Tour de France 2022 with SPOILERS

[roadrash]

Positive side of Covid 19...

I tested positive today which means I can't pick up the grandkids afetr school this week...Oh no!!!!!!!

But I can watch wall to wall TdF guilt free...Oh yes!!!!!

get well soon rich

 

[Dogtrousers]

get well soon rich

But not too soon.

 

[Aravis]

Less than 20% of 272 timed grand tours have finished with the second-placed rider within a minute of the leader. The Paris stage is inevitably pretty flat (no mountains near it). The second-placed rider would almost never get into a breakaway on such a flat stage and, even if they managed to, the leader's team and the sprint teams would never let it get to the finish with enough time. There is no point the GC riders contesting a Paris road stage. It would only risk crashes and the race ending in farce.

The closest ever Grand Tour, the 1984 Vuelta, finished with a flat stage into Madrid. As far as I can tell, the finale was left to the sprinters.

Whenever this gets discussed, I always find myself saying that we are guessing as to what would actually happen and we won't know until it does. Sure, the odds are long against making any difference in the end, but the team in second place could still shake things up and make everyone nervous. The last time I remember splits causing actual time differences on the Champs Elysees was in 2008, when Carlos Sastre lost 7 seconds to the second-placed man. It can happen.

The overall winner of the 1985 Vuelta, Eric Caritoux, took the final point-scoring place (15th) on the final sprint stage, suggesting that he was being properly attentive. My recollection from that time is that the second placed rider was expected at least to make a visible effort. I'm not sure who first said Paris should be a procession. Probably Armstrong.

 

[rich p]

Get well soon !

Was going to say hope he's not lost his smell and taste....but Rich would drink meths anyway.

Only when I've run out of cooking sherry and brake fluid...

 

[rich p]

An with the local beverage of your choice, perhaps?
(Is your fridge big enough?)

Pint of Harveys?

 

[Adam4868]

Pint of Harveys?

Out of the bottle in a brown paper bag..... etiquette dear boy.

 

[cougie uk]

But not too soon.

The strain that seems to be around now gives positive tests for about 10 days so that's a fair few stages. Hope it's not too bad for you.

 

[Shadow]

So, back to the race today.
A sprint? One for the break? Or the day when MVDP starts to look lively?

Pint of Harveys?

Just the one? Unlikely to last to the first climb today.

 

[Adam4868]

So, back to the race today.
A sprint? One for the break? Or the day when MVDP starts to look lively?

Mvdp has allready said he fancies this one....I've gone with Pidcock 😁

 

[Shadow]

...I've gone with Pidcock

Nice choice.
Nice e/w odds?

I’ve never been a great fan but would like Saga to show the yung’uns he’s still got it.

 

[Adam4868]

80/1 !
Yea Sagan has another stage win at least I think...

 

[T4tomo]

80/1 !
Yea Sagan has another stage win at least I think...

Must admit I love the showboating Sagan, his issue nowadays is that there are other guys who can get over the lumps and sprint at the end, so he has more competition on what used to be a nailed on Sagan stage (or a second place, seem to recall he did about 4 2nd places in a row)
WVA, MVDP, Pidcock we think, Hayter possibly has that sort of stage in him, Matthews as ever, so Sagan's chances are diminishing, but if he can get up the road without any of those.....and such break doesnt blow itself apart trying to drop Sagan 'cos they fear his sprint....

 

[Shadow]

80/1 !

Wow.

 

[matticus]

Positive side of Covid 19...

I tested positive today which means I can't pick up the grandkids afetr school this week...Oh no!!!!!!!

But I can watch wall to wall TdF guilt free...Oh yes!!!!!

Thoughts and prayers.

 

[matticus]

Must admit I love the showboating Sagan, his issue nowadays is that there are other guys who can get over the lumps and sprint at the end, so he has more competition on what used to be a nailed on Sagan stage (or a second place, seem to recall he did about 4 2nd places in a row)
WVA, MVDP, Pidcock we think, Hayter possibly has that sort of stage in him, Matthews as ever, so Sagan's chances are diminishing, but if he can get up the road without any of those.....and such break doesnt blow itself apart trying to drop Sagan 'cos they fear his sprint....

Yeah, he has too much competition for stage wins, I'd put him 50:50 to get even one this year. But he's gotta be strong for Green, if he gives it a go 👍
One of the sports great characters (now that he's got a wife, and less podium girls to ... "distract" him ... )