Deserves its own thread
Pretty cool being over here at the right time, devo I won't get to a stage
Interesting start this year allowing early time gaps to get created. Some nice gaps created already
Makes sense to focus on the tour
@Machpants George hasn't had much luck since he shifted to UAE. Good to hear he's seemingly in the plans for the Tour - I was wondering if he'd make the cut, because they've got plenty of strong options.
@Chris-B said in Road Cycling:
@Machpants George hasn't had much luck since he shifted to UAE. Good to hear he's seemingly in the plans for the Tour - I was wondering if he'd make the cut, because they've got plenty of strong options.
I think he gets in on experience. Probably good to have a guy in the team that knows how to pace a long tour and will take his turn at the right time. Will know when to say to management that he has one big turn left in him if they want to use it.
11 days later
GB didn't make the cut.. he'll be spewing.
leaves us with Dion Smith who you'll never see, and Corbin Strong who is a proper chance to win NZ's first TDF stage
@WillieTheWaiter Yeah - George did an interview on TV the other night after Gino Mader died and said it was going to be difficult to very difficult for him to be fit in time for the TdF.
Fuck it - makes it significantly less interesting - and George is running out of racing years.
First stage down and the Yates brothers fought it out for line honours - Adam got the better of Simon.
Tadej picks up third and a four second bonus over Jonas.
Decent showing by Corbin Strong to finish 15th at the head of the second group and alongside some big guns (Bernal, Alaphillippe, Buchman, Bardet et al), who are all already 25 seconds down on Tadej.
Podium contenders Carapaz and Mas involved in a crash and both already out of the race.
@mariner4life I'm sorry for my ignorance, but what is TdF?
@Stargazer Tour de France
Lots of racing on Stage 2. Pog and Jonas sprinting for bonus seconds at the top of one of the intermediate climbs (Pog won) and Pog also picked up more by coming third on the stage. He's now 11 seconds ahead of Jonas.
Brilliant late attack by Victor Lafay nabs him the stage.
Adam Yates holds yellow, Pog and his bro both 6 seconds back. Then Lafay, Wout Van Aert, Vingegaard.
Alaphilippe and Pinot both around 3 minutes back now and won't be contending for the GC.
Though barring crashes it's a two horse race. 
@taniwharugby Ahh, thanks. Actually something I'm interested in haha, but I couldn't make anything of that thread title.
Don't think I've seen that too often, where not only does a guy go back to back in a stage, but the podium is the same 3 guys
Was there anything specific about that race track finish that seemed to mean more crashes at the end than usual? Or just random luck with everyone gunning it.
@Donsteppa I'm guessing smoother surface = higher speeds but less grip. Philipsen said the turns were tricky with everyone going full gas through them.
First mountain stage tonight (and another tomorrow night). Not a mountain top finish, but we might get an indication of any significant advantage in Jonas vs Pog.
We got a big indication! Nice to see Hindley doing well; he’s shaping up well for the podium.
Been a bit of a weird Tour. Normally someone like VdP might be in yellow. Instead he’s been anointed ‘world’s best sprint lead out man’
Ended up watching quite a lot last night.
I think Jumbo-Visma (and me) overestimated Jonas' advantage and paid for it. JV did plenty of work bridging across to Van Aert and then more when Wout left him to it. Pog sat in all the way and then launched.
Hindley did well to limit his losses on the final climb - ended up closer than I thought he would.
