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After all the build-up, speculation and the countless guides out there, the Tour starts today in...not France. It's in the cycling-mad Basque Country with a Classics-esque loop around the amazing city of Bilbao, a far cry from the more traditional "flat stage with a sprint" that has often started the Tour and welcome change to open up the GC a bit early on and get some time gaps in place.
From the new...
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to the old (the 14th century Catedral de Santiago)
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The riders won't have much time to look at this, they'll be riding a lumpy (although not mountainous) circuit of 182km with 4 categorised climbs and a host of other undulations making 3200m climbing:
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The final climb, Cote de Pike is the obvious launchpad and there was video on social media of some of the riders giving it a go the other day with WvA setting a new KOM up there - a gentle run on and then a 1km ramp at 10-15% before a drop into the city and an uphill finish on a wide boulevard.
This stage has [b]Wout van Aert[/b] and [b]Mathieu van der Poel[/b] written all over it although MvdP was talking down his chances earlier and WvA will probably be on super-domestique duties for Jonas Vingegaard. And of course who'd bet against [b]Tadej Pogacar[/b] to make an opening statement - a hilly finale and an uphill finish suits him perfectly but even if it's a reduced group of Classics specialists and GC contenders, he can still win from a small group.
It'd be cool to see [b]Pello Bilbao[/b] win, just for the headlines! 🤣
Whatever happens, this will not be a normal opening stage where the GC riders can hide in the bunch and be towed along. Kwiatkowski has called this the hardest opening stage of any Tour de France.
As always with the Tour there's too many places covering it to provide links everywhere but Cyclist Magazine is usually worth a look and their gallery is up there with the best:
https://www.cyclist.co.uk/in-depth/tour-de-france-route-live-tv-guide-startlist-stage-by-stage
Inrng has their standard Tour Guide plus daily previews (much of which I'll crib for these threads!)
https://inrng.com/2023/06/tour-de-france-2023-guide/
And the official Tour website with full timings, results and a top notch photo gallery is here:
https://www.letour.fr/en/
And live coverage of every stage in full on ITV4, EuroSport and GCN+ with highlights shows in the evenings.
This thread for spoilers, the "wow, Pogacar in yellow!" type posts, there are a couple of rather duplicated general TdF threads on the page too including the VeloGames fantasy although it'd be nice if we could pick one and stay with it rather than having info spread over two threads.
the offical stage profile images are really really crap 🙂
woop woop, bring it on
Will Jumbo make it very very hard to see how Pogs wrist is ?
WvA will probably be on super-domestique duties for Jonas Vingegaard.
Soo... attacks on a climb and solos to a 20 second victory then? 😂
interesting run in
Head says pog
Heart says Girmay
Velogames team agrees with your heart 😁
Excitement level:
https://twitter.com/robynjournalist/status/1542528294158860288?s=46&t=VlnTbr36HbbeUf7htf7B5Q
got to be pretty keen on wearing yellow tomorrow
https://twitter.com/soudalquickstep/status/1675062849230479361
I hope WvA wins. He's my man crush and all that....
Or daft Pidcock breakaway
Thanks @crazy-legs for picking up the baton from @lunge !
well that wiped the smile off Gilberts face 😀
blimey Simon Yates looks gaunt!
Pog has still got strapping on the wrist :/
He's apparently got a very lightweight splint / cushion for riding and a more substantial one for evenings.
Fast start today! Break of 5, peloton seemingly happy to let them go at the moment.
lot of white in peloton :/
The transporter bridge. Bilbao....or Middlesborough.....Bilbao.....or Middlesborough.....
lot of white in peloton :/
Shame that Bahrain-Victorious changed their kit to predominantly white because it hides the National Championship stripes of Fred Wright.
on the fastest pace
looks like quickstep and jumbo want to make it hard
Oh dear God, who put Cadel Evans into the ITV4 commentary team?
I might have to swap back to Eurosport.
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That is one hell of a chateau!!
tiny front door 😀
nice ride to the sea
Intermediate sprint in the town of Guernica, the rather tragic inspiration for one of Picasso's most famous works
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Sagan in the mix for a few Green Jersey points! Pedersen, Cav etc all in there. Girmay seemed to be in a decent position and then got boxed out of it all.
The transporter bridge. Bilbao….or Middlesborough…..Bilbao…..or Middlesborough…..
neither, it's obviously Newport
amusing work on the **** guggenheim banner 🙂
Intermediate sprint in the town of Guernica, the rather tragic inspiration for one of Picasso’s most famous works
Lots about it in the cycling bookVuelta Skelter which I enjoyed.
Oh dear God, who put Cadel Evans into the ITV4 commentary team?
I’m not watching it but he can’t be any worse than that dull monotone Irish bloke who normally appears on Eurosport?!
This is all starting to get a bit cagey - the break has been kept on a tight leash all day but the gap has come down dramatically and riders are starting to look around a bit, ride with a bit more purpose.
Alaphilippe looking on good form, the team seem to be riding for him and the course definitely suits him.
peloton getting edgy
frantic stuff! 😀
Pog wants it hard
Richard Carapaz down and probably out, Enric Mas looks injured too. 🙁
No idea what happened - someone slid out on a wet bend maybe.
Getting frantic and fast in the peloton now.
that's ridiculous he could hardly stand stick him on a bike.
that’s ridiculous he could hardly stand stick him on a bike.
Agreed - he looks in absolute agony.
Mas is definitely out, Carapaz frankly looks like he should be.
Wattage Bazooka time 😀
Brilliant
Wow!
Did not expect that
Has that ever happened in the Tour before?!
Apparently so....in 1919
Blimey! I definitely didn't see that coming! 😳
Didn't Dan get the message about the dress code?
Good to see Cadel Evans agreeing it had been the first time 2 brothers battled it out for a stage win……despite literally coming in behind two brothers battling it out for a stage win last time it happened
Still a bit cagey between Pog and Jonas, not wanting to burn matches or not having the legs ?
Good to see Cadel Evans agreeing it had been the first time 2 brothers battled it out for a stage win……despite literally coming in behind two brothers battling it out for a stage win last time it happened
good omen for Pogacar third placed Cadel went on to win that tour.
might be first case of twins ?
First brothers 1 & 2 on GC?
two brothers battling it out for a stage win last time it happened
Those training plans must’ve paid off then? 🤔
Jayco's socials person is not paid enough
https://twitter.com/GreenEDGEteam/status/1675226950711779332?t=mfdMWfk8IqLaVECRAt63RQ&s=19
How long is cuddles doing the tdf coverage for?
Still a bit cagey between Pog and Jonas, not wanting to burn matches or not having the legs ?
You can't win the Tour on day 1, but you can lose it, I guess.
What the F with Pete kennaughs boy band haircut and dangly earring? Is it a for a bet on never strays far' podcast?
Surely Ned and David Millar have been destroying him over that?!
I dunno, have you seen david millars glasses in the netflix tour thing? Glass houses and stones and all that
David Miller seems to have a history of wearing 'a little out there' fashion. He does generally pull it off though IMO.
I didn't even recognise Peter Kennaugh until his name came up.
Loved the finish today, exciting first stage which isn't always the case. Makes me want to go to Bilbao and try some Pincho.
I never realised that Simon had won so many more races than his sibling Adam, I thought they were pretty equal. Makes me think that Simon might not had truly contested the finish.
I never realised that Simon had won so many more races than his sibling Adam
1-0 on doping bans as well
I’m not watching it but he can’t be any worse than that dull monotone Irish bloke who normally appears on Eurosport?!
How dare you talk about Sean Kelly like that. He's a legend. 🙅 (I don't think I could listen to him solid for three weeks though).
I take it back, Pete's new hairstyle suits him and there's a proud peloton tradition of sparkly earrings, ever since Sean yates
Apparently so….in 1919
Same brothers did it again in 1923. Twice.
Re Peter Kennaugh. I think he looks great, but I did initially think that Mick Karn has risen from the grave.
(RIP Mick)
https://www.cyclist.co.uk/news/tour-de-france-fans-2023
A few pics from Bilbao focusing more on the roadside fans than the racing. Disappointing lack of architecture IMHO...
Where’s Stan Boardman this year?
Bet the commentary team are glad to be back on tour rather than holed up behind the TV studios in Maidstone.
Where’s Stan Boardman this year?
You mean Chris Boardman? He's doing Active Travel England stuff at the moment, hopefully he'll be along soon and they can send the dreadful Cadel Evans back down under.
I like the way that both ITV4 and Eurosport mix up the commentators now, have a sort of rotating team precisely so you're not listening to the same voice for 5hrs straight.
Sean Kelly is fine in small doses. Robbie McEwen (Eurosport) is brilliant.
We decided to watch the last 30k on ITV4 this morning (recorded) - superb commentating, lots of info from David and Ned. Then we switched to GCN to watch their version, Robbie McEwen was commentating perfectly, then off he goes to help present 'the breakaway' and we're left with Carlton and Sean, we quickly fast forward to 'The breakaway'. Mmm some interesting outfits ;O)
I absolutely loved the last 20k of this 2023 first stage, brought a tear to the eye.
Gutted for Richard Carapaz and Enric Mas.
though not everyone enjoyed the crowds Cav did 😀
https://twitter.com/AstanaQazTeam/status/1675251504318480390