2022 TDF, 2nd half

And so, the REAL race for this years TDF crown starts today. Stage 11. Three MASSIVE climbs. Three serious potential winning teams. First, UAE with Pogacar, winner of the last 2 TDF's. His most serious competitor this year might not even be human, but Covid. He's now lost TWO teammates to this neverending threat to society. It sounds like Maika (another of his teammates) has tested positive but is still in the race, asseme that means he tested positive on a quick test but the more reliable PCR test didn't confirm that (but I'm must guessing at that scenario). Even so, Covid is running thru the peleton and UAE. Pogacar himself could test positive and his dreams of his third win vanish like smoke in the wind. Poof...gone. It could end that unceremoniously for him, OR he continues to lose teammates and I doubt very much he will be able to hang on against the combined threat of Jumbo and Ineos. Today stage goes over the Telegraph, Galibie and a finsh atop the Gannon, which I've never seen climbed to the best of my memory. Jumbo still has THREE guys in the top 10, and I'd think with UAE's diminished team this will be a great place to start playing those cards. Sepp Kuss will need to really be on his A game today and I'd think Vingegaard will be THE MAN for them unless he cracks...he's super close to Pogacar in time and is likely THE most serious challenger other than Covid to Pogacar's hopeful win in Paris. Ineos claims GT is stronger than he was when he won his TDF, and he has a pretty great team, so it will be fun to see them FINALLY come out and play.The stage is live as I type but I've got to get to work...will catch the replay tongiht. It should be a thriller...GAME ON!

What time is it?

TOUR TIME! Duh! Wow...today really sneaked up on me...I thought today was tomorrow! (seriously...I thought the 1st was Saturday...went into work today thinking the pre-Tour show would be on Peacock, and lo and behold Stage 1 was just about to start! Boy was I shocked!) So after ONE stage I'm liking my $10 investment for Peacock Prime Plus (no ads/commercials). Watching the ITT the video would cut and go right back to the race...it was awesome! If all the stages are like that, well, lets just call that $5 well spent! Quick Step and their Cavendish ordeal...we will never know if Mark could have won that ONE stage to be the winningest sprinter ever...likely he would have...but their guy they did bring is on fire also. Fabio Jakobson...the post-stage show the guys showed the video (in at least 3 different views) of his horrific crash in a sprint final 2 years ago (I think). YIKES! I've never seen such a crash! Can't even describe it other than to say he was pushed into the barricades at warp speed, the barricade wall moved back and he went stright into the front-end of the next barricade part which seemed to stop him nearly instantly...barricade parts and bike parts and humans flying around from the impact...emergency surgery, they thought he might not even LIVE, let-alone ride/race again. I hadn't heard that story, and that he's back to sprinting and WINNING again...just wow. I hereby admit I've seen nor even HEARD absolutly ZERO cycling this year...so I've NO IDEA WHATSOEVER who is doing what on which team. But the ITT was interesting...and Baby Face looks like he slapped all the other GC guys in the face with his iron gauntlet alrealdy. Wout looks pretty amazing, I thnk is the new Peter Sagan...the do it all superman (Sagan is here, and I will have my fingers crossed he can pull off a bit more Tour Magic and win a stage)...and once again there is Roglic, but this year for sure he has a monkey on his back...his own teammate Vingagard (sorry dude, I butchered the crap out of your name, will have to look that up and get it right)...the man who took the reigns last year after Primo crashed out and not only finished on the podium, but in 2nd just behind Baby Face! I think that's an interesting story for Jumbo...now THEY have the dual leader thing going for them, and that can't be good for Primo. Seems the dual leadership thing never really works out for the guy who 'was' the man...Primo is 35 years old now I think? That's getting up there in cycling years. I'll keep this short as I just finished watching the stage, and NOW my annual July riding dilema begins...I WANT to be out all day tomorrow on my bike like my usual Saturdays..and I want to ride at least twice a week after work also. But NOW I've got a Stage to watch as much of as possible, still get enough sleep to NOT be a zombie at work, and to keep my fitness where it's at with no backslide (which I'm usually not very successful at doing). Anyway, HELLO JULY!
And GAME ON!