
15.5KM to go and the lead is 1:08 and the guys in the back are 8:56 off the peloton.
AND Cavendish wins the stage.
I can't tell you what happened when the motorbike knocked down a rider. The commentators didn't talk about it at all, but folks on Twitter were saying the bike knocked Boonen down. I'll check the sites around here to see what happened and report it in the next post.
Stage 5 - Carhaix to Cap Frehel
Today's flatish stage 5 is about 165KM and will likely showcase some serious speed. I expect today's winners to be either Schleck brother in a breakaway, Cavendish for his first stage win of 2011 or an unknown Frenchman on a long split from the peleton.
I'm turning into Versus now to watch the stage and will share my thoughts as I watch.
-------------
At 155KM to got, there's a breakaway of a few riders who built up a lead of 1:39 on the peleton. Watching the group, it looks like there's no urgency in the chase and there are almost 100 miles left in the stage, so why would there be.
------------
Aside from a few flat tires, nothing of note up through 135KM to go.
------------
At 109KM to go, the four in the lead are just about 5:34 ahead of the peleton. Still nothing of note happening on the road except for one or two more flats and wheel changes. The reason I make a point of this is because in the spoilers provided via Twitter today, people talked about massive crashes repeatedly. So, I'm waiting for them to show up. Nothing yet.
Will pick this up again with 80KM or so to go in my next post.
I'm turning into Versus now to watch the stage and will share my thoughts as I watch.
-------------
At 155KM to got, there's a breakaway of a few riders who built up a lead of 1:39 on the peleton. Watching the group, it looks like there's no urgency in the chase and there are almost 100 miles left in the stage, so why would there be.
------------
Aside from a few flat tires, nothing of note up through 135KM to go.
------------
At 109KM to go, the four in the lead are just about 5:34 ahead of the peleton. Still nothing of note happening on the road except for one or two more flats and wheel changes. The reason I make a point of this is because in the spoilers provided via Twitter today, people talked about massive crashes repeatedly. So, I'm waiting for them to show up. Nothing yet.
Will pick this up again with 80KM or so to go in my next post.
Stage 5 - Watching it Late
Here I sit at 8:41PM EST in the United States. That means the madness that was stage 5 of the 2011 Tour de France is well in the books and nothing I say here can change that. I tried to avoid all spoilers during the day, but it seems that spoiler courtesy is something of a bygone era.
Everywhere I looked people were reporting the news of the Tour and seemingly proud to ruin the excitement for an audience that relies on time-shifted entertainment. Especially for an event that takes place overseas, time shifting is key to really allowing yourself to get immersed in the excitement.
I lament the fact that spoilers are here to stay, but I certainly will endeavor to warn you when they show up here. In fact, my writing demands from other quarters are such that many of my posts will be pushed live after the race of the day is over and often after the prime-time edition has started airing.
Other than that, the posts I provide will be analysis heavy and sprinkled with my opinions. I've also enticed a few other cycling smarties to take part of this blog for the rest of the Tour. I will also urge them not to give spoilers, but to share their deepest thoughts and emotions about the 2011 Tour de France.
So, let's get right at stage 5...coming up.
Everywhere I looked people were reporting the news of the Tour and seemingly proud to ruin the excitement for an audience that relies on time-shifted entertainment. Especially for an event that takes place overseas, time shifting is key to really allowing yourself to get immersed in the excitement.
I lament the fact that spoilers are here to stay, but I certainly will endeavor to warn you when they show up here. In fact, my writing demands from other quarters are such that many of my posts will be pushed live after the race of the day is over and often after the prime-time edition has started airing.
Other than that, the posts I provide will be analysis heavy and sprinkled with my opinions. I've also enticed a few other cycling smarties to take part of this blog for the rest of the Tour. I will also urge them not to give spoilers, but to share their deepest thoughts and emotions about the 2011 Tour de France.
So, let's get right at stage 5...coming up.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
2011 Tour de France - Overall Standings After Stage 4 - SPOILER
SPOILER ALERT. POST GIVES OVERALL STANDINGS OF THE TOP TEN RIDERS AFTER STAGE 4 IN THE 2011 TOUR DE FRANCE
Here they are - along with Alberto Contador as a footnote...
Here they are - along with Alberto Contador as a footnote...
HUSHOVD Thor 51 TEAM GARMIN - CERVELO 13h 58' 25"
2. EVANS Cadel 141 BMC RACING TEAM 13h 58' 26" + 00' 01"
3. SCHLECK Frank 18 TEAM LEOPARD-TREK 13h 58' 29" + 00' 04"
4. MILLAR David 56 TEAM GARMIN - CERVELO 13h 58' 33" + 00' 08"
5. KLÖDEN Andréas 74 TEAM RADIOSHACK 13h 58' 35" + 00' 10"
6. WIGGINS Bradley 111 SKY PROCYCLING 13h 58' 35" + 00' 10"
7. THOMAS Geraint 117 SKY PROCYCLING 13h 58' 37" + 00' 12"
8. HAGEN Edvald Boasson 114 SKY PROCYCLING 13h 58' 37" + 00' 12"
9. SCHLECK Andy 11 TEAM LEOPARD-TREK 13h 58' 37" + 00' 12"
10. FUGLSANG Jakob 13 TEAM LEOPARD-TREK 13h 58' 37" + 00' 12"
And in 41st place at 1:42 back is Alberto Contador.
Fun stuff!
Yikers - another eventful stage in the 2011 Tour de France - SPOILERS
SPOILERS IN THIS POST
Well, there was nothing happening for 149KM of the 173KM race and then Cadel Evans had a flat. A camera guy fell in front of him and legions of BMC fans were poised to cry conspiracy!
Well, it all shook out. Cadel got himself paced back to the group with 22KM to go, the cameraman was shunned by his colleagues and the sprint we were waiting for at the end eventually took place.
Here's how it shook out...
I'm A GENIUS! With less than a few KM to go, Contador attacked, then was swallowed back. Then Contador attacked again and Cadel Evans responded.
Cat and mouse and cat and mouse until at the line it was too close to call. AND CADEL EVANS got his first official stage win.
According to race radio, Andy Schleck lost eight seconds. Thor Hushovd remains in the Yellow Jersey. Alberto Contador didn't gain back much time. Cadel Evans is whisker close to being the leader of the 2011 Tour de France.
Next post will have the top 10 riders in the overall as well as an update on where Contador sits.
Hold please.
Well, there was nothing happening for 149KM of the 173KM race and then Cadel Evans had a flat. A camera guy fell in front of him and legions of BMC fans were poised to cry conspiracy!
Well, it all shook out. Cadel got himself paced back to the group with 22KM to go, the cameraman was shunned by his colleagues and the sprint we were waiting for at the end eventually took place.
Here's how it shook out...
I'm A GENIUS! With less than a few KM to go, Contador attacked, then was swallowed back. Then Contador attacked again and Cadel Evans responded.
Cat and mouse and cat and mouse until at the line it was too close to call. AND CADEL EVANS got his first official stage win.
According to race radio, Andy Schleck lost eight seconds. Thor Hushovd remains in the Yellow Jersey. Alberto Contador didn't gain back much time. Cadel Evans is whisker close to being the leader of the 2011 Tour de France.
Next post will have the top 10 riders in the overall as well as an update on where Contador sits.
Hold please.
As an aside - My Availability
As a note to those organizations or outlets looking to employ a capable, flexible and knowledgeable journalist to report on future Tours de France, look no further. I know the country, I speak the language passably and would relish the opportunity to supply dispatches or other media to your group.
You can find me here or go over to LinkedIn and you can find my contact information there. Or leave a comment on this blog - I'll get back to you promptly.
Now back to today's stage 4.
You can find me here or go over to LinkedIn and you can find my contact information there. Or leave a comment on this blog - I'll get back to you promptly.
Now back to today's stage 4.
Windy Stage 4 - Predictions
The time difference wreaks havoc with live coverage of the Tour de France, but I'll muddle through. Right now I've got to head out the door with about 50KM to go in the race. Reports are for a windy finish and perhaps some wet roads.
The ProTourTips App is great for getting a feel for the live action and mentioned that the region the cyclist are riding in today gets 300 days of rain per year. SERIOUSLY!
Chat in a bit. *My picks for today's stage are Farrar, Cavendish or Evans. There's been some speculation that Contador will turn himself inside out to get his two minutes back, but I think he's strong enough in the mountains to try and do it there instead.
The ProTourTips App is great for getting a feel for the live action and mentioned that the region the cyclist are riding in today gets 300 days of rain per year. SERIOUSLY!
Chat in a bit. *My picks for today's stage are Farrar, Cavendish or Evans. There's been some speculation that Contador will turn himself inside out to get his two minutes back, but I think he's strong enough in the mountains to try and do it there instead.
Stage 4 - 2011 Tour de France Lorient to Mur-de-Bretagne
Today's stage is about 173KM and the race began with all 198 riders still on two wheels and racing. That only lasted until the 40KM mark or so when Jurgen Van de Walle abandoned.
If you've seen the Tour in the past - and I'm guessing many of my readers have at least followed it - it's not uncommon to have scads of riders abandon the race before the finish. In some years there are actually very few teams that complete the Tour de France with their entire complement of riders.
We'll see how many more are gone by the time we get to stage 10 or 15.
In the first 60+KM of today's stage, only a small breakaway and no crashes. More info to come in a bit.
Monday, July 4, 2011
Stage 3 - Olonne sur Mer to Redon
Flat. Fast. Open.
Today's stage 3 is 198KM of flat terrain that will likely see a sprinter take the win. This won't mean much for the overall classification. It also won't help Alberto Contador get any closer to the yellow jersey. But it will be fun to watch.
My predictions for the stage are as follows...
Winner will be Mark Cavendish. Thor Hushovd will come in moments behind and retain the yellow jersey for a second day.
There will be two breakaways, but neither will stay away.
There will be one horrific crash where a rider has to abandon - but it won't be any of the contenders.
What say you about today's third stage of the 2011 Tour de France?
*Will blog more after the stage has been decided. Here in the United States I have an Independence Day party to attend. Chat later!
Today's stage 3 is 198KM of flat terrain that will likely see a sprinter take the win. This won't mean much for the overall classification. It also won't help Alberto Contador get any closer to the yellow jersey. But it will be fun to watch.
My predictions for the stage are as follows...
Winner will be Mark Cavendish. Thor Hushovd will come in moments behind and retain the yellow jersey for a second day.
There will be two breakaways, but neither will stay away.
There will be one horrific crash where a rider has to abandon - but it won't be any of the contenders.
What say you about today's third stage of the 2011 Tour de France?
*Will blog more after the stage has been decided. Here in the United States I have an Independence Day party to attend. Chat later!
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Team Time Trial - Stage 2 - 2011 Tour de France
Let me catch my breath before giving you the lowdown on today's results.
Contrary to my predictions, the ride of the day was turned in by Team BMC with Cadel Evans and George Hincapie. They finished a mere four seconds behind Garmin-Cervelo in the stage (which puts Thor Hushovd in Yellow tonight).
The gaps - if you can believe it - are about 1:40 to Contador from the other contenders. Cadel is just one second behind Thor and Andy Schleck is lingering just a bit behind him.
Here is the overall classification...with the top ten and Alberto Contador's spot...
HUSHOVD Thor
Contrary to my predictions, the ride of the day was turned in by Team BMC with Cadel Evans and George Hincapie. They finished a mere four seconds behind Garmin-Cervelo in the stage (which puts Thor Hushovd in Yellow tonight).
The gaps - if you can believe it - are about 1:40 to Contador from the other contenders. Cadel is just one second behind Thor and Andy Schleck is lingering just a bit behind him.
Here is the overall classification...with the top ten and Alberto Contador's spot...
HUSHOVD Thor
MILLAR David
EVANS Cadel + 00' 01"
THOMAS Geraint + 00' 04"
GERDEMANN Linus + 00' 04"
SCHLECK Frank + 00' 04"
CANCELLARA Fabian + 00' 04"
HAGEN Edvald Boasson + 00' 04"
QUINZIATO Manuel + 00' 04"
SCHLECK Andy + 00' 04"
and in 75th place...
CONTADOR Alberto + 01' 42"
Changing the design
Had to tweak the colors on the blog so it can be read more easily.
Hope you like it.
Hope you like it.
Stage 2 - Prediction - Jeff Cutler follows the 2011 Tour de France
What's going to happen today? I'm unsure. I don't know the full strength of the teams. There's been a shuffle of talent among the cycling squads. It's seriously a puzzle to me.
But that won't stop me from predicting the winners and losers.
According to the sources I've been following this year, the teams that should win will only get about half a minute in time over the last-place teams. So it can help, but it won't do too much to the riders who need the time.
HTC and Garmin-Cervelo will be the top two teams. I expect that BMC Racing will come in dead last at 24 seconds back of the winning team. And I don't think Saxo Bank will do measurably better - keeping Alberto Contador still about a minute back of the leaders.
Your thoughts?
But that won't stop me from predicting the winners and losers.
According to the sources I've been following this year, the teams that should win will only get about half a minute in time over the last-place teams. So it can help, but it won't do too much to the riders who need the time.
HTC and Garmin-Cervelo will be the top two teams. I expect that BMC Racing will come in dead last at 24 seconds back of the winning team. And I don't think Saxo Bank will do measurably better - keeping Alberto Contador still about a minute back of the leaders.
Your thoughts?
Watching the Tour de France 2011
I've got Versus on my flatscreen and I'm watching the recap of yesterday's race. Holy crap was the crash at 9KM a vision of carnage!
Now I understand how stage 1 ended up the way it did. As reported yesterday - because I was following along via an iPhone app and not video - I THOUGHT Andy Schleck and Contador went down in the crash at 9KM to go. They did not. It seems that Contador was kept back by the crash, but didn't go down.
And when Andy Schleck did go down in the crash with 2KM to go, he ended up with the same finish as the field.
According to the commentators at Versus, the 1:14 deficit Contador has lost to Schleck could be the margin of victory this year. In fact, last year, Contador won by a mere :39 over Schleck. So, there's lots to think about for 2011.
Now, I'm going to watch today's Team Time Trial. Back shortly!
Now I understand how stage 1 ended up the way it did. As reported yesterday - because I was following along via an iPhone app and not video - I THOUGHT Andy Schleck and Contador went down in the crash at 9KM to go. They did not. It seems that Contador was kept back by the crash, but didn't go down.
And when Andy Schleck did go down in the crash with 2KM to go, he ended up with the same finish as the field.
According to the commentators at Versus, the 1:14 deficit Contador has lost to Schleck could be the margin of victory this year. In fact, last year, Contador won by a mere :39 over Schleck. So, there's lots to think about for 2011.
Now, I'm going to watch today's Team Time Trial. Back shortly!
Saturday, July 2, 2011
UPDATE - Stage 1 Shake-up - SPOILER - INCLUDES RESULTS
Today, in stage 1 of the 2011 Tour de France, there were numerous crashes. But, for some reason even though Andy Schleck and Alberto Contador crashed at the 10KM to go mark and lost about 1:20 on the pack, Andy found a way to get back into the field and finish with everyone.
He did it by crashing AGAIN within the 3KM mark which meant that he got the same finishing time as anyone involved in that crash. As I see it - and I could be wrong - that meant that a rider who didn't crash got penalized.
And the standings at the end of the day bear that out. The official board has Contador back 1:20 on the pack and Schleck only losing :06 on the leader.
Not sure how that works, but that could be the tour right there because the margin between Schleck and Contador is very slim. I'm just sad they both didn't finish back by 90 seconds or so.
He did it by crashing AGAIN within the 3KM mark which meant that he got the same finishing time as anyone involved in that crash. As I see it - and I could be wrong - that meant that a rider who didn't crash got penalized.
And the standings at the end of the day bear that out. The official board has Contador back 1:20 on the pack and Schleck only losing :06 on the leader.
Not sure how that works, but that could be the tour right there because the margin between Schleck and Contador is very slim. I'm just sad they both didn't finish back by 90 seconds or so.
Stage 1 - Nice Little Shake-up in the Field - SPOILER ALERT
I don't have all the details yet, but the stage today has already created implications for the podium in Paris. During most of the 192KM stage there wasn't much to see, but then about 10KM from the end there was a crash....
SPOILER ALERT SPOILER ALERT
It has been reported that Contador and Andy Schleck were both caught in that crash and lost about 1:40 to the eventual stage winner and now Yellow Jersey wearer Gilbert of the Omega Pharma-Lotto squad. In his career, Philippe Gilbert has worn the Yellow Jersey nine times (not counting today) and has never had a green or polka dot on his back.
Before tomorrow's Team Time Trial, I'll get you another update on today's stage 1.
Did your favorite rider finish in good stead after today's event?
SPOILER ALERT SPOILER ALERT
It has been reported that Contador and Andy Schleck were both caught in that crash and lost about 1:40 to the eventual stage winner and now Yellow Jersey wearer Gilbert of the Omega Pharma-Lotto squad. In his career, Philippe Gilbert has worn the Yellow Jersey nine times (not counting today) and has never had a green or polka dot on his back.
Before tomorrow's Team Time Trial, I'll get you another update on today's stage 1.
Did your favorite rider finish in good stead after today's event?
Tour 2011 - the Tour de France iPhone app
When I can, and this might sound pretentious, I like to follow the tour from the road beside each stage. This requires that I fly to France and spend three weeks galavanting around the countryside. I don't have a problem with that, but my wallet and my employers do. So most of my pursuit of the Tour is done electronically and online.
As many Tour fans know, Eurosport isn't available in this country as the satellite they use to beam the signal to Europe is situated in the wrong spot in the sky. Some folks in SOUTHERN FL can grab the signal, but for the rest of the United States, it's impossible.
The other option for following Tour coverage is the sometimes lame, sometimes great programming on Versus. They've done the Tour for years, but they are still relegated to the whims and programming/filming choices of the Eurosport staff. *This might change now that Versus has the power of NBC behind them. We'll see.
So, many folks either find themselves watching the Versus recaps at night and trolling the Internet for simulcast Ustream or Livestream feeds that Europeans are kind enough to share. I'll be doing some of that this year too.
But the best option I've found - and I did this last year too - was to load a few apps onto my iPhone and follow the tour that way. My favorite for this year (and it cost about $2) is the "Tour 2011" app. They have lots of news feeds, a stages overview section, rider features and facts, a live stream that has been pretty feature rich so far (only stage 1 mid-way right now), and a leaderboard.
This app is as well appointed as the dispatches you can get at Le Tour - the official TDF site - or elsewhere on the Web.
Other apps I've gotten to supplement my enjoyment are the team apps for Radio Shack and others. And I'm following a number of riders on Twitter.
Your mileage may vary, but I prefer to immerse myself in the race and this is a great way to do it.
Stage 1 - Tour de France 2011
Traveling 192KM from La Barre de Monts to Mont des Alouttes, stage 1 is a flat one with one category 4 climb near the end.
Sprinters should take this stage - and as I write this the riders are about 50KM into the day's race and there hasn't been anything major to change the facet of the 2011 Tour de France.
As some pundits say, the quest of the prospective leaders is to win at the end and not crash in the beginning. Therefore, riders like Evans and Contador will try to stay near the front of the field during most stages to avoid getting hung up in madness if there's a large kerfuffle near the back or middle of the peleton.
I'm wearing my yellow Tour de France shirt and following the tour on an iPhone app. Will review that app in the next post.
Sprinters should take this stage - and as I write this the riders are about 50KM into the day's race and there hasn't been anything major to change the facet of the 2011 Tour de France.
As some pundits say, the quest of the prospective leaders is to win at the end and not crash in the beginning. Therefore, riders like Evans and Contador will try to stay near the front of the field during most stages to avoid getting hung up in madness if there's a large kerfuffle near the back or middle of the peleton.
I'm wearing my yellow Tour de France shirt and following the tour on an iPhone app. Will review that app in the next post.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)