Pro Cycling - Tour de France 2022

[ras el hanout]

It's been a bit rubbish, hasn't it? The notable exception being Thibaut Pinot's stage win. Absolutely loved the DS bellowing at him from the team car.

This is him, Marc Madiot

[MalevolentPanda]

Two british riders first and second, 4 British stage winners this tour, and Cav is still hunting for two more wins ... Sorry if its a bit boring for you.

Well, I'm sure it's thrilling if you're the sort of person the BBC Sport website seems to cater for, whose sole interest in the sport is seeing whether our plucky Brits can show Johnny foreigner how it's done. Personally, I couldn't give a shit what nationality the winner is. I care about exciting riders and racing, and on that score, it's been pretty disappointing. Unless you're like Rupert Murdoch or Peter Sagan's mum or something.

The green jersey wrapped up very early, and the yellow likewise in the most boring way imaginable (and people gave Cuddles shit!). I'm still watching and there's still stuff to enjoy, but I've watched quite a lot of tours and this year's edition looks set to be the worst I've ever seen.

[morcs]

Haven't seen the LUK devil man this year, hope he's OK

[MalevolentPanda]

Didi? They said on the highlights show he's recovering from brain surgery. Hope he's ok. He was present and resplendent in pink at the Giro.

[choddo]

No talk of tack throwing? Can't believe someone could be that much of a dick. Good PR opp for Wiggins though - always good to get the French on-side.

Today's stage was the most boring in history. I watched it at 12x and still nearly fell asleep.

[Hawkeye]

Surely those tacks must have been thrown down overnight, as anyone doing it just before the peleton passed surely would have had the living shit beaten out them by everyone else lining the mountain.

[morcs]

The leading group got no punctures, and would have been going through the most tacks if they were already laid out

[Hawkeye]

The leading group got no punctures, and would have been going through the most tacks if they were already laid out

That's true. How the hell did nobody see it?

[morcs]

Quick flick of the wrist just as the peloton are coming through, I guess it's possible, especially if those standing either side are in on it

[choddo]

Yeah and everyone is watching the bikes, having waited hours to see them. Noone would be looking at their neighbours. I bet a few people have been checking what's recorded on their videos though.

[Spudulis]

Well yesterday's stage was the most boring ever. Oh well. Mountains next.

As for the tacks it comes off the back of people with flares nearly burning the riders and a dude waving a flag around so much it nearly got caught in the rider's spokes. My wife goes mental at the drunk spectators when they get in the way. It's really funny. Carpet tacks is some pre meditated bullshit though. I hope they do find who did it. Not sure what you'd get charegd with though but I'm sure they'll think of something.

[Hawkeye]

The running alongside the riders with flares isn't new though. Seen that many a time. I saw ITV did a numpty spectator montage the other night. It's still the utter muppet that stands right on the middle of the road to take a photograph that gets me every time. I mean there's lack of awareness and then there's you just shouldn't be let out the house as you're obviously a complete and utter idiot.

Although I guess last year we had a media car trying to side swipe the riders!

[Gotters]

Well yesterday's stage was the most boring ever. Oh well. Mountains next.

depends how you saw it, I'm off work sick and watched the eurosport live coverage, first couple of hours were at a mental speed with riders hanging 10secs off the peleton for ages as nobody wanted to let a break happen, the teams then called it quits and let them get away. Then Saxo had a rider caught in the middle between the break and the peleton so started chasing hard, which made the breakaway let the lone rider join them.

not the greatest stage ever but there was some interest if you were lucky to have the time to watch it all, shows you what highlights can never hope to encapsulate.

[Spudulis]

I take it back. Today's stage is more boring. I mean who needs a rest day. Pfffft. These cyclists, part time layabouts.

[Gotters]

they were also saying on the eurosport commentary that teams can't go at it day in day out now like they used and its a sign that the sport is cleaner than it was.

[CBT]

If the effects are so obvious (in terms of speed of attacks and of the peloton) and the stage winners were tested after the day's race how did teams get away with doping? I've always wondered why US Postal were ousted now, as opposed to directly after the race... Apologies if this is a stupid question; seems pretty strange to me!

[Throbin Hood]

If the effects are so obvious (in terms of speed of attacks and of the peloton) and the stage winners were tested after the day's race how did teams get away with doping? I've always wondered why US Postal were ousted now, as opposed to directly after the race... Apologies if this is a stupid question; seems pretty strange to me!

It was the same as the THG steroid scandal. The drugs (mainly EPO) weren't known about at the time and in the case of US Postal they had an 'exclusive' contract with a doctor to administer the drugs. Ferrari came up with doping programs for each rider and when EPO was discovered he adjusted the doping regimine and dosage levels to pass the tests with what are known as 'micro-doses'. Now that tests for EPO have advanced some of Armstrongs old samples were tested (along with a lot of other samples from the era) and EPO was found retroactively. Arsmtrong says those results are tainted and all the usual things athletes say when they test positive. Unfortunately for him almost the entire old US Postal team are giving evidence to the USADA about the US Postal doping scheme in return for less severe bans. Lifetime bans were given out last week to 3 people involved in the administering of the doping program including Ferrari.

[Gotters]

The book Bad Blood is very good on the whole subject, the internal pressure within the sport to keep silent and accept it on the participants.

It doesn't paint old Lance in a very flattering manner if I recall correctly.

[MalevolentPanda]

Connect the dots between lack of doping and Frank Schleck being disappointing.

Oops.

Positive for a banned diuretic.

[footle]

Oops.

Positive for a banned diuretic.

Oops indeed.

[TheSlugFormerlyKnownAsNap]

And that's why I stopped following the Tour this year. I do wonder if we ever see an end to this, but until then I'm out.

[choddo]

What does that diuretic drug actually do to enhance performance then? Lose body weight? Should I take this to the doping thread? Franky boy, I'm outraged. Someone PLEASE get an interview with Chris Horner.

If Sky win this clean, I demand Wiggins be canonised.

edit; I see Kolobnev was cleared after being removed from the 2011 Tour on a similar "specified substance" basis, which it seems isn't punished as severely as a banned substance... Franky boy, you have the benefit of the doubt for now.

edit again; ah - it's to hide other things by getting them out of your system...

I wonder if Franky was doping before he came under Bruyneel's influence. I'm bloody sure this is why Andy isn't riding. Broken pelvis indeed.

[footle]

It's a masking agent, perhaps.

[Ravern]

Oops.

Positive for a banned diuretic.

Sigh.

[ras el hanout]

And that's why I stopped following the Tour this year. I do wonder if we ever see an end to this, but until then I'm out.

You have to accept, Napoleon, that the reason drugs are so prevalent in cycling is because in cycling drugs work. If there was a drug that made footballers 10% better at footballing then people would be all over it. 10% better at Formula One driving then it'd be rife in Formula One.

It would be a lot more suspicious if there was a Tour where nobody tested positive. So see ya!

[Hawkeye]

Also what ever the fuck Frank was taking clearly wasn't working.

[choddo]

He did seem to suddenly improve about the 11th of July though, from what I remember.

[Hawkeye]

He did seem to suddenly improve about the 11th of July though, from what I remember.

Sadly for him it was from really shit, to just a bit shit.

[Spudulis]

If Contador, Andy Schleck and Lance Armstrong are all retrospectively banned then Wiggins is already a tour winner!

[Sidewaysbob]

Do they stike rider from the winners list retrospectively though. The Olympics have drawn a quite vail over all those 80's east german athletics victories but let them stand in the record books. Will the tour do the same for Armstong et al ?