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Post by High Sierra Fan on Jul 5, 2019 13:15:47 GMT -8
Who’s in?
While I prefer the one day Classics for the racing it’s hard to beat the big stage races for great views of their respective country’s landmarks and countrysides. Tour of California, Vuelta, Giro, TdF: terrific spectacles.
But then I’m a big fan of that “Aerial America” documentary tv series.
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Post by hikerjer on Jul 5, 2019 17:10:08 GMT -8
Ah, again - the race you cannot win unless you cheat.
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franco
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Post by franco on Jul 5, 2019 18:47:13 GMT -8
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Hungry Jack
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Post by Hungry Jack on Jul 5, 2019 19:03:31 GMT -8
I love watching the Tour. One of the best parts of the summer sporting events for me. I don’t care about doping. It’s still great competitive drama.
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rebeccad
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Post by rebeccad on Jul 6, 2019 20:22:03 GMT -8
I love watching the Tour. One of the best parts of the summer sporting events for me. I don’t care about doping. It’s still great competitive drama. Have to kind of agree. I could dope all day and all night and still get dropped in the first 30 seconds of the Tour. Whatever else you do, you have to train like hell AND have the right genetics to get there.
Still, for now, I'm very happy with World Cup soccer.
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Hungry Jack
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Post by Hungry Jack on Jul 7, 2019 5:35:00 GMT -8
Vive le Tour!
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gabby
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Post by gabby on Jul 7, 2019 10:58:47 GMT -8
Felt that an explanation of my "like" was necessary: 2011 was the 2nd year of my complete obsession with the Tour. I recorded and watched ALL of the broadcasts here in the USA in 2010, 2011 and 2012. I was absolutely and completely in on this thing (for some strange, strange reason I can't explain). That first year was a hell of a race (at least IMHO). I remember Schleck (who was my personal favorite) rode some unbelievable stages that year, and again in 2011. I remember being livid that he didn't win, esp. given the "chain incident", but he ultimately won when Contador was disqualified. I would have given Andy Schleck the trophy based on his spectacular mountain stages alone. It was, at least for me, like watching something happen right in front of you that seemed impossible.
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swiftdream
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the Great Southwest Unbound
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Post by swiftdream on Jul 7, 2019 11:45:17 GMT -8
My obsession with The Tour goes back to the late ‘70s and early ‘80s pre Lemond. I went to see Lemond race once and of course he won. We didn’t get much coverage of The Tour back then but read about it more. Then when they did televise the entire race it was mesmerizing like watching a Zen experience. I do enjoy the races, the buzzing of the tires, the colors, the tight precision, the hard mountain climbs, the wall of pain, the explosive breakaways and thunderous and violent sprint finishes. A favorite was in the 1992 Tour when Andy Hampsten rode everyone else off his wheel, no sprint just a high level of power that they could not answer. Forget carb loading, he said he did it on chicken.
However we don’t subscribe to cable anymore and have not followed it for a few years.
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reuben
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Post by reuben on Jul 7, 2019 11:52:45 GMT -8
Like swiftdream, I date back to the Hinault/Lemond era, when I first started riding and racing (Look pedals were a novelty). It was fantastic. Riveting. Ghent-Wevelgem, Tour of Flanders, Tour de France... Then all of the doping came out. I barely watch anymore, but it's still very impressive. Today I watched the women's World Cup soccer final. It was awesome. And the great thing isn't that the U.S. won, it's that there are so many teams playing at such a high level, and both fans and sponsors are starting to realize it. I didn't watch Le Tour. If you want to watch a film of cycling cum art, check out A Sunday In Hell, by Jorgen Leth. Four decades later, it's still great. Merckx, Moser, De Vlaemick...
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RumiDude
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Post by RumiDude on Jul 7, 2019 12:01:00 GMT -8
Yes, le Tour is a great spectacle. I loved it for many years. The entire bicycle racing scene totally engulfed my life for a long time. But I had my eyes opened and it totally lost its interest to me. I don't begrudge anyone else enjoying it, because it is great drama and spectacle.
However, I do take issue with those in denial about doping. I certainly respected Cadel Evans grit, but remain convinced he doped. It is simply unlikely, make that EXTREMELY unlikely, he could have competed with the likes of the other known dopers and yet remain clean. He was a top rider during the height of the doping era. And I am still unconvinced the sport is clean. (I say the same about baseball and football as well.)
Rumi
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Post by swimswithtrout on Jul 7, 2019 12:03:51 GMT -8
I used to love watching the Tour, 2004-12, but have gotten too cynical lately, after year upon year of doping scandals.
I was a huge MTB'r at the time and was simply amazed by the comeback ride of Floyd Landis to win the Race. But then.......
Sorry, I'm skipping it.
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Hungry Jack
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Post by Hungry Jack on Jul 7, 2019 13:40:24 GMT -8
Felt that an explanation of my "like" was necessary: 2011 was the 2nd year of my complete obsession with the Tour. I recorded and watched ALL of the broadcasts here in the USA in 2010, 2011 and 2012. I was absolutely and completely in on this thing (for some strange, strange reason I can't explain). That first year was a hell of a race (at least IMHO). I remember Schleck (who was my personal favorite) rode some unbelievable stages that year, and again in 2011. I remember being livid that he didn't win, esp. given the "chain incident", but he ultimately won when Contador was disqualified. I would have given Andy Schleck the trophy based on his spectacular mountain stages alone. It was, at least for me, like watching something happen right in front of you that seemed impossible. Schleck was an extraordinary climber, but not really a complete cyclist, IMO. He was a terrible time trialer. I always thought he was a bit overrated.
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Hungry Jack
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Living and dying in 3/4 time...
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Post by Hungry Jack on Jul 7, 2019 13:41:44 GMT -8
Like swiftdream , I date back to the Hinault/Lemond era, when I first started riding and racing (Look pedals were a novelty). It was fantastic. Riveting. Ghent-Wevelgem, Tour of Flanders, Tour de France... Then all of the doping came out. I barely watch anymore, but it's still very impressive. Today I watched the women's World Cup soccer final. It was awesome. And the great thing isn't that the U.S. won, it's that there are so many teams playing at such a high level, and both fans and sponsors are starting to realize it. I didn't watch Le Tour. If you want to watch a film of cycling cum art, check out A Sunday In Hell, by Jorgen Leth. Four decades later, it's still great. Merckx, Moser, De Vlaemick... If you have not read "Slaying the Badger", then you must. If you don't, I will track you down and beat you with a wet noodle.
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reuben
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Post by reuben on Jul 7, 2019 14:32:35 GMT -8
If you have not read "Slaying the Badger", then you must. If you don't, I will track you down and beat you with a wet noodle. If you have not watched A Sunday In Hell I will put an extra link in your chain. I will remove your granny gear. I will put toe clips on your handlebars. I will force you to wear wool shorts and smoke cigarettes on the cols.
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walkswithblackflies
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Post by walkswithblackflies on Jul 8, 2019 5:36:15 GMT -8
When I was a kid (through high school), my bike was my only form of transportation. Riding 15-30 miles to a job site (and then back) was common. I was always racing against myself. I was constantly tinkering with and upgrading components. So I had an early interest in Le Tour... during the LeMond years.
I had a car during my college years, and I tried riding my bike a few times during my freshman year, but the roads were outright dangerous. For years after, my bike sat in basement storage and garages. Then came Stage 17 of the 2006 TdF, where Floyd Landis had his memorable solo breakaway attack. I was on my bike the next day.
My interest in the TdF started waning soon after, as the doping was really apparent. In the Armstrong years, everyone was doping so everyone was on the same level. After Armstrong, I believe more cyclists were "clean"... but that made the top contenders seem super-human. It seemed one or two guys would make everyone else seem like amateurs, then inevitably one of those guys would get caught doping. Now Team Sky is the new US Postal, with domestiques that out-pedal GC contenders.
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