Tour de France 2021

Starts today (Saturday).

Pogacar and Roglic are back and Ineos (Sky that was) have brought in four potential winners in their squad of eight riders.

After that there really isn't anyone worth mentioning in terms of winning the race (GC -General Classification) - unless those I've mention crash out or catch Covid or something random like that.

Roglic has himself a very strong team, Sepp Kuss could easily be a contender himself if he wasn't riding for Roglic - and if Roglic is off his game Kuss will lead the team if he is given the chance.

Pogacar as per last year will probably have to do it all on his own as his team isn't as strong as Roglic's and Ineos, but he's good enough to do it!

Ineos has Thomas (who will start as the leader) with Carapaz and Geoghegan Hart as the two who will take on the leader role if Thomas is off his game.

However I wouldn't rule out Riche Porte who is getting on a bit now but still a fabulous rider and who finished third in last years tour.

His role really is the rider who will sacrifice himself to help the others in his team but depending on tactics and what happens on the roads I certainly wouldn't rule him out of an outside chance of winning!

Three weeks of fun to look forward to!

Bring it on!



https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/racing/tour-de-france/tour-de-france-start-list-2-230321

PS - Hope Mark Cavendish can win a stage or two - you never know!

Police hunt for Tour de France fan, who caused crash


https://mol.im/a/9729833

karlypants wrote:Police hunt for Tour de France fan, who caused crash

https://mol.im/a/9729833

Yes, I'm sure she didn't mean to do anything on purpose but it had consequences for those whose livelihood depends on keeping fit enough to ride for their living.

At least one rider had to abandon the race because of injury resulting from the crash.

As it happens a second and much worse crash occurred later on in the race and has already led to some of the favourites losing so much time on the leaders already that they are no longer in with a chance of overall victory.

See both crashes here and a quick rundown of what happened on day one.

There’s just no need for spectators to get so close.

About time there were designated spots for them with barriers or something.

karlypants wrote:There’s just no need for spectators to get so close.

About time there were designated spots for them with barriers or something.

It's impossible mate.

The race is on public roads and there's simply not enough resources to keep the spectators away from the riders across all of the race each day.

The popular spots, such as at the start and end of the race, are barriered off but most everywhere else open to the public.

Generally it works well but now and again it does go wrong like yesterday.

Below is probably the most famous crash caused by a spectator and it was a policeman who did it!!!

Thought this might interest a few people, it is a video of clips from cameras on the cyclists bikes during yesterday's stage.

A bit childish in places but it does give some idea of what it is like racing in the race with dozens of people all around you and the merest mistake from one of them could bring you all down.

Note the crash at the end of the race just before the finish line (the bloke wearing a red helmet) resulted in the worlds best sprinter, Caleb Ewing (Australia) breaking his collar bone and ending his Tour. Fine margins and all that...!

It was another brutal day of crashes at the Tour de France on Stage 3. Here's the footage our on-bike cameras captured
________#TDF2021 #TourdeFrance pic.twitter.com/2eghpD2qDT

— Velon CC (@VelonCC) June 28, 2021

It is Cavendish's first stage win since 2016 and 31st overall

Britain's Mark Cavendish won his first stage at the Tour de France for five years in a thrilling sprint finish on stage four in Fougeres.

Cavendish, 36, rolled back the years as he finished ahead of Nacer Bouhanni and Jasper Philipsen.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/57655487

You got your wish then

BoltonTillIDie wrote:You got your wish then

Yes, one of them.

A bit of a fairy tale win really, in that he has not been much good for the last three or four years and a new generation of sprinters now dominate.

In fact he was in tears (he does get a bit emotional though) at the end of last season when his contract was up and he thought he had ridden his last race.

But then a manager of a team who he used to ride for took pity on him and gave him a contract to basically ride in 'B' races and help bring the younger riders through the system.

The team he joined had the best sprinter in the world last year and would have been riding in this Tour but he kind of got injured (well he says he's injured and the team manager says he isn't!) so Cav got the race instead!

Even then he wasn't expected to do much, then the big crash on day one took down and injured a number of his sprint rivals and yesterdays crash near the end of the race took out the best rider of 2021, so Cav was left to compete against those who were left and which as he showed today he can beat!

Cav's team is the best in the world for setting up and launching 'their' sprinter but nevertheless he still needed the legs to finish it off.

He might go on and win another stage or two with a bit more luck but even if he doesn't he's certainly achieved what no one even dreamed he would do, even three weeks ago!

It's great theatre cycling and you never know exactly what tomorrow will bring.

It really is good fun for those who like to watch the sport.

I can't believe so many people simply have no time for it?

I'd like to see Chris Froome win a stage (but I can't see that happening) and I'd like to see Dan Martin win one too (which could happen).

It would be wonderful to see Cav win on the last day in Paris - which is like the Olympic gold medal of sprinting!

So much to look forward to!

I thought this may interest one or two.

An Australian pro rider, Lachlan Morton, who isn't in his team for this years Tour, is riding it on his own in an homage to the original TdF riders who used to ride it unsupported, feed themselves, find beds to sleep, fix their own bikes and punctures, and ride every inch of the circuit (in the modern era you are transported (flown even) miles from the finish of one stage to the start of the next stage the following day.

He started out a hour after the Tour started and he's already in front of it!

Long way to go though.

Full story here -

https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/lachlan-morton-is-already-a-stage-ahead-of-the-tour-de-france-peloton-on-his-alt-tour

and here

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/jun/26/cycling-lachlan-morton-tour-de-france-endurance

The dozy woman who caused the pile up has been arrested!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-57668657

Norpig wrote:The dozy woman who caused the pile up has been arrested!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-57668657

There was talk of her doing up to 18 months in the clink.

But has she actually broken the law?

karlypants wrote:

Norpig wrote:The dozy woman who caused the pile up has been arrested!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-57668657

There was talk of her doing up to 18 months in the clink.

But has she actually broken the law?

Apparently both criminal and civil law.

Criminal -

Police say they have launched a criminal investigation.

They aim to charge the woman with "deliberately violating safety regulations and causing injuries that might prevent someone working for up to three months".

Civil -

Tour de France Deputy Director Pierre-Yves Thouault said the tour would take legal action against the woman.

"We are suing this woman who behaved so badly. We are doing this so that the tiny minority of people who do this do not spoil the show for everyone," he told AFP news agency.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-57631134


I feel a bit sorry for her really because she clearly never intended to cause any incident, let alone the crash - but I think they are having to make an example of her simply because there's always been idiots out there (nearly always trying to get on TV or these days post their video selfies on social media) and make a stand for trying to stop it for the riders safety if nothing else.

Great win in the ITT (Individual Time Trial) for Pogacar today.

He's already a minute up on his main rivals and looking very good.

Long way to go yet though but he's looking clear favourite to win the Tour for my money.

Seems sensible to my way of thinking, the organisers have made their point and the young woman clearly never meant to do anything wrong in the first place.

Tour de France drops lawsuit over sign crash

The woman was arrested, but now the Tour has dropped the case.

"We are withdrawing our complaint. This story has been blown out of proportion but we wish to remind everyone of the safety rules on the race," Tour director Christian Prudhomme told the Reuters news agency.

"If you come to the Tour, you hold your kid, you hold your pet and don't cross the road carelessly. And above all, you respect the riders - they're the ones worthy of live TV."

However as the article goes on to state...

As a result of the crash, two riders had to pull out of the Tour completely and another eight riders were treated for injuries.

... and this for many of the riders maybe be the only time they get to be in the Tour - and it's been taken away from them.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-57677393

Anyway we move on, can Cav win another stage today, as it is a 'flat' stage and thus designed for a sprinters finish.

Fingers crossed but the others will be aware of him now!

Wow - Cav's won again!!!

He's the man in the green jersey -

????????'???? ???????????????? ???????? ????????????????????!

Mark Cavendish wins his second stage of #TDF2021 - and his 32nd overall at the race - in a photo finish! pic.twitter.com/DnVkGGLNpI

— Eurosport UK (@Eurosport_UK) July 1, 2021

Looks as though he impleaded the the Alpecin rider to me though - the one who finishes to the right of him (Cav's left)?

Clearly no objection/or objection upheld then.

#TDF2021 - Considering Cavendish was on podium, guess check ended or there wasn't a check (remember that we don't have any official communication about if an episode is checked and when the check ends. We know only it's "final" when results are on or rider is prized on podium)

— La Flamme Rouge (@laflammerouge16) July 1, 2021

Wow - Pogacar what a talent!

He basically crushed all his rivals today and put minutes into them - something we've not seen a rider do in absolutely years.

There's clearly no one able to match him.

Roglic maybe could but he fell and injured himself in stage 3 and although he's still in the Tour it won't surprise me if he dropped out before Paris.

Thomas also crashed on stage 3 and similarly injured himself but clearly he isn't in the same class as Pogacar and Roglic - no one is.

A couple of youngsters to watch over the years to come are Mathieu van der Poel and Wout Van Aert - both are beasts with huge engines and will dominate 'normal' races but they aren't built to climb the big mountains of the Tours.

These two and Pogacar will dominate cycling for the coming years.

Cav's only gone and done it again!!!

He is the rider in green to keep your eyes on -

Very close finish

BoltonTillIDie wrote:Very close finish

It might look like it to the likes of us but it really wasn't to this class of riders.

I've changed the video above so people can watch it if they like and if you do you will see about the 6 minute mark a still picture on the line showing Cavendish already with his arms aloft whilst his rivals are still lunging for the line, which means he knew he'd won and was already decelerating as he went over the line.

You can tell the close finishes when no one sits up for the 'win' picture but instead keeps their heads down and 'throws' their bikes at the line.

The video I've put up is slightly longer than usual as it goes into a little bit of detail about the strategy today over Cav keeping the 'green' jersey.

The one thing I would take from today is that Wout van Aert went for the win today (he's the rider who finished second)

Van Aert is, along with Mathew van der Poel, a bit of a freak of nature when it comes to cycling, they are monsters when it comes to one day races and are head and shoulders better than most anyone else.

They are both in their prime cycling years and can climb with the pure climbers and sprint with the pure sprinters - something most people simply can't do because you need to be light in weight to climb the mountains and to have muscle bulk to sprint - so you are usually good at one or the other, or be just ok at both.

Van Aert was here at the Tour to help Roglic to win it but Roglic has pulled out injured, which allows Van Aert to hunt stage wins.

Clearly he had a little go at this one today but Cavendish 'train' launching Cav in front with 150 meters to go, was just that bit too much for him - this time!

It's to be seen if Van Aert will look to have another dabble at a sprint stage, or aim at something else - but don't be surprised if he ends up with a stage win or two before the Tour is over.

A big day tomorrow on the iconic Mont Vontoux (it sounds like mon-von-two when the commentators say it).

This is the mountain where Tommy Simpson died, and there is a monument to him on the spot.

It's a great place to win and have on your CV, so the best climbers will be keen to win here.

The GC race is effectively over, so most team tactics will be to get their riders on the podium in Paris, so watch the riders such as Carapaz, Uran and Ben O'Connor who has come from nowhere to now be in second place.

It wouldn't surprise me if a group of good climbers who are too far behind to be a danger for GC, breakaway and go for the stage win but if Pogacar is there towards the end, then it will be his to win.

Finally having to go up the Mont Vontoux twice tomorrow is going to make it hard for Cav to finish within the time limit (which is a set time calculated from the stage winners time) so keep your fingers crossed he does and lives to fight another day on the tour.

Van Aert wins on the Mont Ventoux.

Amazing really - second in a sprint yesterday and today a win on the fabled Ventoux.

In my lifetime only Eddie Merckx could do stuff like that - and he's the greatest ever cyclist - his nickname was the cannibal because he devoured every race he rode in!

I'm not sure what is next for Van Aert at this Tour as although his team leader Roglic is out of this years race, Roglic's understudy (or the best of them at this stage of the race), Jonas Vingegaard, is now up to third in GC and usually the team will ride to keep someone on the podium.

The Van Aert, Vingegaard team have lost Roglic and Tony Martin (the rider that woman brought down to cause the big crash last week) so they don't have the numbers to play with to let Van Aert ride free - but then again with someone like Van Aert (no longer needed to help Roglic 'win' the Tour'), they might be more happy for him to win more stages than 'defend' third place on the podium?

At the time of my writing, it looks as though Cav will make todays time cut.

Hope so anyway!