ErikV

While this is a cool and useful thread, would it be more useful to have a list stating who WE SHOULD NOT deal with? Controversial I know, necessary in these times.

So after it was all done and dusted, nothing changed really. Break escaped, rode at the front all day, got caught in the last 5km, Cavendish won bunch sprint. But didn't we know that this morning?! The only difference the lack of radios made was that the pace was pedestrian. Even Andrew McLean could have stayed with the bunch today.

Go slow you make an interesting point. Runners always run facing on-coming traffic. I see no reason why this can't work. Except when there is a barrier that would prevent you from escaping when you need to.

Easy boys, we can't just blame the riders. A lot of blame should also go to the Tour organisers for planning and really wierd route. This tour will be won in the ITT and the climb to Mont Ventoux!

Looks rad. Only problem with the pink is that you need a really good tan for it to look good. Otherwise you'll end up looking like a '70's pornstar. Where can we check it out in real life?

wtf, almost unblievable. It looks more like the car was dropped from 30 000 feet! The last thing that went through his mind was the steering wheel!

Schweet Bru!

What amazes me is how this thread turned into a discussion on stargazing. I was gonna say something about Uranus but someone beat me to it!! Side-tracking the thread like that is reminiscent of cricket commentators in 5 day tests that end up talking about evrything BUT the game on the field. Paul and Phill have been doing the Tour ever since I started watching in the mid-eighties. Long may they continue. Of course we can't have a ...aaah... French commentator ...aaah.... or even ahem Lance for that ....ahem.... matter since ....aahh... they put too many ...ahem... (you get the idea) non-sensical pauses in their sentences.

As much as I want to agree with Big H, I don't think the Astana leadership issue has been resolved just yet. Sadly. According to Chris Carmichael, Lance has the ability to improve his power output by 25w per week, and he's looking leaner than ever. In fact, he started this TdF at his lowest weight ever! Hopefully he hasn't sacrificed muscle mass to do so!!! Roll on the next 2 1/2 weeks!!!

What if..... Contador has the experience of Lance?! H wouldn't have missed the move today / got trapped behind the break... I'm all for Lance in yellow tomorrow!! Vive Le Tour.

From your bed into your riding gear and out the front door on a winter's morning. Seriously, Krugersdorp hill is quite long. Also in the west, that climb when you turn left at the Cradle T-junction to climb back to Krugrsdorp. About 6km that one.

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Yip Gary Blem is a legend. He was a very talented rider when he was young. Raced with him for a couple of years in the late '80s and early '90s. He was with Barloworld at the Tour 2 years ago, but then went to MTN so he could spend more time with his wife and kids.

OK Eclipse, here are th details for that book. Title: The Lance Armstrong Performance Programme ISBN#: 1-4050-2102-0 I got my copy from Exclusive Books in Hyde Park, Jhb about 4 years ago. If you are disciplined and follow the programmes you'll do really well. If you get stuck, or want to bounce ideas around, get hold of me and we can thrash things out. No charge.

PS: I fully agree that expensive is not always better. BUT cheaper is always worse in the long term...

Eclipse, Have you tried the Lance Armstrong / Chris Carmichael book with training strategies? I found it quite brilliant, easy to understand and adapt according to your periodisation. I used it as part of my Ironman training and did a sub 2:50 on 94.7 that year. I'll send you the name of the book later as I'm currently pinned under a blanket on the couch by my cat and he'll hiss at me if I get up now ;-)

I still find it amazing that people want training programmes and want to improve their performance, but aren't prepared to shell out the cash for it. If you go to your doctor, massage therapist, dentist, you'll cough R 300 - R 400 just to have them ask you what's wrong with you! Then you'll leave with a script, or a referral for another R 200 upwards. You have got to realise that coaches (or mind coaches like myself) that are worth their salt bring with them not what they've read in a book, but what they've learn't over years of experience. In my mind, if you're not willing to cough AT LEAST R 1 000-00 per month for a coach, then you're not really serious about your racing. You should be expecting your coach to not just give you a programme, but to also monitor your progress regularly by looking at HR / power data, and then adjust your programme dpending on your macro cycles, timelines and the specific events you're training for. Undrstand that online programmes are not aimed at you, but at the massess , which is why the majority of online coaches will allow everyone to download a generic programme roughly based on level for R 350-00 bucks. Sucker 100 people to do that and *presto* the guy pockets some cool cash.

Sure, but you'll only pay import duty and VAT on new stuff. So if you're after the e-bay bargains you're still OK.

Pappa Bear, have you tried going straight to the distributors? Post your experience on Hello Peter www.hellopeter.com That usually gets a better reaction.

1,83m, currently 88kg. I'm a triathlete / adventure sportsman / cyclist. My racing wight is 81-82kg @ about 8% body fat. My wife doesn't like me at racing weight - she says I'm too scrawny. Go figure!?!?