Tour de France 2020

[Manc in London]

Christ we are literally at the point anyone winning a stage or challenging for the GC is juiced up according to some.

Maybe they are just world class riders?

He's a world class racer, indeed. I like watching him race but seeing someone like that potentially compete with Dumolin in a TT and skip up an alpine pass at altitude to beat a whole host of Columbians would be far too remarkable. He's never even won a credible one week long stage race LOL Winning LFW and MSR does not make a grand tour winner.

No suspicions about him winning the stage. In a selective race involving a fair amount of climbing and then coming off a descent, he always be competitive.

 

[Manc in London]

Innocent until proven guilty mate. He’s a flamboyant rider and a true sportsman and the Tour needs a winner like Alaphillipe. His team have supported GC challenges in lesser tours and now need to step up to support a Grand Tour bid.

Of course. I try not to be too cynical but it's hard not to with EQSs' performances. They rarely appear off the podium and now you have the DS of the team removing a small container from a postrate rider after a crash (Evenpoel) and coming up with a response that makes no sense at all. Plus, those who leave EQS tend to perform at a lower level after leaving.

 

[chesterbells]

Of course. I try not to be too cynical but it's hard not to with EQSs' performances. They rarely appear off the podium and now you have the DS of the team removing a small container from a postrate rider after a crash (Evenpoel) and coming up with a response that makes no sense at all. Plus, those who leave EQS tend to perform at a lower level after leaving.

That removal was certainly worthy of investigation, especially as he appears to remove only one item, but said afterwards he removed multiple items.
As for yesterday’s winner wasn’t he in yellow for 2 weeks last year? Not bad for a 1 day specialist.
In terms of the whole doping in cycling point, it’s an elephant in the room for sure and deep down I know I haven’t forgotten about it, but no one thanks a person who reminds everyone about it on a thread where we are all enthusing about the race, especially when it is only suspicion and speculation!

 

[Manc in London]

That removal was certainly worthy of investigation, especially as he appears to remove only one item, but said afterwards he removed multiple items.
As for yesterday’s winner wasn’t he in yellow for 2 weeks last year? Not bad for a 1 day specialist.
In terms of the whole doping in cycling point, it’s an elephant in the room for sure and deep down I know I haven’t forgotten about it, but no one thanks a person who reminds everyone about it on a thread where we are all enthusing about the race, especially when it is only suspicion and speculation!

A team under investigation is not worthy of suspicion and discussion when they are in the race? I am hardly referencing Festina, Lance and Ferari like some clowns usually do. Anyway, let's leave it there for the sake of the thread.

For the record, he was in yellow for two weeks last year (helped by an unusual performance in an ITT) and before he rode an alpine climb and he was unmarked. Even Kruijswjk podiumed the field was that poor. A little stronger this year, thankfully.

Anyway, I won't go on about it any more as I have had a say on the issue in response to the fanboy enthusiasm. ;)

 

[Tim of the Oak]

Of course. I try not to be too cynical but it's hard not to with EQSs' performances. They rarely appear off the podium and now you have the DS of the team removing a small container from a postrate rider after a crash (Evenpoel) and coming up with a response that makes no sense at all. Plus, those who leave EQS tend to perform at a lower level after leaving.

Good points mate. I would just add that Alaphillipe has been improving steadily in the lesser tours and more recently the classics. He’s not an overnight success although some of his stage wins over the last 2 years have looked almost superhuman.

 

[stonerblue]

looking forward to todays stage. i used to push my talbot samba to the limit on the roads they're riding. Beautiful mountains.

 

[Jacob Smith]

He's a world class racer, indeed. I like watching him race but seeing someone like that potentially compete with Dumolin in a TT and skip up an alpine pass at altitude to beat a whole host of Columbians would be far too remarkable. He's never even won a credible one week long stage race LOL Winning LFW and MSR does not make a grand tour winner.

No suspicions about him winning the stage. In a selective race involving a fair amount of climbing and then coming off a descent, he always be competitive.

He was in exceptional form last year prior to Le Tour and then he surprised even himself at Le Tour, so I would expect that he’s planned this year around Le Tour having realised he might actually have a semi-realistic chance of winning the GC given how close he got last year and how crazy everything is this year. Unfair to call doping until there’s any sort of concrete evidence. As @Tim of the Oak said above: he’s innocent until proven guilty.

 

[blueinsa]

Well that was a forgettable day.

Riders basically had a coffee ride and but for an incredible sprint at the end from Evans, literally nothing happened.

 

[give it to gordon]

Well that was a forgettable day.

Riders basically had a coffee ride and but for an incredible sprint at the end from Evans, literally nothing happened.

Cracking sprint to be fair ..

 

[blueinsa]

Cracking sprint to be fair ..

Lightning he was and balls of steel going for a gap that was so tight and close to the barrier.

Sprinting isn't for me if i'm being honest, i watch it through my fingers and much prefer a day in the mountains which we get tomorrow but fuck me, when they go they go lol.