Yeah but then we also have the spanish/french/italian pronunciation of EVERYTHING !!
There was a Japanese guy in the bunch the other day who actuallly sounded Italian by the end of it !!!
Boulting & millar are the best pair for me, but rob hatch comes in a close second.
Once you’ve tuned into Sean kelly he’s pretty good and I’m a big fan of his pronunciation. He calls Caleb Ewan ‘Cal Balloon’.
I'm starting to feel we may not be getting a TdF this year - at least not one that completes the course. Lots of good questions being asked here.
https://cyclingtips.com/2020/08/the-tour-de-france-starts-next-week-but-should-it/
The tour will end for "safety" reasons the very day a French rider gets into yellow.
Covid does change the dynamic a bit, you prob want to take yellow early and try to hold it rather than wait till later in case it gets cancelled and you don't get your chance.
it does seem to be heading that way given rate of increase of cases across europe.
Not looking too promising.. I hope we get to see them race up the Col de la Loze as it sounds crazy, but as thats stage 17 it may be dubious.
Kelly’s monotone mispronunciation gets very annoying.
Ah but you can't deny Kelly is very performant.
https://inrng.com/2020/08/tour-de-france-2020-guide/
The always excellent Inrng blog has just gone live, this is a sort of overview of the route, what to expect and so on. Worth bookmarking for the duration as they do a review of each day and s look forward / prediction for the following day.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/53867606
BBC about Cav being left out of the Bahrain-Merida Tour squad.
No surprise about Cav, he’s been off pace for a good few years and is known as a bad trainer, he loves to race so I can’t imagine he’d have come off lockdown ripped.
I think this year's tour will be quite relaxing for me to watch. I don't really care who wins now that Froome and Thomas aren't riding (no argument with that decisions btw) and it will be interesting to see who comes into it now fit and well.
Breaking news...Adam Yates to Ineos.
BBC about Cav being left out of the Bahrain-Merida Tour squad.
Not surprised that Cavendish isn't there. It's a shame he's not up to it, but he clearly hasn't got the form.
I am surprised that BM are going all-in for Landa on GC. By which I mean I'm always surprised that Landa wants to go for GC - I don't think he's ever seemed happy in a GC race and he would clearly make an EXCELLENT stage hunter/one day racer.
I'm trying not to think too much about if the tour will finish or go ahead. I've been enjoying watching the bike races so much this past month.
I was just thinking about the everlasting Giro trophy and wondered about an everlasting bike race. It could have "rest periods" at times of high pandemic activity then restart afterwards, have intermediate prizes along the way but never really end.
Breaking news…Adam Yates to Ineos.
interesting one, he's a team leader @ ms will he be @ odious ?
Now this will be funny, teams have spent years being able yo get riders to avoid testing positive for other stuff I'm sure this wont be a problem!!
🤣
https://www.cyclingnews.com/features/tour-de-france-2020-the-contenders/
Looks about right to me, although I still think Martin or Lopez could spring a surprise.
although I still think Martin or Lopez could spring a surprise.
Now that would be a surprise.
It won't be a rider who tests positive, it will be a mechanic, chef or someone else in the team out in contact with the great unwashed. Can't see past Roglic myself. And although Millar was a miserable sod when I asked him to come out of the bus to sign my two sons' 2012 Olympic cycling jerseys in Chartres (can't think why 😉 ), I really enjoy his insightful commentary.
I think Roglic peaked too soon and will not have it for the whole 3 weeks.
My prediction is if it goes to the end then Pinot will soldier it out and win by a whisker
No way it will go to the end though, so it could be any of the above, or someone else, it is wide open really
Saw on one of the cycling news sites that Roglic starting is still in dobut after his injury.. fingers crossed he does
Week 1 jumbo smash fest
WvA in yellow Stage 1,
Stage 2 has 2 Cat 1 climbs, although early on, i expect the Jumbo Train to blow the peloton to bits here,
Stage 3 controlled
Stage 4, time to be taken up the final climb maybe
Stage 8 - Nairo
Stage 15 - Bernal
Stage 17 - Bernal into yellow
Stage 20 TT up the Beautiful Girls, anything could happen, lets go Dumoulin, Roglic, Pinot, Bernal in that order
who wins? no idea, time bonus could win it
Inrng have published their preview too, interesting readin https://inrng.com/2020/08/tour-de-france-2020-guide/
I would say I can hardly wait for stage 17, it looks AWESOME, but I do wonder if it will get that far...
Inrng have published their preview too, interesting reading
I would say I can hardly wait for stage 17, it looks AWESOME, but I do wonder if it will get that far…
Double KOM points for stage 17/col de la Loze finish.
BOOM!
https://www.velogames.com/great-big-bike-game/2020/
Velogames is back! I'll be starting the usual STW fantasy league later on tonight. CANNOT WAIT!
Usual rules – pick a team you fancy, enter the mini leage and let’s see how badly we all do
League Name: STW FANTASY BBG TDF 2020
League Code: 254579024
https://www.velogames.com/great-big-bike-game/2020/leaguescores.php?league=254579024
Tour de France in doubt after Covid red alert issued before Grand Départ in Nice
Jeremy Whittle
The 2020 Tour de France, scheduled to start in Nice on Saturday, is edging closer to collapse after the Alpes-Maritimes region, site of the opening stages of the race, was placed on red alert owing to the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The tensions surrounding the race ramped up further still on Thursday evening after the Lotto-Soudal team announced that two of their team’s support staff has tested “non-negative” for Covid-19 and had been sent home from Nice. “Safety remains priority number one,” the statement read.
“Only world wars have stopped the Tour de France,” the Tour director, Christian Prudhomme, said in March this year, but the rapidly growing concerns over the wisdom of going forward with this year’s race led to a cross-examination of the prime minister, Jean Castex, by journalists on Thursday.
“We have taken numerous precautions and health protocols and I’d remind you that this is an open-air event,” Castex said. “The places where the virus spreads and there is transmission have no organisation. The Tour has an organiser.”
Confirming that Nice was one of 19 new regions to be placed under red alert, Castex stated that “the pandemic is regaining ground and now’s the time to intervene”, adding: “France must do everything to prevent a new lockdown.”
But the French education minister, Jean-Michel Blanquer, echoed Prudhomme in saying the Tour should go ahead. “It is a sign that we can continue to live, and of the resilience of our society,” he said.
For once I don't know what to say.
Le Tour is the sporting highlight of the year on our family.
May I suggest a Tdf sweepstake with a difference? Closest to the actual result wins the grudging admiration of the rest of us, at least for a few minutes.
How many days will the Tour last this year?
I get to go first: 9 days.
By then a at least three teams will have dropped out for Covid reasons and everyone else will be getting very antsy. Anybody know if it's like artists at gigs, they have to stay on stage so long to get paid? Do ASO have to run it for so long to get all the telly money??
I should add I hope I'm wrong and it gets to run it's full course in a safe manner.
If Lotto have two positives, doesn’t the whole team have to leave?
I’m not sure it’ll make it past the first week.
I mean, sure, the completion of the tour is uncertain at best. On the other hand
https://twitter.com/itvcycling/status/1299384274567786499?s=21
If Lotto have two positives, doesn’t the whole team have to leave?
They've had 2 "non-negatives" haven't they?
I’m still nostalgic for the old C4 version!
Where can I watch it this year?
ITV 4
I get to go first: 9 days.
Nice. I’ll say 12 days and Buchmann for the win.
Cycling Weekly - Teams start list
My prediction; it won’t continue after the second rest day. (For what ever reason!).
Looks like they've reversed the rules again....
