Le Tour 2015

[lovejoy]

Quintana the real hero of the tour. Froome won it by the time he took in Zealand with the peloton split. He will learn from that. His style is calculating but also exciting for the viewer. I'm glad there was no bother with Froome and the fans today, it is unfair.

[Dante Lavelli]

There was a spitting incident, and earlier in the day, I'm sure the BBC reported an incident with the SKY vehicles.
Doping or not, it seems strange that the SKY team are taking so much flack when so many other are proven as on the juice (or mores than Froome).

[Meanwood Villa]

Great stage today.

[paul_e]

So how long will Lance's legacy continue in le tour? The fact that a number of fans seemed to have decided it's fair game to consider Froome a cheat regardless of a lack of evidence shows just how deep the scars are.  If he is clean (and both the analysis released by sky and the stage data from the last 3 tours does back that up) it's got to be frustrating to have to put up with this and know that there's absolutely nothing he can do to put an end to it.

[JD]

It's been a very interesting and riveting tour this year. Good on Froome for hanging in there from attack after attack over the past few days. Quintana was magnificent in his constant attacks and seems a real gent as well. His time will no doubt come very soon. 

[SteveN]

I'd like to see one of the young French riders; Pinot, Bardet develop into genuine contenders. Would add to the enjoyment of future Tours. 

I hope Cav does it this afternoon although Greipal must be favourite on current form and with three key men of the Etixx lead out missing.

[aj2k77]

Pinaut can't climb as good as Froome or Quintana and can't TT either. He'll find it hard to better last years 3rd place. Imagine the crowds on a big climb with a genuine French GC contender though. Would be amazing.

[Tokyo Sexwhale]

So how long will Lance's legacy continue in le tour? The fact that a number of fans seemed to have decided it's fair game to consider Froome a cheat regardless of a lack of evidence shows just how deep the scars are.  If he is clean (and both the analysis released by sky and the stage data from the last 3 tours does back that up) it's got to be frustrating to have to put up with this and know that there's absolutely nothing he can do to put an end to it.

I think the French are suspicious/jealous of British cycling success in general - as they don't understand/believe how Team GB/Sky have been so dominant on the track and on the road over the last 8-10 years or so.

[UK Redsox]

Due to poor weather, they took the final placings when the riders reached the Champs Élysées for the first time.

Therefore Froome has won Le Tour.

The riders are continuing on for the 10 laps, with the sprinters able to take as many risks as they want without fear of losing places if they fall.

[aj2k77]

So how long will Lance's legacy continue in le tour? The fact that a number of fans seemed to have decided it's fair game to consider Froome a cheat regardless of a lack of evidence shows just how deep the scars are.  If he is clean (and both the analysis released by sky and the stage data from the last 3 tours does back that up) it's got to be frustrating to have to put up with this and know that there's absolutely nothing he can do to put an end to it.

It will take a long time for the scars to heal. It's pretty safe to assume nearly every single race between 94 and 09 produced a winner enhanced by the juice. That's a whole generation of results, feats, dramas and winners destroyed. Cycling has a long way to go. Full honesty and openness about what happened would be a start, Lance is the scapegoat. From golden boy to the devil. Cycling is still not very transparent at all now. Having clowns like Vino still involved, the doctors, the DS'. People that enabled it are still there now, just in different guises.

It wouldn't hurt anyone to release more data. Full data. There is so little to lose compared to what they can gain from it.  The blood passport has worked to a degree, but it's more put in place parameters of what is an acceptable level to cheat, much like the old haematocrit maximum level did. As suggested by Ross Tucker, a full biological passport, with physiological tests throughout the year, alongside the blood tests would leave cheats with much less scope to bend things in their favour, they'd be much more easier to flag up.

How important is it to the UCI to have a fully clean, slower, sport?

They could make it more likely to produce even cleaner winners, but we currently use a passport designed to catch cheats from a decade ago, they've moved on, the UCI haven't.

[Dante Lavelli]

In a weird way, their certainty that froome is cheating is likely to encourage more cheats.  By saying that Sky are doping and winning, but we haven't caught them yet,  then is almost gives the other teams carte blanche to do this themselves.

[DB]

In a weird way, their certainty that froome is cheating is likely to encourage more cheats.  By saying that Sky are doping and winning, but we haven't caught them yet,  then is almost gives the other teams carte blanche to do this themselves.

Sky cheating, based on what???
Stories in the French media as they have not had a tour winner for a long time.

[Dante Lavelli]

In a weird way, their certainty that froome is cheating is likely to encourage more cheats.  By saying that Sky are doping and winning, but we haven't caught them yet,  then is almost gives the other teams carte blanche to do this themselves.

Sky cheating, based on what???
Stories in the French media as they have not had a tour winner for a long time.

Based on nothing, but it is how it is being reported by large chunks of the media.

[Meanwood Villa]

You know what I've often thought this, particularly in relation to the tour, but I don't really care if they are doping. Drugs assisted or not you still have to be an incredible athlete to do what they do. And I include Armstrong in that. There, I've said it.

[pauliewalnuts]

So how long will Lance's legacy continue in le tour? The fact that a number of fans seemed to have decided it's fair game to consider Froome a cheat regardless of a lack of evidence shows just how deep the scars are.  If he is clean (and both the analysis released by sky and the stage data from the last 3 tours does back that up) it's got to be frustrating to have to put up with this and know that there's absolutely nothing he can do to put an end to it.

I think the French are suspicious/jealous of British cycling success in general - as they don't understand/believe how Team GB/Sky have been so dominant on the track and on the road over the last 8-10 years or so.

They were similar at the Olympics.