mathwheels

What do you guys think?

All thought it is incredible as a spectator many of the riders thought including them was an ill concieved idea in a stage race let alone the tour.

Many crashes, schleck out with broken collar bone, Chavanel three bike changes looses yellow jersey, lance flat tire loosing time and the list goes on.

I loved watching today but would have to agree with the riders that it is a bad idea in a three week stage race to put key riders on some of these teams at risk of injury and being out of the tour.

The roubaix and flanders great one day races on cobble's that riders/teams can opt out of participating in.

https://velonews.competitor.com/

hairnet

just due eeeeeeeeeeeeeet

rousseau

Cobble's what?

Quel

It was damn fun to watch, that's for sure. In the end though, seems like the cobbles are meant to separate the men from the boys like in Paris-Roubaix. But all it did today was separate the lucky from the unlucky. I still enjoyed it though, and great riding all around.

i like coffee

what happened to the first week being relatively easy? they throw cobbles in like it's roubiax and put 2 90 degree plus turns within 5K of a finish line, both of which caused crashes. i mean it's fun to watch but they aren't even in the mountains yet and there hasn't been a good sprint yet and the headlines are GC riders losing and gaining times on each other - stupid.

W Cole

I think its fun to watch riders on the cobbles for the same reason its fun to watch bull fighting, it turns the sport into a spectacle which IMO is the wrong way to go about it. I do like how it blew the pack apart though - was exciting to watch.

Machka 

I like it ... it takes the race back to its roots when much more of the roads in that part of the world were cobblestone. I especially loved it that the riders were putting on 700x25s in preparation for it ... my kind of tires!!

nixternal

I like the cobbles. Makes the race that more interesting and fun to watch. Those who think it is a bad idea probably think it is a bad idea for their football team to play the Chicago Bears when there is a blizzard or thick fog and probably would say something like, "All football games need to be played in a climate controlled stadium." It isn't like a lot of time was lost in the GC today and many who are up in the GC will die when they hit the first speed bump, or mountain as some of us call them

If you favorite rider is Cancellara, is it unfair that they put mountain stages in the TdF?

chasm54

It isn't just luck. Cancellara and Hushovd, for example, are specialists at this sort of stuff and their success rates are no coincidence. That's no less meritorious than being a top sprinter, or climbers, or time triallist. In my opinion it is a welcome change to include some flat stages that can affect the outcome of the GC as well as the green jersey competition.

SwingBlade

Couldn't resist watching the cobbles crap shoot today even though I feel it was a stupid stunt by the race officials. Today was a prime example of catering to a mindset that has no place in the TDF. Cobbles are dangerous ... plain and simple. A one day race on cobbles gives one a week to recuperate before the next race or the option of just skipping it. But the TDF? Proving what? That some are just flat out luckier than others? That isn't what the TDF is about. The TDF is about conditioning, skill, courage, selflessness, and teamwork.

Why not release a great white in a bunch of chum 100 yards from the start point of a triathlon swim just to see who's tough, who's lucky and who's tasty? Makes just as much sense as the cobbles today because someone could have easily been killed or critically injured ... especially someone who isn't a cobbler.

chasm54

You may as well say they should abandon mountain stages because if it rains, the descents will be dangerous. The TdF isn't run in a velodrome ...

colombo357

TDF 2011 will have huge double's and ladder dropoff's, similar to Crankworx. That'll make it REAL exciting.

Andy Schleck is perfecting his flip-whip, I hear.

Cobble's.

colombo357

Crappy argument you made.

How many serious amateur road cyclists ride up hills and mountains? All of them.

How many serious amateur road cyclists ride over cobbles? None of them.

That's why.

chasm54

Crappy argument you made. How many serious amateurs are contesting the TdF? None of them. That's why.

This is a Grand Tour, for chrissake. It is not unreasonable to include elements that test the full range of conditions and skills.

EDIT: And try telling serious amateurs in France and the Low Countries that they never ride on pavé. The world isn't all organised along North American lines.

Machka 

If you've cycled in Europe to any extent, you'll have encountered cobblestones. If you've cycled in Montreal or other older cities on the east coast of North America, you'll have encountered cobblestones. They aren't that uncommon.

Do a search on "cobblestone classic" cycling. Buffalo NY has or had a crit called the "Cobblestone Classic", as does Winnipeg, MB. No doubt other places have one as well.


And these riders would have definitely ridden cobblestones before. Many will have ridden the Paris-Roubaix:
https://www.letour.fr/indexPRX_us.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris%E2%80%93Roubaix
https://www.velonation.com/News/ID/28...assic-win.aspx


I've ridden cobblestones on a number of occasions, and I'm a "serious amateur road cyclist". Rowan and I stayed in Ieper, Belgium several days and many of their roads were cobblestone. We've also cycled up the Champs-Élysées. I didn't ride anywhere close to race pace, but your comment wasn't about racing cobbles, it was just about amature cyclists out riding.

botto 

i think you should go to the 217 and ask.

ktanner777

I think the whole thing is a bit sadistic. They know the crashes bring the spectators. I don't think that those who can survive crashes are better cyclist. The ranks shouldn't be thinned that way. It should about who's the better cyclist based on speed and endurance.

patentcad

I didn't think it was such a great idea, but then I think the TdF organizers have their heads so far up their silly French asses they look down through their own nostrils.

That being said, they put on a helluva race every year. Le Idiotes that they are.

jdon

<boys - cobblestones - men>

znomit

Makes for good TV

gsteinb

this should be fun. velodromes are safe?

pdedes

Les idiotes.

stien

Lol.

rangerdavid

thus far it's like the NASCAR of cycling.............. just waiting for crashes

botto 

never followed a GT before?