Tour de France 2024 - this time it’s personal

CantGetNoSleep

https://x.com/cyclingyazz

Macy0161

I wouldn't be as dismissive of Pidcock as a future GC contender - there's been a number over the years that have gone from MTB to Grand Tour contenders and even winners (e.g. Cadel Evans). However, I don't think you can stay multidiscipline and do it. Ultimately, it's just talk until he makes the decision and puts in the work.

lawrencesummers

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122308866#Comment_122308866

not only was he deluded but it was pretty clear that the team mgt had him as their Gc guy last year as well.

Im not sure his ego can handle playing second fiddle, and if it doesnt and he trys to stay racing for the podium he eliminates the possibility of repeating what brought him previous success, breaking away on a stage with long downhills.

eagle eye

Pidcock hasn't proven he can stay with the top GC guys on brutal mountains. When he shows he can do that then he can be talked about as a potential team leader.

billyhead

No harm in being confident anyway. Pidcock will need a good team around him to have any chance of making the podium.

at1withmyself

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122280931#Comment_122280931

Just watching a documentary on Eurosport about Bernal. Covered his growing up, Tour victories and path back to the Tour.

At the end he said his dream is to win the Veulta and complete the trebble. Also said he'd retire after if he won the Veulta!

Fr D Maugire

On Pidcock being a GT contender, let's not forget that Wiggins, Froome and Thomas had shown even less GC potential than Pidcock and look what happened with those guys.

Would love to see the teams go hell for leather on stage 1, see a load of sprinters get dropped and eliminated, especially Cavendish. That would be hilarious even if it is unlikely.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122311787#Comment_122311787

Ineos had a different backroom team back then. The marginal gains seemed to have dried up.

Squidgy Black

Pog saying he had covid a couple weeks ago. Says it wasn’t serious and only stopped training for a day or so

breezy1985

He even does COVID better than everyone else.

Mefistofelino

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122311787#Comment_122311787

Those lads were TTing well, placing in the top 5 or 10 in TT stages in big races before they made the move to GC contender, so there was obviously a good threshold engine there. And although Pidcock was Junior Worlds TT champion, he doesn't seem to TT as well at top level.

Aurelian

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122310966#Comment_122310966

Pidcock's comment in the Tour doc that he likes being known as the fastest descender in the world struck me as the dangerous type of confidence.

seaviewphotos

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122312152#Comment_122312152

I've been wondering about that lately, a lot of talk about him being a fantastic ascender. To me that only makes him take unnecessary risks, the press have a lot to answer for?

seaviewphotos

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122300419#Comment_122300419

I'm in, 21 teams in already and I'm sure there'll be another few before the start.

Paddigol

I don't think there's much to the Pidock descending thing… how many other riders in the peloton have his MBK & CX bike handling skills? MVDP maybe, but he's rarely at the pointy end in the same way as Pidcock. Shouldn't be much of a surprise that Pidcock is better than most - if anything there's a question over the average bike handling skill levels in the peloton compared to years past when you look at some of the crashes in recent years. All the focus is on power and aero.

CramCycle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122312064#Comment_122312064

Jesus, I have it now and I woke up yesterday with, equivalency wise, can only be described as the worst hangover in history. My wife lost her hearing for a month. F*cking elite athletes, bad enough I feel inadequate at sports in general but making me feel inadequate at general day to day illnesses. I give up.

CramCycle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122313317#Comment_122313317

I will say one incredibly controversial thing, the pro peloton, with a few exceptions, have genetic aberations, but not always the best bike handlers in regards descending. I have seen loads of MTBers and even general road racers who in a situation like the TdF would put many pros to shame, the difference is, they can't even come close to getting to the top as quickly, that is the difference. They'd never keep up on the flats, let alone the climbs but on a descent, Pidcock is insane compared to the rest of the peloton, but far from outside the possibility of the average youtuber looking for attention.

Weepsie

Theres a clip of pidcocks incredible handling when losing control on a tt bike in volts catalunya last year. I'd expect a lot of cyclists woulvde hit the ditch. Saganesque

Brian?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122312152#Comment_122312152

he definitely isn’t. I guarantee you one of the big sprinters or lead out men is.

Brian?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122314647#Comment_122314647

He’s a decent bike handler. But he’s definitely not the best. MVDP is better.

lawrencesummers

Pidcock could well be the best descender but thats not a skill that will win a tour and its not a skill that will win a lot of stages.

A lot of planets would have to align for him to utilize that weapon and be first over the line on any given day.

It would have to be a dry day, nonrain or the road gets slippy, warm but not to warm that the Tar starts melting, with no or little headwinds and he would have to be far enough down on GC to be left away, he would need very strong legs, all those things then need to happen on the right day for the right stage As not many stages that suit attacking on a downhill, the potential ones being stage 1 - 4 - 14 - 15 - 19 - 20.

I cant see him being able to get away on day 1.

Stage 4 would require him being over the Galibier first or at least in the first 5 and he hasnt ever shown those climbing abilities.

Stage 15 had a lot of climbing and the last climb looks impossible for a lone rider even with a decent lead.

The day he could target could be stage 19, there is 40km of descending into Isola before a 14km climb to the finish. In fact i might have a cheeky little bet on that!

tobefrank321

I think this tour will be little more than a warm up by Vingegaard for a shot at the Vuelta. Realistically there's not much he can do on GC and if he comes second it will be a fantastic achievement.

Interesting to see where Evenepoel will do.

Overall I think the final GC will be:

1. Pogacar
2. Roglic +3 minutes
3. Vingegaard +5 minutes

retalivity

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122314861#Comment_122314861

Vingegaard will either win or be close (<2mins) the winner/Pog, or will DNF. I don't see him schlepping around in week 3 if he's 5+ mins behind, he'll go away and recover properly, and have a tilt at the vuelta.

Re: best descenders, Mohoric & Bilbao would like a word…

billyhead

So who will get the green jersey? Philipsen would be the favourite. I hope Jakobsen gets it though.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122315478#Comment_122315478

Of the favourites I hope Philipsen gets it.

Obviously in my dreams I hope Bennett gets it.

What I desperately want for this tour though is an exciting battle for and winner of the polkadots. Something fun like a battle between FdJ, AG2R and some rider I hate to make me interested.

billyhead

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122315767#Comment_122315767

I can see Bennett probably winning at least one stage which I presume is his minimum goal. Ben Healy has a chance of winning a stage aswell.

Brian?

I’d love to see Mads Pedersen win the green jersey. He seems like a thoroughly decent chap. Did savage work for Ciccone in the Giro.

Brian?

Jasper is a friend of a friend. Apparently he’s a “lovely boy”, a bit simple but nice.

Brian?

33 brave souls in the league. Good luck mes amis

CramCycle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122316533#Comment_122316533

What are the league details?