2022 Le Tour - VeloNation - Cycling Forums, Bicycle Forums, Community Forums

Posts:2881

06/02/2022 04:28 PM
Pre-Tour intrigue on cycling news that JV has not picked most support riders because supporting WvA for green is a priority. Sorry Sepp?

Posts:2881

06/02/2022 04:38 PM
Primaz for yellow vs Wout for green. Primaz for podium vs Wout for green. I’d support Wout for the first goal given Roglic’s track record but the second is more a tossup. IF Roglic stays upright he’s likely for the podium.

Posts:4499

06/06/2022 12:01 AM
It’s not so much about green versus yellow as it is about new hires (mostly classics guys) being possibly more useful or reliable support for either quest than the likes of Kruijswijk or Kuss. Dennis is odd though, he’s pretty versatile. Along lines of Kwiat being a great TdF support at Ineos.

Posts:4209

06/06/2022 07:26 AM
In the end, it won’t matter..no one can touch Pog. This is possibly gonna be the most anti-climatic tour in a generation.

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Posts:4499

06/14/2022 11:22 AM
The fish guy is looking good. He may be able to hang with Pog in the mountains. Looking better than Roglic. With the amount of climbing VDP is currently doing in training I sense he will try to take it to Wout for green. That would be a fine battle. Perhaps better than yellow.

Posts:1767

06/14/2022 11:38 AM
In other news it appear Sagan isn't as irrelevant as previous reported. Granted Tour de Suisse isn't Flanders but he beat a few fast finishers. In more other news, according to Carl Strong in a recent podcast T.J Vangarteren will be on one of Carl's Pursuit frames this season. TJ got permission to use one of his former employers new carbon frames.

Posts:3180

06/14/2022 12:31 PM
Posted By Orange Crush on 06/14/2022 11:22 AM The fish guy is looking good. He may be able to hang with Pog in the mountains. Looking better than Roglic. With the amount of climbing VDP is currently doing in training I sense he will try to take it to Wout for green. That would be a fine battle. Perhaps better than yellow. The fish guy? Who's that? Funny, I'm reading about "fish guys" that tried to look the part but weren't. Germans on WW2 on trawlers that run fuel, torpedoes and food out to U-boats and report enemy activity. The intelligence aspect backfired. The Allies captured a few and grabbed enough code books and a code machine or two to swing the battle of the Atlantic. Fish, intelligence, bike racing. Yeah, it all makes sense.

Posts:4499

06/14/2022 12:37 PM
The fish guy is Vingegaard. He was working at a fish market and part time racing until recently. JV headhunted him. Good find.

Posts:3180

06/14/2022 01:42 PM
I guessed Vingegaard but merely as a hunch. Didn't know about the fishmarket job. Thanks.

Posts:4209

06/15/2022 12:37 PM
The fish guy is looking good. He may be able to hang with Pog in the mountains. But he can't match him in the TT's...and yeah, I know he took time out of Pog in the final TT last year, but I don't think Pog was racing all-out, but just racing not to lose.

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Posts:2881

06/15/2022 09:27 PM
Vuelta for Primaz again?

Posts:4209

06/16/2022 09:04 AM
Who knows...does a 4th Vuelta do anything for him? Does it even motivate him? But I do think this is his last shot at the Tour....after this, J-V is gonna have to focus on Vingegaard.

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Habanero

Posts:257

06/17/2022 09:01 AM
100% this. All this talk of GC guys ignores that Pog is playing on a different level. The exciting thing to watch will be how he breaks down any challengers to his supremacy.

Posts:4499

06/17/2022 09:33 AM
“F%*%CK these tyres”. Pirellis apparently?! https://mobile.twitter.com/lanternerougeyt/status/1537782293007372290

Posts:3180

06/17/2022 11:17 AM
The Tour organizers are going to have bigger issues than tires. Like what mandates do they have to put in place to stave off a COVID disaster. A day like today at the Tour du Swiss with Le Tour's far bigger entourage and spectators is going to have long term consequences. Can they ban spectators at this late date? Slightly off-topic but maybe not so - I've been wondering just how smart dropping masks, etc, and "getting back to normal" really is. I guess in August when the hospitalizations and deaths in Europe have been tallied, we'll know.

Posts:4499

06/17/2022 12:01 PM
Spectators has very little to do with it, if anything. It’s all about hotels and what various staff are doing evenings. The current variants don’t care much either about previous successful protective measures such as masks. Read a recent article that now greater than 50% of Canadians have had COVID at least once. I’m now in the minority category.

Posts:3180

06/17/2022 01:36 PM
Posted By Orange Crush on 06/17/2022 12:01 PM Spectators has very little to do with it, if anything. It’s all about hotels and what various staff are doing evenings. The current variants don’t care much either about previous successful protective measures such as masks. Read a recent article that now greater than 50% of Canadians have had COVID at least once. I’m now in the minority category. Spectators won't affect the race but if there is a big swell afterwards, there could be real consequences for future races.

Posts:4209

06/20/2022 09:55 AM
Sagan tests positive for at least the third time for COVID.... https://www.velonews.com/news/road/peter-sagan-catches-covid-in-build-toward-tour-de-france/

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Posts:4499

06/20/2022 11:10 AM
Sagan...oh well, that has no impact on Tour. But so did a significant part of the possible JV entourage for Tour and couple UAE support riders.

Posts:3180

06/20/2022 11:42 AM
Le's look at the bright side. Sagan just got his second booster. Of the all-natural variety. He should be good to go for another nine months or so when the after effects wear off. And he's probably helped out a few others with their all-natural boosters. If we didn't have these poster boys, most would not know how well this approach works.

Posts:4499

06/20/2022 12:00 PM
The utility of actual vaccines is also running out of runway. We're now in similar territory as with flu vaccine every year, having to guess what next strain looks like (link below bottom part of article). https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/omicron-immunity-canada-covd19-vaccines-1.6428536

Posts:4209

06/20/2022 12:13 PM
Yeah, it would help if the updated Omicron version of the vaccines could be released, but even that is behind the current situation.

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Posts:4499

06/21/2022 02:48 PM
So Kuss is in but Dennis is out for JV Tour selection. Between Kuss and Kruijswijk there are two mountain support riders the rest is more general support from classics specialists. Looks like a strong squad but I am curious about Dennis' thoughts on the matter. van Hooydonk who supposedly displaces Dennis showed himself valuable to Roglic in last year's Vuelta.

Posts:4209

06/21/2022 03:03 PM
One of the podcasts I listened to was saying that Dennis has been off-form and sock since Romandie and he was not expected to make the final Tour roster.

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Posts:4209

06/22/2022 09:29 AM
Froome makes the Israel - Premier Tech Tour roster....avergae age for the team is 33. The Tour de Geezer rolls into July, I guess!

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Posts:4499

06/22/2022 10:45 AM
It's telling that ISN is trying to stave off relegation next year. Geezers need to step up their game.

Posts:4209

06/22/2022 12:22 PM
Video of the ride across the Great Belt Bridge in Denmark, featured on Stage 2....."breezy" is a word that comes to mind! https://youtu.be/7k0SLgzL9-U

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6ix

Posts:485

06/22/2022 12:52 PM
Just watched some of that video. Definitely some strong wind and that's a LONG bridge. Another observation. Guy taking the video needs to air up his tires! Bouncing up and down, up and down.

Posts:4499

06/22/2022 01:00 PM
My read on course is that there’s no need to start watching until Wednesday, the cobble stage. It looks pretty boring till then, wind notwithstanding.

Posts:4209

06/22/2022 01:11 PM
Will watch Stages 1&2....TT will decide the first yellow and wind could rip things apart on stage 2. Past that, I'll do the highlights probably until Wednesday, as noted.

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Posts:4499

06/22/2022 02:00 PM
VDP has been occasionally training on TT bike but the course doesn't particularly suit him, not technical enough. He's been doing a lot of climbing, including a fair bit on MTB (prep for Giro was a lot of gravel riding). His training program to me suggests a potential run against van Aert for green even though the team keeps downplaying that notion. That matchup would be great if it happens, we can't just hand van Aert the green.

Posts:4209

06/23/2022 09:52 AM
Wout potentially out of TdF with a knee injury...banged it on his HB while training.

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Posts:4499

06/23/2022 10:18 AM
Hmm, it sounds minor and he’s just skipping nationals as a precaution. But if he’s out that would be somewhat typical (as in tending to attract a bit of bad luck).

Posts:4499

06/26/2022 01:37 PM
Cavendish just gave Patrick something to digest, national champ from a break in a hard race. He’s obviously on very good form.

Posts:4209

06/26/2022 07:31 PM
Lefevre announces he is taking both Cav and Jakobsen….I’m sure Cav had to promise to primarily work for him in exchange for the occasional shot at a win. Smart move by Lefevre….not something I say often or lightly. The PR hit QS will get of Cav wins a stage will be huge.

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Posts:4499

06/26/2022 08:06 PM
Where are you reading this?

Posts:4209

06/26/2022 10:23 PM
It was on the TrainerRoad forum, but the poster just updated his post saying it is not official yet….. Quote from Cav after the race- “ “I haven’t had a call from the team one way or the other,” he said plainly. “I’ve trained as if I’m going to the Tour, you can see my condition is there, I know if I went, I’d win.”

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Posts:4209

06/27/2022 07:48 AM
QS not only leaves Cav at home, but Allaphillipe, too! https://www.velonews.com/events/tour-de-france/tour-de-france-no-mark-cavendish-or-julian-alaphilippe-as-quick-step-focuses-on-fabio-jakobsen/

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Posts:2881

06/27/2022 08:47 AM
dumb

Posts:4499

06/27/2022 09:31 AM
Posted By Frederick Jones on 06/27/2022 08:47 AM dumb Yup. No Senechal, French national champ, either. Asgreen is selected despite a hard crash in Swiss and not riding nationals.

Posts:3180

06/27/2022 11:18 AM
I feel for Cav. Not much more he could have done to show he's Tour ready. Put on a show at the Nationals. Yes, a much weaker field; mostly amateurs out of his league but several teams outnumbered the QS presence (and if Cav's teammate saw the front, I missed it). Cav dominated that race. I'll bet a (manageable) pile of money that Lefevre reconsiders; that some "injury" is going to pop up (issues for Asgreen maybe?) and that he'll have to call up Cav. If Eddy Merckx' TdF stage record has to fall, it feels right going to a rider as durable, smart and passionate a rider as this Cav who has re-made himself to be a complete racer, not just a tow-me-to-the-finish prima donna

Posts:4209

06/27/2022 11:41 AM
And here we go....again. 🥴 https://www.velonews.com/events/tour-de-france/bahrain-victorious-has-houses-raided-on-the-eve-of-tour-de-france/

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Posts:4499

06/27/2022 11:55 AM
Its still that same investigation of last year. It does feel like French are grasping at straws with this one. Yes, Asgreen's participation is that wild card for QS. But then do you bring the French champ or the British Champ to France? It seems both Senechal and Cav are first reserve. You can't have two first reserves LOL.

Posts:4499

06/27/2022 05:01 PM
Just received a laughable and somewhat disingenuous flobike ad in my feed, aimed at increasing their quota of gullible subscribers. "A Canadian has never won the Tour de France, but Mike Woods is set of changing that" (you can follow it on flobikes) Say what LOL?!?

Posts:3180

06/27/2022 05:45 PM
Posted By Orange Crush on 06/27/2022 05:01 PM ... "A Canadian has never won the Tour de France, but Mike Woods is set of changing that" (you can follow it on flobikes) Say what LOL?!? Better than the US with its 3 for 11 record. (Three wins, 8 DSQs.) Have any other winners been disqualified?

Posts:4499

06/27/2022 06:02 PM
Contador ate too much beef and was stripped of his title. Jan was only stripped of a third spot.

Posts:2881

06/27/2022 07:23 PM
Imagine this: Cav breaks the stage win record. QS on every front page. Not hard to image at all, if one has any imagination. dumb

Posts:3180

06/27/2022 11:19 PM
I bet every one of the QS Tour starters is a little on edge right now. (Morkov's probably the safest.) It won't take much for that rider to be out and Cav in.

Posts:1767

06/28/2022 07:44 AM
never mind

Posts:4209

06/28/2022 09:37 AM
It won't take much for that rider to be out and Cav in. Apparently not....Declerq pops for COVID, but QS slots in Senechal and not Cav.

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Posts:4499

06/28/2022 09:41 AM
Yeah I’d imagine Cav only replacing the likes of Jakobsen or maybe Morkov. Although at moment he’s the only official spare left.

Posts:4499

06/28/2022 10:38 AM
Fingers crossed for another QS COVID positive?! Hahahaha.

Posts:3180

06/28/2022 12:51 PM
And here I was thinking Declerq was the second safest. Sadly, this COVID thing just might get Cav in the door (if it doesn't slam it entirely on Q-S).

Posts:4499

06/30/2022 04:42 PM
Posted By Cosmic Kid on 06/27/2022 11:41 AM And here we go....again. 🥴 https://www.velonews.com/events/tour-de-france/bahrain-victorious-has-houses-raided-on-the-eve-of-tour-de-france/ A bit more detail on this from Sporza, I am sure it is google translatable. https://sporza.be/nl/2022/06/30/parket-van-marseille-over-bahrain-victorious-ook-huiszoeking-in-belgie~1656621517553/

Posts:3180

07/01/2022 11:40 AM
And it's on! A rainy prologue. The Danes have welcomed the Swiss Bessigger with their flag painted on the road to ambush him successfully. (Is there amenity between the Danes and Swiss? If not before, there might be now. ) There's an entire squad riding under the guise of "they; who's names shall not be spoken". They should award a KOM point at the checkpoint. It is the high point of the course and a full 5,000mm higher than the start.

Posts:4499

07/01/2022 06:40 PM
Apparently Lampaert opted for wet weather tires and he feels that was winning difference.

Posts:3180

07/01/2022 09:17 PM
Posted By Orange Crush on 07/01/2022 06:40 PM Apparently Lampaert opted for wet weather tires and he feels that was winning difference. I was thinking as I read the CN Live that anyone not running wet weather tires was paying in real time. And I chuckled that teams slotted their GC and TT threats into the early starts where the going was probably the most oily. I wonder how many of the early starters were running dry tires. I like seeing good old commons sense win the day! QS might have blown it with Cav but an opening win and touring Denmark in yellow is living up to the Alpha.

Posts:4209

07/01/2022 09:53 PM
I am still cackling at the PR fiasco for Specialized after all the fanfare for the dumbest / ugliest helmet ever and Lampaert wins yellow using their old helmet. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 And Pog showed this race is pretty much already over. To run Wout and Ganna that close is a serious accomplishment.

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Posts:4499

07/01/2022 10:41 PM
Rog and the fish guy stayed close enough to Pog. Particularly good run for the fish guy as he’s still learning this TT thing. The rest, yes well there is no others.

Posts:3180

07/02/2022 09:16 AM
I sorta wish QS didn't have Jakobsen for the stage win and Lampaert in yellow. Takes away the initiative to use their peloton splitting skills for the Belt bridge.

Posts:3180

07/02/2022 09:54 AM
CN has an article re: Lampaert hugging team fellows after yesterday's win and now wondering if he'll catch COVID. And now, he's just crashed and needs to catch the peloton. One more bridge to cross. (Sorry.)

Posts:4499

07/02/2022 10:02 AM
The head socks on the Specialized aero helmets are hilarious.

Posts:4499

07/02/2022 10:16 AM
That finish was ridiculously dangerous. No lessons learned from Poland.

Posts:4499

07/02/2022 02:53 PM
Also funny to see Pog in white like a newb.

Posts:2881

07/02/2022 07:10 PM
But props to Pog for his chill roll in on bad tires. This a rider with the big picture in focus.

Posts:2881

07/02/2022 07:13 PM
PS, for riders of my generation, Pog = Pogliaghi https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pogliaghi As elite as Colnago back in the day

Posts:158

07/02/2022 07:50 PM
Pog. not only is growing into one of the greats. But he just loves it as he rides. Like a kid on his bike. Smiling as came into the finish on what one or two flat tires smiling and laughing. Now when he gets older? One of the best things for cycling going forward.

Posts:2881

07/02/2022 08:48 PM
Flats galore in Denmark. What's up with that?

Posts:4209

07/02/2022 10:12 PM
Sagan shows once again that he is just a dangerous sprinter…..glad to see Jakobsen was able to overcome his antics.

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Posts:4499

07/03/2022 05:46 PM
Boredom interrupted only by finger pointing.

Posts:2881

07/03/2022 08:20 PM
This time Sagan had a point. Wva did not hold his line, which blocked Sagan as no doubt intended but opened a wide door to the stage winner. Karma all around.

Posts:4499

07/04/2022 09:11 AM
Yesterday was Van Aerts 100th runner up finish in a UCI race.

Posts:4499

07/04/2022 12:16 PM
Broken down as 74 second podium spots in cyclocross and 26 in road races. Which begs the question how many times he's been runner up to VDP. That's gotta hurt.

Posts:3180

07/04/2022 11:45 PM
Sagan is seeing some of is own medicine only he gets to be boxed in my someone smaller and push him away. Cav did his very best to push the much bigger Sagan away. Yes, Sagan has a point. But he also needs to look in the mirror.

Posts:1767

07/05/2022 08:13 AM
Posted By Orange Crush on 07/04/2022 12:16 PM Broken down as 74 second podium spots in cyclocross and 26 in road races. Which begs the question how many times he's been runner up to VDP. That's gotta hurt. That it’s Raymond’s grandson making WvA the new eternal second is some kind of freaky.

Posts:4209

07/05/2022 09:25 AM
That it’s Raymond’s grandson making WvA the new eternal second is some kind of freaky. Excellent observation.

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Posts:4209

07/05/2022 10:38 AM
Welp....so much for silver medals. damn, what a move. They just destroyed the field. I didn't think Wout would be able to make the move stick once the bunch came back together, but damn he did! One potential troubling issue for J-V is that Roglic was not in the move when it happened....now maybe he was just marking Pog, but the Fish Boy at least tried to go with Wout (as did Yates and Thomas).

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Posts:4209

07/05/2022 10:44 AM
And how does Phillipsen not realize that the actual maillot jaune is up the road and not in the group?!?!? 🤣🤣🤣

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Posts:4499

07/05/2022 10:47 AM
Wout single handedly made something out of an otherwise boring stage. Excellent show. The fish guy is looking good. He will be one to watch.

Posts:4499

07/05/2022 12:36 PM
Wout probably took opportunity of a flyer because he may not get that same chance tomorrow with emphasis on shepherding the GC leaders.

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07/05/2022 12:51 PM
I love this picture of LaPorte poitning ahead to Wout....🤣🤣🤣

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Posts:2881

07/05/2022 01:43 PM
Here’s a “what if”: WVA eases just enough to take his teammate and the Ineos rider with him and they work together. If they stayed away that would have been some valuable GC seconds.

Posts:4499

07/05/2022 01:54 PM
Wout in part stays away because it is just the sprinters teams trying to pull him back and the sprinters riding on last gasp. Add Adam and the fish guy to break and UAE and other teams with GC desires will yank them back. JV's plan probably was simply giving Wout the freedom he won't get tomorrow.

Posts:4209

07/05/2022 02:25 PM
Agreed with OC...had someone been able to hang with him, then fine. But sitting up evven a few seconds for someone would have killed the move. Once Wout got free and was by himself, there was little incentive to chase...the sprinters were either gone or gassed and were happy to battle for points for 2nd place and back. No need for GC guys to chase since he is not an overall threat. The gap was not very big once he started the descent....I actully didn't think he would make it. But since no one felt the need to chase, he built the gap up enough that he was able to stick it.

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Posts:2881

07/05/2022 07:45 PM
Yes, these retorts make sense to me, too. Just wondering, and recalling the stage a few years back when Sagan, Froome and one big motor teammate each took off and worked really hard together. Unusual and entertaining.

Posts:3180

07/05/2022 08:47 PM
The fish guy, TFG. Just needs to pull off a stage on a Friday.

Posts:4499

07/05/2022 10:04 PM
Friday would not be a bad day to go fishing it being first mountain finish. But let’s see about the fish guy and the cobbles first, demain!

Posts:4499

07/06/2022 08:57 AM
VDP says he has soft legs and poor form. Philipsen went better over that final him than him.

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07/06/2022 09:32 AM
Fish Boy is in deep trouble after a mechanical.....

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Posts:4499

07/06/2022 09:35 AM
Yup things are going sideways for JV. Roglic crash just now?!

Posts:4209

07/06/2022 09:35 AM
Roglic down!!!!

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Posts:4209

07/06/2022 09:44 AM
J-V's race is crumbling...totally falling apart. Pog is now putting down the watts on the cobbles to distance Rog and Fish boy. Wout is a doing a phenomenal amount of work to bring JV back to the front...Rog is behind them still, I think.

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Posts:4499

07/06/2022 09:58 AM
Pog is brilliant. Not bad for a lightweight climber LOL.

Posts:4209

07/06/2022 10:02 AM
Who had "Pog takes yellow after the pave" on their 2022 Hellscape Bingo card? 🤣🤣 So much for the "You can't win the race on the pave, but you can lose it" adage....Pog is putting this race out of reach. No real GC contenders are with him.

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Posts:4499

07/06/2022 10:10 AM
They’ll be able to limit damage for fish guy but Rog is doen and out. Random bad luck with that poorly placed hay bale, ironically meant for safety.

Posts:4209

07/06/2022 10:20 AM
The break managed to put time back into Pog and Powless takes yellow for EF....Simon Clarke with a well-timed throw takes the stage. But the race is all but over now.....unless Pog crashes or suffers some similar catastrophe. ETA - looks like the GC guys really only lost a ahndful of seconds...13" I think. So the race may not relaly be over, but the writing is on the wall.

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Posts:4209

07/06/2022 10:22 AM
Check that....commentators completely blew it. Wout managed to keep yellow. Now we know why he went back to the front and hammered away after sitting up. What a stud.

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Posts:4499

07/06/2022 10:58 AM
Rewatching the fish guy's forced bike change is hilarious. Complete amateur hour on JV side. Going from getting a bike that so tall he can't sit down to getting another bike to finally getting a proper replacement took quite some time. Roglic had a dislocated shoulder but put it back in place, now there's a stud.

Posts:4499

07/06/2022 11:16 AM
VDP meanwhile says he felt even worse today than yesterday. Sensing he's burned out. The leap from not ever having finished one GT to trying for two in one year may be a bit much, particularly seeing that he entered the season short on training. No TdF show this year. Maybe best to pull him and reload for fall. No sense riding around like a donkey.

Posts:2881

07/06/2022 11:36 AM
JV definitely snakebit today. WVA salvaged a lot of it, for Ineos too.

Posts:4499

07/06/2022 12:05 PM
Interesting interview with Wout. Said he was definitely not feeling it today, mentally struggling with himself, and only managed to pull himself together once fish guy got in trouble.

Posts:4209

07/06/2022 02:18 PM
Said he was definitely not feeling it today, mentally struggling with himself, Yeah, that was my impression while watching the race. After his crash, he just couldn't seem to get himself back to the very front. On the first section of cobbles he was probably 50 riders+ back.... Not suprising really....4 really hard, stressful days of racing for him. So when he falls, it can be pretty demotivating, I'm sure. But man did he ride his ass off at the end.....

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Posts:4209

07/06/2022 02:40 PM
This is absolutely perfect.... https://twitter.com/IngmarBoss/status/1544697494680002560?s=20&t=7YmksAyvUlySufgN18WIEQ

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Posts:4499

07/06/2022 03:07 PM
Yeah Jonas mucked up there he said. Van Hooydonk simply wanted to help him with chain issue but being nervous he misunderstood intent and grabbed the way too tall bike and it devolved into musical chairs ehr bikes. Kuss and Kruijswijk were meant to offer up their bikes in this situation but were nowhere to be seen. I'm actually wondering if van Aert likes Roubaix. He was also struggling in that muddy edition. Flat cobbles are so much harder than Flanders and the race is that much more nervous.

zootracer

Posts:833

07/06/2022 04:46 PM
Off topic... nothing wrong with Bob Roll, but it miss Paul Sherwen. Paul and Phil were the best team. Never got tired of listening to them.

Posts:2881

07/06/2022 05:47 PM
To their credit, Bob and Phil let us just enjoy the race once in a while, when the sound of the race is better than them jabblering.. The Eurosport play by play guy could learn something there.

Posts:4209

07/06/2022 08:37 PM
nothing wrong with Bob Roll Oh, there is plenty wrong with Bob Roll. I did miss Paul today however when Anthony McCrossan and Nic Roche relied completely on the race graphics to assess the situation. They never considered Wout chasing back as he did, or doing the math to factor him into the equation. Doing the math was always Paul’s greatest assets and no one did it better.

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Posts:4499

07/06/2022 08:53 PM
I just looked at race graphics and it was blatantly obvious somewhere between second to last and last cobble sector that Pog and Stuyven were not going to make it to front and that chase was closing in on them. But that call is harder to make under glaring light of a commentary spot I guess although it shouldn’t be. The Belgian commentators got it. I was also still surprised although kind of expecting it how much faster the gap fell after final sector. They probably held back a little for fish guy on the sectors but he has plenty of power to be there on road, he showed that yesterday.

jookey

Posts:197

07/07/2022 06:47 AM
After the Vingegaard fiasco, I was wondering why you wouldn't have drop seat posts on your larger domestiques to allow a better "fit" in an emergency?

Posts:2881

07/07/2022 06:51 AM
How much do road seatpost droppers drop?

Posts:4499

07/07/2022 09:15 AM
On of the taller JV riders (Benoot?) in fact did have a dropper but like Kuss and Kruijswijk he also wasn’t present. Pretty much everything went wrong in that particular moment.

Posts:4499

07/07/2022 09:59 AM
Questionable tactics from JV today. Pog can thank them for yellow and win.

Posts:824

07/07/2022 11:24 AM
As much as I want to see a contender to Pog, and still hold out hope, he seems capable of taking this race over at any time. His team was there for him today, but I feel that's his only weakness, his team - although I think that's actually a non-issue for him. He's lucky and he's immensely talented. I am already tired of Phil and Bob licking his @ss like they did with Lance --

Posts:3180

07/07/2022 12:09 PM
So, the Tour in its wisdom, decides to run the longest stage through Belgium, the Ardennes and northern France, relentlessly hilly country. Snooze fest. Rolling rest day. Break goes the distance easily. Will they make the slowest ETA? We all come on board and beg for shorter, action packed stages. So I sleep in. Read the CN Live. Is this really July? Not Flanders on the 2nd of April? (Flanders with a bunch of flyweight riders borrowed from another world.) 48.26 kph. 30.0 mph. (Jaw drops.) So MVdP is cooked. Van Aert spent the day in the frying pan. Relatively easy day for the rest of J-V which they disparately needed after yesterday. Pogacar made that hard day look just a little too easy. Only 13 riders finished in the same time, not all GC threats. And it looks like Pog kept his matches dry while picking up that time. Predicting the DSs with GC hopes aren't sleeping too soundly tonight.

Posts:3180

07/07/2022 12:14 PM
Posted By Orange Crush on 07/07/2022 09:15 AM On of the taller JV riders (Benoot?) in fact did have a dropper but like Kuss and Kruijswijk he also wasn’t present. Pretty much everything went wrong in that particular moment. Never thought about that but droppers in stage races for all but your shortest rider (and perhaps your GC guy) makes sense. (Kinda like quick releases for really fast wheel swaps. Oops. I forgot. That was last millennium.)

Posts:3180

07/07/2022 12:18 PM
And a photo of a junior winning his first bike race. {https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/DV9Njc6rihGeSPtPDyN6wC.jpg}

Posts:4499

07/07/2022 12:32 PM
In an alternate universe, Van Aert keeps his powder dry in the peloton and wins the stage easily (I mean that finish had his name written all over it; Matthews got second and Philipsen managed to hang in until final km or so), retaining yellow and ensuring Pog doesn't get that 10 seconds on fish guy. Instead Rog ends up leading out Pog like a junior. I don't know what JV were thinking. Guessing Pog will donate yellow to Powless tomorrow if he's game. Too early to burden the team.

Posts:3180

07/07/2022 12:35 PM
OC, the bracket trick? I knew I needed to desecrate my laptop with a postit reminder!

Posts:2881

07/07/2022 03:13 PM
That was a wonderful flyer by WVA. But also nuts.

Posts:4209

07/07/2022 04:22 PM
I was wondering why you wouldn't have drop seat posts on your larger domestiques to allow a better "fit" in an emergency? needs to be a round seatpost....and JV was mostly on Cervelo S5's yesterday. And even the R5 road frame used a D-shaped seatpost. How much do road seatpost droppers drop? usually ~40mm As for Wout, my guess is that JV thought there was no shot at the stage, so get in the break early, get the intermediate points and sit-up....but he ended up out there with Fuglsang and it was in both their interests to keep rolling, especially since they had +3'....so they kept the hammer down.

Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!

Posts:2881

07/07/2022 07:36 PM
Armchair psychologist here: Wout did not want to crash again. Safer off the front.

Posts:2881

07/07/2022 07:38 PM
Here's another "What if?": WVA stays in the bunch all day, emerging for the intermediate, then hides again until the end. What are the odds he would have taken more than 20 points overall? (Assuming he didn't have a bad crash, and didn't have to tow Primaz all over the map because Primaz crashed again).

Posts:3180

07/07/2022 08:29 PM
Posted By Frederick Jones on 07/07/2022 07:38 PM Here's another "What if?": WVA stays in the bunch all day, emerging for the intermediate, then hides again until the end. What are the odds he would have taken more than 20 points overall? (Assuming he didn't have a bad crash, and didn't have to tow Primaz all over the map because Primaz crashed again). That was my thought. J-V had such a bad day yesterday and did so much rather fruitless work yesterday that I thought they'd be smart to let the break go, do as little as possible, then let Van Aert do whatever damage he can at the end when he no longer had the distance to burn to many matches. Instead it was Pog who was gifted that approach and used it well, even using Roglic's leadout to best advantage.

Posts:2881

07/07/2022 08:41 PM
Yes, Pog is the current GC superman who can deny. I clarify: my earlier what if was and is focused on the green jersey competition. WVA was magnificent and maybe dumb today. What did he win? 20 sprint points but long gone for the more valuable finale. In two weeks he will look smarter or dumber, but for now . . .

Posts:4499

07/08/2022 10:15 AM
Awesome. Poor Kamna. Not even a stage victory to make up for leaving Vlasov isolated.

Posts:4209

07/08/2022 11:19 AM
Great finish.....heartbreak for Kamna. Super Planche has rarely (if ever) been the deciding stage in the race....all those thinking the result today somehow keeps this race open are deluding themselves. edit - other than that Stage 20 TT finish in 2020, I mean.

Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!

Posts:4499

07/08/2022 11:39 AM
Agreed that Pog seems firmly in control but at same time fish guy clearly can put pressure on when climbing gets really hard so I would not call it done yet. We're just getting started. The main problem with fish guy is that he's too nice and missing killer instinct. It was noted that when he put Pog in trouble on Ventoux his first instinct seemed to be to slow down LOL. Funny that Pog is still competing for white but Jonas with much less experience is not.

Posts:4499

07/09/2022 02:08 PM
Just a reminder that last year at this point Pog had 5 mins on fish guy. Now it’s 39 seconds. There are four Ineos guys sitting pretty in top 10. Good ingredients to keep boredom away. COVID May decide this tour with some cases trickling in. Attention has turned to crowds. Not so much roadside spectating but the neutral start and finish zones with large unmasked masses and prolonged contacts.

Posts:3180

07/09/2022 05:57 PM
Posted By Orange Crush on 07/09/2022 02:08 PM Just a reminder that last year at this point Pog had 5 mins on fish guy. Now it’s 39 seconds. There are four Ineos guys sitting pretty in top 10. Good ingredients to keep boredom away. COVID May decide this tour with some cases trickling in. Attention has turned to crowds. Not so much roadside spectating but the neutral start and finish zones with large unmasked masses and prolonged contacts. Ought to require the racers to mask up before they get to the start zone and stay masked up until after the rollout starts. Yeah, photo ops missed. But the Tour must go on!

Posts:4499

07/09/2022 10:28 PM
Looks like second part of tomorrow stage with all the climbs is exactly what I rode as a 17 year old on my very first foreign bike trip (3 days in Swiss) 40 years ago. Anyway will miss it as I’m starting a 4 day bike tour. Back in time for Alpe.

Posts:2881

07/10/2022 10:24 AM
That must have been a beautiful ride! Watching Pinot descend right now. Painful to watch.

Posts:4209

07/11/2022 08:41 AM
COVID May decide this tour with some cases trickling in. Shockingly, no positive COVID tests on the rest day. Thank god.

Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!

Posts:4209

07/11/2022 08:54 AM
Soudal - QuickStep announced....I don't hate it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7aZTB2M-ULM

Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!

Posts:4209

07/12/2022 11:54 AM
The only thing that is gonna stop Pog from winning this thing is Pog....he is chasing after stuff and burning matches that he does not have to do. Zero reason for him to sprint to the line today....sure, he saved his jersey, but arguably it would have been a better strategy to let Kamna take it for a day and have Bora share the workload tomorrow.

Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!

Posts:3180

07/12/2022 01:23 PM
Posted By Cosmic Kid on 07/12/2022 11:54 AM The only thing that is gonna stop Pog from winning this thing is Pog....he is chasing after stuff and burning matches that he does not have to do. Zero reason for him to sprint to the line today....sure, he saved his jersey, but arguably it would have been a better strategy to let Kamna take it for a day and have Bora share the workload tomorrow. And Pog would have been forgiven for saving a match or two given that he just lost another lieutenant to the curse. (Matches - one today at the finish, another tomorrow that Bora would have been burning instead and one each for his teammates; Bora again.)

Posts:4499

07/13/2022 09:39 AM
Fish guy!

Posts:4209

07/13/2022 09:42 AM
HOLY SCHITT!!! Did not see this coming....I thought for sure J-V was just setting Pog up. Even Thomas has dropped Pog. He is gonna lose gobs of time!!

Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!

Posts:4499

07/13/2022 09:48 AM
The JV tactics were pretty crap but it doesn’t matter if your leader has the legs.

Posts:4209

07/13/2022 09:58 AM
The JV tactics were pretty crap but it doesn’t matter if your leader has the legs. 100%..... Never saw Pog losing almost 3' in the whole race, let alone in one stage, let alone in the first mountain stage. I think Pog is gonna rue all the nergy he spent sprinting for stages, etc. Actually, I think you will see him dial back his overall race program next year. he has been going full gas since the UAE Tour in the Spring....everyone thought he was untouchable. The irony is that Pog's popularity will now likely skyrocket...🤣

Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!

Posts:3180

07/13/2022 11:28 AM
Wow! I was wondering if Pogacar should have been saving matches in previous stages. Maybe let a few J-V attacks today go as "who cares". (Face it, on a climb as steep as today's final there is not much drafting and not really a lot one competitor can do to another except lure him to burn matches. Help from teammates dropping back is mostly going to be psychological.) So, superman had his suit ripped off. I won't call him done but he now has to use every bit of smarts he's got as well as his heart and gifts. More so because of his depleted squad. Vingegaard - Tour racing at its best. The photo of him near the top is going to be around a long time as one of the classics. Timeless. Yes, a modern CF bike, digital color, pavement, but you could shop in any former great, shop in the old gravel, brake cables and that could be a great stage from the 1950s, 1920s. [https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/BmA34MUVH7ehnYa6E6MNiK.jpg] This is the racing I love.

Posts:4499

07/13/2022 11:38 AM
Not sure that Pog will dial back his program and neither should he. He loves the classics and I good at them. In that regard he’ll always be a major step above Jonas. But Pog will have to ride Tour a lot more conservative. He was a little cocky this year and showboating a bit.

Posts:3180

07/13/2022 10:57 PM
Fun aside - on the way down from the finish, Van Aert needed to pump up his tire. A fan gave him a pump. Van Aert told the fan the green jersey he was wearing was the fan's. He just needed to unzip it. Then Van Aert zipped it up for him. (Podium back zippered.)

Posts:158

07/14/2022 08:43 PM
For decades I've watched cycling races of all kind. Never raced myself. I don't understand how some view JV as playing poor tactics. Always thought that you can never win sitting on anyones wheel. I do wonder about WVA and his carelessness of just driving it after getting the green point. But to me the attacks from Roglic and Jonus were perfect. Someone has to make him respond not dictate. Not all tactics work. But now we have what could be a great race not a sleep fest like last year. Legs win but sometimes tactics helps break those legs.

Posts:2881

07/15/2022 08:35 AM
Pidcock descends like a motoGP racer. Wow!

Posts:158

07/15/2022 08:47 PM
Like watching a ballet dancer. Grace and speed. So sweet to watch.

Posts:4499

07/16/2022 02:03 PM
Looks like this will come down to the iTT. Remember the Chicken’s iTT?

Posts:824

07/16/2022 02:40 PM
I am enjoying this tour more than any in recent memory. Nice to have the tight GC competition, and the stellar individual stage efforts such as today and a few days back with Jungels. Me likey.

Posts:2881

07/16/2022 03:18 PM
Hot!!

Posts:4499

07/16/2022 04:27 PM
Posted By Bill H. on 07/14/2022 08:43 PM For decades I've watched cycling races of all kind. Never raced myself. I don't understand how some view JV as playing poor tactics. Always thought that you can never win sitting on anyones wheel. I do wonder about WVA and his carelessness of just driving it after getting the green point. But to me the attacks from Roglic and Jonus were perfect. Someone has to make him respond not dictate. Not all tactics work. But now we have what could be a great race not a sleep fest like last year. Legs win but sometimes tactics helps break those legs. The attacks were perfect - fully agreed. My comment on suspect tactics were around what happened after that until lower slopes of Granon. Specifically how Wout let Jonas and Pog pass and then put in a hard effort to get Roglic and a bunch of other dead weight back (which was wasted effort) with then Vingegaard suddenly being isolated against Maijka and Pog. That part made no sense even though they got the correct result.

Posts:3180

07/16/2022 04:34 PM
Posted By christopher behrens on 07/16/2022 02:40 PM I am enjoying this tour more than any in recent memory. Nice to have the tight GC competition, and the stellar individual stage efforts such as today and a few days back with Jungels. Me likey. Another second. Racing! Not a bot parade.

Posts:4499

07/16/2022 06:04 PM
Yes good on Bling after being so close so many times in last couple years but never a win. Funny thing is he had a good chat with his wife who told him to take a risk. He obliged by attacking instead of waiting for sprint and it paid off beautifully.

Posts:4209

07/16/2022 09:28 PM
Funny thing is he had a good chat with his wife who told him to take a risk Oh god…..Can’t wait to see what he does in the Vuelta. (That is a Tommy D dig, for those who remember.) 🤣 Nice to see Matthews get a win again.

Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!

Posts:2881

07/17/2022 04:01 AM
Yo Le Tour: Move the Sunday race to the early morning. It’s not so hot then.

Posts:4499

07/17/2022 10:45 AM
That French moto ahead of final French escapee is a little too obvious.

Posts:2881

07/17/2022 11:31 AM
Yes, that lone breakaway rider took a longer line through several curves to stay in the draft. Truly obvious. The sprint had some Deja Vu: Leader deviates from his line to slow an overtaking rider (WVA this time), which opened a wide door for the stage winner.

Posts:4499

07/18/2022 02:29 PM
Posted By Frederick Jones on 07/17/2022 04:01 AM Yo Le Tour: Move the Sunday race to the early morning. It’s not so hot then. This is probably not logistically feasible unless they build it into pre-determined schedule. Cancellation of the particular stage is probably the only option that could be executed on the fly. The heat seems to have moved to Europe this year; I am still wearing a a light sweater haha.

Posts:4499

07/19/2022 10:10 AM
Huge win for Houle promise to his brother fulfilled. And first Canadian stage win since Bauer 1988.

Posts:824

07/19/2022 10:50 AM
Was that 1988 or 1998? An inside joke if you have to suffer through more of Phil... Great win by Houle!

Posts:4499

07/19/2022 07:52 PM
Sounds like Majka suffered a bum knee from that chain break, hit it on frame. That could be a big loss for Pog

Posts:158

07/19/2022 08:14 PM
A tour of attrition. Does everyone here fault Roglic for abandoning? Don't know the extant of his injuries. Never though of him quitting.

Posts:4499

07/19/2022 08:30 PM
Posted By Bill H. on 07/19/2022 08:14 PM A tour of attrition. Does everyone here fault Roglic for abandoning? Don't know the extant of his injuries. Never though of him quitting. I don’t fault him at all. The Mende stage pretty much settled it. When Pog put in the early hand grenades Rog was in trouble from the start. The case of Bardet in 2020 tour (I think I got name and year right) shows what can happen continuing to ride on injury. He lost the entire next year and only came back into form this year. That old school paradigm of continuing to soldier on needs to go.

Posts:3180

07/19/2022 11:15 PM
Posted By Orange Crush on 07/19/2022 08:30 PM Posted By Bill H. on 07/19/2022 08:14 PM A tour of attrition. Does everyone here fault Roglic for abandoning? Don't know the extant of his injuries. Never though of him quitting. ... That old school paradigm of continuing to soldier on needs to go. Also needs to go - basic parts breaking. Majte's (sp) chain. Oh I know why. They are pushed to the max to get better shifting and more cogs. But - the Tour should make it known that bikes not only have to be available to the public, they should also be safe to ride as intended. I know the Tour cannot enforce this but they can rule that any name, model and manufacturer of any part that fails and causes injury will publicized. Tell us who's chain that was. I'd love to see KMC (or whoever) advertising that they sponsored three pro teams last year and broke no chains. See technology that stressed reliability (now because it matters!) And yes, when it's a team that screws up, that should get publicized. (Hincapie's steerer, P-R) Now, engineering at the pro level is driven by marketing that sees light, fast, wins and who cares about being responsible. If marketing gets to look at being shown up publicly in a big way if they demand engineering skip good protocol, maybe we see a shift to better. Oh I know this will never happen but I can dream. And I'm not talking about less than pro racing. The broken cranks I had to ride around BITD. (Campys with almost certainly many miles and a fair share of abuse. Though this "advertising" would have sped up Campy's design and machining practices right quick!)

Posts:4499

07/20/2022 09:40 AM
Majka gone. McNulty steps up. Thomas clearly establishing himself as best of rest. Podium spot now looks like a lock.

Posts:2881

07/20/2022 10:10 AM
Big day tomorrow!

Posts:4499

07/20/2022 10:48 AM
Jakobsen finished with 16 seconds to spare. He's scraped the bottom of barrel many times over already and is a complete wreck. His team mates had to leave him in end because it got too risky with time cut to loose multiple riders. Imagine how much time he spent on that final ramp.

Posts:4209

07/20/2022 11:33 AM
IN hindsight, I think Pog's major error was answering every attack from JV on Stage 11....he had time in hand over Roglic and should have given him some rope and let him run a bit. Let him burn some matches while Pog keeps tempo and rides him in check. By answering every attack immediately, he left himself open to the inevitable coutner-attack, which left him vulnerable on the final climb. Giving Rog some room to run would have negated the number of counter-attacks. I'd say Pog and Fish Boy are pretty evenly matched right now....the major difference being the energy Pog spent on Stage 11.

Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!

Posts:3180

07/20/2022 11:36 AM
Posted By Orange Crush on 07/20/2022 10:48 AM Jakobsen finished with 16 seconds to spare. He's scraped the bottom of barrel many times over already and is a complete wreck. His team mates had to leave him in end because it got too risky with time cut to loose multiple riders. Imagine how much time he spent on that final ramp. I doubt he'll survive tomorrow simply because of what he did today. Hope I'm wrong. But this is one of the races within the race that make the Tour the greatest bike race (and perhaps sporting event). Riders have been going that deep just to finish forever. Q-C has not seen a lot of podium or front row time but Morkov's solo, very long ride just to finish (well outside the time cut) showed earlier that the Q-C riders take this race seriously. Then there's the rider (I forget who) that likewise rode alone forever and missed the cut yesterday(?).

Posts:4209

07/20/2022 11:47 AM
Then there's the rider (I forget who) that likewise rode alone forever and missed the cut yesterday marc Soler for UAE....he was vomiting on the bike. If you had told every team before the race that they could have two stage wins and a stint in yellow as their results, everyone would take it. yet somehow this Tour feels like a bit of a dud for QS....receny bias I guess since those two stage wins were so long ago.

Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!

Posts:4499

07/20/2022 02:11 PM
Agreed on Pog's key stage 11 mistake. Rog getting up ahead was in fact JV's strategy for that day. That's why their tactics turned a bit messy once Pog and fish guy were up ahead instead, they failed to adapt on the fly. But the end result worked for them. Pog and fish guy were pretty even matched today but I wonder if tomorrow with longer climbs may allow Jonas to go on attack and widen the buffer. Meanwhile van Aert mathematically won green. Just needs to finish. The biggest dud this Tour is Polka Dot. I mean Gerschke, come on?!

Posts:1767

07/20/2022 08:40 PM
Outside of this group who would ever guess who we were talking about when we say “fish guy”?

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07/20/2022 09:19 PM
Dale, there are alternatives on offer but one has yet to stick. Until then it’s fish guy haha. Good for a few chuckles…” In this respect we have a bit of a Vingegaard problem as his public persona has about as much sparkle as a building society manager reading you your overdraft terms and conditions. But no less we shall try. ” https://www.cyclingweekly.com/racing/we-need-to-talk-about-jonas-danish-dynamite-vingegaard

Posts:158

07/20/2022 09:26 PM
Fish guy. It took me a day or so to remember myself.

Posts:3180

07/21/2022 09:54 AM
So, the TDF could be won by TFG. Speaking of whom - stopping for Pogacar after Pog crashes while in mano-au-mano combat: pretty classy. His acting career may not take off, but he'll win some good publicity with that.

Posts:4499

07/21/2022 09:56 AM
Yes good moment. Also great recovery from brake lock just earlier. Pog seemed to indicate to team car that he just wants to win stage.

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07/21/2022 10:26 AM
Boom. It’s done. BTW another reason to go for fish guy is cause before we had the Chicken so this retains the animal theme.

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07/21/2022 11:21 AM
Posted By Orange Crush on 07/20/2022 02:11 PM Pog and fish guy were pretty even matched today but I wonder if tomorrow with longer climbs may allow Jonas to go on attack and widen the buffer. < Ahem, cough, cough.

Posts:4209

07/21/2022 12:26 PM
stopping for Pogacar after Pog crashes while in mano-au-mano combat: pretty classy. That was when I knew it was in the bag....waiting showed he was supremely confident heading into the final climb.

Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!

Posts:4499

07/21/2022 12:40 PM
Posted By 79 pmooney on 07/20/2022 11:36 AM Posted By Orange Crush on 07/20/2022 10:48 AM Jakobsen finished with 16 seconds to spare. He's scraped the bottom of barrel many times over already and is a complete wreck. His team mates had to leave him in end because it got too risky with time cut to loose multiple riders. Imagine how much time he spent on that final ramp. I doubt he'll survive tomorrow simply because of what he did today. Hope I'm wrong. Jakobsen survived. The entire QS team finished together with him. In a way today being longer was easier as it allows for a wider time margin to winner.

Posts:1767

07/21/2022 04:39 PM
Nice that we didn't have another Alberto Contador/ Andy Schleck anger-in-my-stomach episode. "I'll wait up so I can drop you like a man at the top." Right from the gun that was an impressive ride by WvA. That was a beastly pull going up that climb. When he blew it looked like he was going to topple over, and then go on to get 3rd. Dayum!

Posts:3180

07/21/2022 05:45 PM
Posted By Orange Crush on 07/21/2022 12:40 PM Posted By 79 pmooney on 07/20/2022 11:36 AM Posted By Orange Crush on 07/20/2022 10:48 AM Jakobsen finished with 16 seconds to spare. He's scraped the bottom of barrel many times over already and is a complete wreck. His team mates had to leave him in end because it got too risky with time cut to loose multiple riders. Imagine how much time he spent on that final ramp. I doubt he'll survive tomorrow simply because of what he did today. Hope I'm wrong. Jakobsen survived. The entire QS team finished together with him. In a way today being longer was easier as it allows for a wider time margin to winner. Good. I'm rooting for him winning in Paris - for the team and for Morkov.

Posts:2881

07/21/2022 06:54 PM
Has there ever been a rider like WVA? Amazing. He should be the highest paid rider on that squad.

Posts:2881

07/21/2022 06:54 PM
Merckx minus the GT climbing maybe?

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07/21/2022 07:52 PM
Sean Kelly. Valverde…(scanning the list of all time greats).

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07/21/2022 11:15 PM
OC, suggest approach my WVA for the ages question a different way: Best superdomestique ever. Here's a nominee: Jos Bryere https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Bruy%C3%A8re

Posts:4499

07/21/2022 11:38 PM
Didn’t know that guy who has my first name but he was quite something hauling Merckx around plus winning two LBLs. And he’s a Limburger like me. As to Wout he’s Wout and let’s see where he ends. Current 300 something in all time rankings. To have the amount of consistency and staying power of a Kelly or Valverde (2nd and 4th) takes quite something.

Posts:1767

07/22/2022 09:19 AM
Back to the fish guy waiting for Pog. The psychology of that warrants a bit of thought. Pog goes down, his first thought must have been about losing more time, what if there yellow attacks? So he's back on the bike and drills it until he sees him sitting up and waiting. That's still a match burned and fish guy gets a bit of a respite. I can't help but think there's still damage done even if they do the hand shake and continue on.

Posts:3180

07/22/2022 09:57 AM
Dale, this whole Tour has been about Pog burning matches for very little gain. 10 second finish bonuses while the fish guy is gaining minutes when Pog has burned the last one in that box.

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07/22/2022 11:44 AM
The psychology of that wait was definitely important. It told Pog that Jonas had supreme confidence in his own form and could afford to wait.

Posts:158

07/22/2022 04:50 PM
What am I missing. The team that has the Yellow, Green, and Poke Dot jersey. After the strongest rider drops off the yellow jersey and drops back. Every team that has not won a stage etc. Allows a domestic who has killed himself all tour for the yellow break away in the final mile to win the stage. Then on my feed he's sitting on the front hood of a car looking around. Did he shock not only the peloton but his own support group.

Posts:4499

07/23/2022 09:05 AM
Wout said he wasn’t feeling good and gave LaPorte the nod to go for it halfway in stage. So it was planned. Roglic unlikely for Vuelta. Possibly broken vertebrae?

6ix

Posts:485

07/23/2022 11:01 AM
Now I might be a little crazy to think this, but you have to wonder if Jumbo-Visma is doing something a little bit shady. I mean, I know, I know...never heard of doping and cycling in the same sentence together. And other dominate teams in the past (USPS, Mapei, Gewiss-Ballaan) were squeaky clean so not sure why I would think this. It's totally normal for a super skinny climber dude like Jonas to nearly win the final TT against brute riders like Ganna. And it's totally normal for team riders to win climbing, TT and sprint stages all while towing their team captain around. Let's just say I don't have full confidence that this was done clean. Not even clean-ish. They are on to something even stronger than Ketones, EPO, etc. We'll learn all about it in about 5 years.

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07/23/2022 12:24 PM
It’s totally fine to ask the questions but I would not use Ganna as a metric this time. He seems to have been struggling and has said as much himself . Some post-COVID effects?

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07/23/2022 01:01 PM
6ix - you're crazy! That's insane. It's a totally clean sport now! They've assured us. What you are insinuating is just like the damned liberals saying that the great American president tried to subvert the presidential elections, even so crazy as to say he was the head of an attempted coup. All bull$4it. FOX tells me so.

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07/23/2022 06:20 PM
Posted By christopher behrens on 07/23/2022 01:01 PM FOX tells me so. You spelled Faux wrong

Posts:824

07/23/2022 06:39 PM
That's how my pastor told me to spell it. I could be wrong. I mean we were doing blow at the time, and he was trying to convince me that god wanted him to make us of my sacred vessel... Okay, my apologies, back to Le Tour.

Posts:158

07/23/2022 07:49 PM
That's how my pastor told me to spell it. I could be wrong. I mean we were doing blow at the time, and he was trying to convince me that god wanted him to make us of my sacred vessel... Okay, my apologies, back to Le Tour. Has to be the strangest post I've ever read on here. So many things to disect, don't know where to start.

Posts:4499

07/23/2022 10:13 PM
That post makes perfect sense, beyond the words blow being done all bets are off.

Posts:824

07/23/2022 10:41 PM
It's like dissecting present day America, and sadly more and more of Europe.

Posts:158

07/23/2022 11:23 PM
Ive always had a low comprehension with reading. Not trying to be a smart ass but what makes sense in this statement? "I mean we were doing blow at the time, and he was trying to convince me that god wanted him to make us of my sacred vessel" Fox vs Faux. God, Blow, Sacred vessel? My pastor said? Gees. Never mind I'm just old and tired so it does not matter. And I did a lot of blow in the 70's, never with a pastor. Maybe that's my problem.

Posts:4499

07/23/2022 11:42 PM
Haha I think my joke was solidly missed. It makes perfect sense in the fear and loathing sense. If that makes sense.

Posts:4499

07/24/2022 04:55 PM
Good win for Philipsen. Clearly freshest sprinter. Future green jersey contender. Not a bad tour for DAF despite VDP non showing.

Posts:4499

07/24/2022 08:34 PM
Celebratory dinner of fish cakes?!

Posts:2881

07/24/2022 09:15 PM
No, too snarky.

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07/25/2022 04:12 AM
Cute seeing WvA's wife and kid wearing green, and Vingegaard's wife and kid decked out in yellow. I can't imagine the relief it would be to finish a grand tour regardless of where one placed. Those guys have to be totally gutted.

Posts:4499

07/25/2022 09:27 AM
And Thomas kid on final podium which made Pog look strangely out of place. Interesting that Gorka pulled out on final day so he could ride his favourite Basque race today. Also the Kermesse start today. Gotta cash in tired legs notwithstanding.

Posts:4209

07/25/2022 02:47 PM
Interesting that Gorka pulled out on final day so he could ride his favourite Basque race today. There used to be UCI rules against this....if you were in a stage race and quit before the end, you were not able to race other races until the stage race ended.

Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!

Posts:4499

07/25/2022 03:06 PM
Maybe that rule still exists. At any rate that race was today (won by the other Yates) and Tour is over.

Posts:4499

08/18/2022 12:33 PM
Reportedly Vingegaard is struggling massively with the new found fame. Pretty much holed up at home. Reminds me of Dumoulin (now retired), the public attention and adulation that came with the Giro win was hugely uncomfortable for him. "no one cheers when a doctor saves a live". The always just wanted to be a doctor but didn't make the lottery for medical school.

Posts:4209

08/18/2022 01:29 PM
Reportedly Vingegaard is struggling massively with the new found fame. Oh jeez...don't like hearing that at all.

Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!

Posts:2881

08/18/2022 09:08 PM
Quote regarding Tom D: " always just wanted to be a doctor but didn't make the lottery for medical school." Hmm, you got my attention with this comment! "Med school admission lottery "and Tom D, I hope you can unpack. Is med school admission a lottery in the Netherlands, spin a wheel of fortune, in or no? Did Tom D (not to be confused with underachiever Tommy D) once apply to medical school but having lost an admissions lottery (!!!!) had to settle for GT winner? FWIW US med schools educate plenty of older students with valuable life experience, including hippies, preachers, and former top level athletes with cases in point Eric Heiden and a gazillion former top level college athletes.

Posts:4499

08/18/2022 10:19 PM
Yes entry into medical school in NL is lottery based as there’s more qualified candidates than spots. Tom was perfectly qualified and would be a medical doctor by now but didn’t get a winning ticket. So settled for cycling pro career. Never intending to be a GC racer but instead focusing on TTs and smaller races. Stumbled into GTs only on basis of that surprise Vuelta showing. So despite being a very deliberate personality he stumbled into his career path. Which always created a bit of a mental clash for him, hence the expressed doubts. Vingegaard is very much an accidental Tour winner along similar lines.

smokey52

Posts:493

08/19/2022 01:04 PM
Apparently the UK system is similar. Read "This is Going to Hurt" by Adam Kay for insight from a doctor who went through the system.

Posts:2881

08/19/2022 08:40 PM
Wow, I also did not know that, thanks. I can add that in the British system medical education starts earlier than here: it's and undergraduate degree that takes 5-6 years. British docs have bachelor's degrees. This streamlined path is great if a kid knows what they want to do for the rest of their life at age 17 or 18; saves time and money for all concerned. This seems similar to other state funded trade education programs in western Europe: choose a trade in your teens, get a free education, and go make money for yourself and your society. OTOH, late bloomers who may become spectacular in their chosen field have a better chance here. Interesting social/political/economic contrast.

Posts:4499

08/19/2022 08:50 PM
Yes, I picked my field of specialization “Earth Science “ straight out of high school age 18. Moreover at the end of elementary school (age 12) a determination is made what high school a kid should enter as different high school streams prepare one for university, trade school etc. It’s still possible to switch streams “down” or “up” but depending on choice one could loose a year. I gave my teachers a bit of a surprise with the elementary school test and they accused my parents I must have cheated. Basically a solid underperformer the entire elementary school years, bored out of my mind with curriculum in a small village school and subpar teachers. The national standardized test woke me up, wait there’s actually something to learn, went straight from bottom to top of the class with that test…

Posts:2881

08/19/2022 08:51 PM
(BTW: The 3-10 years of postgraduate medical training we call residency and for some after that fellowship are similar in Europe and the US. No shortcuts in this part of trade school.)

Posts:2881

08/19/2022 08:55 PM
OC, great story, glad it has worked out so well for you. Again, a fascinating contrast with the US system, which has more room for late bloomers but one could argue is far less efficient and allows for prolonged immaturity.

Posts:4499

08/19/2022 08:57 PM
My interpretation from having gone through both systems and having done some teaching on this end, is that undergraduate programs still play catch-up to European programs to make up for really lousy unfocused high school programs (I can’t count how many times I had to explain basic high school level math concepts to science undergraduates here). But the catch is rapidly made during post-secondary education and anything beyond that US schools outperform their European counterparts on account of being a more competitive environment.

Posts:2881

08/19/2022 09:05 PM
one more bit for this conversation: I enjoyed a semester at a major UK university as an undergrad. The model there was absorb a lot of info, then show you learned it on the final exam. Students were sponges. I called it "fact bulimia": absorb, then spit it all out. The profs there were delighted to have a student who engaged and discussed. Liberal arts vs. trade school. Teaching to analyze vs absorbing a knowledge base. Not judging, especially on a macro societal/economic level. In the US, most pay for the privilege to BS with a learned prof. If the government is paying, yes it should be more focused.

Posts:4499

08/19/2022 09:30 PM
I believe in NL the current model is the government pays if you graduate within XX years. If you don’t it becomes an interest free loan (ie you pay). In my days government paid straight up which is rife for abuse. Lots of eternal students back then. I basically spent 2 years drinking beer on government dime. Again a case of boredom and lousy profs, that initial Earth Science choice (geophysics) wasn’t the most inspiring (basically you were being prepped for a job at Shell or their competition, even got to taste caviar in Paris at the French national oil company headquarters) although it did provide a solid base for subsequent more informed choices made on this side of the pond. Yes, late bloomer but still consider myself helped by the focused education. Honestly not sure that less specialized programs here are better for late bloomers looking at my kids experience.

Posts:2881

08/19/2022 09:43 PM
"I basically spent 2 years drinking beer on government dime." Good on ya! Who can top that? And where are you now, from a macro perspective? Has society benefited from your path? Sounds like a yes.

Posts:4499

08/19/2022 10:17 PM
It’s a bit selfserving to answer that with yes but I think so. Supervised quite a few young professionals over last 20 odd years and they’re all on track for success. I’ll caveat this with saying we had a team exercise drawing each other’s portraits the other day which was quite fun despite most of us sucking at drawing. Everyone’s portrait was a pretty standard headshot but somehow I came out as riding a bike with a text t balloon “Suckers. You work. I ride”. This is me teaching young North Americans about Euro style work life balance. It’s debatable whether my portrait is giving everyone else the finger as suggested by my wife. This was of course drawn by one of my current staff hahaha.