Tour de France 2021 (may contain spoilers)

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Van der Poel really showed up for his first Tour de France, he'll probably leave in a week or so but I'm very impressed by his performance in the first week of the Tour
 
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MVP has the goods and knows how to suffer. He and WVA are both pure class.
 
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Van der Poel really showed up for his first Tour de France, he'll probably leave in a week or so but I'm very impressed by his performance in the first week of the Tour

Yep, he’ll probably leave after the first rest day so he can prepare for the Olympic mountain bike race (where he’ll be up against Tom Pidcock 😀).
 
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For the sport and in appreciation of this massive achievement today, I really do hope he’s clean. What a performance - in this shape, he could win the tour without a team. It’s uncanny.
 
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Spinning up the Colombiere….on his big ring, yet. Incredible ride for Pogacar. I huff and puff up hills 10x shorter in my small ring and largest cog.

A Campagnolo-equipped machine in yellow. That makes me super happy.

Of course, I was hoping against hope my man Woods could hold the lead but Teuns was on point today. Chapeau.
 
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For the sport and in appreciation of this massive achievement today, I really do hope he’s clean. What a performance - in this shape, he could win the tour without a team. It’s uncanny.
Agreed, but I can’t help but have my suspicions. I reckon he would have dusted Lance and Floyd if they’d been in the race today. But the real kudos today has to go to the grupetto like no other - Froome, G and Roglic keeping Cav company!! I bet bants was fυcking HAD.
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Aussie Aussie Aussie

Oi Oi Oi

Great ride by Ben OConner
 
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Aussie Aussie Aussie

Oi Oi Oi

Great ride by Ben OConner
Indeed! That was an unbelievable performance. Huge. I’m watching the SBS feed this year. Robbie, Bridie and Matthew couldn’t contain themselves.
 
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Wow!! I think DQS are maybe a better sprint team than the great HTC team with Renshaw leading out Cavendish. That was 12 years ago and DQS have rolled back the years for Cav. Their control of today’s race was incredible.
 
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Yay, there are two more probable sprint finishes this week, and two next!

Here is Cav speaking after today's stage

"We got the lads on the front to pull as fast as they can so no one can come past you.

"I didn't really do anything until the last 150m because of my team."



I normally skip watching the sprint stages live but I'm going to re-arrange my plans for the next two weeks.
 
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Tomorrow is the stage I’m really looking forward to. Calendar cleared. Bring on the Beast of Provence. I’ve been up a few times and, frankly, I’m obsessed with it.
 
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Yay, there are two more probable sprint finishes this week, and two next!

Here is Cav speaking after today's stage

"We got the lads on the front to pull as fast as they can so no one can come past you.

"I didn't really do anything until the last 150m because of my team."



I normally skip watching the sprint stages live but I'm going to re-arrange my plans for the next two weeks.
If Cav can hack it over the remaining mountains, I wouldn’t bet against him bagging the lot of the remaining four flat stages. The green jersey would end up usurping the yellow! What a Tour that would be.
 
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Tomorrow is the stage I’m really looking forward to. Calendar cleared. Bring on the Beast of Provence. I’ve been up a few times and, frankly, I’m obsessed with it.

Cool 👍 - have you been up both ways? (And both in the same day 😉)?
 
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Cool 👍 - have you been up both ways? (And both in the same day 😉)?
There are actually 3 routes up. The classic from Bedoin, the other side from Malaucene and the slightly easier route from Sault. The closest I’ve got to achieving the “cingles de Mont Ventoux” (all three ascents in one day) is when I went from Sault one afternoon and then I did the other two the following day. I still consider this to be unfinished business for me. Planning to go back next year to have another crack at it.

Tomorrow they first take the Sault route, then come down to Malaucene, ride around the base of the mountain and climb up again from Bedoin. It will be an epic day.
 
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There are actually 3 routes up. The classic from Bedoin, the other side from Malaucene and the slightly easier route from Sault. The closest I’ve got to achieving the “cingles de Mont Ventoux” (all three ascents in one day) is when I went from Sault one afternoon and then I did the other two the following day. I still consider this to be unfinished business for me. Planning to go back next year to have another crack at it.

Tomorrow they first take the Sault route, then come down to Malaucene, ride around the base of the mountain and climb up again from Bedoin. It will be an epic day.

Chapeau! 👍
 
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Wow! van Aert

Second in a full on sprint yesterday, then wins a super-hard mountain stage today with an incredibly confident attack. He’s also a handy time-trialist.
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Chapeau to Nils Pollit - first TdF stage win!

Another to watch for the future is Harry Sweeny -- 23rd birthday tomorrow.