Le Tour 2009

[Darkon]

I don't know how you lot can say it wasn't exciting. OK, it wasn't all-out spectacular racing (except for the sprints where Cavendish's train had a strange beauty and his burst of speed was exhilarating - even though you knew what to expect it still took your breath away) but the tactical variations between Armstrong, the Schlecks and Contador were really intriguing.

Maybe you have to be a real aficionado to appreciate all that.

Seriously, for me the point about the Tour is not what happens, it's what could happen at any moment and this year it was full of possibilities. So even though the favourite won, he had to go and win it and that's where the excitement in the GC was.

That's like saying you love a boring 0-0 match in football because there is a possibility that it could have ended 5-5!

I don't judge an event on what could have happened, but on what actually happened. All the etapes in the pyrenees where the most dull I can remember, and only 1 of the alpe etapes where really exciting. The mount ventoux stage even stalled for the most part.

[Neil Young]

That's like saying you love a boring 0-0 match in football because there is a possibility that it could have ended 5-5!

I don't judge an event on what could have happened, but on what actually happened. All the etapes in the pyrenees where the most dull I can remember, and only 1 of the alpe etapes where really exciting. The mount ventoux stage even stalled for the most part.

5-5 doesn't mean it's higher quality so that analogy is entirely flawed. Certainly I'd rather watch a tense 0-0 than a game where there's loads of shoddy defending but each to their own.

There are always days in the Tour where nothing much happens to the GC. Last year there were two exciting days - Alpe d'Huez and the final TT. This year the exciting stages, IMO, for the GC were the TTT, the stage to Arcalis, the wet day in the Vosges, the climb to Verbier, the ITT and Ventoux. That ranks with any Tour I can remember.

[Darkon]

5-5 doesn't mean it's higher quality so that analogy is entirely flawed. Certainly I'd rather watch a tense 0-0 than a game where there's loads of shoddy defending but each to their own.

There are always days in the Tour where nothing much happens to the GC. Last year there were two exciting days - Alpe d'Huez and the final TT. This year the exciting stages, IMO, for the GC were the TTT, the stage to Arcalis, the wet day in the Vosges, the climb to Verbier, the ITT and Ventoux. That ranks with any Tour I can remember.

Well there is the overall rule and the exception to it, which you seem to focus on rather than the rule. The overall point is still that a football match doesn't get any better because there is possibilites of it getting entertaining - it would still be a poor match after the final whistle.

At the end of the day there where only one really exciting etape in the alpes this year, the rest where without any real challenge for the yellow.

The planers might have thought it would be more exciting when they killed the pyrenees and saved it for mount ventoux, but that just didn't happen, and which consequently lead to the first two weeks being very poor, and the last week also ended up being disappointing compared to earlier years.

[Neil Young]

Well there is the overall rule and the exception to it, which you seem to focus on rather than the rule. The overall point is still that a football match doesn't get any better because there is possibilites of it getting entertaining - it would still be a poor match after the final whistle.

At the end of the day there where only one really exciting etape in the alpes this year, the rest where without any real challenge for the yellow.

The planers might have thought it would be more exciting when they killed the pyrenees and saved it for mount ventoux, but that just didn't happen, and which consequently lead to the first two weeks being very poor, and the last week also ended up being disappointing compared to earlier years.

Is it really the exception though? I used to watch the Spanish league and there were nearly always loads of goals and it just bored me to the point where I don't watch it now. The defending was, for the most part, shockingly bad when compared to what we see in the upper reaches of the Premiership. Tactical battles can be just as enthralling - sometimes more so I'd argue - as goal fests.

It's like fireworks displays: after a couple of whizz bangs and a few oohs and ahhs, it's just another loud bang and pretty colours in the sky. Less really can be more and I think, to some extent, that can apply in Grand Tour cycling.

Anyway, enough analogies. Like I said, I enjoyed six stages out of twenty-one for the impact on the GC and that's a pretty good ratio I think. I certainly don't think that qualifies as the equivalent of a tedious 0-0 which is why I think your analogy is overstated. But of course, we can disagree.

[MrsB]

More fantastic pictures (40) here: http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/200...de_france.html

This one's my favourite:

[Neil Young]

Thanks. Great photos.

[Neil Young]

I suspect they don't want big gaps to emerge so it's all set up for "a showdown" on Ventoux.

Talking of which, we went over it it yesterday with the bikes.

OK, they were on the roof of the car but it was a good detour from our route north.

And for a second I had big respect for you, Neil.

Next year. Or maybe the year after. Of course I can't afford to leave it too long.

UPDATE:

Well, it turns out I did it this year not next. Twice. First time via the classic route from Bédoin; second time the easy way from Sault. I didn't have time to do it again from Malaucène though, which is a pity.

[MrsB]

[Fredo]

I was looking to start a new thread then saw this one, thought it would be appropriate to post in it. Anyway, just to say that I've just heard the terrible news that Laurent Fignon has died. He was 50.

[Neil Young]

Ah f*ck. That's a shame.