Come on, we have threads on football, cricket, tennis. This is REAL sport. I don't believe any other sportsmen/women are on the same planet as this lot. I love it.

AND.....

This year the favourite is BRITISH. Quite apt for Jubilympic year. Come on Wiggo, give it your best.

I shall be viewing ITV4 when I can...

A good start for Bradley...

Yep. That'll do nicely.

Used to love it but gone off it a bit after all the drug stuff. They are not coming as close to us this year as they often do. I expect I shall watch it on television when they start going up the Pyrenees.

If I have a day off I may make the trip to the Champs Elys?es to watch the final stretch. The atmosphere's always fun. I don't follow it but it's impossible to escape.

So that would be since about the 60s then? When Tom Simpson died on Mont Ventoux from amphetamines, alcohol and dehydration.

Certainly cycling has been at the forefront of drug abuse and (less often reported) at the forefront of drug detection. But the TdF is still an incredible sporting event. I don't think any athlete on the planet comes close to these amazing guys.

I'm really looking forward to the mountains this year to see if Wiggins can really do it. I hope so.

The drugs have always been there in the TdF - just up until the 1940s, it was acceptable. Really, it was - there was organiser-issued cocaine in the early days...

Not only that, I think cycling is cleaning up its act as regards drugs very quickly now.

Mark Cavendish wins his first stage of this year's Tour

Wonder how many he can win this year...

Car Expert

How irritating must it be to line yourself up for a sprint finish only to find you have given a perfect lead out to your ex team-mate? I'm sure this year's "self sufficient" Cavvo is using this TdF to get the tactics right for the Olympic road race.

Today should be a good finish with a whole load of small but tough hills towards the end. A Cancellara stage perhaps - or could it suit a Brit?

It could do : but I have a feeling that Tony Martin, bad hand and all, may prevail today.

Ooh, I was nearly right. My man was 4th. Great sprint by Cav at the intermediate despite having to stop pedalling briefly to avoid a collision. A great shame about the crashes and abandonments but that's always an issue in the first week. Apparently Johnny Hoogerland had an "Oh no not again" moment almost crashing into a barbed wire fence.

Ouch.

Hugely dominant performance by Team Sky and a stunning finish by Froome. A future contender.

With Bradley destroying all opposition today , what I'm wondering is how, after many, many years of Britain being hopeless at cycling sport in all its forms, suddenly over the past few years, we lead the world?...

Come on Bradley - he lives in Eccleston just a few miles from us!
Rest day today then back in action Wed.
Hope they save a bit for the Olympics!

Well it isn't sudden, it's been developing for a couple of decades and it's quite simple really. Put together a proper professional "UK Cycling" team and work very hard. What we are seeing right now is the culmination of many years of gradual progress.

3:19 ahead of second place. Second place being another Briton

Another "Briton" Who looks horribly strong too. However, he is there to support Wiggo.

With Cadel's demise (well it looks like he's had it) I think there is only Nibali who is a real threat. With Wiggo so strong in the time trials I reckon Nibali has to take 4 minutes out of him in the mountains if he is to win.

So looking good (fingers crossed).

Not sure where you've got your figures from, but the official listing has him 3:19 ahead of 4th place (Evans) with Froome in 2nd at 2:05 and Nibali in 3rd at 2:23. The higher positions in the GC didn't change at all today.

Having a British 1-2 in the tour is a bit of a weird concept.

I haven't seen enough to gauge how the European press are taking to it? I know they don't tend to like American or Australian leaders, but how are they taking to a European rider who isn't from Continental Europe?

Part of me is wondering whether Froome might actually come out on top. He seems to be the stronger of the two in the mountains and is pretty canny at the time trialling too (as the British 1-2 in the last t-t showed). Nibali would need to be at least a minute ahead after the mountains and then would need to ride the time trial of his life, but does have the potentail to take a chunk of time out of Wiggo in the Pyrennees.

Evans has never really convinced me, even though he won last year. I think his current standing is probably accurate for hime - a very good all round rider, but lacking the spark needed for a convincing win.

I think it is a shame that Andy Schlek isn't around this year. To me, he would have been the deserved winner last year. I know that the overall time made Evans the winner, but I feel that Schlek did more than him. Shame about Schlek's time trialling weaknesses...

I got my figures by reading them wrongly

It's getting closer.

Good to see sportsmanship and gentlemanly (is that a word?) behavior coming to the fore yesterday - apart from the idiot who threw the carpet tacks onto the road!!
As it was all effects were neutralised apart from the poor chap who ended up with a broken collar bone.
Let's hope that's the end of the vandalism and we get some good racing in the Pyrenees today and Wed.
Go Wiggins!

- and gentlemanly is most certainly a word

What a ride from both Wiggo and Froome...

Historic! Coverage of the Paris stage on ITV1 this afternoon from 14:00

have only caught bits and pieces of the tour this year, will be watching the final stage though

From Twitter yesterday:
ITV reports Bradley Wiggins is struggling to produce a urine sample - whole world watching can't help

Just watched the grand finale. Ruined by that absolutely dreadful rendering of God save the Queen by that person wrapped up in a union jack. It was awful!

Well done to the British cyclists and to Thomas Voeckler.

In that case I'm pleased to say I missed the national anthem bit. But I did watch the race and it was nail-biting stuff. Once they were onto the Champs Elysees I had to keep flicking over to Flog It! so that I could breathe for a bit. I haven't really got to grips with how the team stuff works, but I think what I saw this afternoon had to be teamwork at its best.

I also loved the commentary. Great bits of information about the area the race passed through, and I now know the origin of the name Tuileries

Yes, it was awful.

Much better was Bradley's quip afterwards - "We're about to draw the raffle".

Brilliant result at the end of a brilliant race. The TdF is one of the best things on the planet.

Bradley Wiggins for Sports Personality of the Year perhaps?

Car Expert

It was Lesley Garrett, and sorry Lesley, not your finest hour...

I missed all of it it was on ITV4 and my tv wasn't playing nicely

It was on ITV1 as well yesterday...

Still on ITV Player if you want to catch up.

Well done once again, Bradley, Chris, Cav and Team Sky

Apparently he's 4/7 favourite and that's before he wins the Olympic time trial too.

I don't like Lesley Garrett anyway.

You know you want to hear it again. Particularly the last note.

Well, Lance...I know the rumours have abounded for years, though I don't have the scientific evidence to hand to personally judge one way or the other.
It'll be interesting though, because the ADA have said they'll strip him of his TdF titles...but can they actually do that, or does that have to be the UCI's decision? And if so, would they go against the ADA.

I did find it amusing that a while back, Mr Armstrong reacted to yet another accusation of doping with "I've never been caught doping".
Firstly, that's a near-text book perfect example of the non-denial denial. It looks like you're denying the accusation, but actually you are saying something completely different. Perhaps be a bit more robust in your denial next time.
Secondly, I reckon the doping authorities would take that as a bit of a challenge!!

It seems an awful thing to say, but I do have a feeling Armstrong has played on his 'I survived cancer, so I must be perfect' card rather...

Have to confess we went to see the Bradley Wiggins golden post box a few days ago, followed by a trip to the Windmill Pub in Eccleston that has the Wiggins / Tour de France muriel in the wall. (Yes I know its a mural but I much prefer muriel..) !!

I would have thought the ADA as an American national body would not have the authority to remove any international results. The World Anti Doping Authority and the UCI have yet to respond (UCI say they will be commenting today).

Having enthusiastically watched the tour de France on television for many years and having even watched them go past the end of our road I am now so tired of and disillusioned this drug thing that I didn't watch very much of it this year and I doubt if I will watch any of it next year.

Sport is held up as the great thing for young people to do, with great heros to emulate. My gut reaction when I heard the news on BFM TV this morning was that sport seems to be becoming a rubbish activity.

Now I know that is not a reasonable or thoughtful reaction - but I can't help it - and a lot of people probably won't get past it.

I wandered past the Philip Hindes box in Manchester on my way into work.

Obviously a closet Hilda Ogden fan.

[quote name='Arundodonuts' date='Aug 24 2012, 10:34 AM' post='1166239']
[quote name='Maizie' post='1166204' date='Aug 24 2012, 07:47 AM']
Well, Lance...I know the rumours have abounded for years, though I don't have the scientific evidence to hand to personally judge one way or the other.
It'll be interesting though, because the ADA have said they'll strip him of his TdF titles...but can they actually do that, or does that have to be the UCI's decision? And if so, would they go against the ADA.
[/quote]
I would have thought the ADA as an American national body would not have the authority to remove any international results. The World Anti Doping Authority and the UCI have yet to respond (UCI say they will be commenting today).

EDIT:

The UCI has yet to release a statement but there are comments emanating from that body along the lines of "UCI are the governing body and are responsible for anti-doping procedures, not USADA".

Exactly. It's a bit like the milk marketing board declaring that your grade 5 theory is invalid.

Sort of.

Ooh wait, there's more:

"The UCI notes Lance Armstrong's decision not to proceed to arbitration in the case that USADA has brought against him.

The UCI recognizes that USADA is reported as saying that it will strip Mr. Armstrong of all results from 1998 onwards in addition to imposing a lifetime ban from participating in any sport which recognizes the World Anti-Doping Code.

Article 8.3 of the WADC states that where no hearing occurs the Anti-Doping Organization with results management responsibility shall submit to the parties concerned (Mr. Armstrong, WADA and UCI) a reasoned decision explaining the action taken.

As USADA has claimed jurisdiction in the case the UCI expects that it will issue a reasoned decision in accordance with Article 8.3 of the Code.

Until such time as USADA delivers this decision the UCI has no further comment to make."

Since it's clearly for the UCI to change the results of competitons over which it has jurisdiction I don't think Lance is being stripped of his TDF wins any time soon. I predict handbags at dawn.

The Open College Network did declare that my grade 5 theory was invalid!
When I was taking the Music Access course two years ago the OCN adjudicator would not accept my grade 5 theory pass in 1971 as a substitute for sitting a past grade 5 theory paper to pass their exam.