View Full Version : Paris-Tours..anybody watch?
Hipcycler
10-09-06, 01:59 PM
Just watched my recording of it.
Hmmmm....
For some reason, it didn't do much for me.
Maybe because it's the end of the season...dunno.
But I DID go out and ride afterward in crappy weather, at least inspired by seeing some pro cycling again.
Snuffleupagus
10-09-06, 02:09 PM
Hmmmm....
For some reason, it didn't do much for me.
What!?! Guesdon's attack on the final climbing section was brilliant, and I was on the edge of my seat until the final 50 meters.
Not to mention the grueling pace that decimated some 2/3s of the field. Watching, and trying to guess the fate of the breakaways was good stuff.
Then Stewie O' Grady edging out Thor for 3rd place. A fun sprint to watch.
Great race :beer:
Hipcycler
10-09-06, 02:23 PM
Yeah, I don't know....I couldn't get into it for some reason.
Maybe I'm alone out here...
Whatever happened to the dude with the Quickstep team that was in the break and had a 'suspected' rear flat?
*new*guy
10-09-06, 02:34 PM
Whatever happened to the dude with the Quickstep team that was in the break and had a 'suspected' rear flat?
They kept showing his wheel before he finally stopped and it looked to me like he had broken a spoke or something. Looked like the wheel was wobbling pretty severely, and was undoubtedly dragging on the brake.
Hipcycler
10-09-06, 02:45 PM
Yeah, that is what I was thinking when I saw it too.
Maybe I'm alone out here...
nope, not alone. P-T is a BORING race IMO as well.
Whatever happened to the dude with the Quickstep team that was in the break and had a 'suspected' rear flat?
are the OLN/Versus commentators that bad? IIRC the QS-I rider was Kevin van Impe, and yes - like new guy mentioned - it was a broken spoke, which Belgian TV called the moment they saw the wobbly rear wheel.
Hipcycler
10-09-06, 03:22 PM
nope, not alone. P-T is a BORING race IMO as well.
are the OLN/Versus commentators that bad? IIRC the QS-I rider was Kevin van Impe, and yes - like new guy mentioned - it was a broken spoke, which Belgian TV called the moment they saw the wobbly rear wheel.
Ole Phil and Paul mentioned nothing of the sort....said the guy probably had a soft rear tire going down.
"Odd," I thought to myself...."I could have sworn the thing looked wobbly when there was a tight shot of his bike."
Bottom line...
Good to see a little racing again on VS. but I just couldn't get into it.
I'd never seen this race before.
Next Sunday, the Italian race is on at the same time....race of the falling leaves or some darned thing...
"Giro d' Turning/falling leaves"!!
patentcad
10-09-06, 08:33 PM
Just watched my recording of it.
Hmmmm....
For some reason, it didn't do much for me.
Maybe because it's the end of the season...dunno.
But I DID go out and ride afterward in crappy weather, at least inspired by seeing some pro cycling again.
Are you kidding me? Best race all year. Why? BECAUSE MOST OF THE PELOTON INCLUDING GUYS LIKE TOM BOONEN GOT SHELLED AND ABANDONED THE RACE!
And why is this inspiring you ask? Because EVERYBODY gets dropped. Even the best racers in the world. God, I love seeing that sometimes. We're ALL peloton dogs. On days like last Sunday even Tom Boonen.
29 mph for 150+ miles. Good grief those guys are friggin animals. I do weekend rides that are 50 miles long with plenty of top vets and local Cat 2/3's and if we average 23 mph we have to be going 27-30 mph+ for long stretches (factor in a few traffic lights, hills, etc.). That's a very ballistic bicycle ride boys. I'm trying to imagine tacking 5-6mph onto that kind of speed, but it's not happening. The fastest RACE I ever did was a 1/2/3 race (crit) that averaged about 28+ mph. That was like 30 miles or so. Maintain that pace for 5+ hours? Maybe on my Honda.
And that's why I'm a business consultant washed up Cat IV and they're UCI Pros. On the other hand the money sucks so hard in pro cycling that I make more money than most of them. So I have that going for me : ). AND I get to sleep in my own bed every night...
classic1
10-09-06, 08:49 PM
I agree with Patentcad. Haven't seen this years race yet (probably see the DVD later this week) but I've seen a couple of absolute ripper Paris-Tours races in the last few years. Watching last year when Gilbert and Devolder got caught right at the death was great. Dekkers win the year before that was one of the best rides I've ever seen. Tafi in 2000 was another excellent race.
Vitamin_J
10-09-06, 10:49 PM
Those guys were moving to say the least. The commentators really got it wrong with their "peleton is sure to grab the leaders now, no way they can hold them off."
roadwarrior
10-10-06, 05:18 AM
I watched Talladega...
LMAO at the Dale Jr fans going nuts in the stands...
Hipcycler
10-10-06, 06:46 AM
patent,
29 mph for 150+ miles. Good grief those guys are friggin animals.
Sure they are....but to listen to most of you in the aftermath of the Landis scandal, they all dope so what's the big deal really?
I think that may be part of this whole deal for me.
I NEVER wanted to believe Floyd was "ON" anything illegal.
I ALWAYS took the "I don't believe it" path.
Then I sort of got beaten down here by so many posters, saying basically that my head's in the sand on this...that they all dope...it's just the way it is and always has been in the sport.
So if that's true, then big deal.....young, strong, 20-something's can go out and race a 150 miles all hopped up on illegal drugs, testosterone or blood. Big whoop.
Perhaps an even greater feat....a 48-year-old, total hip replacement, regular old guy goes out and does a century in six hours. The only dope involved was a fellow rider or two!
Let the discussion burn on boys....
I'm right there with you Hip. I always believed Lance did it clean. And I was on the Floyd band wagon too. Now I look at them ALL as dopers. I don't give any of them a clean slate anymore. Coming across the line first OR in the front pack is enough evidence for me now.
Olebiker
10-10-06, 07:30 AM
I watched Talladega...
LMAO at the Dale Jr fans going nuts in the stands...
Junior got a taste of what made his Daddy famous.
platypus
10-10-06, 11:28 AM
I also watched P-T on Vs. but the versus coverage (while appreciated for existing) isn't very good. 10 seconds of peloton shots, aaaand then another commercial. For crying out loud they didn't even tell the viewer what happened to Van Impe.
I love when cycling's on the tv (read: TiVo) but the coverage of this race really was lackluster.
Maybe the Lombardia will be exciting, like it was last year.
roadwarrior
10-10-06, 12:37 PM
Junior got a taste of what made his Daddy famous.
Yes he did...but he was an innocent bystander in this case...he just got caught up in the mess.
But I did laugh at the reception poor Vickers got.
roadwarrior
10-10-06, 12:38 PM
For crying out loud they didn't even tell the viewer what happened to Van Impe.
Lucien Van Impe? :D
When I lived in Belguim, he was my favorite!!
steve_wmn
10-10-06, 02:10 PM
Ole Phil and Paul mentioned nothing of the sort....said the guy probably had a soft rear tire going down.
"Odd," I thought to myself...."I could have sworn the thing looked wobbly when there was a tight shot of his bike."
Tight shot of his bike? There was an extreme close-up of his rear brake caliper that made the wheel wobble blatantly obvious! And Paul and Phil just blathered on about a soft tire, or maybe he was blown or something. They couldn't have missed that if they saw it. I wonder what kind of video they're getting. Are they looking at something different than what VS is broadcasting, like a multi-screen control room where they happened to be tracking the wrong motorbike camera when the guy chasing Van Impe got up close and personal with his brake pads?
I sympathize with Hipcycler about the race being a dissapointment. If they'd shown the main peleton getting dropped I might've liked it better but all they did is report on it after the fact, and then picked up on the last hour of the race, more or less minute by minute through the broadcast. Show me a picture of Bonnen and Zabel laying wasted at edge of the road, don't just tell me about it.
patentcad
10-10-06, 05:33 PM
patent,
29 mph for 150+ miles. Good grief those guys are friggin animals.
Sure they are....but to listen to most of you in the aftermath of the Landis scandal, they all dope so what's the big deal really?
I think that may be part of this whole deal for me.
I NEVER wanted to believe Floyd was "ON" anything illegal.
I ALWAYS took the "I don't believe it" path.
Then I sort of got beaten down here by so many posters, saying basically that my head's in the sand on this...that they all dope...it's just the way it is and always has been in the sport.
So if that's true, then big deal.....young, strong, 20-something's can go out and race a 150 miles all hopped up on illegal drugs, testosterone or blood. Big whoop.
Perhaps an even greater feat....a 48-year-old, total hip replacement, regular old guy goes out and does a century in six hours. The only dope involved was a fellow rider or two!
Let the discussion burn on boys....
You're missing the point. Whether they're averaging 27.9mph or 29mph it's still beyond imagination to anyone who's suffered to hang onto a ballistic 23mph ride with amateur racers.
At least all those OTHER pro sports are clean. Right.
classic1
10-10-06, 06:46 PM
patent,
So if that's true, then big deal.....young, strong, 20-something's can go out and race a 150 miles all hopped up on illegal drugs, testosterone or blood. Big whoop.
Guesdon is 35...;)
are the OLN/Versus commentators that bad? IIRC the QS-I rider was Kevin van Impe, and yes - like new guy mentioned - it was a broken spoke, which Belgian TV called the moment they saw the wobbly rear wheel.
I've come to the conclusion that Phil and Paul aren't very savvy when it comes to the mechanical aspects of cycling. Roll is better and knows a bit more about the gear... perhaps because he was also a MTBer and MTBers tend to pay a bit more attention to that sort of thing. I remember when Hincapie's steerer broke in Paris-Roubaix and Phil and Paul were spewing such technically precise phrases as, "oh his handlebar thingie looks to have broken."
classic1
10-10-06, 09:33 PM
Personally I think half the problem with Liggett and Sherwins mistakes is that when commentating live the monitors they use are too small to pick out things obvious to people watching at home.
patentcad
10-11-06, 01:46 AM
If a bunch of guys AVERAGING 29mph for 150+ miles isn't impressive to you, you haven't ridden hard enough.
Either that or you're MUCH faster than all of us : ).
God I wish they sold that EEE PEEE OH stuff at my LBS in bilster packs next to the spray lube....
It was an awesome race. Crosswinds, tactics, and full on speed. One-day, classics-style races are da' bomb. Obviously only a newb who doesn't understand what's happening would think it was boring. If I went to Pakistan and watched the world cricket championship, I'd at least try and figure out what was happening and try to respect the nuances.
It was an awesome race. Crosswinds, tactics, and full on speed. One-day, classics-style races are da' bomb. Obviously only a newb who doesn't understand what's happening would think it was boring. If I went to Pakistan and watched the world cricket championship, I'd at least try and figure out what was happening and try to respect the nuances.
spare me.
it's an end of the season 'classic'. the A-list riders are tired and only there for appearances sake. those who come looking for a result are either sprinters, or someone who's trying to make up for a bad season (back from injury: dekker/back from drug suspension: virenque/making a point after being cut from their tour team: zabel/etc,etc, etc).
btw - it doesn't help that, apart from wind, the course isn't particularly challenging.
Hipcycler
10-11-06, 06:58 AM
spare me.
it's an end of the season 'classic'. the A-list riders are tired and only there for appearances sake. those who come looking for a result are either sprinters, or someone who's trying to make up for a bad season (back from injury: dekker/back from drug suspension: virenque/making a point after being cut from their tour team: zabel/etc,etc, etc).
btw - it doesn't help that, apart from wind, the course isn't particularly challenging.
^Gotta agree.
The whole thing just seemed like a 'going through the motions' event.
patentcad
10-11-06, 07:37 AM
This is one bitter bunch of bike weenies. Too much riding/racing. It's been a long season.
TheKillerPenguin
10-11-06, 07:51 AM
bitter weenies? Know how I know you're gay? ;)
^Gotta agree.
The whole thing just seemed like a 'going through the motions' event.
Who cares that you didn't have the "A" listers duking it our like Flanders. The race itself was a protaganists dream. Damn newbs and their Disco kits all over this world just don't get it. An exciting race is an exciting race, no matter the players.
i'm beginning to think patentcad has a point. btw ymca - when did you invent bike racing?
patentcad
10-11-06, 09:26 AM
And it's going to be a longer winter... Maybe I can get my iPod to freeze AGAIN!!
btw ymca - when did you invent bike racing?
1892, errr... I mean 1992.
daytonian
10-11-06, 12:48 PM
Cancellara walking away at PB this year was awesome and memorable but the classics for me are usually a 10 minute dvr highlight / get to the sprint sesson.
John Wilke
10-11-06, 01:47 PM
I caught the repeat on monday afternoon. I liked it. Just the ability to watch a new race on TV in October was GREAT! Of course, if someone would show it, I'd watch a Texas 'Cross race that had a fleeting view of Lance running in the background.
:o
jw
Snuffleupagus
10-11-06, 02:13 PM
I caught the repeat on monday afternoon. I liked it. Just the ability to watch a new race on TV in October was GREAT! Of course, if someone would show it, I'd watch a Texas 'Cross race that had a fleeting view of Lance running in the background.
:o
jw
Hell, right now I'm restricted to riding my couch (other than maybe getting 20-30 minutes a day spinning on the trainer at about 60rpm in 34-17 @ 70bpm to work range of motion) after my ACL surgery. I'll watch anything even remotely about bike racing right about now :p
Hipcycler
10-11-06, 04:20 PM
Hell, right now I'm restricted to riding my couch (other than maybe getting 20-30 minutes a day spinning on the trainer at about 60rpm in 34-17 @ 70bpm to work range of motion) after my ACL surgery. I'll watch anything even remotely about bike racing right about now :p
Who is that in your avatar?
Snuffleupagus
10-11-06, 05:19 PM
Who is that in your avatar?
Me, about a month ago...a little playful uphill townline sprint on a club ride. There was a photog doing a story on our club that day, and I ended up in the shot I'm using for the avatar.
Vinokurtov
10-12-06, 11:32 PM
spare me.
it's an end of the season 'classic'. the A-list riders are tired and only there for appearances sake. those who come looking for a result are either sprinters, or someone who's trying to make up for a bad season (back from injury: dekker/back from drug suspension: virenque/making a point after being cut from their tour team: zabel/etc,etc, etc).
btw - it doesn't help that, apart from wind, the course isn't particularly challenging.
Yep, pretty much a bunch of B-list no name winners over the years...
Zoetemelk, Moser, Museeuw, Meartens, Sean Kelly, Erik Dekker...who are these guys?
http://www.letour.fr/stf/paristours/2005/us/palmares_depuis.html
Me, I'd be happy to be on that list if it was for the GP de Bob's Parking Lot.
classic1
10-13-06, 01:18 AM
.......Van Looy, Raas, Peeters, Van der Poel, Anderson, Sorensen, Tchmil, Virenque, ......
Nuffers and turkeys IMO
patentcad
10-13-06, 08:24 PM
What's a 'nuffer'?
classic1
10-14-06, 04:45 AM
I think you seppos use the term ' 'tard '
patentcad
10-15-06, 04:56 AM
What's a 'seppo'?
Maybe we need a Aussie/English translator.
classic1
10-15-06, 06:27 PM
What's a 'seppo'?
Oh no, not that again!
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