Got back a few days ago but just had time to sit down. What an amazing couple of days, we flew into Toulouse and got train to the stage finish each day, in short the atmosphere was incredible, there was a lot of GB fans out there and a lot of Kronenberg was drunk.
Wiggins should win sports personality of the year, but Also Sky should win team of the year. Without them and the way they have total controlled the TdF it wouldnt look as easy as it has.
Yesterday was amazing, to average over 30kms simply destroyed the whole field. I expect Nibali to have one last attack today, but he would need to pull out over 6mins to have any real chance and I cant see sky letting that happen.
Liquigas did Sky a big favour by chucking Evans out of contention. I can only see Wiggo winning now as Froome is putting himself on the line for him and Nabali doesn't seem to be good enough to get a big enough time gap on either of them. I don't want to say it but it may be the 1st time in 99 years that a Briton is 1st in le tour. Just don't crash Wiggins!!!!!!!!
He deserves a whole paper to himself for winning le tour as it is the toughest and hardest sporting event in the world.
This, Froome is looking unbeatable at the moment, climbs off his bike at the top of the mountain as if he has just been out for a Sunday morning 20 miler
By the sounds of the interviews last night, it appears that Evans was struggling with a stomach problem thus why he was so far off the pace. Just Nibali to deal with now. He will attack today, no doubt about that, its just when. I've got a feeling he'll go earlier than he did yesterday and then we'll really see if he's up for a fight.
As long as Wiggo keeps Nibali at bay tomorrow, he should have the yellow jersey in the bag. Was surprised Nibali left his attack so late today but obviously done Wiggo a huge favour by doing so.
I regard the tour de France as the toughest sporting event in the world. Hope this country gives Bradley the recognition he deserves for his efforts.
This moron country would honour a consistant loser in Andy Murray and ignore a winner like Wiggo.
Sadly, we've already seen some of that during the tour. Wiggo gets his first yellow jersey and the BBC decided their main headline was going to be Mark Webber was going to sign a new contract with Red Bull. WTF? Woo pee doo. A British Rider, yes BRITISH gets the yellow jersey yet the main british broadcaster highlights a story involving an Aussie. I ask you.
The TdF is the toughest sporting event on the planet. Nothing comes close. Until the average Joe gets on a road bike and attempts to ride for just a couple of minutes on the flat let alone any gentle climbs, they will never realise how hard it is, when they do that for 130-140 miles a day almost every day for 3 weeks with only a couple of rest days thrown in and the odd TT to physically take them to the absolute limit. Simple as that. If Wiggo does pull it off with TeamSky, he (and the team) deserves huge praise and recognition. It was great that Cav won the Green jersey last year but the Yellow is the ultimate of sporting achievements.
In the grand scheme of things, F1 is by far a more popular sport than road cycling, and the BBC also cover F1 so not surprising that gets more coverage. Just as if Lewis Hamilton failed a drugs test, it would garner more coverage than Shleck.
Sports personality tends to go to an Olympian in those years, and think the exception to the rule is normally a F1 driver but reckon it will be Wiggins this year, deserves it, but you never know with a high profile win in Olympics someone else might sneak - (Mo Farah double gold anyone?)
As for Murray - did he win wimbledon then, as someone seems to think he losing in the final doesnt mean he is a loser!!!
To be fair to Henman and Murray to be in the top 10 in the world for 10 years (henmans case) then you would expect to earn a lot. How much would the top 10 footballers,basketballers earn in a career?
Didnt realise until yesterday looking at Strava that Charlton Charlie climbed the Col du Tourmalet and Col De Peyresourde last month btw!
Not been on for a few days, but yes, the day they did yesterday I did over two days (with a couple of extra Cols) about 4 weeks ago...very tough work - especially as we had sleet and snow at the top of the Tourmalet, with 2 people having to be driven off, suffering from hypothermia... Cycling up there in the sunshine is a doodle ;-)
Think they were but the culture of that is slowly changing.
Ask Charly Mottet and David Moncoutie. There are quite a few clean riders who had their rightful place denied them throungh teams such as US postal. Traditionally on the Tour the winner splits the money with his team mates, as without their work he's nothing.
Not celebrating yet.......almost....but not yet. Froome could've destroyed Wiggins in this tour but the last climb summed up what a great team it takes to win le tour and how unselfish people have to be for you to win.
The little smile on Wiggo's face at the end was great as well:
Not celebrating yet.......almost....but not yet. Froome could've destroyed Wiggins in this tour but the last climb summed up what a great team it takes to win le tour and how unselfish people have to be for you to win.
The little smile on Wiggo's face at the end was great as well:
Why are people lauding Wiggins, when from my ignorant eye of watching each year but not understanding the intricacies, clearly Froome is the better cyclist?
I know its a fabulous endurance test and they are all superb athletes, but surely Wiggins wouldnt ever be a winner were it not for a better rider being told not to win?
Why are people lauding Wiggins, when from my ignorant eye of watching each year but not understanding the intricacies, clearly Froome is the better cyclist?
I know its a fabulous endurance test and they are all superb athletes, but surely Wiggins wouldnt ever be a winner were it not for a better rider being told not to win?
Or am I missing something crucial?
Ah, but has he got as many Olympic medals (6) or track records as Wiggo, who's made an great transition from track to road.
It's all about team structure and Froome (and Cav) knew what they were taking on when they signed up for Sky for this season, which was to get Wiggo to Paris in the Maillot Jaune.
Froome will have his day, probably next year with another team, if the present Sky team implodes, which it's likely to. I can't see Cav doing this again next season.
But hey ho, grab it while it lasts, roll on Sunday.
I'm bloody excited about the pair of them, but the "Froome could have won if not for team orders" line that's going around everywhere is very simplistic and I think wrong.
Because if you think about it, it is a team sport. Knees, Porte et al have done all the work on the early climbs/parts of the climbs, before Froome has to lead and set the pace. Wiggins sits on second base all the way up.
Froome will always be relatively "fresher" once we get to the business end of the climb.
I'm bloody excited about the pair of them, but the "Froome could have won if not for team orders" line that's going around everywhere is very simplistic and I think wrong.
Because if you think about it, it is a team sport. Knees, Porte et al have done all the work on the early climbs/parts of the climbs, before Froome has to lead and set the pace. Wiggins sits on second base all the way up.
Froome will always be relatively "fresher" once we get to the business end of the climb.
Also Wiggins is a much better time trailer, and it has been said that as this tour is more about that with the three of them the teams best bet was to back him. I can see the team staying and Froome getting the team lead for next years race if the course suits him.
Comments
What an amazing couple of days, we flew into Toulouse and got train to the stage finish each day, in short the atmosphere was incredible, there was a lot of GB fans out there and a lot of Kronenberg was drunk.
Yesterday was amazing, to average over 30kms simply destroyed the whole field. I expect Nibali to have one last attack today, but he would need to pull out over 6mins to have any real chance and I cant see sky letting that happen.
Funny though watching Froome last night, he finished the race then gets on a stationary bike and does god knows how many miles warming down.
I can't see Nibali getting the 5 minutes he needs today anyway
Sports personality tends to go to an Olympian in those years, and think the exception to the rule is normally a F1 driver but reckon it will be Wiggins this year, deserves it, but you never know with a high profile win in Olympics someone else might sneak - (Mo Farah double gold anyone?)
As for Murray - did he win wimbledon then, as someone seems to think he losing in the final doesnt mean he is a loser!!!
Says it all.
How much would the top 10 footballers,basketballers earn in a career?
It wont let me cut and paste
http://www.roadcycling.co.nz/TourdeFrance/prize-money-of-the-2012-tour-de-france.html
just asking.
Enjoy the day Big-Rob. You lucky lucky lucky lucky....
Give the boys a shout for me.
The little smile on Wiggo's face at the end was great as well:
Probably no different ratio than any other sport, but the testing regime is applied better than say, football.
Why are people lauding Wiggins, when from my ignorant eye of watching each year but not understanding the intricacies, clearly Froome is the better cyclist?
I know its a fabulous endurance test and they are all superb athletes, but surely Wiggins wouldnt ever be a winner were it not for a better rider being told not to win?
Or am I missing something crucial?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-18899902
It's all about team structure and Froome (and Cav) knew what they were taking on when they signed up for Sky for this season, which was to get Wiggo to Paris in the Maillot Jaune.
Froome will have his day, probably next year with another team, if the present Sky team implodes, which it's likely to. I can't see Cav doing this again next season.
But hey ho, grab it while it lasts, roll on Sunday.
Because if you think about it, it is a team sport. Knees, Porte et al have done all the work on the early climbs/parts of the climbs, before Froome has to lead and set the pace. Wiggins sits on second base all the way up.
Froome will always be relatively "fresher" once we get to the business end of the climb.