Le Tour de Pharmaceutical 2013

Start is still a month away but may as well get a thread going.
Course is unusual this year in that it starts on the Island of Corsica & then stays within the borders of mainland France. (Probably to stop the Italian wankers throwing tacks on the road again)

Froome is unbeatable, no?

He'll choke.

Richie Porte to be the highest placed Australian?

JGK wrote:Froome is unbeatable, no?

With a name like that, how could anyone get near him??

This way, a theory named after him.

So all Sky have to do is give Wiggins or Porte leadership and Froome will combust

JGK wrote:Froome is unbeatable, no?

I'll let you know in week three.

Wiggo out... avoids the Sky leadership debate, but weakens Froome's supporting cast.

Hope I'm wrong but suspect Dirty Bertie will reassert his dominance of the event. I take it Nibali's not taking part having focused his efforts on the Giro?

Aye, no Nibali.

All the better for Sky that Wiggins is out.

tricycle wrote:Aye, no Nibali.

All the better for Sky that Wiggins is out.

Well, for team harmony perhaps, but will they have anyone who can stay with Froome in the mountains? Again, I guess Uran won't do back to back tours?

Is Andy Schleck going to be a contender? Won't have his brother alongside him but again that can be a benefit or a burden.

Aye, it would've helped but I don't think Froome requires a strong mountain team as Wiggins does. Wiggins struggles with a change of tempo whereas Froome, and particularly in his victories this year in Oman, Criterium, international and Romandie, is the attacker and responds to changes of tempo if he has the form.

With Porte's continuing improvement and Kiriyenka in the team, I don't think he will lack support.

Will that Aussie with the funny name win again?

David Veilleux takes the first stage of the Criterium. Interesting that Porte finished ahead of Froome albeit with the same time.

Stuart O'Grady announced he will retire after the 2014 TDF.
The 39-year-old South Australian is one of the most experienced Grand Tour riders in the peloton, appearing in every Tour de France since his debut in 1997, recording 16 starts, 14 finishes, two stage wins and nine days in yellow

SOG must be close to riding the most TDFs of any rider.

Will be the joint highest this year.

tricycle wrote:Will be the joint highest this year.

an unforch turn of phrase, given it is cycling

Meh, drugs are likely prevalent in most athletic sports. If anything the Fuentes trial showed.

Good to see the thread title is not lost on you Horrie.

Aussie Rohan Dennis has taken the yellow jersey in the Criterium du Dauphiné after finishing second to Martin in the time trial. Porte passed Contador in the trial & now sits in 5th in the GC. Froome, however is best placed to win the race on Sunday.

Froome beat Contador in the first mountain stage of the Dolphin liberation race after shitting on him in the time trial yesterday.

Cadel Evans was made a Member of the Order of Australia today which is somewhere between MBE and OBE. Wiggins of course was given a Knighthood. So much for this thing about Australia worshipping its sports stars.

Queens Birthday honours were also given to THIS cricket pundit.

JGK wrote:Cadel Evans was made a Member of the Order of Australia today which is somewhere between MBE and OBE. Wiggins of course was given a Knighthood. So much for this thing about Australia worshipping its sports stars.

Sir Bradley Sideburns.