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Tour de France 2019

After winning a couple of stages last year Alaphilippe has been an antidote to the scientific approach of Ineos, shame he couldn't keep it going for another 2 days.
 
murphthemog said:
I used to follow the tdf religiously, but lost a lot if interest following the Armstrong fiasco. Really bought into the story, and was proper shafted by him and his team.

I am gradually getting back into it, but it is a very slow process.
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I followed since Indurain and until the 1st Froome win. After too many unexplained Jiffy bags I stopped watching. Not yet really back into it myself.
 
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fundy said:
not on the final day of racing, nor did Froome attack Thomas last year etc. when its earlier in the race and they are still not sure of whos leading the team ultimately and the tours still in the balance then they will have some leeway, when as a team they have won the tour theyre not going to take any risks
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You've taken my post out of context, I merely pointing out that a team mate has been attacked in the past.
 
I do wonder how much the British will continue to follow the tour now that it seems we will have no British team leader after years of Brits dominating it as Froome and Thomas are in the twilight of their careers and unquestionably Bernal at his young age is where that team will be focusing.
 
I don't know. I think you either get the tdf, or you don't? If you are a fan, you will follow it what ever, if you are not, then not. I am far from convinced it hoovers up casual fans. Esp once the house hold names have been shown to be false idols.
 
murphthemog said:
I don't know. I think you either get the tdf, or you don't? If you are a fan, you will follow it what ever, if you are not, then not. I am far from convinced it hoovers up casual fans. Esp once the house hold names have been shown to be false idols.
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I have had a little interest in it in the past but the fact the it is live on terrestrial TV, has really got me into it to the extent that if I miss seeing it live I make a point of not finding out the result until I have watched the highlights/
 
larmen said:
I followed since Indurain and until the 1st Froome win. After too many unexplained Jiffy bags I stopped watching. Not yet really back into it myself.
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so you think it's worse now than when big Mig was winning 5 tours??
:LOL::ROFLMAO: he was one of the worst, at least it was a level playing field they were all at it:unsure:
 
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Stephen Roche and his legendary quote after winning the Tour in 1987 and being asked what he was going to do to celebrate. "Do a lap of honour". Totally over the heads of the French press.
 
patricks148 said:
so you thing its worse now than when big Mig was winning 5 tours??
:LOL::ROFLMAO: he was one of the worst, at least it was a level playing field they were all at it:unsure:
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I don’t think it is worse, it is just that 20 years ago I didn’t know anything about doping. Festina caught me cold, same for EPO. By CERA I was used to it, and sky introduced the hypocrisy of the fans into it. At least for me.
 
What is interesting about the future for other teams is that Ineos/Sky had, widely seen as their weakest team at the tour for years, yet will still finish 1/2, wonder if they're wheels are still rounder that the others.
 
larmen said:
I don’t think it is worse, it is just that 20 years ago I didn’t know anything about doping. Festina caught me cold, same for EPO. By CERA I was used to it, and sky introduced the hypocrisy of the fans into it. At least for me.
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Indurain was one of the first and its all been hushed up. He was a desciple of professor michele ferrari who masterminded Aemstongs medical miracle. Greg lemond used to bring it up, but was ignored, They say most of proffesional continental cycling was rife with the use of Drugs, esp EPO in the 90's. when i raced as an Am isn France for 2 years many of the provincial teams had some element of it though the most common still was amphetamaine
 
patricks148 said:
Indurain was one of the first and its all been hushed up. He was a desciple of professor michele ferrari who masterminded Aemstongs medical miracle. Greg lemond used to bring it up, but was ignored, They say most of proffesional continental cycling was rife with the use of Drugs, esp EPO in the 90's. when i raced as an Am isn France for 2 years many of the provincial teams had some element of it though the most common still was amphetamaine
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Amphetamine and caffiene, mixed up with a few other elements.
My FIL used to road race back in the 60's, and he always said it was going on it back then.
Back int he 90's wehn ountin biking, we had a lad in our club who was also a girlie (roady;) )and he road for a couple of semi pro teams over here then got a place on one of the team's from Belgium. He hadn't been there long, before they told him "yes you're good, but if you want to get to the next level you must inject" He didn't, and when his contract ended came straight back.
 
I know now that Indurain was better than humanly possible, and I wanted LeMond to win anyway.

Saying that, if I would have to put money onto a clean tour winner I probably would try and find one pre Merx.
 
Followed the tour for many years now and despite being let down many times I still believe in it and think it is one of the best sporting events out there. This year has been a doozy of a tour, best I can remember for many years in terms of not knowing who will win until the very end. Will be interesting if Froome comes back and you have him, Gee and Bernal in the same team, along side the other domestiques, as unless they really cut down on the high climbs, I'd expect it's Bernal's to lose for the next few years.
 
The only good thing about Bradley Wiggins winning was when he made his winner's speech and then announced he was going to draw the raffle prizes. No-one outside of the handful of Brits got that gag. Now there is way too much bad vibes about his victory. If he wasn't a Brit, everyone would be hammering in the same vein as the other alleged dopers.
 
I loved Le Tour but was a massive Lance fan and truly believed in him. We even went to Paris to see him win his historic 7th and he was my sporting hero bar none. Since then and his subsequent "demise" I've been less interested although did enjoy it when Wiggins came to the fore...hopefully he was clean but who knows. Not sure what the organisers will try to do to stop Team Ineos short of making every stage flat and for sprinters!
 
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