MH GOLD: Hot Pants and a Hot Chance

DATELINE: LONDON 2012.
DAY 5:



We're into the midst of the fun now, boys and girls. Whilst London 2012 hasn't so far been the cascade of Gold Medals tipped by some prior to the Games, we've seen some spectactular efforts from Aussies that have just dipped out (take a bow Emily Seebohm and Bronte Barratt) and Day 4 even saw Kynan Maley pick up a very creditable 6th in that traditional Aussie event, the white-water canoeing slalom.

The great thing about our modest total so far, is we can take great solace in the fact we are streets ahead on the medal tally than the Poms. Nothing like a little skiting over the fact whilst the chips are down. Though beware, when asked today if he thought Great Britain could exceed Australia's total in the London 2012 medal tally, London part-mayor-part-bear Boris Johnson left us all in no doubt with a very emphatic... "Yes, I think we can." Fighting words indeed...




And to further up the rivalry, we in the wide brown land were all thoroughly relieved to know our CSIRO scientists hadn't fallen asleep at the wheel, with the news that we too have the technology to match the Brits in the Great War of the Hot Pants. Sir Chris Hoy was quoted as saying, "The zips mean you can take them off..." revealing some amazing leaps forward in sporting apparel technology. I mean, ZIPS! WHAT WILL THEY THINK OF NEXT?! Thank fully the CSIRO have assured us that our Aussie trackstars will also be able to remove their hot pants when required.

So it moves us on to tonight's medal prospects. I think we'll be battling it out with the Poms once again tonight as we head down to Dorney Lake for the rowing. Our lanky ladies, Kate Hornsey and Sarah Tait will take it up to the British lassies Heather Stanning and Helen Glover whilst daylight will limp in third. Sure to be a cracking encounter. Also out on the water will be the big boys in the Men's Eights. Yep, this final will be a wide open affair, with our lads standing a pretty good chance against some out-of-form Yanks, the Poms and the Germans and Canadians. A ripper spectacle...

Out on the roads it'll be the "Yellow Wiggle" this time resplendent in blue. Bradley Wiggins looks a safe odds-on favourite for the 44km Road Time Trial. Cadel has decided to have a spell, which just leaves us with Wiggo's Sky team-mate Michael Rogers to have a dip for the wide brown. Expect GB's first gold here tonight...




Back poolside, its time for the MISSILE to fire, or whatever other lamo pun you want to attach to tonight's 100m Freestyle final. James Magnussen actually looks in pretty good form, and it'd be great to see him rip out a stonking time in what is set to be a thumping final, with the smooth Brazilian Cesar Cielo and 2nd-fastest qualifier Nathan Adrian snapping at (hopefully) his heels. Another BIG chance in the pool tonight are our Beijing Golden Girls in the 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay. With Steph Rice sitting this race out this year, it'll be up to compatriots Schlanger (great name), Campbell , Palmer and Barratt to bring home the gold.

WHAT TO DRINK:

On name alone, we're going to crack a NEVER MIND THE ANABOLICS IPA tonight. A newie from those wacky Aberwegians up there at Brewdog, it should be ideal for gazing at those pumped-up swimming bodies.


Cheers!

Johnno and Mitch

UN called in to find weapons of mass destruction

You win some & you lose some! A mixed bag on day 2.

Usain Bolt getting rolled on the track will be as bigger loss as was the defeat of the Aussie mens 4 x 100m relay team last night in the pool. The sub-editors are having a field day with this one, and poor old James Magnussen is coping the heat big time. There's lots of Missiles misfiring & Missile bombs out etc...
Don't take it too hard James. At least you'll still have your abs! Grrrrrr!

The Australians may not be quite as dominant in the pool as what we've been used. The rest of the world has caught up to us!

It wasn't all bad news. Alicia Coutts grabbed a bronze in the 100m butterfly final, & it took a world record by a South African (we didn't know they could swim) to beat him, but Aussie Christian Sprenger pulled one out of the suitcase of courage to grab silver in the mens 100 m breaststroke.

There's quite a few Aussies in the finals tonight so there is still plenty of hope for more success in the drink. Emily Seebohm in the 100 breaststroke, Hayden Stoeckel in 100m backstroke, Leisel Jones 100m breastroke, plus more... Stay tuned....

In other results, the Boomers were bounced by Brazil, Bernard Tomic was bundled out by little known Kei Nishikori of Japan at Wimbeldon, and we got done in the beach volley ball. How many sandy beaches do they have in Germany?

The Aussie Rowers continue to do well with 4 crews all making it thru to finals today.

And for all you shuttlecock fanciers out there, Australian women's pair Leanne Choo & Renuga Veeran are playing Korea for a spot in the Quarter finals. Go girls!

Unfortunately the Australian women gymnasts missed out on the teams final after coming tenth in qualifying. It seems so cruel that a tiny little slip up on a dismount can effectively mean 4 years of hard work ruined! The gymnasts are unreal! I couldn't even walk across a beam without falling off!

Here at MH Gold HQ, what we do love most about the Olympics is the sports you don't get to see every week such as the badminton, the diving, gymnastics and the equestrian. What's the chances of the equestrian events ever getting shown on Aussie TV outside of the Olympics?

And what ever you do, don't get us started on synchronised swimming! We love it! Only 1 week to go!

Looking ahead, the Opals take on France in the women's Basketball, the Kookaburras line up against Sth Africa in the men's hockey, and and we have Australians participating in Archery, Badminton, Beach VolleyBall, Boxing, women's weightlifting, table tennis, sailing and just about every other sport scheduled, including the tennis where Little Lleyton lines up against Sergiy Stakhovsky, so a massif COME ON!!!!!! for Hewitt.

Something to sip on whilst you digest all of the above in front of the box or beside the wireless:

As a tribute to Honduras who sent the reigning world champs Spain back home last night (& to give us strength & internal warmth as we huddle on the couch on a freezing Ballarat night) we are slurping big spoonfuls of Guaro, a strong sugar cane rum.

Our favorite is Tatascan. It makes us big & strong like a cowboy & at about $4 for a half bottle you can drink it all day every day.

Good luck to the green & gold & go you top little Aussies!

-Johnno & Mitch.

MH Gold Blog: Wake Up!!!

Ever had one of those mornings?Alarm goes off, it's the weekend, hit the snooze button for a few more zeds...Then you realize it's the Olympics and you're the Aussie shooting chance!Yep, we've all been there (!), and that's what happened to our 10m Air Rifle sharpshooter Alethea Sedgman yesterday morning as she narrowly dodged missing the team bus, when she figured that a weekend sleep-in might beat actually competing at the Olympics! 

Alethea needs to get one of these:

She made the event in a nick of time after being woken by flatmate Lauryn Mark, and went on to narrowly miss making the final. Bit of a nightmare scenario, and one that I know in my nightmares usually involves forgetting to wear pants, which for Alethea might have been the final insult.By the way, if there's an accident at the Air Rifle shootout, do they call the Air Ambulance?

The rest of the day saw the much-awaited men's cycling road race go to former doping cheat Alexander Vinokurov whilst fancied Swiss rider Fabian Cancellara forgot how to go around a corner, and local favourite Mark Cavendish had a moan about Aussie tactics rather than win as expected...


And, sadly, poor old Steph Rice dipped out on a medal in the super-quick 400m IM, whilst in the 4x100m relay our girls snagged Australia's first gold! Whoo Hoo!

So, to today...

Another big day in the pool with Liesel Jones keen to put the "too fat" critics in their place with a medal in the 100m breaststroke.
The 4x100m freestyle relay is another massive chance for an Aussie gold
too, led by our 'Missile' Magnussen, who has the fastest 100m time this year.

Elsewhere tonight we'll see our Boomers take on the smooth Brazilians on the basketball court, see the women take to the cycling road race course in a wide-open field (won't even try to tip this one) and a bit of wild water as the slalom canoeing gets underway.

So strap on in, because we're in the midst of it all now.

We're recommending pouring yourself a whisky tonight, say a nice highland malt, whilst we watch the hapless Scotsman, Andy Murray, re-try for a win at Wimbledon as he opens his London 2012 campaign.

MH Gold - The low brow low down. 28th July

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Welcome back to MH Gold - the low brow low down on who's hot, who's not and who's on the gear at London 2012.

This morning's Opening Ceremony was very impressive - but we do wish the Brits would stop wheeling Sir Paul out for absolutely everything. Yes the Beatles were great. But its time to move on. Please?! And any way, we think Sir Paul is starting to look a little creepy - is it just me or is he starting to look more & more like Michael Jackson?

Tonight the gloves come off & we get stuck into it.

Today's schedule has a little something for everyone.

If you didn't get enough of the boys on bikes over the last month, well today they are at it again in the mens road race. Tonight we can cheer on all the Aussie contenders who are all flying the same flag this time around. Cadel needs a bit of Vicks VapoRub as he says he's had a bit of congestion on the chest. This will be a fascinating battle with much different tacktics required vs a 3 week grand tour.
What a team - Gossy, Evans, Gerrans, Rogers & O'Grady! With this sort of experience, the Aussies should be in with a real chance. Go Fellas!

In the pool, the heat is on Stephanie Rice to live up to her Beijing reputation and put some of her troubled past behind her. One can only hope that she has been banned from getting her hands on any form of mobile device that is capable of sending a photo or broadcasting her thoughts to the world. We like her new free-style stroke though.

Also in the pool we have the women's 4 x 100m -> go Libby Trickett & crew!

On the hallowed turf of Lord's we have some Archery. Whaaaaat!?

Other events where we are in with a show tonight include the rowing (Mens Quad Sculls) and our four legged competitors in the Equestrian events.

And if too much sport is never enough, get on the Womens Weightlifting! Tonight it's the pocket rockets - 48 kg women lifting 120 kgs - unbelievable!

What to drink: When the Rice is hot at our place we like nothing more than a refreshing frothy. Get on the Tsingtao train. It's a saturday night after all, so drink it by the bag full!

Cheers,

-Johnno & Mitch.

Mitchell Harris Gold: The Games Blog.

Righto, fans. It's that time again. Here in the Mitchell Harris lounge room, we've barely cleared the bleary eyes after Le Tour , and already it's time to fire up the telly for another couple of weeks of late-night sport, matched with a few wines and other nightcaps.

Tomorrow, we crack out the glitter, get our interpretative dance routines down-pat, and pop on a blazer to wander into our metaphorical stadium in alphabetical order to light the flame on our daily squiz at the comings and goings of the Games fortnight.

We'll grab a glass and have a look at what to expect in the day ahead, and what's just gone down in the previous 24 hours. Once again, there'll be some drink matches to help you while away the evenings....

So tune in, and join in the fun of the next two weeks with our irreverent and boozy take on the hardcore sport of London 2012. Don't forget to follow us on Twitter (Don't worry, no racy Stephanie Rice type bikini shots of ourselves!) and Facebook (Don't worry, no Nick D'Arcy-type shots...) to keep up with things too!

Cheers,

Johnno & Mitch

When in Rhone...Tour Blog Stage 13

We're back on the flat tonight, for a 215km burn down from the Rhone valley, scooting around Montpellier and onto the Mediterranean coast road down to Le Cap-D'Agde.

It's been a super few days up in the Alps, but tonight will be either one for the sprinters, or we think, ripe for a breakaway pack. It's Bastille Day, so it's not too much of a stretch to imagine one or two of the Frenchies wanting to get themselves (and their sponsors' logos) out in front for much of the race. A stiff sea breeze for the last 50km will still keep the pressure on the GC contenders, but they'll probably stick together again.

OUR PICK: After getting stung 30 points for getting a little wobbly in front of Sagan, we'll go for Gossy to want to regain some pride with a sprint finish.

DRINKING MATCH: Find yourself a Chateauneuf du Pape to drink on this wintry Bastille Night down under.

AUSSIE MATCH: Time to try our little Rhoney-style number: The Mitchell Harris 2011 Mataro Grenache Shiraz fits the bill with spicy, fresh, lively Pyrenees fruit to watch Le tour by...

Go West! Stage 12 Tour Blog

Absolute cracker of a stage last night as the peloton pounded their way over some massive climbs in the Alps. Cadel had to make a move, and so he did, but didn't quite have the legs to carry it off last night. Fellow Aussies Richie Porte and Michael Rogers did a brilliant job of leading the SKY team out, and Froome pulled Wiggins up the hill (with a big nod to looking out for himself in the years to come!) As for Cadel, it starting to look like it won't be his year. But you can count nothing out with a big heart like his!

So, onto tonight...

A couple of big Category 1 climbs as the peloton leaves the Alps, then a gentle descent toward Annonay, where they'll then climb up to the arrivée.

Profile c/o letour.fr

Certainly the GC contenders will take it easy and spin a bit of the lactic acid out of the legs, but how will the rest of the race pan out? We're thinking if the sprinters can remain with the peloton through til the end they'll have crack up to the finish, it which case Gossy could be in with a chance, but it's likely, with nothing to lose, we'll see one of the others have a crack. You could pick pretty much anyone tonight, so.... for:

OUR PICK: Ummm..... Luis Leon Sanchez

DRINK MATCH: We're into the Cotes du Vivarais North of the Rhone here, territory of the light, spicy Rhone red blends. The Gallety ‘Recolte’ Cotes du Vivarais is a spicy, peppery Syrah from just south of the arrivée at Annonay.


AUSSIE MATCH: How about one from just up the road. Our mates at Dog Rock make the delicious Degraves Road Pyrenees Shiraz Grenache Tempranillo. We know, we know, the tempranillo doesn't strictly fit the Rhone blend, but seriously folks, this is one delicious, spicy red. Get on it!


 

Now or never Cadel??? - Tour Blog Stage 11

OK MH Tourists... Things are getting really serious now. As expected, there was no time gained or lost among the main contenders in the GC. A burst from Nibali on the final climb was quickly swallowed up by those seemingly unstoppable SKY riders. A stinking ride from Voeckler gave him yet another stage win for the 2012 tour.

Profile c/o letour.fr

So, two massive Hors Categorie climbs ahead of the peloton as they pour out of 1992 Olympic town Albertville tonight, and a 1100m climb to finish. The other teams will be pulling all the tricks out of their bags in order to isolate Wiggins and give one of the other GC contenders a chance at the maillot jaune. Have no doubt, this massive stage is very likely the turning point in the tour. By the end of the race tonight, we'll have a good idea who will be on the podium in Paris, and, if Wiggins has yet another great ride, we'll probably have our tour winner looking pretty certain.

OUR PICK: It's really now or never for Cadel, so we're tipping him for an heroic summit finish.

DRINK MATCH: One of the interesting grapes of the Haute Savoie is Gringet, which is made into a minerally, zingy bubbles. The big boy in the region is Domaine Belluard, and should be available at least in the big cities here in Oz.

AUSSIE MATCH: Try a Chandon ZD Blanc de Blancs. Zero dosage, for a bone-dry minerally zing....

Bring on the Alps! Tour Blog Stage 10

Serious, serious mountains for the first time tonight .

Three biggies for the tour to get across, including the massive Col du Grand Colombier, a 1250m climb with gradients reaching 18% at times!!

Obviously Cadel, with the work to do, will be keen to peg back some of that 1'53" deficit to Wiggo, but we fear tonight will not be the stage it happens, with the final climb (Col du Richemond) still 40-odd clicks from the finish line, more than enough distance for Team Sky to swallow up any getaway manoeuvre he might attempt.

Profile c/o letour.fr

OUR PICK: Expect to see the GC competitors play it safe and stick together tonight, leaving the stage win open for a breakaway. Could be almost anyone, but perhaps Chris Anker Sørenson, from the heady altitudes of Denmark, could take tonight to stamp a claim on the King of the Mountains Polka-Dot Jersey.

DRINK: A lighter red. Wines of the Haute-Savoie are hard to find here in Australia, but how about an

AUSSIE MATCH: A Bullers or Brown Brothers Mondeuse from Rutherglen.

Head for the Hills it's Stage 7

The Carnage continues! Wow it's been a horror few days for quite a few riders with a few permanent casualties. Is it a case of too many young riders not respecting the conditions, or is everyone just as keen as curry to hang on? Either way, last night's bingle put a big dent in the hopes of a few campaigns.
If you saw any of the footage from last night's stage from Epernay to Metz, you'll see why all the teams with GC or other jersey contenders in them are working hard to keep their boys at the front and out of trouble.

It was another exciting finish to one of the last sprint stages for a while. Unfortunately one of Matt Goss's leadout men snapped a chain within a 100m or so of the line so he collected just another minor place. It was the 'young gorilla' Sagan who collected another stage win to shoot 31 points clear of Goss for the green sprinters jeursey. André Greipel who was involved in the a crash early in the stage did amazingly well to challenge Sagan for the win.

Tonight it is Stage 7 from Tomblaine to La Planche Des Belles Filles. This is where the GC contenders will come out to make their presence felt. Apart from a couple of Cat 3 climbs throughout the course, there is a nasty Cat 1 , 6 km climb to the finish with an average gradient of 8.5%. After the last few sprint stages, this is where it starts to get interesting, & where the real GC contenders come out to play.

Stage 7 predictions & tipples:

OUR PICK TO WIN: Cadel to show a bit of 'who's the boss' tonight I reckon. The BMC team will be keen to show the rest of the field that they are here to defend & win again!

DRINK: Located between Burgundy, Alsace and the Jura, it's a mixed bag of Vin de Pays here. Since it is a Saturday night, try a zippy Riesling a tight Chardonnay first and a light & spicy pinot later. 

AUSSIE MATCH: A bit of Vic high country Gewurztraminer from Deletite could be fun, or the brilliant Rodda Chard from Beechworth is always good. The Eastern Peak Pinot from the cool hills outside of Ballarat might get a splash tonight too!

A Bouzy Stage 6 Epernay to Metz

It's a cut & paste from last night with the survivors of the carnage getting the goodies, & again it was The Gorilla Greipel who escaped yet another pile-up (can Farrar stay on 2 wheels tonight!!??) inside 3km with our boy Gossy whizzing in for 2nd. We think it's time for Gossy to step up & get the next one!

Tonight it is stage 6. The Peleton set off east of Epernay in the heart of Champagne, a place that is very fond in the hearts of the MH crew. We been very lucky to be on the end of some truly mind blowing hospitality in this unique wine region. It is in this part of the world that they craft the sparkling wines to which the rest of the world (us included!) aspires to emulate.


Tune in early to the SBS coverage where our mate, galloping gourmand, G Gate, will Sabre the top off a bottle of Champagne, a practice we admire so much we named our first sparkling after it. 


From the chardonnay vineyards of Champagne, the Peleton rolls east toward Metz in another stage for the quick men. Lets hope the Orica-Green Edge boys can get Gossy up to the front once more so he can get this one, & that the BMC boys can keep Cadel clear from the spills for another night or two.

So... who to pick for the win?? Similar to last night, but is Cav about to give up thinking more about London??

Look for the class sprinters again to have a crack....Cav...Goss...Cav...Goss...Greipel...Sagan....ummm??!!


We'll wait & see....
*Although not the official broadcast partner, we did like this Tour update form Clarke and Dawe last night on the ABC. Looks like team Brown Edge might need a bit of help!


Stage 6 predictions & tipples:


OUR PICK TO WIN: Gossy! You've got a 3rd & a 2nd, it's time for the win! You know you can do it....! 

DRINK: It's champagne darling all the way! Try Champagne Paul Bara out of Bouzy (yes it is the best name for a wine region), try some big house Laurent Perrier from Tours-sur-Marne or if you have a lazy $5k or so to blow on a bottle of fizz see if you can track down a Krug Clos du Ambonnay

AUSSIE MATCH: If you haven't got a bottle of Sabre by MH near by, get on to a steely Blanc de Blanc from Clover Hill, a nicely aged of Chandon Tassie Cuvee, or track down some of the good booze from Ed Carr's stable. http://mitchellharris.blogspot.com.au/stage 6

The chaos continues... Tour Blog Stage 5

Once again it's the survivors of the carnage who reap the tour rewards... Greipel getting the goodies after another massive pile-up with our boy Gossy whizzing in 4th.

How are YOU travelling with the carnage of 2am finishes each night this week?

Well, no time to stop now as the tour rolls on, this time on a rolling course from Rouen to Saint Quentin to the north of Paris. Expect a roaring breakaway again, which will once again to script be swallowed up toward the finish of the race. Aussie sprint star Robbie McEwen has won this leg 3 times, and once again we should expect a flat-out sprint finish.

So... who to pick for the win?

Look for the class sprinters again to have a crack....Cav...Goss...Cav...Goss...ummm....

OUR PICK: Go Gossy!

DRINK: (Not much wine in these parts of Aisne) -a Val d'Aisne Blonde Ale
AUSSIE MATCH: Grand Ridge Natural Blonde

Carnage and Cider: Tour Blog Stage 4

Carnage! Carnage! Carnage! What a night last night!
How exciting for us and treacherous for the combatants. Glad to hear that there weren't too many serious injuries but many scrapes and bruises on the roller-coaster ride over the Boulonnais Hills. Unfortunately though 2 riders didn't make it across the line. Team Sky lost Sivtsov who was one of Wiggos supports via a fractured tibia and Jose Rojas from team Movistar was the other casualty.
Tema MH was a bit off with their predictions last night but enjoyed every minute of it.

Stage 4 and we wind down the east coast from Abbeville and swing in-land to beautiful historic Rouen. A relatively flat stage with a few Cat 4 climbs and an intermediate sprint in Fécamp as the riders make their way inland. It may not be the battle of the Somme, however it won't be a ride for the faint hearted. Look out for the wind boys! The Teams that know how to ride in the wind will be favoured here and if it's really blowy, who knows who'll get spat out the back of the peloton. There might be a few tired and sore riders who'll find it a battle.

American Tyler Farrar will be after a big win for the 4th of July, but....

OUR PICK:  Go Gossy!- to pick up his first stage win of Le Tour



WHAT TO DRINK: The heart of Normandy-a Cider! 
Try : Le Pere Jules 'Cidre Bouche' Brut


AUSSIE MATCH: A Napoleone & Co Methode Traditionelle Pear Cider


PS... We like this shot of Scotty Sunderland as posted on Twitter last night: Nice Blouse!!

Tour Blog: Stage 3

Whoa!! What a night for the sprint lovers last night & the expert (ahem!) MH TdF commentary panel were pretty much on the money with their Big Cav prediction & Gossy was oh so close but left his charge a little late - he wasn't happy either. He's looking for respect!

Greipel too was visibly disappointed at not being able to take the points after a near perfect lead train by the Lotto boys and was over heard to be loudly ordering a serve of frites & mayo as he crossed the line on the Manx Missile's shoulder.

Stage 3 & we are back in France. Orchies to Boulongne-Sur-Mer is an uphill battle to the finish. There are 6 big hills in the last 65 km with 4  in the final 16km. The sprinters might find the going a little tougher tonight and there could be plenty of splits in the peloton which could really blow the bunch to pieces.

This is definitely one worth staying up for folks. Gilbo & Cadel have previous form early in the hills & Fabu in the maillot jaune will be as fast as lightening on the descent. One for the all-rounders, so look out for Wiggo to make his presence felt.

OUR PICK: Fabian Cancellara


AUSSIE ROUGHIE: Will Cadel try for this or will Sky help Rogers to the line? 

WHAT TO DRINK:  2 Caps Noire de Slack



AUSSIE MATCH: White Rabbit Dark Ale

Tour Blog: Stage 2

One for the sprinters tonight. No major hurdles for the quicks tonight as the tour bangs along from Visé to Tournai. Look for a race of tactics, with enough time after the sprint section for the sprinters to recover prior to the finish.

Sky, with the powerhouse Cavendish alongside Wiggins, Hagen and Michael Rogers will send out the boys right and the end, and it looks likely that this setting could be ideal for Cav to pick up his first win. Orica-GreenEDGE will have Matt Goss as their big dangerman. And look for Sagan to aim for a back-to-back stage victory.

OUR PICK: Cavendish (massive team back-up helping him to pounce for the first time!)
AUSSIE ROUGHIE: Goss

WHAT TO DRINK: Tournay Blonde
AUSSIE MATCH: Red Hill Belgian Blonde

Tour Blog: Stage 1

Fabian Cancellara (as tipped by us yesterday!) gets the Yellow Jersey on tonight for the 198km run from Liege to Seraing. He's a master of the time trial, but tonight's leg is 198km of rolling up and down through Belgium, and should open the race up to a number of the other big names. Weather should be pretty mild and cloudy, top of 19ºC. Don't write Cancellara off for this one though, he'll still be a fairly good chance.

We reckon Wiggins and Evans will play it safe and stick pretty close to each other.

The last few k's should be a great watch, with a fairly steep 5% climb to the finish to sort out the sprinters and climbers...

Local boy Phillippe Gilbert would be an obvious favourite, and we Aussies should look out for a potential win for the Orica-GreenEDGE team with Mansfield lad Simon Gerrans.

So our tip: Gerrans.

And for a drink: Something dark: A Leffe Brune.
Or a closer-to-home: A White Rabbit Dark Ale from Healesville

Enjoy the ride!

Tour Blog: Grand Départ

OK, a quick one tonight. Both this blog (got to get to Johnno's 40th birthday!) and the prologue stage.

Tonight we'll watch a quick burn on the 6.4km time trial through the streets of Liege, in Belgium.
No great tactics or strategy, just a flat out blast to the finish, to get the first

Who to watch: Cancellara and Voeckler always strong, and expect Wiggo to want to be off to a flyer.

Drink: To be really specific, a Jupiler pils.

Le Tour Blog 1: Who to watch

It's Tour Time again gang!

Late nights, a bottle of something nice open, and telly on. Swooping SBS helicopter shots of fields of sunflowers, soaring alps and of course ripe vineyards. You know the deal, bleary eyes at work but back into it all again each night.

We here in the Mitchell Harris crew are no different to the rest of you Tour tragics, so this year we'll get the conversation started with our highly uneducated predictions, reviews, thoughts and drink matches throughout the month ahead...

So, who to watch this year?

1. Yell for Cadel!

Yep, the 2011 GC champ with the bum-chin is our pick for back to back wins this year. Not the greatest of lead-ups, but our little Aussie legend will take his climbing pedigree from the mighty mountains of Barwon Heads, and once again come to the fore in the Alpine stages. Another hero-run to  snatch yellow in the final time trial and become the oldest Tour Champ since World War 2?...We'll see...

Drink Match: For a mountain superstar: 1977 Hill of Grace

2. Wiggins...

After a catastrophic collarbone failure in Stage Seven of Le Tour last year, Bradley Wiggins is keen to take up the fight Ashes-style to Our Cadel. He has kicked off the year pretty well with a win up in the mountains in the Criterium du Dauphine and loves a time trial too.
The big danger this year...

Drink Match: Warming up for a big one: An English Bitter

3. Menchov

He's picked up the Vuelta and the Giro in the past, so could he pick up the big one this year? Dunno, he's an all-rounder, and probably a good choice to be in our top 3 chances for this years Tour. Don't write him off...

Drink Match: A roughie: Straight Stolichnaya

And so you can all keep up to date with the finer points of Le Tour, we'll help you with demystifying the tricky terms those commentators will use...

TODAYS TOUR JARGON GLOSSARY:

-BREAKAWAY-

-a euphemistic term referring to sitting the tour out at the behest of the anti-doping authorities.

-eg: Alberto Contador is having a BREAKAWAY from the Tour this year after his recent test results.

OK, we'll keep up you up to date as we kick off on Saturday night. Keep an eye on our blog here or join in our twitter ramblings...