tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8849348372908281816.post7218575663024395656..comments2024-01-01T06:40:52.523-08:00Comments on Inane Asylum: Tour Talk, the final weekMatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10517087265569164625noreply@blogger.comBlogger34125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8849348372908281816.post-4550598094705072852015-07-25T22:24:26.425-07:002015-07-25T22:24:26.425-07:00I"m with you Barbara on TJ...even tho I haven...I"m with you Barbara on TJ...even tho I haven't yet jumped on his fan bus, I do respect him (and he has improved MARKEDLY in his interviews since last year!)...I was crushed and deeply saddened when he stopped his bike and stood there, knowing it was over. I really thought HE would have been in these last 4 dramatic Alp stages as a HUGE protagonist....his team was fantastic too...and if healthy, he was surely capable of big things in these last few stages. But that's spilt milk now....no use crying over it or wondering...next year. With Ritchie Porte working for him (I HOPE!)...THAT will be interesting! Assuming that's how it's going to be anyway. Matthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10517087265569164625noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8849348372908281816.post-73389299959765540072015-07-25T22:21:01.011-07:002015-07-25T22:21:01.011-07:00I look forward to Quintana in the coming years...I...I look forward to Quintana in the coming years...I think he's a breath of fresh air. However, just think back to when Alberto suddenly came to light...wasn't it against Cadel? And didn't it come down to the final ITT for Cadel to hold him off? After that it was Alberto for a few years...then suddenly Froome jumps out of nowhere...and now Nairo out of nowhere. As Susie said...who will be the NEXT to jump from obscurity to the limelight? Certainly won't be any of the white jersey 'contenders' from this year...wow...what a gap to 2nd and then 3rd! Matthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10517087265569164625noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8849348372908281816.post-57553662432968004322015-07-25T22:16:25.598-07:002015-07-25T22:16:25.598-07:00Oh my GOSH...I'm flat out EXHAUSTED after stag...Oh my GOSH...I'm flat out EXHAUSTED after stage 20! I've never been a huge Valverde fan over the last 5 years or so, but I can't take away what a PRO he was this year...I was worried all along having him and Quintana on the team...thought it was going to be like that year Lance came back when it was SUPPOSED to be Alberto's team..that was NOT right. But thankfully, AV did amazing...and today was pure awesomeness...AV finally made his attack stick, Nairo finally drops Sky (which was NOT easy to do) and gets to AV, and finally when AV is done, catches his teammate from the break who paces him up to the final few k...just FANTASTIC! And near the end, I was again yelling at the TV for Nairo to catch Pinot...(nothing against Pinot..I just REALLY wanted Nairo to win the stage, as it was obvious that he was not going to catch Foome). Can't give enough kudo's to Movistar...they were just brilliant. And looking back, wasn't it stages 2 and 10 where Quintana lost all that time? Eliminate that loss from EITHER of them and yo have a different race. As the saying goes, you don't win the Tour in that first 2 weeks, but you can lose it. <br /><br />But in the end, I have to say that despite all the pitfalls and drama's, I enjoyed this tour more than any in recent memory. And Susie, you MUST MUST MUST MUST MUST get a DVR....honestly, it's the best invention SINCE THE TV ITSSELF! I can't imagine life without it. I control my viewing life completely with it....as to the stupid commercials, I say WHAT stupid commercials? My DTV Gennie box (which btw is the most fantastic DVR I've ever had) lets me swoop thru stuff at 1x, 2x, 3x, or 4x, OR I hit one little button just above the FF button and it goes 30 seconds at a time (the length of most commercials..this year 6 quick pushes brought me quickly right back to the action...tho in the mountains when they started doubling up on the commercials to bring the final climb uninterrupted, it wold take 12 pushes). Whoever your provider is, when your contract is up, work on them to get a DVR...I thought most all providers (cable AND Sattelite) give them away for basicly FREE with new subscriptions...you have to pay an extra $5 a month I think..but it's the best $5 you will ever pay! I LOVE MY DVR! Live TV has no claim on me...I watch whatever I want whenever I want..and commercials no longer exist.<br /><br />OK...gotta go for now...it's pretty late for me....as I've been up watching every precious moment of today's final showdown stage (I had a nice 'little' ride today to commemorate the big final showdown...my longest ride of the year...did 94 miles solo in the wind...woo-HOO! It felt like the Alp d' Huez to ME!) <br /><br />On to Paris...congrats Froomey...well fought and well deserved Mantis Man and Team Sky! Hope all goes safe and smooth for ALL the riders into Paris tomorrow (and all the way to the line). I'm rooting for Sagan of course (if only he wouldn't' give interviews...yes, his voice is a eensy bit grating...but I forgive that as he's such a class act on the bike!)Matthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10517087265569164625noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8849348372908281816.post-9914954819499769012015-07-25T22:00:06.463-07:002015-07-25T22:00:06.463-07:00TOTALLY AGREE...if nobody can come up with actual ...TOTALLY AGREE...if nobody can come up with actual PROOF of any actual violations against Sky, then they need to drink a glass of "shut the hell up" and embrace what they are doing. HUGE kudos for Sky in this horrific final week...they did what they needed to. Matthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10517087265569164625noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8849348372908281816.post-60169777143108304702015-07-25T19:16:28.670-07:002015-07-25T19:16:28.670-07:00WOW, today I got cars instead of sandwiches to pro...WOW, today I got cars instead of sandwiches to prove I'm not a robot! I almost checked a boat and flunked out! <br />BarbaraAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8849348372908281816.post-68518904438661320032015-07-25T19:15:06.205-07:002015-07-25T19:15:06.205-07:00Hi friends, sorry I've been AWOL this week, bu...Hi friends, sorry I've been AWOL this week, but I've been watching! I thought the Alps stages were the best in a long time - very exciting, fun to watch. And of course, beautiful. I love watching Quintana climb! I'm glad he went for it today. And Ryder and Thibaut - talk about reaching deep into that "suitcase of courage"! <br />I have a DVR and record it live and watch when I get home - goal is to get to bed earlier than watching the "prime time" show. And I get to FFW through the commercials, but I STILL see that insipid blonde with the horse way too much. I've caught the evening show a couple of times - no need to watch it anymore since it's the same as the morning show. Remember when the evening show was Bob Roll doing the color commentary - I loved that and learned so much about the Tour from him. I worked from home in those years and watched the live show from my home office and I enjoyed watching Bobke to see what he would say. I also thought P&P were better this year.<br />I actually cried when TJ dropped out. It was just so awful to see him pull off and get in that car, not because of a crash. <br />Cathy, I agree about the podium girl dresses! <br />Isn't it Greg LeMonde who is accusing them of using motors in the bikes? Isn't it enough for him that he got to be right about Lance? To me, he is just a bitter aging athlete. <br />Ready for the champagne stage!<br />BarbaraAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8849348372908281816.post-48195972812187503812015-07-25T14:25:00.529-07:002015-07-25T14:25:00.529-07:00Rae, I will be at Worlds the entire time. Maybe we...Rae, I will be at Worlds the entire time. Maybe we can say hi!!<br />ASO can't keep a World Tour team (Astana) from the Tour. It's guaranteed that all WT teams will have an invite.<br />Wonder what TGV thinks about Porte coming to BMC and whom will be working for whom? One seems perhaps more capable of performing in the third week of a GT.<br />Loved Tivo so much this year. Was able to get up at 6 most days, skip through all the commercials and still be live for the last part of the race.<br />Great Tour this year. Hope Quintana gets a win one year. Love the way he races. And will be great to see AV on the podium. He's had a great career. And for tomorrow, let's go Kristoff! Win #19 of the season is waiting for you!cmehlnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8849348372908281816.post-14629217606039018922015-07-25T10:46:50.663-07:002015-07-25T10:46:50.663-07:00I enjoyed the stage even as I kept thinking how th...I enjoyed the stage even as I kept thinking how the overall wouldn't change.....I was shouting for Ryder to hang on, but still happy that Pinot won the stage (although, a little more maturity from him in the first week would have been nice...)<br /><br />I am sure that Tinkov had everything to do with AC attempting the double. I despise the man ...but not his money! CSC was my favorite team when I was first able to watch the tour, it well and truly is not the same team now!<br /><br />SusieB talking about commercials-- some other women have mentioned their dislike of "Hannah's horse" and the knees (I assume taking it as a crude reference?) but the ones that really have set my teeth on edge are the Passat ladies. HATE them. So much that I can barely remember the other ads despite hearing them 5000 times! Let's see, Cadillac, some kind of alcohol, some kind of beer, a couple of local spots (is Firehouse Deli local or national?), Jelly Belly.... no bike manufacturers this year...I must be forgetting a few but it does seem like I saw the same 7 ads over and over and over and over. Well, Rae, be GRATEFUL that there are sponsors for cycling in the USA at all!<br /><br />I can't believe the TdF is all done but the champagne. Looking forward to RICHMOND in September -- I have already found someone to work my weekend for me, and I plan to be there for the men's road race!<br /><br />Rae<br /><br /><br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8849348372908281816.post-31571587671295976722015-07-25T10:41:22.420-07:002015-07-25T10:41:22.420-07:00Watching Froome & Quintana the past 3 weeks ha...Watching Froome & Quintana the past 3 weeks has had me thinking back to 2009 when we all salivated about the coming years as the 'Bert vs Andy showdown'. Remember how we all thought we'd have YEARS of those two slugging it out at the Tour? And really, the only years they were both at their peak were 2009 & 2010. That Andy is retired already still shocks & saddens me. But, thinking of those two makes me wonder what OTHER rider will come out of seemingly "nowhere" to challenge Froome & Quintana. Or what "life challenges" will get in the way of the "Froomey & Q" show over the next 5 years.<br /><br />Since Froome is a bit older than Quintana, I wonder how his increasing age will affect him & the rivalry. Contador has never been the same since 2010 (in my opinion, even when he won the Giro & Vuelta). His legendary "ass dancing" up the mountains has almost disappeared entirely. Man, I miss that swaying butt!<br /><br />Alrighty, for tomorrow, I'm HOPING for Cav to win on the Champs! And if not him, then the Saginator! Hey, do you think they will again ride AROUND the Arc d'Triumphe or go back to turning in front? I like the ride-around!<br /><br />So happy to see many of the Asylum chatting here during the Tour! I wish Janann could have joined us. Anybody hear from her the past year? I miss her.<br /><br />Well, gotta scoot. Talk to ya'll again Monday! Enjoy tomorrow! :) :) :)susie bnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8849348372908281816.post-39168275419236649542015-07-25T10:16:23.229-07:002015-07-25T10:16:23.229-07:00More about SATURDAY'S STAGE -
Really great s...More about SATURDAY'S STAGE - <br /><br />Really great stage to wrap up (virtually) this year's Tour! Sunny- yeah! Alpe d'Huez - double yeah! Attacks left & right - yeah, yeah, yeah!<br /><br />And the BEST THING OF ALL is that Nibbles FLATTED right at the bottom of the Alpe & thus could never really get back into it to attack. OMG, I almost rolled off the sofa screaming & laughing! KARMA!<br /><br />Overall, I've been the happiest with this TDF since 2011. The last few years have been upsetting, depressing or both. This Tour was NOT perfect - a little too few sprint stages for my taste, the 1st week is still ridiculously dangerous & we lost Spartacus & Tony Martin (but at LEAST we didn't lose the main contenders this time) & of course, the most upsetting of all, but which was not the fault of the race or ASO - the abandonment of Tejay. Man, that upset me so much I barely watched Thursday's stage at night & I ALMOST changed my mind about taking vacation time Friday morning. I had regretted the time I took for the other 3 stages & was still so bummed about TVG, I didn't think I'd care what happened. SO glad I changed my mind back! It was an AWESOME stage!<br /><br />Besides losing TVG, the only other thing I wish I could go back & change is for Contador to NOT ride the damn Giro! Still don't understand it. Do you really think it was HIS idea to do the Double or did Tinkov pressure him? He's quoted as saying that the Double would be more impressive on his palmares than "just another Tour win". Yeah, but NOW Froome has the same # of TDF wins as HIM! And Contador was supposed to be "the best Grand Tour rider of his generation". If AC really retires after next year, Froome has the chance to win at least 2-4 more, wouldn't that make HIM the best generational rider? Although I guess they didn't ride at exactly the same time, enough years did overlap.susie bnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8849348372908281816.post-87631079960561620752015-07-25T09:53:05.710-07:002015-07-25T09:53:05.710-07:00I had to work today but one good thing is I can co...I had to work today but one good thing is I can comment now about Saturday's stage. SPOILER if you didn't watch it live.<br /><br />GREAT stage! Quintana gave it everything he had & while Sky & Froome looked weakened, Froome had enough to keep chugging up the climb & save his Tour win. I don't know if I'll ever be a big fan of Mantis-Man, but I have to agree with Rae, his interactions with the media have been impressive, even & especially as he was being accused relentlessly by the French media as an "absolute doper".(And who didn't know that giving the race & training data to the public would NOT stop the accusers?) I laugh imagining how Wiggins would have handled that onslaught! He blew up constantly & the media were MUCH tamer then. Bottom line for me is that as I've said here, I've always thought Team Sky had SOMETHING "illegal" that helped their racers. They have 2-4 TIMES the budget of almost every other team. As CVV mentioned this morning, they train "like nobody else". What he DIDN'T say was that THEY can AFFORD it! In my opinion, this financial discrepancy is just another form of "performance enhancement". However, unless Froome or any Sky rider tests positive or there is video evidence of said doping, then I don't want to hear about it. Same for any rider & team, even Astana, who should NOT have even been allowed in the race! BTW, remember in 2008 when ASO huffed they could "invite whomever they wanted to THEIR race" & thus barred Astana (with brand new membesr & 2006 TDF champ Contador & Levi & new mgt, all who had nothing to do with the doping on the 2007 team)? Well, why didn't ASO bar Astana this time?<br /><br />susie bnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8849348372908281816.post-32386284321791204742015-07-25T09:33:30.094-07:002015-07-25T09:33:30.094-07:00LOL, his confrontation with Nibbles is the 1ST tim...LOL, his confrontation with Nibbles is the 1ST time I've actually liked Froomey!<br /><br />And speaking of horses, I spent most of my childhood riding horses, there was always a horse or two on the farm, so I like horses, but OMG, I would like to SHOOT "Hannah's horse" right now! In his "DIRTY KNEES!" ARGH!<br />susie bnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8849348372908281816.post-45842231652248169862015-07-25T09:27:23.662-07:002015-07-25T09:27:23.662-07:00Yeah well, based on Saturday's stage, KARMA ag...Yeah well, based on Saturday's stage, KARMA agrees with me! ;)<br /><br />And despite being down 8 minutes, when Nibali looked RIGHT AT FROOME NOT ONCE BUT TWICE & SAW EXACTLY WHAT WAS HAPPENING, he attacked THEN. And then to LIE about it after? Give me a freakin break.<br /><br />And yes, if he had attacked earlier or later, once Froome had caught back, I would have applauded his ride & win. Of course, then I wouldn't have known what a sh*t he really is. ;)<br />susie bnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8849348372908281816.post-16215928641845179982015-07-24T21:05:55.004-07:002015-07-24T21:05:55.004-07:00He was no threat to Froome what-so-ever...therefor...He was no threat to Froome what-so-ever...therefore the 'don't attack the yellow for a mechanical' doesn't hold. He didn't attack the yellow. He attacked everybody else. There is no gentlemens rule on that. It was wonderful to see a glimmer of last-years Nibs back on the road...<br /><br />I was sad to see Alberto not have it...thought sure when he changed his bike he had something in store for us. Damn that Giro...we can only dream how he would be riding (and what the leaderboard of this race would look like) had he NOT raced the Giro and focused everything on this race. I was really hoping that at the end of today we could have anywhere between 2 and 4 riders within 2 minutes of the lead (including Froome!) I thought yesterday we saw a chink in his armor.....and today we FINALLY saw for the FIRST TIME this Tour he went backwards just a bit. Tomorrow's stage should be EPIC (if anybody has anything left in their legs that is). FANTASTIC STAGE TODAY FOR SURE!! Matthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10517087265569164625noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8849348372908281816.post-4828153391629479932015-07-24T21:00:14.537-07:002015-07-24T21:00:14.537-07:00Here's how I see it Susie...he didn't atta...Here's how I see it Susie...he didn't attack the Yellow (unlike Contador when Andy's chain got stuck a few years back). He attacked 4th thru 6th place. Froome in yellow had NOTHING WHATSOEVER to fear from this attack. In fact, as was said more than once, it probably HELPED him as his team had dissolved and Valverde and Contador had to TRY to protect their positions. I don't see it as an attack on the yellow at all. If Nibbles was up in one of the top few places then it would be an entirely different matter. But he wasn't. He had NO CHANCE to hurt the yellow...it was all the rest who had to worry. I think it was a brilliant attack and he had the legs to hold it! LOVE IT that he took back some time FINALLY! And he brought out Quintana FINALLY also! Sheesh...I was thinking he truly had nothing left and was just hanging in there...but no, he had more. If only he had attacked earlier! Matthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10517087265569164625noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8849348372908281816.post-48889193124209141172015-07-24T18:26:29.970-07:002015-07-24T18:26:29.970-07:00Love that Nibs attacked. He was down 8 min for God...Love that Nibs attacked. He was down 8 min for God's sake. Froome didn't even chase him or consider him a threat. Froome needs to get off his high horse. cmehlnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8849348372908281816.post-79614815586540798942015-07-24T12:41:53.924-07:002015-07-24T12:41:53.924-07:00SPOILER UPDATE!
Ok, I've had a chance to brie...SPOILER UPDATE!<br /><br />Ok, I've had a chance to briefly look at some TDF articles & I guess "the incident" can be named STONEGATE. And, I'm actually becoming a fan of Froome - he went up to Nibbles after the stage & called him "unsportsmanlike" (& perhaps a few choice Sicilian words ole Nibbles didn't want to hear). YOU GO, FROOMEY! Meanwhile, my opinion of Nibbles plummets further - he's a LIAR on top of a sneak.<br /><br />Up until today, I'd been feeling sorry for ole Nibbles at this race. And actually admired that he stayed in it after his humiliating start. Now, I hope AC, Q, Valverde & most of all, Sky & Froome CRUSH him tomorrow.<br />susie bnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8849348372908281816.post-34525168986265028702015-07-24T12:03:03.770-07:002015-07-24T12:03:03.770-07:00I haven't been able to read anything yet so do...I haven't been able to read anything yet so don't know exactly what Froome's bike problem was but memories of 2010's CHAINGATE came flooding back to me & every cycling fan, I'm sure! :)<br /><br />BTW, do ya'll really think a team WOULD put tiny motors in their bikes at the TDF or any World Tour race? Four-five years ago when I 1st read about this I scoffed, but apparently it is possible. My question is whether a pro cycling team would take the chance to do such a thing. I personally believe it is FAR WORSE than doping! And any team (& its DS, manager, owner, mechanics) caught doing it should be thrown not just out of that race but out of the SPORT for at least 3-5 years. The rider(s) would have to sit at least 2-3 years.<br /><br />susie bnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8849348372908281816.post-79816783786884084322015-07-24T11:49:46.205-07:002015-07-24T11:49:46.205-07:00****SPOILER ALERT!! STAGE 19, FRI 7/24****SPOILER!...****SPOILER ALERT!! STAGE 19, FRI 7/24****SPOILER!<br /><br />On the one hand, today was the BEST TDF MT STAGE in at least the last 2 years! On the other hand, I consider today's stage win NULL & VOID due to the way in which the guy advanced. I'm sure the cycling twitter feeds/blogs are on fire with folks yelling back & forth about whether what Nibbles did today was "awesome" or "heinous". My vote is definitely the latter & I was SHOCKED to hear Bobke & CVV think it was ok. (Yeah for Jensie to tell it like it is - that it was NOT ok!) Yes, Nibbles was FAR down the GC from the yellow jersey but he COULD have gotten himself on the podium depending on how things shook out. It was GREAT that he attacked during the stage & rode like a demon to the end. The PROBLEM is that the Yellow Jersey had a mechanical & Nibbles looked RIGHT AT HIM not once but TWICE & THEN attacked! You don't do that! And for the Astana team to whine that "nobody waited for Nibbles during the 1st week when he had a mechanical" well for pete's sake, he was NOT in the Yellow jersey & they weren't even together on the road! If Nibbles had already attacked & was 50-100 yards up the road when Froome had the problem, then I would not have expected him to stop. But he looked right at Froome TWICE & saw exactly what was happening & decided he would attack at that very moment. I didn't have much respect for him before, but now I have even less. This "unwritten" rule of not attacking the YJ due to mechanicals, etc is one of the things that made me fall in love with this crazy sport!<br /><br />Anyhoo, Team Sky CRACKED & left Froome isolated on most of the last climb! Quintana finally attacked with about 5K left & put some major time into Froome (ok, only about 44 seconds but it was SOMEthing!). I was hoping Contador could do the same thing but he just doesn't have it right now. At least Valverde didn't put any more time into AC (they finished together).<br /><br />The fact that Sky showed some definite weakness has me salivating even more for tomorrow & ALPE D'HUEZ! Whoo-hoo! I still don't think Froome will be beaten but the podium is still up for grabs & at least it looks like Q will give it everything he's got to TRY to crack Froome.susie bnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8849348372908281816.post-3723248052775059312015-07-24T11:17:37.145-07:002015-07-24T11:17:37.145-07:00I would also think that all of these guys have top...I would also think that all of these guys have top-tier cardio-vascular systems...and that their bodies are pretty efficient at getting oxygen to the brain and organs...and that even as they get to higher altitudes would be more efficient than us 'regular' folk. I'll have to go back and find the article on this past off-season when Saxo-Tinkoff as a team climbed Kilamanjaro (I believe that's over 18,000'). I don't recall if they had any of their people suffering from altitude sickness. Matthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10517087265569164625noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8849348372908281816.post-77831097900795104072015-07-24T08:05:52.592-07:002015-07-24T08:05:52.592-07:00Rae, I think they actually ascend and then descend...Rae, I think they actually ascend and then descend so quickly that in general altitude is not a problem, sort of like the climbers who climb without oxygen in the alpine ascents. They do it fast enough that the body doesn't realize what has happened....hiking is so much slower, plenty of time for the brain to hurt!!cmehlnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8849348372908281816.post-17497557056149686192015-07-24T05:13:52.422-07:002015-07-24T05:13:52.422-07:00The first thing I thought of on TJ's bad day w...The first thing I thought of on TJ's bad day was altitude sickness -- and I wonder, why don't these guys ever seem to suffer from that? I always did, even at 7000 feet (mildly) and the headache can be pretty bad. I always carried a bottle of pepto-b with me when backpacking for that reason. Granted, usually a night at altitude got me over it. They did stay Mon. night at a higher elevation, didn't they? But I heard the hotel conditions were awful -- hot.<br /><br />I am watching the first part of the stage now (from the beginning, yay!) but will have to see the finish tonight, things to do! Looks like this will be another good one judging from the first hour. <br /><br />Nice to see you commenting, Cathy! Yay for JRod!<br /><br />RaeAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8849348372908281816.post-29557024396525627062015-07-23T20:26:25.992-07:002015-07-23T20:26:25.992-07:00Well...stage 18 is in the history books. WOW what ...Well...stage 18 is in the history books. WOW what a beastly stage! And LOVED that final climb! I'd LOVE to ride that myself! (I didn't say RACE it...just RIDE it). For the first time this Tour I thought Froome looked like he was about on the edge...however, so was everybody else...they had used their bags of tricks and the bags were empty. If ONLY any of them had one more real attack left, I think that person could have gained back a bit of time...likely not a lot, but considering how strong Froome has been and not allowing them anything, it would be a huge psychological win. <br /><br />And so we will see what they have in the tank tomorrow...they are QUICKLY running out of mountains...tomorrow and Saturday is IT. I really hope Alberto can gain back a few minutes bringing him back up with Quintana/Valverde...I'd love to see a real fight for 2nd and 3rd (I'd MUCH rather see a fight for 1st, but unless Froome crashes or has an Andy Schleck Chaingate moment, I don't see them all gaining on him. But as Andy showed that tour, anything can happen. Matthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10517087265569164625noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8849348372908281816.post-82730197537759588792015-07-23T11:06:00.967-07:002015-07-23T11:06:00.967-07:00Cathy...totally agree P&P are better than past...Cathy...totally agree P&P are better than past years...and then add in Todd, Bobke, Christian and Jens and it's the best overall commentary EVER IMO. I really like it that P&P seem to ut-over to the other booth a lot during the stage, and then having Jens at the finish line all day, and Steve Perino out on the moto all day (not sure I'd like that job)....I really think Jens is a FANTASTIC addition to the crew, and really happy for him to continue to be involved in the sport And the banter between Christian and Bobke is pretty great....they have both the early period and the current period covered with on the road experience. Matthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10517087265569164625noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8849348372908281816.post-51510497022144545052015-07-23T07:48:14.807-07:002015-07-23T07:48:14.807-07:00A couple of random comments - the hostess outfits ...A couple of random comments - the hostess outfits are super cute this year - all the outfits for the jerseys and stage winners are flattering and tasteful. No polka dot umbrella dresses this time ;-) Also I think P&P have done good commentary this year - far less mistakes and stumbles than in recent years. When I mentioned this to my husband, he said maybe they stopped drinking. haha, fat chance!cmehlnoreply@blogger.com