Tour de France 2024....chat, discussions, talking points

[weeksy]

Discovery+ no adverts.

That was some performance from UAE and Pog

[Count Steer]

Discovery+ no adverts.

That was some performance from UAE and Pog

Haven't got it.

(But I like the coverage on ITV4 and the breaks are useful. Today though I was in the kitchen, cookin' so got to see the marvel of daytime TV advertising).

Yup. Quite a performance. UAE are starting to look like the 'Death Star' days of team Sky. It could all be over by the end of the first week.

[Ditchfinder]

I think they are just making sure Vingo doesn't get chance to ride himself in after his injuries

[weeksy]

https://www.procyclingstats.com/race/to ... age-5/live

On the flat/sprinter side of things today, although looks to be slightly upghill to the line which may not suit the likes of Cav. May suit Girmay though or VdP.

[Hot_Air]

Do we think the UAE team is doping?

[weeksy]

Do we think the UAE team is doping?

Ooooft there's a question isn't it. In truth, they've got by far the strongest team even before doping discussions, they've all been superb for quite a while.. but yeah they are somewhat even more incredible than you'd think possible. I'm a maybe.. possibly.... but i'd like to think not.

[Count Steer]

Given the reasons the UAE have a team at all, it'd be a bit risky doping the team I'd have thought. Unless they take a different attitude to performance enhancing drugs from the one they take to mood enhancing ones.

Doesn't mean that they (or any other team) aren't - amazing how many top athletes have asthma - but they've probably just hired the best riders and support team.

So, yeah, I'd like to think Pog is just freakily good.

[weeksy]

I think the asthma is exercise induced rather than a genetic/historical thing, something to do with the prolonged efforts and breathing actually causing it.

[Count Steer]

I think the asthma is exercise induced rather than a genetic/historical thing, something to do with the prolonged efforts and breathing actually causing it.

I was thinking more that most asthma medications are steroid based (and banned) and even the permitted stuff, salbutamol, appears to have possible performance benefits. ie sports performance coaches might be tempted to treat asthma in athletes that haven't got asthma. Not exactly breaking the rules, just taking them to the limits.

[weeksy]

Agree... i don't know for sure if those that need it are pre-tested in terms of diagnosis, but you'd argue they probably have a friendly doc who'd write them a note anyway. I absolutely think that even those who are not directly cheating are certainly likely to be using anything and everything humanly possible within the rules to allow them to be competitive, it would be silly to think anything different really.
In the world of marginal gains, even the marginal ones can add up.

[Count Steer]

Yeah, I'd hate to keep losing to someone that's getting an edge by doing something legit that I'm not doing (providing it's not actually doing harm).

Anyways, street furniture seems to be the challenge, rather than hills, today.

[weeksy]

Well, let's see if the Cav bloke can get in the mix.

He's clearly wanting it with his positioning.

I think top 4 personally but I'd love to be wrong here

[Count Steer]

Fingers crossed. (I reckon he's going to save it for the final day ).

[Count Steer]

[weeksy]

WHAT!!!!! my heart is pounding !!! Yessssss

Got tears on my eyes

[MingtheMerciless]

Very dusty in here too.......how did he do that!???

[weeksy]

The answer is, dominantly. Wow.

I thought he was out of position but it seems not

[MingtheMerciless]

With about a kilometre to go I thought he'd lost his chance and then.......bloody amazing. Looked like pretty much the whole peloton stopped to congratulate him as well.

[Count Steer]

Kudos to the team for seeing the possibilities and signing him up.

Nice to see that it seems a nearly universally popular result too.

[weeksy]

Was a very astute move by then, they'll go down in history, every intro, every outro, every time will have this stage and their kit on it.

It was perfect to put Jasper out of position and boxed in, it made a massive difference to who was there. But in truth, he'd likely still have won it.