2023 TdF

[AUbicycles]

Look forward to watching the replay… but the TT was madness and following it up like this is incredible. Enjoyed the battle and has been (as a spectator) more compelling than races where a dominant rider and team takes control and holds it.

Also it looks very well deserved and the work Vingegaards team are doing is very visible - so it is very much a team victory (but let’s see what happens… the blocked road had me holding my breath).

[find_bruce]

Oh well, that decided it

& there goes the hopes of spectators wanting this epic battle to continue till the end

[blizzard]

Well if it wasn't decided after the TT it was definitely decided last night.

[MichaelB]

Cracking stage and was willing Simon to catch Gall, but still got a good result.

Reckon Pog is sick. Lot of discussion about a cold sore he had, but think he caught some in last 4 days and now suffering from it

[Mr Purple]

Lots of doping aspersions being cast about on social media by the usual suspects. Shame that Armstrong has ruined any chance of an out of this world performance not being blamed immediately on doping.

I think they're ignoring a few factors - the principal argument seems to be that Vingegaard is 'not a time triallist'. Well no. But your standard time trial also isn't 22km and 640m elevation.

Also Pogecar's performance today sort of confirms he may have just been human.

[warthog1]

Oh well, that decided it

& there goes the hopes of spectators wanting this epic battle to continue till the end

Yeah well and truly done. JV has him covered now.

[antigee]

Lots of doping aspersions being cast about on social media by the usual suspects. Shame that Armstrong has ruined any chance of an out of this world performance not being blamed immediately on doping.

I think they're ignoring a few factors - the principal argument seems to be that Vingegaard is 'not a time triallist'. Well no. But your standard time trial also isn't 22km and 640m elevation.

Also Pogecar's performance today sort of confirms he may have just been human.

road.cc reporting that both teams had extra spot drug tests:

"Both UAE Team Emirates and Jumbo-Visma have welcomed the extra tests, Vingegaard's team manager Richard Plugge pointing out that his rider has undergone four blood tests in the past 48 hours. Likewise, a UAE Team Emirates spokesperson said the extra checks can be "only good for cycling" and stressed "we have no problem with this".

https://road.cc/content/news/jumbo-vism ... sts-302631

the science of rider selection and training has moved light years in the last 20 years and for the cynics no doubt out of race doping has moved on

[MichaelB]

^ agree with antigee

But to think, Pog has lost 8min in the last two stages and he’s still more than a minute ahead of third !!!

Shows that Pog & Jonas are a rare breed !

[davehirst]

Lots of doping aspersions being cast about on social media by the usual suspects. Shame that Armstrong has ruined any chance of an out of this world performance not being blamed immediately on doping.

I think they're ignoring a few factors - the principal argument seems to be that Vingegaard is 'not a time triallist'. Well no. But your standard time trial also isn't 22km and 640m elevation.

Also Pogecar's performance today sort of confirms he may have just been human.

He did alright in last years time trial, he would have won that, but gifted it to wva

[blizzard]

I think they're ignoring a few factors - the principal argument seems to be that Vingegaard is 'not a time triallist'. Well no. But your standard time trial also isn't 22km and 640m elevation.

Also, most TT's are not after 2 weeks of hard racing.

[Mr Purple]

Agreed. Vingegaard most likely won by so much because he had the most to gain by pushing that hard.

7.6W/kg for 15 minutes up the main climb, apparently. That's impressive. I can hold 7.6W/kg for all of 2:20.

[MichaelB]

Agreed. Vingegaard most likely won by so much because he had the most to gain by pushing that hard.

7.6W/kg for 15 minutes up the main climb, apparently. That's impressive. I can hold 7.6W/kg for all of 2:20.

I can hold 2.2 for 0:30 in my wildest dreams …

[warthog1]

More than 2 weeks into to a grand tour and after yesterday's performance it is very difficult to accept as just the result of training, physiology and diet.
Just my opinion anyway.
I have nothing to prove anything so pointless really sorry.

[queequeg]

Cracking stage and was willing Simon to catch Gall, but still got a good result.

Reckon Pog is sick. Lot of discussion about a cold sore he had, but think he caught some in last 4 days and now suffering from it

I was thinking that perhaps 2 weeks of hard racing has basically caught up with him, and he may have peaked too early with races before the tour. His wrist is not helping him, but Jumbo has been keeping the pace stupidly high the whole first two weeks and the only logical conclusion is they wanted TP to suffer in week 3.

Watching the TT was amazing. JV was absolutely hammering from the start. I thought he was going to crash through some of those corners. he was riding at almost 80km/h through the corners, and even on the flat at the bottom he was still doing 70km/h.

TP just looked like he ran out of steam on the climb. Changing bikes lost him a small about of time, but lets not forget that even though he finished second, he still put over a minute into WVA!

Then last night watching the last climb, and it was clear that TP was done. He was lights out, good night. Later, they broadcast the UAE radio comms where he basically said "I'm Dead. I'm Done", and they went all in for Adam Yates instead, with just Marc Soler instructed to stay with him and get him to the finish. So, not surprised the time blew out like that.

[AUbicycles]

Interesting thought… Pogačar wins the TT narrowly, but what would have happened on the Queens stage? With the current form Vingegaard would take it back.

There are a few more fights in the GC.

[familyguy]

I'm hearing Bill Paxton in Aliens whining "game over man, game over!"

[stevenaaus]

One of those "love riding" moments... Seeing Ben O'Connor pulling turns with two cycling monsters at the head of the race. Everyone including himself knew he had no-chance, but he still gave it a shot.

Good to see Robbie McEwan with a great home and company at Eurosport. Meanwhile we get that barely understandable, uncharismatic French guy on SBS highlights.

[MichaelB]

Well deserved win by Matej.

Was willing Ben on but knew it was going to be hard to win !!

[P!N20]

Chapeau Matej

(Skip to 5:30)