TDF 2024 general chat *CONTAINS SPOILERS*

UAE-TeamEmirates

https://twitter.com/TeamEmiratesUAE/status/1804071097240875356

Intending to watch it on Discovery plus but the video quality on streams has been quite poor in my opinion, am i missing a way to improve this, any settings somewhere i'm missing?

https://twitter.com/GreenEDGEteam/status/1803686444227035563

Intending to watch it on Discovery plus but the video quality on streams has been quite poor in my opinion, am i missing a way to improve this, any settings somewhere i’m missing?

I usually watch on ITV4 and try to filter out the constant adverts for funeral care and equity release out of my consciousness.

Bardet has extend his contract another year

https://twitter.com/dsmfirmpostnl/status/1804139806198210848

https://twitter.com/IsraelPremTech/status/1804061513906270605

No Froome.

2 brits and Gee (not G) in for IPT with Jake Stewart and Stevie Williams flying the flag
https://twitter.com/IsraelPremTech/status/1804061513906270605

Inrng guide to the tour : https://inrng.com/tour/

Stage by stage guide: https://inrng.com/2024/06/tour-de-france-2024-stage-profiles/

Remco has a cold.

https://twitter.com/soudalquickstep/status/1804163829795803489

Ah, excellent work @Klunk , I was thinking about a TdF thread earlier!

Yep, National Road Championships this weekend (almost all nations) so always interesting to see who'll be sporting a new stripy jersey a few days later at the Tour.

By the way, I won't be doing a daily TdF stage thread this year - partly because the final week I'll be on holiday in Nice for the finish. 🙂
If anyone else wants to take on the tradition started by @lunge , they're welcome. Otherwise I'm sure each stage could just get added to this thread. 🤷🏻‍♂️

Still a few teams left to announce their Tour squads. I see a few new bikes breaking cover too, Ineos have an upgraded Pinarello.

Looking forward to it!

#SirCav2win36

Not surprised that froome isn't there. No disrespect but that crash was always going to be the point that he stopped being a contender, did anyone believe IsraelPT bosses when they were talking up his chances

Getting a little bit excited.

I prefer ITV4 but they don’t have HD, which means watching on a smallish telly or on chrome book.

How hard are UAE going to hit stage 1 ? They are going to test out Jonas early doors surely to check his fitness and nerve as well as some tit for tat for visma making it hard for Pog's wrist last year.

So looking at that DSM tweet I presume Bardet will be racing on the gravel circuit next season in DSM colours.

No disrespect but that crash was always going to be the point that he stopped being a contender

Well Egan Bernal had a similar crash a season or two later and he’s very much on the verge, he wasn’t quite at the top level in the Tour De Suisse, but then Adam Yates and Joao Almeida were quite some way ahead of everybody, and they’re only going to the TdF to support Tadej 😳😳

I reckon UAE podium 1st and 2nd, and to be honest, they have a chance on 3rd

It will be incredible if Ving is competitive. Incredible. Let's see what they can do. Kuss? Looked boring. WvA? Errr.

Roglic will fall off.

Remco might win the first TT.

Ineos better to go for stages or else decide who the leader is and act on it. They are turning into Movistar.

quick guide to the main contenders underdogs

https://www.cyclist.co.uk/in-depth/tour-de-france-2024-underdogs

Pretty glad Visma have changed their kit so we don’t get it confused with any other jerseys.

Going to be parked up near the first col, or rather passo because we'll be in Italy, on the first day.

Got two spray cans.

Anything you want scrawled on the road?

Edit. Other than a massive 🐓/ 🍆 & ⚽⚾🏐

Obviously.

No Froome.

Funny how his performance fell off a cliff in comparison to Thomas.

Very odd....

Can't wait - usually prefer the Giro to the Tour but after a somewhat underwhelming Giro this year things are spicing up for the tour.

I think that Roglic and Remco will fade away quite early but that Remco will go for stages like he did in the vuelta, and that Roglic will abandon to focus on the Vuelta.

Jonas to fade and ride as a domestique for a surprisingly good Jorgensen.

Pogacar to win with Yates second.

Re ITV4 - we have Freesat and it is in HD. It's also HD online on ITVX. I'm torn as I enjoy Rob Hatch immensely but can't stand Carlton Kirkby so 50/50 over watching uninterrupted on Discovery plus. I like Ned Boulting but find the middle of the day chats on ITV and the constant funeral adverts really annoying.

For highlights, Gary Imlach's dry sense of humour wins every time. I'll often watch hem even if I've watched the whole stage live just for his comments.

Oh, and Cav to win the first sprint stage in France (second sprint overall, first is in Italy). Pidcock to win the first stage would be a possibility but unlikely

Pidders is racing XC in Crans Montana this weekend, not sure he’ll be at the tour

The guys that do the Never Strays Far podcast..... Who do they do the commentary for?

They commentate for ITV4.

As good as the comms often are on Eurosport, a bit of Ned & Dave is a lovely treat for July.

No Froome.

Funny how his performance fell off a cliff in comparison to Thomas.

Very odd….

Froome hit a wall at 55kph and was smashed to pieces.  He was lucky to walk again, so no real surprise his performance fell off a cliff.

Pidders is racing XC in Crans Montana this weekend, not sure he’ll be at the tour

He's been talking himself up for it, it's apparently long been on his radar.

Anything you want scrawled on the road?

NTR (it's for North Tyneside Riders) 😁

PSA: ITVX sub for a year is currently £19.99 down from £59.99, just in time for the Tour 😃

Very surprised Vingagoagoago is starting. Pog will want to attack him early and hard me thinks but if Vingago can follow do they keep up that tactic off the back of the Giro? If Pog gets a lead early it will become a race to see who else can get on the podium.

Pidders/Mr Pidcock said on the Cycling Podcast he's going to ride for stages.

Pog to win, Cav not to win a stage. Another UAE on the podium, and then either Rog or Jorgenson.

Would be nice to see Bernal win a stage, but he'd have to be down on GC to do that. From a group of GC riders he's never going to get away.

Heat could be an issue - who does well in that?

visma with matching bikes

https://twitter.com/Domestique___/status/1804041124513816766

They're coming through our village on the 11th July, looking forward to that, but if the weather doesn't pick up drowning will be more of an issue than heat as it seems to have rained every day since October.

Pidcock said on the Cycling Podcast he’s going to ride for stages

Is surely the sensible thing, but what's the betting they revert to the same, now flaccid, ineos attack train, only for UAE to say 'cheers guys' and drop everyone.

Huge amounts of rain, Iseran and Lautaret currently closed due to landslides and Galibier also ropy (apologies if I’ve mixed some up) so with two weeks to go, route may yet change

edit: galibier covered in snow , lautaret in mud by should be clear by then. Iseran not used in this race I think, should have opened to traffic today but closed to traffic still due to huge mudslide yesterday, just shows the amount of rain in the alps

https://twitter.com/ammattipyoraily/status/1802944940722290885?s=46&t=yRQNMEdCGRiV6tO7y1r0Mw

https://twitter.com/ammattipyoraily/status/1804229402944823436?s=46&t=yRQNMEdCGRiV6tO7y1r0Mw

brexit jims mob new steed

https://twitter.com/Domestique___/status/1803863002199806047

brexit jims mob new steed

Yep, looks like every other Pinarello, is called the Dogma like every other Pinarello.

Another busy day in the design and naming departments...

If Ineos can get Pidders to the front on the last descents of any mountainous stage (this didn’t happen sadly in the Tour du Suisse), then he can def win a stage or two.

If Ineos can get Pidders to the front on the last descents of any mountainous stage

Sure, but what goes down must have earlier gone up, and the Brexit Bombardiers don't have remotely the strength needed to do that when faced with UAE and Jumbo.

Pog to win, Cav not to win a stage. Another UAE on the podium, and then either Rog or Jorgenson.

Good call for the podium I reckon, with Pog to win at a canter.  But Cav to win a stage!

How hard are UAE going to hit stage 1 ?

Very very hard IMO. In case Vin has hopes of riding into the Tour, smash him early.

Funny how his performance fell off a cliff in comparison to Thomas.

Not sure what you're referring to.

Very odd….

life changing crash and injuries. G falls off a lot but never in the way Froome did.  How did Bernal get on after his crash? It has taken years to get back to form.

UAE will want to prevent Ving riding into form. At least two on the podium and I don’t think Sir Cav will make it. I’d love him to do so.

I don’t think Sir Cav will make it. I’d love him to do so.

I think even most of the peloton would delighted to see it.

https://road.cc/content/feature/mark-cavendishs-top-10-tour-de-france-stage-wins-302301

A partial roster from Ineos confirming Tom P.

https://cyclinguptodate.com/cycling/ineos-grenadiers-tour-de-france-lineup-with-up-to-four-leaders-close-to-taking-its-final-shape

Final couple of names TBC but they've got Geraint Thomas and Tom Pidcock.

Reckon Tarling will get a start for Ineos, he's on fire this year and only improving.

Yes I would think Sterling would be a good bet for the first TT but the second is too mountainous / the GC players will go all out

Just watched Pidcock in the MTB short track, ****ing hell it was like watching a grown up race toddlers.

The TdF Roadbook app is available to download, but it wants a login and password. I don’t remember having to do this before - any ideas?

https://www.reddit.com/r/tourdefrance/comments/1dfc792/electronic_tdf_roadbook_2024_released/?rdt=55102

Thread on Reddit gives guest as login and roadbook2024 as password

Cheers Timbo, that worked 👍