Le Tour 2012

[Mark Blacknell]

The Tour de France starts tomorrow, and that will mark the beginning of three weeks of daily race-watching for me and many others. If you’re already a fan, I’m sure you already have a plan for watching. If you’re curious, I suggest checking out this link, which does a good job of describing how the Tour works, who’s riding, and how/when to watch. It’s definitely American-centric, but it’s a good way to see if pro cycling’s for you.

Also, for those of you looking for a way to watch it live online? Start with Steephill.tv or CyclingFans.com.

(And no, Lance is definitely not winning.)

Topic

[DaveK]

@Arlingtonrider 25338 wrote:

I’ve become my own spoiler – am no longer able to resist checking out cyclingnews, podiumcafe, etc. during the day. So please don’t be concerned anymore about spoilers on my account. I’ve actually found that I’m enjoying the primetime showing even more with a little background.

Am adding “Race Across the Sky” to my Netflix queue. (It was fun to meet Rebecca Rusch at TJROW – very nice person.) Any other suggestions?

Ride the Divide is good but I wish they would have shown more of the actual ride instead of scenery. Still definitely worth a watch. And it’s on instant play on Netflix.

[PotomacCyclist]

I can’t think of any other outstanding bike race documentaries. “Bicycle Dreams” (covering the Race Across America) was OK, but somewhat frustrating to watch. I didn’t get inspired by it so much as become puzzled why anyone would want to do the solo race.

While it’s not a bike movie, “Unbreakable: The Western States 100” is a great ultrarunning documentary covering that famous ultra race. You get the sense of the challenges of an extremely long endurance race, just in a different sport. I think most fans of endurance sports will like that movie. I don’t know if it’s available on Netflix but it is available on DVD. I’ll probably never do an ultrarunning race but I did find the movie fascinating.

[Arlingtonrider]

Bikearlington tweeted this link to some amazing photos from the TdF: http://t.co/GCEneXfg

(If the link doesn’t work, just go to the main BikeArlington page and look at the latest tweet.)

[PotomacCyclist]

RadioShack-Nissan Trek going under? Maybe. Some of the team’s riders have complained about late payment of salaries, from the Schlecks to Fabian Cancellara and Jakob Fuglsang. The primary backer, Leopard SA and its owner Flavio Becca, have been investigated for embezzlement in Luxembourg. Johan Bruyneel, the team manager, is under investigation by the USADA as part of the Lance Armstrong inquiry. Bruyneel decided to stay away from the Tour de France because of the investigation. The Schlecks apparently have a poor relationship with Bruyneel and may leave the team for a new team based in Germany.

http://road.cc/content/news/61904-radioshack-nissan-owner-leopard-sa-denies-press-reports-financial-meltdown

http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/12399/Leopard-SA-deny-speculation-about-RadioShack-Nissan-financial-woes.aspx

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/news/radioshack-nissan-owners-reject-bankruptcy-reports-124359494.html

[PotomacCyclist]

@Arlingtonrider 25478 wrote:

Bikearlington tweeted this link to some amazing photos from the TdF: http://t.co/GCEneXfg

(If the link doesn’t work, just go to the main BikeArlington page and look at the latest tweet.)

No. 14: How did Joe Biden get over there?

No. 21: Not recommended diagnostic procedure!

[PotomacCyclist]

Preview of Wednesday’s Stage 16, including a climb up the famous Col du Tourmalet, hosted by a former Tour rider:

http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1567289224001?bckey=AQ~~,AAAABAI06Hk~,I3WnLiyY6vcbJiNhxa_PJ0jY1skN9ZtA&bclid=1567026166001&bctid=1739726329001

[Mark Blacknell]

@PotomacCyclist 25358 wrote:

I can’t think of any other outstanding bike race documentaries.

Overcoming – Team CSC (now Saxo-Tinkoff, Bjarne still at the helm) at the 2004 Tour. *Fantastic*. http://www.pezcyclingnews.com/?pg=fullstory&id=3795

La Course en Tete – The Eddy Merckx Story – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0de_RTkq4U (Better if you’re interested in his legend and some historical appreciation of the sport)

A Sunday In Hell – 1976 Danish film about the 1976 edition of Paris-Roubaix. Love this film. Available in full, here – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4IDCkcnnHg

Hell on Wheels – German language (Eng. subtitled) view of the 2003 Tour. Very good, and a useful step away from the Lance hagiography that some here may be used to – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwtsi1_1KkY

[consularrider]

@txgoonie 24707 wrote:

I have to put in a shameless plug for a film my friend made called Chasing Legends. It follows the HTC Columbia team during the 2009 Tour. There’s really interesting stuff about race strategy in it that I had never really known before. That team did not have a contender for the GC, but they did have Mark Cavendish and one of the strongest lead out trains, so you do see how a sprint finish develops. I can loan anyone my copy (or you can always get your own for inspiration during those horrible workouts on the trainer http://www.chasinglegends.com/).

I like to recommend this film as well. I was an extra for it when filming a scene in Georgetown, but didn’t make the final cut to actually be in the film, although I think I do get a screen credit at the end.

[dasgeh]

From racer hubby:
Eddy Merckx – The Greatest Show on Earth (1974 Giro)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8oh9gy7uvs&feature=relate

[Bilsko]

@consularrider 25644 wrote:

I like to recommend this film as well. I was an extra for it when filming a scene in Georgetown, but didn’t make the final cut to actually be in the film, although I think I do get a screen credit at the end.

Searching for Chasing Legends on Amazon turns up a lot of cycling movie results. None of which I’ve seen.

[Arlingtonrider]

Does anyone who is going to Rhodes Tavern tonight have a copy of the DVD of “Chasing Legends” (or any other good cycling documentaries) that they might be willing to loan to me for a couple of weeks?

I was hoping to find that CL on Netfix, but it’s not available yet. I’m going to have several days at home starting Friday and would enjoy interesting things to watch. I’ve seen “Ride the Divide”, “24 Solo”, and the one about the Ride Across America. I promise to handle them carefully and make sure they get returned.

Thanks in advance –

Kathy

[Tim Kelley]

@Arlingtonrider 25697 wrote:

Does anyone who is going to Rhodes Tavern tonight have a copy of the DVD of “Chasing Legends” (or any other good cycling documentaries) that they might be willing to loan to me for a couple of weeks?

I was hoping to find that CL on Netfix, but it’s not available yet. I’m going to have several days at home starting Friday and would enjoy interesting things to watch. I’ve seen “Ride the Divide”, “24 Solo”, and the one about the Ride Across America. I promise to handle them carefully and make sure they get returned.

Thanks in advance –

Kathy

Kathy–on 7/31 at Two Wheel Tuesday we’ll be screening Chasing Legends on the big screen at Central Library. If you can wait until then, you can enjoy popcorn with us!

[Arlingtonrider]

Thanks, Tim. I’d love to do that and it would be fun to watch it with you all, but at this point that date doesn’t look like it will work for me. Thanks for the info though.

[PotomacCyclist]

Great Tour even if we didn’t see too many successful big attacks on the mountains. The crowds and atmosphere on those mountain stages is wild and crazy. The fast descents are heart-stopping to watch. The speeds that the riders reach on the individual time trial stages are amazing.

Congrats to Wiggins as the first British cyclist to win the Tour.

The other day, when I was doing a bike speed workout, I had images of Bradley Wiggins on his time trial bike in mind. Of course, I was riding much slower than he does. But I was inspired to push a little bit harder, or I felt the effort less. While I like doing many slower casual rides (on CaBi), sometimes I like to watch the top cyclists gunning it at full speed too. Gives me motivation to ride hard in speed workouts. Ah, to ride at 30 mph on a flat road. Maybe someday… in my dreams.

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By the way, has anyone ever tried one of those Pro-Form Tour de France Indoor bikes that are advertised so frequently during the broadcasts? They look interesting. I won’t buy one but I think it would be nice if some gyms added a few of those bikes. I’d certainly try them out over the winter.

http://www.proform.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_-1_14201_16002_29511_191319

[eminva]

@Arlingtonrider 25338 wrote:

Am adding “Race Across the Sky” to my Netflix queue. (It was fun to meet Rebecca Rusch at TJROW – very nice person.) Any other suggestions?

Did you find this on Netflix? I’ve always wanted to see it (and the companion film), but I can’t find them on Netflix.

Liz

[Author]

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