TDF 2024 general chat *CONTAINS SPOILERS*

My team are falling apart! Three out, Number 2 leader is off the back, Cav still in so Caes not getting the breaks…

At least my prediction came good. Cav took a massive deviation to follow Biniam’s wheel but no chance of coming round.

My favourite part of France too.

Total chaos, no lead out trains, everyone freelancing.

I was right with my prediction though. 🙂

Roglic seems to have so much bad luck. At a certain point do you have to ask if it’s really all bad luck, or also some bad judgement?

Girmay closing in on Cav’s record 🙂

Today was bad luck! rider on the opposite of the road raised divide, touched the kerb and fell across and under Roglic’s wheel. THAT is just plain bad luck. Yesterday was his own making.

Cav will be kicking himself after that one. Was in the perfect position on Biniam’s wheel until he decided it wasn’t. Did a good job getting there as well.

I think today just displays that run sprinters get that run of confidence.. brilliant display by Girmay

anagallis_arvensis

Roglic has had his crash now!

That aged well.

Cav took a massive deviation to follow Biniam’s wheel but no chance of coming round.

A move which earned him nothing more than a relegation from 5th. Unusual case of Cav getting completely the wrong side of the road and the wrong wheel – he ended up totally boxed in. He normally reads sprints better than that.

he used to. I thought Jasper did a good job considering he was in the wind for the whole of the sprint. But Biniam is faster.

Reckon Girmay has a Milan Sen Remo in him, or are the days of a sprinter taking it over?

EDIT I forgot that Philipsen won this year!

But Biniam is faster.

BG is the classic case of someone who needed that initial win to gain his confidence. So often in previous Tours he was there or thereabouts but rarely committing fully to the move.

Now he knows he can do it, he’s gained the respect of the peloton which allows him fractionally more elbow room and he and the team believe he can do it. So he does it.

Plus he sounds so lovely in his interviews, like he’s still in a dream state and can’t quite believe what he’s doing, like he’s afraid he’ll wake up at any moment. Bless him.

Roglic has had his crash now!

That aged well.

Come on, obviously he always has two…..

Millar was talking about BG sprints changing from him going too early to surfing the wheels a bit more this year which has brought him more chances of wins

Me earlier:

Roglič seems off the pace but not that far off that a small change in circumstance might push things more his way.

If anyone wants the lottery numbers for the weekend give me a shout. Regular nostradamus here.

Today’s stage into Pau, one of the most commonly visited towns in the Tour due to its location at the edge of the Pyrenees.

Sort of not quite flat stage today and given how little leeway any breakaway has been given over the last 2 weeks, probably another sprint one.

Much shorter than the previous few days as well.

Tour de France Stage 13 Preview

Closer look at today’s stage. As a former resident I enjoy the stges that start / end in Pau then I can relive my youth, all those years ago…

https://www.cyclingstage.com/tour-de-france-2024-route/stage-13-tdf-2024/

As a former resident I enjoy the stages that start / end in Pau then I can relive my youth, all those years ago…

Elf/Total ??  I enjoyed many a very filling meal at Le Berry while on expenses 🙂

Elf/Total ??  I enjoyed many a very filling meal at Le Berry while on expenses 🙂

No, Turbomeca out at Bordes, though we had friends at Elf and occasionally blagged a seat on their inter-site bus out to St Gaudens. Great staff canteen with pichets of wine (not that I am or was a wine drinker). The french do know how to look after staff culinary needs

Roglic out. Bad news.

Roglic out of Tour – https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/articles/clmy4l2e12ro

Wonder if they have decided it is better for him to refocus on Olympics now?

Roglic out. Bad news.

I said yesterday to a friend that I reckon he would be abandoning. Poor guy has no luck at the Tour. A 4th in 2018 and a 2nd in 2020 (the Covid year) but then DNF in 2021, 2022, didn’t ride in 2023 and DNF again in 2024.

But he can win the Vuelta and the Giro. Baffling. Hope he recovers well and can come good at the Olympics.

He does seem to be a bit of “crash magnet” like Geraint Thomas can be sometimes. Shame as i was really looking forward to the big-four tearing it out of each other in a four way battle this Tour

Yay half my team down and out. Poor Rog. Just plain bad luck.

Thats shit for Roglic and it explains why it looked like they were not going all out to get back on yesterday.

According to my internet powers, surprisingly given its nearly always in, Cav has not won in Pau. But he has in Nimes. Just saying.

Regarding “luck”, on the never strays far pod they were suggesting that Rog was not slowing while others around him were, just before the impact – the overhead supposedly showed it clearly

Roglic looked to be coming back to form, him and Vingago could have put more pressure on Pog

they were suggesting that Rog was not slowing while others around him were, just before the impact – the overhead supposedly showed it clearly

It did look like he was oblivious to it despite everyone else slowing and moving. He was having his crash before he got to Lutsenko, looked like he “panic braked” whilst trying a late swerve and pitched himself into an OTB, he was going over his bars far enough behind to land on Lutsenko and his bike.

Anyone watching today laugh at some of the radio comms snippets they play, especially the ones from Ineos and their DS ordering them about as if they had the same current status as UAE and Visma, they always seem to put in the effort at the front as if they had the GC, instead of expounding their efforts when it actually counts, maybe to win stages instead. They seem to still think they are top-tier, when their GC results say otherwise, i think to the detriment of allowing individuals like Pidcock to be supported for a few wins…

^^

ITV4 commentary team saying exactly the same thing with an undertone of “what are they playing at?”.

I’m on Eurosport, but interesting that they are saying similar, Ineos don’t seem to be able to let go of being the top GC team, they need to be honest with themselves and ask that is going to be better, coming 5-6th on GC or winning 1-2 stages, I know which i think is better and more interesting. Plus they have some great riders who have spent years being loyal domestiques like Kwiatoski (Sp?) who could be allowed to go and strike out and have some fun, plus as they down on GC they might be given some rope to play with and not chased down.

The race is averaging 50kph!

OK some of it has been tailwind but there’s a lot of talk of crosswinds and teams looking to split the bunch.

ECHELONS!!!

Bring the wind!

Hello – crosswind carnage, anyone ??

Messy sprint with a big crash. Leadout guy drifting back through the melee got clipped and went down, took out Cees Bol and others went down in a domino.

Everyone seemingly OK but Bol took a big hit.

Was hoping WvA was going to get that one, needs to some luck and i can’t warm to Philipsen

i can’t warm to Philipsen

…and so say all of us.

Is that it for Cav then, or are there any more sprint chances?

Stage 16 on Tuesday is described in road book as a flat stage, but one which is notorious area for crosswinds, but that is last chance. Final day is a Time Trial in Nice

https://www.cyclingweekly.com/racing/lotto-dstny-rider-fined-almost-pound1300-for-shoulder-barging-competitor-in-tour-de-france-sprint

That’s it for Cav. See who makes the time cut on Sunday and who is not infected! Biniam will retain green.

Tour de France Stage 14 Preview

A preview that hedges its bets around whether there’ll be a breakaway allowed to go to the line or if it’ll turn into another GC showdown.

Relatively short day at 153km but a lot of climbing, all backloaded; 4000m total and a summit finish at 1669m