TOUR DE FRANCE & THE PREM 2020

[Smurphy Paw]

Ineos coming out of lockdown without a fully fit lead man hampered what should have been a great GC battle. Pogacar’s emergence has been great to see
Meanwhile Carapaz and then Kwia being freed up to attack in breakaways has been one of the best stories. Just shows how strong some of the GC team’s riders really are when relieved of team duties. I may have mentioned WVA In the same context about a dozen times!
For the purposes of this comp I’ve been torn about Subweb’s success. As a fan they’ve animated stage after stage.

The riders can only ride what is in front of them. Mrs SP & I were talking more broadly about how brilliant today’s time trial stage is (up until the point that it starts!). It has cast a shadow over the rest of the race and animated stages that in the past would have fizzled out. I think back to the battle between Schlek and Wiggo where a 4(ish) second time gap seemed insurmountable day after day.
As someone who only has time to catch the ITV4 highlights reel not the full Stage the placing of the time bonuses has also helped with this.

[Smurphy Paw]

Anyway, I think Si has Photo of the Day nailed so would anyone like to see a cycling bridge that I built a few years ago?

AEF21E9D-0455-4A65-BEAC-6A354C3B3E8A.jpeg

Any guesses where it is?
There’s one contributor on here who I suspect has been there or thereabouts

[forestfan]

Ineos coming out of lockdown without a fully fit lead man hampered what should have been a great GC battle. Pogacar’s emergence has been great to see
Meanwhile Carapaz and then Kwia being freed up to attack in breakaways has been one of the best stories. Just shows how strong some of the GC team’s riders really are when relieved of team duties. I may have mentioned WVA In the same context about a dozen times!
For the purposes of this comp I’ve been torn about Subweb’s success. As a fan they’ve animated stage after stage.

The riders can only ride what is in front of them. Mrs SP & I were talking more broadly about how brilliant today’s time trial stage is (up until the point that it starts!). It has cast a shadow over the rest of the race and animated stages that in the past would have fizzled out. I think back to the battle between Schlek and Wiggo where a 4(ish) second time gap seemed insurmountable day after day.
As someone who only has time to catch the ITV4 highlights reel not the full Stage the placing of the time bonuses has also helped with this.

It’s always hard to predict - some years are all action, others everyone sits back and waits for the last big mountain stage. I remember a Tourmalet stage a decade or so ago that was so placid that Hushovd scored green jersey points at the finish! It seems partly down to the route but also the makeup of the teams, form of the favourites and the unpredictable mishaps along the way.

It did seem to lose something in the years when they got rid of time bonuses, as they do add the incentive to race for places. The shift away from time trials is an interesting one as well, is the balance too much in the favour of the pure climber now?

[sibrown4]

Favourite snap from Stage 19.

[sibrown4]

Anyway, I think Si has Photo of the Day nailed so would anyone like to see a cycling bridge that I built a few years ago?

AEF21E9D-0455-4A65-BEAC-6A354C3B3E8A.jpeg

Any guesses where it is?
There’s one contributor on here who I suspect has been there or thereabouts

Is it the footbridge across the Thames from Embankment to South Bank at Charing Cross?


I can see a Jisma 1-2-3 possibly today.

[Smurphy Paw]

It’s not in London

[sibrown4]

It’s not in London

Ah could it be that new pedestrian bridge they built in Cumbria to replace the one damaged in the floods? Workington?

[murf]

Pooley Bridge only opened a few days ago so not that one.

Does look a bit like one I use near Keswick but the lights behind don't seem right and it is a pedestrian bridge (cyclists have to get off and push).

Can't think of one like it in Workington (don't know Workington that well)

[Smurphy Paw]

Yes, Navvies Bridge in Workington

https://www.theguardian.com/uk/the-nort ... missioning

[murf]

I do know it and have walked across it.

The parkrun course (which I've done a few times) almost uses it. Starts along the river slightly upstream and you run towards the new bridge going up a ramp/path to the start of the bridge but you turn the other way (and do opposite at end of run).

Didn't know its history as I only arrived here just before the next set of floods (2015) which washed away bridges on the Keswick parkrun course!

[unc.si.]

Well this is interesting ......

[sibrown4]

This is astonishing!!!!

[unc.si.]

Well we’ve just witnessed something very very special

[forestfan]

Looked like Roglic was pacing himself early on, but soon became obvious he was in trouble. For a 21-year-old to pull that off, without a dominant team - well, he could win this ten times. But I said that about Bernal last year!

Any chance of Jumbo trying something audacious against convention tomorrow and hoping for crosswinds? They have the manpower to give it a crack.

[sibrown4]

Looked like Roglic was pacing himself early on, but soon became obvious he was in trouble. For a 21-year-old to pull that off, without a dominant team - well, he could win this ten times. But I said that about Bernal last year!

Any chance of Jumbo trying something audacious against convention tomorrow and hoping for crosswinds? They have the manpower to give it a crack.

Haha. No chance. Will never happen FF. It’s a definite no no. They will allow him and his team to sip and savour their champagne at the front.

[forestfan]

Looked like Roglic was pacing himself early on, but soon became obvious he was in trouble. For a 21-year-old to pull that off, without a dominant team - well, he could win this ten times. But I said that about Bernal last year!

Any chance of Jumbo trying something audacious against convention tomorrow and hoping for crosswinds? They have the manpower to give it a crack.

Haha. No chance. Will never happen FF. It’s a definite no no. They will allow him and his team to sip and savour their champagne at the front.

If there was 1 second in it would a team go for it? The processional stage always seems a bit pointless, save for the honour of the sprinters. Has Bennett clinched green by the way?

[forestfan]

Anyway, is Roglic now the most infamous ski-jumper since Eddie the Eagle?

[theo29]

after the events at La Planche of the young girls I can confirm that Smurfys Paw (MAN CITY/ Jumbo wins the £20 for the best 3 riders in the TT. The points total overall is looking like a win for CHELSEA but there are loads of points to be won in Paris plus the Premier games up to and including Monday. The final M.Admin chart will reveal all and who will need to supply Bank details for payment.
EVERTON score 5 today and have 6 points from 2 games. LEEDS have scored 7 in their first 2 games.

[sibrown4]

Bennett is 54 points ahead in the points classification. There are no intermediate sprints tomorrow and 50 points on offer to stage winner.

So Bennett cant be caught.

[unc.si.]

Think there is an intermediate on the first lap, for 20 points? Not 100% sure though.
In practice he’s got green even if there are 70 on offer in total

[Smurphy Paw]

That may age very badly

Amazing day. Amazing ride
Chapeau Pog

[Smurphy Paw]

after the events at La Planche of the young girls I can confirm that Smurfys Paw (MAN CITY/ Jumbo wins the £20 for the best 3 riders in the TT. The points total overall is looking like a win for CHELSEA but there are loads of points to be won in Paris plus the Premier games up to and including Monday. The final M.Admin chart will reveal all and who will need to supply Bank details for payment.
EVERTON score 5 today and have 6 points from 2 games. LEEDS have scored 7 in their first 2 games.

Wow, that’s a very pleasant surprise. I don’t think I’d taken in the rules
Thank you

[forestfan]

Great performance once again by Sunweb. This really has been one of the best Tours for a long time. So many stories and subplots

Shame the main story has been rather dull. Often a tease that something could happen but it never really has. Lotto and Roglic have been boringly controlling like Sky and Froome in a bad year.

Was just awaiting the big plot twist in the penultimate episode...

[murf]

I did post that a few hours too soon.

Shame I thought it insurmountable or I would have watched it live.....

[forestfan]

Until about half way I thought Roglic was just pacing himself and Pogacar was going for a crazy charge as it was his only hope, but then it became obvious the yellow jersey really was in trouble.

The look on Dumoulin and Van Aert’s faces in the finish area said it all, they’ve put in a dominant team performance up there with anything seen from Sky and, dare I say it, US Postal in their respective primes, but have nothing to show for it bar stage wins.

Is Pogacar the first since Merckx to take home three jerseys? Obviously next year will be a failure for him unless he adds green...

[sibrown4]

On an amazing day in the Vosges Mountains. Favourite Snap of the day

[sibrown4]

And perhaps this may have been a better bike to change on to.....

[Geoffv]

[theo29]

great picture ARSENAL thanks. Let's hope murf views today's events, the boy from Bury may feature in the final shake-up on the CE. Confirming there is an intermediate sprint after the 3rd of the 8 circuits worth 20 down to 1 point.
Meanwhile in the Prem games this weekend. ARSENAL scored 36. LEEDS 43. CRYSTAL P 41. EVERTON 51. MAN UTD 25. WBA 30. WEST HAM 25. FULHAM 35.
(the formula for this is 20 for turning up and playing +the cumulative league points of each club)) + 5 for each goal scored)
This will be the same in the Serie A game just beginning. Enjoy the champers before the start !

[forestfan]

And perhaps this may have been a better bike to change on to.....

Maybe a Harley or Yamaha might have helped... anyway, haven’t heard much about “mechanical doping” for a while, has Pogacar’s frame been checked for AA batteries?