Tour de France

I've been watching this years Tour, and I'm amazed by how fast those guys are able to climb huge moutains on their bikes.

Watch the coverage of the Alpe D'uez stage, an amazing road that climbs up to a ski station with 21 hairpin bends and each one adds 100 metres in height.

Hope Bradley Wiggins holds on to his place in the overall classification.

They're not going up Alpe d'Huez this year sadly but today's stage should be a good one which could well settle the Tour, and on Saturday they go up Mont Ventoux which looks like the moon up near the top.
Wigggins has been sensational by the way, only Contador seems to have the beating of him on the mountains. Could he be our first ever British Tour champ in the years to come?

finsihed watching the ventoux
amazing stuff,those guys are tough
fair play to lance at nearly 40 years of age to still cut it with the young guys

Also watched Mont Ventoux today,

In awe of those guys, how they can climb the mountains at those speeds, at those gradients and for 3 weeks constant.

They dont get the credit they deserve.
Well done Bradley Wiggins holding on to 4th spot.
Also Cavendish winning 5 stages is mighty impressive

he should win tomorrow too
get ya money on

The BBC news put a downer on Brads performance by saying he failed today, as in failed to gain enough time over the otehr riders he was with to gain the malliot jaune. It would have been nice to see Brad ride away and leave the others trailing but for him to do as well as he as in this years tour has ar exceeded his expectations. I think top 20 was the target and it looks like he's missed the podium by 15 seconds, maybe more depending on what Frank Schlek does today. Mark Cav will cross the line first today though so some glory for the Brits in Paris.

Yep I thought the Beeb's reporting was ridiculous yesterday. To include the word "failed" in any sense about Wiggins' exceptional performance this year was just wrong. To equal the performance of a pure climber like Robert Millar is a fantastic effort, and you only have to look at how hard the top riders had to work to drop him on a tortuous climb to see how well he's done.

but thats what ya brits like to do,knock guys the big guys down.i think its a jealousy thing,in the media anyway

(27-07-2009 12:22 )whothat Wrote:  but thats what ya brits like to do,knock guys the big guys down.i think its a jealousy thing,in the media anyway

Nope it's just lazy journalism by a company who didn't have the rights and therefore can't be arsed to try and understand how the event works. The BBC also seem unable to understand how Cav can win 6 stages and still finish 131st overall.

The cycling challenge that is the Tour de France starts on Saturday with the grand depart from the Passage du Gois in the Vendee ending three weeks later in Paris after just over 2,000 miles of racing.

It is an epic sporting event and there is considerable British interest with Mark Cavendish hoping to add to his 15 stage victories in the last three years and win the green jersey. Bradley Wiggins of Team Sky going for the general classification (yellow jersey) and a potential duel between Alberto Contador and Andy Schleck.

Cycling has had its doping scandals but the sheer fitness, stamina and courage of the cyclists deserves respect. These guys are risking their lives - as shown by the tragic death of Wouter Weylands in the most recent Giro d'Italia - everyday. The coverage, on ITV4 or Eurosport, is excellent and it is a great way to see the glorious scenery across France including the huge climbs in the Pyrenees and the Alps.

Let the racing begin!