YES! The day has arrived! The START of the 2019 Tour de France!
I admit that for unknown reasons I'm not quite as "into" it as I typically would be. Maybe it's because I JUST got back from vacation, and right before that work travel.
Maybe it's because a few of the top pre-race favorites won't be there.
Whatever the reason, I'm just not as in to it as I usually would be.
That all said, I did watch the entire Stage 1 today, and wow! What a finish! I was rooting for Sagan, but the youngster Mike T (won't even TRY to spell that last name) who nipped Peter by a few inches at the line is a breath of fresh air! It was sad to see his sprinter (and likely the TOP sprinter in this years race) go down in the final chaotic moments...but he was there and fresh and went for it...LOVED IT!
I'm sad that Cav won't be there but he has been sucking all year, so I personally doubt very much he'd be in contention for any wins, and he wouln't have lasted very long anyway. This is a tough year for the pure sprinters for sure. I do like the fact that this is one of the rare "wide open" races. The kind of year where a Carlos Sastre wins (wasn't THAT a surprise!). TJ is there, but seriously...I just don't see him staying with Thomas, and don't really see HIM staying with Bernal. We have Uran, and Nibili, and Porte, but I just don't see any of them staying with Bernal in the mountains...maybe this will be the year a true young'un wins it! (during the broadcast it was mentioned that IF Bernal were to win it he'd be the 4th youngest overall, and THE youngest in decades. And nobody can deny that Team Ineos (aka Sky) STILL has the best team. Whoever they put their chips behind has a very good shot, providing he also has 21 days of good luck (or at least no BAD LUCK). I heard Thomas went down today, and we saw Dylan G. go down...you have to wonder how hurt he is. And how about Jacob Fugslang...blood pouring down his face....be interesting to see how hurt he was/is, as he is one of the top contenders IMO.
Tomorrow (Sunday) is the TTT, and the big deal out of that at the end of the day will be what GC wanna-bees will lose what kind of time to the other wanna-bees.
OK...won't be too chatty just yet....have to pace myself!
Tour ON!
Cheers!
So Stage 2 didn't disappoint! A stunning victory for Jumbo! I think Ineos/Sky thought they had it in the bag, so very sorry, step aside for the winners now guys! They were pretty stunned. Not that I have anything against the Yankees, except that they flaunt their payroll over the peleton. Love it when the Yankees get beat! How cool is it that a regular guy who was likely to be in another country from ever wearing the yellow jersey his entire career gets to keep it not just one but TWO days! (and they might be able to defend tomorrow too, I'm rooting for them!) It's not like Mike T just lucked into it...no, he EARNED it by beating some of the best sprinters in the world, including going toe to toe with Peter Sagan! Talk about well deserved! I just love that...it for some reason reminds me of the queen stage way back, when George H was out on the long breakaway, and the peleton was so far back he got permission to go for it...and won! The look on his face when he crossed the line, seeing 0.00.00 on the clock (he said he'd never seen that before as he always finishes a ways back). Love when the unsung heros get some just deserts on live broadcast! OK...I won't be checking in during the day nor looking at pretty much ANY news site from now till the end of the Tour...don't want any spoilers as I'm recording every day. Now, to balance actual riding time with watching Tour time every single day...THAT is the real trick for me in July. Hope everybody had a great weekend!
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with your assessment and reactions -- although, TJ somehow sounds a bit more mature, definitely more relaxed (no longer the potential "star", he is there to support Uran) so I wonder if he will avoid his traditional collapse and surprise with a good finish -- yet still, no expectations of him winning or even getting on the podium.
ReplyDeleteSad to say, Cav's results have really fallen off for a few years, although he did have a win the past two years in one or two races, and I think a 2nd or 3rd. Injuries and illness have taken their toll -- Mark Renshaw is retiring, so I have to wonder if Cav will be far behind, or will be content to evolve into a support rider or just ride more minor races as Griepel seems to be doing.
I have a soft spot for the Dutch, due to my time cycling in Holland, so I am always happy to see a Dutch team do well -- they've had a number of years out of the limelight. Just as I've been happy to see the emergence of strong French talent.
Chris Horner seemed so nervous his first day but seems to be settling into his role. Liking him so far.
SusieB, hoping you will be back to comment! Have missed you around here.
I'm not as completely entranced by watching the race as I was the first couple of years that I ever saw the full broadcasts, but still enjoying having it on as I do some other things around the house.
I felt a bit like you Matt in that I wasn't as "excited" about the Tour this year ; partly due to personal issues, partly due to my being all-in on the USWNT & watching them go UNDEFEATED to their 4th world championship (WHOO-HOO!!!) & partly to the several missing GC favorites. But, now that's going, my interest is heating up! :)
ReplyDeleteWow, both Days 1 & 2 were total shockers! Day 1 just seemed to be rolling along that I actually forgot how DANGEROUS that 1st week always is! And then BOOM, with 18K to go, poor Thumper hits the deck & has to ride to the finish with blood gushing down his face. Along with a banged-up knee. OWW! And then, we get past the 3K mark & you breathe a sigh of relief but just 1K later, BOOM AGAIN & the favored Dutch sprinter Groenwegen (sp?, I'm just going to call him "DG" from now on, which is luckily his initials & stands for "Dutch Guy"!) hits the floor so all looks lost for their team but no! This kid on DG's team & whom I'd never heard of beats Sagan at the line for the win & the Yellow jersey!
And THEN, his team FLIES around the TTT the next day to shock EVERYONE! Not only do they smash the day-long leaders by 20 seconds, they keep the Yellow jersey! Prettee good compensation for the Dutch since they would soon lose the WWC to USA! :)
I tell ya, the look of shock & defeat on the faces of Team DeathStar yesterday was prettee damn sweet! I've actually started liking Froom the past couple years & I like Geraint & that kid Bernal certainly seems like a podium finisher if not winner in the future but I just freakin HATE this "team"! Mostly the egregious advantage their MONEY gives them but also their manager & the FACT that I believe they've been cheating from the beginning.
ReplyDeleteAnyhoo, I don't think it's Geraint's year. He crashed yesterday at the same time but on the other side of the road from DG's crash. Bernal is a huge possibility, especially because there is almost no ITT this year & that's his big weakness.
BTW, why was the course that narrow right there? The road itself was at least 10-15 feet wider than the barriers! Did the ASO do this intentionally, knowing that the potential for a crash would increase 10-fold?
Yesterday's TTT was shocking not just for Jumbo's win but that Trek & Movistar put in PATHETIC rides! They were 17th & 18th on the day! These are GC teams & they MUST be closer to Ineos! Good grief, their GC guys now have huge holes to dig out of just to get back to "even" & that takes unnecessary energy.
And Rae's right Matt, Tejay is just there to support Uran. If something happens, he'd probably be the replacement GC guy, but he seems absolutely happy to ride for Uran. I've been able to see so little of cycling this year but I do at least skim the 2 cycling websites every day & Tejay seems happier than he's been in years. AND his results have vastly improved! He finished 2nd in the Dauphine. And hopefully either he or his team have finally figured out how he should handle the Rest Days so as NOT to collapse the next day!
I also agree with Rae that Horner was SO nervous at the beginning that he didn't seem the same guy! But, he's already improving! I think he'll loosen up even more & hopefully, his humor will start to shine too. Phil & Bobke are working out ok (if I remember correctly from the couple 1-2AM Dauphine stages I saw, they worked that race 1st), although it's still a SHOCK not to hear Paul. Still can't quite believe that he's gone. :(
And I know both of you are right that Cav's results the past couple years have been lacking (thanks to crashes & 2 major illness/viruses) & he probably would not have finished this year's race as it's very skewed towards climbing & with sparse true sprinter stages but he's been training very hard & Aldag (manager of his team) said he was good to go! And you know, for the 1st 15 years I watched the taped TDF, the top sprinters almost NEVER reached Paris; they intentionally bailed sometime during the 2nd week. Cav was THE reason why that team got invited to the Tour when he 1st joined them! And it's not like his spot was taken by a superstar-in-waiting. Apparently, the team owner made the decision, overriding Aldag. I'm guessing Cav & Aldag will do whatever it takes to leave & join another team next season? On the other hand, this could be a little karma payback for how Cav was early in his pro career; making life hell for his managers & team. But he's matured SO much the past 5-6 years especially that it seems cruel that the "payback" would happen NOW.
ReplyDeleteAnyhoo, as I was watching & listening over the weekend to all the 'anniversary' this & 'anniversary' that (Eddy's 50th of his 1st TDF win & 100 years of the Yellow jersey), I LOL'ed that this year is ALSO another "anniversary" - the 20th anniversary of Lance's 1st TDF win! Funny, that was never mentioned. Haha! Well, I don't care what the "official record books" state; Lance won this race 7 straight times! And there was NO ONE he beat that was not using the same "methods" as he & his team. That his is the only name stricken from the books is infuriating!
Oh, oh, just today I saw the header of an article in Cycling News that has LeMond stating if Valverde truly is 5 kilos lighter, he'll win the Tour! WHAT?! Piti himself? I refuse to click on any article by or about LeMond so don't know what he really said but, is he kidding? Isn't Valverde 39 or something? The fact that he "won" the World Championship last year made me nauseous. It's not that I think those caught should be barred for life, but to this day, he REFUSES to admit it!
Ok, have to get some work done. Thanks for your well-wishes/"condolences" about my teeth. I won't be able to comment here this Thursday & possibly Friday, but I do hope to chat the other weekdays.
Viva Le Tour! :) :)
One thing the guys did discuss about Cav was that MAYBE his being left off will light the fire back in him like he used to have...I truly believe he has a year or 2 left at the highest level (IF he can stay healthy)...I think his confidence is severely shaken and that's likely just as important in a sprinter as having the legs to pull it off. If he gets fired up and does the work, then he just needs a break...maybe that's all he needs to get his mojo back. I would LOVE To see him come back next year and get a few wins...maybe next years race will be a bit more sprinter friendly. I actually was surprised that Sagan got beat tho head to head by a lead-out guy...and not even their top guy...not sure if he started too early or what, but he faded at the end a bit, just enough....I'm rooting for him to pull off a few wins (such as TODAYS stage, which I'm watching even as I type). Yep...the annual July taper is in progress...it's VERY easy to make excused NOT to ride and to go watch the days stage...and considering I'm fresh off about 5 weeks of travel (ie, no riding), well...my fitness is NOT my best by FAR. Likely by the 3rd week of July I will REALLY have some work to do to get back where I was at the end of May. Gosh I lose it SO FAST these days....getting old SUCKS! (but at least I'm still able to ride...a lot of guys my age have some serious ailments, so I'm actually pretty lucky). OK...back to the Telly!
ReplyDeleteAnd Stage 3 is in the books. Julian Aliphillepe (sp?) launching a BOLD, even AUDAICIOUS attack on the field from 15k out! It was calculated and measured and rehearsed, but like the old military saying, no plan survives first contact with the enemy. That he pulled it off and won not only the stage but took the yellow jersey from Jumbo is mind blowing!
ReplyDeleteI like the back and forth banter between CVV and CH! And Paul is back...was wondering what was going on the first 2 days with Steve in the mix...now it's back to normal. Still a little weird (as Rae mentioned) NOT hearing Pauls calm narrative all day...but if anybody can pull off hanging with Phil for 21 days it's Bobke. That was a fun stage actually...glad I played hooky on the bike to watch it all. Tomorrow I MUST ride tho...so there will be some FF'ing going on when I do get home. So far a pretty exciting race, and it's sure to get better when the climbs get bigger. I'm starting to catch the fever!
ooh....by "Paul is back" I obviously meant Burmeister...
ReplyDeleteHey Matt, yep, it was weird that Burmeister was there...then he wasn't...now he's back! I don't think NBCSN does themselves any favors (or us!) by not mentioning this "magic act". I guess some personal thing or maybe he was ill.
ReplyDeleteAnyhoo, Alaphillipe's attack & win was impressive but what gets me is that EVERYONE expected it, so how did he get away?! He'd apparently told people for months that he was targeting that stage, all the other riders seem to think it was "his kind of stage" & most of the analysts expected him to at least have a good shot at winning. So, HOW did the peloton let him get away?! Still, good for him that he took his shot & succeeded! And got himself the YJ to boot!
Meanwhile, poor Teunissen! Going into the red on the TTT really took it out of him. He's lucky yesterday was not Stage 6 or he may have been eliminated. It's always shocking/sad to see a Yellow jersey guy tailing off the back of the entire peloton.
I looked at the race profiles again for each stage & boy, I'm not sure if there's even ONE "true" sprint stage in there! And then there's Stage 6! Goodness, it would not shock me if several sprinters can't make the cut that day. SO early in the race to have an actual mountain stage! I can never decide if I like that or not. Rolf Aldag seems to think Cav was in good shape right before the Tour (he almost QUIT the race in protest over the owner overruling him) but wow, maybe Cav wouldn't have made it the whole week. As you know, I LOVE me some mountain stages with UPHILL finishes but I also like REAL sprinter stages in the Tour too! They are exciting & crazy at the end & it is just so unfair to that type of rider when there is almost NO opportunity for them to shine in the race that for most of the world is the ONLY cycling race that matters. Even today, which is one of the "sprinter stages", there were a couple hills near the end! But unlike yesterday, I think the finale was NOT uphill.
BTW, once again this year, there are several stages where there will NOT be a "Primetime" show on TV. Six in all I think. Luckily, only ONE is a weekday (this Friday). Since you record the LIVE show, it doesn't matter to you, but to folks like me that don't have that ability (I pay Comcast too freakin much already!), its infuriating. And I love watching the Tour LIVE in the mornings on the weekend & then again at night.
You know, I REALLY worry what will happen when NBC's contract with the TDF runs out in 2022 (possibly 2023). Will they just stop the daily TV coverage altogether & force cycling fans to buy the damn "Gold Pass"? I plan to finally have home internet by then, but don't know if I'll be willing to PAY EVEN MORE to watch the Tour. Sigh.
LOL, today's "robot check" was to click on all the pics with BICYCLES!
ReplyDeleteAnyhoo, no matter how long you're off the bike, you ALWAYS come back better than ever, Matt!
I'm slowly getting used to Phil & Bobke as a duo, but there is a point every day that it still SHOCKS me that the reason "Paul" sounds so different is that he's not there! I think it will be even more noticeable on the mt stages & I'll forget in the excitement. STILL can't believe it. I thought Phil would retire one day & Paul would be the one working with Bobke.
OH, did you see that Phil mentioned & showed a clip of Lance's podcast yesterday?! Guess he's not persona non grata with NBC these days. Of course, Lance may have made that part of the deal for his TV interview with Tirico which aired a few months ago & I missed! I haven't had the chance yet to watch his podcast yet this year but was glad to see that George is involved again.
Well, gotta scoot!
Great sprint finish again today!
ReplyDeleteI hadn't realized that Sagan hadn't had a win all year so far -- just assumed there was one in there somewhere! Well, he is 29 now and one can't expect any athlete to be so phenomenal every race, every year. It's just that he makes it look so EASY. And remember, he used to be King of Second Place!
I am pulling for Fuglsang. Remember the high expectations for him his first 2 years or so? He has had bad luck, was on a bad team (for him - Radio Shack), and has ridden the TdF as a support rider -- but he has always been consistent in his results, so I am hoping that he gets a great result on his own account this year
Yes, I think that the rehabilitation of LA has begun! I was surprised when they features his podcast yesterday, and actually had him on today! Plus rebroadcast that interview (at least, part of it) at the end of the stage this morning. I always forget to check out his podcast on youtube; I will like to hear his analysis of the race -- unlike Floyd and Dave Z last year, which was just stupid (at least the one that I saw).
I sure do like that new segment each day where Christian and Chris use the "virtual reality" (kind of) graphic to analyze how the finish went.
Ooh, SusieB, I had to go back a post to see what you were referring to -- I am SO sorry that you have to go through all that! The worst! I hope that you recover easily and well, no complications this time.
ReplyDeleteOh, I also wanted to say that I was durn surprised at Movistar's bad TTT. Usually they are one of the stronger at that, aren't they? Rivalry in the ranks?
Fun finish to a snoozer stage today...It's kind of fun having no real idea who will win the sprint stages! And Sagan is in there getting points as usual...I have to assume he will win at least one stage this year (likely won't be a pure sprint stage tho...it will be one of those ironman stages where the sprinters are in the back and not long enough for the climbers to rule). I also was amazed that TWO days now they've not only talked to Lance (aka THE DEVIL) but had video too...very interesting. And it was great to see GH with him yesterday, I'd like to see/hear more of him too. He was always one of my fav's (along w/ Jensie and Fabian/Spartacus). So far it's a run Tour, and it will really be interesting to see what happens in Stage 6. I think the race will be blown wide open...will it be GT or Bernal, or Fuglsang (furthermore known as JF, too hard to spell his name), and hey, NOBODY Is talking about Q and Valverde, and the guys mentioned today how Riggo Uran is a snake in the weeds so far this year too...LOTS Of possibilities, who has it and who will risk it? And Can JA (todays yellow jersey) pull out a huge ride and stay in the front group of that ENORMOUS stage 6? Lots of questions, answers coming VERY SOON! LOVE IT so far! And today was pretty tame, nobody really slamming the deck, hooray! (as far as I know). Oh, and due to their horrible TTT I didn't even MENTION Pinot and Bardet...will they come out and play on Thursday? I'd think they MUST if they have any dreams of podium. Game ON!
ReplyDeleteSusie, we still have DTV (Satellite)...yes it costs more but it's pretty great TV (we still have DSL internet, not really enough bandwidth to even try the NBC Gold streaming thing). Every year we up our Satellite package so I get NBCSports for July, then drop back to whatever package we have...I guess it helps a lot that we share the cost...if it were all me I'd likely have antenna feed only and not sure what I'd do in July. But I do say that the DVR is still my best friend...record a TON of stuff and watch it whenever...that way there's always lots to watch. OK..gotta scoot to BED! July is alway shard on my sleep! But I DID get a mtb ride in tonight, hooray! I only mildly sucked...still a lot of work to do tho...July is always tough on my fitness. And sleep...mostly sleep. YAWN...ok, really gotta go now. Later gators!
ReplyDeleteOK...one more thing I forgot to ask..Rae, what are you using to watch le Tour? I seem to recall you having the Gold package (or was that years prior)? If so, can you use that to watch the race on your TV or just on a computer? I really need to learn more about the streaming stuff.
ReplyDeleteI still have basic (30 mb) internet and with that, I subscribe to PlayStation Vue Core which includes NBCSports, - and DVR ability. There is no contract with Vue, it is month-to-month and I can pause it whenever I want -- like I should have last April when I didn't watch anything except a few programs on PBS all month. I need to look around at the other streaming services though, since Vue just notified me that they are raising the price by $5 - now it will be $50/month. (I bargained my internet down to $35). I use a basic Roku stick (one-time cost to buy, there are often special offers), which also provides some free programming and movies (nothing that I've wanted to see so far though) and access to Vue (and other streaming services); and also individual paid channels, so I could just pick and pay for some a la carte instead of using Vue if I wanted. PBS I get over the air and also, since I contribute $60/year, the PBS streaming service.
ReplyDeleteSo I am watching the race on NBCSports channel on the TV. I could do so on my computer, also, with Vue. I didn't get the Gold subscription this year, although in late winter when they dropped the price for the remaining races prior to the TdF, I nearly did. It really would have been better than the pirate streams I've relied on for years! I could watch Gold either on TV via the Roku, or on my computer, or on my smart phone if I paid for enough data to do so (I don't). I believe that is true of all paid streaming services. If you have a smart TV I think you don't need a Roku (or Amazon's or Google's doohickey).
Oh, and even though it is a PlayStation streaming service, you don't need a PlayStation device - I don't have one. A playstation device would do instead of the Roku but not have all the channel possibilities, I think. I also have a blu-ray player that a neighbor gave to me, & I know I could get Netflix on it, but haven't really looked to see if it would do the same as a Roku.
Hi everyone! Thought I'd come over here and see what's going on. Le Tour always pulls us back in, every year, and off to a great start this year. I love seeing surprise winners, and all the Jumbo "boys" are so adorable. I sort of like not having a clear rider I'm rooting for - it's like watching the Super Bowl and just wishing for a good game (although the BEST Super Bowl EVER was the Eagles in 2018, says this Philly girl). The scenery has already been stunning (those vineyards in Champagne!) and that's a big part of watching the Tour for me. I wish we had access to the kind of quality HD feed for the Giro. More later... Barbara
ReplyDeleteOne more thing... remember when Lance was winning, they didn't pull out the yellow bike and bar tape and helmet and shoes until the last stage. Now guys with one day in yellow go whole hog. But good for them, it's a big deal. Love the tributes to the Maillot Jeaune this year.
ReplyDeleteAnd another thing... I just got back from a hiking/biking vacation that started in Vienna and ended in Prague. Got to ride on some of those wonderful bike paths that toured beautiful countryside and also wound through narrow village roads. Loved it - I could pretend I was riding the Tour!
Hey Barbara, welcome back! Glad you stopped by! I'm actually pretty jazzed with no idea who will win...though tomorrow will tell if the Sky/Ineos will dominate the REAL mountains. It's all been play thus far. Happy for Sagan to FINALLY get a win (his first this year, but hey, if you need to wait to win, getting it in the Tour is a pretty good place!) I don't think that will be his last this Tour either...surprising that Mathews fell back so far...I guess the climbs (and the pace) took it's toll and he wasn't even able to mount a sprint. Sagan had a huge burst of energy, pretty impressive considering he just came up the same climbs at the same pace as the rest of the main field.
ReplyDeleteYour vacation sounds AWESOME...I'm so jealous! I only have the TV to see that kind of terrain...one day I will get over to Europe with a bike...oh yes...one day. Good for you Barbara, it sounds like it was wonderful!
Oh, and also, we've seen it before, but what a goof Sagan is on the podium with those ridiculous ski goggles. Maybe it's a sponsor, or maybe it's a joke...I wouldn't put it past him. We've seen those goggles before tho in prior years...maybe he really does get $$ for that...I assume his sunglasses are a sponsored item (he always makes a show of them in any interview, sitting in plain sight on his hat). The goggles are just goofy (imo).
ReplyDeleteStage 6: holy cats, Super Team didn't look so SUPER today! I am stunned! I was wondering why they didn't step up and crush the field like usual, now I think it was because they COULDN'T! As soon as the pace was upped from the sad pace Quick Step had been setting (letting a 14 man break have 9 minutes!) the chinks in their armor became clear. Before long there was just 3...only GT had the goods when push came to shove near the top of the final climb. Crazy day for sure, pretty unexpected Yellow Jersey wearer for tomorrow. Of course, none of the guys above GT are likely to worry him for Paris...he put time on everybody who mattered. TJ fell off the face of the earth BEFORE the final climb...only Riggo and Woods hung in there to the end. Of course, Bernal, Pinot, Kruijswijk, Woods, Uran and Fuglsang are his only real protagonists as things look now. The rest (Yates, Q, Landa, Martin and Nibbles are all far enough back of the others to have only a very outside chance IMO. However, one great (or terrible) day changes things completely, and it's a LONG ways to Paris! Fun stage...that finish was pretty mean actually...glad I wasn't doing it! Happy Friday everybody!
ReplyDeleteOH! I saw on the pre-show this morning that TJ had CRASHED early in the stage yesterday! How on earth was that missed the entire day by the media? Apparently he HIT a road-sign in a narrow island in the middle of the road! His face was all cut up, his knees and elbows all bloodied...no WONDER he was off the back barely moving! They said he's riding today but obviously NOT very happy! Man, that sucks...I was really truly hoping he would break out of his Tour slump and do something special one day. He still has a chance if he can hang in there and get over the worst of the injuries...he won't be marked at all as he will be so far down...a stage win would be awesome for his morale and confidence.
ReplyDelete