It’s here at last!
Taking over from the amazing job that @lunge has done for the last few years, it’s a pretty high bar to go for…
Anyway, the 109th Tour de France starts in…Denmark.
Stage 1 is a short ITT (no, it’s not a prologue!) with a 13km pan-flat but fairly technical loop around the tourist sights of Copenhagen featuring castles, palaces, parks, bridges, and the Worlds Most Used Bike Lane (apparently). And a Little Mermaid too.
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First rider off at 3pm, final rider expected to finish about 6.15pm (UK time).
Who’s up for it today?
The TT specialists have already marked this stage in red, underlined although the GC contenders will be keen not to lose much time this early on.
World TT Champion [b]Filippo Ganna[/b] is the obvious pick (he’s off at 4.03pm UK time) but it could be a close call with [b]Wout van Aert[/b] who was only 2 seconds behind Ganna in the Dauphine TT last month. Slightly more leftfield pick is [b]Mathieu van der Poel[/b] who hasn’t won a TT but has come close on a few occasions.
The Danes are well-represented with former World Road Race Champion [b]Mads Pedersen[/b] known to be targeting a win on home soil.
Even more leftfield is [b]Geraint Thomas[/b] who certainly knows how to ride these short intense efforts.
How to follow it? ITV4, GCN+ and EuroSport are all doing live coverage with highlights each evening – who you choose will probably depend on which commentator(s) you like or loathe.
Strava (via the mobile app, not the desktop site) are doing a Follow The Tour section which will feature uploaded rides from the pros, Tour-related challenges to ride yourself and stage maps.
The ever-reliable Inrng is running their usual Tour Guide as well: https://inrng.com/tour/
And there are a couple of different Fantasy Teams running via the forum:
https://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/no-fantasy-tdf-mini-league-yet/
For old time’s sake, it’d be good to keep @lunge ‘s thread as a general repository for all Tour-related (non-spoiler!) chat and the daily threads for all the spoilers.
https://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/tour-de-france-2022-time-to-pass-the-baton/
Introduction to “the other contenders” tomorrow with the first sprint stage…
After last* year it's impossible to look beyond Pog taking yellow by an insurmountable margin today and just needing to stay on his bike for the rest of the tour isn't it?
Personally I think an ITT on day 1 (or week 1 for that matter) just makes for a dull tour but 🤷🏼♀️
*last year might not have been. They all rolled into one recently
As a few people have said, I think Pog's biggest danger this year is covid
I guess the upside is we get to have 20 individual days of racing after this.
Thank you @crazy-legs for taking over, if you only manage to do it half as well as @lunge that'll be plenty good enough!
What's the weather forecast like for today? A bit of rain could make that course very dodgy...
YESSSS
https://twitter.com/robynjournalist/status/1542770590070853633?s=20&t=NhG6ZGiTzY_NJciqPx2Lug
Great start @crazy-legs
This year, as with every other year I predict the winner will be us, the viewing public.
Uh oh, il pleut!
63 17:02:00 38 AURÉLIEN PARET PEINTRE AG2R CITROEN TEAM
64 17:03:00 24 FILIPPO GANNA INEOS GRENADIERS
65 17:04:00 16 WOUT VAN AERT JUMBO - VISMA
66 17:05:00 1 TADEJ POGACAR UAE TEAM EMIRATES
look at that for a set of riders all together (feel sorry for Aurelien having those 3 as your minutemen !)
What’s the weather forecast like for today? A bit of rain could make that course very dodgy…
It is indeed starting to rain...
Thanks for taking this on crazy-legs. Lunges thread was always a highlight each day.
Can't see past Ganna today but the Danes are going to be aiming for good times to put them in contention for the stages to come in Denmark and a chance of Yellow in their home country.
Uh oh, il pleut!
Bet the odds have rapidly shortened on G ending up on his ass
Bet the odds have rapidly shortened on G ending up on his ass
Bet they were pretty short already anyway 😀
Shame they're still doing TT's. was looking forward to today.
Shame they’re still doing TT’s. was looking forward to today.
I dunno, it's kind of nice to see all the riders indovidually, get an idea of who's out there, allow everyone to get a bit of airtime.
Plus it's kinda sketchy out there in the rain, always the possibility of a fall or a shake-up in the standings.
Wout van Aert just starting.
Are Ned and Dave commentating from adjoining toilet cubicles?
That looked like it was down on the painted names ?
Are Ned and Dave commentating from adjoining toilet cubicles?
I was about to write exactly this! Except I thought they were broadcasting from one of those large steel wheely bins. Glad to know it's not just my TV.
Pouring with rain now!
Pretty good statements of intent from Roglic and MvdP...
Bet the odds have rapidly shortened on G ending up on his ass
Bet they were pretty short already anyway 😀
Well the bookies would have taken my money
Thomas riding his 16 grand tt bike for the aero advantage, but forgetting to take off his gilet before the start😂
How big is that helmet that Pidcock is wearing?!
OK, that was unexpected!
Guess the luck of the draw in terms of the weather...
Pogacar has obviously done some TT practice to beat Ganna as well.
Ganna seemingly punctured in the last km.
I really hope the whole ineos team for to dinner wearing gilets 🤣
Thomas riding his 16 grand tt bike for the aero advantage, but forgetting to take off his gilet before the start😂
When you see this type of thing happening the words that come to mind are "Amateur Night". Both team and Geraint need some sharp words... it;'s not like he will be on subsistence wages.
Tom Pidcock will be something special when he decides what that something is!!
Looks like pog is continuing to sustain his level. I'm just sorry that everyone can't believe and remember he has passed every test he has taken
Absolutely love it when someone unexpected wins and is then reduced to tears by their first question from Seb Piquet.
Also, was Yves Lampaert the only QS rider not wearing the AeroSnood?
Nice one crazy crazy-legs.
Quite unbelievable how Ineos can let G go without the proper clothes. Imagine if he loses the overall by a few seconds (though obviously he won't because he's nowhere near the level of Pog and because he'll fall off).
I was hoping for something crazy from Pidcock but maybe that's unrealistic.
That helmet from specialized looks absolutely ridiculous. Reminds me of this guy from braveheart
Well the bookies would have taken my money
New plan to stay upright... Wear a coat and ride like your Mrs who hasn't ridden for 12 years. I genuinely think G will be hilarious if he takes up commentating when he eventually retires. Get him signed up now ITV
A round up of the tech from yesterday's stage:
https://www.cyclist.co.uk/news/10745/tour-de-france-2022-stage-1-tt-tech-gallery
Pog with a few seconds on all other GC contenders already and G confirming my feeling that he's not the sharpest tool in the box...
Quite unbelievable how Ineos can let G go without the proper clothes
I'm genuinely conflicted about Ineos. On the one hand you have the much publicised "marginal gains" philosophy, hype around how they take their own mattresses and washing powder to races, how the stages are recce'd.
And then there are absolute basic errors like not taking off your warm up kit. 🤔
G confirming my feeling that he’s not the sharpest tool in the box…
That's unfair - most sportspeople exist in cosseted little bubbles with team staff to do everything. However, that in itself leads to an inability to function without that support. It's not unique to G or cyclists by any means. G actually comes across quite well, he does a good line in self-deprecating humour and deadpan one-liners. He's certainly not thick.
Thanks for picking up the baton Crazylegs, 3 weeks of not too much actual work being done looks to be on the cards for you.
I've never been a fan of the aesthetics of a TT bike but even taking my own feelings into account, that BMC is one messed up looking machine.
Nice work Crazylegs - much appreciated. And thanks to Lunge for past services! Good on G for making light of it and just getting stuck in and putting in a pretty good time. Agree he’d be great on the commentary team.
Likewise, thanks for taking on the mantle Crazylegs.
