Tour de France

[gjmalcyon]

We were in Italy a couple of weeks ago, happening to be in Rome on the Sunday the Giro d'Italia ended, which confounded logistics since the city is essentially closed.

I've been riding since the "10-speed" boom of the early '70's, and think I'm hot stuff if I can touch 20 mph on the flats.

I watched a couple of laps, and those guys were FLYING:

 

[lungimsam]

I’m interested in knowing the average speeds from the first tdef vs.Todays tdef.
Google says 24kph for the 1919 winner.
Lance was 41.7kph
Todays riders are 40kph
Looks like the fastest tdef rider ever was:
Jonas Vingegaard rode 3,349,8 km in 79h 33' 20", thus realising an overall speed of 42.102 km/h (26.161 mph) in 2022 tdef

 

[Bernie]

I miss watching Lance.

I remember when Lance Amstrong fell after some part of his bicycle grabbed a spectator camera strap (the guy was to close I think)...
Ian Ullrich who was with him (both riders were ahead of the race, far in front, in the Alpes I believe).
Ian Ullrich wouldn't keep racing, and waited for Lance Amstrong...
If he hadn't he would have probably won this year...
Knowing how Amstrong had been cheating all these years, this was fair but turned out to be stupid : I'll never miss the guy sorry...

 

[Bernie]

I’m interested in knowing the average speeds from the first tdef vs.Todays tdef.
Google says 24kph for the 1919 winner.
Lance was 41.7kph
Todays riders are 40kph
Looks like the fastest tdef rider ever was:
Jonas Vingegaard rode 3,349,8 km in 79h 33' 20", thus realising an overall speed of 42.102 km/h (26.161 mph) in 2022 tdef

Hard to tell because in some stages, you get 20" less when winning (10" and 8" I think, for 2nd & 3rd), and it's not the same on every single stage on top of that... So this ought to be counted too.
I'm a bit surprised to read Vingegaard would be 1st, but don't know much about this...He had a great team last year though with Primos Roglic and Wout Van Aert (among others), and this could show how good they had been (and why Pogacar got beaten).
I will tell if I hear smth. interesting about this...

 

[ReevesRd]

It seems someone has been placing tacks on the course. Not cool.

 

[twocorgis]

It seems someone has been placing tacks on the course. Not cool.

The tour is almost as famous for its protests as it is for the race itself. I used to be a huge cycling fan, but Lance Armstrong soured me on the sport for good.

 

[Brick]

Don’t forget RAAM!!!!
But the TdeF is great fun to watch.
Amazing human boundaries being pushed.

RAAM is amazing!

 

[crank]

I used to. I worked for Outdoor Life Network, noe NBC Sports. We won the US contract for airing the TDF fro ESPN in 200 or 2001 so we kind of rode the Lance wave. I followed Le Tour for the last 10 days in 2002. Starting in Provence and then up into the Alps and then on to the finish in Paris where I high fived George Hincapie on the Champs Elysees!

I produced all the music and promos and show opens and graphics packages.

 

[ReevesRd]

Crazy course ending of stage 4 in Nogaro

Multipule crashes. Jasper Phillipsen wins.

 

[Brick]

Mayhem would be an adequate description.

 

[GGJaguar]

Multipule crashes.

I couldn't tell if it was due to riders being careless after such a leisurely ride until the last 8 miles or if the race track where they finished was greasy.

 

[Brick]

It sounds like they were blaming it on the number and narrowness of the turns getting onto the track, and then getting to the final straightaway.

 

[DianeA]

After the info about Lance came out we stopped rooting for anyone, but still watch every day of the race because listening to the familiar voices of Phil and Bob and seeing the beautiful countryside, and dozing here & there, is great to do when it is too hot to go outside.

 

[Bernie]

I’m interested in knowing the average speeds from the first tdef vs.Todays tdef.
Google says 24kph for the 1919 winner.
Lance was 41.7kph
Todays riders are 40kph
Looks like the fastest tdef rider ever was:
Jonas Vingegaard rode 3,349,8 km in 79h 33' 20", thus realising an overall speed of 42.102 km/h (26.161 mph) in 2022 tdef

Heard that speed was reported to be 37km/hour last monday (could be quite a slow TdF this year).
This might be interesting for you (but it's in French - I bet you probably have some access to a translator - but I could help if needed). It's been written in 2018 though (Chris Froome won that year).
In short, the fastest was 41,65 km/h in 2005 (Amstrong but not valid), the slowest 24,056 in 2019 by Firmin Lambot (Bg), 40,996 in 2018 (Chris Froome - GB - fastest since 2005)
25,679 km/h in 1903 (1st TdF) by Maurice Garin (Fr.)
The drawing says a lot and can be understood (the title says 'Average winner speed's evolution in km/h')
www.leparisien.fr/sports/cyclisme/tour-de-france-la-vertigineuse-augmentation-des-vitesses-moyennes-depuis-1903-05-07-2018-7808202.php

 

[Bernie]

Seems like Vingegard was above everyone else, not only today but altogether...It's gonna be hard for everyone else to catch up now...
He showed more wisdom, and there has been more of a team work from him and his companions...
I'd be surprised if anyone can really threaten him now...
Let's hope that Pogacar was just a bit short today because he hadn't done much racing recently (after being injured), and that he will be able to do better later on, but I now doubt that he still have genuine chances to win the race...

 

[ReevesRd]

Yes, Vingegard & Jumbo-Visma are in a good place. Hindley had a great showing today.

 

[Bernie]

I learned that Hindley won the Giro last year and was very close to have done the same two years before too, so yes not only did he have a great showing today, but too he could be a serious contender on the Tour de France for final victory...
Or for 2nd or 3rd at least ; I would not have thought so a while back, but apart from Tour de France I don't really follow much cycling !

 

[AcornHouse]

Who’s watching Le Tour on PeacockTV app? I usually watch the world feed rather than the US feed, mostly for no commercials. But, as much as I miss hearing Phil and Bobke, when I watched the pre show this morning (which the world feed doesn’t bother with) I was reminded just how much I can’t stand the typical NBC/US network coverage with its non-cycling anchor and needless umpteen “perspectives” and special stories and the rest of its corporate nonsense that they cover every sport with.

 

[Brick]

They do the same thing with their Olympic coverage....I agree, many times the raw live feed is better.

 

[ReevesRd]

Pogacar!
Jumbo-Visma played it well today. Wout Van Aert, wow!