Tour de France 2020 general thread (SPOILERS GALORE)

Eamonnator

Mefistofelino wrote: »

I once beat someone unconscious with a hardback edition of " Ulysses " - It was my weapon of Joyce.

( I'll show myself out)

I was once accused of beating somebody with a telephone directory.

MPFGLB

I got to say what Brain Smith said today about Bora team management ordering their riders not to ride for Sam Bennett at last years Vuelta was dreadful...just because he was leaving ..yet he had no chance at th Tour with Sagan and Ackermann there ?very unreasonable from Bora...they can shove their kitchens !!!

I think their does not seem to be any love lost between Sagan and Bennett ..they were on the same team for a few years but no acknowledgment at the line from each other

neris

MPFGLB wrote: »

I got to say what Brain Smith said today about Bora team management ordering their riders not to ride for Sam Bennett at last years Vuelta was dreadful...just because he was leaving ..yet he had no chance at th Tour with Sagan and Ackermann there ?very unreasonable from Bora...they can shove their kitchens !!!

I think their does not seem to be any love lost between Sagan and Bennett ..they were on the same team for a few years but no acknowledgment at the line from each other

Bora shafted Sam for Sagan. He'd been with them for years and was their star at pro conti level.

Aidric

MPFGLB wrote: »

I think their does not seem to be any love lost between Sagan and Bennett ..they were on the same team for a few years but no acknowledgment at the line from each other

I noticed that and it was at odds with Ewan's reaction when Bennett won stage 10. From what I've read over the last week there was a lot of goodwill towards Bennett for his stage win. Coupled with his demotion for barging Van Aert he comes across as quite unsporting or am I missing something?

CramCycle

Pete Kennaugh doing the after show on ITV4 was not complimentary about Sagan, said they weren't friends and that he got away with a load of sh1t int he peloton that other riders wold get fined/punished for because of his name and public popularity.

wirelessdude01

Was Caleb outside the time limit today?

wirelessdude01

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

Was Caleb outside the time limit today?

No but he did finish last.

breezy1985

neris wrote: »

Bora shafted Sam for Sagan. He'd been with them for years and was their star at pro conti level.

When they signed Sagan there wasnt a team in the sport wouldnt have shafted any sprinter for Sagan and was completely the right decision for the team. It was the shafting of Sam for Buchmann that was a huge mistake whether or not Buchmann is German

MPFGLB

Cant see how they shafted Sam for Buchmann ...who is a GC rider ??? ( and seems a very nice guy btw)

Ackermann is the sprinter who took over from SAm as their top sprinter

harringtonp

MPFGLB wrote: »

Cant see how they shafted Sam for Buchmann ...who is a GC rider ??? ( and seems a very nice guy btw)

Ackermann is the sprinter who took over from SAm as their top sprinter

That's who he means

breezy1985

harringtonp wrote: »

That's who he means

Ya I always get those two confused

MPFGLB

harringtonp wrote: »

That's who he means

Well I can only reply to what is written ..not be what is meant

at1withmyself

Covid numbers in France now higher each day then back in March. I wonder could today be the final day?

Shedite27 wrote: »

Anyone else a bit shocked by the number of fans at it this year? Most of the sprint finished have crowds fairly deep, the climbs seem to have big numbers (albeit not quite Alpe d’Huez standard). I realise it’s public space so people can do what they want but getting the Caravan out is basically asking for spectators to be out for 2 hours.

lawrencesummers

at1withmyself wrote: »

Covid numbers in France now higher each day then back in March. I wonder could today be the final day?

The crowds don’t look any different to me this year compared to other years, The talk of having mountains closed doesn’t appear to have materialized.

dastardly00

lawrencesummers wrote: »

The crowds don’t look any different to me this year compared to other years, The talk of having mountains closed doesn’t appear to have materialized.

There are no fans allowed on the last two climbs today

wirelessdude01

lawrencesummers wrote: »

The crowds don’t look any different to me this year compared to other years, The talk of having mountains closed doesn’t appear to have materialized.

Think I read somewhere that for the mountains there are restrictions on vehicular access for a number of days leading up to it. Plenty of pitched tents to be seen on the side of the roads where people have either walked or cycled up in the days preceding.

bazermc

Any risk of Sam not making cut off time today? Stage looks ok for first half but second half looks brutal

wirelessdude01

bazermc wrote: »

Any risk of Sam not making cut off time today? Stage looks ok for first half but second half looks brutal

Wonder will bora try to replicate yesterday and get Sam out the back very early on the first climb? Concensus is also that ineos need to think things out early days today 2hixh could lead to a very hard stage.

CramCycle

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

Wonder will bora try to replicate yesterday and get Sam out the back very early on the first climb? Concensus is also that ineos need to think things out early days today 2hixh could lead to a very hard stage.

I could be wrong but riding like that isn't sustainable, they will need a rest day or risk losing themselves, I imagine all out to the intermediate sprint and then sit in for the rest of the day.

wirelessdude01

CramCycle wrote: »

I could be wrong but riding like that isn't sustainable, they will need a rest day or risk losing themselves, I imagine all out to the intermediate sprint and then sit in for the rest of the day.

I know that Roglic was kinda complaining after yesterday's stage that due to the green Jersey situation it was unnecessarily hard yesterday.

ednwireland

bazermc wrote: »

Any risk of Sam not making cut off time today? Stage looks ok for first half but second half looks brutal

my whenever its in the tour claim to fame




Distance 72.49 km
Timing 5:28:22

Avg Moving Speed14.1 kph

Elev Gain 2,242 m

hope they've resurfaced the biche since i was on it !

the zigg zags at the top is the col de la biche

the zig zags near culoz are the most mental descent ive been on.

also lovely wine from the domaine de bel-air



first double peak is the biche, second is the grand colombier

redlead

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

I know that Roglic was kinda complaining after yesterday's stage that due to the green Jersey situation it was unnecessarily hard yesterday.

Thats what makes the race interesting for everyone else though. I know you aren't implying otherwise but pity about him. You want to see the yellow Jersey holder to have to really work at some stage and possibly need to go for a stage win. It was a smart move tactically from Bora because it would have been a big psychological blow for Bennett. Its unsustainable for them to keep that up though.

at1withmyself

CramCycle wrote: »

I could be wrong but riding like that isn't sustainable, they will need a rest day or risk losing themselves, I imagine all out to the intermediate sprint and then sit in for the rest of the day.

Agreed, makes no sense to push after the intermediate but if they do push hard at the start it could make today really hard as the GC teams will want a break to get away early!

G1032

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

I know that Roglic was kinda complaining after yesterday's stage that due to the green Jersey situation it was unnecessarily hard yesterday.

Pity about him. There's more to the TdF than his yellow jersey battle

breezy1985

bazermc wrote: »

Any risk of Sam not making cut off time today? Stage looks ok for first half but second half looks brutal

I would say he is fine as he will be up with the peleton until the late mountains. It's the stages that are full of climbs from the get go are the problem

Speakerboxx

Hopefully Sagan and his team are goosed from their efforts yesterday and wont have the energy to go hard again today. Hopefully Bennett hangs on. If he gets through these days he be hard to beat as it goes on.

Speakerboxx

breezy1985 wrote: »

I would say he is fine as he will be up with the peleton until the late mountains. It's the stages that are full of climbs from the get go are the problem

And the pace of the race. It was exceptional effort by bora yesterday and all the good sprintera were out the back fast. Cant see that happening today.

lawrencesummers

dastardly00 wrote: »

There are no fans allowed on the last two climbs today

Whoever was policing that did a good job! First time I noticed a lack of fans was today.

mr spuckler

Back at work today in the home office having been off the last 2 weeks. Was really looking fwd to having the tour on the newly installed tv beside my desk until I realised it's a rest day!

mr spuckler

mr spuckler wrote: »

Back at work today in the home office having been off the last 2 weeks. Was really looking fwd to having the tour on the newly installed tv beside my desk until I realised it's a rest day!

There's the ITT at Tirreno-Adriatico to be watched today.