Tour Talk 2

 Boy oh boy, the last several days have gone by in a BLUR! I've meant to come back and talk about the stages but somehow each day has swooped by without that happening. As I type Stage 18 has started and they are on their way to the Sprint point. They had announced back in the Pyrenees that big day was the Queen Stage...however that was apparently ONLY for the Pyrenees, as TODAY is THE Queen Stage...3HC climbs with almost 19,000' of climbing (over 42 miles!)...YIKES! But before we go into today's stage I must go back a few stages. So much has happened and now I've forgot a lot of what I wanted to talk about...darn it, I SHOULD have taken notes like in prior years. I will go back to the other day (the 1st in the Alps) which I think is the one they were saying was The Queen Stage...started off climbing the Tourmalet (HC), then the Col d' Aspin (a lowly Cat 2), the Col de Peryesourde (a more respectable Cat 1) and an HC finish atop the Luchon Superbagneres. No doubt this was a huge stage, and the day was won by Pogo who gapped Vingo at the top by 36 seconds, with Roglic taking 3rd surprisingly! Way to go Roglic! His teammate Lipowitz took 4th on the day. This day put Pogo up by over 4 minutes on Vingo, which I'd say is a pretty comfy lead, especially considering how well he has been racing. 

On to Stage 14...ended with a breakaway from the breakaway, and Arensman from Ineos held off the pack for the win, and the first for Ineos this year (boy have the mighty fallen, wasn't that long ago that Team Sky and then Ineos was THE dominant team in the peleton). Pogo and Vingo were 2nd and 3rd, with the young upstart Lipowitz taking 5th, over a minute ahead of his mentor Rigo back in 8th. Pogo picked up a few more seconds on Vingo (and a time bonus for 2nd) so is now 4:13 ahead of Vingo. Lipowitz is solidly in 3rd now at 7:53 back, with another yong'un Oscar Onley sitting a 9:18...so 1t and 2nd are pretty solid now as long as neither of them has bad luck or a bad day, but 3rd and 4th are still pretty up in the air as a LOT can happen. Ben Healy crept up 1 spot overall to 9th (way to go BEN!), and Carlos Rodriguez (Ineos) sitting in 10th. And just to leap forward to today, Rodriguez has abandoned as he has a fractured pelvis! They didn't say but I'm guessing he was involved in the crash at the 1k banner yesterday...what a disaster for Ineos! Lipowitz has solidly took the White jersey, almost a minute and a half ahead of Onley, with Vauquelin not back in 3rd...and Ben Healy way back in 4th at almost 11 minutes.

Here I slipped in a shot of our sleeping beauty bulldog Sophie...she's in her typical Tour viewing mode for today's stage! She's doing very well, but turns 11 here in August...so like her daddy, she's no spring chicken!

  I don't have anything in my memory of Stage 15, so apparently it didn't happen (that's my story and I'm sticking with it!). So on to Stage 16, the Mountain-top finish on Col du Mont Ventoux! Another day that I was literally screaming at my TV Screen (and at/for Ben Healy to be specific)...he broke away from the breakaway and was climbing solo for the win, was caught by a young Frenchman who I certainly can't pronounce let-alone spell...(good thing I took a screen-shot of the TV!)...winning atop Ventoux is pretty huge, so here he is: Valentin Paret-Peintre, who gapped Ben by a few feet at the summit. Good for the French, they needed a winner (he's the first this year) but OMG, Ben was the Hero of the day in my book. Vingo and Pogo were not too far back as Vingo was giving it a go at unseating the indomitable Pogo...didn't happen but they did come back over 2 minutes on the leaders, finishing at 43 and 45 seconds in 5th and 6th. Roglic was amazing and finished 2 seconds ahead of his protege Lipowitz 9th and 10th. You have to love Ventoux, it's THE most iconic climb mostly due to the otherworldly treeless white granite summit with the tower. I can't think of any other finish to match it. Lipowitz added to his 3rd place GC and is now over 2 minutes ahead of Onley and is solidly in control of the White Jersey. Pogo has moved back into the Polka dot Jersey (ties with Lenny Martinez but the look-back has him ahead because he won an HC climb back in the Pyrenees). Milan is the owner of the Green Jersey but not by much, as Pogo is only 11 points back with a lot of points on the road that Pogo will likely get.

And just because, a screenshot picture of the summit of Mont Ventoux cuz I like it SO MUCH and can't even begin to tell you how much I want to climb it on my bike!

 Didn't take any screen-shots yesterday for Stage 17 as it was a sprinters stage (tho the big crash at the 1k banner took out several of the sprinters, notably Metlier who was hoping to challenger Milan). Milan and his team did good and he won the day, putting him far enough ahead of Pogo for some breathing room (now he has to finish in Paris, including the two remaining huge Alp stages 18 and 19). 

And that brings us to today, Stage 18, the BEAST! So I'm going to post this and either add to it or just comment on the results for today...I have to say how much I've been enjoying being able to watch EVERY STAGE from start to finish...ahh, being retired is AWESOME! (and I even slipped in a mt bike ride yesterday morning...you know, cuz it was a boring sprint-stage). Next week I begin my annual 'Post Tour comeback' where I try to regain my fitness that I had back in say April, which is the time I usually start my decline as the temperatures are up and my saddle-time starts to decline. OK, more coffee and re-gain MY Tour Position (very couch-potato-like). Game ON!

 OK, the leader (Ben O' Connor) is just over 6 mi from the summit of the final climb. Lipowitz has heroically come back from what was looking very bad for his 3rd place podium spot, as Roglic was a maniac on the first 2 climbs. That has turned around as Lipo rebounded and passed everybody except for the two leaders (Ben hadn't split from his Movistar compatriot yet). Just WOW for Lipo! 

And some thoughts as I listen to the Phil and Bobke banter...Sep Kuss...we just haven't seen that much of him this year. In prior years Visma was the Sep Kuss show on all the big climbs. This year not so much. And another familiar name we haven't heard doo-doo about is Nielson Powless...previous years he was in breaks all the time, this year I've barely heard his name mentioned. The American who HAS been killing it the entire Tour is Quinn Simmons on Trek...sheesh, he's been at the very front of the Peleton (or in the break) more than anybody I can think of, and I'm not just talking about this year. He was on the front yesterday and was called back to bring Milan back up, so he drops all the way back, does that, and with just a few K to go suddenly there he is at the VERY front yet again, setting the pace for the entire Sprinting-gang from all the teams! I mean (aka TJ, which btw he hasn't hardly used at all this year, bless his heart!) if he doesn't win the MOST COMBATIVE for the entire race I'll be pretty pissed...nobody else has done the work he has this year. It's seriously impressive, and I HOPE Trek is giving him a commensurate salary...NOBODY else on that team is even close to the workhorse Quinn is! HUGE KUDOS to him!

OK, back to the final climb...ooh...is Vingo going to attack? He's pretty isolated now, and Pogo had 2 of his guys go to the front and now UAE is setting the pace. What a race today!

OK, back to the final climb...ooh...is Vingo going to attack? He's pretty isolated now, and Pogo had 2 of his guys go to the front and now UAE is setting the pace. What a race today!

SO I intended to just comment on Stages 18, 19 and 20...but it got too long and wouldn't let me post it...so here it is in it's entirety:

Stage 20 is done. It was a real barn-burner for sure, and I can't even imagine how hard this one has been for the racers. It's like there weren't ANY kick-back stages for the majority of the racers to have somewhat of a slower-pace day. And there's been SO MUCH CLIMBING this Tour! In that respect it has been one of my favorites! (tho I must say that with my memory, EVERY TOUR that I'm watching is the best one, as I really only have fleeting memories of prior tours). So I left off taking about Stage 18 when Ben O'Connor won on a THREE HC day, the last being a Mountaintop finish! They climbed up the Glaindon, the Madeleine, and the Loze (which I heard the boyz in the booth say was THE longest climb in Tour history at 26.4k, which is just plain NUTS!) I know everybody was expecting Pogo to go for it, but he didn't and we don't really know why. IMO I think he's getting tired, surely his team is. He ended up finishing 2nd at 1:45 back, which is a pretty serious gap. Vingo was right with him until the final 500 yards or so when Pogo attacked and gained 7 seconds (he and he added another 2 with his 2nd place time bonus). Of note in Stage 18 wasn't the top 2 riders, but the 3rd and 4th...Onley had a GREAT day finishing 4th just behind Vingo, which moved HIM into 4th at only 22 seconds from Lipo! Suddenly the White Jersey is very much at stage with 2 stages to go (usually the last day isn't any shuffling of the GC deck, but this year it very much can/will be). Roglic is in 5th behind Onley, close enough to be scary to both Lipo and Onley I'd think.

And now Stage 19 (Friday). Another stage where both Pogo and Vingo didn't seem to 'have it' like in the first 2 weeks. I TOTALLY thought Pogo would want to win this one, but ended up losing it by only TWO SECONDS to Arensman from Ineo! That tells me that neither one of them had anything left to throw at the mountain and take the win like we expected. They BOTH lost that stage...I'd have thought Vingo would give his right leg AND arm to win a stage ahead of Pogo, just for the feeling that ONE DAY this year he beat him! But neither really tried...Pogo tried very short attacks a few times but after each he quickly dialed it back and the lead group caught back up...when has THAT ever happened to him? I can't recall any...from my meager memory, when Pogo attacks the top GC front group, he crushes them in his initial attack, and then continues to grind them under his boot all the way to the line. Not so again today. Losing by 1:45 yesterday is one thing, but losing by TWO SECONDS? He couldn't muster up enough go-juice to do THAT? He must be seriously tired is all I can think. But for Pogo and Vingo it was status quo...finished on the same time. But Lipo today stuck with them and only dropped off at the very end, when Onley had fallen off the pace a while back, so Lipo re-gained some of the time he lost yesterday, and now has a much more comfortable lead over Onley as he's now up just under a minute. Boy, I think both Lipo and Onley will both be names we here a LOT of in the years to come! And Ben Healy jumped himself into the top 10 and now sits in 9th, just ahead of O'Connor, way to go Ben! Boy, it sure seems Ben has only two rides: fantastic or meh...today was another fantastic!

And now today, Stage 20 had what, 4 climbs? (had to look)..yep, a 3, a 4, a 2 and another 4. Not a day for sprinters. Or WAS IT? That just goes to show that you can't always put a simple label on riders...Kaden Groves on Alpecin/Quick-Step was in the breakaway a good part of the day, and the 2 other riders he was with didn't want to pull thru so he finally left them and they BOTH watched him go. I guess they also thought 'sprinter, he won't get far, let him go' and BOY were they wrong! He held them both off and won the day, and now he joins the very elite club of riders who have won stages in all 3 Grand Tours! And also of note, Ben O'Connor lost his 10th place in the GC by one of the breakaway guys, easy come, easy go (ok, nothing about racing le Tour is 'easy'). 

So now it's all about the finish in Paris...it should be a doozie, as there won't be any circuits on the Champs as they are using the Olympic course. So there are FIVE cat-4 climbs tomorrow! And when they are done with that circuit (3 times over that last Cat 4) they go to and finish on the Champs. It's not likely to be the usual 'Paris finish' stage, but you never know. OK, I'm off to bed, as I'm getting up early ONE MORE TIME! 

And now, on to Stage 21. A first time (in the Tour) route for this finale in Paris. I have to hand it to the ASO organizers...this Tour was unique in many ways. Possibly the hardest Tour since the olden days when the riders were out into the night on ridiculous length stages. But this stage delivered to the viewers and fans in so many ways. And this finale delivered! In part because of the inclement weather, and in part because it was THE LAST CHANCE to get a stage win. Nobody had any idea how this stage would play out...would the riders have a cease-fire until they arrived on the Champs? It appeared so and the riders had their calm half-day to sip champagne and pose for pictures. For the first time in my memory many teams took turns going to the front doing what usually only the Yellow Jersey team does: line up and get a picture of the remaining team. On the one hand, that is a tradition only for the winning team, however all riders making it to Paris have earned this right (IMO). So I though it was pretty cool.

When they arrived in Paris the Yellow Jersey team led the peleton onto the Champs, for what usually is 8 wicked-fast laps where almost always a 'true' sprinter wins the day. Not so today...5 category 4 climbs, the last 3 of which are on the new circuit including the Champs, which used in last years Olympics (and won by Remco). The climb was only like 450' vertical, but for any kind of a sprint-centric finale this was a killer. Remco successfully used it to pull away from the breakaway, and yesterday was the same. Only WAY BETTER! The rain hit and the cobbles were wet and super slippery. The ASO had already decided that if it rained they would take the time for the entire Peleton before the rain, and they did. The word was put out to the teams that everybody is safe, the times are in the books and nobody will lose their positions (so long as you actually finish the day), so they had a choice: to race or to cruise. The Peleton quickly fragmented of course, as there were plenty who wanted a shot for final glory. And who of all people would step up to RACE to the end? Pogo! I think there were at least 3 or 4 groups and Pogo was in the VERY FRONT with the other small group of people who think they might have a shot. Wout was there, and only CVV picked him to win the day, everybody else was picking Pogo. Wout had a helper, the mighty Jorgenson, where-as Pogo was alone. And it was raining. Those 3 laps were fantastic viewing...exciting, crazy danger (had Pogo gone down on the slippery cobbles and was truly hurt and couldn't finish, his Tour win would go to Vingo). He was a man driven, to risk it all for a chance to win the final stage, even tho all he need to do was join Vingo (back in the 3rd group I think) and just cruise along, wave to the crowd and enjoy the day. Not Pogo, that isn't what Meryx would do, and Pogo is the new Meryx. A multi-Tour winner racing all the Spring Classics, winning or placing 2nd in all. A very unusual racer in this era. Jorgenson set the pace and made it crushing, to see if Pogo was human. He was, and when Wout gave his all-out attack, not even the Great Pogo could stay with him He was superhuman yesterday, and pushed his advantage to the line. Once Pogo realized his bluff was called (he pretty much knew he didn't have the "legs" for this)  he backed off and was eventually caught by the chasers, and he didn't even attack them and settled for 4th on the day. 

You have to hand it to Pogo...attacking for the win, in the rain...just wow! And in the end it all played out great...Visma got their Stage win which truly changed their dismal 'feel' (they wanted to WIN, and 2nd place AGAIN was really not doing it for them). If only Vingo had the panache to go with Pogo for no other reason that for a chance to win the day. Seeing Vingo come across the line after a rather leisurely ride when Pogo was out risking it all, well, it seemed (IMO) to diminish Vingo. Pogo isn't a 'new' style of Champion, he's a rebirth of the old school, aka Meryx (the Cannibal). He doesn't race like any recent Tour Champion. He's not afraid to put it all on the line for a chance to win. Vingo didn't even put it on the line to win back in Stage 19. Had he attacked even 20 yards further back, he would (might) have won the day. Instead he has to be satisfied with the 2 second gap (and another 2 seconds time bonus) that he got on Pogo. That's the ONLY TIME he took back on Pogo in the entire Tour! Didn't win a single stage, Pogo won 4. I have no idea if Vingo can step up his game to match the current Pogo, they say his numbers this year were his best yet, and still Pogo beat him by 4-1/2 minutes! So I guess the big question is: what does he do from here? Pogo is only 26 years old, how many years will Vingo come back to the Tour and take 2nd (or worse, what-with the new blood on the block Lipo and Onley, I'd say in another year or 2 there might very well be a challenge to that 2nd place). 

I have no idea what was going on with Remco this year, but I'm saddened that he just abandoned when he saw that he couldn't even take 3rd. That's not what a Champion does. Meryx must be ashamed at that attitude, it's certainly not how Pogo races. We'll never know what Remco MIGHT have done in Paris...he did win the Olympics on that same route. On the other hand, maybe his Olympic Gold was a gift from the Slovenian Olympics committee (who didn't include Pogos girlfriend on their team, even tho she was their current Champion). I love it that Pogo stabbed them in the eye by refusing to race for Slovenia due to that obvious sleight. I'd give odds (and we won't ever know) that Pogo would have won that gold. Remco just has no Panache (IMO). When the going got tough, he quit. Vingo at least came to the Tour last year knowing full well his condition was understandably nowhere NEAR where it would need to be, yet he raced all the way to Paris anyway. I give him huge kudos for that, and then this year when it was apparent after the ITT that he had zero chance to dethrone Pogo, he kept on racing. But as I said, I'd have WAY more respect for him had he gone with Pogo to try to win the day. That will forever be remembered, watching the Yellow Jersey leading the very small front group up the last 2 climbs, giving his all for a chance to win.

So now it's done. I think it was a fantastic race, maybe the best I've seen. The route was insanely hard. The sprinters are all mad (very few days for the 'true' sprinters, especially in Paris). Will the ASO continue with this new finale (knowing full well that their tradition of the last 48 years was to let the sprinters have their day in Paris)? We will see in a few months when they announce the route. They did share that next years Tour will start in Barcelona. That means Pyrenees sometime in the first week I'd wager. Will they change the route to somehow favor Vingo? Not sure how you do that...Pogo wins in Classics and Grand Tours...he's the most versatile Champion since Meryx. When Pogo wins his next Tour that will put him with Indurian as a 5 time winner (being as there is no 7 time winner 'officially', tho we all watched it happen). Maybe Pogo will be the one to win 7 (or more) before his reign is done. I'd say if he can stay healthy he has a VERY good chance to set a standard that may never be beat. He's the one athlete who comes along that is SO GOOD that the rest have to seriously up their game to catch-up. He's the new Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan, Michael Phelps, Wayne Gretzky...just to name just a few. Kaitlin Clark...there's a game-changer, maybe THE game-changer! NCAA ALL TIME SCORING CHAMPION! Since going to the Pros she has changed their game too! She's brought in money to the league like no other! And the damn ref's just continue to let the other players beat the shit out of her. I have so much respect for her, and it's pure jealousy on the bullies as they just can't match her. She's not big and strong, she just works her ass off on the court, and puts the ball thru the hoop from anywhere at anytime..she just can't be stopped so let's beat her up. Pogo is like that. Kaitlin Clark, the Cannibal of the Court! 

OK, I guess I'll end this rant. PTDS has already set-in. What do I do with myself now that I don't have 7 hours of Tour-broadcast to watch every day? Well, I guess I need to get my hiney off the couch and get back on the bikes. Tho I need to temper that with the ton of stuff to still do here on the house. It's Saturday (again....every day is Saturday now). Need to finish planning my Pacific Coast Bike Route ride that I had been planning for last May...maybe I can make it happen in mid to late August. As Larry the Cable Guy says....git er done! I need to take that advice. 

Later Gators! Git er done!