Tour de France (Contains Spoilers) 🚴🏼‍♀️🇫🇷

TT at beginning or end of Tour?

At end it gives a different test as stated above (Roglic unprotected).

At beginning, forces more challenges on Mountain stages through the Tour.
Dont forget Pogacar pulled back almost a minute on Roglic after losing time in the cross winds in an earlier stage. I think this was a great Tour for the fact that one man took on a train that didn’t allow mountain attacks such was their dominance at the front of the peloton.
 
Would love to see Van Aert away from JV where he gets a bit more freedom.
Had a great tour regardless but what could he achieve if he wasn't riding for someone else?

Green Jersey?
Stage Wins?

He could be as good as if not better than Sagan in my opinion
 
I had Pogacar in my CQ team last year. He was brilliant for me but I thought he'd have a tough time scoring many more points this year. Doh!!! What an idiot.

I love how he races. I just wish he wasn't associated with some dodgy old schoolers.
 
Nice article by David Walsh on Hugh Carthy and his Tour. He rode over half the a Tour with a hairline fracture of his elbow.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/...d?shareToken=25e9f45669dd030d63eb5765e10d83b9
I feel for him.
I went down on some black ice years ago, both wheels went instantly sideways and I had a 1/4" crack in my elbow as a result. My elbow stiffened up and it ended with my arm permanently at a 90 degree angle for a few days.
Hugh will have had better aftercare than the few painkillers I was handed, but I bet it hurt like buggery.
;)
 
Nice article. I wondererd why he was hanging at the back of the peleton for a few days - not his usual style. I always keep an eye on him and when he was with Caja Rural almost had a daft ÂŁ5 bet on him one day winning a GT. Charly Wegelius was another rider who I kept an eye on during his career, really talented but usually working for somebody else.

Raced Wegelius once as a Junior. He was a monster. Shows you how good the pros are, when a rider who ended up as a domestique his whole career, was that good (he won the 1/2/3/Junior race we were in at a canter, breaking the lap/course record - twice - when he rode away from the bunch.)
 
Can anyone point me in the direction of the timings for the mountain part of yesterdays TT please. My search techniques are clearly crap.
 
No probs. This from Pro-cycling: " During this Tour, PogaÄŤar set new climbing records on the Col de Peyresourde, Col de Marie-Blanque, Pas de Peyrol, Grand Colombier and La Planche des Belles Filles."
 
I like the TT at the end of the race, it's a good way to ensure teams need to try and win stages properly since even a relatively healthy lead can be lost.

I would maybe have it as the 2nd / 3rd from the end though, with a couple of tough mountain stages after, just to give riders the chance to race after and take back any time. Could lead to some proper racing.

I think it was Chris Pritchard that suggested a stage just for the GC riders/leaders, which would also be fun. They leave leave 30mins / 60mins before the rest of the peloton and have to battle it out alone.
 
Just wonder quite how they could have taken more time off him? Easy to say, i guess
I think Mercx makes a good point. If you go back to Stage 17 Col de Loze summit finish JV attacked Pogacar and Roglic took an extra 15 seconds off him. They didnt do that enough I feel. Just content to prevent any attacks on them. Pretty sure they thought Roglic was not going to lose in a TT. Far too confident going into Stage 20.
 
Just reading Pidcock has signed for Ineos :eek:

I'm surprised he's gone with them as I'm not so sure it's the right structure for him. Time will tell of course. I guess they'll allow him to continue with cyclo-cross as I can't see Tom wanting to give that up?
 
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