Who's watching the 2012 Tour de France?

PatrickGSR94

Barefooters
Dec 9, 2011
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Since I've been pretty obsessed with cycling lately, I decided I'd try to follow this year's TdF as much as possible. It's carried in the USA on the NBC Sports Network, which unfortunately we don't get in our DirecTV package. Stages 7 and 8 I believe are being shown on the regular NBC network this Saturday and Sunday. Otherwise I've been watching live from about 8 am to 10:30 am Central using this site: http://www.steephill.tv/tour-de-france/#live I use the 3rd link down from the top, a live stream of British EuroSport.

I watched Saturday's individual time trials on YouTube the other night, and then caught most of Stages 3 and 4 live, and am watching Stage 5 right now.

I have to say, those guys running that race are BEASTS of athletes. They AVERAGE almost 25 MPH non-stop for around 120 miles, around 5 hours of non-stop riding, every day for THREE WEEKS with only 2 rest days! :eek: I do well to average 12 mph for a 1-hour ride. Got me some work to do! :p
 
Ever since I traveled by bicycle, I've taken an interest in the Tour. I don't usually have time to watch each stage, but I like to follow each stage in write-ups, and often watch the decisive mountain stages live. I did some of the famous passes in the Pyrenees at the beginning of my cycling travels, so it's fun to watch the amazing skinny guys zoom up and down them. I don't like racing sports too much, but the Tour is an grand exception. It's just too bad there's always a doping controversy at some point.
 
I love watching the mountain stages myself. I find it absolutely amazing how fast these guys are going up. On relatively flat I can maintain 20-21 mph, add even the smallest incline though and it drops considerably. I wish I had the mountain skills that these guys have. Although I also wish I had a triple instead of my compact double as well when I hit the hills.:)
 
My wife refers to herself as a TDF Widow come July, as I have been religiously watching/following Le Tour for the last 25 years.

Nick - I can tell you from experience, having either raced against, trained with or photographed these guys, watching on TV or weekend-warrior riding doesn't give you the "real feel". Your 20-21 mph on the flats is the typical speed on a Category 3/4 climb for a pro. If you think those climbing speeds are fast, the descents are unreal! I have covered races where my moto driver can't keep up with a descending rider going in & out of turns. The thrill of a descent = topping out at a 62mph.
 
They are averaging 25mph only because they are coasting for 90% of the day! What boggles my mind is the sprint finishes where the top guys are hitting a peak of over 50mph and time trials where they average 35mph!

I've been watching every stage this year for the first time as I'm getting more and more into cycling [and less and less into running =( ]. I'm obviously cheering for Cav at every sprint opportunity and looking forward to Wiggins being at the top on the run up to the Champs-Elysées =)
 
Shorty, I know these guys are wicked fast. Now a days I would consider myself a weekend warrior with cycling, but 5 years ago I cycled very frequently and did several century races as well as a double century (204 miles in 10 1/2 hrs). I rode in the 21's group of my local cycling club and had to avg 21 mph. Now a days I don't ride as much and I don't push myself that hard and I just like to ride for pleasure. I still like to go and watch the twilight crit and some of the races at our local velodrome occasionally. The fastest I've ever gone downhill on my bike was 51mph and my bike started getting the speed shakes pretty bad which scared the hell out of me. Anyhow, I'm not a complete idiot when it comes to races and there's a reason I am so amazed at watching the pros. I understand just how fast they are going and how far from my level they are.
 
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I'm watching right now as I type this. It's on a bit late at night here in Australia for me to see the stage finishes and still be functional at work the next day. But I've just been recording the finishes and watching them the next day. Just gotta be careful not to look at any news sites the next day until after I've watched the stage :)
 
Nick, 204 in 10.5? That's excellent! Gotta' love those 2x5-hour Energy rides.:)
 
Yes Shorty, 204 in 10.5 (Seattle to Portland). I wasn't always a fat, old, and broken dude. There was 10,000 people I believe that raced it and only a thousand of us that finished it in one day. One of my greatest accomplishments. On the 204 mile race I almost dnf'd at 100 miles. It was hotter than I'd trained in and I was wobbly and woozy when I stopped to eat. This is when I learned the power of watermelon! I ate a bunch of it on that stop and man, I was able to flat fly the rest of the ride. Stopped at 175 to eat more watermelon and drop off my buddy who dnf'd. Anywho... back to the thread of the Tour.
 
If you cheat, you should be DQed. It's pretty simple in my opinion. Doesn't matter if he's an inspiration or a national hero, if he's proved to have cheated, he's a disgrace and a poor role model for the kids. Such a shame he felt he had to do it because he would probably have still won a bunch of it without the drugs.
 
I don't know about Monday's longer TT, but the first TT on 30 June on a short, flat course they were averaging around 50 kph (31 mph) and some got as high as 60 kph (37 mph) in some stretches. Those TT bikes are no joke.
 
If you cheat, you should be DQed. It's pretty simple in my opinion. Doesn't matter if he's an inspiration or a national hero, if he's proved to have cheated, he's a disgrace and a poor role model for the kids. Such a shame he felt he had to do it because he would probably have still won a bunch of it without the drugs.
I agree, but it does seem like his lawyers' latest arguments about due process etc. may have merit. I mean for how long and how far back can they go? If someone squeals on Indurain does he lose his titles too? They all pretty much do/did dope, and I think it's great that they're trying to rid the sport of it, but it seems to me that if they can't catch them red-armed, as it were, or soon after the fact, they should let it go. Or next they'll have to go after all the second-place finishers after they strip Armstrong, then the guys behind them, and so on, till they find the lone domestique whose race director didn't pressure to dope because he wasn't worth it.
 
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catching some of it live, some through the daily hour highlights show. Treading the fine line of what my wife will tolerate.

Luckily I can stream some of it live to my second screen while I'm working at home.

Froome and Wiggo were amazing in that time trial, it's mind boggling that they can manage a 25 mile TT almost 5mph quicker than I can do a ten.