[rxter]

Wondering how many fans we have out there? I started getting Vs. on my cable last year and caught some of the latter stages. Got totally hooked. I love watching Cav ride for 80 miles on Renshaw's bumper and somehow have all that energy left for the last 100 yards - amazing.

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[Johannvb]

I like to keep up to date, but the daily synopsis on the news is good enough for me.

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[Chris Vais]

I'm a huge fan. I began riding in competition in 1962 while I was in high school. I purchased a Cinelli Super Corsa custom built to my specifications with full Campagnolo Groupo in 1962. I still own this bike and I still ride it occasionally. I also owned a Masi criterium bike and a Cinelli track bike, both of which I sold after I stopped competitive riding. I road raced, criterium raced all over California, and rode individual pursuit on the old San Jose velodrome.

The old Cinelli frame is carbon steel and very compliant compared to todays aluminum and composite frames and so it is comfortable ride. I built up a Bridgestone RADAC road bike for my wife a few years back. It is aluminum and quite rigid compared to the Cinelli. My mountain bike has an aluminum frame and it s very rigid compared to he Cinelli.

I have a soft spot in my heart for the old classical Italian racing bikes from the 1960's. I'm on the lookout for a nice example of a DeRosa, Masi, or Legnano.

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[apex]

we're feeling Lance's stage 8 pain today [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wacko.gif[/img]

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[968Oz]

Also a huge fan. I began cycle racing later in life and would compete in 2-3 criteria a week in summer and road races in winter. It was like a second job. Raced on a custom made aluminium alloy frame and then Look carbon. Alloy frame snapped a chain stay recently [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sad.gif[/img]. It was a beautiful frame with a custom paint job (it now hangs in my garage). Gave up racing due to heart condition and eventually got into Porsches. Difference in costs - about 10-fold!
Anyway I watch all the TdF stages either live, for exciting mountain stages or in replay the next morning, fast forwarding through less interesting bits.

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[rxter]

So who are you all rooting for? I was pulling for Lance - I love the old Titan story. I love Cav, but he can't win other than the bunch sprints. Who is your GC pick?

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[Chris Vais]

Being the old guy that I sometimes feel like these days, the story line of the old guy who comes out of retirement to win one more time will get me every time. But I'd really like to Levi Leipheimer to win.

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[968Oz]

I think Contador for GC, although after the last stage Schleck is looking good. But Andy's time trialling is so poor I don't think he'll get enough time on Contador in the hills to win.
Being an Aussie, I'd love Cadel to win but my head says he'll lose too much time in the high mountains to win, and Contador can time trial as well or better than Cadel.
I didn't think Lance could win this year but hoped he would be around longer than this. Great respect for the way he handled himself afterwards.

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[rxter]

Evans has not won in the past right? And he's 33. Might have to be my new "old guy" favorite. This race is really all about the big climbs though. A 1-minute win in a time trial only counts for 1-minute, and the climbs really separate people. I know I'd be walking the bke after 100 yards on those hills - amazing what they do.

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[968Oz]

Evans had been 2nd twice, in both cases by less than 1 minute. But its all over for him now after the Madeliene. Looks like those falls took more out of him than expected. So, barring disaster, its down to two, Conatador and Schleck. Can't wait for the Pyrenees! I'll be in China for those stages and I'm worried about getting TV coverage!

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[mrmister]

I have always been more of a mountain biker...but I really enjoy the Tour. I don't have cable so I just paid $25 to get live feeds and archived video from Versus.com. In 2005 I got my first road bike while watching the Tour and when I was really pushing hard I would yell Leipheimer! I still do it from time to time, I like the way the name sounds when shouted out!

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[SHA-JR968]

I follow the results in the news but don't watch it in TV.

Did some competitive cycling about 20 years back.

@Chris: I still own a DeRosa with Campa Croce D'Or, not from the 60s but still very classical

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[Chris Vais]

"@Chris: I still own a DeRosa with Campa Croce D'Or, not from the 60s but still very classical"

If you can, try and keep the bike as original as possible. I was shocked when I saw what a 1963 Cinelli in original condition and some patina from use is worth. There are people who buy these bikes and hang them on the wall as art objects.

My Cinelli is not all original although I have all of the original parts. the bike was mostly stored for 20 years after I stopped racing. When I restored it I replaced most of the original gruppo with newer equipment as the original parts were worn out. So now it still has all Campagnolo gear, but a mixed bag. Alloy bars and stem, the original Record seat post and wide flang hubs, Nuovo Record side pull brakes, Chorus crankset, shifters, deuraillers, and a light weight 5 speed cluster.

Even though the bike is not restored in an origianl color, but with the orginal gruppo installed the bike is worth $4,500. and I have been offered more. My preference however is to ride it.

I have always admired the beautiful lug work on the DeRosas

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[SHA-JR968]

I still ride the DeRosa occasionally on sundays, for everyday use I have a Bob Jackson (UK) with Deore XT and a Bernd Herkelmann MTB (Germany) with mixed components.
For my duathlon races (running - riding - running) I used (and still have) a Vitus (France) aluminum frame with Shimano 600.

I purchased all this stuff between 89 and 92 and the bikes are still in good condition.

By the way, I bought a Faggin for my wife as a wedding gift in 1990 - this bike is a real beauty.

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[ds968]

I bet you guys had no idea Zidane was riding in this year's Tour de France, did you ?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_L8VLgLX7AM



[img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tongue.gif[/img]

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[Chris Vais]

Dan:

There was some interesting analysis of the head butt on the VS prime time show this evening.

SHA - JR968:

20 years ago I built up a Bridgestone RADAC with a top end Shimano gruppo for my wife to ride. A nice light bike. I guess the RADAC frame sets weren't very popular in the US, but I like them as does my wife.

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[968Oz]

I'm in Shanghai at the moment and there is no TdF on TV. Arghh!!!!! Following on Cyclingnews but not nearly good enough.

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[anthonymaher]

Its like baseball in some ways-- it is hard to watch every second of every race, but you definitely see the trends forming about one quarter of the way through the race

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[Chris Vais]

Yesterdays stage and the one today are two of the best I've seen. Riblon's ride in todays stage was epic as was Vinokourov's ride yesterday. I have to say that
I don't understand either Contador's or Schleck's strategies in todays stage .

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[rxter]

Looked like they were challenging each other as though they've decided its a 2-man Tour. They are probably right, but it was a bit odd to see them doing those track tactics on a really big hill.

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