1st Rest Day, 2023 Tour de France *spoiler thread*

rick_chasey
rick_chasey Posts: 75,660
in Pro race
So, best first week of a Tour de France I can remember, even with the paint-dry sprint stages.

Anyone else?
_

Comments

  • DeVlaeminck
    DeVlaeminck Posts: 9,108
    Yes hadn't really thought about it but on reflection that's because there's been so much else to think about.

    Been a very good first week - set against that we've lost the Cav interest and unless someone thereabouts gets in a break the GC is down to 2. Neither of those things have impacted so far though and if the Pog and Ving show continues as it has this could be classic edition in what we look back on as an era defining rivalry.
    [Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]
  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,693
    Last year's first week was pretty good too ( obviously I have a Danish bias with the Copenhagen start). But we had Van Aert solo to Calais, the Roubaix cobbled stage, Pog winning a muur sprint, Pog and Vingegaard toe to toe on La Super Planche des Belles Filles, Van Aert winning a muur sprint and then Jonas and Pog toe to toe on another mountain stage.

    Of course, most people weren't rating Vingegaard that highly and thought Pog was going to win the next ten Tours, so maybe weren't feeling any tension/excitement in the gc.
    Warning No formatter is installed for the format
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,913
    Pog and Jonas both rode onto puy de dome fresh on the day as possible and pog opened a 7 sec gap he could barely maintain for 1km . Quite possibly cracked himself if it was another 500 m . There are very very close .
    "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: 18,913
    Fascinating tour real bummer about cav
    "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: 18,913
    Last year's tour was very good ... This one may go into a stalemate where they glued to each other ... We will see
    "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
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,613
    mididoctors said:

    Last year's tour was very good ... This one may go into a stalemate where they glued to each other ... We will see

    Fortunately neither of the big two seem to be defensive riders and both seem prepared to risk all to win (and, to be honest, even if one blows up they will probably finish second anyway as they are head and shoulders above the rest).
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,913
    Pross said:

    mididoctors said:

    Last year's tour was very good ... This one may go into a stalemate where they glued to each other ... We will see

    Fortunately neither of the big two seem to be defensive riders and both seem prepared to risk all to win (and, to be honest, even if one blows up they will probably finish second anyway as they are head and shoulders above the rest).
    Yeah I guess I can't see pog not trying
    "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
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,576
    Not Tour related, but Soudal-Quick Step have announced today that Evenepoel will be riding the Vuelta again after all.
  • jimmythecuckoo
    jimmythecuckoo Posts: 4,719
    The Puy de Dome didnt disappoint did it ?

    Been a good race so far... Shades of 89 I am going with
    http://fendrieneu.home.blog
    My blog and pod...
    Beers of Belgium Cycling Club UK
  • ocdupalais
    ocdupalais Posts: 4,317
    andyp said:

    Not Tour related, but Soudal-Quick Step have announced today that Evenepoel will be riding the Vuelta again after all.

    Thinking ahead is not really my thing, but wouldn’t it be fabulous if, let’s say Pog gets the better of Vinge in Paris and the latter decides to salvage the season with a trip to the Vuelta, with shared leadership with Rog… then, after saying he’d give it a miss, the former decides he also fancies some Spanish action after all?
    Plus, perhaps MVDP might turn up in his World Champs jersey for some more head-to-head battles with a really grumpy WVA (who failed to win a stage at the Tour and got silver in Glasgow after Remco refused to work for him in the finale)…?
  • phreak
    phreak Posts: 2,953
    Who would ordinarily have the advantage in the TT?
  • ocdupalais
    ocdupalais Posts: 4,317
    As of this season, I’d give the advantage to Remco in the ITT - but there’s only 25km of that: the 15km TTT with Jumbo could easily eradicate any advantage he had there.
  • ocdupalais
    ocdupalais Posts: 4,317
    Anyway - don’t want to hijack the Tour Rest Day thread with Vuelta chat… no doubt it’ll warrant its own thread before long…
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,228
    phreak said:

    Who would ordinarily have the advantage in the TT?

    In the last two tours, Pog has been a bit ahead of Vingegaard in the first one, and Vingegaard ahead of Pog in the second one.

    This one is climbing for almost half the distance, but that probably doesn't make a difference for either of them.
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,228
    There's another Bardet on the way
  • gsk82
    gsk82 Posts: 3,620
    It's been a pretty rubbish rest day so far. Not enough scandal or gossip
    "Unfortunately these days a lot of people don’t understand the real quality of a bike" Ernesto Colnago
  • phreak
    phreak Posts: 2,953
    ocdupalais said:

    As of this season, I’d give the advantage to Remco in the ITT - but there’s only 25km of that: the 15km TTT with Jumbo could easily eradicate any advantage he had there.

    Ah, beg your pardon, I meant in the Tour between Pogacar and Vingegaard.
  • Lanterne_Rogue
    Lanterne_Rogue Posts: 4,340
    The secret of Pogačar's success?

    Higher pain threshold.



    I'll fetch my coat.
    Twitter: @canocola @thedreadships
  • takethehighroad
    takethehighroad Posts: 6,823
    An interesting hypothesis building on the Never Strays Far podcast.

    They suggested Tom Pidcock could win a mountain stage with a descent, and there's a few of them in the Alps, starting with the stage into Morzine later this week
  • gsk82
    gsk82 Posts: 3,620
    takethehighroad said:

    An interesting hypothesis building on the Never Strays Far podcast.

    They suggested Tom Pidcock could win a mountain stage with a descent, and there's a few of them in the Alps, starting with the stage into Morzine later this week

    That's probably his aim. But he'll have to hope the top 2 don't go hard on the climb.
    "Unfortunately these days a lot of people don’t understand the real quality of a bike" Ernesto Colnago
  • mrb123
    mrb123 Posts: 4,835
    The race for third could be interesting if the Ineos pair start double teaming Hindley. Plus Yates still very much in the mix.
  • DeVlaeminck
    DeVlaeminck Posts: 9,108
    If Pidcock is in the group of favourites approaching a summit - if one of the big 2 can get a gap on the other near the top Pidcock breaking away and coming across on a descent could be a real tactic. Work with Pidcock to gain time in exchange for the stage win.
    [Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]

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