le Official 2007 Tour de France thread
- Thread starter alchemist
- Start date
Hey man I dont think Trent Lowe is riding...
Id say vino is the favorite, valverde might have a go but his last 2 attempts at the tour he has DNF.
Kloden is a chance too, both would be able to time trial better than sastre.
Rogers would also be a chance with the 100k's+ of time trials - limit his losses in the mountains as there is only 3 mountain top finishes and smash them in the time trials
Would like to see cadel on the podium but he only really has horner to help him (hope he helps more than last year).
I would agree, with Vino and Kloden on the same team and they work as a team then Vino's chances are strong.
Valverde DNF's were both crashes so I really wouldn't factor that into the equation. Some 'experts' have him as favorite.
I would really love to see Cadel on the podium but if I use his previous TDF performances as a template then he is just missing that final ability to push up those hills.
Sastre, I don't know but one thing, his team mate Schleck (the older of the two) should be worth watching. His younger brother is even more worth watching but I don't know if he is in the team.
Valverde DNF's were both crashes so I really wouldn't factor that into the equation. Some 'experts' have him as favorite.
I would really love to see Cadel on the podium but if I use his previous TDF performances as a template then he is just missing that final ability to push up those hills.
Sastre, I don't know but one thing, his team mate Schleck (the older of the two) should be worth watching. His younger brother is even more worth watching but I don't know if he is in the team.
Captain Kirk
Likes Bikes
Guys 
We are Mountainbikers aren't we ? Forget the T Mobile Roadie Dude. We just got back Cadel, forget the odds and team tactics - he his The Man. For the juniors here, Aussie MTB was nothing on the World Circuit until Cadel turned up and gave every one on the Grundig Circuit (WCup) a thrashing.
Is anyone here vinatge enough to remember being lapped by The Man (who was a boy a time) in Expert races 93-94?.....maybe at Majura, Beauty or even Paterson ?
So back the unbackable and this year watch in High Def live, oh yeah
We are Mountainbikers aren't we ? Forget the T Mobile Roadie Dude. We just got back Cadel, forget the odds and team tactics - he his The Man. For the juniors here, Aussie MTB was nothing on the World Circuit until Cadel turned up and gave every one on the Grundig Circuit (WCup) a thrashing.
Is anyone here vinatge enough to remember being lapped by The Man (who was a boy a time) in Expert races 93-94?.....maybe at Majura, Beauty or even Paterson ?
So back the unbackable and this year watch in High Def live, oh yeah
Crippler
Likes Dirt
Oh yeah, think I am...back when Cadel even raced DH...or I think even Slalom at the Kurrjong race! good times! When you raced the same bike on Saturday and Sunday! ...Guys
We are Mountainbikers aren't we ? Forget the T Mobile Roadie Dude. We just got back Cadel, forget the odds and team tactics - he his The Man. For the juniors here, Aussie MTB was nothing on the World Circuit until Cadel turned up and gave every one on the Grundig Circuit (WCup) a thrashing.
Is anyone here vinatge enough to remember being lapped by The Man (who was a boy a time) in Expert races 93-94?.....maybe at Majura, Beauty or even Paterson ?
So back the unbackable and this year watch in High Def live, oh yeah
Yep behind you there, would love to see Cadel do even better than last year, though you could see even he was struggling in the hills at times, just didn't seem to have the legs. He did have that big win in one of the Classics just weeks before which would have drained him a little? There is some amazing competition there with Vino etc..but I gotta fly the green and gold flag and for Cadel though...
(not from Nerang are you Capatin Kirk?)
Mr Pants
skanky media ho
Eh? This is SBS you're talking about? <looks around TV station> Nope, I canna see no Hi def gear here, just a Std def to HD up-conversion box for those who'd like to believe that HD is worth bothering about.watch in High Def live, oh yeah
The tour will be pumping over the satellite at about DV res, 720 x 576 pixels. With any luck Le Frenchies might even do it in widescreen this year.
Back on topic; I'm finding it very hard to get excited about the tour... it's a farce really.
placebo
Likes Dirt
Two words: professional wrestlingI've just realised were picking the first doper being caught and not the winner (shakes head in shame at what pro cycling still is)
Also, I don't mind Gabriel Gate too much. Not enough to kill him anyway.
Mike Tomalaris I can't stand. His comments are ignorant, patronising, moronic. After all these years of doing this with SBS he still is unable to convey any passion for, or knowledge of, the sport. His little chats with Ligget etc. are cringeworthy. I hope there is a special area in Hell reserved for him, down with pedophiles and child murderers.
I used to watch the Channel Four stage highlights package on Fox while I was working in a hotel, and then immediately switch over to the SBS package when that ended. The difference was immense. The UK package was far superior, and the interviews and general treatment much better than the SBS one, even though the majority of it was still Sherwen and Liggett.
The best coverage SBS produced (or anyone did for that matter) was many years ago when they had Allan Peiper doing the coverage after his last year racing. Awesome, just gave such an immense feeling of being involved in it. He'd get in there at the finish line and track down riders that the majority of the media weren't interested in, but had played a crucial part in the outcome of the stage. He still had a rapport with many riders, could relate well with them, and his questions provided insight into the race. His interview with Gerard Rue still sticks in my mind as an example. He still got the big riders too, such as his one with Indurain in the same race.
Every year Tomalaris comes on the screen, I think what could have been done instead.
Captain Kirk
Likes Bikes
Well SBS will be letting the side down in a big way if the following release from TDF is anything to go by:Filmed in HD: a look into the future
The Tour de France, a test bench of innovations in the media, will be filmed and broadcasted by France Télévisions in high definition (HD). The technological challenge promises viewers strong sensations.
The media have devoted themselves for more than a century to the mission of making the Tour come alive for their readers, audiences and viewers. The constant challenge has been how to bring the public closer to the pack. Since the arrival of television, all kinds of records have been broken in the Tour: the first live broadcast on location showed the finish of the last stage in the Parc des Princes in 1948, the first images broadcasted live from a motorcycle during the race arrived in the 60s…
In the turn of the 21st Century, the images of the Tour are broadcasted in 185 countries all over the world: the production is guaranteed by 5 motorcycles, 2 helicopters, and 10 fixed cameras at the finish line.
The important operation set up is enough to meet the expectations of the most demanding viewers. The 2007 edition of the Tour de France will set a new milestone in the search for realism.
With HD television, the sharpness of the image obtained makes traditional screens seem like something from the black-and-white era: an image composed before of 625 lines, now has 1,080.
France Télévisions and the teams of the SFP (French Production Company) have embarked themselves on a ground-breaking initiative. Although HD has been greatly used in the US (NHL, NBA…) and Japan, the filming and broadcasting of images transmitted live through HF, i.e. wireless, is a first in the world.
As this is the most problematic aspect from a technical point of view, almost four years of preparation were necessary. The last tests were carried out in live conditions in Paris-Tours 2006 and Paris-Roubaix 2007.
Well even as long as it a digital signal and not the old snow flake one it'll do...
Captain Kirk
Likes Bikes
Never made it too Nerang Crippler, hail from the home circuit of Yarramundi.
One bike for XC, DH, Slalom, and something called a Hill Climb - thats crazy talk could never be done
Maybe like Motor Racing we can have a Vintage Class, almost did at the National Series this year - so we get Graeme Allbon, Damian Grundy, Rob Eva, Paul Rowney ( who have all competed in 2006) and get someone to find Scott Stewart ? What would the handicapping be......give Sid Tab a minute head start
Mr Pants
skanky media ho
Yes that's all very lovely but if you think SBS would pay for an HD link from half way around the world you're dreamin'.
Filmed in HD: a look into the future
Yes it may look nicer this year but I wouldn't go buying a 600 inch plazma just yet. I watched the satellite feed tape of Paris-roubaix this week and it didn't look at all amazing, nice but not HD. It is in widescreen however, so SD digital types rejoice.
Bodin
GMBC
Hot damn! My SD dreams just came true - time to give my annual heads up to my boss that my hours of attendance will be making their usual "July Adjustment".
And for the record, my money's on Sastre. I know Raschicken won the dots last year, but statistically, Sastre was the strongest climber across all stages.
If Cadel wins, I'll name my firstborn after him. Maybe not if it's a girl...
alchemist
Manly Warringah MTB Club
tu plang
knob
with a name like that she'd be sure to get around.
Bodin
GMBC
...even worse, she'd always be greeted with "Hi, Cadence..."with a name like that she'd be sure to get around.
*boom tishhhh*
One of the blokes in my Scott24 team is just about to head off to France and cover the route while the race is on with a whole bunch of other riders. Anyone else going to actually be there while the race is on?
Dumbellina
Likes Dirt
[Cue Dr Phil voice]:Lets explore that issue a little bit further...shall we
It has been a farce since it started in 1903, as a gimmick to sell more newspapers!!
Drugs have been around for ages, perhaps we should give a prize to dead farking last, probably the only clean rider (unless they are last because they are too drug farked to care!)
There is nothing more macho that watching grown men with shaved legs struting about in lycra and sweating like animals.
So why is the 2007 TDF any less of a farce than the 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, etc etc races?
My favourite TDF stat: The heaviest rider was Magnus Bäckstedt at 95 kg (209 lb or 14 stone 13 lb). There's hope for us "heavier" riders yet!
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alpinestar12
Likes Bikes and Dirt
I met a lady, her daughter heard about cadel on the radio (not even a mtber) and named her son that.