[Closed] TdF Riders observations

Sam Bennet, Caleb Ewan, are both worth following too as is Mitch Docker who does the excellent life in the peloton. All have a personality in contrast to the rather boring Froome and Yates. Quintana seems an interesting character.

It is quite an open tour which is good.

Hirschi looks amazing. My son (who raced at quite a high junior level) has been banging on about Remco Evenepoel for a few years and he can apparently give Hirschi a run for his money. Looks like we may be seeing a couple of riders who will dominate (assuming Remco Evenepoel recovers fully from his accident).

It's all about Wout.

Adam Yates doesn’t interest me

You must be from Yorkshire then....?

If you are a rider who could podium with a decent team the pressure must be immense. He comes across well in the Mitchelson Scott YouTube shorts.

Yep it's all about Wout. He is an absolute machine. In fact he might actually be a cyborg sent from the future to embarrass Peter Sagan.

But we will never know as they only test for EPO not titanium endo skeletons

Oh and Caleb and Sam seem lovely I'm loving the first bumps when they finish first and second.

Big fan of Ewan and Bennett. Especially when Ewan congratulated Bennett on his first stage win. The first win is always special at any level. Personally Pogacar is my GC hero. I’m afraid I don’t support Colombia. EPO use is endemic in their domestic cycling at many levels.

This years tour, without a few of the Big Names™, has done wonders to showcase the up-and-comers (I use the term loosely as TdF is pretty much the only pro race I watch)
Had Ineos had a full strength team, pushing for GC and 3 other top 5 spots, would there have been opportunities for Pogocar, Hirschi, et al to make such an impact? I am not so sure.

Don't really follow road racing but do watch the TdF in the same way that I am not a football fan but always read the Squires cartoon in the Guardian. It makes me laugh even though I don't understand it.
I am loving the commentary this year. Usually you can hear them struggling for something to say as Sky would be out front killing the others but this year seems very open with even the commentators speculating and sounding genuinely amazed at some of the individual performances.
Best line so far 'his resting heart rate is 30 and he talks like a plankton eater'.
I think this years TdF will be a classic.

Two things from today:

1. I LOVE Nairo Quintana and will seriously miss him from the peleton when he retires, but at what point does a rider say to himself, 'It's time I retreated into being a good domestique, or retired'? I know he was in the top five in the first stages of the Tour this year, but it is like he is fading away, and I hate seeing that happen to a hero.

2. Does anyone else ever take an irrational 'dislike' to an athlete, particularly in this case, a rider? For some reason, I don't like Richie Porte. He could be the nicest guy in the world, but every time I hear him mentioned in the commentary, I roll my eyes. Maybe I think he's over-hyped, or maybe it's that he reminds me of someone I used to know that I didn't especially like. I don't know, but for whatever reason, I'm not a big fan.

https://twitter.com/tomowencc/status/1305908051912916992?s=20

1. I LOVE Nairo Quintana and will seriously miss him from the peleton when he retires, but at what point does a rider say to himself, ‘It’s time I retreated into being a good domestique, or retired’? I know he was in the top five in the first stages of the Tour this year, but it is like he is fading away, and I hate seeing that happen to a hero.

Every year ITV hype him up, and every year... he's nowhere near good enough. The piece they did on Porte earlier this week was a great illustration of a rider trying to make it as a team principal and, after a few years of not quite cracking it, accepting that he's an excellent domestique (he's going back to Ineos for 2021).

@2tyred: that is a fantastic thread! 🙂

With a decent lead rider, the Ienos vs Jumbo-Visma roadwar would've been epic.

Kwaito and GvA are my current favourite riders. Both can climb a mountain, both are quick in a sprint, can TT and can be loyal domestiques.
Uran and Bardet too, both just cool. And always close.

Yates, either of them, I'm indifferent about.

Don't like Roglic or Quintana. Not sure why.

Valverde I don't like for obvious reasons.

1. I LOVE Nairo Quintana and will seriously miss him from the peleton when he retires, but at what point does a rider say to himself, ‘It’s time I retreated into being a good domestique, or retired’? I know he was in the top five in the first stages of the Tour this year, but it is like he is fading away, and I hate seeing that happen to a hero.

Never been interested in him at all but I agree, he's always had that "nearly" aura about him which is weird because he is VERY good.
He won the Vuelta, he's won Tirreno - Adriatico and Tour of the Basque Country and he's been on the podium in numerous races inc TdF but he just never seems *quite* there in the Tour. Is it down to the team? - when he was with Movistar it almost seemed like they actively didn't like him.

Also, he looks about 30 years older than he actually is....!

Don’t like Roglic or Quintana. Not sure why.

Same, don't know why...

Twitter thread is genius:

Fabio Felline is literally just Manuele Boaro with a mild hangover..

If you are a rider who could podium with a decent team the pressure must be immense. He comes across well in the Mitchelson Scott YouTube shorts.

Whereas he looks crap in their jersey! 😀

Does anyone else ever take an irrational ‘dislike’ to an athlete, particularly in this case, a rider? For some reason, I don’t like Richie Porte.

I don't necessarily dislike the athlete, just the overhyping of that person. I always disliked the excitement in the commentary box whenever Tyler Farrar was involved in a stage finish. And then wondered why the commentators never cottoned on to the fact that he almost never won anything against decent opposition which is weird for such a highly rated, world class sprinter!

How can you not like Ritchie Porte?

Roglic perhaps and Pog looks like he'd sell his sister into modern slavery to get on in a mountain finish but Porte is the nicest bloke in the peloton!

How can you not like Ritchie Porte?

...Porte is the nicest bloke in the peloton!

I think that’s why I posted. I have no real reason at all. Thankfully, he doesn’t depend on the appreciation of some overweight middle-aged bloke in Wales for his self-esteem! 😉

How can you not like Ritchie Porte?

I`ll hold my hand up to that one too. And Cadel Evans, and Chris Froome. With the later two its a style thing. For Richie though, i just have no reason at all.

I do try to like Porte, but he just won't stay upright long enough.

I LOVE Nairo Quintana

Go for the strong, silent type eh?

Pog has been a delight in this year's race, as has Wout. Who needs Alaphilipe?

Adam Yates just looks like he uses everything 1 size up - bike looks too big, helmet looks too big, glass are too big....

Uran always comes across as a moody wannabe to me.

Here's a question for you

I started watching le tour back in Lemond v fignon days 89ish. And was an avid follower of indurain era. I then lost interest during th Lance era

What teams have survived thru that time? Even if it's like triggers broom

I know that Delgado's team Banesto turned into Movistar. Are there any others?

FDJ have basically been FDJ for about 20 years.

AG2R also pretty old (maybe older)

Jumbo Visma go back to 1984 (as Kwantum Decosol then)

Decuenik QuickStep have been around a while too. Wikipedia says 2003, but they evolved out of Mapei who were formed in 1993.

Team CSC lasted a while, Tinkoff Saxo Bank.
In another thread I mentioned Jumbo Visma first registered in 1984, probably more famous as Rabobank.
Lotto Soudal back in the 1980s as Lotto.
Quickstep were previously Mapei, Sporting Director was Patrick Lefevere.
Team Telecom became High Road (HTC) and were about from late 80s to early 2010’s.