The 100th Edition Of The Tour de France: Chirps, Opinions, News, Updates.

[Meezo]

More pics

[HappyMartin]

What time does the broadcast start? Still got the bloody stove to shoot. Everything else done.

[Tumbleweed]

What time does the broadcast start? Still got the bloody stove to shoot. Everything else done.

 

12.10, according to the site.

Edited July 18, 2013 by Tumbleweed

[Tubehunter]

What time does the broadcast start? Still got the bloody stove to shoot. Everything else done.

 

ASO read your post and decided they would wait for you to finish before they started the stage. You're holding the whole cycling world to ransom...

[SwissVan]

Which maybe prevents you from looking at the arguments partially?

 

That's an incorrect assumption, I took at least 10 minutes to consider my reply to this, and I still disagree.

[SwissVan]

Did you see what happened to Contador? How he fell?

 

No, I think I saw the same footage you did and the camera missed the actual fall by a few seconds. Are you suggesting he did not loose control of his bike?

 

Other than Contador, don't you think Froome is the next best person to comment on what happened?

[Azonic]

We've seen many, many thousands of bikes on this trip. And about 8 29ers.

[rouxtjie]

Its the biggest cycling race in the world, Froome was doing what is expected of him as race leader following Contador, and when you follow a rider like that you trust that he knows what he is doing.

 

Froome said it was dangerous because Contador lost control and fell off nearly causing Froome to ride over the edge.

 

I thought it was pretty obvious, hence my original question was Froome's statement wrong?

 

Yes if AC did not fall off, but that's not what happened.

Makes no sense, froome followed AC because he doesn't want AC to gain time on him....he chose to...He basically had two choices, follow AC and make peace with the fact the he is taking a chance with the reward of not loosing time, or play it safe and let AC fall(which he did of course) or gain time on him. AC attacking shouldn't matter that much to him....that is the point

[Tumbleweed]

That's an incorrect assumption, I took at least 10 minutes to consider my reply to this, and I still disagree.

 

No, I think I saw the same footage you did and the camera missed the actual fall by a few seconds. Are you suggesting he did not loose control of his bike?

 

Other than Contador, don't you think Froome is the next best person to comment on what happened?

 

How did you come to that? He fell. Did he overcook on the corner? Did he slide? Did he hit something in the road? I don't know. Neither do you. He was simply descending fast, and crashed. That's dangerous for him. Froome's criticism both in the post-race interview and subsequent media said he was taking "uncalculated risks". How calculated is following the wheel of a dangerous rider.

 

No. He is talking about another contender. How is his opinion on what happened going to be partial?

Edited July 18, 2013 by Tumbleweed

[fandacious]

We've seen many, many thousands of bikes on this trip. And about 8 29ers.

 

yeah - i've also heard its only the saffers who are 29 befok

[slabs]

So SKY are releasing some data...

 

Sky plays transparency

Dave Brailsford and Christopher Froome (Team)

How to deal with suspicion on the performance of Chris Froome ? The Sky manager Dave Brailsford had proposed further biological passport runners analyzed by the World Anti-Doping Agency.Contacted by L'Equipe, the British band has agreed to play the transparency Sky told the data recorded by computer throughout eighteen ascents made ​​by Chris Froome, from 2011 until the Vuelta stage in Ventoux the Tour de France today. Sky did not want the publication of these data (weight of the rider and its variations, average and maximum power ...), but has agreed to engage in the analysis of the French expert increasingly recognized, Fred Bunch (Doctor of biomechanics and physiology of sports coaching, FDJ.fr). Initial findings from the expert: "His performance data of the last two years are consistent with the profile that this" and "the exceptional power that is able to develop during maximum effort five minutes gives him a certain reserve compared to other runners. "

 

Find comprehensive performance analysis of Christopher Froome and decryption methodin L'Equipe on Thursday

 

From another forum the translation: http://velorooms.com...?topic=1314.390 Not giving much away, but says his performances are credible. Then again SKY would not release the data if not!

 

Here's today's L'Equipe article in rough English. Any mistakes are mine. Be sure to buy the newspaper.

 

"His performances make sense"

 

FRED GRAPPE has analysed the physical potential of Chris Froome from the last two years and found no anomalies.

 

FIRST CONCLUSION: HIS POWER FALLS AWAY NORMALLY

 

The relationship between power and time is similar to what we know and observe among all the riders for whom we've established a Power Profile Record (PPR). It shows for example a significant and normal decrease in power from 60 watts (0.88w/kg) between efforts of 20 and 60 minutes. On average a rider loses 50W in this interval of time. Established over two years, Froome's PPR shows no anomalies in its fundamental structure. In other words, his power data for the last two years makes sense with the profile that he delivers. The performances that he achieved on Ax-3-Domaines and the Ventoux could be expected given what his PPR says. In two years, his profile hasn't changed. It appears that the potential that he shows today is similar to the one he had in 2011.

 

SECOND CONCLUSION: AN UNUSUALLY HIGH AEROBIC POTENTIAL

 

The extremely high maximum aerobic power (for an effort of 5 minutes) confirms that he has a higher than usual aerobic potential, giving him a VO2Max (which to date has never been measured in a lab by his team) close to the known scientific physiological limits. The exceptional power that he can deliver in the course of a maximal effort of 5 minutes gives him a certain reserve in comparison with other riders. That explains the accelerations that he can do towards the top of the climbs. We can estimate that, in relation to his main rivals, he has a margin of 20W of additional power in his favour. This margin is what we see in examples like Ax-3-Domaines and the Ventoux.

 

THIRD CONCLUSION: A VERY STABLE BODY WEIGHT

 

His average weight over the two years is 68kg in the morning with very small variations of less than 900g. That shows that the power that he's been able to develop in the last two years is relatively stable when you express that it in Watts per kilogram (W/kg), a very important measure in climbing performance.

 

FOURTH CONCLUSION: EXCELLENT ABILITY TO RECUPERATE

 

It's clear that, to be able to exploit a power profile at more or less 100% of the maximum available, Chris Froome has to have excellent recuperative abilities between stages since, if the level of fatigue accumulates too much, he would no longer be able to get close to his own recorded limits.

 

THE METHOD EXPLAINED

 

What do we measure?

 

The study of total physical potential of a cyclist is possible starting with the analysis of power that he produces when producing maximal efforts. The power that he produces is what enables him to move forward thanks to the force he applies on each pedal stroke in terms of the the pedalling cadence (the speed with which he turns the legs). The more the power increases, the more effort is required. Unlike a car, with which you can move at full gas on short and long durations, the cyclist has to find an optimal engine turnover for each duration of exercise. Thus, the shorter the duration of the effort, the most capable he is of producing a high level of power. At the same time, the longer the duration (endurance efforts), the more the power level diminishes.

 

What method has Grappe used?

 

Today, the majority of riders have power meters on their bikes, which enables the download of very precise data at the end of each race. Starting with the data handed over by Team Sky (containing efforts treated as the maxmimum and of a duration between 5 and 60 minutes), Fred Grappe has established Froome's Power Profile Record (PPR) for the last two years.

 

Also from yesterday

 

Before accessing data handed over by Team Sky, Fred Grappe had estimated Froome's potential using his own calculation method, which includes numbers linked to the rider, environmental conditions, equipment used and characteristics of the climb. Comparing the figures, he was able to establish the margin of error as 2.5%, a very narrow number. Using this conclusion, he studied the first climb by Froome in yesterday's time trial and he observed that "the average power produced was once again very much in line with his power profile, and therefore completely expected."

Edited July 18, 2013 by slabs

[Jaco-fiets]

yeah - i've also heard its only the saffers who are 29 befok

 

Noticed the same when I was in Italy last year around lake Garda. It is mountain biking heaven and I can't even remember seeing a 29er

[KnobbyMech]

I know it has been posted 100 pages ago, but can someone please give me a live streaming link again. My boss is watching the Open on tv and faking illness now would be too obvious.

[Big H*]

We've seen many, many thousands of bikes on this trip. And about 8 29ers.

 

And they were from SAon those twenty naainers???

[Tumbleweed]

News just in: The ASO has noted the riders' concern about the descent on today's stage. However, instead of shortening the stage and cutting up the descent, there will be a speed limit imposed in a bid to prevent riders taking uncalculated risks.

[dracs]

News just in: The ASO has noted the riders' concern about the descent on today's stage. However, instead of shortening the stage and cutting up the descent, there will be a speed limit imposed in a bid to prevent riders taking uncalculated risks.

great.. wonder how this will be policed esp if field is spread after the first climb up the Alp d'Huez Edited July 18, 2013 by dracs