le Tour

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Bradley Wiggins: defending champion out of Tour de France

Defending champion Sir Bradley Wiggins has been ruled out of this year's Tour de France due to illness and injury, Team Sky announced today.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cycling/22735801

 

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Race "dashboard"

http://www.steephill.tv/tour-de-france/

 

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Official site (English available)

http://www.letour.com/le-tour/2013/us/

 

[Nebulous's iconNebulous]

Are you into this stuff Doc?

 

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Are you into this stuff Doc?

My wife is.

Any more questions?

 

[Nebulous's iconNebulous]

Are you into this stuff Doc?

My wife is.

Any more questions?

Uh... How's the weather?

 

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Tour de France 100

The cyclists taking part in the centennial staging of the world's greatest bike race will cover nearly 3,500 km in 21 stages - as they seek to emulate Sir Bradley Wiggins' 2012 victory.

But how does the corporate, science-based Tour of the 21st Century compare to the early days of the competition, when riders lacked gears and were very much on their own?

Take a nostalgic look back over the decades - with Graeme Fife, author of Tour de France, the History, the Legend, the Riders - and Brian Robinson who became, in 1955, the first British man to complete the race.

video
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-23028684

 

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Starts today.

Live coverage options including text and video.

http://www.steephill.tv/tour-de-france/

 

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Chaos on the course.

A bus crashed into the finishing arch and narrow roads cause mass casualties in peloton.

The Orica GreenEdge bus got caught under the finish banner truss and is stuck with the peloton just 15 km from the finish. It missed a turned and was only able to get removed when it's front tires were deflated with the peloton just 5 km from the finish.

http://www.steephill.tv/2013/tour-de-france/photos/stage-01/

The 'banner' is a solid construction with cameras and the timing devices and other things in it, more like a highway sign on a gantry than a banner.

It was solid enough to damage the bus.

Video:
http://www.steephill.tv/players/720/nbcsports/?title=Orica+GreenEdge+bus+gets+stuck+under+finish+banner+as+cyclists+bear+down&dashboard=tour-de-france&id=52349985&yr=2013

 

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After three hours and forty minutes of riding and climbing Four mountains over 146km....

it came down to this today;

http://www.steephill.tv/tour-de-france/#spoiler

 

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Stage Five

The nuns love their bike racing too. Mark Cavendish and Omega Pharma Quick Step passing by the Sisters of the Cosolation congregation

http://www.steephill.tv/2013/tour-de-france/photos/

 

[Jazzy]

Wow, what a finish! The nuns made me smile. They sure are enjoying the race.

 

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Yesterday's stage was fairly flat

Here's the winner's stats for the day

André Greipel (Lotto Belisol), 176.5 kilometres in 3 hours 59 mins 2 secs

Think the nuns could keep up?

 

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Stage 8

They have reached the mountains.

 

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Individual time trial.

One man at a time, against the clock.

such as:

It is fair to say that the current leader Tony Martin was really travelling today. He completed the 33km (20.5 mile) time trial at an average speed of 54.271km/h (33.722 mph).

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cycling/23253792


how fast can you ride?

 

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Another long stage, another field sprint finish, and another photo for the winner

 

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Stage 15

Couple of small hills, long flat ride, then.... oh my god, 1900 meters plus (6,200 feet)
Categorized Climbs for Stage 15:
Km / To Go Climb Length Grade Max Cat
20.5 / 223 Côte d'Eyzin-Pinet 3.1 km 4.9 % n/a 4
26.5 / 217 Côte de Primarette 2.6 km 4.1 % n/a 4
44.5 / 199 Côte de Lens-Lestang 2.1 km 3.8 % n/a 4
143 / 100 Côte de Bourdeaux 4.2 km 5.7 % n/a 3
242.5 / 1 MONT VENTOUX 20.8 km 7.5 % 11 % HC

 

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And then, you see, the Tour Director said, in French of course, "Let's Climb The Same Mountain TWICE On One Stage..."

Stage 18 comes up on Thursday.

 

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rider takes a painful tumble on damp road in individual time trial

http://www.steephill.tv/players/720/nbcsports/?title=Slick+roads+bring+down+Peraud&dashboard=tour-de-france&id=52499285&yr=2013

 

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Clipped from the live text coverage from
http://www.letour.fr/le-tour/2013/us/live/aso/

12:40 Jesus leading the way up the col de Manse

The rider who is 100m ahead of the peloton early on the col de Manse is Jesus Hernandez (TST). He is inside the final 5km of the opening climb.

You've gotta love it.