Anyone else following the TDF? It looks really interesting this year. I am rooting for Alaphilippe (sorry Welshies) as I think it would be wonderful for the French to have a winner again after so long. That said, Thomas is by no means out of it, so it should get really exciting from here on.

I am also cheering Michael Woods. He is just a domestique I think, but he broke a couple of ribs on stage 11 and has incredibly kept on riding. Serious respect. I broke a couple of ribs myself three weeks ago when I took a short flight over the handlebars and landed with all the finesse of a sack of spuds. It's a very sore one, so I am seriously impressed that this guy has kept riding such an arduous race when he must be in a lot of pain. Not being able to sleep properly at night has really worn me down too, so it must be affecting his recovery each night.

Always follow it. A good race this year rather than the usual procession of ever increasing time gaps in the top ten.

There are daily stage threads on STW - https://singletrackworld.com/forum/forum/bike-forum/, all titled like: "Tour de France 2019 stage NN, X to Y"

whitestone wrote: ↑Mon Jul 22, 2019 11:38 am Always follow it. A good race this year rather than the usual procession of ever increasing time gaps in the top ten.

Yes, it's shaping up to be a very close one.

Just back home from 4 days in the Pyrenees, 2 stages visited including the finish atop the Tourmalet which was manic. G looks knackered, rumour is that there's sickness in the team and Kwiatkovski not being able to support as well as usual. Hopefully the rest day will sort it. Glad that G got some time back yesterday but it's quite tight behind him as well. Alaphilippe doesn't seem to have much team support either, depends whether other Frenchies will bury their differences and support him. Quality of crap thrown from the publicity caravan has deteriorated this year as well. The scenery is up to the usual standard though

I've been enjoying the proceedings this year too.

Nice to have things all up in the air and not just seeing the favourite dude do what he was favoured to do for three weeks and then he wins.

I'm happy to be behind any of the contenders for this year's win, they all seem worthy enough.

It's a close one this year with still so many possibilities. Will Pinot have his usual heat induced bad day? Will G do better on the steadier but longer alps climbs? Will Alaphilippe crack or will he manage to contain his losses by following G? Will Ineos continue their 2 pronged tactics? Will Kruiswijk and Buchman get onto the podium without the commentators ever mentioning them except as an afterthought?

Another TdF follower here - its been nearly as good as dot watching the TD this year
'Mon the French!

I still think that the French are Henman-ising Alaphilippe.
Can’t see him holding out till Paris.
It could still be anyone in the top 5. If I was a betting man i’d be dropping a few quid on Pinot

Racing aside, does anyone think it’s a prettier tour this year? The route seems much better setup for racing but has resulted seeing much nicer areas of France.

Always watch the tour

one of the best and a close one and good/interesting to see both Sky/Ineos under pressure and French riders doing well

I cannot see him keeping the jersey[though so far it seems to be giving him extra watts and boy has he respected it, G does not look strong, Pinot has some legs

Getting very exciting now. Alaphillipe still holding on but Bernal looking good to overhaul him in the mountainous final two days.

^^
I see Micheal Woods was in the break yesterday


Was a shame they finished on a descent yesterday, always strikes me as a bit odd to finish with a descent after a mountain stage, takes away that final, all out attack. Next two days shall prove (hopefully) exciting.

Certainly one of the best tours in recent years

voodoo_simon wrote: ↑Fri Jul 26, 2019 12:24 pm ^^
I see Micheal Woods was in the break yesterday

I know! I am so impressed. He came seventh I think yesterday and is 36th overall. Seriously impressive. I went for my first ride yesterday - nearly 4 weeks after breaking the ribs. It was only a very gentle 5 miles or so, but I am pretty sore today. Woods is probably not allowed to take much in the way of pain relief and if he did it would just make him sleepy, so my hat is seriously off to the guy.

ps - great photo Pistonbroke...

It has been a great Tour - I started off not that interested in it but it's been so much better this year. Best bit so far was seeing Quintana do what I'd hoped he'd do more often in the past. His win was just incredible, great to watch him drop the group so convincingly on the Galibier after a couple of earlier cols. The Iseran today is an even bigger climb - if he could do it again ... I've just always wanted the Tour to be something a pure climber had a fair chance of winning. Bin the TTs and put more high cols in

The next couple of days will sort the men from the boys alright. Pinot is out with a muscle injury.

Woods in the lead group again today. We need a chapeau-doffing smiley....

jameso wrote: ↑Fri Jul 26, 2019 2:24 pm great to watch him drop the group so convincingly on the Galibier after a couple of earlier cols

I haven't bothered with road racing since Froome's Salbutamol fiasco. Having many years experience of watching doped up riders convincingly drop everyone on the final climb I won't be bothering again.

Other reasons include Sherwin and Liggett investing large amounts of money in Armstrong's businesses hence their refusal to say a word against him. Wiggins relationship with Sean Yates (he wouldn't ride unless Yates was around, and many, many more.

Agree, this year's is an enjoyable tour. Also agree with VoodooSimon, can't see the point of finishing 10km + over the top of a big mountain, kind of nullifies the attacks on the mountain. Mind you, the skill and speed on the descents is amazing.
Today and tomorrow will sort it out though, probably a big mountain finish tomorrow to finally sort the main g.c. contenders.
The cynic in me though wonders at the red-carding of Rowe and Martin - Top 5 riders in g.c., 2 of them French, the other 3 in teams affected by the reduction in team numbers by the disciplinary action. Mmmm
Having said that, great shame to lose Pinot today; in my opinion he was a better bet than Alaphilippe for the win with his hill-climbing credentials.
Quintana's stage win was pleasing to see but he was only allowed to go because he was best part of 10 minutes down overall, wouldn't have happened otherwise!

... of course, there's always the weather to consider !!

psling wrote: ↑Fri Jul 26, 2019 3:57 pm ... of course, there's always the weather to consider !!

Yep - stage stopped prematurely by hail
Bernal has taken yellow by 7 seconds. A pretty crappy way for Alaphillipe to lose the lead.

psling wrote: ↑Fri Jul 26, 2019 3:57 pm ... of course, there's always the weather to consider !!

Also looks like there's a landslip across the route - seen a shot (posted on STW) that has the Krys banners on the side of the road so it's on a race route but no confirmation that it's on today's route.



Edit: confirmed by BBC via Deceuninck Quickstep

Yep - also a photo of the hail - so much of it that it looked like snow on the road. Mad when you think it was 40C yesterday.

Well that's going to make the Ineos bus interesting this evening.

Having many years experience of watching doped up riders convincingly drop everyone on the final climb I won't be bothering again.

Saw something good the other day - "Pro Cycling is like sausage, I love it but I don't want to know how it is made"

I'm as cynical as anyone when it comes to Pro road racing tbh, too much so maybe. Quintana is the kind of rider I can believe in, he's a born climber and he rarely seems able to do much with it, he's simply not a dominant rider. If he is on the sauce it doesn't seem to be very good stuff. There's also just something classical in the way some riders, some days, can ride away like that on the higher climbs. So good to see it done (thinks back to Armstrong doing similar, ha).

Checking out now so I can watch it later...

Well worth reading Quintana’s upbringing, he’s one tough cookie