Stage 1: How glorious to see the mighty Tour peleton rush by! This is just after the official "start" of Stage 1 in the start town of Noimoutier-En-L'lle (don't ask me to pronounce that!) Where else would I be for the START of my FIRST Tour de France, but at the START of the first Stage? It was quite a fight to get past all the fans and out to the street I can tell you...and I can safely say there are more than a few people that went home that night talking about that crazy American. (I think they were a little bit afraid of me).
(Photo credit Tim de Walle/Getty Images Sport)
Stage 2: The Breakaway. There I am, out en-route, cheering on the break! In the lead is Sylvain Chavanel riding for Direct Energie, along with Dion Smith (Team Wanty, back right) and Michel Gogi of Trek Segafredo (back left)......it was terribly exciting! Did you know they have Poison Ivy in France? Neither did I. But I do now. KNEW I should have brought a pair of pants.
(Photo credit Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Stage 3: Team Trial. Here we have Movistar on their way to a top 10 finish. I was jumping with joy watching Valverde, Quintana and Landa (all on my fantasy team) whoosh by in person! And by the way, I could TOTALLY tell the speed difference of only having 8 riders instead of the usual 9...I mean it was like night and day to my experienced eye. I believe they were going roughly 0.17 mph slower than they would have been with 9 riders. Like I said, a HUGE difference!
(photo credit Getty Images)
Stage 4: somewhere along the route (I have NO IDEA exactly where I was at this moment). There's just nothing else like the Pro Peloton whipping by! The sound of all those carbon wheels and carbon frames reverberating with that special sound was almost deafening at that speed
(they were right around 28.73mph coming up this slight rise...which is pretty quick).
(they were right around 28.73mph coming up this slight rise...which is pretty quick).
(Photo credit Getty Images)
Stage 5: Here's the front of the Peloton in full flight (notice how strung out they are). Greg Van Avermaet is in the front wearing the Maillot Jaune. It's beautiful weather today for sure! In fact, so far we've had almost perfect weather...in face, it feels JUST LIKE BACK HOME!
(Photo credit Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Stage 6: Edvald Boasson Hagen chatting with Alexander Kristoff. It's like they're ready to have tea and crumpets served to them at 30 mph! I was yelling and screaming, and just before this picture was taken Edvald looked at and then nodded at me! Or he could have been just blowing the flem out of his nostrils. I'm going with the nod.
(Photo credit Getty Images)
Stage 7: I was SO EXCITED to see America's own Lawson Craddock still in the race (rides with Cannondale Drapac, the only American team in the race)! I saw the photographer right across the road taking pictures and happened to be looking right at him and gave a little "jump"...and he took the shot. Lawson is running dead last (lanterne rouge) but makes the time cutoff day after day, all while riding with stitches above his eye and a broken shoulder (scapula). Is that tough or what! Oh rats...just got a paper cut...I'll be back in a minute, not sure if I can type anymore today. Man does that really smart! Anybody have some Hydrogen Peroxide and Neosporin WITH pain Relief handy?
(Photo credit Getty Images)
Stage 8: Here in my select spot I'm cheering for Nairo Quintana (Movistar) who is currently back over 2 minutes from the lead. Next to him a Cannondale Drapac rider takes a call from his mom, asking if he has clean underwear on in case he were to crash and end up in the ER. Aren't all Mom's the same?
(Photo credit Getty Images)
Stage 9: THIS is one of the stages I've been waiting for since they announced the route last year,
the fabled Cobblestones of Roubaix! I'm right on the edge of one of the beautiful yet horrible sectors of cobbles (can't remember which one...they all look the same to me). In the lead is Yves Lampaert (Quick Step), followed by Greg Van Avermaet (BMC) in yellow, and John Degenkolb (Trek Segafredo). They went by just a few feet from me but I could BARELY see them. I knew they were close as I could HEAR them coming with the crazy noise the bikes make hammering over the cobbles! I actually didn't even know who it was when they rode by due to the haze...(had to watch it later on TV to see what happened). You can't really see it, but I MIGHT have had my eyes closed in this picture. Maybe THAT'S why I didn't know who it was. And, I was coughing up dust-chunks for hours after the peleton and all those stupid chase cars finally went by.
(Photo Credit Getty Images)
Stage 10: Philippe Gilbert leading the breakaway! That's THE Phillipe Gilbert! I have goosebumps!
(Photo credit Getty Images)
Stage 11: Peter Sagan of course, the greatest road racer of our generation and the 2018 Paris-Roubaix winner, AND current world road champion (for the 3rd year in a row). Here he's on the attack for green jersey points. I'm actually pretty amazed at how easy it has been for me to move between stages and get to a good spot every single day, and right where the photographers are too! Isn't that something! I bet the other race-tourists don't have it nearly as easy as I do!
(Photo credit Getty Images)
Stage 12: Where else would I be on THIS stage but ON the world famous Alp d'Huez? I mean, come on...I'm part Irish and part Austrian...where else would I go but Switchback #7, Dutch Corner! I was welcomed with open arms (except from the Gendarme standing right next to me that I almost punched in the head accidentally in my cheering enthusiasm)...You see, I had JUST stepped over the rope barrier (turns out that's probably not a very good idea) when Tim (we're on a first name basis now) took this shot from across the road. What you don't see is moments later when the Gendarme and his friends took me to the ground like a common miscreant. ME! I mean, come ON! Can't they see that guy with the GIGANTIC FLAG running out in the road? (the peleton is only bout 60 seconds away at this point btw). Thankfully they didn't rip or otherwise damage my clothes in the melee, being as I only have 2 T-shirts and 2 sets of shorts along in this most FRUGAL of trips (in case you hadn't noticed).
(Photo credit Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Stage 13: Out on the road somewhere (once again, no idea exactly where). Funny how nobody else wanted to stand where I was. You'd think I haven't been taking a shower every 6th day (or so)!
(Photo credit Bettini Photo)
Stage 14: Jasper Stuyven (Trek Segafredo), with some other guys behind him. I think I scared him when I leaped out of the shadows like a crazy-man. Thank goodness he didn't throat-punch me...I hear they train these guys to go for the throat to defend themselves from rabid fans (and thanks Fatty for the "throat punch" thing...maybe if this had been Levi he really WOULD have pinched me!)
(Photo credit Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Stage 15: Bauke Mollema (Trek Segafredo) and Magnus Cort (Astana) attacking. I think they should have a special red shirt awarded daily to the most aggressive (in a legal non-confrontational way) fan every day. I think I'd have had a chance!
(Photo credit Getty Images)
Stage 16: I found Beelzebub (I'm behind him on the edge of the tarmac). His real name is Didi something or other...and he's been doing his Devil thing ever since I can remember. Here Team Sky leads the peloton up one of the easier climbs of the day. I'm cheering on Quintana right at that moment (the rider in blue about 6' away from me), hoping he will come alive in the Pyrenees and get back in the game. Tomorrow is the shortest road stage of the race, and includes THREE big climbs with an Hors Catagorie mountain-top finish! I'm hoping to see a SERIOUS GC shakeup tomorrow!
(Photo credit Getty Images)
Stage 16 (still): After watching the peloton roll by (see last picture) I moved on to the 2nd to last downhill (I thought it might be a great action spot) and magically I was RIGHT THERE where THE Philipe Gilbert crashed and went over the wall! Me and another spectator (in the blue shirt on my right) were the first on the scene...then one of the moto guys (in the yellow jacket behind me) jumped over and we helped get GilBil back up over the wall! What a crazy day! I was REALLY glad I was there to help!
(Photo credit Getty Images)
Stage 17: the SHORTEST Road stage in Tour history! Only 40 miles, and the final HC climb (which is where I'm at of course) was pretty spectacular! Also it's the first time they've ever used this climb in the Tour! Here I'm running after my new HERO Dan Martin! This man knows how to SUFFER! He's the new Jens! I just LOVE THIS GUY (you know, in a Manly hero-worship way), he just NEVER QUITS FIGHTING!
(Photo credit Getty Images)
Still Stage 17: Of course everybody knows who THIS IS! I've been rooting for Nairo Quintana for YEARS! He just hasn't been able to bring it when it counts, but TODAY he's on a solo breakaway in the lead, going not only for the Stage win but taking back some time against the top 8 riders (he was in 9th at the start of the stage). He ended up winning the stage and climbing all the way up into 5th place! WAY TO GO NAIRO! I really do think that my presence motivated him to hold on for the stage win! It's like I'm a SUPERFAN with magical powers, and maybe teams will start to request my presence along the route in strategic places in the future! Just so all the teams know, I AM available, but I'm not cheap. OK, yes, I'm cheap. Make me an offer...seriously.
(Photo credit Getty Images)
(Photo credit Getty Images)
(Photo credit Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
(Photo credit Getty Images)
TOUR of le Tour de France, 2018!
(Photo credit Getty Images)
And so...that about wraps up MY Tour!
I'll have to do this again NEXT YEAR for SURE!
The NBC Sports crew has NOTHING on me...I was EVERYWHERE!
Ahh...the memories!Cheers!
Matt, you crack me up! Two questions - didn't your ARMS get tired as you almost always had them straight up in the air in the classic Victory pose? :) & 2, how did you move around each day & where did you "sleep"? :)
ReplyDeleteAlrighty, I've been racking my brain to come up with MY List of 2018 TDF Faves/Likes/The Good & The Bad/Dislikes & here we go (in no particular order, just when they came to me, but several are the same as yours, Matt!) :
The Good/ My Faves :
1) Watching the glorious French countryside & picturesque villages, chateaux, assorted 4-legged animals, the colorful & enthusiastic fans along the roads & the LIVE "Field Performance Art" for 3 straight weeks. Oh, how I LOVE it!
2) SUNNY, beautiful weather EVERY RACE MINUTE except the final Saturday's TT & even then, most riders escaped the rain! And there was only a teeny bit of obstructing mist/clouds on the final mt of the final mt stage.
3) NBCSN's TDF commentators, the entire bunch. Like most of you have said, I don't understand why some viewers complain about any of them, as I think they were all FABULOUS!
4) Lawson Craddock never giving up & persevering thru unimaginable PAIN to finish the toughest event in sports AND raising $200K for his battered hometown Velodrome! And just being a sweetie!
5) Sagan romping & dominating again on the sprint & hilly stages so that he'd wrapped up his 6th Green jersey by the 2nd rest day, I think. And his interviews. His "I hit my ass hard on a rock" will stand the test of time. :)
6) Quintana FINALLY being the mt rider we all remember from 3-5 years ago. It only happened on ONE stage, but it was EPIC!
7) Dan Martin - the George S. Patton of the peloton : ATTACK, ATTACK, ATTACK! And loved that he won a stage this year!
8) John Degenkolb winning the cobble stage. I did NOT like the stage (see below), but was thrilled for JD just the same.
9) Julian Alapphillipe in mt breakaway stage after mt breakaway. This guy re minds me more of Jensie than Dan. Plus, from certain angles, his helmeted face kinda reminded me of Spartacus!
(Continued below)
Hey Susie...only had my arms up during photo time...so they didn't get TOO tired (GRIN!) I moved stage to stage like it was MAGIC...easy peasy...and I'd BE there. And sleeping? How can anybody sleep during their 1st TDF??
DeleteAnd hey, my arms aren't ALWAYS up in the classic Victory pose...only 9 out of the 21 stages (I just counted). That's LESS than half! Now if I were to walk around like that and sleep like that it would be a different story (if I slept like that I'd have to put holes in the wall).
DeleteThe Good/ My Faves continued :
ReplyDelete10) Roglic's "DESCENT TO GLORY" on the final mt stage. Ok sure, one dreams of writing a 'punny' upside-down title like that but it was Roglic who took a chance & rode like a madman to claw onto the podium. It was SO DAMN EXCITING that I almost feel off my chair at work when I was sneaking peaks of the final 30K. :)
11)Speaking of that final mountain stage, after YEARS of NUTHIN, it finally had some ACTION! For the past several years, I would look at the schedule & think that year's final mt stage just HAD to see action & almost every year (of at least the last decade), it totally fizzled out either due to rain or the guys just being too exhausted to try or because the podium was set.
12)The final TT being important once again for determining the podium & I LOVED that the top 5 guys raced their asses off! AND that the top 4 are all great time trialers (even though poor Roglic had an off day). Watching Froome claw his way back on that podium was damn impressive.
13) And speaking of Froome, I liked seeing him crack in the mts AND not win this year's Tour. I believe it would have done HUGE damage to the TDF & pro-cycling if Froome had won this year. It's bad enough that cycling's Supervillains (Sky) won yet AGAIN. I can't hate Froome though, because he handled his defeat in such a classy way, day after day. I seriously know of few if any top athlete that could have handled it as well.
14) If the Supervillains had to win (& with their HUGE money & strongest team, it will be a gargantuan upset when they don't), at least it went to "long-serving & faithful right-hand man", the humble Gerraint Thomas, who looked SO shocked at the end of the final mt stage & realizing for what seemed to be the 1ST time, that he was actually going to win the Tour de France if he was spared total catastrophe in the next day's TT. It looked like he truly didn't realize or accept the fact till just that moment & it was awesome to witness.
15) Lance & George's TDF podcast videos on FB. I liked his TDF podcasts last year but the addition of Big George for the final 13 days or so this year took it to 11! :) BTW, I hadn't seen George except for photos on Twitter here & there since he retired & he looks FABULOUS! Somehow he hasn't aged a freakin DAY! And the two of them reacting to each other's comments was priceless. The "show" also had Johann & Bobby Julich skype in a couple times & Bobke on the phone after stage 19 (I think). The only thing I didn't like is that Lance apparently does NOT like Jensie & I can't figure out why.
The Bad/ My Dislikes :
ReplyDelete1) The Supervillains winning yet again. Duh. :(
2) The asshats along the roads that RUN in the road with the cyclists (god, I HATE that!), or wave flags IN THEIR FACES or worst of all, strike or otherwise attack the riders. Sure, boo or cheer ALL you want, but STAY OUT OF THE FREAKIN WAY & NEVER ASSAULT ANYONE! (Matt, PUHLEEZE don't ever run next to the riders!)
3) The cobble stage & its repercussions. Porte crashed out YET AGAIN, Uran was injured so badly that he eventually had to drop out & that Sky basically lost NO TIME on the stage almost sealed their eventual victory. I was so upset & depressed, I ALMOST stopped watching the Tour right then. IMAGINE what could have happened if there had been more (& healthy) podium contenders in the final week! With Sky's outrageous budget & super-strong team, it still would have been an upset to beat them, but at least it would have been more of a "fair fight".
4) Seeing Cav not anywhere near his best & then not making the time-cut on the 1st Alp stage. (Or was it the 2nd?). I actually wasn't totally surprised & had worried that was going to happen when I realized he was not in "Tour shape".
5) Losing ALL the top pure sprinters before the 2nd rest day. I was happy for Kristoff on the Champs but the final 2 sprint stages were just less than they should have been.
6) Watching Tejay get dropped on every mt stage, whether in the break or with the GC guys. WHAT has happened to/with this rider since 2015? He SHOULD be at his GC peak right now at his age & he's a shadow of the rider he was. WHY?! It BREAKS MY HEART!
7) Speaking of BMC, I TOTALLY agree with you, Matt! Porte's GC chances may have been cooked before the Tour even started. The team was going out of business if a miracle did not occur & I believe it was already known that Richie was leaving at the end of the season. Ochewicz (sp?) then finds a desperate-to-get-into-the-TDF Pro-Continental team & decides to make GVA the future team leader & the team (in some form & with a new name & co-owner) is saved.
8) Gilbert's crash that we saw & Sagan's that we didn't. Oooof. OWWWW! When we saw Gilbert flip over that stone wall into ???, my god, did your heart not fall to the ground? I flashed back to Frank Schleck & I think the Tour de Suisse 5-8 years ago, when he flipped over a bridge wall into the top of trees. I saw it LIVE & thought he had to be dead as I thought the drop would have been 20-30 ft. I think the trees saved him if I remember correctly. And poor Sagan, HOW he made it to the end of that final mt stage I guess was just pure guts & determination.
9) Dan Martin's lack of tactical savvy. Yes, I love seeing him attack, but if he ever wants to be on the podium, he needs to unleash his force at the BEST times, NOT ALL the time.
10) Tom Dumoulin's comments after the final mt stage when he & all the other GC guys lost 29 seconds to Roglic. The guy has not yet learned to curb his temper in public or just doesn't care. That was disappointing, especially as I'd been rooting for him to somehow win it all since Stage 9.
11) The PITIFUL PURSE in the Tour de France. You would think that the ASO & UCI would be HUMILIATED that their sport's crown jewel, their Super Bowl, their World Series, their Wimbledon, etc, etc, gives out such PALTRY rewards & which HAVE NOT CHANGED FOR AT LEAST 15 YEARS! EVERY other top pro sport competition gives at LEAST $1.5 million these days to its winner. Plus, that the final Green & Poki-dot jersey guys gets a mere 25,000 Euros a piece is outrageous.
Also, as lame as this sounds, when I wrote last week that I marveled at how a guy born & raised at literally sea-level was so great in the mts, I actually did NOT mean to imply TomDum was doping. When I read my comment now, it certainly sounds that way, but I actually wasn't even thinking about that. I am just totally wowed that guy from the flatlands is good at altitude when we've been hearing for 4 decades that Kenyans & Columbians are so good at endurance sports because of their living all their life at high altitude. Maybe Dumoulin is a freak of nature! Truly, many star athletes have freakish body types or body chemistry that enables them to excel at their chosen sports. For example, Michael Phelps has HUGE flipper-like feet & condor-like arms. :) :)
ReplyDeleteBTW, did you all know that a form of the Colorado race is back? Only 4-5 days I think & only 4 pro-Tour teams amongst the peloton but NBCSN will broadcast it on TV! I think it starts in 2 weeks?
Have a great weekend, everyone! :)
So TJ has signed with C'dale-Drapac for next year! Assuming they keep Lawson and Taylor they will have THREE Americans next year (that I know of, maybe they will hire more?) I like that..being as they ARE the ONLY American team. Maybe TJ can jump-start his dwindling career with a new team, new vibe. He needs something...I find it hard to believe he's peaked at his Grand tour capabilities. He needs SOMETHING..maybe this is it.
ReplyDeleteHEY! I looked and looked last night seeing if can get the Tour of Utah (it's on about 10 diff channels on my DTV)...don't get ANY of them. And then lo and behold Stage 1 showed up in my "List" (on the DVR) and I was able to stream/watch the stage...woo-HOO! Now if I can only get the Colorado Classic (that only shows up on one channel that I also don't get).
ReplyDeleteHey Matt, yes, I hope Tejay's new team will re-start his GC career! He still has time! I've been perplexed about his downfall since he abandoned the TDF "sick" back in 2015. He was in 3rd at the time if you remember. I think I watched that stage LIVE & was absolutely SHOCKED when he got into the car. I kept yelling at the TV -"WHAT?! WHAT?!" He hasn't been he same GC rider since. Part of it HAS to be psychological, don't you think? Being replaced by Porte as "the guy" must have been so damaging to his confidence, he just hasn't recovered.
ReplyDeleteBTW, do pro-cyclists have their own personal trainers, i.e. not affiliated with the team? Like Lance did? Tejay could use a new trainer! And hopefully, the guy will teach Tejay how to handle Rest Days as he's almost always done poorly on the MT stages after a Rest Day.
It's actually a bit funny that I like Tejay the person MUCH more now than when he was younger. He was SO arrogant then. His struggles have certainly made him more thoughtful, aware, & empathetic. And now he's just ripe for a competitive REDEMPTION & America loves a good redemption story! :)
What channel is the Utah race on? I haven't even looked as I'd forgotten. Darn. The Olympic Channel is observing the 10th anniversary of the Beijing Games (can you BELIEVE it's been 10 years?!!) & has been showing special shows this week at night. Monday included a 90 minute show of ALL of Michael's 8 GOLD medal races & not just the severely edited version I've been watching online for the past 9 years. It was GREAT! I got teary just like I did back then. The only thing missing was a present-day Michael talking about each race & I'm surprised they didn't include that. NBC has a good relationship with MP, so I don't quite understand why that wasn't in there. Maybe they'd asked & MP declined. Too bad because I would have LOVED to hear what he thinks now & if he could have added any info about that time & each race that we didn't know then.
Starting tomorrow, swimming's Pan Pac races begin & will be shown on Olympic Channel, a bit on NBCSN & NBC on the weekend. They're in Tokyo. I can't wait! I watched the USA championships during the last 4 days of the TDF & luckily, was able to watch same-day taped coverage or LIVE without it interfering with my TDF watching. Unfortunately, that won't be true for next year's swimming World Championships as for some reason, they start in mid-July instead of the usual August! Poop!
There was a pretty in-depth article about Greipel's break with Lotto (I think on cyclingnews) & boy, even in cycling, there is just NO LOYALTY with teams & their athletes. If a rider is not super close with the team manager (like Lance was with Johann), then his salary will plummet as he ages & is deemed past his prime. And that's even if he can get a job on ANY top team. Greipel's many numerous wins basically SUPPORTED that team for 8 freakin years & now he was basically pushed out (offered a contract extension at LESS than HALF his current salary, plus being told he would no longer be their #1 sprinter & would not be at future Tours). I'd never been a huge fan of Greipel but reading what happened with him has made me think about him differently.
ReplyDeleteI also read about some bad crashes in races the past 10 days or so & I'm thinking maybe guys who raced in the TDF should take a LEAST a 2 week break before competing hard again! Their bodies need to recover! Bernal & Landa have both been injured pretty severely & their seasons may now be over. What do you think? Post-Tour crits are one thing, but going into actual top-level races so soon after the TDF? I think they're just asking for trouble.
Well, have to get back to work. :) Hey Rae & Barbara, we're still waiting to hear YOUR Tour Likes & Dislikes! :)
Hey Susie, not sure which channel(s) the Tour of Utah is on...it was a whole bunch of channels I'd never heard of...seemed I didn't get any of them even tho I had set my DVR to record...and then magically Stage 1 showed up on my DVR...no idea which channel I picked). One thing that was really interesting (in a "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery)..the commentating crew has the 2 guys (Gogliac or whatever his name is, and another guy), then they have a guy on the back of a moto doing exactly what Steve Schlanger did for NBCSN! He even has a thermometer giving temp readouts as they drive...and when they cut to him he's telling them which team car he just talked to (he even hands them the microphone just like Steve does)...looks like they paid attention to how a great team does a race! And hey...even tho I didn't see him, they have Frankie Andreau on their team! (I only know this cuz they also have their "daily pick" for who's going to win the stage, and they get points...exactly like the NBC Sports team...and they showed their points total after the Sunday prologue...one of the guys picked TJ and got 5 points). \
ReplyDeleteI have to hand it to you that you can watch a bunch of swimming...maybe it's cuz of all the hours I spent doing laps in my youth (all thru HS I swam AAU and HS Varsity) but watching swimming is like watching paint dry to me anymore)...thou in the Olympics I enjoy the big races (especially the shorter ones). I am always amazed at the speed they go...much like the pro peloton compared to me...they are SO STRONG and FAST! And I agree about team loyalty to their top riders as they age...it SUCKS! Reminds me of Pro Football...Joe Montana, Jerry Rice, and one of MY guys Marcus Allen. The teams rode their coattails for a decade and then toss them out to pasture...sorry, they OWE these guys, and if they want to keep playing even past their prime, then they play! But no...not anymore, not when the mighty dollar speaks louder than any loyalty they SHOULD have. HATE that part of pro sports.
Got Tour of Utah stage 2 on the DVR last night...woo-hoo! Still chuckling over the kid (can't remember his name, from one of the US domestic teams) that sprinted out of the pack on Stage 1 THINKING it was the finish, when they still had 1 lap to go...he threw up his arms and started his celebration when the guy on the finish line signaled to him 1 more lap...he threw his hands over his face in embarrassment. They interviewed him for the Stage 2 broadcast...he handled it well...says he got confused, they were supposed to do 3 laps, which only started after they crossed the line the first time, he thought the 3rd time they crossed was it. Says he's taken a lot of "good natured" ribbing, but it's all good. Seemed like a really great guy w/ a great attitude. It was pretty humorous...don't see that to often! Stage 2 saw BMC lose out to Lotto who got 1&2 on the stage and moved into yellow. TJ will have his work cut out for him taking it back. Still chuckling at the broadcast team...pretty much totally mimicking the NBCS team...which is a good thing actually.
ReplyDeleteOOH! Just saw that BMC has offered G. Thomas a job! WOW! Wonder what G will do...obviously Froome will still be expecting to be the #1 guy...how much longer does Froomey have on HIS contract? G's is expired and he's waiting a new one. DRAMA!!! Would BMC be able to support him (or anybody) like Sky? No I think is the answer...nobody can support a GC guy like Sky. This will be interesting...and what will Porte do if G does come over?
ReplyDeleteWait, the new version of BMC is offering GT a contract?! What happened to their non-GC pledge for next year & how that was supposed to be SO much better for the team?! Heck, Ochewicz (sp?) missed his calling in Congress.
DeleteI cannot imagine how Sky can support 2 previous Tour winners at the same Tour. This year was a fluke. Plus, GT hadn't actually won yet at this past TDF & was thus still subservient to Froome until it was absolute that HE would win & not Froome. I doubt Froome will make the mistake of riding the Giro before the Tour NEXT year. And I doubt the current TDF winner will be subservient to Froome ever again. But you're right, with their money, Sky hire the BEST support guys, so what other team could help GT win again?
Porte won't be on CCC (the new name of BMC I believe), as he's going to
Trek.
BTW, wonder what happens to Team Sky when Disney's purchase of 20th Century Fox (including Sky TV) is complete?
I LOVE watching the elite swimmers! Especially in the big yearly events. I keep waiting for Michael to set-up the "Michael Phelps Invitational Sponsored by X" (some corporate sponsor) that offers big money purses. I'm not sure when on the calendar they could fit it in, but money TALKS & most pro swimmers could use the money so it would draw a huge international field.
ReplyDeleteLast night I watched the 2008 women's Gymnastics finals on the Olympic Channel (1st, Team & then All-Around) & god, I'd forgotten how RIGGED some of the judging was! What I remember most (besides Nastia & Shawn Johnson going 1-2) is that at least HALF the Chinese team were underage & I was LIVID at their blatant cheating. Also, our TV commentators (Tim & Elfie) were VERY vocal about the inaccurate judging, which for the past 6-8 years (or so), you rarely hear anymore. Don't know if that was commanded so by NBC or just their prerogative.
I'm actually VERY burned out with our country's Big 3 (or 4 if you count hockey) pro sports & ESPECIALLY the 24-7 coverage by TV. The ONLY time the TDF was on ESPN's Sports Center last month was when some of the riders got accidentally gassed by the gendarmes' pepper spray! And occasionally, if there is a HUGE, grotesque crash & pile-up, then they show that too. Ticks me off to no end. And since my fave NBA player is in "stasis" (until he returns from the vile city/team "out west"), I won't have much NBA to watch, if any. All I can say, is thank god for the Olympic Channel!
Well, gotta run! Hope you're catching up with your riding as I know how you love it. Beware the cows! Later, gators! :)
Hey Susie...I agree w/ the big PRO sports, ESPECIALLY the NFL w/ their BS on the National Anthem. I think it will take the pro players making LESS money as fans depart the sport in anger (like me) and the trickle-down might FINALLY get their attention that the National Anthem is NOT a proper time for ANY kind of demonstration (there's a LOT of vets out there, and pretty much universally we HATE that!) I guess you have to hit them in the pocket book to finally get their attention. As for me, I'm taking a knee AGAIN on the entire NFL, which makes me sad as I hear my Raiders (having moved to Vegas) have picked back up the best coach they've had in AGES....chuckie! But alas, I won't pay any attention to the entire season nor watch ANY pro FB. But hey...I've still got college, and THEY won't put up with any of that nonsense! Happy Friday!
ReplyDeleteAnd so...the Tour of Utah is in the books. Sep Kuss crushed all comers in the 3 mountain stages, easily climbing his way to the GC win. Granted this was no TDF peloton, but still...(and on that note, come on TJ....what is going on?) TJ folded like a lawn chair against Kuss the moment the road went up back on Stage 2 I think (Mt Nebo). Granted TJ just came from le Tour a few weeks ago, but seriously, it's not like he was a contender in France and totally killing himself day after day staying with the frontrunners...something seems to be amiss there. One thing of note that they showed yesterday (Stage 6, the last stage): Gogo (Gogulski?) totally did a CVDV "Stage Preview" thing where he rode his bike up the final big climb and had a camera filming him w/ his narration of the climb, EXACTLY like CVDV was doing in le Tour! I have no idea what network or company owns/runs the domestic bike race production crews, but they were almost word for word mimicking the TDF team. I guess when you find what works, stick with it (only Gogo and Steve are NO Phil and Paul...nobody is). And they didn't have the 2nd crew taking the place of Paul, Bobke and CVDV. Also, even tho they showed the daily picks and overall stats every day, I NEVER saw Frankie Andreau once...have NO idea was doing for the broadcast. I thought they might have been using him like Jens...and I have to admit I DID FF thru a lot of the stages due to the YAWN factor. I did just see over on Velo News that Kuss is going to ride the Vuelta! I'd like to see him go head to head with Alliphilipe (sp?) from le Tour! Just to see how he (Kuss) does in the bigger stage of a European Grand Tour. He performed pretty well, and I'd think Lotto would be thinking about him going for KOM at next years Tour. Maybe the Vuelta will be a showcase for how that will go...it should be exciting for sure if he can climb well in the Vuelta!
ReplyDeleteHey Matt, I finally found the Tour of Utah on my TV late last week, but it was just an hour of taped coverage, starting at 11PM & I was watching the taped Pan Pacs then each night. I decided I'd watch Saturday night's since I planned to watch the Pan Pacs LIVE in the morning (got up at 5:30!), but then I fell ASLEEP on the sofa at approximately 11:02! Could NOT believe it! And then something interfered with my watching of Sunday's. I was able to watch about 10 minutes & boy, Utah sure looked beautiful! At least on that stage.
ReplyDeleteMaybe Tejay was just using the Utah race as training for the Vuelta, so didn't want to tax himself too much?
Kuss is American, right? I don't think I've heard of him before, is he young? I hope he keeps improving & can be a TDF contender one day! We NEED somebody! I wonder why EF (Garmin/Slipstream, whatever their name is/has been) or BMC or Trek didn't put him under contract since they are the closest to "American" cycling teams we've had the past 4-5 years or so. Although I guess BMC (CCC) won't be considered "American" after this year.
Hey, I did verify that the Olympic Channel will again show daily coverage of the Vuelta! Don't think it's LIVE but it's daily & I'll get to see the taped coverage at night! Are you sure you don't get that channel? Can't believe it's less than 2 weeks away as it seems the TDF just ended! If I remember correctly, the Vuelta has LOADS more mt-top finishes (at least it did last year) so I don't know how those guys can ride hard in the Tour & then do the Vuelta barely 4 weeks later. I know a lot of guys use it to "tune up" for the World Champs & thus drop out only 1/2 way thru but still. I wonder if it's as hot in Spain as it was in France this summer. That makes it harder for the riders too even if I selfishly LOVE all the sunny days on the TV!
Speaking of hot, you're not close to any of those California fires, are you Matt? Doesn't it seem worse this year? And we haven't even gotten to the Santa Anna wind season yet! Please be careful & keep us informed that you're ok, in case the fires do get close!
Also, I thoroughly enjoyed watching the Pan Pacs but the coverage on the Olympic Channel was completely separate & different from the taped NBC coverage. There was ONE lone Aussie male commentator & let me tell ya, it's NOT GOOD when they don't have another person to speak/interact with. Also, to save money, he was NOT actually on location & I HATE that! Plus, this time it really bit them on the ass : on the last day, the final 2 events were the 4 X 100 Medley Relays for the women & men. This TV guy mixed up the swimmers names from the 2 relays from the DAY BEFORE & during both final relays, he kept calling the swimmers by the WRONG NAMES! I couldn't believe it. Plus, all he had to do was LOOK AT THE SCREEN when the swimmers came out as their names were right there. One of few names he got right was Nathan Adrian as he anchored both relays for us. I've never seen anything like that for a major athletic competition on TV!
ReplyDeleteAlso, since you were a swimmer, maybe you can explain something for me. Our men WON the gold medal for the 4 X 100 Free relay & then the next day they were DISQUALIFIED because the 2nd & 3rd guys apparently swam "out of order" from what was submitted. WHAT?! Why is that a thing? It's not like the USA substituted a ringer into the relay! I've been watching the elite swimming events on TV all my life & had never seen that happen before. I've seen swimmers DQed because of their starts & sometimes because of "illegal" strokes/kicks or staying underwater too long but never the "relay" order. Did you know that was a thing? Why is it?
Also, our team did not get to Tokyo until 4 days before the competition started! I guess USA Swimming is either low on money or just decided to go cheap & it really affected our swimmers for the 1st 2 days especially. I was shocked when I found out they weren't going to be over there for at LEAST a full week before the competition. Yes, all those hotel rooms must cost a pretty penny but why even hold the event if it's not a fair competition?
This week is the USA Gymnastics championships (starts Thursday). Simone Biles is back competing & can't wait to see how the new girls & Simone stack up. I'd worried that maybe Simone would be past her peak as gymnastics "prime" for females seems to be brief but she seems as great as ever. I will keep my fingers crossed for the next 2 years that she stays injury-free, something that also befalls gymnasts as much as cyclists & football players!
Well, gotta scoot! Later! :)
Hey Susie...swimming a relay out of order is definitely a no-no and a DQ'ing event(same for track and field relay I'm pretty sure). And you mentioned the other things...starts are the biggest culprit. Then there are stroke irregularities (I was a breast-stroke guy, NOT a butterfly'er). Breast stroke has the most things looked for (when you initially dive in and also push off each wall you are allowed ONE kick and ONE arm-stroke...NO dolphin kicks (the same kick used in butterfly). The ref's are really watching the underwater thing. And back in MY day your head can't go completely underwater..even once is a DQ (I got sent packing 1 or 2 times for that)...but they've changed the rules and their heads can go further under than we were allowed. Also in breast it's 1 arm stroke and 1 kick...if you are very close to a wall (ie the finish) and do a 2nd arm stroke w/ no kick that will be a DQ also. The other strokes aren't as tightly scrutinized...I know backstrokers use the dolphin kick to go nearly as far as they want off the wall, up to the length of the pool...which seems wrong if a breast-stroker can't use it at ALL! (tho didn't they change that recently? Can't remember). Never understood that they allowed ANY dolphin kick for any stroke except for fly. Backstroke and freesytle (crawl) both use the flutter kick. I always thought they were just picking on ME...sure seemed like it!
ReplyDeleteWas trying to remember the name of the guy who made it famous to do the length of the pool underwater w/ the dolphin kick...think it was Biandi! (sp?) Didn't they call it the "Biandi blast-off"? something like that...I'd never seen anybody do it before...in the backstroke and in the IM he'd go so far underwater the other guys were all looking for him, and he'd pop up just in time to catch a breath, hit the wall and turn...and he was faster underwater doing it that on top. It was fun to watch but seemed VERY wrong IMO.
ReplyDeleteHey Matt, but WHY is it illegal for relay swimmers to swim in a different order? In this case, it wasn't the swimmers' fault - they swam in the order they were told by the USA coach(es). So, either the coach screwed up OR it was submitted incorrectly. But, I just can't see why it makes a difference as long as the 4 swimmers are who the paper said they are & not some "ringer".
ReplyDeleteI remember when the swimmers (of certain events) all started swimming almost half the pool underwater & that it was then made "illegal". It was kinda fascinating to watch that but it did get out of hand so I'm glad they put a stop to the excessive part. But gosh, I didn't know about all the specifics on the breast stroke! Wow, how do you keep it all straight? I do remember that FINA kept changing what the "proper" kick was for that stroke - when I started swimming, it was the "frog kick", then it was changed to the "whip kick" (& I HATED that as I couldn't stop doing the frog kick) & then it was changed AGAIN to a hybrid. That was over 35 years ago, so I have no idea what changes they've made since. :)
I LOVE swimming but I never really raced. In college, one of the campus pools was right across the street from my dorm, so I'd go over every so often & swim a mile. Not only was it a great workout, but I "wrote" a lot of my papers in my head during all those laps (well, the genesis)! :)
Anyhoo, I completely forgot about the Colorado race that started yesterday! It's only 4 stages, so I've missed a quarter already. I was watching the 1st night of the Men's USA Gymnastics Championships last night & didn't even look to see when (or if) the cycling coverage would come on. I'll look tonight & over the weekend.
A LOT of folks in this area take their summer vacations this week &/or next & the ROADS are kinda traffic-free! An the grocery store parking lots will be almost VACANT! It's been GREAT! (Well, except we've had THUNDERSTORMS almost every day for weeks). Do you notice that in your area or do Californians take vacation other times of the year?
Well, I just noticed what time it is. Goodness, time went fast today. Have some fun this weekend! :)
Hey Susie, it doesn't really make ANY diff which order the strokes are done, other than they have an "order" and like many other standards, you do something diff it's a DQ. I don't recall the breast stroke ever having any other kick than the "frog" kick. As to the order, if it's an IM (Individual Medley) you start in the water w/ a backstroke start (just like the backstroke-only races), then breast, fly and finally Free(crawl). In a team Medley all swimmers go from the blocks, and the order is (was) fly, back, breast and free. I don't think that's changed. I always HATED the IM (it was a 200m). The 400 was the team medley, and I only ever did breast or occasionally free. Fly was NEVER my stroke, and back wasn't much better. But I hear what you'e saying about brain-time in the pool...it's all you've got. Just hope the last song you heard going to practice was a good one, as you're going to be hearing it in your mind the entire practice (the dreaded (earworm'). Cycling can be MUCH like swimming...even w/ others riding it's still "all you" and a long climb is much like swim practice. I think that's why I liked "roughwater" swims (did a few when I lived in Hawaii)..you've got things to see as the ones I did you can usually see the bottom. AND if you can see the bottom then you are in the potential "breaker" zone (waves breaking). So you need to be constantly looking out so you know if you have gone too far inside where the breakers are. And ocean swimming was always way better than pool swimming.
DeleteI saw the US Gymnastics championships were on the telly last night (on a REGULAR channel!)...I was going to bed but I recorded them...ye haw!
DeleteHey Matt - well, the Olympic Channel is showing LIVE daily coverage of the Vuelta! However, only about 2 hours a day, but it's better than nothing! And the 2 commentators are Bobke & Paul! They are NOT actually AT the race so we never see them on TV, but I'd rather have them commentate than anyone else.
ReplyDeleteYesterday was an early "mountain stage" with a hilltop finish & not only did poor Dimension Data win its 1st (I think) Grand Tour stage this year but AMERICAN Ben King was the winner! I was SHOCKED but very happy for Ben & the shot in the arm for American cycling which absolutely needs it!
The recent 4-day Colorado race was not even on TV. And then Tejay was not picked to ride the Vuelta which shocked the heck out of me! Is he sick? Are things deteriorating at an even faster rate between Tejay & BMC? Meanwhile, Richie Porte is at the Vuelta & he's barely able to stay in the race. It's crazy that he & Nibbles both entered this GT when it's BLATANTLY obvious they are FAR from recovered from their TDF injuries & had no time to get back on form. I expect both to drop out by half-way if not sooner. Did they feel pressured by their teams to ride this Grand Tour & possibly "pay back" their teams' efforts on their behalves leading up to the Tour? Hmmmm. I feel sorry for both.
Meanwhile, I have no idea who the "favorites" are for this Vuelta. Valverde is looking good but can he really win a GT after his efforts at the Tour & at his advanced age? Quintana is there too & I expect he'll try to redeem himself for his subpar Tour (excluding that ONE magnificent mt stage). I think both Yates boys are in the race & figure at least one of them will have a go. But basically, this race looks WIDE open! And there are LOTS of mt-top finishes!
Are the fires still raging out on the West Coast? I've kinda lost track as our current HEAT WAVE has been taking most of my attention. The past month had been hot & humid with almost DAILY thunderstorms but this week is even worse. Driving home at 5:00 each day, the temps were 92 & 95 with no quick storms to break the heat & it's supposed to be low 90s again today but it's the HUMIDITY that SUCKS OUT YOUR WILL TO LIVE. :)
Well, I have to get going. I'll come back with further Vuelta updates thru Friday & then you're on your own until after Labor Day. :)
Appreciate the Vuelta updates as I'm not seeing any of it (we, and by WE I mean Jeannie) already cancelled our upgraded satellite package that I have for le tour every year). Not that I had the Olympic channel in that package anyway...I'd have had to go one more level up...some day there will be carte blanche TV where you pick which channels you want and pay ONLY for those...tho when that happens all the stupid little channels that you get w/ even the basic subscription will go the way of the dodo. ANYWAY...yes, the fires are still burning...tho the news seems to be reporting on them less. Overall we are really lucky here w/ our weax (as compared to most anywhere else). I dread moving to the east cost...humidity, storms, cold...you get it all over there. We only have like 2 seasons at most here...and you really grow to like it. Except for the wind. THAT is a killer. Anyhoo...bike race...no idea what's going on w/ TJ and BMC...TJ is leaving too, so maybe that has something to do with it?? Tho I'd think going out on a high note rather than a VERY low note would be far better...even if for nothing else than for the psychological boost you'd have at the start of next season. Gotta run, keep the updates coming!
ReplyDeleteooh...I meant ala carte TV...getting my French (or whatever language that actually is) mixed up!
ReplyDeleteHey Matt, sorry I wasn't able to update again till now. I forgot to mention that Ben King won his stage out of a breakaway. And then the next day (Wed), Simon Clarke of EF (nee Garmin/Cannondale) won the stage ALSO from a breakaway. Very odd that 2 stages of the 1st week in a GT were won from breakaways! Not sure whether it's the hot weather affecting the guys or the peloton just messing up. Anyhoo, a sprinter won yesterday (Bouhanni of Cofidis). A French guy named Rudy Molard is currently in the red jersey (overall leader) & Valverde is 2nd. Quintana is currently 7 or 8th, I think. Uran of EF is about 1.5 minutes back in 14th or so.
ReplyDeleteGee, I REALLY wish you could see this too as I'm dying to talk to someone about the land over there! Except for when they are up in some mountains, most of the land appears BROWN, with very little grass & a bunch of scattered trees that look at least 20 ft apart (maybe an olive tree field or something?). I'm tellin' ya, lots of it looks like the whole area was STRIP-MINNED of vegetation! And then they went thru an area called the "garden" of Spain & it was ALL GREENHOUSES! Miles & miles of greenhouse roofs next to each other for as far as the eyes could see! I've never seen anything like it! Maybe it's just this part of Spain, which I THINK is the lower & lower west side of the country so far. Anyhoo, it looks SO different from France that I can barely pay attention to the cycling. I don't remember it looking quite like this last year, so I guess it must just be where they are right now. I think Sunday is a mt stage with a hilltop finish & I'll be able to see that one LIVE or at least the truncated version we get to see. Still, I'm just happy I can see ANY of it.
I guess you're looking forward to the BIG CFB opener of Mich vs ND? I root for the latter but not as much as for Ohio State. I'll TRY not to curse at Harbaugh on the TV, but I can't promise anything. :)
Well, I have to do some more work before I leave today. Hope you, Rae & Barbara (if ya'll out there!) have a happy, fun & SAFE holiday 'weekend'. Catch ya next week. :)
Hey Susie....it sucks not getting the Vuelta but I'd have to go like 2 levels up on our Satellite subscription, and that's not going to happen. So it's Velo News and whatever you tell me (keep it coming!).
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, the CFB opening weekend was big...but my Wolverines dropped their game to ND (what a heartbreak). I can't remember them ever opening up their season w/ such a hard game...but I guess a loss in the early weeks is much less costly down the road than a loss near the end of the season (such as the OSU game in late Nov every year). IF ol' Blue can beat Michigan State AND OSU then the season is a win no matter how many losses they have.
Hey Matt, sorry that I wasn't able to update again till today! Alrighty, last Saturday, Valverde beat Sagan by about a bike length in a sprint. SUNDAY was a big day - 1st big mountain stage & a breakaway rider won it & USA's BEN KING was that rider! The final 20K was SO exciting! About 20-25K to go, the breakaway guys went UP ae cobblestoned road in a small town (NO sidewalks - road & buildings smack up against road on either side!) Anyhoo, one guy attacks from the break group & Ben follows & then passes & then went on his own! Eventually (about 15K to go I think!), Baulke Mollema decides to try to catch him so those final kilometers (mostly UP a mountain) was cat & mouse the whole way! Ben was 1.5 minutes ahead of everyone at one point but Baulke starts chopping that down. OH MY GOD, I kept screaming at the TV - "COME ON BEN! YOU CAN DO IT, BEN!" The gap got down to 15 seconds! 15 SECONDS! Ben looked bad. But Balke looked worse! And the gap started to increase again & then Ben wins by over 1.5 minutes! Meanwhile, the GC bunch didn't do much until about 4K to go. Valverde couldn't keep up with them so lost time & ended up 1 second overall behind the new Red jersey - Simon Yates!
ReplyDeleteMonday was Rest Day. Tuesday ended in a bunch sprint won by QuickStep's Viviani (apparently, his 17th win this year - HOW does QS have 2 top sprinters on the same team? You'd think Viviani would INSIST on being at the Tour!). Yesterday was won by a guy from the breakaway - BMC's De Marchi. Apparently, Movistar & Yates' team (Mitchelson-Scott sp?) got into it over who is supposed to be "in charge" (i.e. doing the WORK) of the peloton. I haven't seen today's stage yet but going by the fact today's large breakaway won by over 11 MINUTES over the GC guys & now, a new guy is in the Red jersey (Herrada of Cofidis), I'm thinking that those 2 teams were still pissin' with each other. Well, if neither team ends up winning this thing, it's their own damn fault!
I don't think I can remember so many breakaways winning stages in a GT like in this Vuelta & it's not even half-way! And it might be warm, but NOT near as hot & humid as it's been here the past 2 weeks! 70s vs 90s! Maybe the teams just don't have enough strong riders. This is the "3rd" of the GTs, so maybe the "3rd string" guys make up this peloton? (Not all of course, but maybe too many?).
You're right that an early season CFB loss can almost be forgotten by the end of the season, especially if the team beats some top opponents. But Mich has its work cut out & they did NOT look that good! Of course, Penn State ALMOST lost AT HOME to App State (!) so maybe Mich will be ok. :) Lemme ask you, do YOU like Harbaugh? I do NOT, going back to his 49er time & before that, his time at Stanford. Too much of an egotistical blowhard for me. And from the little bit I've read about CFB the past couple weeks, it looks like the Mich folks might be tiring of him, especially if he doesn't get his team into the Playoff. But like you said, if they beat OSU, much will be forgotten (at least till next year!).
ReplyDeleteWell, I have to run. I think the Vuelta has 3 mountain stages in a row, starting tomorrow. I'll try to get here to update how Friday goes even though I won't actually be able to watch it till Friday night. :) Later gator! :)
FRIDAY update! Today at the Vuelta was a mt stage but had just 2 mountains. However, the final 8K was one of those mountains & going by the route map, it was a doozy! The final 3K had gradients of 15%, 20% (!!) & 12%! The 1st 20 finishers were from a LARGE breakaway (including our new American hero Ben King, who finished 10th). Of the GC bunch, Quintana scooted up the road & finished 6 seconds in front of Simon Yates, who finished 11 seconds in front of Valverde. Consequently, Quintana & Valverde have switched positions on the Overall GC & now Q is in 3rd, behind Yates & Valverde 4th. Since the current Red jersey is not really a GC contender, Q & V are basically sitting 2nd & 3rd. Rigo Uran of EF jumped up 3 spots to now sit in 6th (really 5th) but the 3 guys right behind him are within 9 seconds. This weekend's stages are much more strenuous & should really weed out any "imposters" for the throne. ;)
ReplyDeleteOk, I'd like to mention some odds & ends about this GT. 1st, I was right when I wrote the 1st week took place along the "bottom" of Spain (i.e. along the Mediterranean), but WRONG when I said it then went to the western side of Spain. It was the opposite! And THEN veered northwest thru the lower central part & then up to the upper west, where they are now. And until yesterday, the ground was all brown with the sparse, occasional trees. FINALLY, two days ago we got into GREEN - fields & TREES!
Also, it's NO SURPRISE that this GT is valued the least as some of the organizing is AWFUL! You know how we bitch about some of the roads in France as too narrow? HAH! Compared to this Vuelta, ALL roads in the Tour look like the Champs! Almost EVERY DAY, the peloton has to go on roads that barely 3 riders across can fit! Including yesterday's FINISH which would have been a sprint if the Aussie team & Movistar weren't still bitchin about who would do the work & chase back the break. I can't even IMAGINE the carnage if a true mass sprint had attempted that finish yesterday. And THEN, some jackass Vuelta official is IN THE LITTLE BIT OF ROAD right after the Finish line, right where all the photogs crowd in on the opposite side. The stage winner & the next couple guys plow right into him because there was nowhere to go! (Bobke & Paul were having fits over this!). And I forgot to mention that last week, one of the official helicopters comes in WAY TOO CLOSE after the Finish line & the air turbulence BLEW THE BARRIERS right into the riders! And not little lightweight fences, these things were HEAVY but no match to a helicopter! Oh, and speaking of roads, the CONDITION of some of these roads is like NOTHING I've ever seen in a GT! Just awful. I didn't see an actual pothole, but I wouldn't be surprised if they weren't there! I think ASO makes the towns & areas resurface their roads as condition for having the TDF go thru. The Vuelta must have NO pull to insist on the same.
It's a shame because the Vuelta COULD be great! They always seem to include LOTS of mountain-top finishes which makes it so exciting for the viewers. But, they need to put more MONEY into it & I think I've read over the years that the race purse is PATHETIC.
(CONTINUED below)
(CONTINUED from above)
ReplyDeleteOh, oh, I forgot to mention the transfers! I was looking at the race map & almost between EVERY finish & start town, there is a transfer of at least 50-100 miles! Or more. Bet the guys just LOVE that! The Giro does that crap too & I don't know why the riders don't all just say "NO!" I can understand why every stage can't seamlessly start close to the previous finish, but this is ridiculous & makes the riders' recovery SO much harder.
Well, I guess I'm done my ranting for today. :) I really AM happy to be watching this GT, but am just constantly amazed at some of the things I'm seeing. Maybe all that barren landscape day after day the 1st 10 days has thrown me! I'll try to be more "positive" next week. :):)
Have a great weekend & I'll check back next week!
Hey all, sorry I have been silent, but have had distractions -- so even though I have been DVR'ing the Vuelta, I have only watched a couple of stages. And yesterday I was chewing nails because I couldn't find a feed of the Grande Prix Quebec (#&*^@ FuboTV and its pricing structure) until the very last 2 KM, then found a Spanish language one. Hopefully I will have better luck tomorrow. I didn't go to the races in Canada, although I had worked out the logistics (drive to Toronto, then take the train to Quebec City, then to Montreal, then back to Toronto). But a week ago I realized that I just wasn't feeling it. Next year! I want to see those cities as much as seeing the races.
ReplyDeleteThe area that the first few stages were in, Susie, have been suffering from severe drought. Reminded me a lot of San Diego County, though, and the stage where the landscape had all the oak trees looked a lot as I remember the area near where Matt lives. But Asturias! Beautiful! I want to go there.
Just getting ready to watch today's stage. Yesterday, it was amazing that the two riders who crashed at the finish were not hurt! What was that guy thinking? (Matt try to find a video clip of that -- look on steephill.tv) This guy, with the finishers yards away, goes across road to the right side (away from the group of photogs), heads down the barriers away from the finish, and as the 2 riders are barreling down on him decides to take a sudden turn to the left right into their path. So lucky -- although I don't know if he was hurt -- lucky that the riders seemingly were not.
There has been some good racing so far though! And I am again impressed with Valverde, really wondering where he will finish. I am pulling for EF's Uran (representing the little team that almost could) and of course Ben King -- glad he is getting wins for Dimension Data! Did you notice that there is one more USAian riding in the Vuelta than were in the TdF?
If it continues to rain tomorrow as it has today (without stop since about 1 AM) it will be a good day to watch racing. What a lousy summer this has been - so much rain, then hot hot & muggy (unusual for here) then more rain rain rain. Too bad we can't capture some of the excess H2O and send it your way, Matt!
Took me time to read all the comments, but I really enjoyed the article. It proved to be Very helpful to me and I am sure to all the commenters here! It’s always nice when you can not only be informed, but also entertained! France Tour Guide
ReplyDeleteThe Tsitouras couple furnished them with carefully chosen antiques and the odd modern, design piece, and then, one by one, turned them into something like a private museum. holidays in Santorini
ReplyDeleteAn India tourist visa holder will be surprised to find that availability is updated each minute. indian visa online
ReplyDeleteIt’s really a great and useful post. I am satisfied that you just shared this useful information with us. Thanks for sharing wonderful information with us.Russia is the largest country in the world by size. Major landforms include the Altai Mountains, Caucasus Mountains, Ural Mountains, Kamchatka Peninsula etc. Russion government has decided to start and facilitate the Russia visa application process for foreigners wishing to visit Russian visa requirements documents such as Russia visa Documents evisa Conversion etc. will be sent by registered email and get the evisa. Azerbaijan visa is a reliable and you get e visa to Azerbaijan on arrival portal which provide foreign tourists and business Azerbaijan online visa with e visa service. We provide clients with the fastest, easiest and cheapest way to get a e visa to Azerbaijan.
ReplyDelete