Hooray, it's THAT time of year (again)! And also, Boo...I/we are all another year older JUST LIKE THAT! (feels that way anyway). Rae & Susie (and ANYBODY else still out there checking in now and then) hope you make an appearance (or 20) this year...sadly the Asylum has turned into a Tour-Asylum the last few years...nothing but dust-balls and crickets (and maybe a few spiders and hairballs from Sophie and Abbey). I would have done some posts on the even-now-continuing Tour Divide race, but I think I'm the only one who cares about that...but I will toss out that the winner who just finished yesterday morning set a new FKT (Fastest Known time) beating the record by about 21 hours with a time of just over 13 days for the 2700 miles, 150,000' climbing and totally self-supported ride (running clock, sleeping, eating, fixing bike, all on the clock). Grizzly bears, snow, mud, wind, heat...it's all there on the Divide! The winner maintained an average of 205 miles a day (90% dirt roads, 6% singletrack, and 4% pavement). He was riding around 20 hours a day. Obviously NOT human! OK, back to le Tour.
So, I JUST finished watching the Teams presentation (on Peacock). This year I subscribed to Peacock for $19.95 for a YEAR! That seems like a good deal, and there is lots of other stuff to watch and stream, so I'll take it! The one thing I will miss is the 'no commercials'' monthly thing I had the last 2 years...boy that was nice! Watching any replay it just blipped and continued the race...but that was only available for replay, watching any of the stages live you had to deal w/ the commercials.
ANYWAY, WOW! I haven't had much time to peruse the teams, but scanning the team lists during the presentation, there should be some serious competition this year (I hope anyway). One thing I did notice that saddens me, NO SEPP KUSS! I have to research this, did he get hurt? I didn't think he was traded/moved teams...and why wouldn't they bring him if he's still w/ Visma?
Another WOW, Mark Cavendish is BACK! After being slighted last year, he will get the chance to notch one more win...I know he's a bit long in the tooth and all, but gosh I hope he gets one!
OK...now for some thoughts on the competition and everything else that comes to mind.
First off, they are starting in Italy (Florence), OK...cool and all. But they are finishing in Nice France! Say WHAT? No Champs? I guess the little sports thing happening soon after le Tour finishes is a problem...you know, THE OLYMPICS? (I'm sure Susie has been watching all the World Championships and now Qualifications that have seemingly been going on for quite some time now.
And to step away from cycling for just a brief moment (for a quick rant) as this just crossed my mind now that I have mentioned the Olympics, the Womens Basketball team DOESN'T HAVE Caitlin Clark on it? WTH??? She's only the single greatest thing to happen to Womens Basketball since, you know, it BEGAN! NCAA ALL TIME POINTS record, HELLO? And now in the pro's her Indiana Fever team is selling out every game! (Tho I think the ref's need some training, she's getting MUGGED and BEAT TO SHIT over and over again and the ref's just let it go...pretty blatant stuff too). Sure the Fever aren't anywhere near a top team (why they've had top draft pics for years now)...but hey, it's like when the LA Kings got Wayne Gretzky...it changed things forever for the better on that team!
OK, I'm back and feel better (had to get that out of my system). So just some basics from how I understand things...Vingo crashed pretty bad (a quote I found is "endured a horrific crash at the Tour of Basque Country in April. The Danish cyclist suffered a broken collarbone, several broken ribs, a
pulmonary contusion and a pneumothorax as a result of the crash, and
spent 12 days in the hospital"). So we aren't REALLY sure just how fit he is, likely not the same guy we've seen the last 2 years (but who knows, maybe he's fine?). Pogo just demolished the Giro, won like 6 stages, burned a ton of energy but he's young and I think can get away w/ that, we shall see. I watched the replays of a few stages, he looked pretty good. Oh, and he has a fantastic team this year...Adam Yates was on the podium last year, and now is Pogo's main man on the road (that's some serious firepower)!
Roglic is now on Bora, tho I honestly don't see him as a true contender for the podium, but hey, you never know...maybe he's seriously motivated with a new team and all. He held on to win the Dauphine this year, but the final day it was very close. I'd say Vingo and Pogo have a new problem to contend with this year: Remco on Team Quick Step...he's one of the top up and coming guys to watch (IMO). And this year Team Ineos looks to be VERY ready for battle, with Rodriguiez at the helm and Bernal as his main man...that combo could be quite dangerous. Ineos is not a team to sneeze at this year (G. Thomas is also riding, but WAY down in the team-presentaion standings...interesting, he was the 2nd guy from the bottom). Boy, there's no love for a past Tour winner at all there!
That's about all I can think of at the moment in the GC Battle Royal we are all hoping to see this year. Oh, I did just find that Sepp was left off the Tour Team for "medical reasons". DAMN!!! He is one of the real bright spots the last 2 years, I so love to watch him race! Without Kuss in the mountains, and with the great team UAE brought this year, AND the questionable fitness of Vingo, I'd say (at this moment knowing exactly zero for sure) that Pogo has a REALLY GREAT CHANCE at winning his 3rd Tour.
I also see Phil and Bobke will be the main guys, with reporters CVV and Steve Porino. Pre-race and Post-race will again be Paul Burmeister with Brent Bookwater, and adding TJ van Garderen as a rookie analysts (uhm, Jury is still out on how that will go. HOPEFULLY he's had some public speaking training, cuz when he was a rider, any time you'd put a mic in his face he "uhm'd about 15 times a minute along with other super distracting things...he is (was?) NOT a good spokesperson at all. Sad to see Chris Horner not there (again)...I always thought HE was a fantastic analyst!
So...we shall soon see! Tomorrow the GAME IS AFOOT! (I will be out on the bike EARLY to beat the heat and HOPE to get in a good 6 plus hour ride, so will watch the replay in the afternoon).
OK, that's all for the moment. Tour Time! I LOVE saying that! It's TOUR TIME! HOORAY!
Let the Games Begin! (er, wait, isn't that for the Olympics?)
Let the Carnage Begin! (hope not, but it seems inevitable).
