Stage 21:-Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines to Paris Champs-Elysées, 115km ***Spoilers***

No_Ta_Doctor

Pross said:

Sagan sounds glad it’s all over for him.

I was surprised he didn't get the first-into-the-champs treatment

mididoctors

Well always next year

Pross

I suspect Orla’s outfit is going to bring out the haters on social media and one of her robust responses.

No_Ta_Doctor

Pross said:

Pedersen comes across well in interviews.

Oh man, you should hear him in Danish, ridiculously cheeky

kingstongraham

No_Ta_Doctor said:

GC times being taken next time they cross the line, due to rain making cobbles slippy

Hate this.

poweredbyidris

Pross said:

I suspect Orla’s outfit is going to bring out the haters on social media and one of her robust responses.

She’s living her best life

RichN95.

Pross said:

I suspect Orla’s outfit is going to bring out the haters on social media and one of her robust responses.

I'm assuming the ABBA show has relocated

And McEwen with the usual antipodean refusal to wear long trousers.

Lanterne_Rogue

Knowing Orla in real life would be a nightmare for me (I'm face blind, so somebody who changes the way they dress and style their hair every single day would lead to me blanking them endlessly), but I genuinely love the way she's given free rein to dress however the hell she wants. More power to her elbow.

Pross

RichN95. said:

Pross said:

I suspect Orla’s outfit is going to bring out the haters on social media and one of her robust responses.

I'm assuming the ABBA show has relocated

And McEwen with the usual antipodean refusal to wear long trousers.

Hope she doesn’t sing Waterloo, won’t go down well there.

Lanterne_Rogue

Mohoric is such a lovely bloke, isn't he?

mididoctors

Victor

mididoctors

Auditioning for the Magnum pi reboot

orraloon

That slo mo of the JV team at the finish line has Jonas looking like me trying to balance hands free at slow speed 😊

tailwindhome

mrb123 said:

Bit poor of NVH not to work with him.

Somewhere in Belgium, WVA shakes his head in dismay.

tailwindhome

RichN95. said:

That's only his fourth win as a pro, and his first at World Tour level.

Somewhere in the Isle of Man, Cavendish shakes his head in dismay

jimmyjams

ddraver said:

So after the last few days antics, are we pro Phillipsen taking a crowning victory or does he need some karma?

mididoctors said:

I hope a break away wins

I wanted either 'anyone but Philipsen', or a breakway (Campanaerts, Asgreen, Sagan, whoever) to win. But very happy with result as Meuus at least partly justified Bora not taking Bennett, while he also deserved it the way he moved up from about 6th against the barrier to just taking it at the line.

jimmyjams

blazing_saddles said:

I wonder how many of us who have watched stages 1-20 tune in for the first couple of hours of the Paris procession?
I never do.

I can never manage to tune in to every stage (as you imply you do), and for many others I see nothing or only the last 10-20 kms, I only ever get to watch 2-3 stages completely. But in answer to your ponder, I don't think I've ever watched the procession of the last stage, going back to whenever the whole last stage was first broadcast live. It doesn't interest me, although I hope the riders enjoy and relish the attention, for they deserve it.

I also stopped watching the final ceremony after LA's first victory – by his second win, I was already convinced he was doping. And I've not watched a ceremony since (so was spared seeing Wiggins live – although I know many Brits liked his performance).

RichN95.

I don't know the words of the Danish national anthem, but I imagine it's more to the 'we will crush our enemies' end of the anthem spectrum than the 'look at our beautiful countryside' end

No_Ta_Doctor

RichN95. said:

I don't know the words of the Danish national anthem, but I imagine it's more to the 'we will crush our enemies' end of the anthem spectrum than the 'look at our beautiful countryside' end

Completely wrong. It's entirely "this place is really quite nice, isn't it?"

There is a royal anthem that features these memorable lines though:

King Christian stood by the lofty mast
In mist and smoke;
His sword was hammering so fast,
Through Gothic helm and brain it passed;

jimmyjams

I liked Pogacar's earlier bit of showmanship, but when he went ahead on the last lap, I heard he was trying to a 'Geraint for Cav' for Philipsen, with whom he is apparently befriended.
I don't really like these cross-team/same nationality friendships, the are supposedly to be professionals working for their team. And I now wonder about Pogacar's taste (yes I know I'm being unfair on Philipsen).

RichN95.

jimmyjams said:

I liked Pogacar's earlier bit of showmanship, but when he went ahead on the last lap, I heard he was trying to a 'Geraint for Cav' for Philipsen, with whom he is apparently befriended.
I don't really like these cross-team/same nationality friendships, the are supposedly to be professionals working for their team. And I now wonder about Pogacar's taste (yes I know I'm being unfair on Philipsen).
.

Philipsen used to ride for UAE. Apparently, they are very good friends.

mrb123

Most annoyingly I have wasted a stamp by submitting postal entries for the usual 3 weekly ITV Tour competitions only to realise they are only doing 2 this year.

ddraver

I haven't done that yet. Usually, I wait and see what the best week is. No Stand out this time though...

orraloon

mrb123 said:

Most annoyingly I have wasted a stamp by submitting postal entries for the usual 3 weekly ITV Tour competitions only to realise they are only doing 2 this year.

Non ITV viewer, sans ads Eurosport person, but... I recall the continual 'competition' keerap ads on there. Do you really think you have a chance of winning prize by sending a letter vs the high cost phone stuff?

mrb123

orraloon said:

mrb123 said:

Most annoyingly I have wasted a stamp by submitting postal entries for the usual 3 weekly ITV Tour competitions only to realise they are only doing 2 this year.

Non ITV viewer, sans ads Eurosport person, but... I recall the continual 'competition' keerap ads on there. Do you really think you have a chance of winning prize by sending a letter vs the high cost phone stuff?

Think they're probably doing it fairly these days after the scandals of the past.

That said, I've never heard of anyone who has even met someone who has won an ITV TDF comp...

RichN95.

The pre-race odds for GC and how they did

11/10 Vingegaard - 1st
5/4 Pogacar - 2nd
12/1 Hindley - 7th
25/1 Skjelmose - 29th
25/1 Mas - DNF
30/1 O'Connor - 17th
33/1 Gaudu - 9th
40/1 A. Yates - 3rd
40/1 S.Yates - 4th,
40/1 Carapaz - DNF
45/1 Pidcock - 13th
60.1 Bernal - 36th

Longer odds from the top 10 - Rodriguez, Bilbao, Gall, Martin

RichN95.

The Zubeldia award (orange jersey) for the most invisible top ten finish has been awarded to Guillaume Martin

shirley_basso

mrb123 said:

orraloon said:

mrb123 said:

Most annoyingly I have wasted a stamp by submitting postal entries for the usual 3 weekly ITV Tour competitions only to realise they are only doing 2 this year.

Non ITV viewer, sans ads Eurosport person, but... I recall the continual 'competition' keerap ads on there. Do you really think you have a chance of winning prize by sending a letter vs the high cost phone stuff?

Think they're probably doing it fairly these days after the scandals of the past.

That said, I've never heard of anyone who has even met someone who has won an ITV TDF comp...

I know someone who won a focus izalco with dura ace from a similar competition (maybe a british cycling one)

rick_chasey

https://twitter.com/ultraspinot/status/1683189347594412032?s=46&t=Q7O5dnx-0MXQv9qE3vz1vg

blazing_saddles

rick_chasey said:

https://twitter.com/ultraspinot/status/1683189347594412032?s=46&t=Q7O5dnx-0MXQv9qE3vz1vg

Madiot has his book of tactics and training schedules written on the other side.