Le Tour de France 2017

[EddieB]

The Bora team lawyers are still challenging the suspension and calling for Sagan's re-entry (how?) into the race.

[john new]

The Bora team lawyers are still challenging the suspension and calling for Sagan's re-entry (how?) into the race.

Whether you agree with reinstatement or not is a separate issue. Easy to do, no green points for stages he missed but many options if they want a running time to add to what he had. Examples; give him the aggregate/average time of the team for the stages missed, equal to the last man overall.

 

Personally I think the appeal to CAS is either (a) an attempt to force a UCI rule change for future years on allowing riders to ride on whilst the suspension is being appealed. If appeal upheld they then do get chucked out a day or so later or (b) ok he is out but give us x number of euros to compenstate for your error in making a wrong decision.

Edited July 6, 2017 by john new

[brightspark]

Ah found the thread.

 

I have Richie Porte down as winner in Paris. But that prediction is starting to look dodgy.

Shame about Cav and Sagan. A harsh decision but it has opened up the green jumper competition.

 

Andy

[Pacific231G]

 

 

[Conspiracy Theory] Hang on, Demare is French  and has just won the stage so lets overlook that, and lets expel Sagan so neither Sagan nor  Cavendish can win the Green jersey and pave the way for a French winner [/Conspiracy Theory]

I don't think this particular conspiracy theory holds much water given that the disqualification was imposed by the UCI who are based in Switzerland and not by the French ASO who organise the Tour along with a number of other races. Given Sagan's "star" status in terms of attracting viewers and therefore TV rights sales and sponsorship I gather that the ASO are none too happy about the decision.

 

However there clearly are grounds for a conspiracy theory relating to the obvious instructions to the TV Directors to avoid as far as possible showing  any working railways. Sometimes they're unavoidable where they parallel or criss cross the route over fairly long distances but, whenever the course encounters a level crossing,  they always seem to focus on the Peloton when the leaders are crossing and vice versa or if all else fails going to a commercial break or shots of the countryside till the danger has been passed. Disused level crossings and viaducts seem to be more acceptable, presuambly because they imply that railways are obsolete but it's clear that the French roads lobby have the coverage well nobbled. 

[njee20]

Seriously?

[eastwestdivide]

On the railways, they did manage a long-ish shot of the peloton being overtaken by a German double-deck train on the stage out of Düsseldorf, but that huge Belgian viaduct I mentioned on p1 of the thread seems to have disappeared in the rain, or possibly in an ad break. 

[njee20]

There's been a few good shots over the years with trains in.

 

Simple fact is they try and avoid hitting level crossings at times when there are likely to be trains. Hardly an exact science though. I assume Pacific231G was joking.

[Re6/6]

[EddieB]

When we had le Tour de Yorkshire, a large industrial locomotive was parked by the route and received plenty of air-time.  On the other hand, the stretch along the Essex Way past the old station (now café) at Rayne was never broadcast.

[Mike at C&M]

A pair of SNCF diesels in the background towards the end of today's stage. Thank fully one was the yellow 'Infra' livery, as the green/grey SNCF Fret liveried one was almost camouflaged within the trees.

6mm! Or quarter of an inch, in proper money.

 

Obviously, Le Tour does not do 'dead heats' after some 130 miles of cycling.

[Butler Henderson]

I don't think this particular conspiracy theory holds much water given that the disqualification was imposed by the UCI who are based in Switzerland and not by the French ASO who organise the Tour along with a number of other races. Given Sagan's "star" status in terms of attracting viewers and therefore TV rights sales and sponsorship I gather that the ASO are none too happy about the decision.

Apparently Demare was spoken to re his serve that nearly took Bouhanni out (and maybe himself). He very lucky not to be handed the punishment originally given to Sagan.

[Pacific231G]

There's been a few good shots over the years with trains in.

 

Simple fact is they try and avoid hitting level crossings at times when there are likely to be trains. Hardly an exact science though. I assume Pacific231G was joking.

Of course I was and I don't believe in the Bermuda Triangle, Alien Abduction or Climate Change deniers either.

 

On most of the lines where the Tour does encounter working level crossings, the chances of coinciding with a train are remote to say the least because sadly there are basically almost no trains and there is of course co-ordination to avoid the few that do run.  ISTR that the train encountered on a level crossing in 2013 was running very late. and it was ironic because SNCF ran an extra train earlier that day for Tour spectators.

The Paris-Roubaix incident in 2015 was sheer madness and another train coming in the opposite direction doesn't bear thinking about.

 

Nevertheless, apart from gorgeous scenery, there is a fascination to seeing the rural railway infrastructure that the Tour often runs alongside even without trains. For example, the one they followed yesterday between Troyes and Chatillon is shown on the map as freight only as far as Polisot then "non-éxploitée" to Chatillon sur Seine. It is a little frustrating when you know there's something to be seen and you don't get to see it but even more so when the commentators go on about a particularly interesting triple viaduct that we didn't get to see (at least on Eurosport) because of a commercial break.

 

Nothing to do with railways of cycling but unless I missed it I was also a little surprised yesterday that they didn't show Source-Seine as I'm sure they passed very close to it. Being something of a grotto it maybe didn't show up too well from the helicopter. 

Edited July 8, 2017 by Pacific231G

[EddieB]

Just see the sad report that Geraint Thomas is out of the race with a broken collarbone.

[Butler Henderson]

Ouch for G, and I know how he feels as did the same at Easter. With that descending from AG2R at least it explains their brown shorts

[Chameleon]

Seems this year's tour is a bloody dangerous affair! Lots of broken bits.

 

Technical question, if some of the leaders in a stage get over a crossing which then comes down for a train, stopping the pelotn/chasers, is that just plain bad luck or is there an adjustment in the times to compensate?

[Mike at C&M]

Well, the curse of being backed by 87029 has derailed Richie Porte's bid for victory in Paris. Of all the moments to make a viewer wince, the sight of Porte flying into that wall and then lying in the road beats everything.

 

I wish all those injured to date a speedy and full recovery.

 

So we have got to the first rest day, and I don't think that any cycling fan can claim that we haven't been treated to an excellent first 9 days of 'Le Tour'. Let us hope the remainder is just as exciting.

[brightspark]

Ah found the thread.

 

I have Richie Porte down as winner in Paris. But that prediction is starting to look dodgy.

Shame about Cav and Sagan. A harsh decision but it has opened up the green jumper competition.

 

Andy

B#gg#r!

Edited July 9, 2017 by brightspark

[eastwestdivide]

...Of all the moments to make a viewer wince, the sight of Porte flying into that wall and then lying in the road beats everything.

 

I wish all those injured to date a speedy and full recovery....

Wince is the word - I had to turn away the 3rd time they showed it in slow motion. Could have been very bad indeed.

As it is, broken collarbone and pelvis according to http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/porte-suffers-broken-collarbone-and-pelvis-in-tour-de-france-crash/

[njee20]

Technical question, if some of the leaders in a stage get over a crossing which then comes down for a train, stopping the pelotn/chasers, is that just plain bad luck or is there an adjustment in the times to compensate?

If it's a breakaway then it just stands (they either benefit or lose out), but a bunch will not be allowed to split by a level crossing and the race will be neutralised to bring them back together.

 

It obviously causes total chaos, hence they try and avoid them!

[Butler Henderson]

Seems this year's tour is a bloody dangerous affair! Lots of broken bits.

22 riders abandoned last years, ok not all broken bones but this years is no more dangerous. The end climb and descent was known to many and Porte has a habit of crashing at least once, just todays was not one to get up from. Suppose it seems dangerous as two Brits are out. Get your line wrong and cycling is dangerous, my left collarbone knows full well and my bikes are probably wondering why they have been abandoned in their shed since Easter.

[njee20]

No one abandoned at all for a long time last year, halfway mark IIRC, longest ever.

 

It certainly seems that there have been a lot of 'violent' exits this year, we've lost more than 22 riders after one mountain stage, so definitely worse than last year.

 

Fairly surprised those who missed the time cut off were actually excluded today, given the quality of some of the names; Demare, Trentin, Renshaw. Green jersey competition just got a little more open, again!

[NittenDormer]

Late to the party after a week without internet (but with ITV4). Shame to put it mildly that Valverde and Porte are out (esp after their performances in the Dauphine). Also a real shame for Dan Martin (the Kenny Dalglish of cycling), but I am amazed he was able to get up from the Porte crash. A lot of challengers went out of the picture today.

[iak]

The most gripping, engrossing and fascinating Tour stage in years.

And at the end of it all, a bloke riding a busted bike wins?

Mad,sad,bad and crazy - more please!

[jonny777]

Richie Porte seems to be in good spirits. He has recently tweeted a photo of his (rather inadequate looking) hospital breakfast.

 

Anyone who remembers Wouter Weylandt's crash in the Giro a few years ago, will be breathing a great big sigh of relief that Richie has emerged with just a few fractures.

[Pacific231G]

If it's a breakaway then it just stands (they either benefit or lose out), but a bunch will not be allowed to split by a level crossing and the race will be neutralised to bring them back together.

 

It obviously causes total chaos, hence they try and avoid them!

I always wondered what it did to their energy balance. It obviously depends a bit on what sort of stage it is and where it comes in the stage, but would  a hold-up of a couple or three minutes kybosh their final position or are they likely to recover the time having had a short rest?