2024 Tour de France thread
- Thread starter Jeremy
- Start date
Dave Taylor
Rex kwan Do
When u have a bad habit of chopping riders like wva and get religated.
qclabrat
Well-Known Member
‘Gravel In the Tour de France is Nonsense’: Pogačar, Lefevere, Evenepoel Divided Over Dirt Roads Ahead of Key Stage
Troyes gravel sectors on stage 9 set to shake up race and nervous Tour de France contenders. 'Anything can happen,' says Remco Evenepoel.
velo.outsideonline.com
Juggernaut
Master of the Metaphor
Gravel is not exactly new to the tour…
One thing to be sure of… they (ASO) will execute the “novelty” sections poorly and blame any issues on riders.
Cycling these days has (IMO) some of most gifted and well rounded (multi discipline) riders in decades, yet interest to the casual viewer is at an all time low. Why? The UCI finding new ways to first pocket the money and then intervene…. Everywhere!!!!! I mean hell, I’m beginning to miss Pat McQuaid! FML.
One thing to be sure of… they (ASO) will execute the “novelty” sections poorly and blame any issues on riders.
Cycling these days has (IMO) some of most gifted and well rounded (multi discipline) riders in decades, yet interest to the casual viewer is at an all time low. Why? The UCI finding new ways to first pocket the money and then intervene…. Everywhere!!!!! I mean hell, I’m beginning to miss Pat McQuaid! FML.
How are we gaging all time low, by viewership? So many outlets it is hard to guage.
But as the professional governing body, how do they stay out of it? I dont really care about the semantics but all i know is that can find uci races with much better coverage then pretty much any other source.
There has always been the argument of these clasic style courses being in the tour, like that year when they has the roubaix sectors and it caused chaos.
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John the Plumber
Well-Known Member
I am really glad to hear it is at an all time low. I hope NBC loses a lot of money. Cycling is a low % of people and the tour is actually to calculating for me but I did like to watch it when it was not on peacock.With MLB and the WNBA I can get enough sports that doesn't cost me any extra.
Juggernaut
Master of the Metaphor
Two points. I said interest of the casual viewer. The casual viewer in years past would, on occasion tune in, or more accurately do a “drive by” viewing of the tour, giro and/or vuelta. It doesn’t happen any longer, it’s not “free” and or “easy” to do. I have both Peacock and Max. Cycling can be found on both platforms; I have a history of watching cycling so we know that information is captured by both entities. Neither of these services even suggest cycling to me on the first 5 swim lanes of the Home Screen (streaming industry jargon, think newspaper above the fold). I found max’s coverage by accident. In years past you’d ride with your buddies, meet folks at a stoplight, pass or get passed by cyclists out on the road and if during a race, you’d start chatting about it. Doesn’t happen anymore.
Second point. We have countless examples of riders being put in harms way due to irresponsible course selections, riders being routinely hit by race officials, neutral support vehicles, camera persons on motorcycles… etc. yet, what does the UCI flex on? Socks. Are you f#cking serious? Oh, how about threatening to disqualify one of the top riders in the sport for wearing a skin-suit provided to him by the race organizers because the lower section as too close to the race leader jersey color (which was obviously a smoke screen, they didn’t like the color combo). The UCI is corrupt, that’s nothing new, but in years past they at least put on a good show. Now? Paint drying.
Since I’m in full “get off my lawn” mode… I friggen hate TJ. Always have. He had no heart as a rider and now as a commentator? He makes Bookwalter seem like he’s almost alive. Someone please tell him this is video… he has this ridiculous pained expression on his face, like he just took a sip of his half-caf skinny oat milk latte after the key grip put his cigarette out in it.
God I miss Chipo.
I don’t have much of an opinion on that. I get both sides. Jonas was right for the reasons he said. If he went with them and he had a mechanical, he’d have possibly lost the tour. But I loved Remco saying he had no balls. That kid is growing on me. I’m not sure how long he’ll stick around in the mountains but he’s fun to have in the conversation for now.
Remco carries the weight of the generational belgain superstar, which hasnt workout for others. Road and TT world champ already and did win the vuelta. He hasnt gone up against the likes of Pog though.
krink
Eddie Munster
I know this will be an unpopular opinion but Remco is a whiny punk. He’s a great one day/classics rider who often crumples with stuff longer than a week and blames and criticizes others when he fails. Won one vuelta with no A list GCs present in 22 and cracked hard with the 23 vuelta shifting to stage hunting and breakaways. DNFd the 2 Giros he was in. He, Tadej and Jonas all turned pro in 2019, although Jonas is 3 years older, JV and Tadej each have 2 yellow jerseys before Remco even rolled out on a TdF grand depart. Even with jonas’ injuries I don’t think Remco is at the same level as either as a GC.
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I dont disagree, however:
I am by no means a stats guy nor a huge remco fan, but jonas and tadej have more of the GC contender build and crazy strong teams around them. Also, Tadej is always crazy strong. Quickstep has also never built a solid grand tour team after trying to break away from being a classics / one day race team. Again, all excuses.
krink
Eddie Munster
I agree with you. Very different makeups to the teams and their philosophies. I personally think Lefevere is not coaching Remco well at all. Protecting and shielding him from necessary racing hard lessons keeping him a whiny prima donna rather than letting him toughen and mature. Contrasting that with how he recently treated Alaphillippe. Which was the thoroughbred and which was the also-ran? I know where the Belgian public is hanging their hopes, and Lefevere knows it. Just not sure Remco is up to it.
