Cycling Thread

[Gavster]

It definitely seems like a second-tier competition compared to other big highlights of the road cycling calendar. The world road championships rate higher than the olympics too.

[Carlos]

Yet Geraint Thomas' Commonwealth Gold in 2014 remains as one of my most memorable sporting moments.

Competing for your country must be special even for a pro athlete

[Gavster]

Visma's team for the tour is a seriously powerful and talented bunch of riders this year.

[Gavster]

[Gavster]

My predictions for the tour this year. I reckon Tadej will be untouchable on the whole, after rumours he did 7.2 watts per kilo for 20 minutes earlier this season and the way he has largely dominated any race aside from the Paris Roubaix, his performance is on another level. Jonas is still the main contender but has shown nothing so far this season races to suggest he can beat Tadej. The only question is who will still be best after two weeks of racing when they hit the big mountain stages.

However, if I wanted to gamble and put money on a rider it would definitely be Remco. It's a longer shot, because the other two are definitely the favourites, but Remco's racing style has become more explosive this season, he's got the legs for a grand tour and we know he can destroy everyone in a time trial. If he can keep close to the other two, it wouldn't take much of a slip from either of them for Remco to end up in the yellow jersey.

[IanF]

Visma's team for the tour is a seriously powerful and talented bunch of riders this year.

You’d think they could afford to buy the bikes and not just lease them!..

[Gavster]

Been some fantastic racing so far, the ride by Ben Healy the other day was absolutely stellar.

Also, the most useful Tour de France stage guide I’ve seen:

[dinny_g]

Great ride from Healy today. First Irish Yellow Jersey since 1987. It’ll be short lived kind but great achievement

[8Ball]

I like Healy, it was good to see him win a stage last week and be in the mix again today.

[Gavster]

The stage Healy won last week was an absolutely incredible performance, he's been on fire this year. It's also really great to see so much chopping and changing of the yellow jersey.

I wonder if Pogacar is biding his time to make sure he's got plenty left in his legs for the mountains, because Vingegaard's form is still a bit of an unknown quantity. We've got five mountain stages and a hill climb TT coming up in quick succession which are really gonna sort out the GC.

[8Ball]

Hard to tell, UAE seemed to be happy to do some of the riding yesterday, despite being a rider down, and Pogacar was happy to have a little dig at the end, but I think they'll be happy going into the rest day without the yellow jersey and all the commitments that come with it

[Jobbo]

I’m sure that’s Pogacar’s plan - he’s not the type to want to wear yellow for 3 weeks. Healy’s performance is amazing. So is Oscar Onley’s.

There’s a lot of climbing later so Pog and Ving are going to do their racing then. Can’t wait.

[Gavster]

He might not want to dominate for three weeks, but he certainly did last year

Either way, really looking forward to the racing over the coming week

[Jobbo]

Wasn’t he forced to last year by Vingegaard trying from the start?

[Gavster]

“Oh he forced me to win!” it’s called racing

[Jobbo]

I mean, as I’m sure you’re aware: there’s only one race for the GC and that is Pog and Ving. So they just mark each other for most of the race and scrap properly in the mountains. But neither can afford to lose time to the other in the other stages. If one were to make a break then the other had to go. Pog was faster than Ving last year so whenever Ving tried anything, Pog would invariably beat him. And because of the way the stages were organised they did get ahead from the off.

You’d almost think the mountains being left until later this year was a reaction to that by the organisers..,

[Gavster]

Thanks for describing how races work

[Jobbo]

I know it sounded like teaching you to suck eggs but it’s obvious that the 4th stage last year was a mountain stage which is why Pog took yellow then. So your previous response missed the point that he’s not a Lance Armstrong, he doesn’t care about being in yellow all race.

[dinny_g]

It’ll be short lived

Appears so. Pogacar going for it today

I started watching when I got in from work - 1 min clear with 7.5 km to go and finished 2’ 10” clear

Monster!!!

[8Ball]

Spoiler

Attacking at the base of the last climb isn't the usual approach.

Gotta love the way he races.