2022 Tour de France

[eth-dog]

This is enthralling

 

[eth-dog]

Here's what we wanted. Pogacar vs Vingegaard mano el mano

 

[Vader]

I’ll jump in here and ask what has happened to Froome ?.

Untouchable champion for awhile, now very pedestrian. You don’t go from untouchable to “dud”, so easily.

Is there a reason for his demise ?.

Went from being a donkey, to a thoroughbred at UK Postal, back to being a donkey again.

It doesn't take a genius to figure out what was going on in that middle section of his career.

On SM-A5360 using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[eth-dog]

Come on Barguil!

 

[The King!]

He might be human

 

[Orange Agent]

I’ll jump in here and ask what has happened to Froome ?.

Untouchable champion for awhile, now very pedestrian. You don’t go from untouchable to “dud”, so easily.

Is there a reason for his demise ?.

Crashed and almost died had a fair bit to do with it.

 

[Orange Agent]

It's not a shock that Jonas has done this in the high mountains but the extent of the damage is certainly a shock.

 

[Tomnat Tigers]

First bit of action in the tour in a long time.

 

[99 Problems]

Outstanding from Vingegaard and Jumbo Visma. They copped some criticism for their tactics so far, some of it fair, but they had their plan and it worked perfectly. WVA just needs to finish to win the green, and now they have a dominant lead for the yellow.

Jonas breaking Pog wasn’t completely surprising, but the amount of damage and the several riders between them certainly was. He’s definitely not out of it but it’s hard to see him turning it around after that. Once again, beware anyone who looks too good in the first week.

 

[bended elbow]

What a stage! Unbelievable on so many fronts. But my lord do we have a race on our hands. If anyone can pull back two minutes it's Pog.

 

[Drummond]

Covid impacting Pog’s chances with Bennett out now too. So stupid, so unfair.

 

[eth-dog]

I feel like UAE's tactics on the stage to La Planche des Belles Filles and even the previous night are coming back to haunt them. The insistence of wearing the maillot jaune every day after that meant burning candles on stages where guys like Vingegaard and co wouldn't have made up much ground at all left him isolated last night.

 

[royboy2]

Just finished watching the last 60km, (slow day at work) was not expecting to see that. I thought maybe tonight up Alpe d'Huez, Glad I watched the whole stage though not the highlights, amazing performance from Jonas

 

[masai tu]

Went from being a donkey, to a thoroughbred at UK Postal, back to being a donkey again.

It doesn't take a genius to figure out what was going on in that middle section of his career.

On SM-A5360 using BigFooty.com mobile app

I’m a cynical bugger in relation to international cycling. Reckon they are all on some type of juice ( sit on a bike for 4+ hours !!! ), some are on extra.

I accept he’s had injuries, but he is presently looking like a weekend rider. You don’t go from hero to zero so quickly.

Anyway, enjoyed the race last night. Challenges came from all directions, a number unexpected.

 

[Vader]

I’m a cynical bugger in relation to international cycling. Reckon they are all on some type of juice ( sit on a bike for 4+ hours !!! ), some are on extra.

I accept he’s had injuries, but he is presently looking like a weekend rider. You don’t go from hero to zero so quickly.

Anyway, enjoyed the race last night. Challenges came from all directions, a number unexpected.

They're all on the juice, but UK Postal had access to something truly special, courtesy of their connection to Team GB. This is what was responsible for the bizarre and otherwise inexplicable improvements in the performances of Wiggins and Froome.

The Team GB drugs also led to the UK dominating a number of other endurance sports during the same era. It's not a coincidence.

Once UK Postal were stripped of the keys to the Team GB drugs cabinet they came back to earth very quickly.

*** My opinion/theory only, based on repeatedly watching donkeys turning into thoroughbreds as soon as they went to UK Postal, reverting back to donkeys again after leaving the team, with no other rational explanation.

On SM-T510 using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Richard Cranium]

Bloody feel asleep just as Pog's group was starting the final climb, woke up to see Pog going over the finish line, 2'50" behind someone. Was too tired/disoriented to find out who.

****!

 

[anchor man]

Speaking of being juiced up, what happened to the TDF bike groups that had their hotel etc raided recently?
Apparently vials had been found and is was being investigated. Another hush up job?

 

[yaco55]

Found this last night looking for my TDF fix, but forgot to post it. Its a split screen of Matt Keenan and Gerrans and O'Donnell calling/watching Simon Clarke win stage 5 last week. Matt gets pretty animated as he calls it, whilst the others are silently egging on Clarke.






I missed this small tribute to Phil Anderson - must have been flicking channels - but I did hear them mention post this, that he came to Europe to ride his first tour in 1981 and had never seen, let alone ridden a Euro mountain stage previously. He had done some riding in the "mountains" in the Great Dividing Range, he was pretty green and naive about the Pyrenees but managed to hang onto the lead group and got into the yellow jersey.

Are you serious - The SBS coverage is so boring and soporific - Keenan's call of the final of stage 5 was bland and uninspiring - Keenan's commentates in a monotone manner which results in him not conveying any emotion in a close finish - Carlton Kirby's call of the stage five finish was so much better - It doesn't help that SBS got rid of their best commentator Robbie McEwan for unknown reasons - I'll also add that Dan Jones ( who is not an SBS employee ) is killing it with the quality of the interviewees he has conducted at the TDF.

 

[Orange Agent]

Jumbo have played their ace with Roglic as a decoy and he is now out of the GC race, Pog no longer has to worry about him. 10 more stages in yellow is a big ask and the tables are now turned. Given how relentlessly they raced its likley he bonked through lack of carbs and no team car or domestiques when he needed them.

 

[Over The Post]

Glad its them and not me

 

[99 Problems]

Jumbo have played their ace with Roglic as a decoy and he is now out of the GC race, Pog no longer has to worry about him. 10 more stages in yellow is a big ask and the tables are now turned. Given how relentlessly they raced its likley he bonked through lack of carbs and no team car or domestiques when he needed them.

Will be interesting to see how Jumbo approaches things. Today probably suits Pog more than yesterday, and he only has to worry about Vingegaard now, while Jumbo will have to mark Pog along with Bardet and especially Thomas given the time trial to come.

I think Pogacar will give himself a chance with a deficit up to maybe 90 seconds going into the TT.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

Are you serious - The SBS coverage is so boring and soporific - Keenan's call of the final of stage 5 was bland and uninspiring - Keenan's commentates in a monotone manner which results in him not conveying any emotion in a close finish - Carlton Kirby's call of the stage five finish was so much better - It doesn't help that SBS got rid of their best commentator Robbie McEwan for unknown reasons - I'll also add that Dan Jones ( who is not an SBS employee ) is killing it with the quality of the interviewees he has conducted at the TDF.

I greatly miss Robbie McEwan from all of SBS' cycling coverage. I have commented about this in the past.

I don't need my commentators having a cycling orgasm. So what if Keenan has a monotone. He's accurate. He got animated and excited enough in the final 60 seconds of stage 5 as Simon Clarke was pushing hard for victory.

 

[yaco55]

I greatly miss Robbie McEwan from all of SBS' cycling coverage. I have commented about this in the past.

I don't need my commentators having a cycling orgasm. So what if Keenan has a monotone. He's accurate. He got animated and excited enough in the final 60 seconds of stage 5 as Simon Clarke was pushing hard for victory.

No he didn't - It was a bland and uninspiring call of the finish which failed to paint a picture of the final 200 metres - Keenan is severely over-rated as a caller - At least when McEwen was in the box he would add snap and spunk to the telecast. Actually most of the SBS coverage is uninspiring - Gerrans is solid, McKenzie is average, Christoph is there for some comedy which is OK, I am unsure of Elvins role and I am hoping she can be more useful in the TDF Femmes, while O'Donnell is average. By far the best part of their coverage is Dan Jones pre and post race interviews who isn't even on their payroll.

 

[yaco55]

Bastille Day means French riders will attack the break - Pinot has been hiding himself and his form is good enough to win the stage.

 

[Orange Agent]

That descent from Pidcock was rolled gold.