Best of Times
by Jen See on Jul 27, 2008 1:44 PM EDT
in Cafe Happy Hour!
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Open Thread!
Your favorite Tour moments, random comments, and whatever you want to talk about on a Sunday afternoon.
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Hold out hope for the storms to go away so I can ride, or the
Magic Hat in the fridge.
I am a troubled man.
mmm, magic hat
you’re definitely missing out.
~
Okay, despite it being 110% humidity out there, I’m off. Have fun, all.
just got back from a ride myself
way to go, it’s hoooot and muggy up here in Knoxville too. Got back to find out there was a shooting at the local Unitarian church – 1 guy dead and at least 7 others injured. bleck
oops down here in Knoxville
For some reason I thought you (Sui juris) were in Atlanta – I guess because of all the awesome coverage of the Tour de Georgia
yep
The usual line from Danville to Richmond to DC. A breakaway storm in front over Petersburg at the moment, too.
and I keep meaning to make it down your way
for a race or two. Your season is longer – maybe this fall.
Not much down here these days.
It’s been a “few” since I raced, but I went to watch a couple of crits last summer…very weak turnout.
hubby up in ashburn got nailed with golf ball size hail
sunny and dry down here in ruther glen
"Wizard's first rule. People are stupid. They will believe anything they want to be true or fear to be true." -- Terry Goodkind
No storms here... went for a 12 mile hike up into El Toro Canyon...
... lots of dry, hot chaparral landscape above the Pacific. Saw a bunch of turkey vultures riding the thermals along the canyon walls and a nice new little rattlesnake about 2 feet long just sunning itself on the trail… very cool. Got some pics of it I’ll pop up at some point after I fish them out of the camera. Also, I now have a massive blister on the little toe of my left foot… my hiking shoes need to be put to the lash, then put in the trash.
Bueno Carlos!!!!!
Ooohhhh fav Tour moment...I wanna play!
As a Valverde fan…Stage One sprint finish by Alejandro for the win and the first yellow…and then of course watching Sastre attack Alpe d’Huez…..oh-la-la!!
For the first time since the early 90s
the winner of the Tour de France will be riding the Vuelta. This year’s Vuelta looks really good, with the best rooster the race has ever seen. Sastre, Valverde, Contador, Gesink, Boonen, Bettini, Freire…
Why no... no it is not... Go Carlos!!! :-)
"The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed."
Yes Venga Carlos
I would love to see CSC beat up on Astana!!...probably won’t happen but I can still wish!!
Valverde is focusing on Beijing and World’s and has not stated that he will ride La Vuelta, The course in Italy is made for him and he wants this one.
One of many TdF favorites...
Watching C attack on Super Besse! That was sweet as pie to see him try a move.
"The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed."
best moment of the tour
Watching Sylvain win.
Also, watching him attack and attack. also, for some reason I enjoyed how upset Frank Schleck was when he lost the yellow. Not that I enjoyed that he was upset, but just how passionate he was.
Today, I raced à la Chavanel, and I succeeded.
where to start?
In general:
-getting up in the dark for three weeks (I work from home, so anytime before 9 am, CA-time, is early) to spend my bleary morning with Phil and Paul and lovely France from above.
-CVV’s constant cough and thrill and good grace in every single interview he did.
-Kim Kirchen’s brief reign.
-Danny Pate’s crinkly smile.
-the Cavendish finishes.
-Andy on Alpe d’Huez.
-Cunego finishing the stage he was ripped up on.
-all of the last several days of Sastre.
-Kohl constantly shocking everyone and clearly riding his heart out.
-helmet kisses at the very end.
Items specific to my being a newbie (this is the third I’ve watched-I don’t even own a bike!) and this community:
-finally, for the first time, understanding what all the jerseys mean, how the team vs. individual vs. jersey competitions interplay.
-for the first time, recognizing names and rooting for them (Oscars, Fabian, Carlos, Dessel, allez allez!).
-thanks to you all, understanding WHY some of the tactical moves were happening, and learning about nuances, histories, and personalities beyond the scope of VS (Jens Voigt!).
Thanks, all! You really helped make this my favorite Tour.
welcome to the insanity that is pro cycling
Hope you’ll stick around for the complete season, a lot more racing to come.
A very cool way to learn more about the racers and the teams in general...
... will be to participate in one of the Virtual Director Sportif challenges… it’s like Fantasy Cycling… I think there probably will be one for the Vuelta this year. A lot of us have a year long teams that we are currently watching drop from the rankings like a congressional approval rating. Make sure to watch out for an announcement on that sometime in mid August prolly.
Welcome to the club :)
Bueno Carlos!!!!!
I'll second that
Up to this year I thought that Bram Tankink was quite a decent rider. The commentators seemed to mention him a lot. Now I know that is only true if you are thirsty in the first 100k.
Glad you enjoyed it
I learn stuff here all the time, especially in a big race.
"If writing too much about the Classics is wrong, I don't want to be right."
by Chris Fontecchio on Jul 28, 2008 10:35 AM EDT up reply actions
Stage 17--one for the ages
Carlos attacking at the foot of the monster. Menchov trying to hang with him. Carlos going again and powering away with pure determination.
The ride up the Alpe with the time gaps growing by the kilometer. Then to win, and to take yellow! It really doesn’t get any better than that in cycling.
Favs
CVV coming into his own confidence and doing a super job
Andy’s marking attacks on Alpe d Huez to increase Sastres’s time
som many fun memories even though I can barely remember 3 weeks ago but here goes
in no specific order:
- no prologue which gave us a race in the first stage. Valverde jumping and making the sprinters and everyone else pay attention
- French riders winning stages, attacking and even wearing the yellow jersey for one day: Dumoulin, Feillu, Chavanel., Dessel
- Columbia team taking over the control of the race and of multiple jerseys for days – the unbelievable finishing kick of Cavendish (he was exhausted but still went after win #4), Kirchen in yellow & green. Great teamwork.
- Cunego hit by bad luck and more bad luck. Never whining, and still showing up for more racing until he just couldn’t. Grinta.
- Watching Vande Velde well realize that yes he was that good and could hang with the ‘big boys’, and starting to think about next year.
- Seeing Chavanel finally win a stage his way after being criticized for years for too much attacking, or attacking at the wrong moment
- The Sexy boys teamwork and will to work for each together. F Schleck sacrificed completely his own ambitions for Sastre on Alpe d’Huez, that is a rare thing. The Schleck 1-2 punch on the mountains, especially Schlecklet whom Bobby Julich describes as a ‘killer’ (sweet).
- Sastre putting it all on the line on the Alpe, putting in second after second, minute after minute on his rivals. He risked it all to win it all.
- The contrast between Sastre and Evans for the ITT – how each man handled pressure.
- The surprising Kohl who litterally collapsed after the finish of stages, completely spent. (he passed out after the stage presentation at the TT).
- The up & comers which will be interesting to watch in the next couple of years: Lokvist, Ciolek, Di Gregorio, Kreuzinger, Feillu, Schlecks, Nibali, Cavendish,....
And the beautiful scenery, crowds coming back to the side of the road to cheer on the spectacle that is the Tour de France (including me on the couch).
heck I’m sure I could come up with another list if you give me 5 more minutes.
Learning to love Cavendish...
—Learning to love Sastre…
—Staring gap mouthed at Sastre’s attack up L’Alpe d’Huez…
—The one-two punch to the body and soul of Cadel Evans by Jens! and Tony…
—Cofidis riders messing with the moto guys on the parade run in on the final stage…
—To hell with all of you, I LOVE watching Kohl climb… unorthodox, bizarre, unique… beautiful…
—Watching the heads of state bash each other relentlessly on the climb to Prato Nevoso (Stage 15)...
—Sleeping in tomorrow morning…
—Giving shit to and taking shit from… all of you fine people… some of the hands down best sports fans around; knowledgable… ornery in just the right way… passionate… willing to help the less experienced understand what’s going on…willing to debate (endlessly) the finer points with those with more experienced…
Ok… I gotta go… I think TapouT is on…
Bueno Carlos!!!!!
Best/Worst
Best: Eliminating mid-stage time bonuses, which reduced the incentive of the sprinter teams to rein in breakaways.
Worst: Eliminating end-of-stage time bonuses, which lowered the stakes of every stage finish.
Best: Cavendish’s sprints.
Worst: The absence of competition in this discipline.
Best: Schumacher’s time trialing.
Worst: Schumacher’s everything else.
Best: Valverde’s performance to open the Tour (I was convinced he was going to win the whole thing) and Sastre’s on l’Alpe d’Huez (this also convinced me).
Worst: Riccò (not) suave, and the others.
Best: Very good course route this year.
Worst: Eliminating the prologue. Looks like it’s coming back in 2009, but in the tax haven of Monaco, which will be one of next year’s worsts.
That was fun.
by Burgundy and Gold on Jul 28, 2008 3:16 AM EDT reply actions
agree about the course
I really liked what they did with the course this year. It was fun watching, though the sprinters probably do not agree with me. Tough ;-)
Best moment for me
The pure cruelty of the CSC plan on the way to Hautacam. Cunego and Valverde crumbling under the power of the Jens! and then, as they hope to chase back with their helpers, Spartacus drops back and he and Jens! rip them to pieces. If someone doesn’t make a musical montage of that, I think I ill lose the will to live.
Carlos Sastre - Tour de France winner - Born From Jets
I'm with Jens about Jens! & Cancellara
being the best memory.
Overall, the CSC teamwork. Bjarne must be a wizard or a guru or a magus, or something. I’d love to know more about his pre-Tour talks with Sastre and the Schlecks
I don't think Fränk is jumping up and down with joy , there must be some regrets
but the thing is he stayed loyal. Pretty impressive considering how close he was to the Big Banana.
I hear Gibo Simoni has already pre-ordered the Tour 2008 DVD as a christmas-gift for Damiano Cunego.
Carlos Sastre - Tour de France winner - Born From Jets
Frank
is he one of the rare-to-nonexistent cyclists who can see his own limitations? I’d say he did as well as he possibly could in a Tour. He should be proud, and realistic. I know, easy for me to say…
"If writing too much about the Classics is wrong, I don't want to be right."
by Chris Fontecchio on Jul 28, 2008 1:31 PM EDT up reply actions
Seeing those two
Hit them and then keep hitting them was awesome. And add in Stuey doing work while the took a minute to breath and come back to do it again. I have my super proud moments of C and Will but man, when it comes to the boys on CSC – hands down impressive and awesome to watch. I’ve already rewatched it a few times and it keeps getting better! :-) I would love to have seen them talk about it that night. Laughing at and smiling with glee on the hurt they imposed.
"The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed."
More Jens! to help you threw withdrawal
Top 3 interview moments from danish TV2 (ignore danish studiotalk in the beginning, Jens! is in english)
Carlos Sastre - Tour de France winner - Born From Jets
Must love Jens!
He is too good and one I can watch over and over and laugh each time like I’d never seen it before!
I hope we continue to find more clips.
"The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed."
Why hasn't anybody posted the Live Race thread yet?
What…What…the tour is over…....Noooooooooooo!!!!!
Let's just all turn on CNN
and have at it. Because I’m having withdrawal symptoms right now… On a cute note, my 2 year old woke me up this morning saying “Daddy, you want to watch the bikey racing?” Cute as hell but no more tour + Monday morning = sad Jimbo…
Hang in there Jimbo!
We are here for you. We will all get through this week of mourning together. Promise. :-)
"The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed."
The racing may be over
but the celebrations continue, and nothing says “congrats, you’ve just won the TdF” like an accordian serenade!
And here is Carlos celebrating (I guess that’s what he’s doing) with his Belgian fan club.
Highlights/lowlights
The best things were:
-Jens! on Hautacam
-Meeting Jens! on Alpe d’Huez
-The Basques with the TV who fed us and gave us way too much local cider….
-Sastre on Alpe d’Huez
-Chavanel’s win-so deserved
-Feeling proud to be British
And the worst:
-Freezing half to death in a tent in the mountains
-Getting embarrassingly sunburnt
-Ricco’s white chest (and the CERA…)
lol, well..
definitely not from Cali ;-)
Ah, party with the Basques in the Tour mountains? That sounds something like heaven. Even with the sunburn.
i think we need to investigate this issue in depth
wonder if I can get a grant to go study this in France ….
hey Ms PhD, got any contacts?
hmm, yes
A grant that would allow us to study the Tour up close and personal. Yessss.
Not sure I’ve ever heard of one of those, actually.
Those are the best kind... the ones you never heard of.
They tend to have the nicest $’s in them and few question what you did with said dollars. (I think a Team Tour Bus could be worked in and we could change it from team to team each day. Sample how they each go about the funs of traveling to and from stages… worthy research right there!)
"The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed."
Mmmm I need to study
the effect of three weeks of intense athletic efforts coupled with the pressure of media scrutiny on the psyche of cyclists.
let me refine that some more ;)
Oh I plan on being successfull....
...and you guys are invited!!
Lyne…I am liking the intense 3 week study of cyclists….but I think I will need to study the effects of the acute pressure on the Spanish cyclists ; ) Meet me at the Cd’E bus chicas!!
We all know some sunburns are worth more than others
I’m sure this was is way worth it for you.
Sound like a a great time!
Oh way worth it!
I did attract a lot of sniggers at work today though…. The only thing that could have made it better would have been the presence of Benna. I mean if I’d met him….no, I can’t even imagine! His new baby must be so cute ;-)
They were wonderful!
Only one of them spoke English. The others just waved their arms around and spoke in Basque VERY. LOUDLY. But man that ‘cider’ was strong! It got rather hysterical when the TV stopped working just after the autobus had gone past (cue hitting and aerial waggling) but we just about managed to make out Sastre crossing the line!
Yup. Perishing.
I went and slept in the car for the second half of the first night. The next day I went and bought a massive fleece. We camped for two nights (Tuesday/Wednesday) before descending to Bourg d’Oisans for the next stage. Went to Lille on the Eurostar and then drove the rest of the way. So, note to all, it may be 33C in the daytime on the Alpe but it’s sooo not warm at night!
Hold up!
I want to hear more about MEETING JENS! on Alpe d’Huez!
Please share more!!!
"The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed."
Well, it was a triumph of audacity....
....though I say so myself! I had a friend who just happened to be staying in the same hotel as both CSC and Liquigas (!) so after the stage, I legged it up the mountain (well I went in the cable car actually) and marched into said hotel. I was stopped by a security person but told them I was going to meet a friend and they let me in! So we waited, and waited. But then, one by one, appeared Pippo and his Hair, Nibali, Quinziato (hot!), both Schlecks (although Schlecklet ran straight to his room for a shower), Tony and…Jens! I now have lovely pictures of myself with both Pippo and Jens!. Both were charming. My friend blurted out to Jens! that she was so nervous about meeting him that she was shaking (and she actually was!) and he said something like ‘Ohhh, I’m not some monster you know’ (doesn’t sound much when typed but it was the way he said it). Fantastic. He was so accommodating to everyone. Such a lovely guy. I’ll try and post some photos when I get a chance….
Okay that just rated itself of there with top fan stories of le Tour!!!
Way to go! I hope you share the pics. And be cautious of sharing with crashdan or Ruthann. They have a “little thing” for the man and this story – to be followed up with pictures – might just make you their new best friend… LOL!!!!
"The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed."
not one for fandom
but I’ll have to say that I’d be pretty useless in the event of a Jens! meeting. Excellent stuff.
I have white rings around my eyes where the sunglasses were.
And now my nose is peeling. It’s sooo annoying when people say ‘oo have you caught the sun?’.....errr, what do you think?!
oh, the humanity ;-)
do they sell aloe vera gel in britain? lovely stuff.
Just pretend you’re a beach bum from so cali for a week or so. I ike the british idiom there, too, have you caught the sun. Cool turn of phrase.
I believe aloe vera has indeed reached our little island.
Caught the sun?! Is that a British thing to say? I wasn’t aware!
lol
I figured you probably had aloe, but didn’t know how easy to buy it might be. I say that only because the only time I’ve been to Britain was in October, and certo, I was not going to get sunburn then! Presumably, it – the sun – comes out in the summer there, and I have heard, though I can’t be sure, that there are beaches there even ;-)
Not sure if other parts of the US say, caught the sun, but in Cali, I’ve never heard it. Usually, we just say, “I got a sun burn.” Me, I like the picture I get in my head with “caught the sun.” Bene.
I've heard - "catch some sun did ya?"
But I haven’t heard “caught the sun” before. Kinda likes it I do.
"The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed."
Well, you may be shocked to know
that it was 30 degrees in central London yesterday and the sun was most certainly in evidence! And we do indeed have beaches though many are covered with pebbles and smelly seaweed. It is however true that at the first glimmer of sun in April, British people have a tendency to bring out the shorts and expose their torsos even if it’s freezing cold-we’re so desparate for the summer!
Yikes!
That’s warm. I’m on the coast here in Cali, so I’m rocking the fog. LOL, remind me never to go to Britain in April without sunglasses ;-) It rained pretty much every day for the three weeks I was there. It sure made the clear days beautiful, though!
Jens!!
Jens!! crushing the field on the Hautacam stage, Just ripping the legs off of even the lower rung climbers. I am ready to nominate him for another exclamation mark.
"...The mind has to rule the body and tell the body, shut up and do what I tell you to do..." Jens!
I second that!
Jens!! decimating the field on the Tourmalet, destroying the peloton, dropping Cunego and Valverde on that climb; it was magnificent. It was glorious! And then he said in that interview that riding into Paris with his team and Carlos in the MJ woud be the best day of his career: what a cool dood.
Si! One exclamation is no longer enough.
Two it shall be… go Jens!!
"The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed."
Joining the double Jens!! brigade
... but let’s please be careful about handing them out. It could get difficult to type.
Favorite moment
Hm, aside from the joy of watching a great Alpe d’Huez throw the race into chaos… I’d say Sammy Sanchez’ attack on Prato Nevoso. He looked like he was going to hurl.
"If writing too much about the Classics is wrong, I don't want to be right."
by Chris Fontecchio on Jul 28, 2008 10:37 AM EDT reply actions
SamSan was in this race?
I think that I missed him while staring at The three SexyBack Amigos + CVV/ Cadel for signs of attacking/popping out the back .
In the end he had a respectable ride though, just not the fireworks we were looking forward to.
Carlos Sastre - Tour de France winner - Born From Jets
No
definitely not. Too bad, that headwind on the Bonette spoiled his big plans.
"If writing too much about the Classics is wrong, I don't want to be right."
by Chris Fontecchio on Jul 28, 2008 1:37 PM EDT up reply actions
the big picture
the boston globe has a nice photo blog up called “the big picture”—today they have their newest set of tdf pix, some you might find worth checking out, particularly if you like the lovely french scenery.
Thank you for that, ly.nn
Those pictures are fantastic.
Thanks for sharing!
Beautiful pics. I love the one looking down on the riders and they look like little play people versus real people. Cool stuff.
"The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed."
I so thought of you when I saw that one.
I wondered if it would someday become your avatar…
"The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed."
Ka -Ching!!!
CSC cashes out in a big way with their Tour winnings – list from PEZ
2008 Prize Money List
1. CSC 621.210 euro
2. Silence-Lotto 233.450
3. Gerolsteiner 192.370
4. Rabobank 154.250
5. Columbia 113.450
6. Cofidis 91.460
7. Garmin 82.570
8. AG2R 71.060
9. Caisse d’Epargne 59.510
10. Crédit Agricole 55.450
11. Euskaltel 53.130
12. Liquigas 49.220
13. Française des Jeux 45.780
14. Milram 35.490
15. Agritubel 32.540
16. Quick Step 31.470
17. Bouygues Telecom 24.900
18. Barloworld 22.480
19. Lampre 9.840
Best:
PdC
Sastre on Alpe d’H
CSC’s team work
Cav
Kohl (where did he come from)
Cadel’s tantrums&Lion crush
Worst:
Ricco
Pereiro’s crash
*Lotto team(what team??)
No prologue/time bonuses, surely would have livened up the race earlier on
ES commercials
work today
Not feeling so great tonight,
I decided I should use Stage 15 as recouping medicine. Anyone care to join me, I’m just over 50K to go and I’d gladly pause until you get there. :-)
BUT, as I’m watching it’s the stupid ass punk and his teammate that make the first move on the group. Then it’s Jens!! who chases them down with a barloworld rider and C close behind. This stage just rocks. And I must say I am giggling to no end catching that Paul says oh oh… oh oh.. a couple times as he notices the attack start while Phil is talking. I so heart this damn stage.
"The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed."
Hope it's just the return to work that's got you down
and that Stage 15 will clear everything up.
Feel better!
by NE Observer on Jul 28, 2008 10:58 PM EDT up reply actions
Work kicked my butt today
starting with meetings right off the bat and followed with a serious load of work coming my way. But I of course over did it a wee bit on Saturday having felt better (and not just being really excited watching C fly in the TT) which put me back in my place come Sunday when I attempted to get up to join in the fun here. Doc visit this afternoon followed with more blood work as he suspects a possible internal infection. Hoping he’s wrong and just read too much into the visit. Docs can be wrong – right? LOL.
Watching this stage most certainly helped me feel better!!! I loved it – again!. Jens!! rules! :-)
"The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed."
Post TDF Crit Question
It looks like Cav had somebody autograph his jersey – I wonder who it was?
And I can see the thrill of winning the TDF hasn’t diminished for Carlos – just look at how happy he seems!
Freddy Maertens?
The link you posted doesn’t work for me, but from the sound of this story, it was probably Belgian sprinter Freddy Maertens.
by Susie Hartigan on Jul 29, 2008 3:08 PM EDT up reply actions
Nice, er, win, by Carlos
and I love the quote:
“I couldn’t come to the finish with the fast men like Cavendish and Freire,” Sastre told Sports Wereld. “So I have to try and force it while the pace was high in the finale.”
Isn’t it great that a little Spanish climber can suddenly find a mountain in the last lap of a Belgian town centre to get himself a gap. And isn’t it even more incredible the size of the crowds that these little crits can attract.
Heh
This is where Cycling comes dangerously close to pro wrestling. And as with wrestling, the audience could care less.
"If writing too much about the Classics is wrong, I don't want to be right."
by Chris Fontecchio on Jul 29, 2008 4:16 PM EDT up reply actions
That explains Carlos' grumpy face
Freire’s manager or girlfriend probably snuck up and whacked him over the head with a chair.
Carlos Sastre - Tour de France winner - Born From Jets
Huh... I don't remember Cavendish saying that part of his pre-Olympic training was...
... going to Belgium to make an assload of cash racing post-Tour crits.
Bueno Carlos!!!!!
Thanks Tifosa!
Tha’s definitely it (and try hitting refresh and see if the pic appears – that often works)
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