They just covered who finished first atop today’s mountain. It is included Lance two times, and Bob saying (paraphrased), ‘he was disqualified, fairly or unfairly, you decide.’ Get off his nuts, dude.
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HA! I just came here to post exactly that.
Edit: I think he also said “time will tell.” Time has told, my man.
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Sad watching Remco be put out of contention for 2nd by JV but it had to happen. Was funny to watch Tadej just sit on the wheel after following the attack without getting out of his saddle like “LOL OK”. Still enjoying every stage. Even the USA commentary can’t bring me down.
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Can’t badmouth a presenter on the same network…
Yeah, when he was sitting up pouring the bottle over him like mid attack… I just thought oh this is very much over.
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Heard a local scientist on the radio last night. When questioned on the likely cleanliness of the riders, he reckoned there had been big advances in their understanding of required carbohydrate levels. Has anyone else noticed the riders still eating, with food on their faces while on the podium? Not sure if its related
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Yeah, SBS had Mitch Docker in the commentary box a week or two back, he said the difference in fueling between when he started in the peloton and now is incredible, like 2-3x the carbs. And yeah, Pogi always eating on the podium.
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tfw it’s the pasta not the juice
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Well previously at the end of every big 1-day race there was a handler there jamming a little bottle of something in their faces the moment they got over the line. I cant say I’ve noticed that in the TDF coverage this year, altho I only watch 22 minute high-lights.
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defo happened this year too
Bike racing is an eating competition.
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Lots of other things that have changed or evolved. Cooling vests, more focus on warming down, the mentioned carb intake during races, tons of training at altitude, equipment that is picking up some pretty major decreases in drag, better course recon (real time wind speed data during TTs at Visma), even better management of the kg side of the w/kg equation (GC riders look like pure climbers compared to Lance and Jan) and a larger pool of riders that are are “found” younger thanks to the Internet.
Lots of reasons the current peloton should be faster, even without dope.
Marginal gains are real.
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Yep, I pretty much agree with all that too. And every once in a while there is a genuine freak, or 2.
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There have always been freaks. But it took a bit longer to find them.
What I find most interesting is the shift from “maturing into a GC racer” to this white to yellow jersey pipeline.
Froome 26
Contador 25
Lance 26
Wiggins 32
Schleck 25
Thomas 32
Sastre 33
Cadel 34
When you scrub those with confirmed or likely doping it’s only Froome under 30.
Pogi 22
Bernal 22
Jonas a bit “old” at 26 now
Remco is 25 already but clearly hitting his “prime”.
Small sample set. But it seems to suggest the peak for this type of endurance athlete is quite a bit earlier than coaches/directors thought.
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The dude was saying exactly that last night. So much younger now.
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I saw some footage last night from behind and above, as Pogacar attacked. It was insane. Usually you see him accelerating from the front, and it does not appear super freakish. The angle I saw last night was like a BMX rider giving it his all.
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Got a link?
Was on one of Sky TVs 22 min summaries.
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The bottle of dark red liquid they chug before they even get off the bike is tart cherry juice right?