For The Love Of Port

Anyone (besides me and MAYBE Andy) watching? Anyone care?

Tomorrow (Saturday, July 14) will mark the first of three stages in the Alps. This is where the Tour gets exciting. (Should be on the "Vs" [versus] network in the US… still called OLN here in Canada.) Set your PVRs!

You can also check out the Tour Tracker… ESPN's site is ingenious! (Click on the Tour de France Tracker, right side of page)

Tomorrow is Day 7 - 197 km/122.7 miles. Four major climbs including one Category 1 mountain.


Todd

Yes Todd, I care and am watching it on TV right now. the lead riders got about 6 min on the peloton. But the big climb of the day is still to come.....

Its been an exciting race, with lots of crashes in the first week. Which are always to be expected with the nervous riders and the sprinters trying to get in the limelight before being dropped on the tough climbs. Its still a wide open race, but we'll see how things develop.

Todd-

I care, too!! Been a busy past few days, but I caught up to Stage 7 on Tivo today. Seems to have been a reasonably easy run for the big hitters so far, but the Alps are looming.....

Rich

I'm a big tour fan, and try to watch as much as possible. Very nice stage today, with Rasmussen as rightful winner.

Yeah, its a shame Rasmussen isn't a better time trial'r or he would be a regular contender with his climbing ability. Ohh, and he's a very a***-retentive person and doesn't do well if things are not perfectly to his liking, as has been all his career.

Ronald Wortel wrote:I'm a big tour fan, and try to watch as much as possible. Very nice stage today, with Rasmussen as rightful winner.

Oh crap - I didn't get to the end of the stage yet on my PVR and I read this. :?

Ah well, c'est la vie!

Todd

Sorry!

Rasmussen is a talent; let's see how well he'll do in the TT. He could give himself enough buffer in the mountains to hold on. It's still an open race. Like many, my bet was on Vino, but I have a feeling Leiphiemer is playing possum and will turn on the after burners when appropriate.

Moses Botbol wrote:Rasmussen is a talent; let's see how well he'll do in the TT. He could give himself enough buffer in the mountains to hold on. It's still an open race. Like many, my bet was on Vino, but I have a feeling Leiphiemer is playing possum and will turn on the after burners when appropriate.

I'm still one stage behind (having only gotten about one quarter of the way thru the recording of Stage 9, but if Leipheimer is playing possum, he'd better come out and do something soon. He looked less than stellar on stage 8 and it was only after Vino REALLY tanked it near the end of the stage that Levi took off... he should have been off with the likes of Moreau, Vervalde, Mayo and Contador. I think that Discovery likely paid too much credence to Vino being the favourite and they may have made a serious mistake when the Moreau attack occured and they didn't react.

Iban Mayo looks pretty good this year (good for him - he just has not been the same since his big crash in --I think-- '03) and I'm glad to see him performing well. He may not have the steam to continue all the way through the Pyranees, but he's looking good early on.

Tonight is my day to "catch up" on the rest of stage 9 and blast thru stage 10. This way I won't have to avoid all the updates and worry about finding out winners ahead of when I watch the stage! :)

Todd

Im a little behind today also, and will be for a couple of more. My work schedule changed and I am now working days, so no more live tour coverage until sunday

I'm currently split between the end of Stage 10 and FTLOP right now. I'll be getting caught up tomorrow (watching Stages 11 & 12 on Friday) so that I am prepared to watch live on Saturday for the first big Time Trial.

Stage 8 was big. I thought that 9 was almost better. More dramatics. As soon as I saw Rasmussen take off on Stage 8, I knew it was over (with or without help from this thread!) The stage profile is exactly like the last two stages that he has won over the past couple of years, so no real surprises.

I was very pleased with the outcome of Stage 9... Andy, I won't spoil, just in case you haven't seen it. Let me know what you think of the Galibier... epic climb. I can't even fathom the speeds that they were doing going up it (never mind DOWN <shudder> yikes!)

Todd

NO SPOILER for Stage 10


I liked the "second finish." Be sure to keep watching for the main field. The sprint finish is a very good, close one.

Todd