yep
For example, why the hell is Geraint Thomas there? Great rider, and clearly in good shape but just doesn’t have armoury to compete with Pog. Good chance he’ll podium but I do wonder if he would have been better served looking at the Giro.
But I do hope I eat my words. At least Vinegegaard looks strong as well.
Podium at Tour is seen by many riders as better than taking rojo at Vuelta.
Hadn’t thought of it that way. I guess teams are obliged to put their strongest rider forward as well. Sponsors etc.
But we honestly need something pretty special to beat Pog. Suppose I should just sit back and enjoy watching a phenomenon.
Yep…until the L’Equipe exposé…
J’accuse!
Yes Wout!!
Pogacar’s only threat is /are the Covid case / cases? (Laengen is out today in his UAE team )
That or a crash. I suppose he could blow up on one of the mountain stages but that’s about as likely as rocking horse poo by the looks of things.
I’m kind of hoping that Roglic might try a long range aka Floyd Landis effort to mix things up a bit but otherwise I dont see where the challenge is coming from.
That’s what they call it now. They said that when Froome did it in the Giro.
Don’t think Froome had the eyes like the character from Doom though
I watched yesterdays finish, UAE are wasting a lot of energy and inparticular Pogacar. This might creat an oportunity. Even so I think Podacar is so good it would be a shame if he didn’t win due to an accident or illness. He is leaving an opportunity for being attacked though, are UAE really good enough to keep this up?
Not even Sky or US Postal put up this sort of effort (leading sprints FFS).
He’s clearly strong and a new way of racing grand tours. He’s picking time up at every opportunity. It takes the pressure off to some degree in the high mountains.
But it could get interesting if he cracks, that’s for sure. Problem is everyone else is at their limit round him already.
To me its insane to force athletes from a race with the equivalent of a head cold. Just nonsense at this point.
Point is that they, and the team get into close contact with lots of people. Different hotel every night, the crowd, press, officials etc.
The athletes are generally fine, everyone else however…
Everyone’s had it in their system at least once or twice plus vaccination. Very low hospitalization and death rate at this point. Yet if Pogačar tests positive he is out. To me that is just crazy. Two teams have positive tests means many more will test positive, if they do the tests honestly.
Mike Gleeson, professor of exercise biochemistry at Loughborough University: "…When the athlete participates in a very prolonged, fatiguing endurance session or competitive event, when the immune system becomes temporarily depressed and this can increase infection risk.”
Various commentators often mentioned that any cuts, sickness often leads to major infections during major tours due to suppressed immunties.
Agree but it’s still hugely arbitrary to cut them for positive test. Agree risk of infection etc but all those around them (and riders) should be masked and public warned of risks of cheering etc. The risks are then no different to their daily life - perhaps less as mask wearing is increasingly uncommon (sadly). I’m a four times vaxed (from today) mask wearer in public who currently avoids non bubble interactions that aren’t strictly essential so I’m no ‘let it rip’ advocate but TdF have just created an arbitrary jeopardy and pulling riders for mere positive PCR hugely incentivises teams circumventing the rules. But as they say ‘thats bike racing’.
I suppose there’s also the message that if they do nothing now, that could be twisted into why didn’t we just let it rip earlier?
I note riders are masked etc during interviews etc. too.
I must have missed something, where is that?
Except it’s not. There are long-term complications that we still understand very little about.
I’m in N Ireland and don’t know a single person that hasn’t had it. Presume rest of UK is the same. I also don’t know anyone living as @PaulRoJo describes above. Though understand everyone has individual circumstances etc.