[RowerB]

Originally Posted by teeny

wtf?? you may not like them, but damn the argument is bad for not doing so.

OK, so I admit I don’t like them anyway, but having the commentators go on about how heroic they are, every ten seconds, doesn’t help.

Originally Posted by haku

Plus, i would prefer some diversity, those past years watching the Tour de France has been like watching a Formula 1 grand prix, you know who's going to win before it starts, and that's annoying.

Last year things did rather fall into place for Armstrong. Beloki crashed heavily while looking a possible winner and warm dry weather for the final Time Trial would have made things interesting.

All teams knew the new rules governing the Team Time Trial before this year’s tour, but that didn’t stop Bruyneel and Armstrong squealing like stuck pigs, after the event.

EDIT 16/07/04.
First mountain top finish. Mayo lost another minute and Ullrich lost two and a half minutes to Armstrong. Basso looked strong winning the stage. Let’s hope for some hot sunny weather, for the rest of the tour.

EDIT 17/07/04 A bad day in the hills.
Zubeldia, Hamilton and Menchov abandoned, suffering from the effects of previous crashes.
Mayo had a total disaster, trying to abandon at one point, he was only kept going by the encouragement of team mates and is now 45 minutes down overall, out of contention.
Losing another 2½ minutes, Ullrich is nearly seven minutes down now, on today’s stage winner, Armstrong.
The CSC rider Basso seems the only realistic hope of stopping Armstrong winning his sixth tour.

EDIT 20/07/04 Not a good day.
Mayo failed to start this morning.
A good attack by Ullrich on the first category climb was neutralised by the CSCs.
Basso just sat in the main group until the sprint for the line, where Armstrong beat him.
The way commentator Mike Smith is raving on, my TV is in serious danger of getting a brick thrown through the screen.

Hopefully Armstrong will have fifteen punctures, in tomorrow’s individual time trial up L’Alpe d’Huez.

EDIT 21/07/04 A truly awful day.
The tour just went right down the pan. Anything that could go wrong, went wrong today and to make matters worse, my TV set didn’t survive the stage. Now I’m reduced to watching an old TV with messed up colours and unstable picture.

We’ll see what happens in the mountains tomorrow, but I don’t hold out much hope.

EDIT 22/07/04 T-Mobile fail.
Ullrich and Kloden just sat in the main group, refusing to attack on the final climb and although Kloden went for home at the 1Km to go kite, his attack was not committed and he was caught on the line.

Anyway, I hope McEwan keeps his Green jersey tomorrow and wins in Paris on Sunday.

EDIT 24/07/04
McEwan lost the sprint for seventh place to Hushovd. He still has an eleven point lead, but he needs to be watchful at the intermediate sprints and finish in the top four in Paris tomorrow.

EDIT 24/07/04(2)
Basso lost his second place in the time trial.

EDIT 25/07/04
McEwan won the Green jersey which is about the only good thing to come out of this tour.

Originally Posted by haku

Plus, i would prefer some diversity,

It would have been OK with me, if Indurain had won ten tours, but since his last win in 1995, the tour has been won by riders I disliked. I have to say my opinion of Ullrich changed though, seeing the way he battled with Pantani after taking a beating in the mountains.

One disappointing year following another hasn’t put me off the tour. The scenic views, the daily battles to win stages and the occasional acceptable winner of the Green jersey, keep me hooked.


PS . I’m amazed at the response to this thread. Who’d have thought cycling was so popular?

Offtop:
Does anyone living in East Anglia, have a decent TV going cheap?