So I feel for the dude, getting cut from the biggest race of the year, but isn't this just a tiny bit tantrumish?

https://mobile.twitter.com/millarmind/status/483690684571197440

David Yang said:

So I feel for the dude, getting cut from the biggest race of the year, but isn't this just a tiny bit tantrumish? https://mobile.twitter.com/millarmind/status/483690684571197440

Millar can go stuff his you-know-what into a (bleep) then rub it with (redacted) while singing (deleted) in a (tone)hat on the front porch of the (censored) during the opening ceremonies for all I care.

as an aside:I don't think anyone on ONCE ever went to the tour the tour clean (ta da).

It is important to the tens of thousands of new, British cycling fans, and the 128 longstanding, British fans, that Millar rides the tour. So too Luke Rowe, Alex Dowsett, Adam & Simon Yates, Ben Swift, Peter Kennaugh (the new Britsh RR champ), Cav and of course Sir Bradley Wiggins (new British TT champ, Olympic champ and fucking Knight of the fucking British Empire and all round top mod geezer).

Instead at the height of British enthusiasm in cycling we get a paltry TWO British riders lining up at the start of  race: Geraint Thomas and Cav.

ian ellis said:

Instead at the height of British enthusiasm in cycling we get a paltry TWO British riders lining up at the start of  race: Geraint Thomas and Cav.

What about the Kenyan?

Any enthusiasm we may have had for accepting someone who has tenuous links to Britain, never really been a resident and sounds distinctly African ebbed away with Zola Budd.

I predict picketing of the sky bus by incensed British with paper Wiggo face masks and sideburns.

Isn't Cav from Mann or some such?

ian ellis said:

It is important to the tens of thousands of new, British cycling fans, and the 128 longstanding, British fans, that Millar rides the tour. So too Luke Rowe, Alex Dowsett, Adam & Simon Yates, Ben Swift, Peter Kennaugh (the new Britsh RR champ), Cav and of course Sir Bradley Wiggins (new British TT champ, Olympic champ and fucking Knight of the fucking British Empire and all round top mod geezer).

THis is a fair point.  Teams exist to generate publicity for the sponsors and it's a classic publicity-generating tactic to put riders in races that occur in their home country.  

@JP - Then we can assume that Millar royally pissed off the wrong people, never mind the DNF/health issues.


Also, I love this bit from BSNY's post yesterday:

In other news, the Tour de France starts this coming weekend, and every year the media checks in with EPO-addled lummox Miguel Indurain, who says something mind-numbingly predictable:


Speaking to the Independent, Indurain said “It’s going to be a good fight. He [Contador] has been much more consistent this year, more focused. Both are in great shape. But let’s not forget the other rivals; if Contador and Froome get too obsessed with beating each other, another rider could surprise both of them.”

"The competitors will be riding bicycles again this year," added Indurain with his usual insight.  "Climbing will be a factor, especially in the mountains."

@mugwump - I'd guess that Ted King got the nod only in part because he is the lone American but probably to a greater degree is the "comeback" story that I'm sure will be played up by media all over the world. Kid fractures his collarbone and gets time cut by only seconds, big public outcry for his reinstatement, now he rides again. Not saying he isn't worthy on his own merits but the other factors I'm sure helped.

@Craig
Actually I bet the Ted King comeback story only gets picked up by the US press. Here in the US we love all that sentimental, bullshit back story. The rest of the world couldn't give a fuck.
However that would be enough to sway the selection, if Cannondale had input.

I love the Wiggo polemic. Sky gets to eat and keep it's cake. They make a bet on a star rider while at the same time putting the boot to a star rider and are able to say, "it doesn't matter how big a star you are if you aren't a team player you're out." That's some Kung fu that is

I know they're easy to pick on, but I'm excited to see the Schlecks do their thing on a stage or two.

http://pelotonmagazine.com/feedzone/schleck-vows-to-get-back-to-best/

Just catching up on the news in whining. So, I'm no David Millar fan, but I would like to know the real reason why he was left off the squad. Saying he was sick, just doesn't sound right to me. How sick can he be that he can't recover from in time to be useful in the 2nd two weeks of the tour? It would be a non issue in my mind, if Garmin just said, tour selection this year was very competitive and we have other riders who are riding better than David. But saying it's because he is "sick" just smells fishy to me.

I don't know what happens to the UCI points he scores when he retires.  That could be an issue.  Maybe Millar isn't going to work for the team post-retirement.  Maybe Vaughters doesn't want him around post-retirement.  I'd say that there are lots of Garmin guys riding better than Millar at the moment. Don't know about two weeks in.  

I was sat next to JV on the flight from Heathrow up to Leeds on thursday. I should have quizzed him about Millar, and the Wiggins and Cervelo rumours. But of course that kind of behaviour simply isn't very British, so I let him be.

Wide stance?

The nbs sports coverage is terrible. 20% racing, 30% commercials, 50% prepared segments / human interest stories.

Eurosport feed, dude.


Also from today's stage: ouch ouch ouch. So sad!

It's no different than US coverage of the Olympics. If you actually like to watch the competition, you've got to look elsewhere. Loved the Hail Mary by Cancellara.

i use SBS live, HD quility, but you need geo changer extension like hola for chrome

What the spoiler thingie again?

/spoiler/

\spoiler\

?

Why does Cavendish continue to stick his head into opponents that are overtaking him??? He almost killed Haussler with a move like that a few years back...Like to see him pull that against Kittel...he would need stilts and a ladder...http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7wL7Phnf9eE6

This was flat out worthy of an L&C cat 4 youtube highlight.

@Owens... see attached image

Yikes. Cav. Jerk move. Yeah, he'll apologize to Gerrans, but should apologize to his wife and baby.

Also, anyone remember Tyler Farrar? He was always probably a second tier sprinter at best, and I know he suffered a tremendous loss in his friend a few years ago, but it seems to me that something else must be going on with that dude such that he goes from a guy who was a legit top 5-10 tour sprinter, to not even making Garmin's team this year?

Also, Mick Rogers 4th on the day? Chris Froome 6th? These are two dudes who clearly understand that a good sprint is more about positioning than max watts.

I don't know why the gc guys were so close to that finale...don't u get same time when u finish inside the last 2K?  why risk it?   Farrar has clearly lost a step so why bring him to the tour?  Same goes for David Millar.  Garmin has done something novel...gotten behind a young gc rider who has PROVEN in run up races that he is on form and wants to compete for the overall.  I'm sorry but in my minds eye, riders who do not show any form before the tour are highly suspect to me.  I don't think there is an on/off switch (or is there epo & blood transfusions, epo & blood transfusions.... anybody...anybody). You don't ride into form at the tour (do you?).  So guys who have been shit recently should not get a tour nod.  Sprinters are a huge gamble...the chances of them crashing and getting knocked out are high...they are invisible in most stages...no shot of making it in a break cause nobody will work with them...if you don't have a team built around a sprinter their chances are bleak.  It is a very high risk/reward for a team to support sprinters at grand tours.  I suspect sponsors want to see their team colors for more than 30 seconds at the end of a 5 hour stage.   I understand that there is a place for the pure sprinter but give me what Voight & Cancellera did yesterday any day over a pack sprinter.  I love that there is going to be pave in the tour...but I'de like to see it 1k from the finish.  I'de love to see more stages finish on a short climb...something a sprinter can win but a gc could lose time on if they don't compete for it.  It's the tour...long flat stages suck.  If I could design stages there would be rodeo clowns and water crossings...wait what was this thread about?

Re: NBC Yesterday Phil and Paul were conjecturing as to why Jens Voight would go on the attack. Uh, I dunno...maybe he'd like to wear the yellow jersey in the TdF? But why would he attack the break so early, they wondered. Uh, have you guys watched Jens Voight race before? Sheesh.

Ryan J said:

Re: NBC Yesterday Phil and Paul were conjecturing as to why Jens Voight would go on the attack. Uh, I dunno...maybe he'd like to wear the yellow jersey in the TdF? But why would he attack the break so early, they wondered. Uh, have you guys watched Jens Voight race before? Sheesh.

It's maddening, right? While I continue to find the sound of their voices comforting when watching bike racing, what they have to say is a different story. Jens is extremely calculating. While known as a rolleur, it also no secret that his can climb a bit too. In a way, this was the perfect stage for him. Lumpy, narrow roads, hard to chase (did you see how many times the field literally came to a stop because of traffic jams). Worst case scenario, he scores KOM points (love how he dropped two dudes mega strong man style to secure the jersey and wears polka dots. He looks almost as good as Patrick Grehan in his new jersey.

Marc - right ... Plus just the drama of a popular rider going out solo on day 1 of his last tour. These guys ride for screen time too. I think CV would know that at least! Anyway, yeah, I watch Eurosport about half the time - mostly when I can watch live. But sometimes it's easier to be able to just turn on the TV and watch the stage - especially if I'm watching after the fact. And the upside is that the camerawork is fantastic and the tour just looks so pretty in HD on a huge screen.