TdF 2012 [Archive] - Off Camber Forums

Tifosi24

07-05-12, 09:56 AM

That was a nasty crash yesterday, but not as bad as his fall in the Giro. My hunch is that he won't be riding the whole Tour this year. I don't think he will be challenging for the green jersey and Sky can't expend resources trying to keep him inside the time limits once the field hits the high mountains. Another pure sprint finish today; hopefully, Greipel can be beaten. Something about him just doesn't do it for me. Speaking of Greipel, I am still convinced he caused the wreck at the end of Stage 3 by essentially chop blocking the peloton as Sagan cruised to victory, but I saw no mention of it in the coverage. Sagan looks like a real animal, I still can't believe he was able to pull out a time gap in a sprint while also showing love to Forrest Gump.

Methanolandbrats

07-05-12, 10:02 AM

^^^ do they have stewards like F1 so someone can receive a penalty?

opinionated ow

07-05-12, 10:32 AM

^^^ do they have stewards like F1 so someone can receive a penalty?

Yes, the commissaires are notorious for their fastidiousness (and their French bias).

That picture is proof of how important bicycle helmets are. Stick that in your pipe and smoke it anti-helmet nazis.

cameraman

07-05-12, 12:15 PM

There is something about Greipel that just pegs the ick-meter. He just looks like some kind of evil cyborg out of some sic-fi movie. Everything I read about him says he is a really nice guy but he just looks like he is going to try and eat your liver or something...

http://www.euronews.com/images_news/img_606X341_0407-sport-tour-de-france-greipel.jpg

TrueBrit

07-05-12, 01:43 PM

There is something about Greipel that just pegs the ick-meter. He just looks like some kind of evil cyborg out of some sic-fi movie. Everything I read about him says he is a really nice guy but he just looks like he is going to try and eat your liver or something...

As opposed to Cavendish who comes across as being as endearing and approachable as a rabid porcupine..

cameraman

07-08-12, 06:04 PM

:eek::eek::eek:

In the post-stage press conference Bradley Wiggins was asked what he thinks about people who point fingers at Team Sky and hint that he is doping.

I say they’re just ****ing wankers. I cannot be doing with people like that.

It justifies their own bone-idleness because they can’t ever imagine applying themselves to do anything in their lives.

It’s easy for them to sit under a pseudonym on Twitter and write that sort of ****, rather than get off their arses in their own lives and apply themselves and work hard at something and achieve something. And that’s ultimately it. ****s.

Opposite Lock

07-12-12, 10:50 PM

Tejay van Garderen!

:thumbup:

opinionated ow

07-13-12, 05:01 AM

Anybody but Wiggins!

emjaya

07-13-12, 07:47 PM

As opposed to Cavendish who comes across as being as endearing and approachable as a rabid porcupine..

And yet he comes across as being quite affable over his twitter feed.

Perhaps he is shy.

Tifosi24

07-13-12, 10:04 PM

Anybody but Wiggins!

I don't necessarily have a problem with Wiggins, but it would be nice to have a little extra competition this year. He is clearly the class of the field this year, but from a viewer standpoint I would really like to see more mountains. It remains to be seen if Nibali can take enough time out of the Sky guys in the Pyrenees, but, given the TTs put in by Froome and Wiggins, I fully expect Wiggins to run away with this Tour unless he crashes out. At this point, I am watching because I love it, and I am hoping to see how much van Garderen develops over the course of the next 10 days.

Opposite Lock

07-13-12, 11:17 PM

("Old man") David Millar put on a good show at the end of today's stage. :thumbup:

For the first time in many years, I not only don't have any favorites/enemies in this TdF, but I also have forgotten to watch the majority of the stages until the last few. :o

cameraman

07-13-12, 11:53 PM

Nice to see Millar win again. It looks like Wiggins will take it unless he crashes out. I'm no great fan of Cadel so there's no heartbreak there. I'd like to see Jani Brajkovic stay in the top 10 at the end.

And what's the deal with Haimar Zubeldia? He's 6th overall and I don't think I've seen him in anything beyond a peloton shot. He and Jani get no love from the broadcast crew as opposed to people like Van Den Broeck who get full coverage every time they so much as sneeze.

cameraman

07-15-12, 12:23 PM

Some fool dumped a load of tacks on the road at the top of the last climb of the stage. Dozens of flat tires all at once.

The leaders sat up so the top of the field isn't going to change. It looks like one of the riders, Robert Kiesoloftsky (spelled wrong) crashed due to a flat and broke his collarbone.

That would be Kišerlovski, my Croatian ain't so great...

Methanolandbrats

07-15-12, 12:31 PM

Wood have been better if the tacks were thrown on the road half way down a fast descent. :gomer:

cameraman

07-15-12, 02:25 PM

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii35/Cynops/tack.jpg

Over 30 riders, 5 motorcycles and a few team cars were taken out:shakehead

opinionated ow

07-16-12, 08:50 AM

Quick question for our americanistas...with your coverage, who is your commentator before Phil and Paul come on?

cameraman

07-16-12, 09:18 AM

There really isn't one. The coverage starts with three presenters doing commentary and nightly recap shows, Bob Role, Liam McHugh and Scott Moninger. Then it goes to Sherwen and Liggett doing the race commentary. There are three guys on the ground doing interviews, Craig Hummer, Steve Porino and Robbie Ventura.

If you buy the NBC online coverage it starts with an Australian commentator named Matthew Matt Keenan. He's a bit of a mystery. He does the coverage and does it well but you don't see his name mentioned anywhere. Eventually he hands it over to Sherwen & Liggett and vanishes into the ether. He is never seen on the US television coverage.

opinionated ow

07-16-12, 09:25 AM

There really isn't one. The coverage starts with three presenters doing commentary and nightly recap shows, Bob Role, Liam McHugh and Scott Moninger. Then it goes to Sherwen and Liggett doing the race commentary. There are three guys on the ground doing interviews, Craig Hummer, Steve Porino and Robbie Ventura.

If you buy the NBC online coverage it starts with an Australian(?) commentator named Matthew Kern(?). He's a bit of a mystery. He does the coverage and does it well but you don't see his name mentioned anywhere. Eventually he hands it over to Sherwen & Liggett and vanishes into the ether.

I wondered whether you guys copped Keenan or not. I think he starts the commentary from the minute the race starts because we get him for a while (usually already underway) before Phil and Paul.

emjaya

07-16-12, 11:02 PM

cameraman

07-17-12, 12:37 AM

He works for the ASO.

Link (http://www.smh.com.au/news/tourdefrance/aussie-accent-to-tour-coverage/2008/07/02/1214950837752.html)

Well I hope he didn't put any money on his picks:laugh:

TrueBrit

07-17-12, 05:37 PM

Dammit, Dammit, Dammit... (http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cycling/18880417)

cameraman

07-17-12, 06:35 PM

If that bastard actually did it, he needs to be banned for life. Especially as he hasn't done jack **** all season. How the **** am I supposed to explain that to a seven year old RSNT fan?:flame:

Tifosi24

07-17-12, 10:42 PM

If that bastard actually did it, he needs to be banned for life. Especially as he hasn't done jack **** all season. How the **** am I supposed to explain that to a seven year old RSNT fan?:flame:

I don't pity you on this one. Good thing I have a few years before I have to worry about these things with my son. If Wiggins is truly the man he is in the articles on VeloNews I have read, he sounds like a solid sports role model. Truthfully, it doesn't look like Radioshack will be around past last year if the lawsuit for lack of payment to certain non-TdF riders is true. Hopefully the guys will put on a great show tomorrow, and we can forget about this whole mess.

Methanolandbrats

07-17-12, 11:05 PM

cameraman

07-18-12, 09:02 AM

RadioShack Nissan Trek. Schleck's team.

Methanolandbrats

07-18-12, 09:43 AM

Radio Shack :rofl: the team better cash those checks in a hurry.

opinionated ow

07-18-12, 11:07 AM

Voeckler! I love that guy; he just NEVER gives up!

cameraman

07-20-12, 12:06 AM

Thanks to the dickhead who crashed me at 3km to go today by waving his flag so it wrapped round my handlebars. Bike's broke. Leg's swollen.

This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things:shakehead

opinionated ow

07-20-12, 02:34 AM

Good to see Wiggins prove he is in fact a worthy wearer of the yellow jersey yesterday.

cameraman

07-20-12, 09:26 PM

Nice to see Sky work for Cavendish and for the yellow jersey to lead him out for about a km. Luis Leon Sanchez was so pissed when Cavendish just blew past him:laugh:

Tifosi24

07-20-12, 10:31 PM

Nice to see Sky work for Cavendish and for the yellow jersey to lead him out for about a km. Luis Leon Sanchez was so pissed when Cavendish just blew past him:laugh:

I just saw the re-broadcast. It almost looked like Sanchez had the expression of "where did all of these people come from." You don't normally see someone speed past a group of riders like they were in reverse.

cameraman

07-21-12, 02:29 AM

It is amazing how much energy a rider can save by staying hidden in the peloton all day. Even more amazing is the computer that can monitor exactly how much work a rider is doing so that he can so accurately gauge his effort to almost guarantee a sprint like Cavendish's after 150 km.

cameraman

07-22-12, 03:18 PM

Sweet Jesus, there was proof that the United States is not the only country that is afflicted with singers that absolutely slaughter the national anthem:eek::eek::eek:

opinionated ow

07-22-12, 09:01 PM

Sweet Jesus, there was proof that the United States is not the only country that is afflicted with singers that absolutely slaughter the national anthem:eek::eek::eek:

I know! That was awful!

TrueBrit

07-22-12, 09:56 PM

Sweet Jesus, there was proof that the United States is not the only country that is afflicted with singers that absolutely slaughter the national anthem:eek::eek::eek:

Truly dreadful...the result? Not so much...:D

TrueBrit

07-22-12, 10:04 PM

Anybody but Wiggins!

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2012/07/23/sports/23tour-pic1/23tour-pic1-articleLarge.jpg

How about now?:D:D:D

Tifosi24

07-22-12, 11:13 PM

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2012/07/23/sports/23tour-pic1/23tour-pic1-articleLarge.jpg

How about now?:D:D:D

It wasn't the most exciting Tour that I have seen, but the right man won it. Also, based on the interviews he has given and how he has held himself over this season, he is a true class act. It will be a tough road for him to repeat, or get additional titles. Froome looked better in the mountains and, as noted by some astute commentators on the BBC website, the Frogs have some really good young riders coming up (Pierre Rolland, Thibault Pinot, etc.) who are great climbers, but not world class time trialers, so expect less TT mileage and more mountains over the next few years.

I am most excited that TJ is only 23 years old and has really brought his game up this year. He was solid last year, but definitely matured as a rider during the Tour. His attitude, as show in his tribute to the Colorado shooting, also makes him someone I am happy to cheer for on the US side of things. Maybe he is a real jerk in real life, but he seems infinitely more amiable than Lance.

cameraman

07-22-12, 11:20 PM

Armstrong? He is the one who truly fits TrueBrit's "endearing and approachable as a rabid porcupine" description.

opinionated ow

07-23-12, 12:39 AM

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2012/07/23/sports/23tour-pic1/23tour-pic1-articleLarge.jpg

How about now?:D:D:D

I still wanted it to be anybody but Wiggins! I will say this much though-he proved himself the deserving winner and once he got his attitude in check he became infinitely more likeable than at the start of the Tour when he decided to swear at everybody.

emjaya

07-23-12, 07:56 AM

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2012/07/23/sports/23tour-pic1/23tour-pic1-articleLarge.jpg

How about now?:D:D:D

Good to see another Aussie doing alright. Well, he did have an Australian father after all and we have claimed others on a a lot less. ;)

opinionated ow

07-23-12, 08:35 AM

Good to see another Aussie doing alright. Well, he did have an Australian father after all and we have claimed others on a a lot less. ;)

And the great British team was lead on the road by a pair of Aussies. And their masseuse is an aussie. :p

TrueBrit

07-23-12, 09:17 AM

And their masseuse is an aussie. :p
I'm going to officially call that a stretch :rofl:

TrueBrit

07-23-12, 09:18 AM

I still wanted it to be anybody but Wiggins! I will say this much though-he proved himself the deserving winner and once he got his attitude in check he became infinitely more likeable than at the start of the Tour when he decided to swear at everybody.

If someone, or group of 'someones' were mumbling that I was doping I'd have been swearing too...but when the French give you the nickname 'Le Gentlemen' you know you're doing something right...