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Tour de France (2023 from p54)

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Comments

  • Addickted
    Addickted Posts: 19,456
    CAV!!
  • Leroy Ambrose
    Leroy Ambrose Posts: 14,435
    That's the best leadout I have ever seen. Absolutely, utterly perfect. 
  • ForeverAddickted
    ForeverAddickted Posts: 94,291
    Ooooo thought he was getting caught then!!... Rolling back the years
    Nah was never in doubt - Scary in fact that he's winning like this
  • stonemuse
    stonemuse Posts: 33,995
    Two more please 😃
  • ForeverAddickted
    ForeverAddickted Posts: 94,291
    stonemuse said:
    Two more please 😃
    With the third on the Champs Elysees?
  • ForeverAddickted
    ForeverAddickted Posts: 94,291
    The way Cavendish is talking its reminding me of his HTC days where the other teams are getting scared of him so are reluctant to pull at the front of the peleton - Got to wonder if its the fact that Quick-Step are focusing on Stage wins (again like HTC) thats helping him so much
  • NornIrishAddick
    NornIrishAddick Posts: 9,623
    I have to admit that I have found Deceuninck Quick-Step a very likeable team in recent years (both willing and able to challenge in many races) and have always liked Cavendish, so, for me, this Tour is a marriage made in Heaven.

    If he can stay the course through the mountains, I fully expect him to be the man to beat for the Green Jersey.

    It will be intriguing to see what will happen as the race progresses.
  • colthe3rd
    colthe3rd Posts: 8,486
    Was too busy with work today to watch live but just caught the highlights (and thanks to the BBC app for spoiling the result even though they never have cycling alerts).

    So what do we think his chances are of doing it? If I'm honest I haven't looked at many previews of the route, good chance or just gonna come up short?
  • stonemuse
    stonemuse Posts: 33,995
    colthe3rd said:
    Was too busy with work today to watch live but just caught the highlights (and thanks to the BBC app for spoiling the result even though they never have cycling alerts).

    So what do we think his chances are of doing it? If I'm honest I haven't looked at many previews of the route, good chance or just gonna come up short?
    Before the Tour, I was convinced no chance. 

    Now? Like Cav, I hesitate to be too positive.... but he may well get two more.  And if so, who knows if the record goes.  

    Anyway, even if this is it, he’s already made me very happy.  
  • Gary Poole
    Gary Poole Posts: 1,874
    Had the tdf on my iPad next too my laptop during a zoom meeting. Apparently my microphone was not muted when I shouted out ‘Yes Cav, get in you fucking beauty’
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  • ForeverAddickted
    ForeverAddickted Posts: 94,291
    The fact Caleb Ewan isnt around has surely increased his opportunity... Has to get through the mountains, but Wiki has another five flat stages listed so on that basis he has plenty of time. 
  • Addickted
    Addickted Posts: 19,456
    It would be fantastic if he took the record on the Champs Elysees.

    He has won there four times previously. 
  • ColinTat
    ColinTat Posts: 2,794
    It's superb to see Cav winning again, but a part of me doesn't want to see a sprinter get more than Eddy Mercx.  If he get's the same, cool.  Anyways whatever happens, it's going to be fun to watch.
  • AddicksAddict
    AddicksAddict Posts: 15,780
    I forgot to come on here and say how pleased I was with Cavendish’s win. He is an amazing competitor and he thoroughly deserve that.
  • AddicksAddict
    AddicksAddict Posts: 15,780
    Pogacar ain't even remotely legit. Roglic is on the gear too. Slovenia's drug testing regime is non-existent. 
    That is sad to see. I feel personally slighted when sports people look really good and then turn out to be drug cheats. 
  • AddicksAddict
    AddicksAddict Posts: 15,780
    edited July 2021
    I forgot to come on here and say how pleased I was with Cavendish’s win. He is an amazing competitor and he thoroughly deserve that.
    And I’ve just noticed that he won yesterday as well. Can he do it? Let’s hope so.
  • stonemuse
    stonemuse Posts: 33,995
    Roglic is done
  • stonemuse
    stonemuse Posts: 33,995
    Carapaz could get a good advantage here 
  • Cafc43v3r
    Cafc43v3r Posts: 21,600
    Blown the race apart..... 
  • FishCostaFortune
    FishCostaFortune Posts: 10,773
    Wow, it looks like Carapaz had at least 20 or so seconds on that group! 
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  • ForeverAddickted
    ForeverAddickted Posts: 94,291
    edited July 2021
    I missed the Stage today, but what the hell was Cavendish doing in the breakaway :D

    I realise he did it to get the Green Jersey points, but has the Alps at the weekend

    The way its set this year, he's going to leave Paris with the Stage Record and that Jersey isnt he!!
  • stonemuse
    stonemuse Posts: 33,995
    I missed the Stage today, but what the hell was Cavendish doing in the breakaway :D

    I realise he did it to get the Green Jersey points, but has the Alps at the weekend

    The way its set this year, he's going to leave Paris with the Stage Record and that Jersey isnt he!!
    It was impressive by him 
  • Addickted
    Addickted Posts: 19,456
    stonemuse said:
    Carapaz could get a good advantage here 
    Or not.....
  • stonemuse
    stonemuse Posts: 33,995
    Addickted said:
    stonemuse said:
    Carapaz could get a good advantage here 
    Or not.....
    Indeed! 
  • NornIrishAddick
    NornIrishAddick Posts: 9,623
    stonemuse said:
    I missed the Stage today, but what the hell was Cavendish doing in the breakaway :D

    I realise he did it to get the Green Jersey points, but has the Alps at the weekend

    The way its set this year, he's going to leave Paris with the Stage Record and that Jersey isnt he!!
    It was impressive by him 
    Absolutely, I think he quite happily rode within his limits today and took advantage of being in the right place at the right time to maximise his points from the day. 

    Which, even with Peter Sagan not being the cyclist of old, I think he has to do.

    The interesting thing will be seeing if DQS allocate anyone to keep him within the time limits over the high mountains if the climbers are fast.
  • Gary Poole
    Gary Poole Posts: 1,874
    stonemuse said:
    I missed the Stage today, but what the hell was Cavendish doing in the breakaway :D

    I realise he did it to get the Green Jersey points, but has the Alps at the weekend

    The way its set this year, he's going to leave Paris with the Stage Record and that Jersey isnt he!!
    It was impressive by him 
    Absolutely, I think he quite happily rode within his limits today and took advantage of being in the right place at the right time to maximise his points from the day. 

    Which, even with Peter Sagan not being the cyclist of old, I think he has to do.

    The interesting thing will be seeing if DQS allocate anyone to keep him within the time limits over the high mountains if the climbers are fast.
    I think Cav will have plenty of friends from other teams in the grupetto. I’m hopeful he will get through the high stages within the time. After all you lose your fast twitch quicker than your endurance and he still has a bit of speed left in the engine.
  • stonemuse
    stonemuse Posts: 33,995
    Going to be a revealing two days.  

    Van Aert can climb as he proved in the past as super domestique ... but can he sustain it?

    I doubt even van der Poel himself knows if he can get through the mountains but I have a suspicion he might.  

    @leroyambrose do you think their mountain performances may give an indicator of how Pidcock may perform in the Vuelta ... or is he a different type of rider? 
  • ColinTat
    ColinTat Posts: 2,794
    Van Der Poel could become a GC climber, but I can't see it at the moment.  He rides like a classics version of Virenque.  Going that deep yesterday on a crazy long day is madness before the Romme and Colombiere.  If MvdP sticks with the GC group I'm afraid I'll not be believing that performance.

    If you think about it in the post EPO era, everything was to do with weight.  Yet Rog and Pog climb at the same weight as Froome and Nibali who are both 2-3 inches taller?  Yet no one is talking about that in the mainstream media.

    Pidcock doesn't need to be compared in GTs to WVA and MvDP.  He gives up 7-8 inches and weighs 50 kg.  The guy has commensurate power too, for his size to those guys, and has climbing pedigree in the U23s.  The only question for Pidcock is how he lasts into the third week.  With the recent Tours having few 2,000+ m climbs I'd expect him to have little problem on a stage like today, especialy early in a GT.

    The move of modern GTs to shorter stages, less 2,000+m climbs, gravel or cobble stages is perfect for young riders to hit hard as novices.
  • stonemuse
    stonemuse Posts: 33,995
    ColinTat said:
    Van Der Poel could become a GC climber, but I can't see it at the moment.  He rides like a classics version of Virenque.  Going that deep yesterday on a crazy long day is madness before the Romme and Colombiere.  If MvdP sticks with the GC group I'm afraid I'll not be believing that performance.

    If you think about it in the post EPO era, everything was to do with weight.  Yet Rog and Pog climb at the same weight as Froome and Nibali who are both 2-3 inches taller?  Yet no one is talking about that in the mainstream media.

    Pidcock doesn't need to be compared in GTs to WVA and MvDP.  He gives up 7-8 inches and weighs 50 kg.  The guy has commensurate power too, for his size to those guys, and has climbing pedigree in the U23s.  The only question for Pidcock is how he lasts into the third week.  With the recent Tours having few 2,000+ m climbs I'd expect him to have little problem on a stage like today, especialy early in a GT.

    The move of modern GTs to shorter stages, less 2,000+m climbs, gravel or cobble stages is perfect for young riders to hit hard as novices.
    👍
  • ForeverAddickted
    ForeverAddickted Posts: 94,291
    edited July 2021
    Already an interesting Stage today... Might work out well for Cavendish today, already dropped but he's in a Group with Geraint Thomas, what better than to have a genuine mate to help potentially pace you.

    Thats if Thomas himself can cope

    Either way going to be a challenging day for the Sprinters. Remember reading Cavendish saying once that you watch the blokes descending at the front and think they're risking their lives. But its the blokes at the back that have to descend even quicker than the GC guys, as its on those sections that they can make up time.