Viva Le Tour - Tour de France 2011

[cripple]

You bloody ripper. only missed out on the stage by 7 seconds

[am Bays]

YES YES YES YES

Didn't think Schlek would beat Evans in the TT but he would manage to hold on to the Yellow Jersey by minimising the damage.

I'm wrong as usual!!!

Evans has smashed it

Go you good thing!!!

[RustyCage]

Cadel Evans you absolute champion!

[NFC]

He smashed it, he destroyed it, he freaking demolished Andy today!!!!!!!

CADEL 2011 TDF WINNER! Legend!!

[RustyCage]

[Jim05]

Was on record to say Cadel could peel off 2-3 minutes on the Shlecks.
Both Schlecks look stuffed, Evans looks like he could do another TT
Absolute champion!!!!

[am Bays]

I know le Tour etiquette dictates that the leader at the start of the last stage wins the Tour de France, but what if Cadel and Andy are within 3 secs after the time trial?

Are we then in unknown territory and would not the 2nd place rider try to get those 4 secs on the Champs-Elysees?

1:34 up, too much time even if they wanted to try it!!!

[redandblack]

Years of watching him race the Tour.

What a sensational effort

[dedja]

no-one likes a smartarse ...

[redandblack]

Great to see red and black win at last

[pels]

Awesome effort, Well done Evans
Legendary status in Australian sport now
He was definetely the strongest rider out there today.

[dedja]

Great to see red and black win at last

[Cambridge Clarrie]

YES!!!

Up there next to America's Cup win as our greatest sporting moment.

[Jim05]

Presentation time

[Dirko]

Great to see red and black win at last

Don't tell Essendon that

What a ride by Cadel. Absolutely smashed it....such power!

Enjoy the Champers into Paris tomorrow.....

[Thiele]

Great to see red and black win at last

[Grahaml]

Magnificent. Said all along the Schlecks would lose 2-3 minutes on previous form and that Cadel had a massive ITT in him. Shame he couldn't close down Martin in the last 5ks, was 2 seconds down and closing at the 3rd time check, I thought he was a great chance to crack #1 on the stage. But he finished #1 overall and top 5 in points and KOM counts too. Evidence of how he's been leading the pack time and time again.

They won't attack on the last stage, even for 1 second for 3 main reasons. First of all France would NEVER forgive them. They would be villains forever and it would be a scandal that would cut more deeply than you might realise. Think underarm. Second of all it would be open season with no consequence on them in future instances if they held a slender lead. They had 20 stages to get more of a lead, dropped Cadel when he had to change bikes and he was still too good. Thirdly, it would be their team against the teams of all the sprinters, BMC, anyone else close to losing position overall and the French teams protecting the lustre of the tour. 9 men again 150 doesn't end well for the 9.

Been watching the tour for some years, but especially in the last 7 or 8 and getting more and more in to it. This is magnificent. I was trying to temper my hopes knowing how disappointed it's been to see him come short. But once it was his rivals and not him crashing for once things started to look good, when he shut down the dangers in the Galibier I knew though he was now the man to beat. Having a strong team was massive in that regard, keeping him safe, rested and in position to create history. Let's let nobody be in any doubt about who the other heroes are. John Lelangue his team manager who guided the team plans each day, George Hincapie with 9 winning team mates, Brent Bookwalter, Marcus Burghart who did massive amounts of work for him yesterday, Amael Moinard his last ally on most slopes, Steve Morabito, Manuel Quinziato, Ivan Santaromita and Michael Schar.

[Sploosh]

It's fascinating reading your informed posts, Grahaml. Can you explain a bit more though about it "not being the done thing" to attack on the final stage? I don't quite understand why the final stage is different to all the others....

[Jim05]

It's fascinating reading your informed posts, Grahaml. Can you explain a bit more though about it "not being the done thing" to attack on the final stage? I don't quite understand why the final stage is different to all the others....

The last stage is like a victory lap, the tour is over and now its time fir the king to have a victory parade through Paris.

[dedja]

Been watching the tour for some years, but especially in the last 7 or 8 and getting more and more in to it. This is magnificent. I was trying to temper my hopes knowing how disappointed it's been to see him come short. But once it was his rivals and not him crashing for once things started to look good, when he shut down the dangers in the Galibier I knew though he was now the man to beat. Having a strong team was massive in that regard, keeping him safe, rested and in position to create history. Let's let nobody be in any doubt about who the other heroes are. John Lelangue his team manager who guided the team plans each day, George Hincapie with 9 winning team mates, Brent Bookwalter, Marcus Burghart who did massive amounts of work for him yesterday, Amael Moinard his last ally on most slopes, Steve Morabito, Manuel Quinziato, Ivan Santaromita and Michael Schar.

How awesome would it be to have an Australian team?

There's enough talent around but the sport just doesn't have the foothold here as in Europe, but Mike Turtur and Cadel Evans are changing that fast.