Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine
Off Topic => Sports Arena => Topic started by: SteveN on June 27, 2021, 06:07:53 PM
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Tough start for many on the first two stages, two tremendous winners. Van der Poel is a beast.
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I hope the bellend who caused the massive pile up yesterday is caught and has the book thrown at her.
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The police are looking for her…fucking moron
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Tough start for many on the first two stages, two tremendous winners. Van der Poel is a beast.
His win at Strada Bianca where he powered up the final climb leaving the World champ behind was perfection. I don't think he will be on the podium at the end of the tour (if he completes it) but he has done the memory of his Grandfather proud.
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Stage 3 was carnage - seemed like half the peleton hit the deck at some point
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Stage 3 was carnage - seemed like half the peleton hit the deck at some point
No surprise Geraint was one of them in the smaller crashes. Dislocated Shoulder apparently popped back in on the side of the road. I wonder if he will continue or pull out to heal up for the Olympics. I suppose it will be confirmed today after a nights rest.
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G carries on
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Cav is back! Brilliant.
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Cav is back! Brilliant.
Incredible finish after his initial sprint was partly blocked by the breakaway rider
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31 stage wins for the Manx Missile I believe.
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There was a time when I thought he’d absolutely piss past Merckx’s number of stage wins (which, even though he won’t do it, is extraordinary enough in itself), and the victory on the Champs where he just blew his opponents apart to the point his lead-out man came second is one of the most memorable things I’ve seen at a Tour. Glad he’s able to have this (what I presume) last hurrah.
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31 stage wins for the Manx Missile I believe.
According to the updated sign, yes
https://twitter.com/LeTour/status/1409914615786528770
https://twitter.com/LeTour/status/1409903073305190404
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Seeing Cav win yesterday brought tears to my eyes. What a legend.
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As many mentioned, at the start of the season he looked like being left in the cold before DQS took the plunge. Even after his great wins at the Tour of Turkey (4 stages) he was never a shoo in for Le Tour until Sam Bennett stropped / had his knee injury (Delete as appropriate).
Then getting caught up in the crashes on Monday slightly it looked worrying. (Although he stopped to check on Caleb Ewan before continuing to cross the line)
But to see what it meant to him afterwards is very emotional. That after MdvP's tributes for his win and Yellow has meant lots of dust around at the finishes at the moment.
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'Sign Woman' has been arrested
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-57668657
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Cav again, bloody amazing. 32 stage wins now.
Hope he can get over the mountains to compete in Paris.
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Cav again, bloody amazing. 32 stage wins now.
Hope he can get over the mountains to compete in Paris.
Fairy tale stuff!
Still a bloody long way to go, but it looks like he's got fantastic support from the DQ team!
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Cav again, bloody amazing. 32 stage wins now.
Hope he can get over the mountains to compete in Paris.
Fairy tale stuff!
Still a bloody long way to go, but it looks like he's got fantastic support from the DQ team!
Julian Alaphilippe as one of the lead out riders, handing over to Michael Mørkøv is setting Cav up brilliantly.
Then when Cav himself goes, riders a decade or more younger just can't stay with him.
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For me, TdF sprints are one of the most incredible things in sport.
To ride those distances day after day and then sprint like Cav & co do is remarkable.
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For me, TdF sprints are one of the most incredible things in sport.
To ride those distances day after day and then sprint like Cav & co do is remarkable.
The thing is until the final 200 metres or so, they don't have to do a lot relatively speaking as the peloton carries them along to conserve their energy. It is why they struggle and get knocked out in the Mountain stages as they actually have to do their own pedalling.
But I agree the sprint and a GC member breaking away on a mountain stage are the most exciting things in a race followed by cheering on someone who has successfully made a break for 150kms or so and continued for the win.
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For me, TdF sprints are one of the most incredible things in sport.
To ride those distances day after day and then sprint like Cav & co do is remarkable.
The thing is until the final 200 metres or so, they don't have to do a lot relatively speaking as the peloton carries them along to conserve their energy. It is why they struggle and get knocked out in the Mountain stages as they actually have to do their own pedalling.
But I agree the sprint and a GC member breaking away on a mountain stage are the most exciting things in a race followed by cheering on someone who has successfully made a break for 150kms or so and continued for the win.
It's only a very slight insight in to it, but a few years back I cycled to Paris in a group of 12 of us. Cycling through northern France was an absolute dream - even someone with the limited ability and fitness I have could roll along on perfectly smooth roads at 20mph+ with barely a pedal when tucked in behind half a dozen others. So it's no surprise the pros can roll along at a much faster speed without consuming energy when they're tucked in to the middle of a peloton 100+ strong.
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Two days in the mountains and GC is blown to bits.
The Wolf Pack managed to get Cav in before the broom wagon, so they're obviously determined to nurse him through the mountains and another crack at some flat stages.
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Two days in the mountains and GC is blown to bits.
The Wolf Pack managed to get Cav in before the broom wagon, so they're obviously determined to nurse him through the mountains and another crack at some flat stages.
I hope they get him there because there's sod all else for Brits to cheer!
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Yep, fingers crossed he lasts the climbs, TT's unscathed because with some of the other injuries (Ewan), he definitely is in with some flat stage podiums plus Paris to get the record.
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Cav on 33 stage wins, who writes his scripts? If he can get through tomorrow and the Pyrenees then he could break the record in Paris. Amazing.
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Script? This is the classic three act play.
(1) The young hero sweeps all before him.
(2) The decline and fall.
(3) The triumphant return to the stage and glorious valediction.
Is it too much to ask that he takes Merckx's record in Paris? Pure Hollywood.
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Despite the perfect lead out yesterday, I was worried that Cav sat up too early. He seemed to only look right, when the danger was to his left.
However, he knew exactly what he was doing.
Boardman said that the train did their job so well that Cav only had 14 pedal revolutions when he was finally exposed at the front.
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So just the two trips up Ventoux today.
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Whilst it would be Hollywood to do it in Paris, he has plenty of attempts beforehand so get it out of the way early and then there is no worry about missing a time cut or crashing out and losing out.
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The Wolf pack nursed Cav through double Ventoux, even allowing him time to twice perform gestures at the memorial. Luke Rowe missed the cut though.
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Cav respects the sport's history and the Tour in particular. Whilst there is of course a debate regarding how Tom Simpson contributed to his own death, I was not surprised that Cav wanted to be seen to be doing what he did at the memorial. Kudos too to the spectator who took the cap and put it on top of the memorial.
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Strong winds delayed start, but could be another Cav day weather depending.
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Sagan left the tour so one less sprinter to have to worry about at the finishes.
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Sagan left the tour so one less sprinter to have to worry about at the finishes.
They all seem to know....it's just Cav's time.
Again!
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Downside is without the bigger names, the teams can send stronger riders in the break to get stage wins. I doubt Pollitt would have been allowed to go on for the stage win if Sagan was still there. Saying that, it looks like it was a lets recover the legs after yesterday for Cav and others.
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Downside is without the bigger names, the teams can send stronger riders in the break to get stage wins. I doubt Pollitt would have been allowed to go on for the stage win if Sagan was still there. Saying that, it looks like it was a lets recover the legs after yesterday for Cav and others.
Yep, Pog was having a go at Ineos for looking like they were going to try to chase down the break.
In the highlights show it was suggested that Cav was unhappy that anyone bothered sprinting for the 3 points
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Well done Mark Cavendish.
33 34 and counting.
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Well done Mark Cavendish. 33 and counting.
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Brilliant lead out once again by his train
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Incredible stuff from Cavendish this tour.
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Well done Mark Cavendish. 33 and counting.
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Brilliant lead out once again by his train
Indeed. Sorry.
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If it wasn't for the football Cav would be the sporting story of the summer.
Who knows what will happen at Wembley on Sunday or in Tokyo in a few weeks time, but it'll have to be something pretty amazing for me not to vote for him as my SPOTY.
(As yet another statistic to underline his greatness, I read the other day that he was won just shy of 20% of TdF bunch sprints he has contested. When you consider what that entails tactically, physically and psychologically it is incredible. When you throw in that it will be against the sport's elite all simultaneously wanting that same strip of tarmac to grab the prize it almost defies belief.)
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I believe Cav is one of the greatest British sportsmen of the 21st Century.
This must rank as one of the greatest sporting comebacks.
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If it wasn't for the football Cav would be the sporting story of the summer.
Him crossing the line today got a much louder cheer from me than England's semi-final goals.
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Tour left Céret (15 km down the road from us) for Andorra today. Couldn't be arsed going down though.
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Tour left Céret (15 km down the road from us) for Andorra today. Couldn't be arsed going down though.
Cycling is a sport best watched on TV
A few years ago I did wander five minutes from the 'Nam office to watch the ToB riders turn a corner and head up a hill.
All done in a few seconds, so not much point really.
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Tour left Céret (15 km down the road from us) for Andorra today. Couldn't be arsed going down though.
Cycling is a sport best watched on TV
A few years ago I did wander five minutes from the 'Nam office to watch the ToB riders turn a corner and head up a hill.
All done in a few seconds, so not much point really.
Time trials are always the best, as you get 2-3 hours of action with someone going past every couple of minutes. 2012 Olympic time trial and the Tour team time trial near Vannes were both good to watch from the road.
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Tour left Céret (15 km down the road from us) for Andorra today. Couldn't be arsed going down though.
Cycling is a sport best watched on TV
A few years ago I did wander five minutes from the 'Nam office to watch the ToB riders turn a corner and head up a hill.
All done in a few seconds, so not much point really.
The bit you don't get from the TV is an appreciation of just how fast they're going. I went to see the ToB a few years back when it came through Warwickshire. They went up Burton Dassett which I've attempted to cycle up a few times and nearly had a heart attack every time. The guys in the ToB absolutely flew up it (although the sprinters were at the back, satisfyingly struggling in comparison). There's also a party atmosphere around races like that - even though it was "only" the ToB, there were thousands of spectators and the atmosphere was great.
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(https://i.ibb.co/cYH9gkD/8-B0-CEDA8-688-C-4815-853-E-9406913-C9-BA3.jpg) (https://imgbb.com/)
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I can't help but think Pogacar is cheating. I just can't understand how he can be so dominant so young. The last time I had doubts about a performance in the tour was Armstrong's first win
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Bahrain Victorious was raided today by the French Police. Not his team but shows the concerns are there.
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Tour left Céret (15 km down the road from us) for Andorra today. Couldn't be arsed going down though.
Cycling is a sport best watched on TV
A few years ago I did wander five minutes from the 'Nam office to watch the ToB riders turn a corner and head up a hill.
All done in a few seconds, so not much point really.
The bit you don't get from the TV is an appreciation of just how fast they're going. I went to see the ToB a few years back when it came through Warwickshire. They went up Burton Dassett which I've attempted to cycle up a few times and nearly had a heart attack every time. The guys in the ToB absolutely flew up it (although the sprinters were at the back, satisfyingly struggling in comparison). There's also a party atmosphere around races like that - even though it was "only" the ToB, there were thousands of spectators and the atmosphere was great.
ToB Time Trial in Pershore a couple of years ago.....one of the best days for the town - and me....loads of spectators all spending their hard earned in my local shops/pubs. Harry from Newlands Chippy (three doors away) said to me "WTF's going on?" as all the team buses came down our road at 9am to park up in the Abbey Park at the bottom of our road. I explained to him what was going on and advised him to stay open during the afternoon. He made a bomb! And I had a great day watching the riders tackle Pensham Hill (the only "climb" on the course), staring open-mouthed at the bikes and having a chat with Cav and Dylan van Baarle as they queued to check in.
And all of this 400 yards from my front door.
If Carlsberg did perfect days......
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Cav will not be breaking the record today. He did hint yesterday that the QuickStep team would not be trying to control the pelaton today after two hard mountain days Paris it is then on Sunday.
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Cav will not be breaking the record today. He did hint yesterday that the QuickStep team would not be trying to control the pelaton today after two hard mountain days Paris it is then on Sunday.
Yep, taking it easily today and then a glorified training ride tomorrow, will hopefully set Cav up nicely for Paris.
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Perhaps Sunday is destined to be the most glorious moment that British cycling has ever had on the Champs-Elysees - and I didn't think when in 2012 Wiggins in yellow paced Cav in the world champion's jersey would ever be topped.
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Cav finishes ahead of Matthews in the intermediate sprint to all but seal the Green jersey
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Shame they now don't treat the Green Jersey like they treat the yellow for today only with no competition in the last 100m but I expect the glory of winning a stage, especially the last one is too much of a pull.
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Close…..but not quite for Cav
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Next year? Still a great tour for Cav, no proper preperation but still 4 stage wins, green jersey winner and equaled the total stage wins record.
To be fair he was beaten today by somone who could dominate over the next few years, one of the new generation "beasts".
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The fairy-tale end wan't to be - but four stage wins is magnificent. Even if that is now it, to be tied first with Merckx for most career stages makes Cav a legend of the sport.
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BBC SPOTY unless something special happens in Tokyo you’d think.
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BBC SPOTY unless something special happens in Tokyo you’d think.
Shouldn’t even be close, unless a Brit wins the 100m in a world record time.
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There will be a groundswell of support for Sterling.
Agree though, I'm not a cycling fan, but to come back from what Cav has been through and win 4 stages to equal that record is quite some feat. He's got 1 more in him next year surely.
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More likely rashford for how he held the government ti account.
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More likely rashford for how he held the government ti account.
The BBC don't do politics.
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But still a public vote once they have picked the shortlist.
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More likely rashford for how he held the government ti account.
Wasn't that more 2020 that 2021 ?
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The BBC DOES do politics big style. They won't offend their paymasters, so forget Rashford's chances.