[bivin]

Originally Posted by mp417

Good stuff. I have never experienced the Tour de France in person however even watching it live on TV makes your adrenaline pumping

The yellow jerseys in the front (from your video) are actually lime green jerseys of Saxo Tinkoff team

Attachment 1390169

ah lol. thanks for that correction.

P.S: not sure if anyone has ridden on cobblestones before, if you have you know its not the most pleasant experience. I used to work in a restaurant, located deep in the old part of town, so a good part of my commute on my velo was on cobblestones. I would make sure I was always early cos that is one part that you cannot ride fast on to make up time. The one day i was late, my plums were..
you get the picture

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by reverse_gear

The remaining cobblestone roads are only preserved for historical purposes - in fact, I think there is a society which is involved in convincing municipalities to preserve a few of these stretches and maintaining them, though they do not have a practical utility in today's day and age. Events like Paris-Roubaix and TdF passing through these cobblestone stretches is a boost for the villages and municipalities that are preserving these.

Yes that they were mentioning yesterday. These have been preserved from just after the first world war during the last century. As have some of the trenches and marshlands where millions perished.

Yesterday's cobblestone stretches were actually borrowed from the traditional Paris-Roubaix course apparently. I don't know if last year's course (where Nibali blazed in the rain and mud) was the same.

[mp417]

Stage 5 – 8th July 2015

Stage Profile



Stage Map



Summary of today's stage

Stage 5 is pretty long with 189.5km with many changes of direction and a course exposed to the wind. It's a celebration of the braveness of Anglophone soldiers who lost their lives during World War I, passing near the Canadian memorial of Vimy, the British cemetery of Sailly-Saillisel, the necropolis of Rancourt, the historial of the Big War in Péronne, the South African memorial of Bois Delville in Longueval, the franco-british memorial of Thieval and the last one in Villers-Bretonneux where the names of 10.733 Australian soldiers who died at war from 1916 to 1918 are written.

A bunch sprint finish is highly expected in Amiens even though it'll be complicated to get the race bunched up. So far, green jersey wearer André Greipel is the only sprinter to have reached his goal. Mark Cavendish is avid for a revenge and his Etixx-Quick Step team will be fully focused on keeping the race together in order to preserve Tony Martin's yellow jersey. John Degenkolb, Peter Sagan and Alexander Kristoff are also hungry for more.


Start City/Location: Arras, France

End City/Location: Amiens Metropole, France

Local start time: 1:00 pm (4:35 pm IST)

Total Distance: 189.5 kms

Type of stage: Flat

TV Schedule for India
7:05 pm Live on Ten Sports and Ten Sports HD.

[yash2424]

Great thread. Thanks for sharing the information.
I had the opportunity to see the Tour de Suisse which is pretty similar but on a slightly smaller scale when I was in Zurich.
More than the cyclists what amazed me was the amount of support and sponsorship the sport received. Each team had its bus fitted with everything right from washing machines to air inflators and each team also had a vehicle which carries spare cycles, tyres etc and follows the race. Even after flag off the convoy of these buses and cars continued for over 15 minutes. There were around 30 bikers clearing the way along with police vans that left before the flag off. I hope sports other than cricket can get such recognition and support in our country.
Regards

[mp417]

Tour de France and GoPro

GoPro cameras will be capturing the World's most prestigious race like never before

GoPro, enabler of some of today’s most engaging content, is proud to be named the official camera of the ASO and the Tour de France. In addition to the partnership with the ASO, GoPro is also now the official camera of Velon, a group of 11 top UCI World Tour cycling teams working together to grow and evolve through a growth in fan excitement and technology. These two exciting new partnerships will help bring new perspectives to the most prestigious cycling race in the world and, thus, bring fans closer to the sport they love.

By mounting cameras to the fastest cyclists in the world as they take on the 21-stage race, GoPro will be capturing immersive, never-before-seen content, bringing cycling fans inside the peloton. Throughout the Tour, GoPro will be publishing the exclusive content on its social channels and providing the ASO with the incredible moments captured across the 3,360-kilometer race.

Just watch the Stage 5 highlights video below in HD

Simply adrenaline pumping action. Watch the race like never before. You can actually experience how it is to ride in the peloton and getting involved in crash. Really scary stuff and not for faint-hearted

https://youtu.be/ARcM9yBFjj8

[ebonho]

Just look at how smooth their roads are. I can just imagine the state of cyclists' bodies if they were to go down on ours.

Coming back to yesterday's stage, what a beast of a sprinter Greipel is man. I was amazed at from how far back he came (he was completely boxed in till then) and the the sheer brute acceleration as he powered through to the front alongside the world's top sprinters who were already in their flat-out mode. I know you got to time these things, but seriously that was killer. And I seriously would be hard pressed to find another pro cyclist with more monstrous thighs than Griepel or Cancellara.

And Dagan was seriously quick. I actually thought he had taken it. And to think he's still a "white jersey" rider - can he climb, and does he have a chance for the GC? It would be frightening if he could, considering he's still only 24 and how good he already is?

Coming back to these flat gradient sprints, I had a question. Which gear do the sprinters do them in. Looking at how quick they are pumping one would be excused in thinking it could not be the highest gear. But anything less, they would lose vital speed. So was wondering. Are there different approaches by different riders?

[mail4ajo]

I am following the stages, though not very closely. Well its a fast sport without the motor.

What I always wonder is why UCI doesn't insist on safety for riders apart from the helmet. In some stages and especially on the descents, speeds can be really high and crash means disaster. Yet UCI's safety requirement is the helmet. They seem to be concerned more about minimum weight, shoes covers and stuff.

[ebonho]

While I love seeing the mountain stages for the sheer heroics and individual brilliance, of cyclist doing battle one on one, I must admit that in terms of sheer spectacle and shock and awe (the word Bivin used was really apt her - RAGE), nothing quite comes close to a bunched finish at frantic high speeds with the team "workers" leading their sprinters in over the last few kilometers, the jostling for position, the intricate laying out of chess pieces, the sheer agony and almost inhumane pain you see in the faces of the lead guys as they are about to simply go over the edge and fall away while trying to give their sprinters cover and the last catapult, and finally the explosion at the end. I can never quite get tired of seeing it on TV, but the one time I've seen it in real life, its so much more intense.

[NaviRai12]

I have been following Tour de France since those days when Armstrong was dancing on his pedals to the glory of consecutive tour wins (only to be stripped of all the glory now) and the riders like Ullrich or Pantani taking off the opponents single handedly. The daredevil acts by these folks are second to none. Specially the duels between Armstrong and Ullrich/Pantani were a treat to watch.

In recent years, it has become more of a team sport where it has become very hard for an individual to win if he has a weaker team. Last was in 2012 when Bradley Wiggins won the tour but they were concentrating on Mark Cavendish as well. Last year was one of those boring tours where the winner was almost decided moment the Alps were in sight and there was absolutely no competition for Nibali and the main favouries were either injured or crashed out!

This year, tour looks promising and can tilt anywhere between Froome or Nibali or Contador (fresh out of Giro de Italia victory). Hoping that there are no crashes and these guys fight out till the end. In sprint category, it looks to be Greipel all the way as he is literally flying and timing his assaults to perfection.

[mp417]

Originally Posted by yash2424

Great thread. Thanks for sharing the information.
Regards

Thanks for sharing the photos. Tour de France is indeed a big event. You need preparations on massive scale to execute an event like this.

Originally Posted by ebonho

Just look at how smooth their roads are. I can just imagine the state of cyclists' bodies if they were to go down on ours.

I read somewhere that, few roads are also prepared just prior to the Tour.

Originally Posted by ebonho

Coming back to yesterday's stage, what a beast of a sprinter Greipel is man. I was amazed at from how far back he came (he was completely boxed in till then) and the the sheer brute acceleration as he powered through to the front alongside the world's top sprinters who were already in their flat-out mode. I know you got to time these things, but seriously that was killer. And I seriously would be hard pressed to find another pro cyclist with more monstrous thighs than Griepel or Cancellara.

And Dagan was seriously quick. I actually thought he had taken it. And to think he's still a "white jersey" rider - can he climb, and does he have a chance for the GC? It would be frightening if he could, considering he's still only 24 and how good he already is?

Rightly said. Yesterday's finish was a classic battle between the top sprinters. And Greipel got it in the end.

You meant to say Peter Sagan and not Dagan, right?
Would be difficult for Sagan to compete in GC. You need completely different skills to be a better climber. The way the climbers can put time gap is tremendous. Within couple of mountain stages we will see the top contender’s way ahead than most of the bunch.

Originally Posted by ebonho

Coming back to these flat gradient sprints, I had a question. Which gear do the sprinters do them in. Looking at how quick they are pumping one would be excused in thinking it could not be the highest gear. But anything less, they would lose vital speed. So was wondering. Are there different approaches by different riders?

I don’t know the exact technicalities behind the sprint gearing but different riders uses different gears. And changing the gear at the right moment is important.

Originally Posted by mail4ajo

I am following the stages, though not very closely. Well its a fast sport without the motor.
What I always wonder is why UCI doesn't insist on safety for riders apart from the helmet. In some stages and especially on the descents, speeds can be really high and crash means disaster. Yet UCI's safety requirement is the helmet. They seem to be concerned more about minimum weight, shoes covers and stuff.

You mean to say better clothing, road rails etc.?
On descent the speed reaches up to 100 kmph. It is a dangerous sport.

Originally Posted by ebonho

While I love seeing the mountain stages for the sheer heroics and individual brilliance, of cyclist doing battle one on one, I must admit that in terms of sheer spectacle and shock and awe (the word Bivin used was really apt her - RAGE), nothing quite comes close to a bunched finish at frantic high speeds with the team "workers" leading their sprinters in over the last few kilometers, the jostling for position, the intricate laying out of chess pieces, the sheer agony and almost inhumane pain you see in the faces of the lead guys as they are about to simply go over the edge and fall away while trying to give their sprinters cover and the last catapult, and finally the explosion at the end. I can never quite get tired of seeing it on TV, but the one time I've seen it in real life, its so much more intense.

It’s truly a team sport. You need your team's support to win a Sprint like yesterday and also mountain stage like Alp de-Huaz.



Stage 5 Results

It was still a windswept, crash-ridden stage from Arras to Amiens, with the peloton split in two in the crosswinds. Tony Martin, in the front group with most of the main overall favorites, maintained his overall lead thanks to the inevitable bunch gallop, where Greipel outpaced all his rivals for to take a second stage win in this year’s Tour, his eighth in total. There may have been no cobbles, climbs, or finishes in the sea on today’s menu but rain and 30 kmph winds on the twisting route made sure no one would enjoy straightforward day. There were multiple crashes yesterday due to slippery roads.

The Sprint Finish by Greipel



Multiple crashes

[mail4ajo]

Originally Posted by mp417

You mean to say better clothing, road rails etc.?
On descent the speed reaches up to 100 kmph. It is a dangerous sport.

Yes, exactly. The clothing offers zero protection. I had a crash sometime ago when my cleats did not unclip. I was just below 40km/h and on the drops in crouched position, a cow appeared. Fortunately, my gloves protected me and my pedals & shoes took the crash impact.

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by mp417

You meant to say Peter Sagan and not Dagan, right?

Yup, sorry brain fade.

So today is a big climbing day with 3 Category 4 climbs?

Should be fun (for us on our sofas)!

Originally Posted by mail4ajo

Yes, exactly. The clothing offers zero protection. I had a crash sometime ago when my cleats did not unclip. I was just below 40km/h and on the drops in crouched position, a cow appeared. Fortunately, my gloves protected me and my pedals & shoes took the crash impact.

I somehow think crashes are a lot worse because of the cleats. As a biker myself, it is just too scary and counter-instinctive for me to anchor my feet immovably to my vehicle (pedals instead of the pegs). Like when you want to put your foot down and your shoelaces or pant snags on the pegs ..... and you go down comically in slomo. Only nothing comical about the same when at 50+ kmph with your cycle cartwheeling through the air.

[mp417]

Stage 6 – 9th July 2015

Stage Profile



Stage Map



Summary of today's stage

A largely flat run along the English Channel coastline with an uphill finish of 7% gradient which will suit punchy riders. Today’s stage is relatively straightforward – rolling roads along the headlands of Normandy coastline. The television cameras won’t miss the famous white cliffs at Étretat, made famous by Claude Monet’s series of paintings. Unless the wind blows in off the sea, it should all stay together until the final rise through the streets of Le Havre. We'll have to watch out for riders like Peter Sagan and John Degenkolb.

Start City/Location: Abbeville, France

End City/Location: Le Havre, France

Local start time: 12:55 pm (4:30 pm IST)

Total Distance: 191.5 kms

Type of stage: Mostly Flat with three category 4 climbs,

Km 72.0 - Côte de Dieppe - 1.8 kilometre-long climb at 4% - category 4
Km 77.5 - Côte de Pourville-sur-Mer - 2 kilometre-long climb at 4.5% - category 4
Km 162.0 - Côte du Tilleul - 1.6 kilometre-long climb at 5.6% - category 4


TV Schedule for India
7:10 pm Live on Ten Sports and Ten Sports HD.

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by mp417

Type of stage: Mostly Flat with three category 4 climbs,

I'm sorry if I missed it if you posted in somewhere else in your earlier posts. But could you explain the different categories of the climbs please? How exactly are they graded?

What category would the following be

Col de Bapdeo Ghat?

Col de Sinhagad?

Col de Lavasa?

Just to get some sort of local flavor perspective .....

[mp417]

Types of Climbs

The climbs are divided into categories from 1 (most difficult) to 4 (least difficult) based on their difficulty, measured as a function of their steepness, length, location within the stage (near the start or end), and location in the overall race (early in the race or toward the end).

A few of the toughest climbs were originally given different individual points scales, and were thus listed as "uncategorised" (Hors catégorie, a term that has since passed into the French language to refer to any exceptional phenomenon).

The tour organizers rank them subjectively based on their steepness, length, and also where they occur in the stage (climbs near the finish garner a higher ranking). Some people feel that the ratings have been inconsistent over the years, or have been inflated in recent years. In short, there is no scientific way of rating the climbs, it's just a judgement call from the race organizers.

There are some general rules of thumb if you want to get an idea of how your local climb rates up to a given ranked climb in the tour. Following should give you a basic list to start with.

Category 4
2 kms or so @ 6%
4 kms or so @ < 4%

Category 3
2-3 kms @ 8%
2-4 kms @ 6%
4-6 kms @ 4%

Category 2
5-10 kms @ 5-7%
10+ kms @ 3-5%

Category 1
5-10 kms @ >8%
10-15 kms @ 6%

HC
15+ kms @ 8%+ (Alpe D'huez, etc.)
20+ kms @ anything uphill.






The satellite photo below highlights the 21 hairpins of Alpe D'huez



I stay near Col de Chandni chowk and it would be of Category 4