but I’d like to. Can anyone point NewMexiKen to a brief summary of bicycle road racing strategy, tactics, etc., particularly for the Tour de France?
Ken, official oldest son of NewMexiKen, said this: “It’s a team sport where one guy gets all the credit.” Is that a fair statement?
Are the OLN commentators good or bad? (I hope the answer is they’re bad.)
The live action commentators Phil and Paul are great (though maybe not for novice viewers). This year, during the nighttime rebroadcasts, I see OLN is giving us Bob and Al. They make me want to vomit in my mouth.
Calling it a team sport where one guy gets all the credit is overstating it, I think. There are only a handful of guys with any chance at winning the event. Who their teammates are can certainly help make or break that chance. Lance has always had a strong team, built around him.
As for strategy, just watch in a week and a half. It will become clear. It’s all about the mountains. The real contenders will separate themselves from the field. The race will slow down. You’ll see real action (attacks and parries, and such).
Right now it’s just about survival. The sprinters and their teams are jockeying for stage glory. The main contenders are trying to avoid trouble. Last year, Tyler Hamilton (one of Lance’s two or three main competitors) broke his collarbone during an early stage.
See:
http://www.w3os.nl/logos/tour/#about
Oskar’s list is good; I get a lot of hits for my Beginner’s Guide to the Tour de France, but I need to update it for this year’s Tour.
If you have any questions, you can post them as a comment there, and I’ll do whatever I can to answer them….