Tired of losing trying something different.

nearly always use the week-long stage races such as the tour de suisse and dauphiné as thumbs up or down for the next gt team audition for the fantasy cycling giggles. not expecting to contend but forces me to pay more attention to a few riders that have not been at the top of my “go” list.

So many strategies. So little time.

It's always such a fine line between stupid and clever.

​​​​​​I see MinnMan missed the Dauphine sign in. Fortunately TdSuisse is coming right up.

So far, Peacock is only providing partial coverage, picking up with 75k remaining in Stage 1 and Stage 2 starting a few hours into the race. Disappointing.

That might not be Peacock but the original TV coverage Peacock leases.

Stage 1 was fun to watch.

Same with Flosports btw.

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No first-hand experience, but I've read that it's been a standard practice for decades for European TV coverage to begin a few hours into races, possibly with the exception of the very biggest races.

That's the way it works for pretty much any network, including in Europe. Too few viewers have the time to watch the whole thing, and so they can't justify the expense and screen time to broadcast it all.

Time trial results are pretty extraordinary. I won't spoil the topline results, but man Seixas in the top 10 of a stacked field and he's 18 years old!

yes a couple of ITT surprises.
If Remco, Jonas and Tadej are in near-equal form for the mountain stages, this race could be exciting. And perhaps telling for TdF.

The crowds on the climbs Fri/Sat/Sun should be huge.

Well, now to the mountains. Stage 6 looks like an opportunity for Pogacar. Vingegaard needs a harder climb to have an advantage, as in stage 7. Should be interesting.

Heck of a race so far, and the helicopter camerawork is remarkable.

Looking forward to the Stage 6 finish as a UAE/Visma - Pogacar/Vingegaard showdown. My impression is Pogacar may be the better rider, but Visma is a smarter team.

You will find it interesting.

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Interesting...but not surprising.

Didn’t even get out of the saddle.

There is the next level, and a level of your own.

Doesn't bode well for an exciting tour, much as I appreciate Pogs.

Hell, he didn't even open his mouth.

Tadej got surprised in 22 and his eyes opened in 23. That changed something. I doubt Jonas will see the top step in the Tour again so long as Tadej stays healthy. Not this year, or next, or... Some of the younger guys might have a shot in 4 years or so.

So preliminary numbers are floating around.

1/2 of that last climb was the climb were Jonas smoked Pogs in the TT a few years back. Where Jonas power numbers were called insane.

Pogs beat that time by 30 seconds +\-.

As noted earlier, the long hard HC climb at the end of Stage 7 is the place where Vingegaard *could* have an advantage. The way things looked today, Pogs may truly be in a class of his own, and if tomorrow is a repeat of today, then there isn't much drama to be expected in France this year. But one can hope.

Yea, a couple of long climbs could help Vingegaard. Just following this stage and early on Visma has a rider in the break and UAE doesn’t. Shades of the Giro?

Let’s talk cheeky, stage 6 winner I needed to finish in time to watch Urska finish in the tour de suisse.

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missed out on watching her today…


Cyborg. Yep. Robot.