Random anti-Nazi cycling fred as requested by Barbarossa

[manker]

You would say that just as I'm getting slightly interested in the sport and a British guy might just win the thing.

I still haven't watched a single wheel revolution but the reports I read are making me kinda want to. Something that impresses me is that the cyclists aren't afraid to be themselves in the interviews. Frequently saying exactly what they think of opponents or the media. That sort of thing should happen and be applauded in more sports.

Cavendish, though. His move to Sky is particularly disappointing. He obviously could have only did it for the money since HTC made him basically their whole world and carried him to the green jersey last year. Sky are so far up Wiggins' arse that I'd be surprised if they haven't actually forgotten that the Manx missile is on their team.

[IdolEyes787]

I might be totally wrong but I get this impression that watching cycling isn't like watching sex and one has to have actually participated in it to fully enjoy it.

As for all eggs in the yellow jersey basket,it's professional sport without even the benefit of ticket sales so whatever is deemed to give the sponsors the maximum exposure for their investment is what is most important.

Outside of a very few countries the Tour is cycling to most people and the Tour is the yellow jersey.
Even on the nightly news in your country unless a Brit wins the green jersey they will at best mention that competition as a side-note.

[manker]

Yeah. You might be right on the participation thing. I'm always willing to give a different sport a go, though.

Cavendish was all over the news last year. There is even talk of him being Sports Personality of the Year, which is a big deal (not to me but to a lot of people).
For that reason, he is still mentioned a lot, now, on the sports pages I read. I don't watch the nightly news on account of having read most of it during the day.

I just think he should have stayed at HTC or, as they appear to have disbanded, to have gone to a team who would give him a bit of help.

[IdolEyes787]

HTC Highroad is defunct as the average life expectancy of a pro cycling team is like a couple years or something unless they come from some country where they don't speak English in which case it is whatever unit of time they use in backward places like those.

After HTC was kaput probably a lot of the team was absorbed by Sky and Cavendish being the good British boy that he is, well they could sing God Save the Queen awhile lying to him and he would have happily believed whatever shite they were shooting.

Either that or a less interesting but more realistic reason was that based on past performance no one ( but his pharmacist)foresaw Wiggins sudden rise to greatness and plans changed and people simply tried to make the best out of a difficult (and unforeseen) situation.

[manker]

Either that or a less interesting but more realistic reason was that based on past performance no one ( but his pharmacist)foresaw Wiggins sudden rise to greatness and plans changed and people simply tried to make the best out of a difficult (and unforeseen) situation.

That makes sense.

Having said that, Wiggins was already pretty good, like maybe top three or something else? And with Contador out of the way because of a negligent pharmacist and last year's winner having a comparatively rubbish team and didn't something bad happen to the Schlecks, too?
I kinda lost track of my point there, possibly on account of me not knowing too much about what I'm talking about but basically what I'm trying to say is that surely it must have been the plan since the last tour ended for Sky to get Wiggins into the yellow jersey in Paris.

[IdolEyes787]

Whether you know anything or not I am still grateful that you indulge me.

I think basically why certain people ie Wiggins and Evans have "suddenly" risen to the top is that cycling is finally beginning to rid itself of druggies like Contador and natural ability is starting to assert itself.
Yeah Andy Schleck's hurt but he wasn't last year and he talked a better game than he rode.

Other than that when riding a long stage race unfortunately( or fortunately) nothing is a certainty and while Wiggins looks pretty unbeatable right now all it takes is some bad luck or a moments inattention or one "bad day" and you have all your hopes dashed or worse be exiting in an ambulance.
Lance Armstrong managed to win 7 not in a small part because he unbelievably never seriously crashed and never got sick.



Beloki was Armstong's main rival at the time broken his lower body into several pieces and was never the same rider again.

[manker]

The crash didn't look all that bad on the jewtube, like. I suppose he was hurtling down at quite a canter, though.

British stage winner today saying that as an ex-drug taker, winning today (on the anniversary of the death of some cycling pharmaceutical miscreant from the before time) is particularly poingant
This kind of candidness is quite breathtaking.

I'm sure British people aren't usually this good at riding bikes.
Me taking an interest this year feels like beginners luck or something else.

[IdolEyes787]

There are few things more annoying than a "reformed" person pontificating about how terrible whatever they were doing was.

"Listen I used to drink/smoke/cheat on my wife etc and while I totally enjoyed it at the time now I don't do it and I want everyone to know how bad it is".

Fuck the fuck off.

[manker]

Oh I don't know. It's only annoying to me if the ex-whatever is pontificating about something that I currently enjoy doing.
Which leads me to believe that you're a massive phet-head.

Depending on the subject but hearing someone talk about their experience doing something which I've never done is usually fairly edifying, at least.

[IdolEyes787]

Define "massive".