Tour de France 2026 ***Spoilers***

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Aravis

Putrid Donut
Location
Gloucester
Kuss retains the maillot sable @Aravis
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Yeah thanks for that. It could've been quite exciting, but with the time neutralisation I feel the competition has lost much of its meaning :sad:
 
OP
OP
wakemalcolm

wakemalcolm

Legendary Member
Location
Ratho
I think they'd be as well calling the GC at the end of stage 20 and having the Paris kermesse as a free for all festival of racing. All it's missing is Ron Pickering at the start shouting: take it away, kids!

Although it's great now, I don't think the new format can't be properly assessed until the post Pog years. With the exception of Nibali, I can't see many Maillot Jaunes having the appetite to give it a go like wot Pog does. Having the world's best classics rider arrive at the line within milliseconds of the world's best sprinters suggests that they might just be onto something.
 

mjr

Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
<Unpopular opinion:>

I still think they should have a "proper" flat Champs Elysees stage every 3-4 years. It's just.. something special, an iconic part of Le Tour.
I'd prefer it to be every other year. Maybe every 3 if they find another loop they want to put in, instead of the Butte de Montmartre.The Parc des Princes is only slightly further away than Montmartre and maybe it would be nice to pay tribute to the 54 tours that finished there?
 

phreak

Senior Member
I think they'd be as well calling the GC at the end of stage 20 and having the Paris kermesse as a free for all festival of racing. All it's missing is Ron Pickering at the start shouting: take it away, kids!

Although it's great now, I don't think the new format can't be properly assessed until the post Pog years. With the exception of Nibali, I can't see many Maillot Jaunes having the appetite to give it a go like wot Pog does. Having the world's best classics rider arrive at the line within milliseconds of the world's best sprinters suggests that they might just be onto something.
Surely he'd be shouting out of his car window "Do you know who I am?"
 

Dogtrousers

Lefty tighty. Get it righty.
<Unpopular opinion:>

I still think they should have a "proper" flat Champs Elysees stage every 3-4 years. It's just.. something special, an iconic part of Le Tour.

Popular with me. Proper sprint finish and take the times at the end.
 
Any reports on MvDP's power stats for that finish yet?

The seated dig he put in about 500m from the end when it seemed they were just about to be caught was unreal.

I don't have a number, but it was almost exactly One MVDP* of energy. He ran into some fencing (at walking pace) after the finish and just fell onto the floor, entangled in his bike. Don't think I've ever seen the like.

*Apologies for the non-SI unit.
 

geocycle

Squire
I don't have a number, but it was almost exactly One MVDP* of energy. He ran into some fencing (at walking pace) after the finish and just fell onto the floor, entangled in his bike. Don't think I've ever seen the like.

*Apologies for the non-SI unit.

Quite! I can’t imagine the stresses going through bike.
 

T4tomo

Legendary Member
That neutralisation baffled me rather.

I believe its because the Montmatre climb loop is so narrow, if you had GC teams trying to keep e.g. Del toro up with Seixas etc (along with the sprinters and "classics" riders) the risks of a crash become so much higher. By neutralising it, a good chunk of the field can keep out of the way and those who want to fight for the stage can. I have to say it did produce a stupendous finish!
 

Dorset Boy

Senior Member
I believe its because the Montmatre climb loop is so narrow, if you had GC teams trying to keep e.g. Del toro up with Seixas etc (along with the sprinters and "classics" riders) the risks of a crash become so much higher. By neutralising it, a good chunk of the field can keep out of the way and those who want to fight for the stage can. I have to say it did produce a stupendous finish!

But the neutralisation was at the top, the first time they went up, so the potential crash scenario was surely almost as likely then?

Have to agree it resulted in a fantastic finish.
 
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