It's in your interests to read this thread before posting on any TdF thread!!!

Beasty

Given the Tour is now well and truly upon us, this thread is here to emphasise some of the posting rules that are particularly relevant.

Firstly there is a General Thread on the Tour here. Check this thread before asking general questions about the Tour. Do not start new threads on minor or general issues relating to the Tour - use this thread instead

Secondly, there is usually a specific thread started for each stage. This thread should be used to post any current stage race information. If one has not already been started by someone else, feel free to start one yourself. They usually appear the day before the stage in question - don't start one too early though, as posters may mistake it for a current day stage and inadvertantly post in the wrong thread. Please see the section below about the use of spoiler tags

Spoiler Tags - the use (or non-use) of spoiler tags is probably the most common complaint we get throughout the Tour. The rules concerning the use of spoiler tags are set out in the Forum charter, and are copied below

3. Threads about televised racing

Spoiler tags are used hide commentary about race results from boardsies who haven't watched a race live and are waiting to catch up later in the day. If you don't know what a spoiler tag is, find out. If you break the rules on spoilers, expect severe punishment. We wait all year to follow the big races so don't ruin it by being thoughtless.

• For non-stage-specific threads about stage races (e.g. "TdF 2011"), use spoiler tags until midnight.
• For one-day races, expect threads to contain spoilers once the race has begun. Please endevour to use spoiler warnings in the thread title.
• IIn threads about specific stages of stage races ("Paris-Nice 2010 Stage 3") or one day races don't use spoiler tags. If you haven't seen the race, don't open the thread. Don't put any information about the result, either with or without spoiler tags in the first post, since the mouse-over feature doesn't work on spoiler tags.
• Don't post anything which even hints at a same-day race result in a non-stage or race specific thread before midnight. For instance: re-opening the Jens Voight thread with a link to Paris-Nice results, or creating a thread named "Vuelta stage win reported on RTE *Spoilers ahead*" which hints that an Irish rider has won.
• If you follow the above rules, there is no need to create "contains spoilers" type threads. This is ambiguous since one person's spoiler is another persons spoiler tag.

To be absolutely clear on this, if someone fails to use spoiler tags in any thread other than a stage specific one, they can expect a minimum of a yellow card. Repeated and serious offences will result in more significant penalties, including a ban from the forum for the duration of the Tour

Doping - again from the Charter:

7. Doping

No speculation over potential doping offenders - Comment on information (including press articles) in the public domain is OK, but allegations must be verifiable with information that is in the public domain.

Hence if you say something like "xyz must have been on drugs to climb so well today" you can expect an infraction, and your post(s) deleted

The forum does get very busy during the Tour, and this is perhaps an opportunity to emphasise that minor questions or posts (non Tour-related) really do belong in the Broomwagon which is at least stickied. Separate threads on such issues may well quickly drop off the front page and be lost in everything else that's going on

Any questions, please PM the mods

This message will self-destruct in approximately 3 weeks, in the meantime, happy viewing (or spectating for those lucky enough, Captain).....;)