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Tour de France 2019


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Loving the way this year's Grand Depart from Brussels has more or less turned into an Eddy Merckx personality cult. On the 50th anniversary of his first yellow jersey the great man, as ever, seemed to be lapping up the attention. Yesterday's "depart fictif" looked like the motorcade of a benign despot.

The first stage's almost inevitable crashes certainly had an impact on a couple of the favourites. Geraint Thomas seems unscathed after a low speed encounter with a barrier and the road surface but Jakob Fuglsang looked like he'd been hit by a bus.

The only dilemna for me is whether to watch the coverage on ITV4 or Eurosport. Usually mix it up bit because I enjoy them both.    

"I'm from a fishing family. Trawlermen are like pirates with biscuits." - Lucy Beaumont.

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23 hours ago, Wiltshire Rhino said:

Missing Chris Boardman already 

Yes, real shame that he can't join the team this year.

"I'm from a fishing family. Trawlermen are like pirates with biscuits." - Lucy Beaumont.

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Good to see one of the most likeable riders in the peloton, Julian Alaphilippe, take the yellow jersey in some style yesterday as the Tour headed into his home nation for the first time. He's been in superb form this year.

"I'm from a fishing family. Trawlermen are like pirates with biscuits." - Lucy Beaumont.

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1 hour ago, JohnM said:

Can he go the distance, do you think? 

Alaphillipe is very much an outsider for overall victory, he'll just be happy to keep the yellow jersey for a couple of days, but he might well up on the podium in Paris as King of the Mountains. The race has already been a great success for his Deceuninck Quick Step team with Elia Viviani's stage win yesterday.

The fact that a Frenchman was just wearing the "maillot jaune" seemed to have been cause for saturation press coverage across the channel. Goodness knows what it would be like if a Frenchman ever wins the thing again but that day still looks a long way off.

"I'm from a fishing family. Trawlermen are like pirates with biscuits." - Lucy Beaumont.

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3 hours ago, Ullman said:

Goodness knows what it would be like if a Frenchman ever wins the thing again but that day still looks a long way off.

I like to be in Paris (or anywhere else in France) when it happens. I think it would be a good party! ? 

2014 Challenged Cup Winner
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Real statement of intent by Geraint Thomas yesterday. Chose his moment to show Alaphillipe, and anybody else for that matter, what a real GC contender looks like. I don't know what price Thomas was before the race but he must surely be clear favourite now.

"I'm from a fishing family. Trawlermen are like pirates with biscuits." - Lucy Beaumont.

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The Italian bloke with the famous surname, Giulio Ciccone, has the honour of wearing yellow on Bastille Day.

Superb "tricouleur" in the sky by the French air force to mark the day and some gorgeous scenery and architecture already. 

"I'm from a fishing family. Trawlermen are like pirates with biscuits." - Lucy Beaumont.

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On ‎07‎/‎07‎/‎2019 at 14:53, henage said:

Like to watch the cycling now and again , trouble is I cant get away from the drug issues the sport seems have . Like looking at the tech that goes into the bikes .

if I am ever in doubt of any success  in life I always remember that I have won exactly  the same amount of tour de france titles as lance Armstrong  (since he was stripped of his) cheating git 

see you later undertaker - in a while necrophile 

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I always know when the Tour de France is on because every time we’re driving in the lakes there’s hoards of guys on bikes in their full cycling gear trying to look the part being a nuisance on the roads 

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15 hours ago, Wiltshire Rhino said:

Stage 8 had everything. That was some great racing! ? 

Tremendous race, what an effort by De Gendt and also by Alaphillipe to regain the yellow jersey. Nicely sets up the real Bastille Day (not like that lousy fake one yesterday).

A couple of days ago Geraint Thomas said how impressed he'd been with Alaphillipe and Pinot. I think we all are now. The locals must be starting to get a bit excited.

"I'm from a fishing family. Trawlermen are like pirates with biscuits." - Lucy Beaumont.

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Disastrous day ahead of today's rest day for Pinot whose team got caught on the wrong side of the split in the crosswind. They weren't the only ones to lose a lot of time leaving Thomas and Bernal and their Ineos team in an even stronger position with the true mountain stages still to come.

"I'm from a fishing family. Trawlermen are like pirates with biscuits." - Lucy Beaumont.

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The last stage ruined the hopes of a few riders. Not sure how they didnt notice what was happening. It certainly gives Thomas an even better chance of success. It would be foolish to ignore the "unusual" suspects like Buchmann and Mas who both are good climbers.

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On 07/07/2019 at 14:53, henage said:

Like to watch the cycling now and again , trouble is I cant get away from the drug issues the sport seems have . Like looking at the tech that goes into the bikes .

cleaner than soccer, tennis, golf, RU and athletics, oh and most of the big US sports such as gridiron/baseball/basketball/Ice hockey) and is the most tested sport on the planet. Cycling is a relatively poor sport, money talks!

The tech is great but currently it's at the detriment of aesthetics, particularly disc brakes and the dropped seat stays.

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On 13/07/2019 at 14:59, graveyard johnny said:

if I am ever in doubt of any success  in life I always remember that I have won exactly  the same amount of tour de france titles as lance Armstrong  (since he was stripped of his) cheating git 

And was on a par with his predecessors including the much lauded Eddy Merckx who was a serial doper, Francesco Moser who was a serial doper - and had to admit it before he was exposed, much like Hinault who refused to dope test, much like Indurain who was a time-trial monster of 82kg who would destroy the likes of Armstrong in a TT but could climb like a 55kg Columbian in the mountains, he was just a pee take, clenbuterol Bertie, Bjarne Riis, they were ALL on it, Armstrong was simply an easy target yet his doping was no worse than any of the others.

 

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The TV directors certainly play their part in promoting France as a tourist destination. Albi looks absolutely beautiful. Makes you want to visit.

"I'm from a fishing family. Trawlermen are like pirates with biscuits." - Lucy Beaumont.

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2 hours ago, wilsontown said:

Don't forget how glorious the Yorkshire countryside looked on the coverage a couple of years ago.

You're not wrong.

"I'm from a fishing family. Trawlermen are like pirates with biscuits." - Lucy Beaumont.

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