The biking thread

Eunos_Cosmo
I wonder he truly is being patient and saving his legs for the last 10 stages or he's given all there is to give already
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Sadly I think it's the latter or maybe not all he has to give but I think he's past his best.
Hope he proves me wrong though as he seems like a nice guy and I really like him as a rider.
 
Touring Mars
Mark Cavendish has equalled Eddy Merckx's record of 34 Stage wins in the Tour De France...

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I was watching this morning just before leaving for work and they said it looked like Quickstep was setting up to really get him with a good chance to win this stage. That's quite an achievement for a rider that thought he was finished just a few years ago.
 
Not to diminish anything about Cavendish's stunning return to form...but the Quickstep leadout train is magnificent.

I also think that Caleb Ewan would be wearing green right now if not for that nasty fall with Peter Sagan. Sagan himself became a noncontender after that incident as well, and now he's out completely.

All that being said, it is just a joy to watch Cavendish go.
 
Well, my BB replacement went fine, in the end - I accidentally ordered the wrong shaft length (but I blame SJS' inconsistent labelling system for that, and my own confusion after looking at a million different pages trying to find what I was looking for) but returned it and just went to the local shop to buy the correct BB instead.

Now - long story short - I'm looking for a new front chainring as mine is showing signs of wear, which means I need new cranks too because my current chainring and drive side crank are one piece and, of course, also a new chain and cassette.

So I'm looking for cranks that are:
  • 170mm long
  • Black
  • Compatible with an ISO square taper BB
  • Not super expensive
  • With a mount for a chainring that is:
    • 40T
    • Narrow-wide
    • Also black
    • Compatible with the KMC X8 1/2" x 3/32" chain I've got.
    • Also not super expensive.
That's before I even consider the chainline, which I'm assuming I'll need to fettle with spacers. I thought spending almost £600 on a bike that isn't a Halfords own brand/toy would mean I don't have to deal with dumb stuff like seemingly irreplaceable chainrings! Needless to say, so far I haven't found a single thing that ticks all these boxes.

Long!
 
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Eunos_Cosmo
Not to diminish anything about Cavendish's stunning return to form...but the Quickstep leadout train is magnificent.

I also think that Caleb Ewan would be wearing green right now if not for that nasty fall with Peter Sagan. Sagan himself became a noncontender after that incident as well, and now he's out completely.

All that being said, it is just a joy to watch Cavendish go.
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Agreed that Quickstep has an incredible leadout. It was funny hearing Phil or Bob mention how Morkov could have easily won Stage 13 himself had he not pulled aside for Cav at the last second.

There are several riders who have just seemed "off" this tour, both GC riders as well as sprinters. Some have had crashes, others simply not up to snuff for reasons unknown. Sagan is one of many.
 
neema_t
I thought spending almost £600 on a bike that isn't a Halfords own brand/toy would mean I don't have to deal with dumb stuff like seemingly irreplaceable chainrings!
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Most riders I know would look more towards what rear sprockets were doing, in terms of tuning performance.

If you’ve bought a brand name bike and have suffered at the chain ring, perhaps your local bike shop might be able to help out. That doesn’t sound normal at all. Unless you’re really crossing over the chain in gear ratios you shouldn’t need a chain ring replacement for most of the life of the bike.
 
Touring Mars
Anyone else remember the old Tour De France music from the 1980s on Channel 4...?

I always loved it, and had no idea what it was until now.

I'm amazed to find out that it was written by Pete Shelley of The Buzzcocks...



and it's based on his song he wrote with them:

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This took me back :) I remember this tune playing in the family living room growing up as my Dad used to watch, (still does), the TDF. Funny thing is just like my kids now I used to think it was really boring and couldn't get away quick enough yet now I'm glued to it :)
 
Rewatching some of the highlights from this years race...it's remarkable how easy this race looks for Tadej Pogacar. He never looks tired or stressed or labored - he just looks like he's out for a Sunday group ride, even on the stages he annihalates. When MVP finished his time trial (at apparently 450w average) he was totally destroyed. TP was probably pushing 420w (not to mention likely higher W/KG) he was totally unflustered. I saw a comment elsewhere that it looks like Tadej has set the difficulty of the race to "easy" like you would with Forza drivatars. 😂

I know his competitors have suffered this year...but it's seriously pushing the boundaries of what is believable for a clean athlete. Anyone else notice how he immediately drinks a can of something just after crossing the finishing line on each stage? /conspiracy
 
I've loved watching this year's Tour, but it always raises an eyebrow when I hear experienced commentators (like Sean Kelly) use terms like 'miraculous' when describing the lead rider. Sadly, we know all too well that there is no such thing as 'miraculous' performance, and to be perfectly fair and honest, it is no longer a '/conspiracy' in TdF that the sport is plagued with cheats. I really hope that Pogacar is not a cheat, but even last year's astonishing time trial raised eyebrows to breaking point. (OK, that's a mixed metaphor)
 
Touring Mars
I've loved watching this year's Tour, but it always raises an eyebrow when I hear experienced commentators (like Sean Kelly) use terms like 'miraculous' when describing the lead rider. Sadly, we know all too well that there is no such thing as 'miraculous' performance, and to be perfectly fair and honest, it is no longer a '/conspiracy' in TdF that the sport is plagued with cheats. I really hope that Pogacar is not a cheat, but even last year's astonishing time trial raised eyebrows to breaking point. (OK, that's a mixed metaphor)
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Check the 1:50 time stamp for the can. I feel like I've seen him drink this after every stage. Is this typical? I don't know if I've seen other riders immediately drink a can of something after a stage - though I could be completely wrong.
 
Eunos_Cosmo


Check the 1:50 time stamp for the can. I feel like I've seen him drink this after every stage. Is this typical? I don't know if I've seen other riders immediately drink a can of something after a stage - though I could be completely wrong.
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When I was a keen spectator a few years back, quite often the riders would have a Coke or something sugary once they’d crossed the line.
The most likely reason for success in cycling is, unfortunately, drugs. However, drugs alone won’t cut it in the sport; those guys are insanely fit, hardworking and often have mutant genetics.
 
I got a little behind on Le Tour and have finally caught up. Super happy for Sepp! First American to win a stage in 10 years and the first since I've started watching only a handful of years ago.

And then trying to outdo Sepp, Konrad goes out today and becomes the first Austrian to win since 2005, 16 years ago! :lol:
 
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I absolutely hate all those attention whores standing alongside the track doing anything to get noticed. People should be allowed to toss one of them down the mountain to keep the others in check.
 
Dennisch
I absolutely hate all those attention whores standing alongside the track doing anything to get noticed. People should be allowed to toss one of them down the mountain to keep the others in check.
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Grump.

Not a good day for Uran and EF. They seemed on track for a podium result...it now seems pretty unlikely. The pace this year is just relentless.
 
Dennisch
I absolutely hate all those attention whores standing alongside the track doing anything to get noticed. People should be allowed to toss one of them down the mountain to keep the others in check.
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It's the people who run alongside and scream at the riders while they're struggling up the mountain that really annoy me. I bet it's crossed the mind of a rider or two to gently swerve and "accidentally" send a fan off the cliff. :lol: Then some fans ruin a rider's tour by getting in the way such cardboard lady in this year's race or Nibali getting caught up in a camera strap a few years back.
 
Sagan got caught on a fan’s hoodie once. It was casually draped over the guard rail. I think that was Roubaix, to add to the carnage.

I think an important part of the sport is that it’s not restrictive and fans can get close the action, but there certainly needs to be a level of respect for the race. Perhaps massive fines for anyone being a knob is the way forward.
 
Let's not forget the motorbikes. I know there purpose is to get us good footage and photos but the speed in which they sometimes ride/drive past always raises an eyebrow from me. If I was in the Tour I'd be terrified that as soon as I try to overtake or make a break some idiot on a motorbike will knock me off. And the same for the cars, there should be a speed limit imposed for passing riders.
 
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Not sure what genius decided to put the finish line of today's stage about 100m beyond the area where cyclists go after the stage, meaning that stage finishers had to cycle back down the track while others were still finishing 😅
 
Touring Mars
Not sure what genius decided to put the finish line of today's stage about 100m beyond the area where cyclists go after the stage, meaning that stage finishers had to cycle back down the track while others were still finishing 😅
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I'll have to watch when I get home tonight. But that's like one of the stages Cavendish won. There was a hard turn to the left right after the finishing line and the riders had to check up quickly to avoid the barriers. I think Cavendish actually ran into them a little bit.
 
Roadside footage of Tadej Pogacar in the final 500m


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This dude is unreal.
 
I think it's worth special mention that after all of the mountain stages, Wout Van Aert is in the top 20, just ahead of Higuita, Valverde, Woods, Nairo Quintana, and Alaphillipe. That guy is a monster. I'm not sure he's really in contention to climb any higher, but who knows what kind of damage he could do in a breakaway with somebody like Greg Van Avermaet.
 
Excited for the time trial tomorrow. The mountain stages kind of fell flat to me after Pogacar became the assumed winner after stage 8 and was practically invincible in every stage since then. The guy really is the terminator, nobody has so much as disturbed his crushing superiority. I wonder if a healthy Egan Bernal or uncrashed Primoz Roglic could have offered a bit more competition? Outside of those two, who is even out there that could contend with Pogacar in a Grand Tour? Team Ineos' tour has been a complete flop. Carapaz will probably land on the podium, but it hasn't been all that pleasant to watch, he's been flailing his way to the finish the whole way. No stage wins for Ineos and their highest rank in the overall points classification is 17th

I'd say the person who has gained the most from this tour is Jonas Vingegaard who I don't recall being talked about at all before this race, and now he's in great position for 2nd place overall, especially as he seems to be a much stronger time trialist than Carapaz.
 
Can someone explain how the Tour Organizers/UCI determine the Combative award for the whole TDF? Like it seems like Wout Van Aert should have been the winner of that considering his towering performance.

The Eurosport coverage had a segment during stage 21 asking if a Jersey was added to the tour, what should it be? The most popular suggestion seemed to be the Silver Jersey for highest-placing veteran (Maybe over 35?) in the Peloton. That's a neat idea. I think another one could be the high-visibility vest Jersey for the rider who records the most total time on the front of the Peloton - something for the Tim Declercqs of the cycling world, who otherwise go completely unrecognized. Maybe they call it the tractor jersey!
 

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