OT: It's ON!!

[terpkristin]

An, my favorite time of year, the 2004 Tour de France starts today!!! Over the past few years, my roommate and I have put our bikes up on our trainers and did some hard spinning while watching the TdF every day. :p This year, I can't do that, but I'm still watchin'.

GO LANCE!!!

~tk

[blackout]

shit you ride? does UofM have a cycling team? I'm no roadie, but I have raced mountain for a long time and was on NU's team up here for 4 years....

anyways... go Lance and Tyler (Hamilton). If I ever move to Golden I mightpick up a road bike....

[rickJ]

His group rode through my school as our practice was ending, one of teammates gave a generic "Go Lance!" to what we thought were some random bikers and the front one looked over and said "what's up."

It was pretty cool http://dynamic2.gamespy.com/%7Efof/forums/images/smilies/cool.gif

[damnMikeBrown]

Hell, who doesn't ride?

No matter what you ride, it pays to train on the road...gotta hit the road. . .

[terpkristin]

Hehehe.
Yeah, blackout, I ride. Used to do a lot more mountain racing, but not in the last few years. I've sort of moved away from mountain stuff...my body just can't handle getting more injuries. I just converted my mountain bike to a SS for a little added fun and challenge. Plus, I've been using my mountain as a commuting beast.

Yup, UMd has a cycling team. Again, with my injuries over the last few years (8 surgeries in 2 years, 11 months) I've just not been able to do much, but after this most recent surgery, cycling is one of the few sports I'll still be able to do and I'll be DAMNED if I'm not going to be on my bikes even more often than I was before.

By the by, Lance finished 2nd in the time trial today. Talk about doing a head job on all his other top competitors who expected him to do well, but not top. Hamilton is what, 16? Ulich is 9th I think.

~tk

[blackout]

blackout = name i picked due to head injuries. I did XC for a bit but then converted to Slalom and Downhill. I've had my share of injuries and I have taken this season off :(

hope to hit some skateparks (i ride everything, well, except road, heh) in the winter and come back for the 05 season

[fantastic flying froggies]

Lance was very impressive in the prologue. I must confess though, I am not rooting for him this year as I was in previous years. I would not like it if he won a 6th tour, it would put him in a class of his own. Right now, with 5 wins, he stands with Hinault, Merx, Indurain and Anquetil I believe. And while he deserves it, I honestly don't think Lance is better than those guys...because they also won other major races, unlike him.

Didn't get a chance to see the 1st stage yesterday, I was at the beach. A mass finish, as expected. We should see a lot of those in the 1st week. No major changes in the overall rankings

[fantastic flying froggies]

tk and others, there is a thread about the Tour de France in the general forum :
http://dynamic2.gamespy.com/~fof/forums/showthread.php?t=27626

[terpkristin]

Yeah I saw that. Hey, FFF, does any of Le Tour pass near to where you live? Have you ever gone and watched the cyclists from the side of the road?

~tk

[fantastic flying froggies]

Hey, FFF, does any of Le Tour pass near to where you live? Indeed it does, and I am very happy about it ! I will definitely go and it'll be the 1st time ever. I believe it is the 18th of July, I need to check so I won't miss it. But my dad is bicycle crazy and will definitely go and know exactly where and when to go. He had a hard fall 2 years ago while cycling and broke his hip bone but before that, he rode something like 2000 km a year !!! (and he 's 64 !)


Have you ever gone and watched the cyclists from the side of the road?
As I just mentionned, I've never seen the Tour but this year I saw the Tour du Languedoc Roussillon, a minor weekly tour. It's usually a preparation race for the big one, the Tour de France. They actually rode through my village, I just literally walked down the road half a mile and watched the guys ride by. I should say rocket by, they ride so fast it is amazing and you barely have time to recognize anybody. I was on the flat, in a straight line but at a roundabout to slow them down just a little and they probably whizzed by at 60 kph (roughly 40 mph) !!!