Tour de France 2020 general thread (SPOILERS GALORE)

TheBlaaMan

Seems about time for a thread on the Tour

So Ineos have announced their team and there is no place for Geraint Thomas or Chris Froome. Carapaz parachuted into the team at the last moment it seems. Only on UK rider (Rowe) on the team


https://twitter.com/TeamINEOS/status/1295989866421981185?s=20

retalivity

Wow...thought at least one of them would have made it in. Pretty ruthless.

Wonder how Carapaz feels about it. Would have thought he'd have got one shot at being leader and at the very least defending his giro title before being doomed to being a support rider at Ineos.

velo.2010

Deleted User wrote: »

Wonder how Carapaz feels about it. Would have thought he'd have got one shot at being leader and at the very least defending his giro title before being doomed to being a support rider at Ineos.

He gets a go at the Tour and could be in the position Thomas and Bernal found themselves in the last couple of years. Thats one way of looking at it, but yeah, he misses out on a great chance to defend his Giro title given the absentees in that race.

Luke Rowe will be lonely without 'G'.

Daroxtar

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Wonder how Carapaz feels about it. Would have thought he'd have got one shot at being leader and at the very least defending his giro title before being doomed to being a support rider at Ineos.

If the Movistar documentary is anything to go by, Carapaz is smirking at the prospect of accidentally putting 2 minutes into Bernal.

harringtonp

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Wonder how Carapaz feels about it. Would have thought he'd have got one shot at being leader and at the very least defending his giro title before being doomed to being a support rider at Ineos.

They must have had long discussions with him rather than just popping him in. And he must have been eager and convinced them he'll be no trouble. Otherwise they would have ran with Thomas and left him defend the Giro

neris

Daroxtar wrote: »

If the Movistar documentary is anything to go by, Carapaz is smirking at the prospect of accidentally putting 2 minutes into Bernal.

Love to see that the tour needs a bit of mid 80s inter team rivalry and excitement

Sam Bennett has the chance to tick off a stage win at all 3 GT's at this. That would make him only the second Irish man to do that? I think Shay Elliot was the first? Or was there anyone else?

neris

Deleted User wrote: »

Sam Bennett has the chance to tick off a stage win at all 3 GT's at this. That would make him only the second Irish man to do that? I think Shay Elliot was the first? Or was there anyone else?

dont think kelly did many giros and dont think roche did many vueltas so possibly .....

Shedite27

Looking forward to having this on in the background for 3 weeks of working from home. Usually only get to see the highlights.

RurtBeynolds

What's the best way to watch this?

odyssey06

neris wrote: »

dont think kelly did many giros and dont think roche did many vueltas so possibly .....

Yep.
Kelly has TDF and Vuelta stage wins.
Stephen Roche has TDF and Giro stage wins.
I thought Nico might have had a Vuelta and Giro but it's 2 Vuelta stage wins.

odyssey06

RurtBeynolds wrote: »

What's the best way to watch this?

Eurosport or TG4.

Commentary on TG4 is in Irish so you can side follow a text commentary on Cycling News if needed.
They also have a nightly highlights programme (in English).

mr spuckler

RurtBeynolds wrote: »

What's the best way to watch this?

I should have signed up for Eurosport player when it was on special offer in June, but it looks like you can do one month for €6.99 with a minimum contract term of a month so wouldn't be locked into more if you didn't want it.

I might try to rig up a tv in my home office (already have a tv connection there) but if not will sign up for the month and have the home laptop set up beside my work computer.

07Lapierre

odyssey06 wrote: »

Eurosport or TG4.

Commentary on TG4 is in Irish so you can side follow a text commentary on Cycling News if needed.
They also have a nightly highlights programme (in English).

On a TV in a camper van parked at the summit in the Alps, with a cooler box full of beer!

Second best is on Eurosport.

In third is TG4 or ITV4.
(Too many ad breaks on ITV4)

Acosta

RurtBeynolds wrote: »

What's the best way to watch this?

With David Duffield commentating. Unfortunately that's not been possible for many years

breezy1985

harringtonp wrote: »

They must have had long discussions with him rather than just popping him in. And he must have been eager and convinced them he'll be no trouble. Otherwise they would have ran with Thomas and left him defend the Giro

If he's a good boy this year he has a good chance of being Ineos number 2 for the next few years with Froome gone

Eamonnator

RurtBeynolds wrote: »

What's the best way to watch this?

Here you go:

https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/how-to-watch-the-tour-de-france-live-stream-tv-results/

neris

https://twitter.com/jenscer/status/1295993088096325634?s=19

Melodeon

The roadbook (and loads of other stuff) is available on the Velorooms 2020 Google Drive:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1ex8yX8Ldf402dhPQZccg7_fT1-kqO8qx

https://youtu.be/8xJL78QQmbw

Those Ineos interviews with subtitles from 6'45

cunavalos

Deleted User wrote: »

Sam Bennett has the chance to tick off a stage win at all 3 GT's at this. That would make him only the second Irish man to do that? I think Shay Elliot was the first? Or was there anyone else?

What are the odds that history repeats itself and Sam gets his first TDF stage win in the same town where Kelly also recorded his first TDF stage win in 78.


It may a long and nervy wait until Stage 11 to Poitiers if he does.

at1withmyself

Not really ruthless based on recent performances, both have been shockingly bad recently for grand tour winners.

retalivity wrote: »

Wow...thought at least one of them would have made it in. Pretty ruthless.

radiata

Who do you think will win the general classification this year?
I think Roglic will but hard to predict, Alaphillipe could be an interesting outsider

Pinot is France's best chance for a win. I'd love to see it but Jumbo and Ineos would have to implode for it to happen I think. He's a good shout for a podium this year I think if he rides smart and the super domestiques on other teams are pushed hard by each other.

CramCycle

TheBlaaMan wrote: »

Seems about time for a thread on the Tour

So Ineos have announced their team and there is no place for Geraint Thomas or Chris Froome. Carapaz parachuted into the team at the last moment it seems. Only on UK rider (Rowe) on the team


https://twitter.com/TeamINEOS/status/1295989866421981185?s=20

Brailsfords interview was comedy gold. TdF, yep Bernal, he has a strong chance and makes sense (although I am not convinced). Giro, he hasn't got a strong chance but he has a chance and we will support him plus our PR guys say we can sell the Welsh winner idea for marketing and we won't be humiliated. Froome, well, we aren't supporting him but PR says we need him to fail spectacularly so as not to stir annoyance among the Skybots, so we are going to let him do the Vuelta with absolutely no confidence but you'll never catch me on camera saying that.

lawrencesummers

Any update on the injury that stopped Bernal completing the CdD?

Hardly idea to be heading into the TDF with something niggling?

I think Carapaz could be a good outside bet for GC. He is clearly the backup plan to Bernal.

mr spuckler

Kruijswijk confirmed to miss the Tour.

https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/kruijswijk-out-of-jumbo-visma-tour-de-france-team-with-fractured-shoulder/

Boscoirl

I should be going to this

One stage is passing my parents front door in France

Macy0161

Tom Dumoulin for me. Building form, without the clusterf*ck form that put pay to Thomas and Froome. I think Roglic has peaked too early, again, so my only question would be if he has to do too much work for Roglic early, if Roglic is hot from the start.

I'd love to see Pinot win it though.

07Lapierre wrote: »

On a TV in a camper van parked at the summit in the Alps, with a cooler box full of beer!

Second best is on Eurosport.

In third is TG4 or ITV4.
(Too many ad breaks on ITV4)

It's on the GCN App/ Race Pass. Eurosport coverage, no ads.

I caught one of the evening highlight packages on ITV 4 for the Dauphine last week and reminded me how badly Eurosport do highlights in comparison. Way too many ads for sure which is a shame as I find the commentary team and over all package to be better than Eurosport's

Macy0161

Deleted User wrote: »

I caught one of the evening highlight packages on ITV 4 for the Dauphine last week and reminded me how badly Eurosport do highlights in comparison. Way too many ads for sure which is a shame as I find the commentary team and over all package to be better than Eurosport's

I would agree, all things being equal I'd watch the ITV Highlights, and probably the Live Coverage. I like Ned and Millar, and (TV's) Daniel Friebe. Last year they had some interesting guests on the live coverage too (Pippa Yorke, a few ex british pro's that had raced the Tour).

Hard to beat the handiness of eurosport for catch up though. The FireTV app just works, and no faffing with VPN's.

Melodeon

Catchup on the Eurosport Player also has been providing an 'Uninterrupted Coverage' option for their as-live coverage lately too.

With so many races coming up that will overlap each other, there's no way I'll be able to watch them all live or later as-live, so I'll be watching highlights versions of some.
I'll just have to suffer the adverts breaks for them.

About the only thing I miss from the old days of recording coverage on the Sky box, particularly the full-stage 5 hours+ marathons, was the ability to run through the coverage at high speed, stopping to view anything of note, and then watching the last hour or two as-live.
I often simply don't have the time in the evening to watch 5 or 6 hours of cycling! :rolleyes:

If the Eurosport Player or the GCN app had a high-speed-playback option, that'd be perfect!

breezy1985

Macy0161 wrote: »

Tom Dumoulin for me. Building form, without the clusterf*ck form that put pay to Thomas and Froome. I think Roglic has peaked too early, again, so my only question would be if he has to do too much work for Roglic early, if Roglic is hot from the start.

I'd love to see Pinot win it though.


It's on the GCN App/ Race Pass. Eurosport coverage, no ads.

I saw the GCN package for €20 for the rest of the year. Is it just the full Eurosport cycling package with the same commentary or is it its own thing?

As bad as they can be I've come to like the Eurosport team

Melodeon

breezy1985 wrote: »

I saw the GCN package for €20 for the rest of the year. Is it just the full Eurosport cycling package with the same commentary or is it its own thing?

As bad as they can be I've come to like the Eurosport team

It's all the same coverage, complete with Eurosport logo in the corner.

mr spuckler

breezy1985 wrote: »

I saw the GCN package for €20 for the rest of the year. Is it just the full Eurosport cycling package with the same commentary or is it its own thing?

As bad as they can be I've come to like the Eurosport team

I thought there were a lot of problems with the GCN app for some of the races a few weeks ago?

CramCycle

mr spuckler wrote: »

I thought there were a lot of problems with the GCN app for some of the races a few weeks ago?

Looks like it was a rights thing, they didn't have rights to some races in some countries but their advertising implied they had it globally. They apologised and clarified (you can look at what they cover country by country on their website now).

Also TG4 is way better than ITV4 coverage /discussion

breezy1985

CramCycle wrote: »

Looks like it was a rights thing, they didn't have rights to some races in some countries but their advertising implied they had it globally. They apologised and clarified (you can look at what they cover country by country on their website now).

Also TG4 is way better than ITV4 coverage /discussion

ITV coverage is barely more than lipservice

CramCycle

breezy1985 wrote: »

ITV coverage is barely more than lipservice

I won't lie, my Irish is poor, I understand a bit but not much but the two lads are great and you get proper full commentary, within the first week it comes back to me and I don't get everything but the stories on the food, the area, the people, brilliant for the long non interesting bits. Then when you have the interesting, the other one pips in with the right info, no messing, one knows racing, the other knows everything else and it is a well balanced mix IMO. They also pass comments on the sneaky bits if they see riders being cheeky gits, they say it, it's quite enjoyable.

If you have no Irish, then obviously it's not really much good, but still somehow better than ITV4.

eeeee

My favourite bit of the TG4 coverage is when they shorten / colloquialise the rider names. Mickey Rodgers etc. I wonder will MvdP become Matty VdP!

ratracer

Macy0161 wrote: »

It's on the GCN App/ Race Pass. Eurosport coverage, no ads.

Is there a cast option on the app? If I can definitely cast from iPhone to TV I think this is the way to go...but I can’t do it with eir sports for example.

CramCycle

I also forgot the TG4 commentators often pop in with bits of info about Irish racing, info on current and past events, which really makes it a local station. Its a nice touch, reference to any riders who have competed over here, or who raced against them abroad. Also not as shy about controversies as some of the bigger stations.

mr spuckler

ratracer wrote: »

Is there a cast option on the app? If I can definitely cast from iPhone to TV I think this is the way to go...but I can’t do it with eir sports for example.

I read something in their blurb yesterday about supporting Chromecast, not sure beyond that though.

Tim76

CramCycle wrote: »

Also TG4 is way better than ITV4 coverage /discussion

Really wish that the teachers in school had told me that I would need the cupla focail to enjoy decent cycling commentary down the line. I actually might have listened then instead of consistently taking the lanterne rouge (or solas dearg) in all my Irish exams.

Macy0161

ratracer wrote: »

Is there a cast option on the app? If I can definitely cast from iPhone to TV I think this is the way to go...but I can’t do it with eir sports for example.

I use it with Chromecast, but that's with an Android phone. My only Apple product is AppleTV for zwift!

Tim76

Tim76 wrote: »

Really wish that the teachers in school had told me that I would need the cupla focail to enjoy decent cycling commentary down the line. I actually might have listened then instead of consistently taking the lanterne rouge (or solas dearg) in all my Irish exams.

lmao at ''solas dearg"

I feel the need to get that put on a jersey.

Melodeon

mr spuckler wrote: »

I read something in their blurb yesterday about supporting Chromecast, not sure beyond that though.

It works superbly on my Chromecast from my Android phone.

Casting directly to my oldish (not so) smart TV results in the navigation/title bars for the app permanently displayed top and bottom over the footage. I can't find any way to get rid of them from there, so they obscure the time/distance ticker at the top and much of the graphics occasionally displayed at the bottom.

Through the Chromecast, to the same TV, it's perfect.

letape

odyssey06 wrote: »

Yep.
Kelly has TDF and Vuelta stage wins.
Stephen Roche has TDF and Giro stage wins.
I thought Nico might have had a Vuelta and Giro but it's 2 Vuelta stage wins.

Don’t forget Dan Martin
- two Tour de France stage wins and one Vuelta one

retalivity

Roglic still a doubt for the start line on saturday

https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/primoz-roglics-tour-de-france-remains-in-doubt-despite-return-to-training/

MojoMaker

Kruiswijk confirmed out as well. Ineos must be rubbing their hands.

Dumoulin leads I assume? Would love to see him do some damage.

at1withmyself

MojoMaker wrote: »

Kruiswijk confirmed out as well. Ineos must be rubbing their hands.

Dumoulin leads I assume? Would love to see him do some damage.

After all the big deal being made about 3 leaders on each time, its kinda funny now how it could end up being big Tom against Bernal! I think Tom could have the better of him if that's the case but a lot couold come down to the support from the team.

Either way can't wait as stage 2 looks tough and could cause some gaps if a team decides to go hard.