Tour de France 2025

[J Wakefield]

1 minute ago, Mongoose! said:

I am not so sure ...

Then we both wrong. Cause no one has any actual clue or proof what would have could have or should have happened. 

The 1 part that is correct is that Jonas reeled Tadej back in after his brutal attack and Tadej could not sustain that effort. If he could have he would have kept the gap, go the bonus seconds and opened up again on the downhill and take more bonus seconds on the finish over Jonas. 

But he never / They never and Rodriguez won in classic style. 

[emme]

1 hour ago, NC_lurker said:

Crazy image.

Where did you source it?

Some in-bunch footage on Facebook.

[DieselnDust]

3 hours ago, Vetplant said:

"We" the TV viewers want the best pictures, but they impact the racing on these stages, especially with the insane kick from Pogi. 

What to do?

Do we settle for helicopter shots on the steep climbs? Motorbikes to be told to be at least 50m up the road when Pogi and Jonas are dueling? Only cover their battle from behind? 

Tough one. 

It’s a two way street. We’d had incidents with motorbikes in the tour for decades and nothing changes. Even in the spring classics we see the same issues. The way the bikes are operated needs to be looked at. Maybe better comms between pilot and camera man? Either way Teri g to solve the problem the same way and getting the same result over and over isn’t working

3 hours ago, Zebra said:

Yes…and no.

Been watching TdF for 35+ years, every year, and very few incidents like this occur, given 20-plus stages per race, over 35 years, and the NUMBER of motorbikes on the route at any given time….

Rare occurrence - organisers take note, sure; but let’s wind our necks in a little…

Human error will happen, and you cannot remove every CHANCE of something along the route happening…..

fact is, spectator behaviour impeded/slowed the bikes down, AND the bikes should have been more situationally aware….

barriers last 300 meters would have kept spectators back, bikes then unimpeded, incident LIKELY would not have happened.

It’s not that rare when the net is cast beyond the tdf.

2 hours ago, J Wakefield said:

Motorbike issue would change anything on the day. Jonas was directly onto Tadej wheel in that instance and he was the strongest on the day overall on the climb. 

Hmmmmm maybe

31 minutes ago, J Wakefield said:

Then we both wrong. Cause no one has any actual clue or proof what would have could have or should have happened. 

The 1 part that is correct is that Jonas reeled Tadej back in after his brutal attack and Tadej could not sustain that effort. If he could have he would have kept the gap, go the bonus seconds and opened up again on the downhill and take more bonus seconds on the finish over Jonas. 

But he never / They never and Rodriguez won in classic style. 

I’d agree with this. There was also the matter of the dropped water bottle. I can’t distinguish whether Jonas didn’t have the legs to follow Tadej at first or if Tadej just faded a tad but Jonas looked more in the hurt box but was more tactically astute. Even though it was pretty much stale mate  at the end. What is a surprised by was Tadej not letting Yates go for 2nd and then Tadej take 3rd because that would earn him more bonus seconds over jonas. UAE needs to look at that because unless someone implodes it’s going to be down to the seconds in Paris 

[J Wakefield]

After all the speculation, self analysis and favourite rider favouritism when it came down the GC battle for the day and stage it goes to Jonas. He gained 1sec on Tadej. That if they were equal on time would be the win.

Today is another day and with the steeper ramps and especially at the finish, should suite Tadej providing he goes in feeling good / less fatigued. 

Today
Tuesday 
Wednesday 
Are the key stages for this Tour ahead for the GC battle between Tadej and Jonas and then for the battle for 3rd and final place on the podium.

If these are a stalemate then Saturday can provide an all or nothing for these riders. 

[babse]

Still so much to play for and these 2 are putting on a show at every opportunity...

 

3rd place battle is 🔥

[NC_lurker]

23 minutes ago, emme said:

Some in-bunch footage on Facebook.

Highlights packages used to feature in-bunch footage, haven't seen any this year. Feel free to share..

[DieselnDust]

45 minutes ago, J Wakefield said:

After all the speculation, self analysis and favourite rider favouritism when it came down the GC battle for the day and stage it goes to Jonas. He gained 1sec on Tadej. That if they were equal on time would be the win.

Today is another day and with the steeper ramps and especially at the finish, should suite Tadej providing he goes in feeling good / less fatigued. 

Today
Tuesday 
Wednesday 
Are the key stages for this Tour ahead for the GC battle between Tadej and Jonas and then for the battle for 3rd and final place on the podium.

If these are a stalemate then Saturday can provide an all or nothing for these riders. 

Nicely summed,

all I can added is this feel like 1989 and for that we are all winners.

the point I wants to raise is how much better the racing is that we have these relatively shorter stages. More combative racing and more time for recovery so they can rinse and repeat 

 

[Frosty]

Came up in my IG feed

https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cub9ZRvA5jG/?igshid=OGIzYTJhMTRmYQ==

[emme]

2 hours ago, NC_lurker said:

Crazy image.

Where did you source it?

Some in-bunch footage on Facebook.

[emme]

From SBS Sport Facebook page.

[Frosty]

13 minutes ago, emme said:

Some in-bunch footage on Facebook.

https://fb.watch/lPDPVJ6deO/?mibextid=Nif5oz

[emme]

Thanks Frosty!

[OVERDRIVE]

And, another moron spectator. 
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CuwjoI4Pzhi/?igshid=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==

 

 

Edited July 16, 2023 by OVERDRIVE

[Frosty]

Oh Rapunzel! Let down your hair

[Shebeen]

no maincheese in the race today, so we no longer have anyone flying the our flag at le tour.

When last did that happen?

with Impey and LM riding for WT teams and the whole MTNQ/DDT project we've had a lot of jaapies riding. in 2015 both LM and DI DNF, but both the JVR finished.

2014, the one that started in Leeds and before MTNQ got to the level we had no one there. They rode the TdS and Vuelta that year though.

before then it was mainly Robbie Hunter riding for some years, although he normally didn;t make it to Paris. He started his first of his nine TdF in 2001, with just three finishes.

Barlowworld - only two years at le tour and RH finished both? The only other saffer to do TdF with them was JLA, who came fifth in the polka in 2008 (when he wasn;t falling off them mountains)

 

 

thanks to PCS for making this very easy to reserach

https://www.procyclingstats.com/race/tour-de-france/2008/nations

 

 

[Shebeen]

7 hours ago, Vetplant said:

"We" the TV viewers want the best pictures, but they impact the racing on these stages, especially with the insane kick from Pogi. 

What to do?

Do we settle for helicopter shots on the steep climbs? Motorbikes to be told to be at least 50m up the road when Pogi and Jonas are dueling? Only cover their battle from behind? 

Tough one. 

I am trying to put myself in the head of the moto driver. brief is to stay 10m infront of cyclist. Cool, at the top of a climb he is concentrating on finding a way through spectators, and if he has been told there are bonus seconds coming up with a possible sprint he is looking ahead at Frans, Ludwig and Pete who are wearing mankinis and waving flags. Riders go for a sprint and he is supposed to see them up the pace how?

I think we are going to see drone cars with autopilot and radar that stick 10m ahead of the first rider. They will be designed in a way that a bicycle could potentially ride over them without causing an accident. It's not a technology issue,  and since it's probably be cheaper than a three wheeled motorbike and two people on it, shouldn't be a $$$ problem too..