Tour De France 2024

Sports Sports: Chat / Discussions
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Rather belatedly I checked and it still is on SBS…

I think cycling is one of the top three Olympic sports for Australia (after Swimming and Athletics)

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Thanks Furryanimal, I consider it one of the greatest and hardest sporting competitions of the year and I never miss a stage, although I can’t justify sitting for four hours plus in an afternoon so I record the hour long highlights on ITV 4 at 19:00 and watch it next day usually (that’s if Mrs Fox wants control of the telly on the night) …
So I might be late with my appraisals.

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Incredible first stage.
No spoilers yet in case you haven’t seen it.
But watch those highlights.
Absolutely incredible.

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General classification after stage one:

  1. Romain Bardet (Fra/DSM-firmenich PostNL) 5hrs 07mins 22secs

  2. Frank van den Broek (Ned/DSM-firmenich PostNL) +4secs

  3. Wout van Aert (Bel/Visma-Lease a Bike) +11secs

  4. Tadej Pogacar (Slo/UAE Team Emirates) +15secs

  5. Maxim van Gils (Bel/Lotto-dstny) Same time

  6. Alex Aranburu (Spa/Movistar) "

  7. Mads Pedersen (Den/Lidl-Trek) "

  8. Remco Evenpoel (Bel/Soudal Quick-Step) "

  9. Pello Bilbao (Spa/Bahrain Victorious) "

  10. Alberto Bettiol (Ita/Education-Easy Post)
    …
    Stage 2

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Couldn’t reply to your post Furryanimal because I was a day late watching the recording.
What a truly amazing sportsman Cavendish is, and very respected by riders, officials and past hero’s, who are still in the shadows apparently. Ever since the days of Miguel Indurain, Djamolidine Abdoujaparov and my favourite Marco Pantani, has there been such a dedicated and exciting rider…

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He got persuaded to ride by Astana this year after announcing his retirement.
Just to try to get that win in France.
Mission accomplished.
Shame the final stage is a time trial in Nice.
After I thought his tour was going to be over on stage one

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I think with the help of that Greek bloke he is as fit as he’s ever been, Cavendish speaks very highly of him and they go way back together. It would be a shame to waste all that training and not continue. I don’t think the sprinters are as strong as other years, but I might be proved wrong on that as it’s early days yet.
They’ve finished on time trials in the past, and on some occasions the race was won and lost on those final tests of speed endurance, but it won’t be the same as not finishing in Paris…

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If it’s close the lead could change hands as in 1989.
Hope that is the case…

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The Gravel Section

Click ‘ watch on you tube’ for the official highlights

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Cracking Stage 11 that I watched all of.
Much better than stage 10!

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Stage 19….

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It looks like the first three places have been established…

RIDERS TIME
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T. POGACARUAE TEAM EMIRATES|78:49:20||
||2|

J. VINGEGAARDTEAM VISMA-LEASE A BIKE|+5:03||
||3|

R. EVENEPOELSOUDAL - QUICK-STEP|+7:01||
||4|

J. ALMEIDAUAE TEAM EMIRATES|+15:07||
||5|

M. LANDASOUDAL - QUICK-STEP|+15:34||
||6|

C. RODRÍGUEZINEOS GRENADIERS|+17:36||
||7|

A. YATESUAE TEAM EMIRATES|+19:18||
||8|

D. GEEISRAEL - PREMIER TECH|+21:52||
||9|

M. JORGENSONTEAM VISMA-LEASE A BIKE|+22:43||
||10|

G. CICCONELIDL TREK|+22:46||
||11|

S. BUITRAGOBAHRAIN VICTORIOUS|+22:56||
||12|

S. YATESTEAM JAYCO ALULA|+28:58||
||13|

G. MARTINCOFIDIS, SOLUTIONS CRÉDITS|+30:26||
||14|

F. GALLDECATHLON-AG2R-LA MONDIALE|+31:20||
||15|

S. CRASTOTALENERGIES|+37:22||
||16|

L. DE PLUSINEOS GRENADIERS|+38:12||
||17|

R. CARAPAZEF EDUCATION - EASYPOST|+40:31||
||18|

J. HINDLEYRED BULL-BORA-HANSGROHE|+45:18||
||19|

L. MEINTJESINTERMARCHÉ - WANTY|+59:26||
||20|

E. MASMOVISTAR|+1:05:32||
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W. KELDERMANTEAM VISMA-LEASE A BIKE|+1:12:19||
||22|

J. BERNARDLIDL TREK|+1:18:55||
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E. BERNALINEOS GRENADIERS|+1:20:55||
||24|

B. HEALYEF EDUCATION - EASYPOST|+1:25:03||
||25|

J. ROMOMOVISTAR|+1:26:46||
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C. VERONALIDL TREK|+1:27:30||
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I. VAN WILDERSOUDAL - QUICK-STEP|+1:31:25||
||28|

V. MADOUASGROUPAMA - FDJ|+1:37:55||
||29|

J. HAIGBAHRAIN VICTORIOUS|+1:46:59||
||30|

J. JEGATTOTALENERGIES|+1:48:51||

Pogacar looks like the new Indurain…So far above the rest, his turns of speed in the mountains are just phenomenal.

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Yeah…too a big a gap for the final time trial…although anyone can blow up in one of those or on a mountain stage.
But it looks game over.

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When interviewed earlier on in the tour Vinegaard said he was not too worried about falling behind Pogacar because he [Podacar] was bound to have a bad day sooner or later…
But by careful planning of his hard days and easy days I don’t think he [Podacar] has had a bad day yet has he…
And watch out for Evenepoel poised to take second after the time trial on Sunday, he is an awesome time trialler…

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Stage 20.
International feed commentary.
Click’watch on you tube’

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Pogacar looked like he had just bumped into Vinegaard while cycling down to the shops for his paper…Awesome turn of speed… :biking_man:
Hellish name to pronounce though… :017:

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Rob Hatch sometimes has me wondering who he is on about with his name pronunciations!
Anyone Pogacar is so good he is danger of making races boring.

Hope someone can step up to give him a challenge.
Wonder if he is going to do the Vuelta?
And Mark Cavendishes recently set record is probably going to be beaten if he stays fit.
Anyway,it was business as normal in the final Time Trial which I’d hoped would be a contest as in 1989!
But next year Pogacar probably won’t win the final stage :grinning: which is presumably back to the sprint around Paris.
Final GC

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Interesting to see so many enthusiasts who I’d have expected for the EURO24, especially since England did so well. As Bruce indicated, whenever there’s an athlete who’s “out of this world”, as he describes himself, I tend to get suspicious about whether he’s just in a better shape or has helped to make it happen.

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After watching the highlights of the tour every night religiously I was so disappointed at the anti-climax that was the final time trial. The order of the top five was known after the first week, and although the following stages through the beautiful countryside of France and tough days in the mountains was so exciting and for me, unmissable, I was so let down that I switched off the TV before the end of the final stage. Nothing to do with the change of location, just the lack of a sprint finish.
I don’t know if anyone watching the race noticed that there was not one sight of massive new housing estates, or warehouses as big as small African countries that we seem to have here.
France looks like England in the fifties…What the hell happened to us…?

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