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Thread: Tour de France 2021

  1. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by Marco View Post
    Should, in theory, be the hardest day so far today, with the first Hors catégorie (HC) climb of the race the Col du Pré, as well as the Col des Saisies, Cormet de Roselend and the climb to Tignes.
    Should the FRA adopt a Hors Catégorie classification for fell races, and if so, which races should be HC?
    In his lifetime he suffered from unreality, as do so many Englishmen.
    Jorge Luis Borges

  2. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by anthonykay View Post
    Should the FRA adopt a Hors Catégorie classification for fell races, and if so, which races should be HC?
    Buttermere Horseshoe
    Wasdale
    Ennerdale
    Jura
    Arrochar Alps
    Marsden-Edale Trigger
    Peris
    Welsh 1000mtrs

    (the Scottish races added in on heresay rather than experience!)

  3. #13
    Master Witton Park's Avatar
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    Great pictures Marco - looks like you picked a better day.

    Pogacar is good, really good. But anyone else wondering what the heck is going on with some of these other GC riders?

    Ineos went with 4 of them all capable of top 10 and I know GT crashed, but Porte and Geoghegan-Hart have been very poor for Ineos and Kwiakowski usually at least makes the bottom of the last climb. He's hardly been seen.

    Super Man Lopez will need a rebrand and Fuglsang, another way off the mark.

    I'm astounded Simon Yates has gone there is such poor form. A rider of his calibre should be contesting a podium.
    Richard Taylor
    "William Tell could take an apple off your head. Taylor could take out a processed pea."
    Sid Waddell

  4. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by Marco View Post
    I don't think it's a case of how bad the opposition is, but more a case of how good Pogačar is. What I think we're looking at is someone of the Merckx or Coppi level of talent; someone who can/will attack when leading the race and win by minutes rather than seconds. If you're a neutral, I think it's absolutely great

    What I read in the papers was that because the Olympic road race is only 6 days after the end of the Tour de France, Simon Yates felt he couldn't mount a full on challenge so he has settled himself for a stage win or two. Personally, I think that's negative. In his day, Eddy Merckx, (had he have been eligible to ride the Olympics which were amateur only), would have ridden both with the aim of winning both
    I take that on board, but Lopez came in with Cav today. Porte just won the Dauphine and wasn't that much further ahead.
    It seems poor preparation to me.
    Richard Taylor
    "William Tell could take an apple off your head. Taylor could take out a processed pea."
    Sid Waddell

  5. #15
    The salaries of the highest paid cyclists in the world 2021

    Chris Froome (Israel Start-Up Nation) € 5.5 million
    Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) € 5 million
    Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe) € 5 million
    Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers) € 3.5 million
    Egan Bernal (Ineos Grenadiers) € 2.8 million
    Michał Kwiatkowski (Ineos Grenadiers) € 2.5 million
    Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck-QuickStep) € 2.3 million
    Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) € 2.2 million
    Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) € 2.2 million
    Richard Carapaz (Ineos Grenadiers) € 2.2 million
    Vincenzo Nibali (Trek-Segafredo) 2.1m
    Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix) € 2 million
    Adam Yates (Ineos Grenadiers) € 2 million
    Primož Roglič (Jumbo-Visma) € 2 million
    Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ) € 2 million
    Jakob Fuglsang (Astana-Premier Tech) € 2 million
    Romain Bardet (Team DSM) € 2 million
    Elia Viviani (Cofidis) € 1.9 million
    Nairo Quintana (Arkéa-Samsic) € 1.9 million
    Fernando Gaviria (UAE Team Emirates) € 1.8 million

    Source: lequotidiendusport.fr

    I presume Froome feels so guilty he gives it all to charity.
    "...as dry as the Atacama desert".

  6. #16
    Quote Originally Posted by Marco View Post
    I don't think it's a case of how bad the opposition is, but more a case of how good Pogačar is. What I think we're looking at is someone of the Merckx or Coppi level of talent; someone who can/will attack when leading the race and win by minutes rather than seconds. If you're a neutral, I think it's absolutely great

    What I read in the papers was that because the Olympic road race is only 6 days after the end of the Tour de France, Simon Yates felt he couldn't mount a full on challenge so he has settled himself for a stage win or two. Personally, I think that's negative. In his day, Eddy Merckx, (had he have been eligible to ride the Olympics which were amateur only), would have ridden both with the aim of winning both
    I agree. I think Pogačar is exceptional. Yates is pedestrian. And probably knows it.

    As for the Olympics? Well doing well there means you never have to work again other than open supermarkets from time to time (a bit like the Brownlees do) because the general public know your name - but winning Grand Tours mean you are immortal in the minds of cyclists, if not shoppers with trollies in Aldi.
    "...as dry as the Atacama desert".

  7. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by Graham Breeze View Post
    The salaries of the highest paid cyclists in the world 2021

    Chris Froome (Israel Start-Up Nation) € 5.5 million
    Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) € 5 million
    Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe) € 5 million
    Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers) € 3.5 million
    Egan Bernal (Ineos Grenadiers) € 2.8 million
    Michał Kwiatkowski (Ineos Grenadiers) € 2.5 million
    Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck-QuickStep) € 2.3 million
    Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) € 2.2 million
    Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) € 2.2 million
    Richard Carapaz (Ineos Grenadiers) € 2.2 million
    Vincenzo Nibali (Trek-Segafredo) 2.1m
    Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix) € 2 million
    Adam Yates (Ineos Grenadiers) € 2 million
    Primož Roglič (Jumbo-Visma) € 2 million
    Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ) € 2 million
    Jakob Fuglsang (Astana-Premier Tech) € 2 million
    Romain Bardet (Team DSM) € 2 million
    Elia Viviani (Cofidis) € 1.9 million
    Nairo Quintana (Arkéa-Samsic) € 1.9 million
    Fernando Gaviria (UAE Team Emirates) € 1.8 million

    Source: lequotidiendusport.fr

    I presume Froome feels so guilty he gives it all to charity.
    Do I detect a little gender inequality in this list?
    In his lifetime he suffered from unreality, as do so many Englishmen.
    Jorge Luis Borges

  8. #18
    Master Witton Park's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Graham Breeze View Post
    The salaries of the highest paid cyclists in the world 2021

    Chris Froome (Israel Start-Up Nation) € 5.5 million
    Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) € 5 million
    Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe) € 5 million
    Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers) € 3.5 million
    Egan Bernal (Ineos Grenadiers) € 2.8 million
    Michał Kwiatkowski (Ineos Grenadiers) € 2.5 million
    Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck-QuickStep) € 2.3 million
    Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) € 2.2 million
    Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) € 2.2 million
    Richard Carapaz (Ineos Grenadiers) € 2.2 million
    Vincenzo Nibali (Trek-Segafredo) 2.1m
    Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix) € 2 million
    Adam Yates (Ineos Grenadiers) € 2 million
    Primož Roglič (Jumbo-Visma) € 2 million
    Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ) € 2 million
    Jakob Fuglsang (Astana-Premier Tech) € 2 million
    Romain Bardet (Team DSM) € 2 million
    Elia Viviani (Cofidis) € 1.9 million
    Nairo Quintana (Arkéa-Samsic) € 1.9 million
    Fernando Gaviria (UAE Team Emirates) € 1.8 million

    Source: lequotidiendusport.fr

    I presume Froome feels so guilty he gives it all to charity.
    There's certainly a few getting by off past glories, I accept "glories" is over-egging the pudding somewhat for quite a few.
    Richard Taylor
    "William Tell could take an apple off your head. Taylor could take out a processed pea."
    Sid Waddell

  9. #19
    Master Witton Park's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Marco View Post
    Back to the race, three top sprinters (four if you count Mathieu van der Poel) abandoned the race or were eliminated for missing the time limit yesterday. And they're big names: Tim Merlier (the only person to win a sprint other than Cav in this year's race), Bryan Coquard and Arnaud Demare

    Zero chance of a British rider winning overall, but if you like Cav there could be a lot more to cheer at
    anyone else feel that the Alpecin–Fenix team have done themselves some harm?

    They've made many of the lesser races great to watch and certainly made a huge contribution to week one.

    But I can't help thinking that they were given the wild card for a 3 week tour and more or less attacked it like a one week tour and then thrown the towel in.

    Doesn't sit well with me.
    Richard Taylor
    "William Tell could take an apple off your head. Taylor could take out a processed pea."
    Sid Waddell

  10. #20
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    That was something else today.
    I don't go back with the Tour beyond the mid 80s, but I can't remember a better example of a team leading out their sprinter than what we saw today.
    The overheads were excellent.
    Every time another team came up to challenge in the last few kms, the lead rider for DQS just peeled off for the next in line and they held the front and Cav had to just hold the lead for the last 150m.

    Brilliant for Cav and makes you wonder if he'll tie with Merckx on Thursday.

    Pogacar is something else, but did anyone really see Cav being back at the TdF winning stages? I didn't, but I love it.
    Richard Taylor
    "William Tell could take an apple off your head. Taylor could take out a processed pea."
    Sid Waddell

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