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General Race Thread 2024 **spoilers**

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  • Registered Users Posts: 26,050 ✭✭✭✭breezy1985


    I think the idea of Rog or Remco as a TdF contender is just clickbait unless it's a 2013 kind of situation.



  • Registered Users Posts: 14,298 ✭✭✭✭retalivity


    Top-notch f*cking around in the Tour of Britain.

    Kopecky brakes to try and let Marjerus win, she celebrates too early, gets pipped on the line.



  • Registered Users Posts: 10,288 ✭✭✭✭Dodge


    well it’s a “tired from the Giro” Pog or one of the “not fully recovered” Rog, Remco or Jonas so it could be very interesting

    (Or it could be over but the second rest day)



  • Registered Users Posts: 2,346 ✭✭✭Melodeon


    I wonder what bearing the snap French National Assembly elections will have on the Tour?
    The first round is on Sunday June 30th while the race is still in Italy, but the second round is Sunday July 7th, the day of a hilly stage in France.
    Closing roads through towns and villages could make it tricky to allow people access to the ballot, even if it's only for a few hours at a time in each place.
    I wonder if they could perhaps bring the rest day forward and go racing again on the Monday?



  • Registered Users Posts: 14,298 ✭✭✭✭retalivity




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  • Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 24,872 Mod ✭✭✭✭CramCycle


    I'd cross out the middle two, It is between Pog and Jonas. And it will then depend on how well Pog has recovered but while, no matter who you are, he has completed the Giro, he never looked that phased by it so I don't think he will be far off top form but that can change easily in a few days.



  • Registered Users Posts: 1,696 ✭✭✭Paddigol


    It's impossible to say how Vingo's recovery has gone and where his conditioning is at. But if I had a gun to my head, there's no way I'd bet against Pog. He looked immense in the Giro, regardless of strength/ otherwise of the field, while hardly breaking a sweat and with the UAE B team as back up.

    Unless Remco pulls some form out of the bag, ambushes everyone in week 1 and somehow hangs in through to week 3, I can't see him ever troubling Pog.

    Heart says Rog is a genuine contender, but head says its a bit like the last days of Contador when he was up against the Sky Train… he'll be there/ thereabouts, but never really look like taking the race by the scruff.

    Having said all of that, I wouldn't be surprised to see a few surprise packages lasting the course in the top 5 of GC. So many top quality young riders coming out of the woodwork these days. Whether they can stay within striking distance of Pog to week 3 is another question.

    TLDR; Pog to gobble up stage wins and look supreme on the top step of the podium.



  • Registered Users Posts: 543 ✭✭✭MangleBadger


    Every year I have a different rider I would like to win. Last couple of years it was JV as I was a bit tired of Pog's dominance. Now I'm a bit tired of the Jonas dominance and Pog is just such a likeable personality.

    I like Remco. Don't think he can win.

    Not sure if he can win, but I would love to see Roglic do it. If not Rog, Pog.

    Wonder if he would then change his Worlds/Olympics plans to target the Vuelta for the triple crown.



  • Registered Users Posts: 9,442 ✭✭✭Macy0161


    The Worlds would be the triple crown if he won the Tour as well!

    I don't Remco or Rog will win the tour unless something happens to Jonas and Pog. I suppose it already has happened with Jonas. I do like Rog, but seeing him put in trouble by never before GC men at the Dauphine has to be some cause for concern.



  • Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 24,872 Mod ✭✭✭✭CramCycle


    There is always a disagreement on this but my understanding is that the Triple crown is the Tour, Giro and Worlds. Not sure the worlds suit him but what doesn't suit him still has him as better than everyone else in many scenarios. He could well do the Vuelta as well if the tour doesn't throw up an immense challenger to him.



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  • Registered Users Posts: 26,050 ✭✭✭✭breezy1985


    The Triple Crown is definitely Giro, Tour and Worlds.

    The Vuelta's current prestige is a new thing. Didn't switch to Autumn til the 90's and didn't even have a distinctive leaders jersey til 2010.



  • Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 24,872 Mod ✭✭✭✭CramCycle


    I think it could be a language thing from a younger generation, maybe referring to them as the three grand tours, then someone hears triple or says triple and that's where the confusion comes from. Last man to do the triple crown was Roche. Pog probably deserves it but its nice to have Roche on such a short list of achievers.



  • Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 8,946 Mod ✭✭✭✭mewso


    Surely winning the 3 Grand Tours should be called the Grand Slam. Doesn't happen often enough to have garnered a proper label.

    *edit the Grand Slam refers to winning all of the tennis "Slams" if I recall correctly so of course in cycling it should be the Slam Grand.



  • Registered Users Posts: 26,050 ✭✭✭✭breezy1985


    We'll make it a thing. Before long everyone will be saying it.



  • Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 8,946 Mod ✭✭✭✭mewso


    Step one ask on the Lanterne Rouge podcast is Slam Grand the correct term. They'll automatically embrace it.

    By the by Bahrain get a stage win today for Gino. Hard to believe it's been a year. Yates looking pretty strong.



  • Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 24,872 Mod ✭✭✭✭CramCycle


    Ha, just seen the podcast on the train home where Benji had the same issue about the treble. 100%, a bit Trump like but if you say it with conviction, enough people will copy it, that by the time anyone fact checks, it will be the truth.



  • Registered Users Posts: 543 ✭✭✭MangleBadger


    I 100% guessed the triple crown would be the 3 GTs. But then I have only been following bike racing for 5ish years. But with my recency bias glasses on I would think it would be a much more impressive feat to win the 3 grand tours in a year than to win Giro, Tour, Worlds



  • Registered Users Posts: 1,696 ✭✭✭Paddigol


    This week really is the week for cans of worms isn't it?! 😂

    The Worlds is usually a pretty stacked field, whereas one of the Vuelta or Giro is usually missing a good few big names. The Giro is traditionally the bigger race of the two, so it gets the nod. But these days I think the Tour, Vuelta, Worlds is on a par with the Giro, Tour, Worlds.

    Only thing to do really is go Giro, Tour, Vuelta, Worlds. Over to you Pog.



  • Registered Users Posts: 26,050 ✭✭✭✭breezy1985


    It's just because it used to be almost impossible to do the Giro and Vuelta. Of course Merckx had to come along and prove you could. In 73 he won the Vuelta and lined out a week later to win the Giro (4th in TdF that year)

    Some good info below. For instance I never knew only 8 riders have done a career Triple Crown.

    Another reason the classic triple crown is more prestigious is it sort of shows you are multidisciplinary.

    I think in modern times with specialist riders what Pog is attempting with monument and GT doubles is far more impressive than GT doubles/triples.



  • Registered Users Posts: 1,696 ✭✭✭Paddigol


    Yeah, that's a fair point on the modern overlap between Monuments and GTs. Wouldn't like to see the sport becoming too homogenous, where the main men are equally capable of winning on any terrain… I just kind of love the art of each separate discipline. But it's impressive as hell what some of the current generation are capable of doing.



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  • Registered Users Posts: 9,442 ✭✭✭Macy0161


    Like "The Monuments". As we're going for cans of worms…



  • Registered Users Posts: 14,298 ✭✭✭✭retalivity


    Healy & Ryan still in the main group, 7k to go on the final climb on the 'Queen' stage in Slovenia



  • Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 21,296 Mod ✭✭✭✭Brian?


    yep. Until about 15 years ago the Vuelta was very much the ginger step child of the Grand Tours. Low budgets, poor fields and very much a consolation prize.

    Moving it to later in the year was a great idea. It’s made it a genuine event.

    they/them/theirs


    And so on, and so on …. - Slavoj Žižek




  • Registered Users Posts: 26,050 ✭✭✭✭breezy1985


    Its own timeslot and the adopting of a distinct colour gave it an identity it was lacking.



  • Registered Users Posts: 14,298 ✭✭✭✭retalivity


    Yates and Almeida 1&2 again in Suisse, the 3rd stage in a row. Not bad super-doms/backups to have for Pog for the TDF.



  • Registered Users Posts: 10,288 ✭✭✭✭Dodge


    Ben Healy won the final stage in the Tour of Slovenia. Ryan was 9th. Healy finished 7th overall.

    In a 2.2 race in Poland (Tour de Kurpie) Leo Doyle won the 5th stage today



  • Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 21,296 Mod ✭✭✭✭Brian?


    great win by Healy. Was by far the most aggressive rider today.

    Watched it in a Belgian frituur. Happy Father’s Day

    they/them/theirs


    And so on, and so on …. - Slavoj Žižek




  • Registered Users Posts: 10,288 ✭✭✭✭Dodge


    they’ve been wrong in the past of course but for the first time Sam Bennett is listed in the provisional Decathlon squad for the Tour by PCS

    Ben Healy there for EF (and it seems he’s 100% going too)



  • Registered Users Posts: 10,288 ✭✭✭✭Dodge


    Dunbar, Rafferty and Mullen the 3 senior pros doing the national TT championship.

    Healy the missing one, which points to his TDF inclusion of course



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  • Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 21,296 Mod ✭✭✭✭Brian?


    they/them/theirs


    And so on, and so on …. - Slavoj Žižek




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