TDF 2024 general ch...
 

TDF 2024 general chat *CONTAINS SPOILERS*

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if the only evidence that is needed that someone is doping is that they are winning stages then it’s going to make it a pretty frustrating sport to watch

The doping thing is irrelevant, it's already frustrating cos he's winning everything, even stages he doesn't "need" to win.

No-one else is getting a look in. The stage starts, there's a bit of riding, Pogacar wins.

YAWN.

 
Posted : 20/07/2024 8:09 pm
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Mister Big Balls

Did Remco steal your dinner money or something? Lots of bitterness on this thread.

 
Posted : 20/07/2024 8:49 pm
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I don't really get all this thing about him winning stages when he doesn't need to.  What's his job?  To win races, to win GTs and ride to the best of his ability. What do his team do all and every day?  Ride for him to win the stage.

What should he do... say thanks guys but I never fancied going for it today and soft pedal to the finish. Racing is racing.

As far as being on the juice.... no idea, entirely possible but I just don't know.  I sincerely hope not but I've followed road racing long enough to not be naive.   As a personality... I find him very engaging and likeable.  Just my two penneth.

 
Posted : 20/07/2024 8:58 pm
 zomg
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I don’t like any more than the next conscious human to see petrochemical oligarchs, warlords, or dictators buy credibility through sports washing. Pogacar is an undeniably brilliant cyclist though, and I’m happier to see him thrive in a financially broken sport this year than suffer its inequality. I would support stringent budget caps in professional cycling, and reducing grand tour teams to five or six riders so that talent gets spread around more and races harder to control. Races’ carbon footprints need a long hard look while we’re at it. The state of cycling isn’t the fault of its greatest rider though. It’s not Tadej’s fault he gets all the nutritional expertise, cutting edge sports science, altitude camps, and “hyperdomestiques” blood money can buy.

 
Posted : 20/07/2024 9:05 pm
 zomg
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I’ve very much enjoyed this year’s tour. Girmay’s success has been a particular highlight. Eclipsing Cav’s record-breaking win is quite something. Breakaways haven’t had a great edition, but when they have succeeded they’ve been some of the best, with vintage French wins in the early stages and brilliant escape artistry from Carapaz this week.

 
Posted : 20/07/2024 9:14 pm
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Highlights:
Cav's 35th win
Biniam Girmay
Carapaz getting KOM - glad that the points are adjusted so it's not just a byproduct of getting yellow.
The gravel stage

Lowlights:
The complete domination from Pogacar - it's much more fun when there's an actual competition.
A couple of the "sprint" stages which were basically rolling rest days.

 
Posted : 20/07/2024 9:20 pm
chrismac and chrismac reacted
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Oh and the atmosphere in Nice is brilliant. The cheers that Cav got at sign on - even the moored yachts were tooting their horns!

 
Posted : 20/07/2024 9:22 pm
 nbt
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I'm annoyed with vingegaard, more than pogacar. Tadej was never going to crack, or let Jonas beat him in as second sprint, so all Jonas did was tow Tadej up for the win and deny us the chance of a potential sprint between Mas and Carapaz. Astonishing lack of tactical awareness.

 
Posted : 20/07/2024 10:27 pm
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Astonishing lack of tactical awareness.

Looking at it another way, he knew he likely wasn’t putting several mins on Podg today, but wanted to defend the gap to Evenpeol and ensure 2nd.

 
Posted : 20/07/2024 10:44 pm
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I don’t really get all this thing about him winning stages when he doesn’t need to.  What’s his job?  To win races, to win GTs and ride to the best of his ability. What do his team do all and every day?  Ride for him to win the stage.

Agreed, He's a sportsman. They tend to want to win every time they go out. Why not?

Looking at it another way, he knew he likely wasn’t putting several mins on Podg today, but wanted to defend the gap to Evenpeol and ensure 2nd.

This. Less pressure on him in the final TT.

 
Posted : 20/07/2024 11:08 pm
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I enjoyed that. Shame that Carapaz couldn't hang on for another win. As above, cool that he got the KOM jersey.  I've not minded Pog dominance, yes it's getting a bit predictable, but this current generation are so much more interesting to watch that the Wiggins and Froome era.

I think that the disappointments for me is that WvA, MVdP and Pidcock didn't feature much. Obviously Pidcock came close on the gravel stage. The other two haven't really featured at all.

 
Posted : 20/07/2024 11:16 pm
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Astonishing lack of tactical awareness.

As Kryton says above - he had to defend 2nd place and extend his buffer on Remco in advance of tomorrow's TT which RE is widely expected to win.

If (unlikely if) he could put TP into difficulty (I must have heard that word from Sean Kelly too many times, apologies), that'd be an added bonus but I reckon everyone knew it was unlikely.

So it came to a situation where he couldn't stop riding cos RE would close the gap but he was never going to win the stage.

I think ultimately he's already conceded the win so he's trying to secure 2nd. But in doing that, he handed TP the win on a plate.

 
Posted : 20/07/2024 11:33 pm
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If anyone thinks this race is boring they obviously weren't watching for the Indurain years. That really was the epitome of dull.

 
Posted : 20/07/2024 11:42 pm
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Pog wins and the team, who have worked so hard for him, share the prize money. Vingegard did everything he could to secure second place after Soudal put in their best day to wrestle second from him. Thought the tactics from all was spot on. Delighted Carapaz has the polka dot. UAE could have chased down breakaways, and Pog could have taken that jersey too, at the risk of burning the team.

Pog to win the TT tomorrow. Remco had a hard day and the fatigue was showing in this stage.

 
Posted : 21/07/2024 12:30 am
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I think that the disappointments for me is that WvA, MVdP and Pidcock didn’t feature much. Obviously Pidcock came close on the gravel stage. The other two haven’t really featured at all.

Yeah, other than the gravel there were many days suited to them. All three were not on Stella form for various reasons either. Pidcock got sick, Wout injured and MVdP only appears to do le tour as the sponsors and team insist, it's just training for him.

 
Posted : 21/07/2024 7:49 am
 DrJ
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All three were not on Stella form

It’s FDJ on the beer, n’est-ce pas?

 
Posted : 21/07/2024 8:03 am
 nbt
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he had to defend 2nd place and extend his buffer on Remco in advance of tomorrow’s TT which RE is widely expected to win.

While I accept that remco is more likely to win the tt than Jonas (although after yesterday, that’s perhaps slightly less likely), I can’t see him putting TWO MINUTES into it, 2nd place was never in that much doubt

 
Posted : 21/07/2024 10:18 am
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I’d add Bardet winning stage 1 and finally getting a yellow jersey to those hi-lights - that one made me smile

As for Pog, he did everything he could not to get himself in the position where he had to contest the stage win yesterday but Vingo wanted to prove he was a worthy 2nd not just hanging on and Pogs win was a byproduct of that.

Quite looking forward to the TT today - normally they bore me but a few people have something to prove today plus there will be plenty of Cav tears at the end. Remember when Cav and Pog shook hands after his 35th win, Cav said don’t beat me! I reckon it will be a close run thing..he does need another 20 but at this rate it could be 4 more tours!

 
Posted : 21/07/2024 11:54 am
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Just heading onto Nice now for the TT.

There was a fantastic fireworks and drone show on the promenade last night, Nice has really put the red carpet out for the Tour. All seems really efficient and there's a good atmosphere.

 
Posted : 21/07/2024 12:00 pm
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Looking forward to the TT. I like the tech and the positions. Thought MvDP put in some decent shifts on the front for the team, but Wout has been absent, likely due to injury, loss of condition, and possible illness. I’d also second Bardet in yellow as a hilight. And Cav making the time cuts to finish. Showing his respect for the race. If you’d like to show your respects and are free, he’s going to be at LHR T5 at 1 PM Tuesday. Mrs TiRed is already excited!

Been reading up on CO hypoxia induction of erythropoiesis. Some contrasting research, but this is the most recent. The athletes were not elite. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32118696/ . Some effects of up to 5%, although earlier studies were negative https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27410770/

 
Posted : 21/07/2024 12:11 pm
AD and AD reacted
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Expect an upper threshold on COHb levels next season, 3% looks a decent level to separate gaseous exogenous CO doping.

 
Posted : 21/07/2024 12:30 pm
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I know that there was a lot of love for Campenaerts when he won, if you haven't seen his 'hold the wheel dickhead' story, then it's well worth a watch. It's on his Instagram.

 
Posted : 21/07/2024 2:49 pm
J-R and J-R reacted
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Cavendish is 63 seconds ahead of Ballerini for the lantern rouge. If he is caught in the TT, the “win” could be on.

These two are first and second off in the TT and there’s a decent gap of NINE minutes to third from bottom. Game of nerves for a “slow race” for that Lantern. I wonder if Ballerini is under team orders ?

 
Posted : 21/07/2024 3:25 pm
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Ballerini in already. Cav well back and giving high fives to the crowds!

 
Posted : 21/07/2024 3:35 pm
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Well it's very dusty here now.

Edit - I would absolutely love to see V. Campenaerts win this ITT, but this could be asking for the moon on a stick.

 
Posted : 21/07/2024 3:38 pm
 nbt
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It's interesting to see that not everyone is riding a tt bike. Kind of makes sense as the tt is essentially climbing and descending so a regular road bike might be a better choice. I wonder what Carapaz will choose?

I see also that Carapaz was voted winner of the super-combativité award, well deserved, he's never stopped battling to get the stage win

 
Posted : 21/07/2024 3:44 pm
butcher and butcher reacted
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https://twitter.com/LeTour/status/1815016549821870133

(Hmmm - not embedding. Is the TDF channel: "Some people had messages for the legend
@MarkCavendish. We showed them to him, and he wanted to send you a message too. Worth the watch")

 
Posted : 21/07/2024 4:45 pm
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C'mon Remco!

Not because I don't want Pog to win, it's just that I don't want him to win all the time.

 
Posted : 21/07/2024 6:50 pm
sboardman and sboardman reacted
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Not entirely sure what Gall, three minutes down, with the world's slowest ever bike change was hoping for swapping from road to TT bike at the top of the climb?

 
Posted : 21/07/2024 6:59 pm
padkinson and padkinson reacted
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I wonder what Carapaz will choose?

Regular bike. He got huge cheers!!

 
Posted : 21/07/2024 7:09 pm
nbt and nbt reacted
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Pog's smashing it.

 
Posted : 21/07/2024 7:15 pm
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Where are you watching @crazy-legs?

 
Posted : 21/07/2024 7:19 pm
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Flicking from Tour to Open to TM vs WI, is the presentations at a set time tonight or just 'immediately after the stage'?

 
Posted : 21/07/2024 7:24 pm
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Crazy to think that if it wasn't for Jonas, Pogacar would have won 5 Tours de France already at the age of 25.

 
Posted : 21/07/2024 7:44 pm
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Well done Remco, could see Vingegard visibly slowing at the end and I expected he’d lose time on the descent and flat. Pog was in a different class in the whole race and today was no different. And o. His local roads.

 
Posted : 21/07/2024 7:44 pm
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Cav... Dusty at Chez Fazzini

 
Posted : 21/07/2024 7:58 pm
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I thought that Abrahamsen would've been a good combativity winner. Quieter in week 3 I suppose.

 
Posted : 21/07/2024 8:03 pm
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Where are you watching @crazy-legs?

Was along the promenade. Got a flypast from the French aerobatic team at the end, amazing atmosphere.

Big crowds of Danes going mad for Vingegaard. Also a group of Eritreans who'd been partying all morning but then left once Girmay had gone through!

 
Posted : 21/07/2024 8:58 pm
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Pog's just gone full-Palpatine in this last week. Mask-off, cackling maniacally and firing lightning bolts out of his cock.

 
Posted : 21/07/2024 10:57 pm
hightensionline, timidwheeler, butcher and 7 people reacted
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Congratulations to Dick Brown - CWCC who came top in the STW velogames.

 
Posted : 21/07/2024 11:22 pm
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Good show for the young local lad Oscar Onley in his first tour. Got a fifth place in stage 17ish, beat Gerraint in the ITT today and put in a good job of work for his team. Hopefully a promising future ahead.

 
Posted : 21/07/2024 11:39 pm
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Went to welcome Cav home. Nice to meet his family, including his brother.
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Posted : 23/07/2024 8:07 pm
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And with that, we can conclude that the image uploading is broken on iOS. ?

 
Posted : 23/07/2024 8:10 pm
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Image uploading is still broken on all platforms. Linking using the embed code from Postimage works

 
Posted : 23/07/2024 8:23 pm
TiRed and TiRed reacted
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https://postimg.cc/3k2Fz35c

 
Posted : 23/07/2024 8:41 pm
RichBowman, nbt, nbt and 1 people reacted
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[url= https://i.postimg.cc/T34NLPkf/IMG-4816.jp g" target="_blank">https://i.postimg.cc/T34NLPkf/IMG-4816.jp g"/> [/img][/url]

On the Postimage page, hit Share and copy the 'Hotlink for forums' code, paste it in here

 
Posted : 23/07/2024 10:34 pm
hightensionline, fazzini, Bunnyhop and 5 people reacted
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Mrs. TiRed looks as excited as I would be in her shoes.

Sir Cav you are a star.

 
Posted : 23/07/2024 10:45 pm
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I definitely have a man crush on Sir Mark.

 
Posted : 23/07/2024 10:57 pm
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Oh she’s absolutely buzzing! We met him in 2012 in Chartres when Sir Brad had secured the yellow jersey. He signed the kids Olympic jerseys. He’s absolutely authentic, especially during those post race interviews. And that’s why we love him.

He also signed my book - won the lantern my a minute. I still recall his disappointment at not making the cut on the mountain and everyone waiting for him. Class.

[url= https://i.postimg.cc/MTfgDmrK/IMG-4794.jp g" target="_blank">https://i.postimg.cc/MTfgDmrK/IMG-4794.jp g"/> [/img][/url]

hooray!

 
Posted : 23/07/2024 11:09 pm
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