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Old 20-07-2012, 15:21
afx237vi
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Luis Leon's reaction was funny. What's Spanish for "bleeeeeugh."
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Old 20-07-2012, 15:26
aggs
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Theres no better sight in cycling than watching Cavendish motor it like that , for me anyway
I'm going to be in tears watching the tele for 4 days on the trot
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Old 20-07-2012, 15:27
tennisman
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It is a wonder that SIr Clive Woodward is in overall charge of Team GB the olympic team is he not?
I wonder if we would do better if Brailsford were to take over ?

Also, does anyone think, it cannot be long before he is a Knight as well? Sir Dave Brailsford perhaps? He has certainly done a heck of a lot for the sport in general.
Brailsford has done wonders.

His approach was once described as him getting everyone to look at every aspect of what they do and making it a bit better as opposed to looking at one, two or three things and making major shifts in those. It has clearly worked.

Reading Woodward's biography, it's clear he is a special coach too and probably fell from grace at the RFU because he was streets ahead of them. When he first arrived at Twickenham to start his job, they had neither a desk, an office or any staff for him!!!

Reckon Woodward's effect might well be diluted down in a very senior role which inevitably would get more involved with overall strategy, administration and office politics as opposed to the specifics of devising and implementing programmes which he was clearly excellent at from junior club rugby right up to his World Cup success with England.
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Old 20-07-2012, 15:29
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Theres no better sight in cycling than watching Cavendish motor it like that , for me anyway
Him at full tilt is something special.

I also like seeing any climber who can kick again and leave the others for dust too - Chris Froome's climbing could have been that this tour but it wasn't to be, for obvious reasons.

I'm in awe of these guys.

Brilliant finish from Cav after Wiggins and Boasson Hagen chased the gap down. You've got to take your hat off to Sky, they have dominated this tour.
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Old 20-07-2012, 15:30
swingaleg
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Brilliant from Cav.........the way he went early to catch the two out in front and nobody could go with him

Overhead shot as he went past like they were standing still........

Huge hug between Cav and Brad after the finish.........
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Old 20-07-2012, 15:31
batdude_uk1
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Brailsford has done wonders.

His approach was once described as him getting everyone to look at every aspect of what they do and making it a bit better as opposed to looking at one, two or three things and making major shifts in those. It has clearly worked.

Reading Woodward's biography, it's clear he is a special coach too and probably fell from grace at the RFU because he was streets ahead of them. When he first arrived at Twickenham to start his job, they had neither a desk, an office or any staff for him!!!

Reckon Woodward's effect might well be diluted down in a very senior role which inevitably would get more involved with overall strategy, administration and office politics as opposed to the specifics of devising and implementing programmes which he was clearly excellent at from junior club rugby right up to his World Cup success with England.
I was reading a book about the initial set-up of Team Sky and it was very detailed about everything (for the life of me I cannot remember the title or the author now, so I do apologise about that), and in it Dave Brailsford comes accross as someone who is very detailed in the planning stages and doesn't leave anything to chance at all.

As for Woodward, I don't think his time trying his arm at football helped him out really, as Union and football don't really mix in terms of the politics in both sports.
But he did do wonders for the national team, there can be no doubt about that.
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Old 20-07-2012, 15:31
batdude_uk1
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Brilliant from Cav.........the way he went early to catch the two out in front and nobody could go with him

Overhead shot as he went past like they were standing still........

Huge hug between Cav and Brad after the finish.........
I thought that was a great shot of them btoh hugging at the end, it showed that they really are a team, "all for one, and one for all" etc.
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Old 20-07-2012, 15:36
aggs
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Brailsford has done wonders.

His approach was once described as him getting everyone to look at every aspect of what they do and making it a bit better as opposed to looking at one, two or three things and making major shifts in those. It has clearly worked.

Reading Woodward's biography, it's clear he is a special coach too and probably fell from grace at the RFU because he was streets ahead of them. When he first arrived at Twickenham to start his job, they had neither a desk, an office or any staff for him!!!

Reckon Woodward's effect might well be diluted down in a very senior role which inevitably would get more involved with overall strategy, administration and office politics as opposed to the specifics of devising and implementing programmes which he was clearly excellent at from junior club rugby right up to his World Cup success with England.
What is Peter Keen doing these days? (I think he deserves a lot of credit for getting things in motion and his work with Chris Boardman).
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Old 20-07-2012, 15:39
Denley
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I thought that was a great shot of them btoh hugging at the end, it showed that they really are a team, "all for one, and one for all" etc.
They've been through a hell of a lot together in their careers, great to see them share the rewards for their hard work.

Is it too greedy to hope for a Wiggins, Froome 1,2 in the TT tomorrow and another Champs win for Cav to top it all off perfectly?
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Old 20-07-2012, 15:44
aggs
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They've been through a hell of a lot together in their careers, great to see them share the rewards for their hard work.

Is it too greedy to hope for a Wiggins, Froome 1,2 in the TT tomorrow and another Champs win for Cav to top it all off perfectly?
Perfectly acceptable
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Old 20-07-2012, 15:45
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A great pic here:-

http://twitpic.com/a9pq7j
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Old 20-07-2012, 15:50
Mystical123
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Is it too greedy to hope for a Wiggins, Froome 1,2 in the TT tomorrow and another Champs win for Cav to top it all off perfectly?
I think that's a very likely prediction, not at all greedy! No Cancellara any more and I doubt Van Garderen will TT as well as he did last time - he's no match for Wiggins and Froome anyway. And if Sky lead Cavendish out like they did today, which they're clearly planning to do, there'll be no stopping him on Sunday
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Old 20-07-2012, 15:57
batdude_uk1
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I think that's a very likely prediction, not at all greedy! No Cancellara any more and I doubt Van Garderen will TT as well as he did last time - he's no match for Wiggins and Froome anyway. And if Sky lead Cavendish out like they did today, which they're clearly planning to do, there'll be no stopping him on Sunday
This is almost too perfect a situation really!

All we need know is for the Queen to be in Paris on Sunday, and come down to the finish and Knight Dave right there and then, to compete the whole fairy tale!
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Old 20-07-2012, 16:01
Mark F
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Excellent confidence booster for Cavendish..sounds like he asked the team to help him win and they delivered.
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Old 20-07-2012, 16:38
tennisman
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I was reading a book about the initial set-up of Team Sky and it was very detailed about everything (for the life of me I cannot remember the title or the author now, so I do apologise about that), and in it Dave Brailsford comes accross as someone who is very detailed in the planning stages and doesn't leave anything to chance at all.

As for Woodward, I don't think his time trying his arm at football helped him out really, as Union and football don't really mix in terms of the politics in both sports.
But he did do wonders for the national team, there can be no doubt about that.
Of course,each sport has its' own culture but Woodward was a good enough schoolboy footballer to play for Welsh Schools (he is English but the side was picked from all attendees at Welsh schools!), so it was not such a jump for him as some have made out.

At Southampton, he was also in the role of Director of Football and the MO of such a role has never been worked out in our football (maybe he was trying to do just that?).
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Old 20-07-2012, 17:06
apaul
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As for Woodward, I don't think his time trying his arm at football helped him out really, as Union and football don't really mix in terms of the politics in both sports.
But he did do wonders for the national team, there can be no doubt about that.
The England rugby team did well because the players were either world class or very good. Southampton showed the limits of Woodward. Similarly in his present job he had supposedly worked out how to create medal winners and trialed it on a woman golfer with predictably poor results. Whatever his title, the sports who know how to win like cycling, rowing and sailing won't let Woodward interfere.

Cracking stage today rather than the expected dawdling peloton. If Cavendish also wipes the floor with the other sprinters in Paris it won't make his chances of Olympic gold any easier as even the other teams with good sprinters will be trying for a breakaway.
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Old 20-07-2012, 18:25
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Cracking stage today rather than the expected dawdling peloton. If Cavendish also wipes the floor with the other sprinters in Paris it won't make his chances of Olympic gold any easier as even the other teams with good sprinters will be trying for a breakaway.
Let them try, with Wiggins Froome Stannard and Millar controlling it.....
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Old 20-07-2012, 18:27
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The England rugby team did well because the players were either world class or very good. Southampton showed the limits of Woodward. Similarly in his present job he had supposedly worked out how to create medal winners and trialed it on a woman golfer with predictably poor results. Whatever his title, the sports who know how to win like cycling, rowing and sailing won't let Woodward interfere.

Cracking stage today rather than the expected dawdling peloton. If Cavendish also wipes the floor with the other sprinters in Paris it won't make his chances of Olympic gold any easier as even the other teams with good sprinters will be trying for a breakaway.
It certainly wasn't as simple as that , give him some credit.

When he took over England were getting thumped by the Southern Hemisphere nations and then he produced something that no other Northern Hemisphere team has ever done by consistantly beating those SH nations home and away culminating in winning that World Cup in Australia.

Look at Wales with all their world class players , they still cant beat a SH nation let alone win consecutive games and win a World Cup.
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Old 20-07-2012, 18:58
Mystical123
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This is almost too perfect a situation really!

All we need know is for the Queen to be in Paris on Sunday, and come down to the finish and Knight Dave right there and then, to compete the whole fairy tale!
It could well be Sir Bradley Wiggins, and Chris Froome and Mark Cavendish OBEs as well at this rate!

Sky have shown that perfect teamwork and a couple of strong TTs really is the way to win the Tour - I doubt Wiggins would have won (or won so easily at least) without his team being around him so consistently in the mountains. Of course Evans has shown that even if the team is there if the rider isn't up to it there's not much that can be done, but the way Sky have had their team marshalled to perfection has been the major difference.
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Old 20-07-2012, 19:05
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Sky have shown that perfect teamwork and a couple of strong TTs really is the way to win the Tour - I doubt Wiggins would have won (or won so easily at least) without his team being around him so consistently in the mountains.
I think they showed the uselessness of the traditional tactic of getting one guy in a break down the road so that your best climber could catch up with them later. BMC tried that the other day by putting Hincapie in the lead group for Evans to catch up with and it was a complete waste, would have been far better to have him pacing his leader.
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Old 20-07-2012, 19:51
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Just watched it again on ITV4 - I reckon Cav was 40-50m down on Roche at 300m to go.
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Old 20-07-2012, 19:54
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I have just watched the finish on the ITV4 catch up.

Just... WOW.

It looked great head on.

Then from overhead... just... WOW.

...and I loved Roche's comments... what could he do but laugh.
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Old 20-07-2012, 19:57
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Just out of interest, does anyone have the boxset of all of the tours (well up to 2010 I think it is)?

Is it any good? I am thinking of ordering it.
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Old 20-07-2012, 20:14
Eater Sundae
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Right, I've just read everyone's posts. I missed Sanchez's reaction and the Wiggins/Cav hug, so I'm off to see them on line if I can...


...once I've finished picking up my jaw off the floor having seen the finish from overhead again. Still... just... WOW.
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Old 20-07-2012, 20:22
TheFridge
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I have just watched the finish on the ITV4 catch up.

Just... WOW.

It looked great head on.

Then from overhead... just... WOW.

...and I loved Roche's comments... what could he do but laugh.
I had to watch it again to , Roche's comments were very funny , he said he didnt even see him go by ! ..... the Indurain message to Wiggins was a nice touch aswell.
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