Tour de France 2023 ***spoilers*** Warning in OP

De Bhál

Carlton needs a stiff whiskey

Thanks everyone for providing an interesting and entertaining thread helping me and others keep up-to-date with the goings-on Tour de France.

Is there an app or website. I could download/go to keep up-to-date with what is going on during the race and possibly hear the commentary? I was hoping to have my broadband installed and ready to go today, but after the third time Eir still haven't managed to put in a phone line, so I'm stuck using a crappy 5G connection which gives me a whole 3 Mb per second.

Morris Garren

I'm very disappointed for Cavendish; will miss him in these stages between mountains. And there was more than a slim chance of a stage victory. All gone. Retirement beckons.

Meanwhile, though it is a sad moment, I switched on GCN and I thought I was getting commentary from the Queen's funeral....

mewso

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120822083#Comment_120822083

Except when he is berating his mechanics. Still sorry to see him go out like that and does take something from the race. The whole will he or won't he was engaging all the same.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120822090#Comment_120822090

I don't think you are going to get commentary for free but Pro Cycling Stats is decent enough for live updates. Also the official site is ok too and if you join the TDF Club for free you can also get live race radio for the whole race although not much of it will be in english.

If I remember correctly from the commentary the day before yesterday, isn't there a British rider in the race who raised money to compete by flipping second-hand watches on eBay if I remember correctly, he was wearing a pink jersey number 40 something?

I hope he is doing well.

mewso

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120822105#Comment_120822105

I think you may have gotten your wires crossed as riders are entered by way of being chosen to participate for their team and the team will be paying for everything. Maybe it was a charity thing? Also of note you won't find anyone with a number ending in zero in the race as all teams start at 1. E.g. last years winner will be number 1 and his team mates 2, 3, 4, 5 etc. The next team, UAE in this case, will start at 11 and in true sporting superstition they skip 13 although thankfully they don't tie black cats to the back wheel.

at1withmyself

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120822142#Comment_120822142

He's on about James Shaw from EF I think. He used to buy and sell watches to make a living before signing for EF I think.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120822142#Comment_120822142

Thanks for the clarification. Perhaps the commentator was talking about the rider before he became a professional sponsored by a team and thus had to finance his own expenses.

mewso

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120822159#Comment_120822159

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120822166#Comment_120822166

Yep that makes more sense.

Raoul Duke

Terrible to see Cavendish go out this way. He definitely had a chance to get 1 stage and it's a story line which has now been removed from the race. Granted the GCN guys well overdid it with him and it will leave more space for them to talk about others, but it's not every year that you get someone challenging a Merkx record.

I didn't want to see him get the record, as I think that Merck deserves to remain at the top and I like sprinters less than all other types of riders.

Dr. Bre

Gutted for Cav

mewso

With Cav gone we can look to Bini to provide the story when it comes to sprints. In some ways a more interesting narrative.

CrowdedHouse

Jumbo are burning a lot of matches imo

Raoul Duke

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120822294#Comment_120822294

Definitely, everyone's got a good story to them. I'm now in the anyone but Phillipsen camp.

mewso

Jaysus I think it's unfortunate Cav is out but good lord the guff on Eurosport would almost make you glad.

odyssey06

Pog was 10th!

Mefistofelino

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120822360#Comment_120822360

Apparently Carlton is setting up a book of condolences on rip.co.uk

dastardly00

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120822090#Comment_120822090

Another good option is www.cyclingnews.com for live text updates.

The official Twitter feed for the Tour de France frequently posts video clips during the stage.

CramCycle

TG4 and there is a few radio channels if you aren't good with the cupla focal.

Mefistofelino

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120822147#Comment_120822147

I watched it again and while Girmay was on Cavs wheel at the start of that move, Cavs sudden acceleration opened a gap of a metre back to Girmay and Philipsen just jammed himself in there.

Raoul Duke

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120822360#Comment_120822360

Jesus, Orla Chennaoui's opening to the post stage Breakaway was incredibly hard to listen to.

SwissToni

That was a lovely tribute, IF HE HAD DIED.

gipi

ITV 4 coverage (Ned Boulting, Gary Imlach, etc) are reporting as if someone died! Post race interviews with riders all about Cav rather than the race they've just finished.

odyssey06

I'd imagine that tanks the audience for sprint stages from the UK for ITV4 and ES\GCN... similar for TG4 if we lost Sam B during the race.

harringtonp

While I'm sorry to see Cav out of the race, I had to switch the breakaway off. They covered the Pedersen's win briefly and then started the Cav RIP talk. Went for a dump, came back and they were still going on about it.

And after all this I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't retire and comes back next year for another go at it

DonegalBay

Good win by Pedersen, always a contender in the tougher finishes. Kinda surprised to see Gronenwegen still up there.

On the other big news, whilst I don't like to see people crash out, I think I can enjoy the Tour a lot more now that the nauseating fawning over Cavendish will die away. I don't read articles on Cycling News anymore, but I can see the headlines and there has been an article on him every day since the Tour started. Talk about OTT. My only fear is he will unretire and we will have to endure this all over again.

Brian?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120822142#Comment_120822142

One of the EF riders was making a living selling watches on line when Vaughters picked him up. James Shaw.

dahat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120822527#Comment_120822527

100% agree on the Cavendish agenda on GCN. The tour moves on without him & I’m glad.

lawrencesummers

The obituaries about cav are over zelous. He never looked like winning a stage in any of the sprints so far.

at1withmyself

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120823692#Comment_120823692

He came second yesterday, how much closer can you get to looking like winning a stage then that?

Daroxtar

In fairness to GCN, its a British based channel, mostly British presenters, British audience. Giving out about them fawning over one of the biggest stars in British cycling is a bit like some brit whinging that the Sunday Game is too focused on David Clifford.

I never liked Cav as a person but he was a phenomenal sprinter and it's a pity he bowed out like that especially after coming so close yesterday but that is the beauty and brutality of sport in a nutshell

lawrencesummers

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120823724#Comment_120823724

first.

DonegalBay

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120823751#Comment_120823751

I think the fawning over Cavendish is a little OTT even for the Brits, don't think Froome ever got this level of attention and what he achieved far outweighs anything Cav did. Granted, part of that was probably down to the fact that Froome was not a 'true' Brit and their respective personalities, but still. I just think too often, there is this mantra that Cavendish is the undisputed greatest sprinter, no questions asked which to me is ridiculous and a lot of that is down to the media. No comparison of how sprinting was different in previous eras or who Cavendish went up against in his peak years, just the repated fact he has 34 Tour stages and nobody else comes close.

Squidgy Black

Big part of why the British media/GCN/Eurosport are obsessed with Cavendish is because he collaborates/cooperates a fair bit with the media.

He’s always doing segments and bits with them, engages in interviews and actually had conversations with them.

Plus he’s raced alongside or with the likes of Adam Blythe, Dan Lloyd, Matt Stephens etc.

odyssey06

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120823875#Comment_120823875

Plus there is an awful lot of time to fill on sprint stages when nothing is happening.

breezy1985

Cavendish was also the first of the golden generation. There was a time when his wins were believed to be the greatest achievements British cycling would ever see.

DonegalBay

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120823947#Comment_120823947

Yeah, David Millar had gone down in flames and a new star was needed. I remember Cycle Sport Magazine in 09-10, it was pretty much Armstrong or Cavendish on the front cover almost every month. Sprinters were always a bit of a sideshow, but when Cav came along, they got elevated to being ranked alongside the greats of the sport.

eagle eye

Carlton Kirby is an English man whose a huge cycling fan and is lucky enough to be a commentator. It's no surprise that he's a huge fan of Mark Cavendish. I am not a fan of Mark Cavendish but respect what he's done in his career. I'm glad he isn't going to break Eddy Merckx record of stage wins.

I completely understand how Carlton is so gutted by it though. I'd be the same if an Irish rider got injured. I remember when Sean Kelly was leading the Vuelta and got piles, apparently one of them was the size of an egg. I was gutted when he had to pull out with two days to go. I was every bit as bad as Kirby was today.

cunavalos

One the most impressive Mark Cavendish statistics is that he only has 59 Top 10's in the Tour de France and 34 of those were victories.

eagle eye

Anyway Stage 9

I think this is a breakaway stage. It's lumpy most of the way. I think we'll see a big group get away. I'd expect Gall, Ciccone and Pinot to be in it.

As regards the two way GC battle. I don't think either team will chase the break. UAE learned their lesson on Wednesday and Jumbo learned theirs on Thursday.

The end is brutal and if the break doesn't have 7+ minutes I could see Vingegaard and Pog racing for the win.

It's been a long race without a rest day so far, I'd imagine everybody is tired and tomorrow is predicted to be 30°.

Puy de Dome has a brutal finish to it. The last 4km averages 12%. It's not that bad before then.

I don't believe the two main men will attack each other unless one looks in bad shape. The reason I think this is because everybody has to be tired at this stage and if you attack it could blow up on you.

We know the last domestique standing will almost certainly be Sepp Kuss. It'll be two against one again but Pog showed the last day that he's willing to sit on Vingegaard's wheel.

So I'm predicting no chase of the break from Jumbo or UAE and most likely no attack between Vingegaard and Pog.

I'll pick Gall for the stage win but I'd love it if Pinot is involved and wins it.

lawrencesummers

Pinot and Gall are in 17th and 18th place 7-8 mins down. I cant see them bring given a lead tbh.

Powless will have to turn up today if he wants to stay in dots, gall will have to stay close to him and try and attack also.

Magnus Cort will surely try and get away again today but he wasnt allowed yesterday and than might not change today.

Johanssen and Guerriero are in third and fourth for KOM and might fancy their chances for a stage win

Pidcock could be an outsider if he can get over the Col de la Nugere first and gain time with 10km downhill before climbing the last 13km but thats a big ask.

Brian?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120823848#Comment_120823848

I think the reason Cav got so much more attention than Froome was they could claim he was the “greatest” at something. They love that.

34 stages in the tour is an amazing achievement. So they claim he’s the greatest sprinter ever, it’s debatable but reasonable. Matt Stevens described his as the “most successful rider in tour history” the other day. That’s just BS, Merckx won 34 stages, 5 Tour, 3 green and 2 polka dot jerseys.

So, I feel terrible for him. Hope he recovers well soon. But I won’t miss the hyperbole.

Really looking forward to Pog taking yellow today.

Brian?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120824011#Comment_120824011

Kelly didn’t get piles! He had a boil on his gooch.

Brian?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120824054#Comment_120824054

That last climb is a beast. It should suit Vingegaard better, being the lighter man.

cosalofa

Bardet will have targeted this stage. He is from the area and himself and Cavagna are (probably) the only riders in the peloton to have tested the climb more than once. Not sure if he will be let go in a break though.

lawrencesummers

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120824785#Comment_120824785

He wasnt even close come finish line in any of them.

CramCycle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120824785#Comment_120824785

100% for all my rants about Cav, he has been far more competitive than I expected and up there with riders I thought would have left him for dust at this stage. His last green jersey was an easier one due to the taking out of competition IMO but you can only race who is at the line with you and he done it well. Glad I don't have to eat my casquette this year but like it or not, there are pro riders at the highest level who could only dream of even coming close to doing as well as he was.

As for the best sprinter of all time, it is too varied a question, what type of stages, what type of races etc. All in all, I think Sagan was better as they are the two I think are the closest in terms of like for like rider but if it comes to sprinters as a definition, it is a silly question, one day races, flat races, ones with slight uphills, ones with an attritional course to get through first. Unless someone comes up with a strict qualification on what is the most important.

Dodge

The who wins the most pan flat stages is the best sprinter, and Sagan isn’t close to being the best of his generation, never mind the best ever.

Cavendish, Cipolini, Petacchi, McEwan, Kittel. Sagan’s best sprint couldn’t compete with them at their best

Sagan was an amazing rider and could win all types of races. A truly incredible cyclist. Not close to the sprint levels of Cav etc

nc6000

https://twitter.com/guardian_sport/status/1677989223020756993?t=-ddXcJ7Wt7pX4bh42l0-2w&s=19

It's happening, he could be back in 2024.

lawrencesummers

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120824841#Comment_120824841

Thats if you believe the nonsense about his gears.

He had chances in two sprints and couldn't take either.

He had chances in intermediate sprints and couldn't win them either.

Hes completely overrated based on former glories, he has one sole stage victory this year and it was in the giro with Kirsch who isnt any great sprinter coming second.

Its easier for cav to be out of the tour than spend the next two weeks not being good enough to win a stage, not having to listen to the commentators wax lyrical about him is just an added bonus