2023 Cycling - Tour De France

[Bend it like Repka]

Cav has announced this is going to be his last season.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/65665546

Absolute British sporting legend. Hope he can get that one more TDF win to go out on.......

[Bend it like Repka]

Talking of legends, good luck to G today in the final Giro TT.

One of our greatest ever sports stars, adding the Giro at 37 to his TDF crown will be fantastic.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/av/cycling/65728107

[Bend it like Repka]

Not to be. Rodlic rode a stormer.

I did think G needed a bit more of a cushion. That TT course wasn't really his style, too short and steep.

[Bend it like Repka]

Am I the only cycling fan here?

Cav wins his final Giro stage - that man knows how to write stories.

Led out by Thomas, what an act of friendship, considering he had just lost the pink jersey on the previous day.

Pretty special stuff to watch.

[alf git]

Am I the only cycling fan here?

The issue i have with certain sports, cycling being one of them, is that i have zero confidence that there isn't shenanigans going on.

[Junco Partner]

I'll join you for the three weeks or so of the Tour D'France....the only cycling that matters

I've limited sports bandwidth left these days but The Tour holds a special place in my heart. Stems from long school summer breaks and Channel 4's amazing coverage in the days of Hinault, LeMond and Indurain....the colour, the drama, the landscapes, the team tactics and the sheer hell they go through had me hooked for life.

See you for Stage 1 Bilbao

[Toulouse_Iron]

R.I.P. Gino Mader. Crashed on stage 6 of the tour of Switzerland.
https://www.bbc.com/sport/cycling/65926606

[bonzosbeard]

How awful rip

[LittleChris]

Awful news. Apparently the lead riders only thought it was Sheffield that went over the edge and were concerned about him not realising how much worse it was. They're, unsurprisingly, unhappy about downhill finishes on mountain sections given the speeds reached.

RIP Gino

[Misko]

I'll join you for the three weeks or so of the Tour D'France....the only cycling that matters

I've limited sports bandwidth left these days but The Tour holds a special place in my heart. Stems from long school summer breaks and Channel 4's amazing coverage in the days of Hinault, LeMond and Indurain....the colour, the drama, the landscapes, the team tactics and the sheer hell they go through had me hooked for life.

See you for Stage 1 Bilbao

The same for me, but I think it's normal as here it's really a cultural thing, almost religious for a large portion of the population. My grandparents dropped any ongoing activity to watch it, you couldn't drag them out of their home as nothing would be of greater importance than Le Tour. But, back in the eighties, it was the only cycling race broadcasted on TV (bar Paris-Roubaix), as Roland-Garros was the only tennis you could see during the year.

This year, the finish line of the stage 12 (13th of July) will be less than one mile from my home. It will be a horrible mess here. Yesterday, I went to the bakery, they were painting the window with Tour de France related items, and I reckon this is just the beginning of the frenzy.

[Bend it like Repka]

R.I.P. Gino Mader. Crashed on stage 6 of the tour of Switzerland.
https://www.bbc.com/sport/cycling/65926606

I watched the first episode of the Tour prog on Netflix, which is excellent with my kids, and was explaining just how dangerous cycling is as a sport.

Then this happens. Awful.

RIP

[Plashet Grove Pete]

I'm amazed there aren't many more serious accidents Bendy. The speeds nowadays (particularly downhill) are frightening, and there's little protection that can be offered to riders. Combine that with the idiocy of some of the spectators (notably in the TDF) and the risks posed by stray animals and other vehicles and it's a wonder how often elite riders manage to walk away from falls with little more than broken bones.

The Mader accident looks to have been horrible and has clearly shaken up a lot of people in the sport.

RIP.

[Bend it like Repka]

Greatest race in the world starts today. Probably another epic shootout between Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard.

Plenty of Brit interest with Cav's swansong and Tom Pidcock.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/66067723

[Bend it like Repka]

Incredible start, twin brothers Adam and Simon Yates battling it out for the stage 1 win and the yellow jersey.

[sword]

I like the look of this year's TDF, in to the mountains earlier than usual (Wednesday) and a mountain stage in the Alsace, too.

Bendy, think you're right about Pogacar/Vingegaard, but hope the Yates get closer to them this year - they've started well!

[Cuenca 'ammer]

am pretty sure one of the lads who used to post on here lives in San Sebastien. also think one or both of his lads play with the youth teams of the pro club there.

can't for the life of me remember his name.

hope he's enjoying watching this race. I can only get the Spanish feeds not sure why the US ones don't work.

according to the notes it's on Peacock in the States but the stream keeps repeating on a loop. managed to stumble across a link to Eurosport UK so now it's in Irish at least !!



there's really no finer sports spectacle imvho that is...shame the Ecuadorian crashed and is now out of the race....this country is bike mad considering. and they ain't CHEAP either I'm amazed....

[Cuenca 'ammer]

after two epic days I can't believe that no ones' posted.

today was absolutely incredible... Vingegaard seemed to be "coasting" and Pogacar just seized the moment and ran away..brilliant riding BUT....Van Aert..my goodness...gave absolutely everything for his captain and could hardly keep upright when he dropped off to let both go for the final run in..., needed a bit of help from the spectators to stay on his bike..

[Junco Partner]

Heart went out to Cavendish yesterday, timed everything to perfection of the final sprint to the line and get the record breaking stage win...and his gears let him down

He speaks so naturally and is so down to earth it's hard not to warm to the guy, and the pain was evident in his post race comments. Still a few chances Mark, I hope he gets it.

... Vingegaard seemed to be "coasting" and Pogacar just seized the moment and ran away..brilliant riding BUT....Van Aert..my goodness...gave absolutely everything for his captain and could hardly keep upright when he dropped off to let both go for the final run in..., needed a bit of help from the spectators to stay on his bike..

That stage was the first duel between the big two and though Vingegaard is in yellow Pogacar has struck the first blow, psychological more than anything as Vingegaard gave everything and Pog smoked him off when he wanted. A 25 second lead is nothing at this stage. Buckle up, the Vingegaard v Pogacar battle is about to get going.

Not sure about Van Aert so far, he seems to be struggling a fair bit, which may be inevitable given his Herculean heroics but he isn't quite the machine of last year, Jumbo-Visma might miss his dominance at crucial moments this year. Keeping an eye on Pidcock’s progress too, he seems more than comfortable up near the sharp end of the GC, hopefully he goes for it at some point.

Watching ITV's coverage now as the cricket's rain delayed and the French scenery is absolutely breathtaking

[Junco Partner]

Jaysus… just caught up with Cavendish news. No way, so unlucky

[Bend it like Repka]

Double whammy, missing out on the stage win yesterday and now this.