Which bold rider has this stage circled in their tour bible? Wednesday July 18th, Stage 16, 197 km. The day after a the final rest day. A climbing day with two HC climbs followed by two Category 1 climbs and a serious descent toward the finish. The Aubisque, Tourmalet, Aspin and Peyresourde: you better be a fearless climber and a good descender, but a better climber. This is not a stage for Sagan or Fränkie Schleck (sorry Frank). If Wiggo was going to have a bad day, this would be a special one to have it on. And this follows a rest day? Could the weather finally make a difference? Will the mad tacker return? Will climbers just try to survive this stage to perform on the fearsome Stage 17? More questions than answers in the Velominati Super-Bunker.
All VSP bettors better give an extra shake of the monkey bones before casting them down. Study them well. There is much at stake: Fizik R3s for the winner, 2 pair of DeFeet socks for first loser. The rules are the same as for the first single stage VSP. Points are awarded for correct place only. Delgado might have enjoyed this stage but don’t be like him.
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@Dr C Don't know what happened really. Legs felt weak and useless until the last quarter. I've ridden the course a bunch of times but always as part of a longer ride trading pulls with my sensei and I don't think I've ever done such a short ride so judging my speed was tricky. The HR suggests I got it about right but I've a nagging sense that I could have gone harder. What's the bets I go pop just after the halfway point next time as I try too hard?
"Kids have trashed the house" so when the wife got home the TV room was spotless and you hadn't scorched the wall outside and set the curtain alight when you pulled the BBQ up to the window?
@frank
Ah, ok. Pigeon on its way.
@Marcus
Why the fuck not? Firstly, it'd be bloody boring if everyone had the same opinion on what made enjoyable racing.
Secondly, yes Wiggo & UK Postal have ridden a tactically perfect race, as soon as he took his lead in the first TT the GC has been finished in terms of competition and, while that may be brilliant for his fans, his team & his sponsors, for fans of the sport in general or other GC riders it makes for a fucking boring race.
The stages have been fantastic watching the French rennaissance but between the lack of mountain top finishes & the storm troopers (continuing Millar's 'Death Star' metaphor for the Sky bus) running a prohibitively high pace up each significant mountain, this has been nearly as boring a GC comp as last year's Giro.
@frank
Hang on!
Isn't it a 116 way tie for third?
@Mikael Liddy
You misunderstand my point - I am not saying it has not been a less than exciting edition of the race. God knows I have whinged about the boring parcours. I am having a go at the critics of Sky and Wiggins. They are racing exactly as they should. TO WIN. And they have done executed perfectly.
The people who criticise Wiggins for "following wheels" only betray their ignorance of cycling. And it is exactly how Cadel or any other "TT diesel" would have raced if they had the form and the team. COTHO was a little more exciting as he was able to deliver a "double death blow" by launching off the front of the first mountain stage - but go watch replays of Indurain. Its how to win a Tour unless you are a mad climber.
Criticise the "race' for not being as close as past years (which in recent times have been historically way closer than usual) but dont have a go at the racer who is using his resources perfectly by conserving whenever he can. That is what cycling is all about.
Incidentally, I watched some of the mountain stages from the 2003 Tour earlier this week. An amazing contrast - Lance, Jan, Iban and Vino look sooooo different to today's riders - in speed, size, acceleration, etc etc.
@Daccordi Rider
Well done. Bold choice. I went with Rolland when I should have gone with TV. I've come around to Voeckler. I actually loved his meltdown last year, dashing his bottle to the road and cursing and bitching. It was a real display of emotion: frustration and disappointment all out there on the road.
Regarding your sweet new Fizik R3 Aristocrats. There is a lot of different information on how big they run compared to other shoes. Personally I would say they maybe run a half size large compared to Specialized and Carnac. This site helped us some. Look for the "show me how it fits" bar.
@Daccordi Rider head out to Road Rage Cycles in St Peters, they stock the Aristocrats so you get a proper size up before pulling the trigger.
@harminator
We all have to share the same shirt, mail it around each week to a new wearer.
Sisterhood of the Traveling V-Shirt. Brilliant!
@Mikael Liddy Thanks mate, will head over. You will soon recognize me by my awesome red footwear! Brilliant day today, also heading off for 10 days holiday, Margaret River and Broome!
A tweet from Science in Sport had Wiggins/Froome/Nibali climbing for 24:28 at 1,680 m/hour. Compare that to the numbers above - or Vaughters own admission of his 6.9 up Ventoux when he broke the record - and it points to not a clean Tour - but at least a cleaner one...
Imagine if Cuddles had his jour sans a few years back. He mighta missed the time cut!