this has been argued before, ugh. and I forget who was dq'd a couple of seasons ago, grabbing a bottle is mega borderline. similar to drafting behind another team's car.

Still, sportsmanship always wins. Sportsmanship is always sharp.

ie. the right approach is to do nothing.

You all knew Dimension data's plan?
" For a team like us going for GC with Roman Kreuziger, it is what it is," i

Mark Taylor said:

You all knew Dimension data's plan?
" For a team like us going for GC with Roman Kreuziger, it is what it is," i

Part of me can't believe Kreuziger is still employed as a pro.  Mega-sketchy past, including working with Michele Ferrari.  Yet after that came out, he did a turn on Mitchelton-Scott, now Dimension Data.  Somehow, he hasn't been as good since his work with Ferrari was made public.

Less spoken of is how this team has underperformed for the past few seasons.  Steve Cummings once won two stages of the tour in a season and seemed the master of the long break in the mountains.  Today, he seems unable to get in the break, let alone compete for the win.   Boasson Hagen has had flashes of brilliance, but they're fewer and farther between.  Last year's big signing, Michael Valgren has been almost invisible this year.  

dreams.

mugwump said:

Mark Taylor said:

You all knew Dimension data's plan?
" For a team like us going for GC with Roman Kreuziger, it is what it is," i

Part of me can't believe Kreuziger is still employed as a pro.  Mega-sketchy past, including working with Michele Ferrari.  Yet after that came out, he did a turn on Mitchelton-Scott, now Dimension Data.  Somehow, he hasn't been as good since his work with Ferrari was made public.

Less spoken of is how this team has underperformed for the past few seasons.  Steve Cummings once won two stages of the tour in a season and seemed the master of the long break in the mountains.  Today, he seems unable to get in the break, let alone compete for the win.   Boasson Hagen has had flashes of brilliance, but they're fewer and farther between.  Last year's big signing, Michael Valgren has been almost invisible this year.  

Cummings also just surfs the back of the peleton, he doesn't even work for the team ,

wait wait wait wait

Have the GC ever raced in stage 21 before instead of just ceremonials? Since the stage is shorter tomorrow, Alaphillipe might just try to do some crazy! 
If he did shorten the gap tomorrow... It'll be crazy to fight on the flat stage 21, specially with quickstep being a sprinters and one day teams.

Kevin Man said:

Have the GC ever raced in stage 21 before instead of just ceremonials? Since the stage is shorter tomorrow, Alaphillipe might just try to do some crazy! 
If he did shorten the gap tomorrow... It'll be crazy to fight on the flat stage 21, specially with quickstep being a sprinters and one day teams.

Yes, they can race, and have in the past, ask Laurent Fignon... it is not so much ceremonial because of tradition or rules, it is ceremonial mostly because the flat, false flat downhill doesn't allow for a break until champs. 

They do race , it’s the most prestigious sprint stage , these teams control the day 

I have to say that this year's tour has made it abundantly clear to me that putting these punishing high altitude stages into the race limits not only the contenders but the excitement of the races. 

21 days of racing where anyone can win is a hell of a lot more exciting than 21 days of racing where five guys can win.

Jean Marie Leblanc’s vision was to have all types of ridiers be able to win, Sean Kelly for example , not sure any of the races from 89 on( he didn’t design 89) were any better than this years under his stewardship
im mean honestly what are you looking for on a three week race than you got this year, apart from a non Ineos winner 

eloy said:

Kevin Man said:

Have the GC ever raced in stage 21 before instead of just ceremonials? Since the stage is shorter tomorrow, Alaphillipe might just try to do some crazy! 
If he did shorten the gap tomorrow... It'll be crazy to fight on the flat stage 21, specially with quickstep being a sprinters and one day teams.

Yes, they can race, and have in the past, ask Laurent Fignon... it is not so much ceremonial because of tradition or rules, it is ceremonial mostly because the flat, false flat downhill doesn't allow for a break until champs. 

@Kevin Man

It's happened a few times.  I think in '88, 2nd placed rider Steven Rooks got away on the Champs-Elysees, as did white jersey Erik Breukink.  I think it also occurred in '81, though Hinault had a commanding lead.  He also took the stage win in yellow.  Because '81 was when I started following the Tour, I assumed that was normal, for the yellow to mix it up at the end.  Turns out, it was rare.  

Also, in the 2000's, Alexandre Vinokourov took off on the final circuit and won the stage, moving up to , I think, 4th overall, displacing Levi Leipheimer.  

The Tour finished as a TT until 1975, when the current circuit debuted, so it's been kind of limited.  Further, the gaps used to be much, much bigger, with second place 7-10 minutes down until more recent years.  So it was hard for the GC riders to meaningfully change their position.

Pretty underwhelming Stage 20.

I was hoping someone from the top 10 would throw down, particularly Kruijswyck.  He, and anyone in the GC hunt, wanted to challenge, it had to be somewhere by 10k to go at the latest.  Waiting for the final few k played into Thomas', and Ineos' hands, as his strength is going  hard for a few k, at most.  

But the gradient favored drafting, at least until the final k.  Another bummer.

Would have been a good stage for Pinot.  Yesterday, even better.  :'(

Y’all heard it here first 

1) I feel like GT has been telegraphing his luck of confidence since before there tour “I’ll be happy to be a one hit wonder”

2) that sprint at the finish was far more impressive than Cavendish with HTC

COLOMBIA 🇨🇴 

Congrats to Caleb on winning his yellow jumper

I need closure. This Tour had so many plotlines I feel like the press was overwhelmed.

To name a few:

• Pino's mystery leg
• UAE's "where's waldo" of performances and bizarre "new drink mix" stories
• Caleb Ewan - snubbed, flicked, etc out of the Tour and strange "mental troubles" start that was clearly, clearly put to bed
• Movistar What the everloving What is going on over there?
• The still unanswered mystery withdrawal of the World TT Champion the night before the big TT
• Sagan is so untouchable in the Green Jersey the press has stopped reporting on it?

I'm sure I've missed some...

special for you Jules:

Those are neat.  I would go to that Lego exhibit.

So many more!

https://www.instagram.com/bombr.cc/

My personal fave

Looks like TdF2020 (if run at all) will be moving out of it's traditional slot based on comments from Macron today:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/13/macron-france-remain-strict-lockdown-for-another-month

https://www.france24.com/en/20200413-live-france-s-macron-makes-third-primetime-tv-address-on-covid-19-crisis

With the 2020 Tour even more uncertain than before, I'm thinking that a bikepackingish time trial is what they should have this year.  Don't know if I'd follow every stage on tv, but I would love to see who does well and how fast they go.

http://jralong.com/2020/04/29/the-tour-giro-vuelta-classics-must-go-on/