Tour Tidbit du Jour - 7/9/10

argy-bargy - noun

Definition: U.K. arguing: an animated or heated argument, or animated or heated arguing ( slang )

[Late 19th century. Playful development of argument]

Argy-bargy is usually used in cycling to describe the elbowing, shouldering, and nudging that can take place as the sprinters and their lead-out men jockey for position before the finish.

Speaking of argy-bargy, there was an actual altercation after the stage today between Carlos Barredo of Quick-Step and Rui Costa of Caisse d'Epargne from an intra-peloton dust-up during the race with 20 km to go. Luckily, the fighting took place after the race instead of during, otherwise both riders would have been disqualified and thrown out of the Tour de France.