2024 Tour de France

[nemo]

Stage 1 was great, you ought to see how a rookie TdF rider pulled his captain to victory. Brutal start to the tour, they usually have a prologue but this is a "new" tour style with a mountain beginning.

Stage 2, a flat stage. I try to avoid spoilers, I hope other members will too but I'll do it this one time, B&B had a nice win today!

 

[nemo]

Wout van Aert seems to be healthy during his comeback (broken collarbone, sternum, and 7 ribs in late March).

Mathieu van der Poel, not so great yet. I'd like to see him win a stage.

Cavendish, looking poor and suffering (sick?) but I hope he can achieve his historic goal of 35!

 

[Ckmaui]

amazed at Jonas Vingegaard comeback and where he is at after his insane crash
both he and Tadej are going to be the ones to watch again Early to say but they are both the new generation

Wouts crash in 2nd stage was a bummer for sure

Kinda do not want cav to get his 35th as a older former roady want Merckx to stay where he is at least tied but if he does that is fine to

Had the fun of meeting Merckx and the badger and quite a few others back in the day so they were my hero‘s

​

 

[Ckmaui]

Well congrats to Cavendish !
Best sprinter ever and now the most stage winning rider

Merckx is still a legend so all is good have to say as many did today seeing his positing and team today maybe the other days holding back was his plan and either way the dudes career and comebacks are legendary in itself
history was made this stage
for how long will it hold
a day to remember in the TDF

 

[Juanmosey]

I'm bummed Peacock is making you pay and there's no recap on YouTube. Pogacar will probably take it.

 

[DesertIguana]

Recall when Lance Armstrong was riding. Think he was last American to win.

 

[martym]

I am really enjoying this race.
These riders are amazing.

 

[FL shaver]

Some great stages to start! I think the GC winner is already pretty clear, but hoping for some more great finishes!

 

[mcee_sharp]

I used to love watching the tour on OLN, full coverage, now it takes yet another subscription :\

 

[Ckmaui]

I'm bummed Peacock is making you pay and there's no recap on YouTube. Pogacar will probably take it.

My roku app keeps crashing and taking me out also ! Aarrgghhhh but its only $5.95 for the month so doable but yeah sucks its not free anywhere

 

[nemo]

Yes, history was made today besides the 35th win for Cav. Look at who's in green!

I was looking at the crash where the road split. Should have been a marshal there waving a flag.
Nevertheless, I'm thinking there might be more than a couple riders ticked at the yellow jersey!

Lance Armstrong ... think he was last American to win.

He was stripped of his wins and banned for life for good reason.

But let us discuss this year's 2024 event and see if we can forget the doping scandals.

 

[Ckmaui]

Yes, history was made today besides the 35th win for Cav. Look at who's in green!

I was looking at the crash where the road split. Should have been a marshal there waving a flag.
Nevertheless, I'm thinking there might be more than a couple riders ticked at the yellow jersey!


He was stripped of his wins and banned for life for good reason.

But let us discuss this year's 2024 event and see if we can forget the doping scandals.

Nobody will be mad at Tadej he did not cause the crash behind him at all he avoided the others behind did not pretty easy to see that in replay

the doping thing folks were doping before and after Lance
sadly he was made an example of and this was more a political thing than doping and they wanted a fall guy to try to make it seem like it was a one person thing and cleaning up the tour the politics in the TDF are insane

When you look into the drug use since it started and up through today everyone did it even in the first years up through 20s 30s cocaine 40s 50s amphetamines was not until 1965 they had to pass laws as deaths occured etc.. but was commonly known riders were doing it

and they still kept doing it after the 1965 law and many did get caught but nothing happens but some fines or bans
many say about 70-90% of the field is doing something
over half of the last 25 tours winners have been caught doping or admitted to it

sad about what happened to Lance and sad that cyclist do it wish it was not happening

for fun make sure you read the details next to each rider after scrolling down to the part about status of the tdf winners since 1961 part way down and you see how many did

Doping at the Tour de France - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

also read the first part you realize how big drugs have been in the TDF and its history

sadly doping in pro cycling is rampant and still happening

do like to think the current generation is getting out of it ? But no idea but the tech now is also a huge thing for folks to gain with and what they know for training and stuff they can use now is very good but who knows lets hope the new generation leaders are clean

 

[nemo]

Pure power stage for the sprinters today, no real breakaways and the sprinter's teams worked hard on Stage 8. Poor Mads Pedersen was a DNS and headed home. First rider to win a second stage today!

Tomorrow's gravel or chemins blancs stage will be interesting. I've got mixed feelings about this, even as an amateur masters cyclocross racer of more than ten seasons, I'm not sure if it belongs in the Tour but oh well. It will be interesting to see if Pogacar can hold off Van der Poel and Wout.

 

[Mojo88]

My son and I used to ride almost everyday. Not much as compared to some, but we rode at least 120 miles a week. We rooted for Lance and supported his foundation. My former boss was heavily involved with Livestrong. He told me even before the admission became public he knew Lance was dirty. Armstrong and his foundation did great work for cancer and wellness, that can’t be denied. What bothers me is the people’s lives he destroyed along the way with his denials. He financially ruined lives and destroyed reputations. The doping is one thing,it was common. The way he went after others is another level that I just don’t understand.

I still watch the tour, I just hope the sport has cleaned up.

 

[nemo]

200 Swiss Francs fine yesterday (Stage 7 time trial) for Lidl-Trek's Julien Bernard who stopped for a second to kiss his wife and child. "Unseemly or inappropriate behaviour during the race and damage to the image of sport. 200CHF fine," the race's jury report for the day said.

What a joke. A special day for the man as his fans came to see him racing his home roads and celebrate.

 

[Doc4]

 

[Ckmaui]

Will see gravel like this in next years tour?
Good point they brought up in the after race hearing some who can do well with it say its Ok others saying no

so far a very good tour

 

[nemo]

Will see gravel like this in next years tour?
Good point they brought up in the after race hearing some who can do well with it say its Ok others saying no

so far a very good tour

Jonas Vingegaard said in an interview he didn't think it belongs in the Tour, that it was an "unnecessary risk".

Strade Bianche is one thing but the Tour? Exciting, yeah, but I'm not sold.
Cobbles are another chaotic and dangerous feature that can knock a top road rider out of a three week event.
Save the pavé for one-day classics like Paris-Roubaix.

 

[Phoenixkh]

Breathing all that dust, off and on, for 100 miles.... is a health risk, in my view... not to mention the increased danger of the ride itself. I'm not a fan. This is the Tour de France... not a cross country race.

 

[Ckmaui]

Jonas Vingegaard said in an interview he didn't think it belongs in the Tour, that it was an "unnecessary risk".

Strade Bianche is one thing but the Tour? Exciting, yeah, but I'm not sold.
Cobbles are another chaotic and dangerous feature that can knock a top road rider out of a three week event.
Save the pavé for one-day classics like Paris-Roubaix.

Yeah saw that when they were talking to Jonas another said they liked it over the cobbles (forgot who)

the one part in gravel when a ton of the riders had to get off their bikes and push and was a huge mess IMHO no rider in the TDF should have to dismount like that

So yeah like you not sold on the idea myself I like the tour since its a ROAD race
Enough natural obstacles and weather and man made things in/on the roads and the towns and all they bring and of course the downhills etc...