Sports Tour de France Discussion

Welcome to our Community
Wanting to join the rest of our members? Feel free to Sign Up today.
Sign up

kaladin stormblessed

Nala fanboy
Apr 24, 2017
17,627
20,132
Yes. Yes you are.

Ebh. So well deserved. Been so so close all tour.
there were like 8 dudes who kept tyrng to break away in the last 5k. no one succeeding. i look down to TMMACC, look back and this dude is 100 meteres or so from the finish line like 10+ seconds ahead of everyone lol. i saw him start to push it, but the others chased and he didnt escape. he must have turned it up to another gear as i looked down
 

benjo0101

TMMAC Addict
Jun 13, 2016
6,452
7,106
there were like 8 dudes who kept tyrng to break away in the last 5k. no one succeeding. i look down to TMMACC, look back and this dude is 100 meteres or so from the finish line like 10+ seconds ahead of everyone lol. i saw him start to push it, but the others chased and he didnt escape. he must have turned it up to another gear as i looked down
He went a different way around a roundabout... No shit. He guessed right.

He was also the fastest sprinter by quite some margin. He was almost certainly going to win either way
 

kaladin stormblessed

Nala fanboy
Apr 24, 2017
17,627
20,132
I may be the only one but I fucking love cycling. The sport has had its demons but in it's purest form on the road it is so watchable. Well the highlights packages are.

Haters gonna hate, but if you a cycling fan check in here for the tour.

Who you picking?

I got Richie Porte to win with Chris Froome a close second/third with Aru/Fulsang/Dan Martin taking a stage or two and really animating the race. Valverde is gonna be on a mission, that man seems in incredible shape and holding something back. Contador wont feature, I feel his time has passed and he is dreaming, I hope not as his climbing style is just incredible.

Watch out for Tibot Pinault and Pierre Roland for Bastille day.

Sprint wise I dont know, I think Peter Sagan is gonna be a nearly man again, that boy can ride a damn bike but he cant win many sprints. Not sure if Kittel is racing the tour but his former lead out man has been in form, Degenkolb. Arnauld Demare looked strong at the Dauphine but I dont think he has the legs to compete with the likes of Griepel, Kittel etc.

Thoughts on a postcard...
holy crap. another year has gone by already!!??
 

kaladin stormblessed

Nala fanboy
Apr 24, 2017
17,627
20,132
Date Route Length Type
1 Sa 7-7 Noirmoutier-en-l’Île – Fontenay-le-Comte 201.0 km flat
2 Su 8-7 Mouilleron-Saint-Germain – La-Roche-sur-Yon 182.5 km flat
3 Mo 9-7 Cholet – Cholet 35.5 km TTT
4 Tu 10-7 La Baule – Sarzeau 195.0 km flat
5 We 11-7 Lorient – Quimper 204.5 km hills
6 Th 12-7 Brest – Mûr-de-Bretagne 181.0 km hills
7 Fr 13-7 Fougères – Chartres 231.0 km flat
8 Sa 14-7 Dreux – Amiens 181.0 km flat
9 Su 15-7 Arras – Roubaix 156.5 km cobbles
Mo 16-7 Rest day
10 Tu 17-7 Annecy – Le Grand-Bornand 158.5 km mountains
11 We 18-7 Albertville – La Rosière 108.5 km mountains
12 Th 19-7 Bourg-Saint-Maurice – Alpe d’Huez 175.5 km mountains
13 Fr 20-7 Bourg d’Oisans – Valence 169.5 km flat
14 Sa 21-7 Saint-Paul-Trois-Chateaux – Mende 188.0 km hilly, flat start
15 Su 22-7 Millau – Carcassonne 181.5 km hilly
Mo 23-7 Rest day
16 Tu 24-7 Carcassonne – Bagnères-de-Luchon 218.0 km mountains, flat start
17 We 25-7 Bagnères-de-Luchon – Col du Portet 65.0 km mountains
18 Th 26-7 Trie-sur-Baïse – Pau 171.0 km flat
19 Fr 27-7 Lourdes – Laruns 200.5 km mountains
20 Sa 28-7 Saint-Pée-sur-Nivelle – Espelette 31.0 km ITT (hills)
21 Su 29-7 Houilles – Champs-Élysées (Paris) 116.0 km flat
 

benjo0101

TMMAC Addict
Jun 13, 2016
6,452
7,106
Anybody going to be following the TDF this year?

Tis the season....
Of course.

Alaphillipe ripping the road up today. He's easily the best all round Rider in the world. Ridiculous. The way he savages his bike when he attacks... Wish I could do that
 

Grateful Dude

TMMAC Addict
May 30, 2016
8,925
14,261
Of course.

Alaphillipe ripping the road up today. He's easily the best all round Rider in the world. Ridiculous. The way he savages his bike when he attacks... Wish I could do that
Alaphillepe is one of the most exciting riders right now, and as far as courses go this is a good race for him this year. The mountain stages should be fun.

You picking anyone to win yet? (I realize how early it is).

With Froome and Dumoulin out, some doors have been opened for other riders.
 

benjo0101

TMMAC Addict
Jun 13, 2016
6,452
7,106
Alaphillepe is one of the most exciting riders right now, and as far as courses go this is a good race for him this year. The mountain stages should be fun.

You picking anyone to win yet? (I realize how early it is).

With Froome and Dumoulin out, some doors have been opened for other riders.
I reckon G has a great chance if he can stay upright. Think we will see Bardet and Adam Yates up there but Yates' pedigree in the 3 weeks races isnt proven. The course definitely suits Bardet with the huge lack of TT but he is already way down. Quintana is more rested than ever coming in but I wonder how many matches he has to burn, he hasnt been at his best for a while.

If G is off the pace that little Egan Bernal might feature.

I dont see Fuglsang making it through the 3 weeks at the pointy end all the time but he did win the Dauphine. And he crashed nastily already.

Super open race and dont rule out a little dig from Nibali to mix it all up.
 

benjo0101

TMMAC Addict
Jun 13, 2016
6,452
7,106
Alaphillepe is one of the most exciting riders right now, and as far as courses go this is a good race for him this year. The mountain stages should be fun.

You picking anyone to win yet? (I realize how early it is).

With Froome and Dumoulin out, some doors have been opened for other riders.
You?
 

Grateful Dude

TMMAC Addict
May 30, 2016
8,925
14,261
I agree with you that it is a super open race this year, which makes it interesting for me. Geraint Thomas has a good chance if all of the stars align properly. I think Alaphillepe has a good chance as well. And it will be cool to see where Bernal finishes as well. Agree with you about Quintana and Fugslang.

I don't really have a favorite to pick, but I just like the way the TDF is unfolding so far this year. I am more excited about the event this year than I have been the past couple, so I'm just happy about that ;)
 

benjo0101

TMMAC Addict
Jun 13, 2016
6,452
7,106
I agree with you that it is a super open race this year, which makes it interesting for me. Geraint Thomas has a good chance if all of the stars align properly. I think Alaphillepe has a good chance as well. And it will be cool to see where Bernal finishes as well. Agree with you about Quintana and Fugslang.

I don't really have a favorite to pick, but I just like the way the TDF is unfolding so far this year. I am more excited about the event this year than I have been the past couple, so I'm just happy about that ;)
It seems they have got the route just about right for me. Not 5 200+km pan flat with a sprint totally boring. They have the bonus seconds on the last climb that spices up the first week. Sprinting quality is seriously down though, I think Kristoff will win in Paris, he is absolutely massive for a bike rider and power for days. Just needs a tiny bit of confidence. He looks in the best form ever.

Alaphillipe just rides way too much on instinct and not tactically, he will light up the race and likely take the polka dot jersey but there is no way he keeps yellow. He just hasnt got the mental staying power to not go mental. He was lead out man yesterday for viviani.... not exactly yellow jersey tactics going balls deep in the final the day after you went to the well to win the stage. IMO. But he is the best bike rider in the race, even better than Sagan.
 

benjo0101

TMMAC Addict
Jun 13, 2016
6,452
7,106
I agree with you that it is a super open race this year, which makes it interesting for me. Geraint Thomas has a good chance if all of the stars align properly. I think Alaphillepe has a good chance as well. And it will be cool to see where Bernal finishes as well. Agree with you about Quintana and Fugslang.

I don't really have a favorite to pick, but I just like the way the TDF is unfolding so far this year. I am more excited about the event this year than I have been the past couple, so I'm just happy about that ;)
I didn't even mention Richie Porte who looks skinny as this tour but is a bit of a bottler at the tdf unless he's a domestique.

Thibault Pinot might do something but he never performs as well as he could at his home race
 

Grateful Dude

TMMAC Addict
May 30, 2016
8,925
14,261
benjo0101 @benjo0101

Hell of a finish during Stage 6....that looked brutal (the final climb and the dirt road). You know it's a hard course when you see the top riders in the world struggling ;)
 

benjo0101

TMMAC Addict
Jun 13, 2016
6,452
7,106
benjo0101 @benjo0101

Hell of a finish during Stage 6....that looked brutal (the final climb and the dirt road). You know it's a hard course when you see the top riders in the world struggling ;)
The plank of the beautiful girls?

Brutal stuff but a stark contrast to a big big col. Shows form and grit. But not everything about the race
 

Grateful Dude

TMMAC Addict
May 30, 2016
8,925
14,261
Bloody good to watch though. This tour has delivered so far. The lack of crashes has been a really good thing
Coming back to this post:

This tour has definitely delivered! What a race this year, it’s been a great year for the TDF

I kind of feel bad for Alaphillpe though, that storm and landslide hosed him good . Even though it was predicted that he might fade out in the mountains, he has put on a hell of a race this year. Had the yellow for two damn weeks of the race!

Lots of riders did so well this year, some absolute studs. Good stuff man, good stuff!
 

benjo0101

TMMAC Addict
Jun 13, 2016
6,452
7,106
Coming back to this post:

This tour has definitely delivered! What a race this year, it’s been a great year for the TDF

I kind of feel bad for Alaphillpe though, that storm and landslide hosed him good . Even though it was predicted that he might fade out in the mountains, he has put on a hell of a race this year. Had the yellow for two damn weeks of the race!

Lots of riders did so well this year, some absolute studs. Good stuff man, good stuff!
The one man I feel for is Thibault Pinot. Poor man.

Great race. And I feel the approach from Ineos was the right one, however they could have had G in yellow in paris, and as a welshman with a bit of nostalgia still in me I wanted to see him win it twice. Bernal was stronger but could've worked for Thomas.
 

kaladin stormblessed

Nala fanboy
Apr 24, 2017
17,627
20,132
The final day which comes on in an hour is just a casual day every time right?

Could someone technically be an ass and race it real hard and change the outcome of the podium?
 

Grateful Dude

TMMAC Addict
May 30, 2016
8,925
14,261
The one man I feel for is Thibault Pinot. Poor man.

Great race. And I feel the approach from Ineos was the right one, however they could have had G in yellow in paris, and as a welshman with a bit of nostalgia still in me I wanted to see him win it twice. Bernal was stronger but could've worked for Thomas.
Yeah, that was a bummer when Pinot had to withdraw. Watching him go off in tears says it all. Terrible way to leave the tour.

I wasn’t vested either way, but I get what you’re saying about G and Bernal. I kind of expected there to be more drama around it. They both rode a great race though, so hats of to Ineos
 
Last edited:

Grateful Dude

TMMAC Addict
May 30, 2016
8,925
14,261
The final day which comes on in an hour is just a casual day every time right?

Could someone technically be an ass and race it real hard and change the outcome of the podium?
The last day is a celebration, you’ll see glasses of champagne and whatnot.

There will be some sprinters active in this stage, but overall it will be a mellower pace.

benjo0101 @benjo0101 can likely give you more/better info than I ;)
 

benjo0101

TMMAC Addict
Jun 13, 2016
6,452
7,106
The last day is a celebration, you’ll see glasses of champagne and whatnot.

There will be some sprinters active in this stage, but overall it will be a mellower pace.

benjo0101 @benjo0101 can likely give you more/better info than I ;)
It's a procession to the Champs then it's full full full gas for the 7-10 laps they normally do to a sprint finish. Nobody loses or gains time on the GC but the sprint prize is the biggest on the race so will be hotly contested.

Caleb Ewan or Dylan Groenowegan should win.

Outside bet, Alexander Kristoff if you want to maybe make some money.

I had money on Nibali for yesterday the second they shortened the stage. Made a few quid. 7/1.