Cycling thread

Rita_Poon · July 4, 2023

Come on Cavendish...

Rita_Poon · July 4, 2023

Damn.

davids · July 4, 2023

Rita_Poon said:
Damn.

The lead out he picked didn't lead out.

Bruce Wayne · July 4, 2023

You feel he'll need everything to go his way to get that stage.

Black Belt Jones · July 4, 2023

vdP with the detonate approach to sprint lead-outs - seems to be working for Philipsen thus far.
WvA didn't seem that interested today - miles out of position in the last 5k. I realise it was frantic in the motor circuit corners but hard to imagine that happening if he really wanted to contest things.

Cav showing well but clearly isn't going to be winning any head to head tests of speed - he's on the premises though, so not impossible to think he can capitalise on some mistakes.

jazzy · July 4, 2023

Why the hell do they have sprint stages in the Tours. 5 hours of boredom , then a sprint when someone falls/ get knocked off the bike , its boring. Stick to the track sprinters

Bruce Wayne · July 4, 2023

jazzy said:
Why the hell do they have sprint stages in the Tours. 5 hours of boredom , then a sprint when someone falls/ get knocked off the bike , its boring. Stick to the track sprinters

Firstly because there are different kinds of racers so races reflect that. Secondly, there is a logistical need to get around France and they can't hammer it up hills every single day. Lastly, these flat stages do sap the energy, even if they don't produce time gaps.

jazzy · July 4, 2023

Bruce Wayne said:
Firstly because there are different kinds of racers so races reflect that. Secondly, there is a logistical need to get around France and they can't hammer it up hills every single day. Lastly, these flat stages do sap the energy, even if they don't produce time gaps.

Hope you enjoyed the whole race and not just the last 100 metres

spectateur · July 5, 2023

jazzy said:
Hope you enjoyed the whole race and not just the last 100 metres

Surely you mean the last 10km.
Teams grouping up in the bunch, lead outs bring organised.,the attempts at a lone break.
There's a lot to look for If you know the sport.

spectateur · July 5, 2023

Bruce Wayne said:
Firstly because there are different kinds of racers so races reflect that. Secondly, there is a logistical need to get around France and they can't hammer it up hills every single day. Lastly, these flat stages do sap the energy, even if they don't produce time gaps.

Must add that it's not unusual for time gaps to appear in flat stages.
I'm thinking of those windy ones where the beautiful echelons form and where we've seen GC favourites lose the race.

Bruce Wayne · July 5, 2023

spectateur said:
Must add that it's not unusual for time gaps to appear in flat stages.
I'm thinking of those windy ones where the beautiful echelons form and where we've seen GC favourites lose the race.

Milan SanRemo is a good example, as ostensibly not much happens until the Poggio, but the 250km or so leading up to that point plays a crucial role in what happens on the Poggio.

Rita_Poon · July 5, 2023

spectateur said:
Must add that it's not unusual for time gaps to appear in flat stages.
I'm thinking of those windy ones where the beautiful echelons form and where we've seen GC favourites lose the race.

belting when they chime through the valleys...

Hackbread · July 5, 2023

That was a fun stage today! Brilliant ride today by a select few.

Black Belt Jones · July 5, 2023

Great stage - Hindley looked fantastic and can't have been many predicting JV putting Pog away like that, looked a different level.

Pog lost half the time on the climb, the other half on the descent - lad was all over the shop. If he brings that sort of form to the Tourmalet tomorrow it's over tbh.