tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8908461644259659419.post8019902525214685076..comments2024-03-28T14:04:01.556-07:00Comments on Midlife Cycling: Why Aren't You Paying Attention To The Tour de France?Justine Valinottihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10852069587181432102noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8908461644259659419.post-76363842091258013212016-07-16T17:24:58.493-07:002016-07-16T17:24:58.493-07:00Coline--I have never been a bettor. But an uncle ...Coline--I have never been a bettor. But an uncle of mine was. In fact, he was part of what is now a dying breed, at least here in the US: a horse racing fan. I learned the word "trifecta" from him.Justine Valinottihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10852069587181432102noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8908461644259659419.post-53762696641258798372016-07-16T03:06:11.517-07:002016-07-16T03:06:11.517-07:00Yay! Trifecta, not often I get a new word, then ag...Yay! Trifecta, not often I get a new word, then again I never bet and only watch TDF so may never get to use it, darn...Colinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01667939789517989280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8908461644259659419.post-11093842723377438982016-07-15T18:10:34.664-07:002016-07-15T18:10:34.664-07:00Coline--"I could probably have beaten his tim...Coline--"I could probably have beaten his time but it would have to be downhill..."<br /><br />I love it!<br /><br />As great as he was, one still has to ask "what might have been?" After he achieved his trifecta in 1987, he suffered injuries and became a shadow of what he was. Justine Valinottihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10852069587181432102noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8908461644259659419.post-24256908116552020542016-07-15T06:49:53.869-07:002016-07-15T06:49:53.869-07:00Stephen Roche was amazing! I only saw him live onc...Stephen Roche was amazing! I only saw him live once when the Tout of Britain started with a time trial in Dundee. It was a short one from sea level in the city centre to the war memorial at 572 feet on top of the core of a 400 million year old volcano which rears up in the city. I walked the course seeing riders at every point then saw the final group arrive at the top as the quickest times were gradually beaten, each rider arriving worn out. Finally Stephen powers up the corkscrew road a full 30! seconds faster in great style and hardly out of breath!<br /><br />I could probably have beaten his time but it would have to be downhill...Colinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01667939789517989280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8908461644259659419.post-14983001111726358972016-07-14T18:41:39.454-07:002016-07-14T18:41:39.454-07:00Coline--I watched it. In a way, I felt bad for Fr...Coline--I watched it. In a way, I felt bad for Froome: After all, he had bad luck in crashing with that motorbike. On the other hand, I'm not sure of whether he's more unwatchable when he's running or pedaling. Stephen Roche he isn't--on a bike, anyway.Justine Valinottihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10852069587181432102noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8908461644259659419.post-59629206798759471302016-07-14T18:25:38.079-07:002016-07-14T18:25:38.079-07:00This comment has been removed by the author.Justine Valinottihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10852069587181432102noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8908461644259659419.post-46598270966956642702016-07-14T14:14:57.241-07:002016-07-14T14:14:57.241-07:00I read this post this morning before having to rus...I read this post this morning before having to rush out. I was going to say that it is the lunatic spectators which ruin it for me especially in the mountains, then I turn on the highlights recording to see that the whole race has been turned into a farce on the stage where the ungainly rider was going to pull out a probable winning lead. Now he has to ride on having been run into by a motorcycle and has probably had his confidence shattered. TDF, sadly Total D**n Farce...Colinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01667939789517989280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8908461644259659419.post-90515022236292310282016-07-14T08:42:36.064-07:002016-07-14T08:42:36.064-07:00Phillip--You're right about Chris Froome: I c...Phillip--You're right about Chris Froome: I can't recall another elite cyclist who was less appealing to watch. I wonder how many other people have been turned off the TdF and other races because of him.Justine Valinottihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10852069587181432102noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8908461644259659419.post-14216455965494597322016-07-14T08:23:46.232-07:002016-07-14T08:23:46.232-07:00Mostly it's the spotty coverage by NBC. That a...Mostly it's the spotty coverage by NBC. That and the fact that I can barely stand to watch Chris Froome ride with his monkey boy limbs akimbo style. Although obviously it's working for him. Peter Sagan has been the most interesting character to me so far. He's a pretty well rounded rider. With a little change in his training I could see him being a real GC threat in the future.Phillip Cowanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01553979458131339924noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8908461644259659419.post-88220490060452984292016-07-14T07:34:38.892-07:002016-07-14T07:34:38.892-07:00Mike--You've given a very eloquent description...Mike--You've given a very eloquent description of what's wrong with racing today. I never could get interested in auto racing because I never could tell how much had to do with the skill of the driver and how much had to do with the machine. Sadly, it looks as if bike racing is headed in that direction.<br /><br />About the doping: I don't condone it. But it's easy to understand why riders do it when, as you say, large sums of money are on the line. Add to that the fact that someone can win a three-week long race by seconds (as LeMond did in 1989)and it can seem like a wonder that some riders don't <br />"juice".Justine Valinottihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10852069587181432102noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8908461644259659419.post-65510422174606653772016-07-13T19:41:15.038-07:002016-07-13T19:41:15.038-07:00Maybe it's the doping, but it was widely known...Maybe it's the doping, but it was widely known that doping was a part of pro cycling from the earliest days of the Tour as well as throughout the heyday of American 6 day racing. No one should be shocked -shocked!- that there was doping in the Tour. Names like Christophe, Coppi, Anquetil, Simpson, even Merckx have been linked to it, and small wonder. How else does one beat his brains out days on end? "You can't ride the Tour de France on mineral water." (Jacques Anquetil)<br /><br /> Maybe for me, and some like me, it's the emphasis on the latest gadgetry and high tech (e.g.:"motodoping")that have taken the thrill out of it. With obscene amounts of money on the line, cheating has become an art form. Also, riders have come to depend on such things as radio communications with their Directeurs Sportifs calling all the shots from the comfort of their team cars and with all the latest electronic marvels at their fingertips. It seems no longer to be a blood-and-guts human endeavour of the riders themselves. <br />mike w.https://www.blogger.com/profile/10317710564489321690noreply@blogger.com