Tour de France

[DC]

Vingegaard wins today's stage, is this the start of his attack?

what a fantastic effort from Vingegaard , I thought when Podg went for it neat the top of that climb....thats it, bt massive credit to Vingegaard coming back like that and then pulling on the front for the last 1/1/2 Kms ,also for fending off that last few metres of the final attack to the line......this could be the turning point in the 2024 TDF

 

[Udders]

Bin the shitty Time Trials and replace them with uphill gravel finishes please.

A ride up the Stella then! A mountain finish and lots of gravel.
Has anyone else downloaded the official app? It’s quite good.

 

[Ex-Call Centre Chimp]

I downloaded it but just got lots of adverts for Skoda cars so deleted it.

 

[Udders]

I downloaded it but just got lots of adverts for Skoda cars so deleted it.

Really? I don’t get that?

 

[Udders]

The boys have a few big climbs today! 3999m!

 

[Ex-Call Centre Chimp]

The boys have a few big climbs today! 3999m!

I fear the worst for Pogacar now, he's tried to break Vingegaard and failed and I suspect he's going to have the tables turned on him very soon and I don't think he'll be as resilient.
I also feel very sorry for Roglic who just has no luck whatsoever.

 

[Tinytim]

I fear the worst for Pogacar now, he's tried to break Vingegaard and failed and I suspect he's going to have the tables turned on him very soon and I don't think he'll be as resilient.

Hmmm, I think the opposite. Just testing him out. Long way to go.

 

[Davey B]

The boys have a few big climbs today! 3999m!

There's a good few days like that....the one across the Central Massif on Wednesday had slightly more but rather than 2 or 3 long, steady climbs, it was constant little hills...a proper bastard.
(Stage 1...3600m, Stage 4...3600m, stage 8...2400m, stage 11...4350m, stage 12...2200m, stage 14...4000m, stage 15...4800m, stage 17...2850m, stage 18...3100m, stage 19...4400m, stage 20...4600m...final 33km time trial...650m....a proper mountains tour)

 

[Tinytim]

There's a good few days like that....the one across the Central Massif on Wednesday had slightly more but rather than 2 or 3 long, steady climbs, it was constant little hills...a proper bastard.
(Stage 1...3600m, Stage 4...3600m, stage 8...2400m, stage 11...4350m, stage 12...2200m, stage 14...4000m, stage 15...4800m, stage 17...2850m, stage 18...3100m, stage 19...4400m, stage 20...4600m...final 33km time trial...650m....a proper mountains tour)

Thanks.

 

[DC]

looks like the first three are sorted, Vinnegaard won't catch Pogacar and EvenePoel ,who is having a fantastic Debut is the best of the rest. Disappointment for Ineos.

 

[Lord Snooty]

Agree, I can't see Vingegaard overhauling Pogecar barring him having a major disaster.

 

[The Other PaulG]

looks like the first three are sorted, Vinnegaard won't catch Pogacar and EvenePoel ,who is having a fantastic Debut is the best of the rest. Disappointment for Ineos.

Sadly, some of the fabulous climb times achieved on Sunday beat those of Armstrong, Riis, Pantani and that crowd. As far as I am concerned that is not a good thing.

Ineos declare a very strict drugs free approach - maybe their performance is in fact a very good 'clean' performance.

I had really hoped that cycling had put all this behind it.

 

[steve hughes]

Sadly, some of the fabulous climb times achieved on Sunday beat those of Armstrong, Riis, Pantani and that crowd. As far as I am concerned that is not a good thing.

Ineos declare a very strict drugs free approach - maybe their performance is in fact a very good 'clean' performance.

I had really hoped that cycling had put all this behind it.

Im not so sure Paul. Bike gearing , weight and rider nutrition have come a long way since the 90’s. Yes I accept there still could be doping, but Riis Pantani etc never had the training regime todays riders do , since they had the uplift of drugs.

 

[Davey B]

I'm really on the fence with it. I get what you're saying Paul, but equally; cycling has moved on massively in the last 20 yrs. Riis was c 72kg, Armstrong was 74kg. Vingegaard is 58kg, Pogacar is around 65kg, Evenepoel is c 61kg. I'm slower up hills if I'm lugging an extra stone...or two.
Team Sky perfect 'incremental gains', nutrition, the science of actually riding a bike, bike tech advances etc...

But then a part of me looks at someone doing something pretty superhuman and thinks wow....they then do it again the very next day. Mmmm, really?
I suspect the cycling powers that be will always be one step behind any drug/blood doping....mechanical/bike 'doping' will be easier for them to turn their attention to and when you look at two men being fairly equal, all one needs is a 20w boost for 5 miles to break the deadlock...a small motor and a small battery......

 

[The Other PaulG]

I'm really on the fence with it. I get what you're saying Paul, but equally; cycling has moved on massively in the last 20 yrs. Riis was c 72kg, Armstrong was 74kg. Vingegaard is 58kg, Pogacar is around 65kg, Evenepoel is c 61kg. I'm slower up hills if I'm lugging an extra stone...or two.
Team Sky perfect 'incremental gains', nutrition, the science of actually riding a bike, bike tech advances etc...

But then a part of me looks at someone doing something pretty superhuman and thinks wow....they then do it again the very next day. Mmmm, really?
I suspect the cycling powers that be will always be one step behind any drug/blood doping....mechanical/bike 'doping' will be easier for them to turn their attention to and when you look at two men being fairly equal, all one needs is a 20w boost for 5 miles to break the deadlock...a small motor and a small battery......

I absolutely agree. I desperately want cycling to be a clean sport, but some of the performances.. especially those at the end of an already very tough day.. are hard to comprehend.

On Sunday Jonathan Vaughters described one cyclist's (Healey's?) power figures as 'unbelievable'. I did wonder whether that was a bit of a throwback to when commentators would refer to a performance as being 'superhuman' - code for 'clearly drug-enhanced'.

I am a big Pogacar fan and I just want what we see to be real.

 

[Davey B]

I am a big Pogacar fan and I just want what we see to be real.

I suppose I'm like one of those kids that likes the unheard of bands...until they become huge...then they find another unheard of band...
I love the way Pog just loves to ride and race, love how he and Ving waited for each other on that descent the other year....but I get jaded when it becomes a one horse race (It will always be this way...someone new took over from Sky, Someone then took over from Jumbo Visa...someone will take over from UAE....)

 

[Udders]

I’d like to think the sport is clean now too.
As to endurance they have the best nutrition available, the best bikes, clothing, mechanics etc
and it’s what they do day in, day out so their stamina should be first class.
They also have a masseur available to get their muscles back to very best every day too.
I’m not saying everyone could do it with those resources but they must make a massive difference to the talented few up in their level.

 

[The Other PaulG]

H

I’d like to think the sport is clean now too.
As to endurance they have the best nutrition available, the best bikes, clothing, mechanics etc
and it’s what they do day in, day out so their stamina should be first class.
They also have a masseur available to get their muscles back to very best every day too.
I’m not saying everyone could do it with those resources but they must make a massive difference to the talented few up in their level.

mmm, yes, but I'm not entirely convinced. Nutrition has been great for a number of years, and remember the 6.8kg minimum weight limit only came in in 2000 - prior to that, bikes could weigh less than that. So you could argue that equipment has become heavier.

 

[Davey B]

remember the 6.8kg minimum weight limit only came in in 2000 - prior to that, bikes could weigh less than that. So you could argue that equipment has become heavier.

Yes, but they can now work wonders with laying up carbon in differing ways to give different 'qualities' for different purposes. (I have 2 road bikes....very similar weight...very different to ride...the 2022 carbon is way faster than the 2012 853 steel)
Anyway...I suspect we all sing from the same hymn sheet....hoping no scandals pop up in the years to come to knock the stuffing out of the sport....again.

 

[wassy]

Maybe you can race Paniagua ( bread and water ) in the shorter races but I too remain sceptical as to how clean the peloton is for the big tours.
I’m currently reading Tyler Hamilton’s book The secret race, its an eye opener for sure.