Cosmic Kid
Posts:4209
 |
| 06/05/2022 09:29 AM |
|
I refuse to use the “correct” name…🤪
Wout made that look easy. |
|
| Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!
|
|
|
79pmooney
Posts:3180
|
| 06/05/2022 10:35 AM |
|
The start of summer. Spring (the Giro) is over. Yeah, Solstice isn't for a few days but we all know the celestial stuff takes a back seat to the Tour. Today it drizzled at Dauphine at 73F. Yup, summer! Now the mini tours; the little warm-up vacations leading up to the big vacation we spend all year waiting for.
Last night was Portland's Rose Parade. (Joke - it's that time when the squid go up-river to spawn every year. Squid - sailors. I used to live next door to the Navy base in Alameda. One or more warships, both US and Canadian, sail to Portland for the Rose Festival every year. There's a baby bump every March.) Rained as usual. (This spring is looking surprisingly weather normal; not very different from my welcome to Oregon 24 years ago. Sadly not true in southern Oregon.)
So, Dauphine is on. Days are long. Life is good. (Well, we have to try to make it so. There are shades of post world wars and cold war tensions but bike racing is happening and fairly normally.) |
|
|
|
|
Habanero
Posts:257
|
| 06/05/2022 05:05 PM |
|
Jumbo should go all-in for Wout for the Tour for yellow and green. He can do it all and can stay on his bike during the third week to clinch the deal.
Takers?
:-) |
|
|
|
|
Cosmic Kid
Posts:4209
|
| 06/05/2022 05:08 PM |
|
| Wout simply can’t last in the high mountains to contend for yellow…he can pop off the occasional good performance, but day after day and, more importantly, still be with the Gc leaders at the end? Not your guy… |
|
| Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!
|
|
|
longslowdistance
Posts:2881
|
| 06/05/2022 05:58 PM |
|
Wout for Green in Paris is a real opportunity for JV. Yellow of course would be Roglic, not Wout. That’s a longer shot for a bigger prize.
I started another thread on this topic, sorry that this is redundant.
PS: stupid spell checker sees Wout and replies with Won’t. Spell checker often is right, but not always. Ask me in a month if it was right this time. |
|
|
|
|
Cosmic Kid
Posts:4209
|
| 06/05/2022 06:03 PM |
|
| Nah…your thread is for Le Tour. No redundancy, just a little crossover. |
|
| Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!
|
|
|
Orange Crush
Posts:4499
|
| 06/05/2022 11:58 PM |
|
Posted By Cosmic Kid on 06/05/2022 05:08 PM
Wout simply can’t last in the high mountains to contend for yellow…he can pop off the occasional good performance, but day after day and, more importantly, still be with the Gc leaders at the end? Not your guy…
It’s something like this https://www.archysport.com/2022/05/contador-indurain-and-beloki-believe-in-wout-van-aerts-tour-victory-but-cycling-would-be-a-big-loser-tour/ |
|
|
|
|
Cosmic Kid
Posts:4209
|
| 06/06/2022 07:30 AM |
|
I disagree with their assessments, but Big Mig is looking pretty damn good at his age…nice to see a top ex-pro not blow up like a tick on a dog!
 |
|
| Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!
|
|
|
Cosmic Kid
Posts:4209
|
| 06/06/2022 09:49 AM |
|
Welp....the sprinters' teams really cocked that one up. Had the break down to ~1 min with 12km to go and then down to 30" with 8km to go. Should have easily reeled them in and was setting up perfectly.....but no one wanted to finish it off and the gap went back out.
break held on by about 100m with Vuillermoz taking the win for Total Energies....
good stage! |
|
| Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!
|
|
|
longslowdistance
Posts:2881
|
| 06/06/2022 09:03 PM |
|
Agree
|
|
|
|
|
79pmooney
Posts:3180
|
| 06/06/2022 10:26 PM |
|
| We saw racing a-la-Yugo. "You go!" "No, you go!" And guess what. 5 tired bike racers were faster! |
|
|
|
|
79pmooney
Posts:3180
|
| 06/07/2022 10:25 AM |
|
Posted By Cosmic Kid on 06/05/2022 09:29 AM
…
Wout made that look easy.
This one wasn't so easy but he still had time to sit up and ... oops!
|
|
|
|
|
Cosmic Kid
Posts:4209
|
| 06/07/2022 03:00 PM |
|
Wout....c'mon, man.
SMH. |
|
| Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!
|
|
|
Dale
Posts:1767
|
| 06/07/2022 08:56 PM |
|
| The list of ignominious finishes is rather long |
|
|
|
|
Habanero
Posts:257
|
| 06/08/2022 01:36 PM |
|
| I've been following him for a long time, and he is always participating in charity rides and the like. His numbers are pretty damn great for a guy his age.
https://www.granfondoguide.com/Contents/Index/1944/miguel-indurain-rides-at-an-average-speed-of-456km/h-at-age-52
He simply loves cycling and is often found roadside in the Basque Country cheering on juniors.
Always pure class! |
|
|
|
|
longslowdistance
Posts:2881
|
| 06/08/2022 07:55 PM |
|
Hab's post reminds me that it's time for me to make another Red Cross blood donation.
|
|
|
|
|
longslowdistance
Posts:2881
|
| 06/08/2022 08:02 PM |
|
Oh sorry, maybe I had that wrong. LA was the autologous blood doper, maybe not Big Mig.
Big Mig surely was doped to the gills with EPO, when EPO was new in pro cycling, but who knows maybe also autologous\.
If LA had a post retirement low profile like Big Mig, he might have enjoyed a similar outcome: beloved rather than reviled.
Hindsight is 20-20. Congrats to Indurain for smelling a lot less bad than LA - a very low bar. |
|
|
|
|
longslowdistance
Posts:2881
|
| 06/09/2022 06:37 AM |
|
Geez I'm getting old and cranky.
|
|
|
|
|
Cosmic Kid
Posts:4209
|
| 06/09/2022 09:00 AM |
|
Big Mig surely was doped to the gills with EPO
Yeah, there was no need to blood dope for Indurain....there were no guardrails on EPO in his day.
If LA had a post retirement low profile like Big Mig, he might have enjoyed a similar outcome: beloved rather than reviled.
Based on the popularity of his podcasts and growing list of sponsors, I'd say the LA Rehabilitation Tour is doing just fine. |
|
| Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!
|
|
|
Dale
Posts:1767
|
| 06/09/2022 09:36 AM |
|
| One celebrates after the victory, not before. Lesson learned, good job Wout. |
|
|
|
|
Cosmic Kid
Posts:4209
|
| 06/09/2022 09:45 AM |
|
| Aw crap....forgot I had paused the coverage for a few minutes. Welp, guess I can FF past the last 3.5km! 🤣🤣 |
|
| Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!
|
|
|
Dale
Posts:1767
|
| 06/09/2022 10:31 AM |
|
| Nah, watch the last K at least, it's pretty good. |
|
|
|
|
Cosmic Kid
Posts:4209
|
| 06/09/2022 01:04 PM |
|
| Yeah, that was a good finale! |
|
| Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!
|
|
|
Orange Crush
Posts:4499
|
| 06/09/2022 06:21 PM |
|
| I keep looking for this Libre ride but nothing shows. |
|
|
|
|
79pmooney
Posts:3180
|
| 06/10/2022 11:14 AM |
|
Wout Van Aert gets to keep his honorary British citizenship another day. Yellow and green jerseys. A true Limey.
Is it my imagination or are we seeing a lot of successful breaks this year? A touch more parity in the sprint teams so no one team willing to spent to much energy keeping them close? Powerful teams like Jumbo with both GC and sprint goals and less of the pure (and powerful) sprint teams with no goal except to get their Cipollini to the line.
And maybe (or am I dreaming) we are seeing drug-free(er) racing where smaller teams with low budgets for the "market" now have a chance against the big money machines; at least at getting the small potatoes of breakaway finishes.
Whatever. I like it. The old boring countdown of seconds lost per kilometer leading up to a catch with 1-2 km left; as reliable as the commuter train isn't happening very often. |
|
|
|
|
79pmooney
Posts:3180
|
| 06/11/2022 10:46 AM |
|
And from CN's live narrative:
"Carlos Verona celebrates on the podium.
He is the third breakaway to win a stage. What is happening in stage racing?
Are the GC teams not as strong and controlling as they once were."
Seems I'm not the only one. |
|
|
|
|
longslowdistance
Posts:2881
|
| 06/12/2022 06:46 PM |
|
| Roglic could have been road kill today. But it’s June, not July. This will be interesting. |
|
|
|
|