Tour de France 2010

[damon loves JT]

I am with Omar Little on this one.

The French and their unwritten rules of cycling etiquette can fuck off. Who made them the moral arbiters of the world?

Stephen Roche said he'd have kept pedalling, Sean Kelly said he wouldn't. Seems like there are aguments on both sides.

[lovejoy]

Damon - its their Tour, their rules. The clue is in the name.

If in the open golf on the last day tiger is paired with casey Casey looks away and Tiger moves his marked 6 foot nearer the pin - would you say golf etiquette can f&ck off?

[OldUser]

But that would be cheating, against the rules of the sport, not the spirit.

[damon loves JT]

Damon - its their Tour, their rules. The clue is in the name.

If in the open golf on the last day tiger is paired with casey Casey looks away and Tiger moves his marked 6 foot nearer the pin - would you say golf etiquette can f&ck off?

that's not a breach of etiquette, it's just cheating. I don't see the comparison.

The French are very selective about who they criticise. When it suits them, it's just la guerre. Like when Hinault attacked Lemond after agreeing not to. Or yesterday when Nic Roche was attacked by his own teammate when he got a puncture on the climb (Gadret became the best-placed Frenchman in the Tour as a result).

[Dave Cooper please]

On reflection I think I'm with those of you saying "tough shit", Contador wants to win and took his opportunity. It's just that I tipped a Shleck to win at the beginning of this thread!

[damon loves JT]

What would Eddy Merckx have done, what would Bernard Hinault have done? I find it very hard to imagine them pausing on that hairpin turn to wait for the yellow jersey to catch up.

Hinault would probably have pretended to slow down while actually speeding up.

[TheSandman]

Ha! The French talking about cheating!

[Mac]

What would Eddy Merckx have done, what would Bernard Hinault have done? I find it very hard to imagine them pausing on that hairpin turn to wait for the yellow jersey to catch up.

Hinault would probably have pretended to slow down while actually speeding up.

Hinault!
Renault!
Bravault!

[lovejoy]

So the pro Contador camp also applauded the aussie who bowled underarm when the Zealanders needed 6 off the last ball?

[Mac]

Mike Brearley's England did that too.

[Dave Cooper please]

The two best riders in the Tour going head-to-head up the Col de Tourmalet, great stuff.

Shleck can't get rid of Contador, and he needs at least a minute lead going into tomorrow's time trial, looks impossible.

[TopDeck113]

Great battle all the way up the Tourmalet - and credit to Contador on this occasion for not trying to nick it on the line having done nothing but hold Schleck's wheel more-or-less the whole climb.

[Dave Cooper please]

Contador's to lose now though, he's a much better time triallist.

Quite fancy Wiggins tomorrow, I reckon he's been saving himself since realising he had no chance of a podium finish in the overall.

[lovejoy]

Great battle all the way up the Tourmalet - and credit to Contador on this occasion for not trying to nick it on the line having done nothing but hold Schleck's wheel more-or-less the whole climb.

I am suprrised he didn't try and knock Schleck off his bike on the run in.
Contador's name was mentioned in connection with the Operation Puerto drugs investigation a few years back and whilst his name was cleared Le Monde reported that he refused to do a DNA test which would have identified whether any of the blood bags found in the investigation were linked to him.

[TopDeck113]

Stage win number four for Cav.

He's still in with a chance of winning the maillot vert, but to do so not only does he really need to win on the Champs-Élysées (which I can see happening), but also for Petacchi not to finish in the next six places and Hushvold not to finish second.  I think Petacchi is in good enough form to hold Cav's wheel and get the place on the podium.

As for GC, Contador's 8-second lead will be well over a minute after today's ITT and Sunday will be the traditional coronation of the man wearing the maillot jaune.