Although I cannot take enough extacy (Sp?) or crack to get excited about this TDF, I have been watching and taping each stage so far. I ahve to say, I don't know if it is just me, but I am noticing some things very different from previous tour watching:

-riders seem to be drinking a heck of a lot more. Maybe they are just being in front of the camera more while they are drinking, but they certainly seem to be on air while drinking more.
-riders seem to be eating a lot more too. Maybe they are just being in front of the camera more while they are eating, but they certainly seem to be on air while eating more.
-there seem to be only 2 brands of sunglasses being used: Specialized and Oakley!
-Yellow is back! On shoes, bikes, glasses, etc.
-there seem to be a heck of a lot more motorcycles following alone!
-There seems to be a heck of a lot less people on the mountain top side of the roads throwing themselves at the riders.
there seems to be more barriers at the mountain top finishes and they seem to go for a lot longer distance. THIS IS ACTUALLY GOOD!!!
-It seems to be OK now to televise riders stopping on the side of the road to take a piss. Sorry, a 'nature break". That used to be not even mentioned before!!
-Riders seem to have no self esteem anymore needing their team car drivers to radio to them every 20 sec telling them they are great, etc. Bunch of pusses!
-Except for a couple of suicidal french riders and Ricco, nobody seems to have any personal style and balls to rip through the race. Everybody seems to just want to sit there and "be patient and take it easy".
-The top 5 guys in this tour seem to have the worst team support possible. Is it because they ran out of money to hire the better guys to support them or because they have all being kicked out because of doping?

What else have you noticed?

Hardly any road porn graffitti. :(

There's certainly no shortage of moronic posts and threads in the TDF sub-forum.

Although I cannot take enough extacy (Sp?) or crack to get excited about this TDF, I have been watching and taping each stage so far. I ahve to say, I don't know if it is just me, but I am noticing some things very different from previous tour watching:

-riders seem to be drinking a heck of a lot more. Maybe they are just being in front of the camera more while they are drinking, but they certainly seem to be on air while drinking more.
-riders seem to be eating a lot more too. Maybe they are just being in front of the camera more while they are eating, but they certainly seem to be on air while eating more.
-there seem to be only 2 brands of sunglasses being used: Specialized and Oakley!
-Yellow is back! On shoes, bikes, glasses, etc.
-there seem to be a heck of a lot more motorcycles following alone!
-There seems to be a heck of a lot less people on the mountain top side of the roads throwing themselves at the riders.
there seems to be more barriers at the mountain top finishes and they seem to go for a lot longer distance. THIS IS ACTUALLY GOOD!!!
-It seems to be OK now to televise riders stopping on the side of the road to take a piss. Sorry, a 'nature break". That used to be not even mentioned before!!
-Riders seem to have no self esteem anymore needing their team car drivers to radio to them every 20 sec telling them they are great, etc. Bunch of pusses!
-Except for a couple of suicidal french riders and Ricco, nobody seems to have any personal style and balls to rip through the race. Everybody seems to just want to sit there and "be patient and take it easy".
-The top 5 guys in this tour seem to have the worst team support possible. Is it because they ran out of money to hire the better guys to support them or because they have all being kicked out because of doping?

What else have you noticed?

CSC?

Other than the nature break id disagree with just about everything.

Was I dreaming or did I see a commercial for a kick bike scooter thing like the one promoted by a spammer here a year ago or so? I seem to remember it had a ridiculous name like Mo-Go or something and they were very careful to show all kinds of ages and ethnic groups having fun on said scooter-thingies.

Other than the nature break id disagree with just about everything.

Agreed but there does seem to be a lot more yellow shoes in the peloton.

Agreed but there does seem to be a lot more yellow shoes in the peloton.


Yeah, i hadnt paid close enough attention to care.

Was I dreaming or did I see a commercial for a kick bike scooter thing like the one promoted by a spammer here a year ago or so? I seem to remember it had a ridiculous name like Mo-Go or something and they were very careful to show all kinds of ages and ethnic groups having fun on said scooter-thingies.

You're not dreaming. Even though I ffw'd through most of the commercials, I did remember a bit of that one about the Mogo. It came on while I was taking a "nature break." :lol:

Hardly any road porn graffitti.
Did anyone notice the helicopter shot near the finish at Hautacam today in stage 10, where Basque terrorist sympathizers took over a whole swath of road by painting "ETA" in huge letters over and over about 15 times in a row? I was surprised the camera lingered so long on that and took the whole thing in.

I thought politics and sport weren't supposed to mix (he said tongue in cheek)?

Was I dreaming or did I see a commercial for a kick bike scooter thing like the one promoted by a spammer here a year ago or so? I seem to remember it had a ridiculous name like Mo-Go or something and they were very careful to show all kinds of ages and ethnic groups having fun on said scooter-thingies.

When i watched that i said out loud "ya try and go up a hill with that POS".. and laughed.

Hardly any road porn graffitti. :(


um, u musta not watched today.

Did anyone notice the helicopter shot near the finish at Hautacam today in stage 10, where Basque terrorist sympathizers took over a whole swath of road by painting "ETA" in huge letters over and over about 15 times in a row? I was surprised the camera lingered so long on that and took the whole thing in.

I thought politics and sport weren't supposed to mix (he said tongue in cheek)?

Yes I did. I bet 90% (more) of the population doesn't have any idea what that meant.

Everybody seems to just want to race smart and "be patient and take it easy".


Fixed.

It's not a one day race. What you call personal style rarely wins more than a single stage. Being patient is more likely to win the whole race. But this wisdom comes with age, and I suspect you're a young man.

It's like the old joke about the old bull and the young bull standing on a hill looking down at a large herd of cows. The young bull gets all excited and says "Let's run down and **** one of those cows!"

The old bull says "Let's walk down and **** 'em all."

Az

Yeah, am I the only one that thinks that Robbie Ventura does nothing but waste oxygen when he opens his mouth? He's completely horrible. It was awful when he was in the team car! At one point, I thought Vaughters was going to to say, "that's a lame question, why don't you try another one!" Instead, he kinda sigh/laughed/coughed and said, "I don't know." I can't stand hearing Robbie waste our time. His interview with Robbie McEwen was just as bad. Am I alone in that? I don't know why they need him. Frankie Andreau can do it without him, he does a decent job. They also need a good looking female cyclist as a commentator, huh! She could replace Robbie. Maybe they could get Armstrong, I bet she'd be good. Just my opinion!!!

i think it's the first time i've actually seen a guy taking a nature break...he had it out and it was spraying! usually the camera moves away...i was like hey,there's a spanish guy with his d*** out!!

Yeah, am I the only one that thinks that Robbie Ventura does nothing but waste oxygen when he opens his mouth? He's completely horrible. It was awful when he was in the team car! At one point, I thought Vaughters was going to to say, "that's a lame question, why don't you try another one!" Instead, he kinda sigh/laughed/coughed and said, "I don't know." I can't stand hearing Robbie waste our time.
I'm completely in agreement. It was excruciating in the car during the time trial, he was a complete jackass. What annoyed me the most was the unrelieved sense of entitlement he exhibited that has become typical of this multimedia-saturated age combined with a complete and utter lack of even a modicum of people skills.

"Ma'am, your daughter has just been run over and killed by a truck not two minutes ago as we both stood here! How do you feel? How do...[pause until particular loud wail subsides]...how do you plan to go on? One minute she's with you, and the next she's dead! So what's next for you?"

Did anyone notice the helicopter shot near the finish at Hautacam today in stage 10, where Basque terrorist sympathizers took over a whole swath of road by painting "ETA" in huge letters over and over about 15 times in a row? I was surprised the camera lingered so long on that and took the whole thing in.


Many years ago while in Basque country, Phil and Paul's car was blown up by an ETA planted bomb. Phil said the best thing about it was that all Paul's CDs were destroyed.

Many years ago while in Basque country, Phil and Paul's car was blown up by an ETA planted bomb. Phil said the best thing about it was that all Paul's CDs were destroyed.

:lol: I can totally hear Phil saying that! British humour is awesome!

Many years ago while in Basque country, Phil and Paul's car was blown up by an ETA planted bomb. Phil said the best thing about it was that all Paul's CDs were destroyed.

Yup, I can just hear Phil saying that. I love how you guys can post some of these funny stories, most of which I've never heard. Keep it up, that was my laugh for the day!! :lol:

Bob Roll is acting like an adult while on camera, what happened to the BOBKIE that we knew and laughed at?

Bob Roll is acting like an adult while on camera, what happened to the BOBKIE that we knew and laughed at?

I actually noticed today that he did NOT say "Tour Day France." Has someone told him to tone it down?

I actually noticed today that he did NOT say "Tour Day France." Has someone told him to tone it down?

Good catch, Suzie. Old Bobke's had his day of making fun of those that tortured him and his team...he's a great deal more articulate and skilled than sometimes he lets on and then the goofball in him takes over, a kind of randomness. I suppose VS could have told him to tone it down a bit or he might even find it too much old fun, but we still love him!

I got a DVR just to hear these guys and plan on watching TdF all over again in the winter, while on the trainer :D

The green jersey race is way weird this year.

A few boys mooned the camera during Monday's stage. Boys will be boys...

CSC?

Happy now?

Many years ago while in Basque country, Phil and Paul's car was blown up by an ETA planted bomb. Phil said the best thing about it was that all Paul's CDs were destroyed.

Was that during the Tour? I thought it was the Donostia Klasikoa.

Agur

Alot more white and color cycling shorts. PEOPLE, THERE'S A REASON FOR BLACK CYCLING SHORTS!

A few boys mooned the camera during Monday's stage. Boys will be boys...


???? Hey! I could see myself doing that. It might take 2 beers but then I can't hold my alcohol worth a damn anyway. :roflmao2:

???? Hey! I could see myself doing that. It might take 2 beers but then I can't hold my alcohol worth a damn anyway. :roflmao2:

So, have you tried the new Sam Adams? :innocent:

So, have you tried the new Sam Adams? :innocent:

It's Bass Ale or nothing for me...maybe that's my problem. :D

It seems almost every team is using white handlebar tape. I guess to compliment the recent popular in white bikes.

Did anyone notice the helicopter shot near the finish at Hautacam today in stage 10, where Basque terrorist sympathizers took over a whole swath of road by painting "ETA" in huge letters over and over about 15 times in a row? I was surprised the camera lingered so long on that and took the whole thing in.

I thought politics and sport weren't supposed to mix (he said tongue in cheek)?

+1 -- although it'd be tough for the camera to have missed it. I think I saw a few square inches of black pavement inbetween 786 ETA tags near the summit.

Agreed but there does seem to be a lot more yellow shoes in the peloton.

I'm thinking that the presence of yellow shoes could be directly related to the new spectator sport of nature breaks

at least they couldn't get up to mischief being busy painting all those eta signs