That Giro stage is still perhaps the greatest I’ve watched.

He will be introducing the mirror to FrAndy so they can keep their heads facing straight down the road!
Did Cadel ever really look over his shoulder this whole tour?!!!

I’m up for a proud man cry in Paris!

I think Les Freres Grimpeur, Grimpelder, and the Grimplette are amazing athletes who channel The V.

A-Merckx to that. As they say, there’s a reason we play the games.

I am just beside myself at how well Cuddles played that game. He’s a hard, hard man.

@eightzero

Remember the Death of the Grand Tour? Yeah, well, Cuddles can do it all.

That’s exactly right. But he’s not the best at any of it, which is why this was such a great Tour. Death of the Grand Tour was based on riders like Contador winning on the mountaintops as well as in the TT’s. Cadel limited his losses in the mountains and took advantage of his strength. He’s good enough in all disciplines to win the Tour, but he only took home one stage, a short, steep finish that was more suited to classics riders than climbers or TTers.

You couldn’t ask for a better example of how to resurrect the Grand Tour: have a rider win who excelled at all disciplines but was the best in none of them.

I don’t want to be too charitable to the Schleck fellas here after a less than stellar time trial, but give credit where credit is due and don’t take away too much from the brothers Grimp. 16th and 17th at 2 minutes out in the final TdF TT obviously didn’t cut it, but it’s also not terrible in the way folks are making it out to be. Should they work on the TT skills (and mental approach)? Yes. Does it stand in stark contrast to other yellow Jersey TTs of the recent past? Yes. But as this a horrible display of te anti-V? I don’t think so.
The bottom line here is that the Schlecks didn’t lose the tour as much as Cadel simply won it. He won it in the time trial, sure, but he also won it yesterday on Alps D’Huez and especially the previous day in his one-man assault on the final climb. Reclaimed 2 full minutes from Andy, with a full host of favorites in tow. Pure V. Yes the Schlecks are weaker in the TT, but the real difference here was how Cadel was able to hang with their strength in the mountains, then recover and dominate contre le montre. Chapeau to Good Cadel.

Agreed completely. Pretending that Frank and Andy were pussies only cheapens Cadels win.

I say Chapeau to all the riders in the top 10; almost without exception, they showed some serious class in this, one of the best Tour ever.

None of these guys are soft. This was hard racing, and let’s remember that this was a race where the strongest rider won – it was not a matter of softest who lost. Cadel was superior against a very strong competitor in Andy Schleck, who did not make it easy for him. That only goes to give credit to Cadel.

This after a stalemate in the Pyrenees and Andy gambling everything he had on the only way he could possibly win this Tour: a long-distance hail-mary. And it almost worked.

The next day, Contador, the guy who has won every Grand Tour he had entered since 2007 (with the notable exception of this one) tried the same tactic and was caught again before the last climb. That should tell you a little something about how hard it is to make a move like that stick.

Andy lost the Tour, but he went down after burning all his matches on the only chance he had. I say Chapeau to les Freres Grimpeur for their work. And Chapeau to Cadelephant for riding a near-perfect Tour and taking a well-deserved win. And, lastly, Frandy need to get on a TT bike and train with Faboo on both TT’ing and descending.

—

That reminds me: as most of you know, my name is pronounced “Fronk”, not “Frank”. At work, I joke that “Frank” is an asshole, a complete fuckup who never does anything right. “Fronk” is a great, charming, intelligent man who always exceeds expectations. “Be careful which one you invite to meetings.”, I always tell people who mess up my name.

I think Les Freres Grimpeur, Grimpelder, and the Grimplette are amazing athletes who channel the V. I think Frandy are a couple of guys who suck at TT’s and complain when a sketchy descent is included in a race.

Woohoo Cadel!!!

This guy looked to me like a disguised super-villain retired in Florida.

Nah. That’s just Brett hanging on out Aussie Sunday/Real World Saturday.

This guy looked to me like a disguised super-villain retired in Florida.

you’ right about spectators…..like these two more!

casual saturday eating a fruit outdside / totally concentrated to main²tain a 50km/h average

Tweet from the ET says his “bad luck continued today.” Did he crash, mechanical? Or just suck?

Can only guess that eggtimers autocorrect must have inserted “luck” when he wrote “form”.

However, it was really nice to be there !!!!

Quel beau tour, n’est-ce pas?

For the record, Pierre Rolland will end France’s TdF drought. Not next year, but he looks to have what it takes to be the first Frenchman since Hinault to win the home tour.

On another note, Levi just needs to hang it up. Pretty sad showing from the Eggtimer.

I’m already feeling a TDF hangover creeping on and we are not even to Paris. Have to admit, today was a flagrant Rule #62 violation during my AM ride. I had to have the live stream going in one ear as I rode my favorite climb. It gets you pretty pumped hearing Phil and Paul shouting out the time gaps for Cadel and Andy. What a way to start my Saturday.

Now, time to turn Netflix, settle in with a cold Fosters and wach a little Crocodile Dundee. May have to even throw a few shrimp on the bbq later just to celebrate. (Am I missing any stereotypes?)

SCHLECKs

VOECKLER

CUNEGO

CONTADOR

FIRST PHOTOS ARE COMING SOON ;;;

WAIT FOR IT §§§ !!!

I’m gonna say it one more time: the Tour is for the best rider on all terrain. You can have one weakness if you’re good enough at another discipline. But you can’t have two.
Andy, Fränk: if you want to win the Tour ever, you’re going to have to learn to descend and/or TT. All it takes is practice.

But hay, Cuddles sure made that BMC Time Machine look good today, hunh? That image should supplant his difficulty yesterday. I sure would like to see what broke.

@harminator
Surely it’s Khe Sanh?
For any Aussies reading this who were watching SBS, can anyone tell me if Tomo had a boner while he was talking to Matt White? Man that guy was overexcited..

Mate, Don’t mention the war! This internet thing is international.

And Tomo won’t have to renew his viagra script for years!

For any Aussies reading this who were watching SBS, can anyone tell me if Tomo had a boner while he was talking to Matt White? Man that guy was overexcited..

I’m slipping away, better work on my TTing skills…

I’ve never heard the Aussie national anthem. Is it played by beating rocks on dingo heads?

Here it is…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OE0dQNxA3xo

Sorry a bit pissed and a lot excited..

That would be Cyclingtipsblog.com (damn auto correct) and July 21 posting.

The bottom line here is that the Schlecks didn’t lose the tour as much as Cadel simply won it. He won it in the time trial, sure, but he also won it yesterday on Alps D’Huez and especially the previous day in his one-man assault on the final climb. Reclaimed 2 full minutes from Andy, with a full host of favorites in tow. Pure V. Yes the Schlecks are weaker in the TT, but the real difference here was how Cadel was able to hang with their strength in the mountains, then recover and dominate contre le montre. Chapeau to Good Cadel.

@frank
Our PM tried it when we won the Americas Cup!
What a gutsy effort from cadel not to give up on grand tours after the last few years. Such belief in himself in the face of so many doubters (me included.)
30 years ago the first non- euro put on a yellow jersey. His name was phil Anderson
Massive Sunday on the piss coming up!

Good call Marcus – Phil was the beginning of the Anglo invasion.
Big celebration time.

Still chances to win his bike (raced in the Worlds and Lombardy) and help kids with Cerebral Palsy at the same time – check out Cyclingtipsblig.com entry on 21 June.

Yeeeaaahhh!!! See you up on the mountain at Kingkake this summer Cadel…

Well, they TT better than Rasmussen.

24 carat Gold.

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Oh, yeah, CADEL WON IT!!! I”M ACTUALLY SHOUTING THIS OUT LOUD AS I WRITE THIS IN CAPS!!!

Hooray! I haven’t felt this happy since I was a kid on Christmas morning!

Andy, Fränk: if you want to win the Tour ever, you’re going to have to learn to descend and/or TT. All it takes is practice.

What a gutsy effort from cadel not to give up on grand tours after the last few years. Such belief in himself in the face of so many doubters (me included.)

30 years ago the first non- euro put on a yellow jersey. His name was phil Anderson

Massive Sunday on the piss coming up!

Congrats to a deserving winner, and a great battle from the Swivels over the 3 weeks, and Tommy 5! Amazing Tour…

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Thanks for the correction, Marcus & harminator.

Nice win, Cadel! Enjoy the celebration all you Aussies!

Did I just hear that Oz is thinking of making this a national holiday? Really?

@Ron Love you pal -but Canterbury is a Kiwi company!

@Ron

Amazing that an Aussie will win & he’s not a manly bloke, just a wee fella with the dimple chin & that high voice…
Will the blokes in their Canterbury shorts and Blundastone boots still cheer him on?

Cantebury is a Kiwi company and its Blundstone. But we get it. And the answer is…probably not.

Get on your TT bike, BOY!

I think there is some type of strange quantum entanglement between the Swivelnecks. Their time gaps are the same. They both can’t ride their bikes downhill. They both swivel. They might be the same rider in some highly unlikely way.

Too many baths together as kids

YEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!
*cough*
I mean; well done old chap. Jolly good show.

+1

Q. What is the second letter of this year’s TdF winner’s surname?

Doh! Frank beat me to it.

Will the blokes in their Canterbury shorts and Blundastone boots still cheer him on?

I think there is some type of strange quantum entanglement between the Swivelnecks. Their time gaps are the same. They both can’t ride their bikes downhill. They both swivel. They might be the same rider in some highly unlikely way.

Invisible tandem?

*cough*

I mean; well done old chap. Jolly good show.

You know what the problem is with the Schlecks? No V in their names. Cadelephant has a V in his name. Nuff said.

+1

Well, they TT better than Rasmussen.

That one TdF TT is worth watching with the Benny Hill theme music playing. Good fun, if not good clean fun.

You know what the problem is with the Schlecks? No V in their names. Cadelephant has a V in his name. Nuff said.

+1

Go Son!!

@Leroy

@Marcus
Seriously, internet badasses like you are a joke.
My email is badbadleroybrowning@yahoo.com

Hmmmmm…

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

Not bad for BMC either, maybe we’ll see a few more on the road instead of all those Treks…