Official SJ.com Tour de France running thread

Gotta love the TdF spectators.

Someone throws a plastic bag filled with water, hitting two of the favorites in the final sprint to the finish.

Another of Europe's finest is waiving a sponsor sign at the finish line and hits yesterday's time trial winner, slicing his arm and probably ending his tour.

But, Armstong's understudy George Hincapie is wearing yellow after the first stage.

http://www.velonews.com/tour2006/details/articles/10209.0.html

 

Why is this called the "Official SportsJournalists.com Tour de France running thread?" Aren't they all on bikes? :

 

Sniff. The thread is dying. :'(

Anyhow ... Saturday is a big day for the tour. The first week was just a bunch of long, mostly-flat stages with people trying not to crash and break a collarbone. Now, we get a long time trial race where it's individual stuff instead of a bunch of 100-rider packs. The top sprinters -- hello Landis, Zabriskie and Hincapie! -- should be able to seperate themselves from most of the soon-to-be also rans. A few hefty mountain stages coming next weekend, though.

 

Hopefully the thread will pick up after the weekend sorts out the contenders. Saturday should be interesting.

 

With it being a 32-mile time trial, there should be some significant seperation between the top guys and the short sprinters and climbers. 32-miles could see gaps of a minute or more for the best riders out there.

Boonen's Tour is almost over. Unless he has some incredible climbs in him in a week or two, this will be the last time he wears Yellow. I'm predicting either Hincapie or Landis jumping out there to take Yellow this time.

 

Idaho,
How is the TdF simulation going at the Rec Center?? Have you been picked up by the broom wagon? Did you have to give a urine sample?

 

Having fun. Other than July 4 (when the place was closed) I've been there every morning. Some of the teachers are better than others, but it's pretty interesting how they try to condense a 200-kilometer ride into one hour. Mostly, they've let us do our own thing but try to turn the climbs (though they've been fairly small on the real tour) into a more sizable chunk of our training in the studio.

I was invited by some friends to do a hill climb race tomorrow morning -- 14 miles, 3,800 feet climb -- but fortunately I'm covering the race instead.

 

3,800 Ft?? not good for us former sprinters......give me a 400 meter leadourt anytime over a HC--last one I did (Mt Washington) I took a ride back down

 

I finally bought a new bike helmet (yes, I wrecked last fall, and no, I don't wanna talk about it), so I could start riding again. I'm so very out of bike riding shape though. Good lord.

 

Just did a six-mile ride yesterday. Have done as much as a 20-mile ride before.

Riding the bike is exhilirating. Forget about everything and just ride.



Would bike riding be better for your body than running?
I don't know the answer, but it seems like bike riding would be better. Less wear and tear on the knees, ankles and legs from hitting the pavement so much.

 

More important than the helmet is the saddle.

Just kidding. A helmet is No. 1, but you'll get in shape faster if you ass isn't so sore that you give up after one or two rides.

Goon, riding is better in many ways -- No. 1 being the lack of impact felt by your knees, shins, ankles, shoulders, back, etc. But you do get a busted up crotch if you're not careful.

 

I read somewhere that bike riding used the same muscles as ice skating, which is why I took it up in the first place.

I know that if I attempt to run my knees (and back) kill me every time. The bike makes my legs hurt, but that's just cause I'm out of shape. It'll go away in a few days.