O`Grady a marvel

[WhatsCookin]

Anyone who has ever been to Europe at this time of the year knows what a huge event the Tour de France is!
Our own Stuart O`Grady still holds the yellow jersey after 5 days.
Retaining the lead will be a fantastic achievement but here`s hoping.

 

[GOALden Hawk]

Go Stuey! What a shame it isn't flat the whole way! That's one strange thing about cycling...people celebrate hitting the front, even when they know they have little chance they are going to win....I think he might drop back when they hit the mountains, but good on him....right up there with the best in the world.

 

[Visro]

Didn't know there were other Tour De France fans here. What do you mean he still holds the yellow jersey after five days, he has only had it for two and then there was the team time trial. Is he still holding it after that is he?

Who you picking to win, for me its a battle between Armstrong and Ullrich but Beloki could be a surprise packet. What ever happened to Pantani, is he still around. Anyway just interested to see how many people are watching the TDF?

Vis

 

[WhatsCookin]

O`Grady is still going strong after 8 stages. Yellow and green jerseys.Can he climb the Mountains?

 

[topdon]

He is currently holing a 28 minute lead over the main contenders (Armstrong and Ullrich), and they were saying that he could hold the lead for quite some time.

He'll have to put in some mighty effort when he gets to the mountains, so we will have to wait and see.

But with the mountain stages earning fewer points than the 'sprinting/flat' stages, O'Grady is definitely in with a chance.

 

[joshhem]

O'grady is always out strong at the start, but then fades away near then end stages........

He does it year after year.....lets hope he can hold his lead! I don't know much about cycling, but what does a 28 min lead mean....can that be brought back easily?

 

[IAMDASH]

O'Grady is an absolute freak of nature. This is a tremendous performance. It is such a shame he will ultimately not get the accolades he deserves as he competes in a low profile sport. Correct me if I am wrong but this must be the best ever performance by an Australian at the tour. While others have won stages and worn yellow(did Anderson ever wear yellow. I'll have to check that one) O'Grady has managed to hang on to it for a longer period than any other Aussie I would believe. However I cannot see him holding it once they hit the Alps and the Pyrenees. I am currently reading Armstrong's autobiography and the bloke is a masochist. He will carve them up through the Alps. It will sort the field out well and truly. No matter where O'Grady finishes come Paris it has been a monumental performance.

 

[BomberBoy]

Originally posted by joshhem
He does it year after year.....lets hope he can hold his lead! I don't know much about cycling, but what does a 28 min lead mean....can that be brought back easily?

Yes a 28 minute lead is nothing.

Once they hit the mountains, the climbers come out strong and get MASSIVE advantages.

On a side note, the latest stage from Colmar (my dads home town. He's all happy ) resulted in some controversy, because the rules stated that if after 30 minutes after the leader crossess the finish, the rest of the pack is disqualified. THis is what i read on a french site. (www.dna.fr/dna) but i have not yet heard heard it in Australia. Anyway since there was only like 14 people that crossed the line before 30 minutes, they had to make an exception and not disqualify anyone.

I guess i'll have to wait and see if it is true on the Aussie news

 

[Visro]

Yes that it true, if they had kept to race rules there would have only been about 14 riders to continue the tour! LMAO!

 

[kretchy]

O'Grady still holds the yellow but the other Australian Bradley McGee finished 3rd in the stage after riding off in a three man breakaway.

 

[WhatsCookin]

He is still running 3Rd after 10 stages but it is all uphill now.
He has the green Jersey and could beat Zabel for sprint honours.

 

[IAMDASH]

Did you see Armstrong win that stage yesterday? The bloke is a freak. As they hit the foot of the Alps he rides up to the breakaway which included Ullrich. Then he ups the tempo . As they are getting into the climb he attacks. As he puts in the big ones he gives Ullrich the glare a la an Aussie fast bowler as if to say "Good F*&^($g luck - Ive got u by the short and curlies". He must have stared at him for a good 5 seconds as he blasted away. I know its a big call so early in the tour and anything can happen but I reckon he is an even surer bet than Essendon at this stage.

 

[BomberBoy]

Originally posted by IAMDASH
Did you see Armstrong win that stage yesterday? The bloke is a freak. As they hit the foot of the Alps he rides up to the breakaway which included Ullrich. Then he ups the tempo . As they are getting into the climb he attacks. As he puts in the big ones he gives Ullrich the glare a la an Aussie fast bowler as if to say "Good F*&^($g luck - Ive got u by the short and curlies". He must have stared at him for a good 5 seconds as he blasted away. I know its a big call so early in the tour and anything can happen but I reckon he is an even surer bet than Essendon at this stage.

No doubt it must farqing hurt. Poor Stuart must be hurting so much too considering he ain't a climber. My money's on Armstrong now, but him and Ulrich, will have a good battle.

Hopefully Stuart can keep the green jersey.

 

[QT]

Ogrady is now 10th!

 

[BomberBoy]

Originally posted by QT
Ogrady is now 10th!

its only gonna get worse. They hit the Pyreneese (sp?) on friday night. (Aus time. I think SBS are showing it live, so you'll be able to go through every strain and hurt that they take to get up there. I wonder how long it will go for. Since my family are Tour De France buffs, im sure they'll go with it till the wee hours of the morning.

I still wish i was in France, when the tour de france was happening. The atmosphere is undescribable. It was really good, even though they go real fast lol

 

[Visro]

I was in the Pyreneese in the xmas holidays and I can tell you that they are going to be just as hard, if not harder than the Alps stages so far. O'Grady for my bet, will finish around the mid 30's. Armstrong to beat Ullrich by about 7 minutes.

 

[WhatsCookin]

O`Grady is now 23rd overal after 12 stages.
However he still holds the green jersey with 140 points to Zabels 127.