Tour de France 2021

[dsw]

42 minutes ago, Mntboy said:

So Wout takes the stage and Pogacar seals the TdF!!!!!!!! That's all we really needed to find out 

The difference in time between number one and four in gc is a massive10 minutes.  It is like there were 2 races. 

 

[DieselnDust]

32 minutes ago, dsw said:

The difference in time between number one and four in gc is a massive10 minutes.  It is like there were 2 races. 

 

yes there was the race of those unaffected by stage1-3 and those who crashed in those three days.

The result actually leaves some huge unknowns about the performance of Roglic, Haig, Thomas,  and others. It is what it is but I suspect the narrative around he 2021 TdF will be centred around the huge winning margin over a domestique rather than circumstance that gave rise to this. (poor course design for the first few stages)

Already there is (stupid) mutterings about energy recovery devices fitted to bikes of 4 teams....

[kosmonooit]

Quite a lot of  what-if's on this Tour, but without a doubt (imho) Podg deserves the win. He just didn't get lucky, he really was the best. Good team support as well.

And big-up JJ, got a mention yesterday with the team manager interview.

 

Lastly,

Woutkop ftw on the Champs!

 

 

 

 

[kosmonooit]

Motor doping now in the news again ... strange noises heard coming from rear wheels. Allegations that there are motors and energy harvesting devices in the rear hubs.

Not inconceivable that a small electrtic  motor with planetary gears could fit inside a hub, but I am calling a big load of bollox on this one. Where are the batteries then? A motor is useless without an energy source and storage, and a controller. Weight penalty? e-bikes are a good 10 kg heavier than a conventional bike. Even if you build the components from the lightest materials it would still be significant, and measurable.

 

[dsw]

16 hours ago, DieselnDust said:

yes there was the race of those unaffected by stage1-3 and those who crashed in those three days.

The result actually leaves some huge unknowns about the performance of Roglic, Haig, Thomas,  and others. It is what it is but I suspect the narrative around he 2021 TdF will be centred around the huge winning margin over a domestique rather than circumstance that gave rise to this. (poor course design for the first few stages)

Already there is (stupid) mutterings about energy recovery devices fitted to bikes of 4 teams....

For sure the crashes had a huge impact, which is a big pity for us as fans of the sport.

Before the tour there were only 4 riders who could be considered as serious challengers to win namely Pogacar, Roglic, Thomas and Carapaz. The two of them who did not crash lived up to expectations. Carapaz was actually very good and tried everything in and even maybe outside the book. Vingegaard came in from the left. We will have to wait to see whether he can reproduce his current performance or whether he will be a one hit wonder like Tao G  Hart. Ben O'Conner was a revelation but I do not consider him as a legitimate Grand Tour contender.

The energy recovery devices?   Sounds like sour grapes to me.. if someone is so clever to use that technology on a bicycle then that person must surely be clever enough to ensure that it does its job without making metalic type of noises?

It is pro cycling though....   

 

 

Edited July 18, 2021 by dsw

[Jewbacca]

I'm going to annoy Diesel again and say 'be careful what you debunk as utter rubbish' before things have played out. 

In my mind this is not a surprise. With tighter and tighter doping controls it is only a matter of time before the cheating goes in another direction. 

[Wayne pudding Mol]

The bikes are scanned and checked randomly (not that this stopped traditional doping) 

but if John Wakefield can bring me a “faster” Colnago I’d be interested 

[Eddy Gordo]

Whatever the outcome. It has yet to be proven as were other TDF motor claims in the past.

I wouldnt mind one like this tho, just for that last bit of the climb, when I konk out. I dont want a full on ebike.

https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/latest-news/there-has-been-motorised-doping-in-tour-de-france-us-tv-investigation-309193

[Jewbacca]

8 minutes ago, Eddy Gordo said:

Whatever the outcome. It has yet to be proven as were other TDF motor claims in the past.

I wouldnt mind one like this tho, just for that last bit of the climb, when I konk out. I dont want a full on ebike.

https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/latest-news/there-has-been-motorised-doping-in-tour-de-france-us-tv-investigation-309193

I find this difficult to believe..... 'Modern technology' on a tripple crankset? pffffft

[Mntboy]

4 hours ago, kosmonooit said:

Motor doping now in the news again ... strange noises heard coming from rear wheels. Allegations that there are motors and energy harvesting devices in the rear hubs.

Not inconceivable that a small electrtic  motor with planetary gears could fit inside a hub, but I am calling a big load of bollox on this one. Where are the batteries then? A motor is useless without an energy source and storage, and a controller. Weight penalty? e-bikes are a good 10 kg heavier than a conventional bike. Even if you build the components from the lightest materials it would still be significant, and measurable.

 

Or maybe not. Have a look at this video from GCN. It isn't easily noticeable that the E-bike is an E-bike and not an actual road bike, however the pedal assist is located in the rear wheel hub and is somewhat larger than normal. Which quickest way to pick up that it's not just a road bike. And the weight penalty? A mere 2kg. However the pedal assist cuts out at 25km/h so from there you're on your own steam so perhaps not practical for tech doping but it does mean that it's possible to some degree. To what degree I honestly can't say. 

Can An E-Bike Make You Fast Enough To Train With A Pro Cyclist? - YouTube 

[Mntboy]

21 hours ago, dsw said:

The difference in time between number one and four in gc is a massive10 minutes.  It is like there were 2 races. 

 

Or the crashes in the first week to it's toll, which just so happens to be a heavy one. I reckon it would've been tighter had Thomas and Roglic not had such rotten luck. That said Pogacar is an incredible athlete and is totally deserving of his victory.

[Chris_]

At least Oosthuizen is making it easy for us to choose whether to watch tdf or the open... FFS

[Chris_]

@J Wakefield or anyone if they have mentioned it - why does Pog have one yellow, one white shoe on? 

[DieselnDust]

White Jersey plus yellow Jersey?

Probably has polka-dot under wear o on which John can confirm

Edited July 18, 2021 by DieselnDust

[Vetplant]

3 minutes ago, Chris_ said:

@J Wakefield or anyone if they have mentioned it - why does Pog have one yellow, one white shoe on? 

Yellow Jersey, White Jersey? 

Polka Dots anywhere? Onderbroek? 

[Vetplant]

1 minute ago, DieselnDust said:

White Jersey plus yellow Jersey?

Probably has polka-dot under wear o on which John can confirm

Great minds!