Tour de France 2016 **SPOILERS**

[Pro Tour Punditry]

Can anyone beat Sagan tomorrow? I don't think it's a hard enough finish for GVA or Alaphilippe, Matthews is starting to annoy me (but he might stand a chance), maybe EBH? The finish should suit Coquard but I can't see him beating Sagan.

 

[PpPete]

Depending on when the break is brought back I can see this being one for Spartacus to ping off the front. He'll surely want one stage in his farewell season?

 

[smutchin]

maybe EBH?

I was considering that possibility myself. Could be a good bet for a Dimension Data twofer. I've already made my punditry pick though, so I'll stick by it.

I also think the finish tomorrow is going to be tougher than some people are giving it credit for. Including Mathews.

 

[smutchin]

Depending on when the break is brought back I can see this being one for Spartacus to ping off the front. He'll surely want one stage in his farewell season?

The stage finishing in Berne looks like it's been designed with him in mind.

 

[rich p]

Fab has no effing chance. I may be a bit pissed but you heard it here first, or second or whatever...

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

Morkov's bike is a bit beat up

He starts tomorrow tho

 

[Dogtrousers]

I rode up l la Glacerie a couple of days ago. Its really not much of a hill. I don't think I used my bottom gear and I'm a useless lump.

Amusingly my friend who was meeting us at the top was driving in the slow moving traffic and we had a DS style conversation. I did consider casually holding on to the window frame, but a quick "what could possibly go wrong" analysis persuaded me otherwise.

 

[rich p]

I rode up l la Glacerie a couple of days ago. Its really not much of a hill. I don't think I used my bottom gear and I'm a useless lump.

Amusingly my friend who was meeting us at the top was driving in the slow moving traffic and we had a DS style conversation. I did consider casually holding on to the window frame, but a quick "what could possibly go wrong" analysis persuaded me otherwise.

great post!

 

[themosquitoking]

Morkov's bike is a bit beat up

He starts tomorrow tho

Why do his wheels have zips?

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

Did it get wet?

It melted. one drop of melty thingy stuff

 

[ColinJ]

I was fascinated with WW1 poetry when I studied it in the 6th Form.

Owen's Dulce et Decorum Est was one of my favourites:

http://www.warpoetry.co.uk/owen1.html

My stepdaughter rang me a couple of years ago. She was doing a cryptic crossword with her grandmother and they were stuck on one clue. I can't remember the details but I realised that it was a reference to Dulce et Decorum est. I was online at the time and it only took me a few seconds to remind myself of the relevant line in the poem and tell them the answer. They were suitably impressed! (I heard stepsprog say "See, I told you Colin is brainy!", but granny's response of "Well, he clearly isn't quite as stupid as I thought he was!" rather took the shine off that compliment! )

Anyway - back to the TdF - I'm about 8 hours late, having only just watched my recording of the highlights, but ...

CAV!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[HF2300]

Predicting text. I did go back and edit

You have a predictive text filter that prefers shooting to shouting? Still hardcore (and quite scary).

 

[coffeejo]

You have a predictive text filter that prefers shooting to shouting? Still hardcore (and quite scary).

A friend's dictation software translated cross stitch to crotch text yesterday. I didn't ask why.

 

[HF2300]

Cancellara made his way to the front and told them to ease off..

Did he? What a nobber. Tbh, I thought it was just a natural lull in the racing anyway, because it was still such a long way from the finish. Had the crash happened 30km from the finish, I doubt they would have waited for him.

I hadn't realised that (Cancellara). I thought it was just a lull in the race as well, perhaps head- or crosswind induced; and a lot of the press seem to have thought the same. Probably didn't make that much difference, if any, though.

There's a spectator video floating around that shows Contador's bike slide out from under him as they entered the junction well before the island, taking out Bookwalter. Rowe slightly bizarrely arrives later and appears to be able to make the turn, then rides into the island and them - a case of going where you're looking?

 

[HF2300]

Ælfrēd

Is this a cake reference?