Tour de France 2021

I would see cav getting more involved with women's racing maybe with Max backstead and his family. Commentary boxes are chocka right now.

Luke Rowe is only 31 - why would he retire? He only got time cut because of the ridiculous tactics Ineos rode on the Ventoux stage.

Also, Thomas has had multiple wins and podiums this year. Why would he quit?

Hopefully Carlton Kirby

They won't quit but they won't (or shouldn't) be picked for the TdF again

Why not? Thomas has won the race and finished second, and been an integral part in five other wins. Even if he doesn't focus on being a GC contender he's still a very valuable team-mate, and one who has shown many times before that he'll totally commit to the team.

Rowe is a rock solid team rider who also has supported multiple leaders in Tour winning teams and does a superb job of looking after a leader on multiple terrains.

Ineos' problem isn't with their rider roster, it's with their training regime and their day to day race tactics.

You make good points but I just don't think there is room for then in their the best team. Unless Thomas wants to be a superdom

I think part of their problem is that they don't know their best team. The Giro team this year significantly outperformed the Tour team, as every rider looked to be in good form and, tactically, they barely put a foot wrong all race. The same happened last year.

If I were Brailsford, I'd be trying to work out what they did right and replicate that for the Tour team next year. He promised a change in tactics for the Tour this year, but they reverted to the tactics of old, which clearly weren't going to trouble UAE and Pogacar.

Luke Rowe is also the road caption, Ineos rode fine tbh, their tactics and power didnt match JV or UAE but I wouldnt write off anyone from Ineos and it pains me to be sympathetic to a "British" team.

I think a better case can be made for Thomas but I wonder if he might change focus to try win a bit more, before he does retire.

Rowe I’m far less certain on, I think his contribution has lessened and his role doesn’t exist in the way it did. I don’t think missing the cut is that significant but it certainly doesn’t help his cause.

The french teams had a shit tour

But motors

Geraint Thomas is domestique amongst the new gen at best IMO, same for Tao. Great riders but delusional if think of themselves as GC men in the Pog era.

I love Rohan Dennis for this acceptance and what a super domestique he is!

I think you're wrong. They still ride as if they have the strongest team and the strongest rider, even when it's clear to everyone else that they have neither. In that situation, you have to use your resources wisely and exploit signs of weakness if you want to get into a winning position. They utterly failed to do this, instead just played into UAE's hands repeatedly.

We are saying the same thing, I am saying it less coherently as usual.

Ineos good, they need to demote some GC men to super domestiques and get another Columbian rider.

The Giro team had confidence and swagger, it seemed noteable that it rubbed off on Bernal somewhat in the post stage interviews.

You're wrong here too.

AG2R-Citroen had an amazing Tour, with a stage win and fourth place on GC. Easily a 9/10 performance.

Arkea-Samsic had Quintana in the KoM jersey and Bouhanni running Cavendish close on three occasions. 6/10.

Cofidis will get eighth on GC and were visible and active on most stages. 6/10.

B&B Hotels had Bonnamour who is a candidate for most the most combative rider prize. 5/10.

I'll give you FDJ and Total Direct Energies though, they both underperformed.

you are right, I forgot about Ben O Connor.

But the rest are .. meh, same as Wout poels/Woods. I was expecting them to have at least one stage win.

What time should i tune in to see the champs roughly today please? Cheers

Ineos need to have a solid leader (probs Bernal) and 1 designated back-up in case of accidents / back problems. All the rest ride to support. None of this multiple leader thing.
And peak properly.
But also more than happy to see them struggle again next year.

What time (UK) do people think they’ll finish today? Trying to calculate a ride out to watch it.

letour.fr -> Today's stage -> Sport Side -> Time Schedule

Gives the following estimates for:-

• Entering final lap stage: 18:00 to 18:11
  
• Sprint on the Champs-Elysees: 18:31 to 18:45
  
• Finish: 19:00 to 19:16
  
  

(All local times, so take an hour off for the UK).

Ooft, you bloody legend. Cheers man!!

Was just thinking about the finish. It's nearly always so it's in the golden part of day light? Magic hour finish on the champs Elysees.

@greenbank much obliged

seems a bit harsh. He looked pretty good in the Tour de Romandie and the Criterium du Dauphine etc. Maybe he just peaked too early? I can't imagine his early crash helped his confidence. In fact, Ineos have looked pretty damn good all season except in the Tour. Maybe the multiple leaders thing/early crashes didn't help and maybe they got their training timings and tactics wrong, but they've hardly had a bad season so far....