Le Tour 2005

[marc71178]

Concievably. You'd have to be quite the rider to outsprint the sprinters, outclimb the climbers, still maintain the best overall time out of all the riders AND be young enough to be eligable for the white as well.

Also, you'd be pretty hot wearing 4 tops in this weather!

 

[Magrat Garlick]

Sixty kilometres left, and they're not all that tough. For you Aussies, Cadel Evans is leading, but I think Pereiro Sio at least should catch him...Armstrong is behind in a group with all the yellow jersey contenders, five or so minutes behind Evans.

 

[Neil Pickup]

Really, really good ride from Evans - up to seventh in the GC.

As for jerseys - the closest you'll get is if an under-25 wins the first stage - three jerseys. Then maybe if there's a climb on day two?

 

[Magrat Garlick]

Really, really good ride from Evans - up to seventh in the GC.

As for jerseys - the closest you'll get is if an under-25 wins the first stage - three jerseys. Then maybe if there's a climb on day two?

There's often a small climb on the opening TT as well, I seem to recall...

 

[Chubb]

So it's possible to be wearing all 4?

Eddie Merckx once won the yellow, green and polka dot jersies in one tour. He is the only rider to have managed that though. He often used to get the yellow plus one other jersey, and this one time he managed to get all three. Amazing guy.

 

[Cloete]

Really, really good ride from Evans - up to seventh in the GC.

As for jerseys - the closest you'll get is if an under-25 wins the first stage - three jerseys. Then maybe if there's a climb on day two?

Well done to Cadel! Excellent ride by him and he's really proven that he's Australia's best GC rider. Coming into the tour everyone expected Rogers to go top 10.

Out of interest Neil, what commentary do you get up there?

 

[Neil Pickup]

Well done to Cadel! Excellent ride by him and he's really proven that he's Australia's best GC rider. Coming into the tour everyone expected Rogers to go top 10.

Out of interest Neil, what commentary do you get up there?

Er, British Eurosport - not sure of the commentators. Sean Kelly I think is one...

 

[Craig]

No, it isn't. You can only wear one at any time.

The order of prestige is:

Yellow (GC)
Green (Sprinters)
Polka-Dot (King of the Mountains)
White (Young Rider, under 25)

Guys who win the yellow can often be viable for many jersies if they've won a few stages, but obviously they just win the yellow.

I should also point out that if somebody is the yellow and green jersey then the green jersey would go to the guy in 2nd stop in the over sprinters catagory - the same with the other comps.

This should help for non cycling fans.

 

[Craig]

Er, British Eurosport - not sure of the commentators. Sean Kelly I think is one...

We get the Mouth of the Mersey - Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwin and some guy called John Cardwell as a presenter.

 

[Craig]

Sixty kilometres left, and they're not all that tough. For you Aussies, Cadel Evans is leading, but I think Pereiro Sio at least should catch him...Armstrong is behind in a group with all the yellow jersey contenders, five or so minutes behind Evans.

I really wanted to Cadel to win so it can be used in dedication to the late Amy Gillett who lost her life while on a training ride in Germany with her team-mates and to her injured team mates. I hope the girls get better soon and they can hopefully get back on the bike - it is a great sport and as tough as it is - I find it is also very rewarding. My thoughts go to Amy.

I am still in shock in all of this.

 

[Monty]

i dont like the tour it is interupting coverage of the first test on sbs

 

[Neil Pickup]

Cadel's focus was on taking out time in the GC rather than the stage win. Shame he's lost seventh to Vino again today. Good effort from Gerrans though.

 

[Craig]

i dont like the tour it is interupting coverage of the first test on sbs

It finishes on Sunday - relax.

I've noticed that most of the riders winning the stages this year have never won one before. McEwen, Boonen, and Vino have all won stages before as the only non first time stage winners.

 

[Waughney]

Not good news on O'Grady, let's hope he gets better.

 

[Craig]

Time trial tonight.

Armstrong - no brainer as it will be his last chance to win a stage before he reitres and him winning the tour without taking a stage would be leaving something hollow.

 

[thewizard1o1]

Micky Rogers has just started the course, fingers crossed that his form will increase.

 

[Craig]

It is all over tonight.

I felt really sorry for Raussmusen (sp) with his tow crashes and four bikes he had - but that is life as a professionial bike rider. At least he has a stage and the King of the Mountains. Next year he will be a better time trialist as surely Rabobank will now surely let him base his whole year around the Tour as he will be considered a shot at the overall GC in the media.

As for Armstrong about to win the Tour 7 times, I bet Cofidis regret the decision to sack him when he was getting treatment to cancer.

 

[thewizard1o1]

Lol, i forgot about Cofidis, the rain made the last stage quite a bit more exciting then it usually is, and Vino as well . Looks like Basso and Ullrich will have a big struggle next year and hopefully a few others will stand up as well (Valverde, Cunego, Rasmussen (if he works on his TT over the next year)).

 

[Craig]

I want to see a Cunego-Simoni punch up before the next TdF - typical Italian fall out.

So what did people think of this year's race?

 

[Waughney]

Armstrong - absolute legend.