Off Topic Tour de France

Brilliant if so painful to watch....

 

It makes you wonder what's happened with both Bernal earlier in the week and Roglic yesterday though. Two riders capable of dominating the race suddenly having their form collapse.

Roglic might just have had an off-day, which happens, but Bernal has been a shadow of last year's rider.

Historically I would have put both down to doping, or more to the point proximity to a test making them stop doing so for a day or two, but with improved testing largely addressing that anyway I wonder whether both might soon test positive for COVID?

 

Roglic still rode the 5th fastest time of the day yesterday on a gruelling ITT. Pogacar might just be a freak.... to watch Demoulins and Van Aerts face as he came to the line they were in shock...

 

Yep, I did say Roglic might just have had an off day. Bernal is a different matter though - terrible form throughout the race, but had been picked over Froome and Thomas on the basis of supposedly being in better form.

 

He may be carrying a virus. When you have one , let alone Covid you might feel ok until you put yourself to the gun.

 

Indeed, I think it’s easy to underestimate just how perfectly everything needs to come together to perform at TdF winning level. Conversely it won’t take much being wrong to knock it off track.

 

Also the impact of Covid on training for some riders, lack of races and possibly not having a strong second leader in the team for Ineos, different next year with Yates or whoever?

Take nothing away from the win though

 

Agreed, but you have to question that decision as it was a definite decision on Ineos’s part. Clearly they thought Froome was past it - not 100% on the timing, but I suspect that them dropping him completely led to him leaving for next season, and dropping Thomas to compete elsewhere rather than in the sport’s premier event left them very exposed when Bernal’s form dropped so badly.

 

Perhaps a lot to do with Bernal saying he was ok and then deciding who he wanted around him.

 

World Champs on BBC2 is Pogacar paying back Roglic

 

Well done Julian Alaphilippe, clever move when he did it

 

Brilliant ride....

 

Great win for Julian Alaphilippe, I can't imagine what a state my rear end would be after 6 hours in the saddle.

Credit to Tom Pitcock, for such a young rider, stayed with it until the last lap. Well supported by Luke Roe.

 

I’ve really got into cycling during lockdown. I’ve done well over 2,000 km. It’s a welcome distraction from football.

 

How you gonna get home glp?

 

Taxi.

 

Just watched the first episode of, Lance, two part ESPN documentary it’s on bbc I player.
Fascinating man. It’s like watching a serial killer, the mans a psychopath.

 

Oooh ooh, an excuse for a old joke.

I wanted to name my son Lance, but my wife said it was too uncommon. I reminded here that in medieval times, people were called Lance a lot.

 

Yes he is, my own made up theory is that prisons and some secure long term psychiatric institutions are full of 'unsuccessful psychopaths' & top business / sports people & those 2 categories we don't mention on the forum are full of successful ones...

EDIT
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/09/13/1-in-5-ceos-are-psychopaths-australian-study-finds/

 

I don't disagree with any of that, but I think you've still got to recognise Armstrong's achievements in setting record after record, even if he was full of drugs. Christ, when I'm full of drugs I can't even find my bike, never mind try to ride it fast.