Bradley Wiggins

[OOH! SHAUN TAYLOR]

I feel fucked just watching them. They're amazing and I am in awe of them. I mean - for fuck sake - Bradley Wiggins was interviewed right after the race and not only was he not out of breath, but he didn't have so much as a bead of sweat on him   I've been watching it for a few years now but have really got into it this year. Obviously all the British success has had a major influence on that, but that said, I think I'm well and truly hooked now. I want to go and see a couple of stages live now, just to sample a bit of the atmosphere.

[Notts red]

I don't watch the stages live (apart from today), just the condensed highlights on ITV4 which I have found to be very entertaining. Paul Sherwin and Phil Leggett possibly need to be pensioned off but Gary Imlach and Chris Boardman are very good.

On a very geeky level, I absolutely love all the aerial photography - it is really spectacular, whether it be the Alps, Pyranees or just regular towns or countryside. Some of the shots of Paris today were fantastic.

I'm the same, obviously enjoy the race stages but at times tend to forget about the bikes and end up looking at the scenery, the commentators even give a bit of a history/Geography lesson along the way. Well done to Wiggins, a brilliant tour.

[bullethead]

I feel fucked just watching them. They're amazing and I am in awe of them. I mean - for fuck sake - Bradley Wiggins was interviewed right after the race and not only was he not out of breath, but he didn't have so much as a bead of sweat on him   I've been watching it for a few years now but have really got into it this year. Obviously all the British success has had a major influence on that, but that said, I think I'm well and truly hooked now. I want to go and see a couple of stages live now, just to sample a bit of the atmosphere.

Yep, been watching since the Stephen Roche days and say every year that I want to go see a stage but ain't managed it yet, maybe when the kids no longer want holidays with the old man! 

[fuzzy]

I want to go and see a couple of stages live now, just to sample a bit of the atmosphere.

Do it. You won't regret it.

I have been a handful of times. We went to the Prologue in Monaco and the stage route in nice in 2009 and this year in Liege. We went to the finish in Paris last year. I also rode out to the Prologue in Hyde Park and the stage route just outside Maidstone in 2007.

The prologue or Time Trials give you more for your money as you get to see the riders individually over a longer period whereas the road stages have the peleton blasting past in a matter of seconds.

The publicity caravan that preceeds the race is a spectacle in itself, a huge convoy of vehicles in all sorts of shapes and sizes with folk throwing out general bits of useless tat that you just have to fight over for the shits and giggles.

The finish in Paris is a good stage to watch, particularly on the Champs Elysees as the race does 8 laps so you get to see thenm a lot. Be there early though cos the course gets rammed with spectators. SWMBO and I were at our spot at 10:00 a.m. and the race came through 6 hours later.

Yesterday was chuffing awesome! The yellow jersey wearer at the head of the lead out train for Cav? EBH taking over just before they take the last bend into the Champs and the Manx Missile then launching his attack. I was sure he had gone too early but no, he timed it to perfection. Sagan was closing quickly though.

Way to go Team Sky

[Bathtime]

Super human glad the drugs appear to be out of the scene now. Especially liked the mountain stages where you seem to be able to get so close that you can touch them.....

[Bewster]

I have to say that I have new found respect for Cav.

At HTC he was in a team built to get him to the line and I always felt that being up there with stage wins close to Armstrong and Merx was a bit false.

Yet to see him work for the team, use other peoples lead outs to win and come off the last persons wheel so far from the line shows just how good he is. Fair play to him - can't wait until Saturday now.

[Mexicano Rojo]

Does he do a lap of honour?

[steptoe41]

Massive respect not just to "Wiggo", but to all of the tour riders. To spend over 87 hours in the saddle covering nearly 3500km really does beggar belief.
To give you some idea of how good these guys are, a mate of mine who is a serious cyclist went for a ride last week and covered 55 miles around cricklade, south Cerney, Brinkworth and back to Swindon at an average of speed of about 18kph. On the mountain stages, the top tour boys were averaging over 22kph, uphill all the way. Fucking mental.

[jonny72]

I don't get why Cavendish and Wiggins can't be in the same team. It seemed to work well with the Sky team leading the peloton and protecting Wiggins, then it turning in to the lead out train for Cavendish. Can't they do that all the time?

What am I missing? Can a cycling expert enlighten me?

It's a pity Dave Brailsford isn't getting more of the media attention. The job he has done with British Cycling and Team Sky is beyond belief and I doubt we'd have won anywhere near as much on the track and road without him. Reckon we need someone like him at the FA to sort the England team out.

[Batch]

I don't get why Cavendish and Wiggins can't be in the same team. It seemed to work well with the Sky team leading the peloton and protecting Wiggins, then it turning in to the lead out train for Cavendish. Can't they do that all the time?

Cav is a class sprinter, he wants to compete for the green jersey. Team Sky build their team looking to win the yellow jersey - this comes above all else including getting Cav into a position to take sprint points.  It makes sense for Cav to go to  another team to get the support he needs to win green.

[Reg Smeeton]

Cav is a class sprinter, he wants to compete for the green jersey. Team Sky build their team looking to win the yellow jersey - this comes above all else including getting Cav into a position to take sprint points.  It makes sense for Cav to go to  another team to get the support he needs to win green.

Brailsford has already said Cav can go if he can get himself sorted with a new team.  Think in many ways Sky would like to be able to bring in another domestique for the mountains, and use Boassen Hagen as a man who might pick up something at the end of a stage.

Cav needs to be careful though as the emergence of Peter Sagan, might make the green jersey beyond him. Sagan is a beast, and at 22 is still got his best to come.

[Batch]

Cav needs to be careful though as the emergence of Peter Sagan, might make the green jersey beyond him. Sagan is a beast, and at 22 is still got his best to come.

All the more reason to get a team behind him then, before the changing of the guard as it were.

[OOH! SHAUN TAYLOR]

Does anyone reckon he might join forces again with Mark Renshaw? Or does Renshaw want to be known for more than just being Cav's lead out man?

[fuzzy]

Does anyone reckon he might join forces again with Mark Renshaw? Or does Renshaw want to be known for more than just being Cav's lead out man?

If I were Renshaw, I would be most aggrieved if my team owner recruited Cav (unless he was to be my lead out man tah is  )

[jonny72]

Cav is a class sprinter, he wants to compete for the green jersey. Team Sky build their team looking to win the yellow jersey - this comes above all else including getting Cav into a position to take sprint points.  It makes sense for Cav to go to  another team to get the support he needs to win green.

So it's just a case of the entire team supporting Cavendish rather than what happened, supporting Wiggins then Cavendish when they could? Think I'm confused as on some of the stages they pretty much did fully support Cavendish, or at least the tactics worked for him. Don't think he can complain too much as Wiggins et al will be supporting him in the Olympics.

I was surprised by how much some of them earn - they said Wiggins gets £1.5m a season from Team Sky and I imagine Cavendish is in the same ball park.