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

[Bustaspoke]

I enjoyed the Gravel stage,I was expecting Pidcock,WVA & VDP to be at the front.I was hoping Stuyven could hold on but it wasn't to be.
I know it's difficult to make a real time decission about concussion but allowing Vlasov to continue was a bit of a concern

[Ditchfinder]

didn't mind the gravel stage apart from that 90 degreee turn onto a steep ramp which had everyone off and pushing - without that section there would have been no moaning. Thought Remco was a bit daft attacking when he'd been continually out of position on entry into the gravel sections and having to work to get back up. Think I'll just watch the sprint on highlights tonight, can't imagine anything interesting happening today as weather is good with low winds

[weeksy]

Think I'll just watch the sprint on highlights tonight, can't imagine anything interesting happening today as weather is good with low winds

You're probably right, it'll mostly just be background noise while working until the action hots up.

[Ditchfinder]

Now tomorrow - that's a totally different kettle of pigeons, horrible 15% ramp at the end of the climb of Puy Mary (2020 stage finish) and a draggy finish at Lioran ski resort.

Before all that are a lot of lumps and bumps and heavy roads a proper climbers day. Oh and it's quite pretty round those parts, proper landscape eye candy - i'll be watching the whole lot

[Count Steer]

I enjoyed the Gravel stage,I was expecting Pidcock,WVA & VDP to be at the front.I was hoping Stuyven could hold on but it wasn't to be.
I know it's difficult to make a real time decission about concussion but allowing Vlasov to continue was a bit of a concern

The riders didn't look like they did!

A few more stages like that and they'll be treating silicosis as a cycling-related disease. There are some stages that look like a rewrite of 'They Shoot Horses Don't They?' and gravel stages are right up there.

[Bustaspoke]

A few more stages like that and they'll be treating silicosis as a cycling-related disease.

I've often thought that it's not doing the riders lungs any favours breathing all that dust,usually on Paris - Roubaix,Strade Bianche etc..
I'm of the opinion that they should minimise the 'caravan' in front of the riders because of the dust,surely in this day & age they can employ drones instead of camera bikes for the 'Gravel' sectors?.

[JamJar]

I enjoyed the Gravel stage,I was expecting Pidcock,WVA & VDP to be at the front.I was hoping Stuyven could hold on but it wasn't to be.
I know it's difficult to make a real time decission about concussion but allowing Vlasov to continue was a bit of a concern

The riders didn't look like they did!

A few more stages like that and they'll be treating silicosis as a cycling-related disease. There are some stages that look like a rewrite of 'They Shoot Horses Don't They?' and gravel stages are right up there.

I was at the stage on section 14 and the dust was crazy when the vehicles went through.

[weeksy]

Getting hilly today but more lumpy than properly insane... I think Pog will still go for an attack though after his UAE team batters the rest to death on the lead in slopes... The problem for everyone as always is, not only is Pog insanely good, but so are his team.

Cav made a bit of a balls of it yesterday it seemed, got himself right out of position and on a roundabout they took a crap line which left them way back.

[Ditchfinder]

One for the break today, selection for the break will happen straight after the Sprint I think, Girmay should hang in there until then. Abrahmson has to go for it and hope to make it to Puy Mary ahead of the peloton.

Pog or Vingo to attack on the final ramp of Puy Mary (Final section is 1km at 15% ) and try and put some distance on the descent, especially into Remco as there are no flat bits for him to pull it back on. Could be one for Pidcock/Mohoric. Bardet is a local so would be a fitting farewell victory for him.

Another flat day tomorrow so no excuses for not having a go today if the legs are good.

[Count Steer]

Fascinating day and a bit of a surprise at the end.

[Ditchfinder]

And I was wrong about everything

[Count Steer]

And I was wrong about everything

I'd say there was an attack on the final ramp.

It was just at a late stage on it.

(Just not the Puy Mary one).

[Ditchfinder]

Oh and beacuse they didn't let the break form for over 60kms there was no time for the big landscape shots either

[weeksy]

https://www.procyclingstats.com/race/to ... ge-12/live

Looking like a day for the break ? Although with how the teams ride nowdays and the way the sport is going, the break-away seems almost not to exist any more... The sprint teams just lock it down, if it's not them it's UAE/Visma who lock it down instead.. Gone are the days of the pack having an easy day and giving a 3-4 rider bunch 5-10 mins that they simply don't bother pulling in again.

[Ditchfinder]

Sprinters are running out of chances now so can't see them letting the break go. What did yesterday's chaos take out of everyone though...?

[weeksy]

Well apart from the big 4, plus maybe a few of the people like Yates etc i don't think it was a terribly hard day for the rest (in their world anyway).

It did bring more questions than answers though at the front. Remco is impressing me with his dogged determination and i think/hope he'll get a deserved spot on the podium come the end. He's not in the same climbing league as Jonas and Pog, but he's pretty bloody decent isn't he

[Count Steer]

It's all felt a tad surreal this year. Cav's win was a bit of a dream sequence, the way the stages have gone has felt a bit odd at times and a) not ending in Paris + b) ending with a TT instead of a final sprint is all a bit bizarre.

Still nice to watch though.

[weeksy]

I've just seen an interesting Insta

The 2CV is the reason climbs are Cat4/3/2/1/Haut.

If they could get up the hill in 4th gear in the 2CV then it was Cat4, 3rd is Cat3 etc etc... I've been watching cycling for many many years and wasn't aware of that fact.

[Count Steer]

Well apart from the big 4, plus maybe a few of the people like Yates etc i don't think it was a terribly hard day for the rest (in their world anyway).

I think Fred Wright had a tough day!

[Ditchfinder]

Rumours of Covid in the peloton, masks at sign on this morning