Professional Cycling For the Fans - 2012 Tour de France - Stage 17 - Bagnères-de-Luchon → Peyragudes - Thursday July 19

http://www.grassyknolltv.com/2012/tour-de-france/resources/profiles/profile-17.jpg

probably wishful thinking but something tells me this stage is gonna cause havoc in the gc a day after a more feared stage. i'll say rolland double-dips here...

Hell, I'll say Froome says "f*** all y'all" and just destroys everyone, including Wiggins. He can't let his best chance now, or in the future, to win a TdF slip by.

At least I'm praying for this to happen...to wake me from my coma watching this year's "race".

Man I'd love to see Wiggins actually win on a mountain top just to stamp his authority on the race. Gotta be some tired riders so maybe the break will be caught today. Evans even made the point he should be allowed in a break cos he's so far down on GC! Nibali also wants a stage win cos he knows he can't do better than third overall.

If the break doesn't stay away and nibali makes a move, froome and wiggo will stay with and froome will either pull away at the very end or they will gift nibali the stage. I really want to see anker sorensen win a stage. The guy is just always working his tail off but after yesterdays effort i don't think he will have the legs.

TV in the break, again!!!! Woohoo. My favorite rider on this year's tour. At least he has some life in him, unlike any of the rest of them.

He's really trying to keep the dots. I would love to see him win the KOM. He deserves it.

You said it! And, isn't it nice to actually see guys attacking each other instead of having a nice picnic ride across France like the GC contenders

Hell, I'll say Froome says "f*** all y'all" and just destroys everyone, including Wiggins. He can't let his best chance now, or in the future, to win a TdF slip by.

At least I'm praying for this to happen...to wake me from my coma watching this year's "race".


So Nibali pulls a fast one put some seconds into wiggo finally causing some mayhem which could ultimately fracture team skys time trial around france and what happens?!?!?!?

Oops i better sit up so valverde and co do not get chased down............im fully aware that the break would have been chased down but it would have put huge pressure on and meant that someone other than sky would dictate the pace!

This is without a doubt the weakest/worst tour de france i have ever witnessed.......taking nothing away from wiggo but the field as a whole are just poor!

So Nibali pulls a fast one put some seconds into wiggo finally causing some mayhem which could ultimately fracture team skys time trial around france and what happens?!?!?!?

Oops i better sit up so valverde and co do not get chased down............im fully aware that the break would have been chased down but it would have put huge pressure on and meant that someone other than sky would dictate the pace!

This is without a doubt the weakest/worst tour de france i have ever witnessed.......taking nothing away from wiggo but the field as a whole are just poor!


This^^^^^^^^^^

Yeah, I'd love to see TV keep the dots. Points total aside, he's been the KOM in my mind so far this year.

I was really hoping to see Nibali sneak off and gain back enough to put a scare into Sky. Maybe even one where they have to respond on Port de Ballés and BW gets dropped by CF, who must respond to not gift the MJ to Nibali.

In the meantime, I'm gonna polish off these Spicy McBites with some chocolate milk and Ultra beer, before putting my new Cadillac and Nissan on Geico.

In the meantime, I'm gonna polish off these Spicy McBites with some chocolate milk and Ultra beer, before putting my new Cadillac and Nissan on Geico.

I still miss the old SAAB "Born from Jets" commercials

No doubt. They used to kill us with Saab ads. Seemingly two or three every break. :lol:

Who is that neon green team in the front of the peleton? I have never seen them before :-)

Richie porte has dinged it and way off the back......i assume we all sit up again in the name of sportsmanship?

Lets hope the pressure is cranked up in a mile or two...........THE last climbs of the tour, for the love of the tour lets see something to get the juices flowing!

Ideal scenario for me would be to see wiggo blow up and froome given the green light, sadly we all know that won't happen!

By now I think we should just expect the rest of the tour to be like this ...boring.
Perhaps this years the Olympic comes into play or maybe because "very little" people dope, we don't see television worthy cycling competition.

Its just a real shame......every year i get mega excited and preach the tour to anyone who will listen, encourage people to watch a great spectacle......its safe to assume that most newbies watching their first tour will be losing interest fast!
Its all very well the ''in the know'' fans appreciating what they are seeing and we all appreciate wiggins and skys control, BUT it does not make for good television, ultimately the field have fallen way short and this tour will be very soon forgotten unless this next hour explodes!

Its just a real shame......every year i get mega excited and preach the tour to anyone who will listen, encourage people to watch a great spectacle......its safe to assume that most newbies watching their first tour will be losing interest fast!
Its all very well the ''in the know'' fans appreciating what they are seeing and we all appreciate wiggins and skys control, BUT it does not make for good television, ultimately the field have fallen way short and this tour will be very soon forgotten unless this next hour explodes!

On the tv coverage, I hate how they keep trying to jack up the steepness and toughness and how we'll really see the big boys race, then....it turns into another day of group riding. I hope the Tour organizers remember this disaster of a tour when they develop the courses for future tours. Try to mix in a few mt top finishes boys, so there ARE opportunities to gain back time.

Nibali and Valverde truce? Maybe is Nibali attacks and bridges to AV AV will work with him? They must have some kind of deal with the handshake

Are you saying the French mountains are not steep enough? First I have heard of this.


On the tv coverage, I hate how they keep trying to jack up the steepness and toughness and how we'll really see the big boys race, then....it turns into another day of group riding. I hope the Tour organizers remember this disaster of a tour when they develop the courses for future tours. Try to mix in a few mt top finishes boys, so there ARE opportunities to gain back time.

Its all irrelevant now, not enough miles to do enough damage so unless froome goes all traitor on us or wiggo stacks his bike its wiggo's tour.......just like we knew 2 weeks ago!

:( So thats it, another climb and nothing?

So disappointed.........what a pigs ear the planners made of this, AND compounded by another time trial to come!

You said it! And, isn't it nice to actually see guys attacking each other instead of having a nice picnic ride across France like the GC contenders

Amen brother!

On the tv coverage, I hate how they keep trying to jack up the steepness and toughness and how we'll really see the big boys race, then....it turns into another day of group riding. I hope the Tour organizers remember this disaster of a tour when they develop the courses for future tours. Try to mix in a few mt top finishes boys, so there ARE opportunities to gain back time.

The Alps and the Pyrenees are not enough for you? LOL

Just tuned in...what did I miss? OH WAIT, NOTHING. I'VE MISSED NOTHING. Nice group ride though, those mountains sure are perty.

Aaaaaaand the excitement of the day...will the non-GC rider survive off the front? It's like a sprint stage for the climber scrubs!!!

Just tuned in...what did I miss? OH WAIT, NOTHING. I'VE MISSED NOTHING. Nice group ride though, those mountains sure are perty.

Damn someone do something!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

edvard boasson haggen is still with the big boys.........nowt else needs to be said really!! If the big boys cannot shake the likes of porte and ebh when they HAVE to you know the race is dead as a spectacle. So so sad :(

I love Voeckler...he is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO French!!! He looks at the crowd like they are common peon serfs, seemingly in a state of constant annoyance at them. But then he salutes the crowd and puts on quite a show when he wins, soaking in their adulation. French people are so cute.

edvard boasson haggen is still with the big boys.........nowt else needs to be said really!! If the big boys cannot shake the likes of porte and ebh when they HAVE to you know the race is dead as a spectacle. So so sad :(

Is Sagan there? Is Greipel pacing VdB? Cav pacing Sky? LOL @ training rides during Tour de France race stages...

It's hilarous that the way riders are moving UP in the standings is based on who gets dropped from the group ride. Radioshack....Zubeldia dropped, so what, Kloden goes right by. Hahahaha A POX ON YOUR HOUSE RADIOSHACK! Oh wait........;)

HAHAHAHAHAHA Froome! Just go man! He keeps looking back at Sky's "leader". LOL just go bro! Attack!

anyone else feeling really uncomfortable with the fact that the domestique is asking the yellow jersey to please keep up?

Teejay is the next American hope. He was light years better than last year. And he can TT. Hope he gets some support next year. Awesome!

HAHAHAHAHAHA Froome! Just go man! He keeps looking back at Sky's "leader". LOL just go bro! Attack!

That would have make it more interesting. Sad. I'm going back to sleep

Teejay is the next American hope. He was light years better than last year. And he can TT. Hope he gets some support next year. Awesome!

Lets hope next year we get a race.......teejay should be better, wiggins will defend, schleck and contador must be involved, van den broeck will get better as will nibali and maybe froome will tear up his contract, forget about money and want to be champion too and move to another team?

Lets hope next year we get a race.......teejay should be better, wiggins will defend, schleck and contador must be involved, van den broeck will get better as will nibali and maybe froome will tear up his contract, forget about money and want to be champion too and move to another team?

I have no doubt Froome will be on a new team next year. He's already said he expects Sky to be "at his service" in a mountainous tour, which it will be next year. Wiggins has "earned" the right to defend the jersey next year though, so there is no way Froome will be supported. With AC and AS back, it will be a better race next year. Wiggins, the one-hit wonder.

Just tuned in...what did I miss? OH WAIT, NOTHING. I'VE MISSED NOTHING. Nice group ride though, those mountains sure are perty.

Not sure what race you were watching today but the one I watched showed a peloton blown to pieces by the paces by the tempo being set at the front.

Take a look at the finishing times.

I watched a bunch of presumably clean riders get tired by the end of three weeks of riding. It was just "who's getting dropped next?", not any real attacks. This race needs Contador, Schleck, and an unleashed Froome. If you thought this was fine racing, your head will explode watching next year's version. I just hope Froome is not on Sky, so he can at least blow away Wiggins.

I do wonder what the mountain stages would have looked like if there had not been a TT stage (and it was replaced by a sprinter's stage or a mountain stage). Take out the time Wiggins gained in that stage and the entire race would have been handled differently. Everyone knew it was over after the TT.

I watched a bunch of presumably clean riders get tired by the end of three weeks of riding. It was just "who's getting dropped next?", not any real attacks. This race needs Contador, Schleck, and an unleashed Froome. If you thought this was fine racing, your head will explode watching next year's version. I just hope Froome is not on Sky, so he can at least blow away Wiggins.

You don't appear to have much idea about what you're watching, I'm afraid. Stage racing is attritional. If you don't get that, maybe it's not for you.

You don't appear to have much idea about what you're watching, I'm afraid. Stage racing is attritional. If you don't get that, maybe it's not for you.

Oh noes, internet guy says I don't know what I'm talking about! So butthurt! You've already proven with your postings how much you know about this race :). Or perhaps you've only watched the tour since 2012?

I have no doubt Froome will be on a new team next year. He's already said he expects Sky to be "at his service" in a mountainous tour, which it will be next year. Wiggins has "earned" the right to defend the jersey next year though, so there is no way Froome will be supported. With AC and AS back, it will be a better race next year. Wiggins, the one-hit wonder.

Froome just signed a three year contract. Given his health issues it's questionable if another team will being willing to shell out what Sky will want to buy that contract.

You say 'one hit wonder' as if winning the tour only once is a bad thing. Evans isn't winning it again, and neither is Andy Schleck.

I think it's also easy for guys to discount Wiggens and how strong Sky is. I imagine he's going to dominate that last TT, and he's proven he's one of the elite climbers in the race. So Froome is a better climber. The tour is usually won limiting losses in the mountains and dominating the TTs.

Christ, the guy has a slew of track medals and world championships. That he's transformed himself into one of the best TT guys in the world and is about to win the tour is freaking astounding.

I watched a bunch of presumably clean riders get tired by the end of three weeks of riding. It was just "who's getting dropped next?", not any real attacks. This race needs Contador, Schleck, and an unleashed Froome. If you thought this was fine racing, your head will explode watching next year's version. I just hope Froome is not on Sky, so he can at least blow away Wiggins.

Nope. Sky set the pace too high for anyone to attack and get any real time on BW
Could Froom have maintained the gap he had on Wiggins? Maybe. Not sure how much time he could have gotten though as we have never really seen Wiggins be forced to respond to a serious attack.

I love Voeckler...he is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO French!!! He looks at the crowd like they are common peon serfs, seemingly in a state of constant annoyance at them. But then he salutes the crowd and puts on quite a show when he wins, soaking in their adulation. French people are so cute.


I love Voeckler...he is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO French!!! He looks at the crowd like they are common peon serfs, seemingly in a state of constant annoyance at them. But then he salutes the crowd and puts on quite a show when he wins, soaking in their adulation. French people are so cute.

He does not look on the crowd as peons, it is just that he always has that look of suffering on his face. Plus he can't stand spectators pressing against him or touching him.

He is quite popular in France. He is one of the most prominent French riders of his generation and has been described as a "national hero," because of his strong efforts in TdF. He is also known as le Chou-Chou (Sweetheart).

One of the reasons that I really like him, asides from the fact that he is a fighter on the road, is his sense of loyalty.

This is from Wiki:

Voeckler's 2011 compensation from Team Europcar was worth 420,000 euros a year, which made him the second highest-paid French cyclist after Sylvain Chavanel (http://www.bikeforums.net/wiki/Sylvain_Chavanel). His planned switch to Team Cofidis (http://www.bikeforums.net/wiki/Cofidis_(cycling_team)) was worth almost twice as much, however Voeckler chose to remain at reduced salary, with Jean-René Bernaudeau (http://www.bikeforums.net/wiki/Jean-Ren%C3%A9_Bernaudeau)'s team once it re-found sponsorship for 2011, able to continue his 15 year relationship with the coach.

Why don't you like the French?

He does not look on the crowd as peons, it is just that he always has that look of suffering on his face. Plus he can't stand spectators pressing against him or touching him.

He is quite popular in France. He is one of the most prominent French riders of his generation and has been described as a "national hero," because of his strong efforts in TdF. He is also known as le Chou-Chou (Sweetheart).

One of the reasons that I really like him, asides from the fact that he is a fighter on the road, is his sense of loyalty.

This is from Wiki:

Voeckler's 2011 compensation from Team Europcar was worth 420,000 euros a year, which made him the second highest-paid French cyclist after Sylvain Chavanel (http://www.bikeforums.net/wiki/Sylvain_Chavanel).His planned switch to Team Cofidis (http://www.bikeforums.net/wiki/Cofidis_(cycling_team)) was worth almost twice as much, however Voeckler chose to remain at reduced salary, with Jean-René Bernaudeau (http://www.bikeforums.net/wiki/Jean-Ren%C3%A9_Bernaudeau)'s team once it re-found sponsorship for 2011, able to continue his 15 year relationship with the coach.

Why don't you like the French?

No, I'm being serious. I do like him. A lot. He's just very....French. His facial expressions are comical. He's a true showman. I don't dislike the French, I look upon them the same way they look upon Americans.

Sky looks like the "NY Yankees" of GT cycling. We won't get to see how good Wiggens is because his team is so much better than the other teams this year. Take the top 10 GC contenders and switch them with Wiggens and I think the winner still comes from team Sky.

I doubt that. Wiggins on a decent team likely still wins due to his TT dominance. Froome may have edged him however, but not anyone else.

The real test will come if Andy and Alberto are in decent form next year. Andy will put his team on the front to shatter the field, and the Wiggo would have to counter lots of attacks from A & A.


Sky looks like the "NY Yankees" of GT cycling. We won't get to see how good Wiggens is because his team is so much better than the other teams this year. Take the top 10 GC contenders and switch them with Wiggens and I think the winner still comes from team Sky.

with frank suspended Andy loses way too much training time working it all out in therapy to factor into anything.

dissappointed that nibali didn't take a chance today. i understand the risks, but last chance to win this tour...