Random anti-Nazi cycling fred as requested by Barbarossa

[IdolEyes787]

Two weeks to the Tour.


I recall both Hamilton and Landis swearing up and down that they never did drugs.
Everyone says they don't do drugs until it's proven otherwise.

http://sports.nationalpost.com/2012/06/13/lance-armstrong-faces-new-doping-charges-could-lose-tour-de-france-titles/

On you're left....right .....le (sound of screaming and flesh being ripped from body)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTifWygY-OA

[Skiz]

I remember last year, watching the nasty ram from one of the riders' support cars attempting to dodge a tree and whacked Hoogerland and someone else, sending Hoogerland into a barbed wire fence. Just as watchable was the repair job/first aid coming from a guy on a motorcycle, while moving, repairing Hoogerland on the bike, again, while riding.

Here it is... was easy to find.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7W-tkd1C5I

[IdolEyes787]

You've never lived until you've pushed somebody while he has a piss.

In the Tour they employ champion motorbike racers on the camera bikes and even they find it next to impossible to stay in contact with a good descender on a tricky downhill.It's kind of unnerving to have a bike in front of you and have the tires squealing in an effort to find traction though.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxXqQqAc2pA&feature=related

[IdolEyes787]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGL4YRa7KPg&feature=related

[Swear]

Yesterday was just about the most dramatic day that you could have in cycling. Andy Schleck will not ride, and Armstrong collects a well deserved ban. All-the-while Peter Sagan continues to dominate the peloton wherever he goes.

[ckrit]

Two weeks to the Tour.


I recall both Hamilton and Landis swearing up and down that they never did drugs.
Everyone says they don't do drugs until it's proven otherwise.

http://sports.nationalpost.com/2012/06/13/lance-armstrong-faces-new-doping-charges-could-lose-tour-de-france-titles/

On you're left....right .....le (sound of screaming and flesh being ripped from body)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTifWygY-OA
"Amazing" might not be the word I'd use to describe that.

Is it just me, or was that wheel not fastened right? Or was a carbon fiber axle or something?

Not been in that particular situation, obviously, but it seems to me the spokes would give up first.

edit: If they said something in that clip, I didn't hear it. Can't watch with sound atm.

[Skiz]

Two weeks to the Tour.


I recall both Hamilton and Landis swearing up and down that they never did drugs.
Everyone says they don't do drugs until it's proven otherwise.

http://sports.nationalpost.com/2012/06/13/lance-armstrong-faces-new-doping-charges-could-lose-tour-de-france-titles/

On you're left....right .....le (sound of screaming and flesh being ripped from body)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTifWygY-OA
"Amazing" might not be the word I'd use to describe that.

Is it just me, or was that wheel not fastened right? Or was a carbon fiber axle or something?

Not been in that particular situation, obviously, but it seems to me the spokes would give up first.

edit: If they said something in that clip, I didn't hear it. Can't watch with sound atm.

It says the pedestrians leg gets caught in the wheel and "rips it out". That's not what I see tho'. It just hits his leg from what I can tell. They probably would have been just fine if they'd let the rider go around them like he was already doing.

[IdolEyes787]

Is it just me, or was that wheel not fastened right? Or was a carbon fiber axle or something?

Not been in that particular situation, obviously, but it seems to me the spokes would give up first.

edit: If they said something in that clip, I didn't hear it. Can't watch with sound atm.

I tried to see but it happens so fast and the resolution is so poor it's impossible tell.I would guess that the quick release somehow got undone.I've seen that happen in races when one riders front wheel gets mucked up another's but in the vid's case the release would almost have needed to be tightened on backwards.

Safest thing is in front and parallel to the the forks btw.

And I just put even myself to sleep.:pinch:


Yesterday was just about the most dramatic day that you could have in cycling. Andy Schleck will not ride, and Armstrong collects a well deserved ban. All-the-while Peter Sagan continues to dominate the peloton wherever he goes.

No that is like a newscast that talks about trades and how much salary baseball players get and considers it "sports".

[ckrit]

I tried to see but it happens so fast and the resolution is so poor it's impossible tell.I would guess that the quick release somehow got undone.I've seen that happen in races when one riders front wheel gets mucked up another's but in the vid's case the release would almost have needed to be tightened on backwards.

Safest thing is in front and parallel to the the forks btw.

I've done away with regular QRs altogether, tbh. I've got ones with removable levers, because a) I don't like the idea of them getting snagged in something when I'm offroad, and b) should I use one of my good bikes in town, it'd take someone at least a short while to steal my wheels.

[manker]

I keep an eye on some things to do with cycling. And when I say cycling, I mean Le Tour.
Like I generally hope that the Spanish don't win since they seem to win everything else and I follow the British riders. That is mostly the extent of my interest. I don't actually watch any of it on tv.

I don't properly understand the green jersey that Cavendish won last year. I know that there is some kind of points system in place and it's all about winning the flat stages since sprinters can't go up hills very well. So I guess there are more flat stages than hill stages or something.

I was wondering, maybe, if some kind soul could explain without googling since I could have done that but thought it might be an idea to altruistically revitalise this thread.

[IdolEyes787]

Originally there was only the yellow jersey competition but to generate more overall interest by sponsors,riders and the general public they created "secondary" jerseys (green-points ,polka dot-mountains ,combination-now defunct and white-best young rider)

The points jersey is intended to reward the best sprinter but controversy has followed it because one can win it by consistency without ever proving to be the fastest man.
The exact points system has evolved over time to try to compensate for this with maximum points(35) and places (25) being reserved for the flattest stages with fewer given once the course points upward.

There are also intermediate sprints but these are more a reward given to breakaways and being very few points( 3,2,1) allotted rarely pursued,except to hammer home a point-no pun intended, by the true sprinters.

At the end of the tour whoever has accrued the most points gets the Green Jersey.Unlike the Yellow, time doesn't factor into it.

In the before time a guy like Sean Kelly could win without a team but now placement in sprints is largely determined by your leadout men.

[Snee]

Whatevar. They should switch out those boring crabon bikes for bmx bikes, and do a bunch of tricks on the way.

It'd be awesome.

[manker]

Originally there was only the yellow jersey competition but to generate more overall interest by sponsors,riders and the general public they created "secondary" jerseys (green-points ,polka dot-mountains ,combination-now defunct and white-best young rider)

The points jersey is intended to reward the best sprinter but controversy has followed it because one can win it by consistency without ever proving to be the fastest man.
The exact points system has evolved over time to try to compensate for this with maximum points(35) and places (25) being reserved for the flattest stages with fewer given once the course points upward.

There are also intermediate sprints but these are more a reward given to breakaways and being very few points( 3,2,1) allotted rarely pursued,except to hammer home a point-no pun intended, by the true sprinters.

At the end of the tour whoever has accrued the most points gets the Green Jersey.Unlike the Yellow, time doesn't factor into it.

In the before time a guy like Sean Kelly could win without a team but now placement in sprints is largely determined by your leadout men.That explains everything, cheers mucker, and also why Cavendish seems so thoroughly peeved with all that nonsense regarding the Alps and not being allowed to hang onto the back of a car since time really makes no difference to him at all.

[IdolEyes787]

Manx Missile. Although I don't get the cat reference.

[manker]

I just thought he had a large penoir.

[Snee]

Whatevar. They should switch out those boring crabon bikes for bmx bikes, and do a bunch of tricks on the way.

It'd be awesome.
And on a completely unrelated note, I'm thinking of getting a bmx for riding in the woods. Mostly 'cause they take up less room than a mountain bike, and I'd be leaving it at my parents' plaice during the weeks. Not owned one since I was about 12, but iirc, they are hella fun.

[IdolEyes787]

Whatevar. They should switch out those boring crabon bikes for bmx bikes, and do a bunch of tricks on the way.

It'd be awesome.
And on a completely unrelated note, I'm thinking of getting a bmx for riding in the woods. Mostly 'cause they take up less room than a mountain bike, and I'd be leaving it at my parents' plaice during the weeks. Not owned one since I was about 12, but iirc, they are hella fun.

But you can sit on one and it has one little tiny gear so expect to have fun in one small space.

Oh course once upon a time me and my friends could spend hours happily crashing riding down a single sand dune so you may actually be onto something there.

[manker]

:eyebrows:

Surely they would, in fact, take up more space than your folding bike that I've read so much about.

[Snee]

:eyebrows:

Surely they would, in fact, take up more space than your folding bike that I've read so much about.

Well, yes, but the gear ratio isn't orsum for teh woods

[Snee]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPsY2NfPJtw

[manker]

:eyebrows:

Surely they would, in fact, take up more space than your folding bike that I've read so much about.

Well, yes, but the gear ratio isn't orsum for teh woods
That's okay. You don't have to explain to us - we already know that you're spending your ill-gotten coding gains on frippery.
You super-affluent baltic swede, you.

In other news: I used my new found knowledge on bikes and had a conversation about this French bike race on Saturday night.
I've always know that my mate liked going for an occasional ride but always tuned out when he started droning on about it. He said that he's going to France later this month in his van with two bikes and will be following the riders around the Alps. He'll be gone for three weeks.
Mental.

[manker]

I've been avidly following the bike ride in France and a couple of things have have made me wut.

Wiggins has been exactly seven seconds behind the Swiss guy all week. Even though he crashed on one of the days.
This is quite remarkable.

Okay so he was awarded the same time as The Swiss guy because he crashed. That explains him remaining exactly seven seconds behind on one of the days - but what about the other days? And why was he awarded the same time anyhow - I'm not aware of any other sport where this happens. Even in proper cycling which takes place in a velodrome, if you fall off your bike, it's tough luck. You lose. Why should it be different now?

Also Cavendish fell off his bike and he wasn't awarded the same amount of points as the stage winner of the green jersey thing - even though he was closer to the finish.
Where is your god now, cyclists.

[IdolEyes787]

Imagine the carnage if people had to sprint for 40th place.

Another rule that has been change over time like the instigation of mandatory use of helmets.

Originally it was crash and your shit out of luck but with bigger packs and faster speeds came the decision to have first a 2 now the current 3 kilometre "safe" zone.

You have no idea the risks that some riders are willing/have to take when it is essentially their livelihood on the line.
Why should some GC contender like Wiggins be penalized because some idiot tried to fit a foot wide object through a six inch space?

As for Cavendish,I'm hoping that you wee being facetious but the idea is give no penalty,not reward them.

In more pertinent news ,the site is dead to the point of being really depressing.

I'd actually stop with the caustic posts if I thought it would help an iota.

[manker]

Yeah okay the crash thing makes sense.
Well, it doesn't because it doesn't apply in things like horse racing or motor racing where tumbling off your ride often results in fatalities. But whatevar.

I wasn't being facetious about Cavendish. If Wiggins falls off and can't get a good time in the stage, sucks for him but at least he gets the same time as the winner, but if he falls off on purpose because he's basically fucked then he still gets the same time.
Cavendish should get the same opportunity to cheat.


So about this seven seconds thing: I'm none the wiser.
Srs. How did he keep getting the same time without falling off?


And yeah. Site is dead and I'm pretty sure it's all your fault. Merwais agrees. :dabs:

[IdolEyes787]

As long as there are not any "appreciable" gaps in the group then all riders are given the same time.

Also the steady decline in this site began about the time I stepped aside as staff so I'm figuring that people are protesting that happening or something.

[manker]

Oh, right. That must be why it's so 'exciting' when someone breaks from the peloton.


And we can fix that. Just swap accounts. I don't really care if people think I've had a partial lobotomy if it's good for fst.
I'm all about the little people.

[IdolEyes787]

I will resent that as soon as I google lobotomy to see what that means.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vjf6YgklpSA

In a breakaway for the entire 198 km stage only to be caught 100 metres from the line.

Sleep today safe in the knowledge that God hates you.

Greipel the guy who won avoiding a crash a couple of K from the line.Impressive especially considering they were probably doing in excess of 60kph and he had 2 couple of metres and a quarter of a second to react.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&v=hoLDw84Pycw&NR=1

[mjmacky]

In more pertinent news ,the site is dead to the point of being really depressing.

I'm not going to apologize for the recent sporadicity of my postings.

[IdolEyes787]

In more pertinent news ,the site is dead to the point of being really depressing.

I'm not going to apologize for the recent sporadicity of my postings.

Some of us get lambasted for "spamming" but in all seriousness if six or seven people didn't do so ...........

If an effort to become more popular with American audiences the Tour de France adopts the same format as American football where brief moments of action are followed by everyone falling down and then long periods of nothing happening while the players regroup.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qtWmmyJk48

Personally I don't see the appeal but then I don't really get NASCAR either.

[IdolEyes787]

Pro cycling basically sucks ever since it became about radio communication and who has the strongest team,not who is the strongest man.

The Tour is now so much about "defending" and "waiting for the most opportune moment" which not surprisingly hardly ever materializes that they should all wear shinguards and start referring to it as soccer on wheels.

I generally think Italians are a bunch of effete peacocks but when faced with overwhelming odds of failure at least Nabili was man enough to be willing to give it a go.
Not that he ever fully committed to extending himself far enough to be open to the possibility of losing time.

You think with all the drugs we have nowadays they would have one to give you courage.

[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.:lol:
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.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtZhG2kWVLY

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 :o
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".

[mjmacky]

"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.

Since usually I only come across people doing that when they are trying to share the light of Jesus Christ, I don't make them fuck off right away. Just recently my friend and I were approached by a lad, telling us how he was saved from sin. My lengthy thoughts on religion had him checking his phone and saying, "oh I forgot I was supposed to meet a friend, sorry I have to go." He must not have liked me because he is going to let me burn in hell because of a social engagement that didn't exist. I am doubting his salvation.

[IdolEyes787]

He probably was very astute and saw you as the lost cause you are.

[mjmacky]

He probably was very astute and saw you as the lost cause you are.

You don't meet very many missionaries do you?

[mjmacky]

By that I mean saying any of them are astute is pure folly.

[manker]

Another rest day :dabs:

I'm kindof missing the ten minute updates.

[IdolEyes787]

Another rest day :dabs:

I'm kindof missing the ten minute updates.Blame it on the drug crackdown.
In the good old days a doper like Tom Simpson could literally ride himself to death without even feeling tired.

[Skiz]

Looks like Wiggins has it locked up. I've only watched about half of the stages but he's been a beast from what I've seen. I'm hoping Van Garderen has a strong finish as well.

[IdolEyes787]

Looks like Wiggins has it locked up. I've only watched about half of the stages but he's been a beast from what I've seen. I'm hoping Van Garderen has a strong finish as well.

I think Nibali could have dropped him on a couple of climbs if Wiggins had been forced to take him on mano a mano.He's supple but seems to lack the explosiveness of a true climber.
That said though Wiggins is clearly in a class by himself in the time trials and I've never seen anyone be able to put on a turn of speed to close down gaps right at the end of stages like he's shown.

As For TeJay ffs he just put in one of the greatest tour debuts in history.He's 23 and he can climb and he can time trial and more importantly he recovers extremely well.If he stays healthy I can't see any reason why he won't win something major in the next few years.
At the very least, somebody is going to throw big money at him.

[Skiz]

Yeah. I read an interview with Wiggins where he expressed how happy he was with the time trials being where they are, on relatively open roads. He said this year was perfect for him.

Van Garderen has been solid. His tank just looked absolutely on empty in the latter portion of today.

[manker]

From what I've seen, I thought that Froome would have been a serious rival to Wiggins if he was on a different team.
He was much better than Wiggins in the mountains which could have made up for Wiggins' superiority in the time trials and flatter stages.

Nice to see a British winner :happy:

[IdolEyes787]

The real reason that Bradley Wiggins>Lance Armstrong.

http://www.thestar.com/sports/london2012/cycling/article/1235715--how-does-bradley-wiggins-follow-a-record-record-breaking-medal-by-getting-blind-drunk

[manker]

Hoi, Idol.
Did you see Pendleton's burst of acceleration to take the lead in the Keirin yesterday? It was the most stunning thing I've ever seen anyone do on a bike.

I couldn't find a vid because of nazis but you probably saw it anyway.

[IdolEyes787]

I'm pretty sure the British team have found a way to hide engines in their bikes.

Anyway while searching for the vid I found this and then all else faded to insignificance.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGeNsUaGTdk&feature=related

[manker]

There were some actual tits in that.
Jess Ennis pwns all just because of her stomach. Probably her face, too.

I also liked the Aussie hurdler chick who did that dance thing and Ivanovic, obviously. A late contender is Pendleton and any and all of the athletes who have 12 year old boy arses (inb4 Busy).

I'd make a thread about the hawtest Olympian but I keep getting sidetracked when looking for pics.

[Snee]

Hoi, Idol.
Did you see Pendleton's burst of acceleration to take the lead in the Keirin yesterday? It was the most stunning thing I've ever seen anyone do on a bike..

For me that would probably be something along the lines of...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHLtVhTaZjA

...but to each their own.

Also, awesome scenery at 3:15.

[manker]

6 minutes and some scenery :ghey:

Velodrome cycling is absolutely fantastic, btw, I'm not sure if you part timers have been watching as avidly as I have but the sprints just grab you. The anticipation while waiting for one or other of the riders to accelerate is edge of the seat stuff. I like the Keirin, too, but the one on one sprints pwn the mostest.

However, the omnicron or whatevar is incomprehensible and shite.
Get outside on the roads, endurance plebs, the track is for superstars like Kenny and Pendleton.

[IdolEyes787]

The sprints are the glamour event. It's a shame they took the the Kilo and the individual pursuits out as they were where the real talent and pain lay.