If other's did reply to you off list Julia, could I ask those others to send their opinions to me? Just want to read what others are thinking.
I don't want to say I'm a fanatic, but I do tape every TDF from OLN. I got a satellite dish just to get OLN. (Well, the second reason. Comcast, the local cable, has raised the fees the full amount they can each year for the last five years. So this was my FU to them.) I also watch all the other bike races, as well as skiing on OLN. I've gotten into arguments over the TDF, and have not been wrong on the facts. (Just little arguments. At a bike event there was a DJ giving away prizes asking trivia questions. One question was: how many riders on each team in the TDF? A teenaged girl standing next to me asked her dad what the answer was, he said eleven riders. I didn't know these people, but I turned and said, "No, it's nine riders. Twenty one teams, nine riders, 189 riders total." (last year). The girl looked at me, then her dad, then ran up to the DJ and said nine riders. She got a pair of socks.)
Last year I listened to the live French audio stream coverage of the race while at work. As long as you know the names, everything can be figured out. This year I can't get anything to work, so I just read the text updates.
Tom Beck: Who says a playoff series doesn't begin until the home team loses? I've never heard that. Is it in pro basketball, which isn't a real sport? Do they mean the team with the home team advantage, or the home team for each game? I suspect they mean the first but it's still a silly statement. Not trying to pick a fight. I agree with you, LA hasn't lost time on any mountain stages in the last few years. But except for Heras, his team has not helped as much as they should have in the mountains. He doesn't have Hamilton anymore, he lost Andreau last year (who wasn't much of a climber). It will be noticeable if his pick-ups help more this year. Does Ullrich have as good a team around him?
Bryon: What press seems to think he'll win, this year? Do you mean non-cycling reporters? I thought last year everyone was fawning over him, with his win in the Swiss race, his standing as the number one cyclist in the world. I read Velo news which is a lot less biased then Bicycling magazine. They aren't cutting at him like they did two years ago, but not as supportive as last year. He has only won two prologues, right, last year and the year before that? While they are important, being the last starter and going over cobblestones would not be fun. He said he didn't start as hard as he liked. Think of it: they ride for 3-4 hours, then spin on a trainer for twenty minutes to get their heartrate way up, THEN they jump up to the ramp for a seven and a half minute race.
That's why I like the TDF. You can win the whole thing without winning a single stage. But also one stupid mistake can cost you a 21 day race. Last year for the USPS a flat caused five of them to wreck, they finished second with only six riders. This year they win the team time trial with all nine.
Kevin T. - VRWC Off on my own bike. I hope the rain holds off.
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