Tour de France 2021

ITV takes forever to make it available online. Is this the same for everyone else?

Yep.

Record it from Freeview / Freesat / Cable or Sky if you have the ability.

Only the latter two will give you HD.

I don't remember this outrage when Gilbert was taken out by a stray dog.

Dogs tend to be held to a lower standard of responsibility than adult humans.

At least in Britain. Is this different in France?

And if taking legal action against her stops pricks in Borat mankinis acting the arse in the mountains, then so be it.

This is one of the problems that comes with having a French institution/significant cultural event run by a private family company headed up by a millionaire (Jean-Etienne Amaury).

This is actually what the Omi-Opi arrest is about - ASO are angry and want a scapegoat they can use as an example for proto-Borats.

Personally I feel a bit sorry for her - I'm sure she had nothing but positive intent and no idea of the potential consequence of her action. The charge seems fair but why do ASO need to take legal action? What has she cost them?

A diversion from their lack of effort at race saftey

Yep that too!

Mostly.

So. Another one for are Cav? The Merlier Philipsen double seems to be an issue. Currently saying they are going for Philipsen again today which is an interesting choice

Get your T shirts!

https://www.instagram.com/p/CQxCpD3M3ca/?utm_medium=copy_link

I want one of cav more

Haha automate, no. I'm the guy that refuses to have anything connected to wifi and the Home Automation thread disgusts me :)

I've a wireless mouse sat next to the turbo and sometimes a wireless keyboard and just flip between browser and mp3 player manually.

I must say I have warmed a bit to Kate Wagner now I’ve heard her on the Cycling Podcast. I find her writing and choice of words a bit overwrought at times but if nothing else she’s broken up the tired boys’ club feel.

‘Chose’ is a bit strong. But let’s not get into that.

I agree with the repercussions. A nice fat fine should do the trick, as a deterrent.

Serious question for you and @Fox and anyone else who brings up the lack of safety on this event (maybe all road cycling events) how could they make it safer and afford to do so?
There seems to be this low level disparagement of the UCI/ASO and their governance of this race and the other grand tours and I’m wondering what have they done or not done in terms of rider and spectator safety during racing that has created this?
@andyp you’re the pro racing oracle so I’ll at you as well for your thoughts, before the stage starts so there’s no overspill into the racing..

More importantly, is Pog going to be penalized for setting off early? Any definitive ADSA style statements on this?

The second time keepers reaction was great

Whose responsibility is it to have the dog on a lead as the peloton passes?

Exactly

Are dogs responsible for their actions? Should the granddaughter have been on a lead? So many questions. I like where this is going.

Well, they could have more barriers or stewarding in towns/villages where there are expected to be more than a handful of spectators, as they do at intermediate sprints and some parts of the mountains.

She was a dick - no doubt about that - but suing her is unnecessary imo. If I was her I would be arguing that ASO had a duty of care to riders and spectators to keep them both safe and segregated and they failed in that.

Jack Haig and Roglic and Pogacar and others crash was downhill on small lanes before sprint so everybody and not enough space. Adding a 15k circuit after this lane would have made the racing a lot less less frantic on this lane. Or they could have agreed to take time at 8k like some teams proposed but ASO/UCI or whoever takes this decision denied.

The argument that she’s not culpable is ridiculous. There’s video evidence of what she did, among thousands of other spectators who didn’t do that in the same environment.

This exercise is well worth it if only as a PR campaign to deter other grandchildren from doing the same. If they manage to sue her for some euros I won’t lose sleep.

Saw comments on YouTube suggesting the big clock is just for 'show' and that they are only expected to set off +/- 5 seconds with timing being actually started by an electronic gate device by front wheel.

Still, the man with the hand didn’t like it. Nearly took his finger off.

Yeah, it's electronic. If that fails they can work down the chain to timekeeper's manual timing. They may use the GPS but I'm not sure about that, it's not super accurate.

There was an interesting article about finish line cameras and timing here
https://www.cyclist.co.uk/in-depth/5865/timing-at-the-tour-de-france-with-tissot

Anyway - on to today. Hope we might get some echelons. And then an areCav win.