TDF 2022:- Stage 2: Saturday 2 July, Roskilde to Nyborg 202.2kms ***Spoilers***

1235»

Comments

  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,253
    pblakeney said:

    First sprints in the tour are always messy aren’t they?

    They are but I never understand why.
    It's not as if they are the first sprints of the season.
    It's a bunch of lads going off to Ibiza. They've been working themselves up about for months and now it's finally here. Many are there for the first or second time. Lads, lads, lads, lets get on it. Shots, shots, shots. After a few days they get tired and calm down.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 27,341
    edited July 2022
    RichN95. said:

    pblakeney said:

    First sprints in the tour are always messy aren’t they?

    They are but I never understand why.
    It's not as if they are the first sprints of the season.
    It's a bunch of lads going off to Ibiza. They've been working themselves up about for months and now it's finally here. Many are there for the first or second time. Lads, lads, lads, lets get on it. Shots, shots, shots. After a few days they get tired and calm down.
    I get what you mean but the guys at the front are seasoned pros, not lads on the pis$.

    I've been on many a session where the young 'runs fall by the wayside and oldies pace better and last longer.
    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.
  • pblakeney said:

    RichN95. said:

    pblakeney said:

    First sprints in the tour are always messy aren’t they?

    They are but I never understand why.
    It's not as if they are the first sprints of the season.
    It's a bunch of lads going off to Ibiza. They've been working themselves up about for months and now it's finally here. Many are there for the first or second time. Lads, lads, lads, lets get on it. Shots, shots, shots. After a few days they get tired and calm down.
    I get what you mean but the guys at the front are seasoned pros, not lads on the pis$.

    I've been on many a session where the young 'runs fall by the wayside and oldies pace better and last longer.
    Even the seasoned pros are younguns compared to their DSs screaming drinking songs in their ears in this analogy.

  • andyrac
    andyrac Posts: 1,198
    pblakeney said:

    First sprints in the tour are always messy aren’t they?

    They are but I never understand why.
    It's not as if they are the first sprints of the season.
    Too many leave their brains on the bus, and ride like idiots....Motor racing has a drivers briefing where they're reminded about driving standards; maybe cycling needs similar. And proper penalties for causing crashes....
    All Road/ Gravel: tbcWinter: tbcMTB: tbcRoad: tbc"Look at the time...." "he's fallen like an old lady on a cruise ship..."
  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,655

    pblakeney said:

    RichN95. said:

    pblakeney said:

    First sprints in the tour are always messy aren’t they?

    They are but I never understand why.
    It's not as if they are the first sprints of the season.
    It's a bunch of lads going off to Ibiza. They've been working themselves up about for months and now it's finally here. Many are there for the first or second time. Lads, lads, lads, lets get on it. Shots, shots, shots. After a few days they get tired and calm down.
    I get what you mean but the guys at the front are seasoned pros, not lads on the pis$.

    I've been on many a session where the young 'runs fall by the wayside and oldies pace better and last longer.
    Even the seasoned pros are younguns compared to their DSs screaming drinking songs in their ears in this analogy.

    Let's not forget that they're all competing for the "Legend" t-shirt to wear on the next bar crawl.
    Warning No formatter is installed for the format
  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 27,341
    andyrac said:

    pblakeney said:

    First sprints in the tour are always messy aren’t they?

    They are but I never understand why.
    It's not as if they are the first sprints of the season.
    Too many leave their brains on the bus, and ride like idiots....Motor racing has a drivers briefing where they're reminded about driving standards; maybe cycling needs similar. And proper penalties for causing crashes....
    Doesn't explain why it settles down after the first week.
    ...
    DS's shouting in ears doesn't make riders veer across the road. Go fast, push to the front, sure. But not veering. (Doesn't veer look funny when typed? 😉)
    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.
  • Lanterne_Rogue
    Lanterne_Rogue Posts: 4,334
    pblakeney said:

    andyrac said:

    pblakeney said:

    First sprints in the tour are always messy aren’t they?

    They are but I never understand why.
    It's not as if they are the first sprints of the season.
    Too many leave their brains on the bus, and ride like idiots....Motor racing has a drivers briefing where they're reminded about driving standards; maybe cycling needs similar. And proper penalties for causing crashes....
    Doesn't explain why it settles down after the first week.
    ...
    DS's shouting in ears doesn't make riders veer across the road. Go fast, push to the front, sure. But not veering. (Doesn't veer look funny when typed? 😉)
    In most races riders get away with a lot of mistakes that go unpunished because there's a lot more space. Do it at the front of the Tour and there's an entire angry peloton going up your rear. I think it takes a while fr people to adjust back to that - or the ones that really don't like it to remember how scary it is and back out a little bit, which also frees up some space.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    I always thought it was a mixture of nerves, everyone in or near top form (without fatigue to spread it out a bit more) and a peloton that’s not familiar with each other
  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,655
    Nerves, fresh legs, size of peloton before dnf/dns kicks in, pressure of the big event, testing form before it becomes obvious where everyone is... Teams/riders wanting to lay down a marker early that they won't be bullied....

    Everyone is still in the mix (including gc hopeful teams until last 3km - and they're not thinned out yet either)
    Warning No formatter is installed for the format
  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 27,341
    Fair enough, I'll accept it.
    I just think they'd learn. 😉
    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,553

    I didn't watch it in solidarity to Cav.

    Lol.

    Cavendish knew the plan when he signed up for another year at Quickstep back in December. The only way he'd have ridden the Tour was if Jakobsen was ill or injured. He still signed.
  • focuszing723
    focuszing723 Posts: 8,151
    andyp said:

    I didn't watch it in solidarity to Cav.

    Lol.

    Cavendish should have been there he would have won!
    Exactly Andy.
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,253
    Since the beginning of 2021 Fabio Jakobsen has contested 24 sprints for the win. He has won 18 of them. That's a 75% win rate. Of the other six he was second three times.

    Selecting him and putting the entire team behind him is in no way controversial.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • Lanterne_Rogue
    Lanterne_Rogue Posts: 4,334
    Taking Cavendish was probably the more contentious choice, in my view. Though I don't think either decision would have been illogical or controversial in the slightest.
  • focuszing723
    focuszing723 Posts: 8,151
    RichN95. said:

    Since the beginning of 2021 Fabio Jakobsen has contested 24 sprints for the win. He has won 18 of them. That's a 75% win rate. Of the other six he was second three times.

    Selecting him and putting the entire team behind him is in no way controversial.

    Look, I'm not going to debate useless facts and reality. Cav should have been there and that's an end of it.

    Bloody clicky slippy cr*p.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    Not least as there's clearly a higher level of competition at the Tour than the Giro...
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,726

    Not least as there's clearly a higher level of competition at the Tour than the Giro...

    Yet the first two sprint results don't reflect a much higher level of competition.

    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661

    Not least as there's clearly a higher level of competition at the Tour than the Giro...

    Yet the first two sprint results don't reflect a much higher level of competition.

    Id say they do?

  • focuszing723
    focuszing723 Posts: 8,151
    There are three things everybody should know about the TDF and they are:
    1. Cav
    2. Cav
    3. Cav
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,726
    edited July 2022

    Not least as there's clearly a higher level of competition at the Tour than the Giro...

    Yet the first two sprint results don't reflect a much higher level of competition.

    Id say they do?

    That's because you think so highly of WVA, but he's not a full blown sprinter.
    Neither is Pedersen, who was 3rd on stage 2.

    An in form Demare on the other hand.....

    Caleb Ewan 9th on Sunday, 8th in Giro on same Sunday.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • DeVlaeminck
    DeVlaeminck Posts: 9,104
    Cav should be there as he'd be a genuine contender but he knew this was the likely outcome when he signed for another year at Quickstep.
    [Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,253

    Cav should be there as he'd be a genuine contender but he knew this was the likely outcome when he signed for another year at Quickstep.


    If he'd signed for any other team, he'd be on 32 stage wins at best
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • DeVlaeminck
    DeVlaeminck Posts: 9,104
    edited July 2022
    When he signed for his Quickstep 2 years ago his position was a bit different to when he signed for a second season.
    [Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]