End of Tour Grades and Team of the Tour

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  • flite
    flite Posts: 219
    Thank you
  • Just listening to it now. Quite an entertaining and unguarded chat, tbf - bit sweary, if you're about to listen to it and the kids are about.
  • DeadCalm
    DeadCalm Posts: 4,099
    RichN95. said:

    flite said:

    Is there a link for the podcast, please?


    It's called Watts Occurring. On the usual podcast platforms.
    I'm looking forward to listening to this. They planned to do one on Tour rest days but I guess Thomas was otherwise occupied at T-A and getting ready for storming the Giro.
    Team My Man 2022:

    Antwan Tolhoek, Sam Oomen, Tom Dumoulin, Thymen Arensman, Remco Evenepoel, Benoît Cosnefroy, Tom Pidcock, Mark Cavendish, Romain Bardet
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,487

    Won a stage and wore yellow.

    Fair play to him.

    I know everyone likes to treat him like he's a sort of teenage Voeckler who's had a lot of sugar, but the difference is he *regularly* delivers. Guy's a serious A lister.

    (I seem to find myself defending one day racers all the time).

    Probably stems from his performance at the Tour this year and people's expectations from that. He did seem to have a few sulks though. When you're as good as him you have to realise that the peloton are going to be reluctant to let you ride off the front and if you do you'll be forced to do more than your fair share of the work. Look at how Sagan was treated at his peak.
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,150
    Pross said:


    Probably stems from his performance at the Tour this year and people's expectations from that. He did seem to have a few sulks though. When you're as good as him you have to realise that the peloton are going to be reluctant to let you ride off the front and if you do you'll be forced to do more than your fair share of the work. Look at how Sagan was treated at his peak.

    I think he resented people's expectations as he knows he's not a GC rider. The way he dropped out of GC seemed to show that. An attack off the front, then we quickly caught, swinging off and sitting. As if to say 'this is who you think I am, but this is who I really am'
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,612
    edited September 2020
    Jumbo have put signs up outside all their shops, banning Pog from their shops hahaha

  • RichN95. said:

    It's called Watts Occurring.

    That's superb punning

    “New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,150

    RichN95. said:

    It's called Watts Occurring.

    That's superb punning


    It is. Not their idea though. They asked the listeners to come up with something
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • DeadCalm
    DeadCalm Posts: 4,099
    RichN95. said:

    flite said:

    Is there a link for the podcast, please?


    It's called Watts Occurring. On the usual podcast platforms.
    That is a fantastic listen. Genuine insights. I particularly enjoyed Luke Rowe's explanation of his admiration for Roger Kluge.
    Team My Man 2022:

    Antwan Tolhoek, Sam Oomen, Tom Dumoulin, Thymen Arensman, Remco Evenepoel, Benoît Cosnefroy, Tom Pidcock, Mark Cavendish, Romain Bardet
  • Not going to start a new thread for this, since it's the Giro, but CW have rated the performances of the teams and one or two are questionable I'm sure.

    https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/racing/giro-ditalia/giro-ditalia-2020-ratings-how-did-each-team-perform-473774
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • Not convinced by 1/10 scores for the two teams that had to withdraw. It's the middle of a pandemic, it kept other teams and riders safer, and it meant they had no chance to actually do anything. Just say you can't grade them and move on.
  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 13,309

    Not convinced by 1/10 scores for the two teams that had to withdraw. It's the middle of a pandemic, it kept other teams and riders safer, and it meant they had no chance to actually do anything. Just say you can't grade them and move on.

    Totally agree. Also not convinced by 8/10 scores for a couple of stage wins or 6/10 for getting in some breaks. That sort of maths ends up with Ineos getting (scribbles on fag packet).... about a gazillion out of ten.
    Warning No formatter is installed for the format
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,487

    Not convinced by 1/10 scores for the two teams that had to withdraw. It's the middle of a pandemic, it kept other teams and riders safer, and it meant they had no chance to actually do anything. Just say you can't grade them and move on.

    Agreed, ridiculous.
  • Also emphasising how ridiculous that is, they then give EF 8 out of 10 when their boss wanted them to pack their bags after winning a couple of stages.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • bobmcstuff
    bobmcstuff Posts: 11,196
    EF did have cracking kit though.
  • gethinceri
    gethinceri Posts: 1,517

    EF did have quacking kit though.

  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 16,804

    Not convinced by 1/10 scores for the two teams that had to withdraw. It's the middle of a pandemic, it kept other teams and riders safer, and it meant they had no chance to actually do anything. Just say you can't grade them and move on.

    A tad harsh I think. If not weird .

    "If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 16,804
    edited October 2020

    Not convinced by 1/10 scores for the two teams that had to withdraw. It's the middle of a pandemic, it kept other teams and riders safer, and it meant they had no chance to actually do anything. Just say you can't grade them and move on.

    Totally agree. Also not convinced by 8/10 scores for a couple of stage wins or 6/10 for getting in some breaks. That sort of maths ends up with Ineos getting (scribbles on censored packet).... about a gazillion out of ten.
    Did androni win the scooter of whatever it is these days? That's the fuga yes?
    "If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 16,804
    Bora were active and shaped the race at times plus Sagan put in a epic ride ... Better than androni FFS
    "If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 16,804
    EF did ok I thought maybe 7 /10 better than expected
    "If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,150

    Also emphasising how ridiculous that is, they then give EF 8 out of 10 when their boss wanted them to pack their bags after winning a couple of stages.


    Journalists love Vaughters though because he tells them how wonderful they are and pretends to be their friend. It's how he's gotten away with poaching sponsors (sorry, 'merging with') and signing riders to contracts he can't afford to pay.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • Dunno if this is worth posting, but this seems as good a place as any.
    CW have rated the WT team's performances for the season and once again there a few that may be considered contentious.

    https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/racing/end-of-season-ratings-how-did-each-mens-worldtour-team-perform-in-2020-475500
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,487
    FDJ got a higher rating than Ineos. Did Special Guest Star write that review? Bora also rated higher, someone at CW doesn't like Ineos.
  • Pross said:

    FDJ got a higher rating than Ineos. Did Special Guest Star write that review? Bora also rated higher, someone at CW doesn't like Ineos.

    Naughty.

    That was the one that really stood out for me, but in terms of Cofidis, who they gave just 2.
    Specifically mentions Pinot's 2nd in the Dauphine, but dismisses Guillaume Martin's 3rd in the same race, highest placed Frenchman in the Tour and KoM winner in the Vuelta as impressive climbing displays.
    Aside Gaudu's brace of Vuelta stages, it boils down to a tale of two sprinters.
    Demare has been exceptional, but not 5 out of 10's worth.

    No idea how Bora gets such a high score. I thought for a tier 1 sprinter, Ackermann had a modest return. Sagan just 1 win Giro stage win for the season and Schachmann won Paris-Nice.
    Maybe 5 out of 10.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • m.r.m.
    m.r.m. Posts: 3,339
    Bora did decent outside of Sagan in the stage races. Always had a presence in some way with Schachmann, Kämna, Fabbro, Majka etc.

    Didn't win that much, but were in it. I'd agree with 5/10.
    PTP Champion 2019, 2022 & 2023
  • m.r.m.
    m.r.m. Posts: 3,339
    Pross said:

    FDJ got a higher rating than Ineos. Did Special Guest Star write that review? Bora also rated higher, someone at CW doesn't like Ineos.

    That makes 0 sense. Maybe Ineos are just always expected to at least podium the Tour. However, FDJ was even more disappointing in that regard and in terms of stage wins, Ineos was far superior to FDJ as well.

    Jumbo Visma's season was bonkers. 2 Monuments + Strade, Vuelta + 2nd at the Tour + a bunch of stage wins. Ineos has their work cut out to beat them. They look incredible for next season. Especially if Dumoulin gets back to his old form.
    PTP Champion 2019, 2022 & 2023
  • m.r.m. said:

    Pross said:

    FDJ got a higher rating than Ineos. Did Special Guest Star write that review? Bora also rated higher, someone at CW doesn't like Ineos.

    That makes 0 sense. Maybe Ineos are just always expected to at least podium the Tour. However, FDJ was even more disappointing in that regard and in terms of stage wins, Ineos was far superior to FDJ as well.

    Jumbo Visma's season was bonkers. 2 Monuments + Strade, Vuelta + 2nd at the Tour + a bunch of stage wins. Ineos has their work cut out to beat them. They look incredible for next season. Especially if Dumoulin gets back to his old form.
    By the time the Giro starts, Dumoulin's old form will be 4 years ago

  • m.r.m.
    m.r.m. Posts: 3,339
    Sure, I understand, but he hardly seems in the age where he shouldn't be able to get back.
    PTP Champion 2019, 2022 & 2023