The Beacon Message Board

Is anyone interested ??????

I gave up several years ago with viewing professional cycling for two reasons:

- Systematic drug taking and cheating. Whilst less of problem nowadays, still rumbles on within the background.
- The machine like dominance of the former Sky team et al, meaning nothing other than predictability.

Best TdF since the eighties.

Philip Whiteman wrote: ↑

27 Jul 2019 08:05

- The machine like dominance of the former Sky team et al, meaning nothing other than predictability.

Which of the events at this year's Tour did you successfully predict, Phil?
- Lead-out man Teunissen wearing yellow for two days?
- Alaphilippe's audacious attacking to take yellow?
- Alaphilippe winning the TT?
- Alaphilippe climbing with the best in the Pyrenees?
- Alaphilippe finally cracking in the Alps just when everyone had started to say maybe he can win it?
- Pinot looking like the best climber in the race and then crumbling in tears?
- Caleb Ewan snatching three stages by opportunistic Cav-style last-second manoeuvres?
- De Gendt's 230-km solo, where he still had enough in the last 12km to hold off two of the best in the world going full gas to catch him?
- Kruiswijk finally making the podium in his thirties?
- Wout van Aert experiencing career-defining triumph and career-threatening disaster within days?
- Fuglsang arriving as podium contender only to hit the deck again and again, until he couldn't go on?
- Adam Yates being a flop?
- Simon Yates showing fantastic ability and tactical nous to win two stages?
- Quintana getting dropped by his own team, then blowing the race to pieces a couple of days later?
- The mudslides and hail?
- Thomas subordinating personal ambition to team loyalty?
- Etc, etc.

Like all pro sport, bike racing serves up plenty that's dull, and plenty to be cynical about. But this year's Tour was a great example of why most of us still watch anyway: when it's good, there's nothing that can match it for drama and excitement. Some of my most cherished memories involve driving for hours on end across France, camping at the roadside or booking in to in some back-of-beyond auberge, then setting out at dawn to join a gradually funnelling stream of fans cycling towards some enormous mountain, crawling up in searing heat, carrying bagettes, litres of water and sun protection, and joining a throng of people from every corner of the world at the summit, all there to support their own national heroes, but also to encourage every single rider (especially the strugglers and unsung stalwarts), and to celebrate the astonishing scope of human endeavour.

Great summary George couldn't agree more.

Yep me too loved it . I normally prefer the Giro but this years tour was mesmerising . My good lady hates cycling but even she can now recognise Julian Alaphilippe
It reminded me of the 2005 Ashes reaching out beyond the normal fan base

Thanks for the synopsis George. It sounds as though the tour has returned to exciting form. Providing their are no related doping scandals I may well start following it again.

Philip Whiteman wrote: ↑

31 Jul 2019 08:09

Thanks for the synopsis George. It sounds as though the tour has returned to exciting form. Providing their are no related doping scandals I may well start following it again.

I'm sure the organisers will be mightily relieved to hear that, Philip.

My distant cousin Egan winning, the best ever Tour!!
Was a great watch. You forgot the crazy cross winds time losses George too. Looking forward to Vuelta now, my favourite of the three often. Thank goodness Alaphilippe's attempt to win collapsed in final days as was starting to think about doping a lot, the time trial was a bit suspicious. The Tourmallet stage though with several riders there til near the summit compared to Contadors and Schlecks crazy two man sprint up it in 2010 after a much longer and harder stage was a good sign it was a clean race this year. Even the two shortened stages, no Froome and leaving out of Cavendish didn't leave me feeling short changed.

Tim wrote: ↑

15 Aug 2019 17:03

My distant cousin Egan winning, the best ever Tour!!
Thank goodness Alaphilippe's attempt to win collapsed in final days as was starting to think about doping a lot, the time trial was a bit suspicious. The Tourmallet stage though with several riders there til near the summit compared to Contadors and Schlecks crazy two man sprint up it in 2010 after a much longer and harder stage was a good sign it was a clean race this year.

No so sure about that - the parcours was right up LouLou's alley, he's evidently in the form of his life this year and he has very good TT credentials (a win in 2017's Paris-Nice stage 4). He's a rider that loves short, sharp hills and is probably the best puncheur in the world right now - nothing suspicious about winning a TT on a course like that I don't think.

The usual thread I heard throughout the tour was 'He's going to burn himself out, he's not leaving enoughf or the 3rd week!' which of course in hindsight was true (although tought to admit, at the time, while in France and thoroughly buying in to the mania!). However I'd much rather see riders ride themselves into the ground in a mad pursuit of glory rather than playing the numbers and riding into yellow at the 11th hour. I agree with Pete - best tour for a very long time!

Not to mention the best tour to be in France for - I haven't seen France quite so tour mad as it was this year, fantastic to experience.