On yer bike!

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Enoch
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On yer bike!

Post by Enoch » Sun Jul 21, 2019 12:20 am

The efforts of Julian Alaphilippe at this year's Tour de France have certainly impressed me. Each day for the past week I've expected him to falter and each day his performance has been flawless. If the next week is as interesting as the last two, for me, it will be the best Tour for many a year.

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Re: On yer bike!

Post by jimbo » Sun Jul 21, 2019 8:45 am

Ooooh cycling chat.

Loving this years race so far. It’s lacked the usual dominant sprinter, with Viviani, Groenewegen and Ewan evenly matched. The first week was livened up by some more selective sprints as well rather than the big wide boulevards of recent years.

The GC battle looks fascinating as well. Loads of points of interest from yesterday as well. Firstly Allaphillipe has performed way beyond expectation and is riding in such an exciting way which is great to see. I still think successive days in the high mountains will be too much and he’ll majorly crack a la Yates at the Giro last year.

Pinot looked so strong yesterday, effortlessly riding away from everyone at the end of a tough climb. He’s also got good team support.

Wtf were Movistar playing at yesterday?

Ineos seemed below par yesterday. Didn’t exert themselves on the race as much as usual, and they lost the domestiques before they had put in any decisive turns while FDJ and JV still had numbers. That was really surprising.

Looking forward to the rest of the race. Assuming a bad day for JA, I hope Pinot can keep going as he’s a rider I like who always seems to suffer bad luck when well placed. Also looking forward to seeing how Bernal goes deep into the third week.

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Re: On yer bike!

Post by Lost Leopard Spot » Sun Jul 21, 2019 2:18 pm

Thomas looked depressed.
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Re: On yer bike!

Post by jimbo » Sun Jul 21, 2019 5:09 pm

Lost Leopard Spot wrote:
Sun Jul 21, 2019 2:18 pm
Thomas looked depressed.
He does seem different this year. My wife caught one of his interviews early on and picked up on it too. Not his usual jovial self. I put it down to it being the first time he’s gone in with expectation and pressure, while at the same time being threatened by a younger more talented team mate. Even last year while leading all the focus was on Froome and what he was up to.

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Re: On yer bike!

Post by Lost Leopard Spot » Sun Jul 21, 2019 5:50 pm

jimbo wrote:
Sun Jul 21, 2019 5:09 pm
Lost Leopard Spot wrote:
Sun Jul 21, 2019 2:18 pm
Thomas looked depressed.
He does seem different this year. My wife caught one of his interviews early on and picked up on it too. Not his usual jovial self. I put it down to it being the first time he’s gone in with expectation and pressure, while at the same time being threatened by a younger more talented team mate. Even last year while leading all the focus was on Froome and what he was up to.
I don't think he's banked enough into the mental tank to take him through into any kind of real challenge this year, unfortunately.

Alaphillipe looks cosmic at the moment... (too cosmic for my liking - I'm constantly wondering which biological scam he's latched onto early. Which is a shame if he really is just developing into superman this year).

Still glued to it though.
PS haven't seen today's highlights, so maybe Geraint has already kicked Julien's nuts... :oops:
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Re: On yer bike!

Post by jimbo » Sun Jul 21, 2019 7:51 pm

Lost Leopard Spot wrote:
Sun Jul 21, 2019 5:50 pm
jimbo wrote:
Sun Jul 21, 2019 5:09 pm
Lost Leopard Spot wrote:
Sun Jul 21, 2019 2:18 pm
Thomas looked depressed.
He does seem different this year. My wife caught one of his interviews early on and picked up on it too. Not his usual jovial self. I put it down to it being the first time he’s gone in with expectation and pressure, while at the same time being threatened by a younger more talented team mate. Even last year while leading all the focus was on Froome and what he was up to.
I don't think he's banked enough into the mental tank to take him through into any kind of real challenge this year, unfortunately.

Alaphillipe looks cosmic at the moment... (too cosmic for my liking - I'm constantly wondering which biological scam he's latched onto early. Which is a shame if he really is just developing into superman this year).

Still glued to it though.
PS haven't seen today's highlights, so maybe Geraint has already kicked Julien's nuts... :oops:
Alaphillipe looks great. He’s been a fantastic rider for a few years - a good punchy one day racer able to light up a race. Bags of talent and probably the most likely rider for a long time who could win all 5 monuments. His big test will be the successive 2000m cols. I think he’ll explode spectacularly and lose a lot of time on one stage and likely fall out of the top 10- first cracks started to show today. He looked a broken man st the end and couldn’t even ride away from Poels.

Pinot is looking really strong and Thomas’ likely rival. I like both and would be pleased for both of them if they won.

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Re: On yer bike!

Post by Lost Leopard Spot » Sun Jul 21, 2019 7:58 pm

jimbo wrote:
Sun Jul 21, 2019 7:51 pm
Lost Leopard Spot wrote:
Sun Jul 21, 2019 5:50 pm
jimbo wrote:
Sun Jul 21, 2019 5:09 pm
Lost Leopard Spot wrote:
Sun Jul 21, 2019 2:18 pm
Thomas looked depressed.
He does seem different this year. My wife caught one of his interviews early on and picked up on it too. Not his usual jovial self. I put it down to it being the first time he’s gone in with expectation and pressure, while at the same time being threatened by a younger more talented team mate. Even last year while leading all the focus was on Froome and what he was up to.
I don't think he's banked enough into the mental tank to take him through into any kind of real challenge this year, unfortunately.

Alaphillipe looks cosmic at the moment... (too cosmic for my liking - I'm constantly wondering which biological scam he's latched onto early. Which is a shame if he really is just developing into superman this year).

Still glued to it though.
PS haven't seen today's highlights, so maybe Geraint has already kicked Julien's nuts... :oops:
Alaphillipe looks great. He’s been a fantastic rider for a few years - a good punchy one day racer able to light up a race. Bags of talent and probably the most likely rider for a long time who could win all 5 monuments. His big test will be the successive 2000m cols. I think he’ll explode spectacularly and lose a lot of time on one stage and likely fall out of the top 10- first cracks started to show today. He looked a broken man st the end and couldn’t even ride away from Poels.

Pinot is looking really strong and Thomas’ likely rival. I like both and would be pleased for both of them if they won.
Just seen today's highlights.
My money's on a one-two for France: Alaphillipe and Pinot, though in which order I couldn't say. Yet more Big Hills still to come (Is it three days in the Alps?)
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Re: On yer bike!

Post by Enoch » Sun Jul 21, 2019 8:17 pm

Cracking Tour. Best for a long time. Can't remember when there were six chaps with a genuine chance of yellow in Paris as they enter the third week. Compulsive viewing.

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Re: On yer bike!

Post by jimbo » Mon Jul 22, 2019 8:38 am

Enoch wrote:
Sun Jul 21, 2019 8:17 pm
Cracking Tour. Best for a long time. Can't remember when there were six chaps with a genuine chance of yellow in Paris as they enter the third week. Compulsive viewing.
I think the fact that each of the 6 has obvious flaws is making it more compelling. I guess that’s what happens when the two best stage racers of recent times aren’t in the race, or aren’t in the GC battle.

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Re: On yer bike!

Post by Enoch » Wed Jul 24, 2019 1:08 pm

...that aside, Bernadeau got the exposure his sponsors would want and the team can now settle down at the back. It's a three week test of endurance as much as anything and that push will have exposed any frauds hiding in the pack.

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Re: On yer bike!

Post by jimbo » Wed Jul 24, 2019 1:11 pm

Never a fan of a punishment chase. Just think it’s poor management really. Better to save energy today and try to get into breaks in the coming days rather than waste it all in a futile move today.

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Re: On yer bike!

Post by Enoch » Wed Jul 24, 2019 1:16 pm

jimbo wrote:
Wed Jul 24, 2019 1:11 pm
Never a fan of a punishment chase. Just think it’s poor management really. Better to save energy today and try to get into breaks in the coming days rather than waste it all in a futile move today.
Total-Direct Énergie's tour ends today. They may as well pack their bags tonight and go home.

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Re: On yer bike!

Post by Lost Leopard Spot » Wed Jul 24, 2019 1:48 pm

Who was that chap going on about bringing the Professional cycling union in because of the weather, yesterday?
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Re: On yer bike!

Post by Lost Leopard Spot » Wed Jul 24, 2019 1:54 pm

Lost Leopard Spot wrote:
Wed Jul 24, 2019 1:48 pm
Who was that chap going on about bringing the Professional cycling union in because of the weather, yesterday?
S'alright, can answer my own question: 'twas Sagan, green jersey.
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Re: On yer bike!

Post by jimbo » Wed Jul 24, 2019 2:14 pm

Lost Leopard Spot wrote:
Wed Jul 24, 2019 1:54 pm
Lost Leopard Spot wrote:
Wed Jul 24, 2019 1:48 pm
Who was that chap going on about bringing the Professional cycling union in because of the weather, yesterday?
S'alright, can answer my own question: 'twas Sagan, green jersey.
There is an extreme weather protocol to protect riders when conditions become dangerous. Usually comes into play when there’s excessive wind or cold weather / snow. There is some precedent to stages being shortened though due to heat, particularly at the tour down under. I saw somewhere yesterday that the average bottles per rider was 22!

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Re: On yer bike!

Post by Lost Leopard Spot » Wed Jul 24, 2019 2:22 pm

jimbo wrote:
Wed Jul 24, 2019 2:14 pm
Lost Leopard Spot wrote:
Wed Jul 24, 2019 1:54 pm
Lost Leopard Spot wrote:
Wed Jul 24, 2019 1:48 pm
Who was that chap going on about bringing the Professional cycling union in because of the weather, yesterday?
S'alright, can answer my own question: 'twas Sagan, green jersey.
There is an extreme weather protocol to protect riders when conditions become dangerous. Usually comes into play when there’s excessive wind or cold weather / snow. There is some precedent to stages being shortened though due to heat, particularly at the tour down under. I saw somewhere yesterday that the average bottles per rider was 22!
Surprising fact no.1 (and this is related to marathon running, fell racing and triathlons - but I expect it extends to bike racing too): Not a single death has ever been recorded in endurance races due to dehydration. 48+ people have died taking part in marathon runs over the last decade by drinking too much water. True fact.
Also, I noticed most of the water that ran out yesterday was being poured over the cyclists' heads rather than down their necks.
I seem to recall that the Dutch fans, in previous tours, have set up 'showers' where the cyclists run under a series of hosepipes set to sprinkle, on the Alpine stages. Maybe that could help.
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Re: On yer bike!

Post by jimbo » Wed Jul 24, 2019 2:26 pm

Yeah, there’s ice vests that riders can use as well. Teams are pretty clued up as to how to try to keep cool but when it’s touching 40 degrees there’s only so much you can do.

I went out for 3 hrs yesterday lunch time and was absolutely melting. Think I’ll be waiting til it cools down a bit before I next go out.

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Re: On yer bike!

Post by Lost Leopard Spot » Wed Jul 24, 2019 2:55 pm

jimbo wrote:
Wed Jul 24, 2019 2:26 pm
Yeah, there’s ice vests that riders can use as well. Teams are pretty clued up as to how to try to keep cool but when it’s touching 40 degrees there’s only so much you can do.

I went out for 3 hrs yesterday lunch time and was absolutely melting. Think I’ll be waiting til it cools down a bit before I next go out.
Yeh, don't get me wrong, I'm not arguing for having a bike race in forty degrees going up a mountain. But, I'll be pissed off if they just cut out the remaining mountain stages...
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Re: On yer bike!

Post by jimbo » Wed Jul 24, 2019 3:06 pm

Lost Leopard Spot wrote:
Wed Jul 24, 2019 2:55 pm
jimbo wrote:
Wed Jul 24, 2019 2:26 pm
Yeah, there’s ice vests that riders can use as well. Teams are pretty clued up as to how to try to keep cool but when it’s touching 40 degrees there’s only so much you can do.

I went out for 3 hrs yesterday lunch time and was absolutely melting. Think I’ll be waiting til it cools down a bit before I next go out.
Yeh, don't get me wrong, I'm not arguing for having a bike race in forty degrees going up a mountain. But, I'll be pissed off if they just cut out the remaining mountain stages...
I think today is supposed to be the last of the really hot days, so the next few days should be safe!

There’s other things within the power of the commissaires as well, such as relaxing the time limit. This would allow the grupetto to take a more relaxed pace and not affect the racing at the pointy end.

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Re: On yer bike!

Post by Lost Leopard Spot » Wed Jul 24, 2019 3:13 pm

jimbo wrote:
Wed Jul 24, 2019 3:06 pm
Lost Leopard Spot wrote:
Wed Jul 24, 2019 2:55 pm
jimbo wrote:
Wed Jul 24, 2019 2:26 pm
Yeah, there’s ice vests that riders can use as well. Teams are pretty clued up as to how to try to keep cool but when it’s touching 40 degrees there’s only so much you can do.

I went out for 3 hrs yesterday lunch time and was absolutely melting. Think I’ll be waiting til it cools down a bit before I next go out.
Yeh, don't get me wrong, I'm not arguing for having a bike race in forty degrees going up a mountain. But, I'll be pissed off if they just cut out the remaining mountain stages...
I think today is supposed to be the last of the really hot days, so the next few days should be safe!

There’s other things within the power of the commissaires as well, such as relaxing the time limit. This would allow the grupetto to take a more relaxed pace and not affect the racing at the pointy end.
What? Is that the difference between staying in the race the next day or being eliminated, depending on how far behind the winner you are on the stage?
Yes, I'd prefer that.
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