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Is there anyone else watching this (or infact any cyclists on here)?

Its been a top tour so far... certain amusing irony today - after Murdoch has thrown so much cash at that Team Sky they win their first ever stage and gets no publicity due to the scandal at NOTW.

:bike:

Fucking love it......I'll watch a whole stage if I've got a chance.

Done a bit of cycling in France....cycled up the Mur de Bretagne, which was a finish the other day, and around the bocage, through which today's stage ran.

Yes, I'm watching too, been very interesting so far...... I'm not a cyclist but have a friend who rides for Team Primal Europe, he got me hooked into it!

Ive been watching the ITV coverage,I love it and the coverage works just right for my work hours.If im honest i dont fully understand how they work out the timing/placings but its just engrossing, I dont know why.I always think about buying a road bike this time of year but my fat gut and achey back make me decide against..

I love the aerial photography. Mont St Michel today and the St Nazaire bridge a couple of days ago were particularly impressive.

Go for it, I bought one a few years back having mountain biked and it was a revelation its so fast! Did the coast to coast a month back really enjoyed it!!

Been watching the Tour regularly for years.
Really enjoy the ITV4 format, a good mix.

Happy for team Sky today, hopeful for another Cav win tomorrow & looking forward to the mountains next week. Hope that Bradley can stick in there and get a top 3 in the GC.

Did anyone watch the Halfords Tour Series a few weeks back, one of the few good things about living here is the fact that we get a Tour Series event.

Watched the Tour Series since it started and went to the one in Blackpool a few years back - was some good racing and got some freebies which is never a bad thing - which round do you get to - am I being dim - is the Posh bit a Peterborough Ref!

Would be nice to see Thomas win a stage and Cav a few more, each time I hear from the bloke I think he's actually quite a decent bloke.

Yes - Loving it. Looking forward to the mountains - lets hope Schleck can capitalise on Cuntador's recent bad luck. Having said that he looked unbeatable in the Giro.

I'm a recent convert to road bikes after only every owning mountain bikes.  They're so light and quick it's unreal.  I even enjoy climbing hills which I would actively have avoided on my mtb only a few months back. 

For anyone considering getting one, just do it. 

Did i hear a few weeks ago that Cavendish has pretty much agreed a deal with Sky for next season?

I know they are throwing the cash around but they are certainly climbing the ranks of the sport bloody quickly.

I'll second this - I borrowed my brother in law's road bike a few years back to do a triathlon having not ridden one since my teens and mainly been on mountain bikes forthe last 20 years. It blew me away and I enjoyed it so much I bought my own. Being on the south coast it is very popular and as the DP once you get a certain level of fitness you actively seek out hills.

Yep, I've been into town to watch the Peterborough round for the last three years.

Have to say they make it a very good night.

It has indeed been a fantastic Tour so far. Contador at such a deficit so early on has made it interesting, still think he'll cruise it though.

Spent a week in Brittany recently, near Dinan in fact, and it is a truly beautiful part of the world.

As for Cavendish to Team Sky... could have legs, HTC are pulling their sponsorship of Highroad at the end of this year. But they (Team Sky) would have to abandon their much-publicised GC ambitions entirely to accomodate Cav into the team.

Nightmare day for Sky, really bad luck for Wiggins. With Geraint and Boasson Hagen down on 3.18, there's no real plan b either... just stage wins to go for.

Cav recreating his 2008 celebration today was the highlight of an otherwise forgettable day for the Brits.

Gutted for Brad, was looking forward to seeing how he was going to do in the mountains.

Good day for Cav though, will be interesting to see if he concentrates on the intermediate sprints over the next few days in an attempt to win the green jersey.

Every time I watch the cycling, whether it's Tour De France, the Giro or whatever I'm always amazed it doesn't end up like the Demolition Derby with about 20 crashes per race. With so many cyclists so close together travelling at such high speeds with fucking loons jumping on to the course, not to mention the occasional dog it's remarkable how few crashes and injuries there are. There seems to have been a bit of a spate of them this week though and Levi Leipheimer seems to be jinxed. I don't know if this year is any worse than other years, probably not I would guess.

The first week of the tour is often the worst for crashes. So many of the guys are pushing to be at the front to stay out if trouble, that incidents are more likely.

Once the first set of mountains have come & gone it usually settles down a bit

Horrendous luck for Wiggo.

Team Sky will go for stage wins now.

Gutted for Wiggins but hopefully means that some of the other Sky lads (Thomas EBH for instance) be given a go - also looking forward to how Uran goes in the hills.

Anyway need to catch up on yesterday highlights, was doing a sportive yesterday and it nearly killed me, 48 lumpy miles round the lake district with a streaming cold - not that keen on my bike at the moment!

Blimey, the stage 9 crashes were horrible particularly the one involving Flecha, Hoogerland and the car! Those blokes have got balls I'll give them that

I think he may only have one left after that.  Ouch.

Contador banned for two years, but it is retrospective so he is stripped of the 2010 Tour title which now goes to Andy Schlek (and also last years Giro).However, he is is eligible to ride again from August this year (after the Tour & the Olympics) but in time for the Vuelta.

Does seem a bit bonkers that the ban starts from the time that the test was taken.

Would have thought that either you are banned immediately until the issue is resolved (would stop the competitor trying to delay the hearing), or not at all until the hearing has taken place.

So is he handing back all prize money and wages taken from when the ban started. Thought not.

Tour de Farce.

Yes, actually. His team Saxo Bank may also have their race licence reviewed, as without his points their ranking will drop.

Justice for Schleck at last. Even if the dodgy steaks had little effect, those 39 seconds that Contador illegitimately gained when Andy's chain came off made a huge difference. Shame it's taken so long for it to happen.

Well that told me!

It'd be much fairer if they just let everyone take whatever they wanted... adds a whole new level of tactics and competition

Probably the biggest result in Luxembourg sporting history!

What a way to win it though!!

In what way was it illegitimate - Schlecks chain came off, this was either a mechanical problem (and if so are you suggesting that say Lewis Hamilton should wait if an opponent has a problem) or it was due to him changing down when drivetrain was under severe pressure which is a mistake on his part as even with the best electronic systems this can happen and thus riders should know to avoid.

I am not for one moment condoning the steak eating Spaniard, but, as with the tour this year in fact, if Andy was prepared/able to ride without having to keep next to his brother he would and could have won these tours - hopefully the change of management will change his tactics and help him reach his potential.

Interestingly (and ironically) the Giro Italia from last year will revert to Michele Scarponi who himself came back from a doping ban in 2010!

Its "just" protocol to wait in those circumstances isn't it? Not illegal not to, a bit like kicking the ball back to the opposition.

It depends on the circumstance and in that case I think Frandy buggered it up of his own accord (there was no great blaming of the mecahnics afterwards) - but it is open to interpretation and Berties apology afterwards didn't help!

Anyway its just frustration with him on my part - he could be a world beater if he could time trial and sort himself mentally!