Tour De France

[beren]

Anybody watching the race :) exciting last night and should be interesting tonight with a tough stage 18, Cadel Evans is closing in on first place in the overall individual standings and Contador looking menacing. Aside from the race the French countryside looks stunning and the SBS coverage has been very good :thumbsup:.

[mithrandir]

SWMBO doesn't care much about the race. It's the countryside and chateau that matter to her. Hasn't seen one we could afford yet. Has to have somewhere to put a permanent obs.

[Mick]

Looking forward to tonight's stage...:thumbsup:

[blink138]

the countryside is magnificent but wait for all the drug allegations to turn it into "the tour de farce"
pat

[Paul Haese]

Last couple of nights have been great. Only catching the highlights each day, but Cadel is going a great job. Into riding myself and can really appreciate the sheer will and fitness of these guys. I would like to see Cadel win but in the end, the best climber will take out the crown.

[scagman]

Going to be a kiiler of a trip tonight, 200.4 km's and 3 HC climbs

They are already off and cycling on tonights stage.
No brake aways yet after 23.4 kms

[bartman]

Trying to watch every day!
I'm not into cycling but love Le TDF.
Scenery, chopper cam, bike cam and all the history that has and will be communicated is just awesome and not matched by any other broadcast I have ever seen.
Goooo Cadel!!!!!!!!
Bartman
back to the shuttle coverage

[michaellxv]

woo hoo :party2:

[scagman]

Cadel Evans just got the yellow and will win the tour after a great battle last night in the alps and a fast time trial

[norm]

Just watched the time trial and Cadel has won the tour. Absolutely amazing!

He reigned in the 57 second deficit from A Schleck
and has

taken the crown. He basically smashed the Schleck
brothers.

Man, it makes me proud to be an Australian.

He has made history. The last 2 stages he showed immense courage and conviction.:bowdown:

What a true Champ. This is a special moment. :thumbsup:

Cheers,

Norm

[Mick]

Yes Yes what a great ride :D

[supernova1965]

Sorry if I am being concerned but I hope declaring victory when there is one final leg of the race that we are not putting the mocker on our hero:sadeyes::question:

[GrahamL]

wow amazing stuff, My daughter in laws parents who are big cycling fans took there first trip to france this year and will be in Paris to see the end of the tour tommorow,, what a great way to end a holiday !!

[Paul Haese]

The last ride to Paris is not contested as a gentlemans agreement of the tour. It will be a relaxed ride and the yellow rider rides out front. Nothing to worry about. No one has ever brokent this unwritten rule in the Tours history.:)

[Brundah1]

Yes just out of bed, stayed up to watch Cadel finish the dash - blitzed em all!

I will be worth watching his victory ride to Paris tonight too!

:party2::party2::party2::party2::pa rty2::party2::party2::party2::party 2:

[renormalised]

Warren, given that Cadel is over a minute in front of Andy Schleck, and it's the last stage, the chances of Schleck beating him are next to nil. As Paul said, this stage is a gentleman's stage. I've seen the guys drinking glasses of champagne as they ride along when they get into Paris:). The only ones contesting this stage will be the pure sprinters like Cavendish, Hushovd and Greipel. Not that it'll matter much as Cavendish is way out in front here. Rojas might be close enough to grab it on the line, but I doubt it. Cavendish is just too fast and he's 15 points ahead.

This will be a proud day in Aussie sport:):)

[supernova1965]

Well that is a relief but it seems a strange way to have a leg of a race that no-one tries to win maybe I am too competitive for my own good:D if I am in a competition be it lawn bowls or wheelchair basketball I never stop until I cross the finish line or the time runs out.:thumbsup:

[renormalised]

At 1:34 behind, Andy Schleck would have to bolt at least 2-3 miles ahead of the peleton to win. BMC wouldn't allow that to happen, that I can assure you, Warren. Even if he wanted to, BMC (Cadel's team) would make life that hard for him, he'd never get that far ahead. They'd ride him down, and so would a few of the other teams, looking for points in the teams positions.

[TrevorW]

Hope he wins will be well deserved

[taminga16]

Warren,
Take the time to watch the last stage and to really appreciate what is happening remember that these blokes have just ridden their pushbikes over 3400 klms together, there are lessons for our sports broadcasters, we do not see enough of this kind of sportsmanship because they are too quick to move to the next Ad break.
Greg.

[AstralTraveller]

Sort of like bowling underarm is it?? :question: You wouldn't do it unless you'd lost the plot - and if you did you'd soon wish you hadn't. :ashamed:

[Mick]

Warren, the Schleck Brothers have all ready congratulated Cadel on his win.

Going to have a kip later so I can see Cadel and the Schleck brothers on the podium tonight. :)

http://www.sbs.com.au/cyclingcentral/news/31845/evans-deserves-tour-triumph-says-schleck

[Paul Haese]

Yep, maybe a smack in the head too might head ones way.:lol: Don't worry there have been years in which Cadel came second and I had wished he contested the last day. However I see the wisdom of doing this. The Alps are hard work and drain most riders, the time trial requires the utmost effort; so the last day is a cruise. It all makes sense. This last ride is a formality and no one will upset the results. Cadel is the winner of the Tour. It has been declared via the official racing circles too.

[stephenb]

The last day is a sight to watch. The broadcast of the TDF is, as always a highlight of the year. Good on Cadel for this win. Well deserved after all these years. :party2:

[Quark]

:cheers::cheers::cheers::cheers::ch eers:Just how good is this, I feel just so thrilled for Cadel, reckon this will rate as one of the all time greatest sporting moments in Australia's history and this bloke certainly deserves all the plaudits that will flow from it.

Must say, when thinking about what has happened to him in previous years, being in a winning position but having to ride the last few days with injuries from falls and the innuendo of some of the riders that previously beat him not necessarily doing it on their merits, I had a tear in my eye last night.

What determination to keep going back and especially at his age. He has done us all proud.

[Ric]

Congrats to Cadel on a deserved win.

As he said in an interview, 20 years of hard work has just paid off.

To win the tour is the pinnacle of any riders career and some of the greats in cycling have never won it.

[Saturnine]

Coming from a family with a cycling background, Father as an NSW Road Racing Champion and an uncle selected on the Aust Olympic squad, I've been following the "Tour" ever since SBS started telecasting the race. Several Aussies have put in excellent efforts in past years and this year is just the greatest result, not forgetting that it is a team effort and Cadels' team members have laid the foundations for his win, though his efforts in the last few mountain stages and last nights time trial were magnificent.
Haven't had a decent nights sleep for 3 weeks, watching the race, between naps on the lounge and getting up at 5:00 to go to work, looking forward to some early nights ( if it's cloudy ). Congratulations to Cadel Evans and his team for a great victory, dare I say , I wont miss a minute of tonights telecast.

Jeff

[Paul Haese]

I need to make a correction here. I thought (I have followed the tour for some time now) no one had ever challenged on the last day but this is not true. Several instances have occurred where the leader has been over taken on the ride through Paris. Riders have fallen and the lead changes, but most importantly challenging on the last day is not unheard of in the tour. Cadel must remain upright and finish the race. He could be challenged but this is most unlikely. Last instance that I just heard was in 1986 (I think). So there might well be a challenge.

[renormalised]

Not at 1:34 in front....too much of a lead.

[Paul Haese]

It's done. Yah finally I can now go to bed. Great tour this year.

[bartman]

ONYA Cadel!!!!!!!!
Great Tour!
Awesome coverage once again by the French TV and commentators.
:party2::2thumbs::party2::2thumbs:
Bartman
PS, looks like he is about to shed some tears....... during the National Anthem.
Yell for Cadel!!!!!

[SkyViking]

What a great Tour this year. Kept the suspense right until the end :D
I must say I'm content that Andy didn't win in the end. He made many tactical mistakes this year, as usual. He should have attacked all out in the Pyrenees when Contador was weak. And then came all his complaints about descents etc. Get over it Andy, it's all part of the race :D

As for Cadel, he is not one who makes the grand attacks and I've always thought him to be a bit anonymous in the race in these past few years, but once the race really got going this year in the Alps he certainly took charge of the race. Especially when trying to reel in Andy on the Galibier stage while none of the other favourites made any move. And his time trial skills are excellent. He's a worthy champion indeed. Congratulations to him.
Next year will be a blast with Contador most likely back in full force, and Andy more eager to win than ever. And Cadel seems to get stronger with each year.

[Paul Haese]

Rolf, I would not be surprised if we see Cadel retire now. His father did mention something about that possibility.

Whether he has another tour in him at that pace is a question. No matter what though, he elevated cycling in Australia just that little bit more. In fact year by year with the likes of Stuart O'Grady, Cadel, Robby, McGee and others of the years; the sport is now at an all time high. Every year I see more and more bikes out on the road. Its become quite an industry and a healthy past time.

Great to see an Aussie on the podium at last. I hope to see more again in the future and I am looking forward to seeing the Australian team next year.

[SkyViking]

Yes that's certainly a possibility that he might retire, he has been in the game for many years already.
Being Danish I can relate to what Australia is probably seeing now in terms of cycling's popularity. We experienced the same in Denmark back when Riis ended Indurain's reign and won the Tour in 1996. It changed Danish cycling completely and elevated the sport to a whole new level, which it still enjoys.

[mithrandir]

Two Aussies if you count Tina Arena who sang the anthem. From her wikipedia entry:
Andrew