Ineos showing again they take a logical approach to selection. Thomas and Froome clearly off the pace. It suddenly looks a strong team, compared to what they could have gone in with.
As for who to support - how may of the Yates quads are riding? And if it's only one, what name will they use?
Well well.. that's both a shock and a disappointment.
Very much the changing of the (Grenadier) guard(s).
At least we have Caven.... oh...
Sam Bennet...
As said above, it suddenly looks like a stronger team without Thomas and Froome.
Bernal was close at The Dauphine, Castro looked strong as did Sivikov.
Only question is that you've got 2 of the main road captains in the same team (Van Baarle and Rowe), you wonder who'll be in charge at the Giro/Vuelta.
As for who to support – how may of the Yates quads are riding?
Forgot about them!! What is a Mitchleton?
I’ve got a Mitchleton but I don’t use it very often.
I’ve got a Mitchleton but I don’t use it very often.
You need an Orica and a Green Edge to make the best use of it!
@anagallis_arvensis , if you are choosing based on the sponsor, then EF Education First is pretty credible. Plus it matches your profession.
I’ve got a Mitchleton but I don’t use it very often.
You probably bought the wrong size.
Plus it matches your profession.
I hate teachers, bunch on whiny, leftist moaners 😉
Who rides for them Uran?
AG2R La Mondiale is Insurance.
Michleton-Scott: Michleton is Wine.
For GC,long list would include Uran, Daniel Martínez (won the Dolphiny), Sergio Higuita.
Hugh Carthy may ride for them too if you want a Brit to follow.
EF Education First is pretty credible
Dani Martinez looking racy.
Michleton is Wine.
We have a winner!!
A large glass of Mitchleton please
EF Education First
Plus EF Education First have a great YouTube channel, shame Lachlan Morton doesn't seem to race TDF?
I would have happily supported JV for Wout Van Aert, but now that he's a proven winner rather than an heroic third placer it just seems too obvious a choice.
Team EF it is I think, better get a knock off team kit since I can't afford the official Rapha stuff! 😁
can't see froome leading odious into the Vuelta, it'll be Bernal as head boy.
Interesting to see/hear the different reactions by Thomas and Froome.
Froome seems happy enough that his levels aren't there and he's not going.
Thomas seems gutted on a vid he's just posted on Twitter.
What are Froome and G even going ride to get match fit for a grand tour ? it's pretty thin on the ground in terms of stage racing.... Tirreno-Adriatico i guess some big one dayers before the vuelta Amstel & flanders
Not sure I can go with Astana and all the baggage they have.
It's OK, they are Swiss now.
I know he's with Trek but I'm going for Richie Porte 🙂
I like Carapaz though, came across quite well in the Movistar series that's on Netflix.
I know he’s with Trek but I’m going for Richie Porte 🙂
well, if he can actually finish that's the first step... Poor bloke doesn't have much luck!
Yeah, Richie Porte would be a deserved winner except he seems cursed in terms of luck at the Tour.
I think good move by Ineos to drop the two previous winners as they're not quite on form and to load up with a couple of more pure climbers.
This year's route has loads of early mountains so I wouldn't be surprised to see carapaz or simakov sent off early to force others to chase..
That said I don't think either Bernal or Roglic will win
I don't really care as long as we get a race, something like the giro with Big tom trying not to lose too much time to Niro so he can "snatch it" with the last days time trial. Can see the same with Roglic hanging on up Cote de loze and winning on the penultimate days ITT upto La Planche Belles Filles. Actually thinking about it that TT is very much like the 2017 Bergen world champs TT course where Tom Dumoulin mullered the opposition (nearly a minute on second placed Roglic) and very nearly chased down Froome on the course. (plus or minus 400 m 😀 )
Good old Tour for it's Soap like drama.
Ritchie Porte does seem to be unlucky, that crash he had 2017 was pretty horrific.
can’t see froome leading odious into the Vuelta, it’ll be Bernal as head boy.
I can't see any leaders doing two tours this year given the compressed calendar.
I don’t really care as long as we get a race,
Pretty much my default stance. I just enjoy watching a good race.
I don’t really care as long as we get a race,
+1
Also some cool stuff happening like a random domestique winning a big stage almost by mistake.
Interesting to see how it plays out for Jumbo. Dauphine was possibly an eye opener for the other teams but it was a complete climber-fest for all the stages. Might need a different mix if they are to cover the sprint stages too as they'll have plenty of strong teams hammering away for the stage result rather than pootling aloong waiting for the final climbs. Easy to get on the wrong end of a cheeky gap forming late on.
Plus three week tour is a whole different beast to the shorter one last week (ask a certain Mr Yates about 2/3 of the Giro a while ago....)
Inneos possibly still slight favourites, though more from experience than particular form. Roglic pulling out of the final stage must be a bit worrying - probably just a bit sore/stiff after that crash so there was either something more to it, or he's full on Le Tour this year as you don't pass up being the winner of the Dauphine too readily I'd say.
The only thing I wish for in this race is Ned Boulting getting his head out of Valverde and Quintanas collective arses this year.
Excuse my ignorance, how many Brits are racing now?
Big loss for FSJ* Roglic, that.
*Former ski jumper. What? Didn't you know?
*Former ski jumper. What? Didn’t you know?
In much the same way that Phil Liggett used to bang on and on and on about former MTBers.
I actually really like the Boulting / Miller commentary duo, they've got a really good working rapport, some good info and out of all the TdF commentary I've grown up with, far and away the best.
Liggett got appalling towards the end, a stream of meaningless cliches. Hugh Porter was very similar in domestic racing commentary.
Boulting and Miller are fine, but for me, the sound of the Tour is Kirby and Kelly or Rob Hatch. I know they wind others up but I think, particularly on boring stages, there is no-one better.
[Kelly]Maa-kin' de cal-coo-laaation[/Kelly]
Yeah, they're more of an acquired taste but I can watch it quite happily on EuroSport or ITV4.
It got to the point in Tour Series / Tour of Britain where I actually couldn't listen to Hugh Porter.
"He's such a strong rider!"
- wow, really? An Elite rider in a UCI team doing a tough stage race is "a strong rider"? Gosh, thanks for the clarification there Hugh.
"And looks at the SPEED!"
- Yes Hugh, I can see the speed, it's the final 10km of a bicycle race. Perhaps you could tell me who the riders are, the teams they're in, who they're working for, the tactics being used...? No?
I mean, I'm not saying I could do any better but when their entire 4hr commentary of a stage consists of the same 10 stock phrases, it's an open goal for criticism.
if i had a choice of commentary, i'd take Dutch (or Russian) even though I don't understand a word of it.
Boulting and Millar every time for me - the juxtaposition of some random Boulting stream of conciousness about a historical rider/chateau/road sign/long gone team and Millar interupting with some useful bit of tactical info about whats happening right now, all wrapped up by a few acerbic comments from Imlach at the end.
Imlach is a star.
Carlton Kirby is OKish but I get a bit miffed by some of his stock comments and attempts at wit. I quite like Rob Hatch, King Kelly and Brian Smith. Boulting/Millar are still the best for me. i've enjoy some of the drop in guests ITV have had too - Pete Kennaugh and Adam Blythe's shirts.
Kruijswijk might not be too much of a loss for Jumbo. They’ve replaced him with Amund Grøndahl Jansen who’s a big heavy Rouleur. That takes some of the pressure off Tony Martin and frees up WVA to do, well, just about anything it seems.
Will miss Stevies big ol shoilders though
Re the commentary. I agree about Boulting & Millar. The latter's insights are usually spot on. Kirby and Hatch are good too but Kelly's monotone mispronunciation gets very annoying. There's only so many times I can put up with "Primoz Rojlick".
Boulting/Millar for me too. There seems to a genuine chemistry there to get through the boring bits, and Millar (whatever you think about him) has a real talent for reading a race and also then being able to articulate it in a relatable way.
All without a single "suitcase of courage" being mentioned!
Carlton Kirby is OKish but I get a bit miffed by some of his stock comments and attempts at wit.
what like this pearler from last week
You know what happens to cucumbers when you put them in the microwave. They blow up.
Kelly’s monotone mispronunciation
Fugel-sang...
