Le Tour 2012

[UK Redsox]

Even if Wiggins wins and Froome comes second, it'll all be forgotten in the media when someone wins a bronze at the Olympics in some non-sport.

Especially if Zara wins the gold for "rich people on horses".

[peter w]

Not sure. I mentioned this to the missus when she was moaning about me trying to watch the highlights the other night. The Tour De France is huge. She said it wasn't. I asked if she had heard of it before, she said yes, I asked her to name one other bike race that she had heard of. Point proven i think.

Although there are many on this thread who are into bike racing wider than the Tour De France, winning it is a big achievement. And I think that if Wiggins were to win it a big deal would be made of  more than Zara Ra RA ponce winning some posh horsey event, or Ainslie winning the the yachting as he does every Olympics.

[Meanwood Villa]

In the commentary yesterday there were quite a few comments about Sky being unpopular with the rest of the tour. Is this just sour grapes (like Nibali's disrespect comment the other day) or is there more to it? Have Sky done something dodgy?

[richard moore]

We love the TDF in our house, been watching it ever since I can remember. I have always said it is the number one summer sporting event, sod Wimbledon, Ascot and the like - though of course that doesn't necessarily take account of World Cup or Olympic years. It's always highly evocative too for us as we tend to holiday in France and so it gets us excited about our summer hols - Aix-en-Provence this year. I never thought I would ever see two english riders one and two in my lifetime. They have both been brilliant and it definitely brings an extra interest to watching it. I think the antipathy towards Sky is partly the English connection, partly because they are the new kids on the block and partly because money has bought them success - probably the equivalent of our feelings towards Chelsea

[richard moore]

What a nice man Cadel Evans seems too - he does, however, have the weirdest of voices! Seems a real gentleman. I almost wanted to give him a little man hug yesterday as I felt really quite sorry for him finishing so far back behind BW and CF

[peter w]

Have no idea but Sky may be unpopular because of the amount of money they have? the Man city of the cycling world perhaps?

[Hopadop]

Have no idea but Sky may be unpopular because of the amount of money they have? the Man city of the cycling world perhaps?

Maybe. Most of the teams are using the 'official car' Skodas, whereas Sky have a fleet of Jagwars.

Rumours of Sky changing horses mid race. Something in it or miischief making by their rivals? Given the current situation I'd guess the latter.

[Meanwood Villa]

Thought it might be a money thing. I don't imagine putting that sort of team together can be done on the cheap. Not to mention someone like Gerraint Thomas not even there. By the standards of what other cycling teams have got up to it seems pretty tame really.
No chance they'll switch from Wiggins barring a disaster today. Nor should they.

[SteveN]

Money, and a far more scientific appraoch to road racing than seen before. 

Other teams had certain practices that hadn't moved on in years, Sky's marginal gains etc. and emphasis on using the numbers the riders produced in training was seen to be too clever by half at first.  Now a lot of teams are copying their methods. 

I don't think there is an issue in the peleton with the Sky riders, on the whole all of the peleton get along fine if you believe what you read - I don't know any of them personally.

[SteveN]

Great win for David Millar today.

[hipkiss92]

Thought it might be a money thing. I don't imagine putting that sort of team together can be done on the cheap. Not to mention someone like Gerraint Thomas not even there. By the standards of what other cycling teams have got up to it seems pretty tame really.
No chance they'll switch from Wiggins barring a disaster today. Nor should they.

I think Thomas not being there is more to do with him concentrating on the Olympics, much like Wiggo did in 2008.

[Dave Cooper please]

Its also possible that BW & CF had agreed that, once they'd caught the group, they were going to fire on past and try to break Nibali as they'd done to Evans.

Therefore, maybe CF didn't know that BW wasn't with him until the got the blast in his ear and turned round to see that BW wasn't there.

That's how I saw it as well. Froome looked quite surprised when he got the radio call and glanced around to see Wiggins back down the hill.

Great win for our very own British drug cheat today.

[JD]

Not sure. I mentioned this to the missus when she was moaning about me trying to watch the highlights the other night. The Tour De France is huge. She said it wasn't. I asked if she had heard of it before, she said yes, I asked her to name one other bike race that she had heard of. Point proven i think.

Although there are many on this thread who are into bike racing wider than the Tour De France, winning it is a big achievement. And I think that if Wiggins were to win it a big deal would be made of  more than Zara Ra RA ponce winning some posh horsey event, or Ainslie winning the the yachting as he does every Olympics.

Exactly Peter, if Wiggins wins the Tour it will be the biggest achievement by a British sports person for many years. The tour is a massive and truly world wide event. That's without talking abot how gruelling it is. 

[N'Rexy]

They are unpopular in the press because they are so good and the other teams worry because they do things differently to the old traditions. Brad and Thomas warmed down last year after a TT on rollers and there was mass pisstaking. Now they are all doing it. Brad has been at altitude most of this year (either in tenerife or in a tent at home) and again mass pisstiaking from the teams. They will all be doing it next year. They have challenged a lot of norms and people fear that.

Cav will be gone at the end of the year though. He had no-one with him today they were all at the front. As the World Champion he will be expecting more.

As for the budget, BMC, Radio Shack, Omega Pharma, Astana, they spend more. Sky are more Aston Villa than Man City.

[The Left Side]

I'm really enjoying the tour this year, not sure why but it is great.