Beginners and Beyond

The 100th Tour de France...... (Read 107 times)

redrum


Caretaker/Overlook Hotel

    We all know the controversy surrounding this last year's mess with Lance & doping, etc.  That behind us, anybody else still a fan?  Anybody got a favorite?

     

    I'm going with Tejay van Garderen.  (Great guy.  Class act!)

     

     

    I know he's in a team that might try to push Cadel Evans but I think that it should be Tejay's ride.  Hopefully, any lack in Cadel's potential will show early and they can dedicate their efforts to Tejay.  He ran a fantastic Tour of California.

     Randy


    Hip Redux

      I have Tejay on my fantasy team!   I am also excited about Andrew Talansky.

       

      I love the tour.   We're fast forwarding through all the Lance rehashing in the broadcast.  Enough, folks.

       


      Hip Redux

        BTW - the end of today's stage was nuts!

         

        redrum


        Caretaker/Overlook Hotel

          What an embarrassing mess with that bus colliding with the finish banner.  That was an ABSOLUTELY INEXCUSABLE mess!

           

          I know there was some confusion on team radios as to WHERE they were going to finish if that bus couldn't be moved and that very well could have caused the crash 3K out from the 3K mark which allowed for officials to grant "same time" status to all those in the crash.  But to lose ALL THREE of the top sprinters is just tragic.

           

          Cavendish, Greipel and Sagan have probably just recited every cuss word in every language they know, at every volume imaginable in the last hour alone.

           

           Randy


          Hip Redux

            Yeah, I really wanted Cav to get his yellow jersey!   So insane.

             

            Awood_Runner


            Smaller By The Day

              Who was the last winner that wasn't found to be guilty of doping?

               

              Yeah...Lance Armstrong ruined it...LMAO!!!

               

              It is what it is.  I'm not saying that I was ever a fan, but if they're going to blame ONE GUY for tainting the sport then they don't have any hope of winning me over.

              Improvements

              Weight 100 pounds lost

              5K 31:02 Sept. 2012 / 23:36 Sept. 2013 (Same Course)

              10K 48:59 April 2013

              HM 2:03:56 Nov. 2012 / 1:46:50 March 2013

              MARATHON 3:57:33 Nov. 2013


              Hip Redux

                Do you watch football?   Rapists, murderers, wife beaters, dog beaters....   Yet, the American public still tunes in Sunday after Sunday to watch (and I do watch football).   I dunno, drug doping doesn't quite seem that troubling.  They catch them, they toss them out, move on.       Not to mention, track and field is not exactly historically a clean sport, either.   Doesn't mean you can't enjoy it.  Smile   Cycling is a great sport to watch and follow.

                 

                I don't agree with the "Lance is the problem" stuff either, but the issue is he was the loudest to say he didn't dope and was instrumental in bringing cycling to the level it is at now, and also a ring leader of doping in that era... so I get the "one guy" theory the media loves to play on.  Just tired of the whole story, already.

                 

                Now, race walking, there's a nice clean sport we can all get behind. lol

                 

                Awood_Runner


                Smaller By The Day

                  Yeah, it's just the "Lance was the problem" thing that bothers me.  I'm not a Lance supporter, but when I heard that idiot on TV saying that Lance doesn't represent the sport I about pissed myself laughing.  He's the poster boy.  Then, there was just the way that this thread was started, as if I'd lose interest in the sport because of Lance Armstrong.  Eh...I'm still warming up to some sports that weren't in my wheelhouse in the past.  So, I can learn to like a new sport, but any sport that feels it's reputation has been destroyed by one individual just doesn't interest me.

                   

                  Do you watch football?   Rapists, murderers, wife beaters, dog beaters....   Yet, the American public still tunes in Sunday after Sunday to watch (and I do watch football).   I dunno, drug doping doesn't quite seem that troubling.  They catch them, they toss them out, move on.       Not to mention, track and field is not exactly historically a clean sport, either.   Doesn't mean you can't enjoy it.  Smile   Cycling is a great sport to watch and follow.

                   

                  I don't agree with the "Lance is the problem" stuff either, but the issue is he was the loudest to say he didn't dope and was instrumental in bringing cycling to the level it is at now, and also a ring leader of doping in that era... so I get the "one guy" theory the media loves to play on.  Just tired of the whole story, already.

                   

                  Now, race walking, there's a nice clean sport we can all get behind. lol

                  Improvements

                  Weight 100 pounds lost

                  5K 31:02 Sept. 2012 / 23:36 Sept. 2013 (Same Course)

                  10K 48:59 April 2013

                  HM 2:03:56 Nov. 2012 / 1:46:50 March 2013

                  MARATHON 3:57:33 Nov. 2013


                  Hip Redux

                    Well, if you want a tutorial on Le Tour, just let me know!  Big grin  It's the best way to get into it - such a crazy time in the sport, especially the first week.

                     

                    MtnBikerChk


                    running is bad for you

                       

                       

                      I don't agree with the "Lance is the problem" stuff either, but the issue is he was the loudest to say he didn't dope and was instrumental in bringing cycling to the level it is at now, and also a ring leader of doping in that era... so I get the "one guy" theory the media loves to play on.  Just tired of the whole story, already.

                       

                       

                       

                      The issue with the LANCE debacle is he LIED and he liked repeatedly.  And then he RUINED PEOPLES LIVES when he went after people who told the truth about him.  He is really just an arrogant jerk.


                      Hip Redux

                         

                        The issue with the LANCE debacle is he LIED and he liked repeatedly.  And then he RUINED PEOPLES LIVES when he went after people who told the truth about him.  He is really just an arrogant jerk.

                         

                        Yeah, I know.  But they dedicated a whole 15 minute segment to it today in the broadcast.   Ughhhhh.  

                         

                        MtnBikerChk


                        running is bad for you

                           

                          Yeah, I know.  But they dedicated a whole 15 minute segment to it today in the broadcast.   Ughhhhh.  

                           

                          well that's just a ratings grabber LOL

                           

                          America lost interest without Lance in the tour - drugs or not Wink

                          Awood_Runner


                          Smaller By The Day

                            Then they should give us a new story.  Certainly there is one interesting person in the field.  If there isn't, the sport is dead in America.

                             

                            American sports fans like winners, redemption stories, people who overcome adversity, etc. Cycling says, "Hey, the only name you know from our sport...yeah, he still sucks.  He's always gonna suck.  Suck suck suck.  We're going to talk about it very years and years and years, and we'll just keep dwelling on it.  Our sport was great until that one guy, the only guy you can name got here.  He ruined it.  Did I mention that Lance Armstrong lied.  He is a cheater.  He lied.  He ruined our sport.  There are a bunch of clean guys that you don't know about, and we're not going to talk about them.  Lance Armstrong sucks."

                             

                            I watched the Olympic cycling.  It was exciting. He was never mentioned once.  I cheered for my country because I didn't know anyone else. They gave some backstory about a couple of other riders, and I watched to see how they did.  The Tour just sucks at marketing to Americans, and maybe that's the point.  Maybe they want to market to a segment of the global population that wants us to fail.

                             

                             

                            well that's just a ratings grabber LOL

                             

                            America lost interest without Lance in the tour - drugs or not Wink

                            Improvements

                            Weight 100 pounds lost

                            5K 31:02 Sept. 2012 / 23:36 Sept. 2013 (Same Course)

                            10K 48:59 April 2013

                            HM 2:03:56 Nov. 2012 / 1:46:50 March 2013

                            MARATHON 3:57:33 Nov. 2013

                            redrum


                            Caretaker/Overlook Hotel

                              Well, it's why I tried to preempt all "happen-Lance" by saying "behind us".  I suppose it's nearly impossible to avoid the pink elephant in the room.  Certainly those who only see one single tour (TDF) all year and know little else of the other cast of characters who were and are grand tales all in their own.  And, of course, the very reason they had to do that bit about Lance anyway.  (though I do think it did good explaining that there are now NO winners for '99 thru '05)

                               

                              And as for new stories, it makes it all the worse that today's stage end was such a fiasco.  Cavendish is a great tale on his own, lest Sagan & Greipel do tell the same.  But the Manx Missile is quite entertaining to watch.......even though you can't understand a word that comes out of his mouth......LOL!

                               

                               Randy

                              Awood_Runner


                              Smaller By The Day

                                Actually, there's a reason that they don't start every Lakers game with a conversation about Kobe and Denver.  They don't start every Steelers game with a conversation about Big Ben's alleged discretion.  The Giants don't start every broadcast with a discussion about Bonds.

                                 

                                Give me the current scoop.  If you're rehashing that dude from the past, I assume that its still the most exciting thing that's ever happened in your sport.  Frankly, nobody finds it interesting any more.

                                 

                                I didn't even know the tour was going on, and that's a big fail on the part of the Tour.  They couldn't buy one ad on ESPN, and find a couple of riders to feature in said ad that might catch my interest?  Let's face it.  The Indy 500 is not that exciting, but they always find a story line.  Then, they market it.

                                 

                                You named about 4 riders in this post.  I might find one of them interesting, if I know anything at all about them.

                                 

                                Well, it's why I tried to preempt all "happen-Lance" by saying "behind us".  I suppose it's nearly impossible to avoid the pink elephant in the room.  Certainly those who only see one single tour (TDF) all year and know little else of the other cast of characters who were and are grand tales all in their own.  And, of course, the very reason they had to do that bit about Lance anyway.  (though I do think it did good explaining that there are now NO winners for '99 thru '05)

                                 

                                And as for new stories, it makes it all the worse that today's stage end was such a fiasco.  Cavendish is a great tale on his own, lest Sagan & Greipel do tell the same.  But the Manx Missile is quite entertaining to watch.......even though you can't understand a word that comes out of his mouth......LOL!

                                 

                                Improvements

                                Weight 100 pounds lost

                                5K 31:02 Sept. 2012 / 23:36 Sept. 2013 (Same Course)

                                10K 48:59 April 2013

                                HM 2:03:56 Nov. 2012 / 1:46:50 March 2013

                                MARATHON 3:57:33 Nov. 2013