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2019 Pro Cycling: Valverde's Magical Mystery Tour of Spain and Italy (but not France)

G650

By G650
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Knoxtnhorn

Knoxtnhorn 6262

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Currently watching the US Pro Cycling Championships (criterium tonight; road race Sunday) roll about 1/2 mile from where I used to live in Knoxville.

Getting ready to do the Tour de Rocky Top next Sat.  My favorite ride of the year.  Ride into the mountains in the morning; all you can eat/drink pizza and beer + the 1st Stage of the Tour de France.

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G650

G650 14430

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12 hours ago, Knoxtnhorn said:

 

Getting ready to do the Tour de Rocky Top next Sat.  My favorite ride of the year.  Ride into the mountains in the morning; all you can eat/drink pizza and beer + the 1st Stage of the Tour de France.

Ah, that sounds fantastic. 

 

I'm doing the Capital Trail here in Va. with a couple buddies. Last bigger ride before the Mountain Mama century in August. 

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Knoxtnhorn

Knoxtnhorn 6262

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Nervous about the mountains.  It's been two years.  I've done everything I can to replicate here in Dallas - big gears on what hills I can find.  

For those interested, NBCSN does a TDF Fantasy game.  It usually isn't ready until right at Day 1 of The Tour.  I won a stage 3 years ago - $400 worth of nutrition supplies.  It's free and pretty fun.

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  • 2 weeks later...
G650

G650 14430

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1 hour ago, idigTexas said:

Epic stage

I'm doing a mountainous century next month. After watching today I did threshold repeats at a crazy low cadence just in case I run out if gears like half of these guys. And i run out of gear a lot faster than they do...

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Knoxtnhorn

Knoxtnhorn 6262

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1 minute ago, G650 said:

TJ abandons, sorry Knox 

I'm shocked. He's such a little bitch.  Not because he abandoned; I have no idea how bad he was hurt, but because of what transpired yesterday and pre-race today.  His coach specifically said that plan was to keep him, Uran, and Woods(?) all within striking distance until the Alps, then see what happens.  TJ couldn't hack yesterday, so this morning he gives an interview in which he said the team's doing great and he never intended to compete for the GC.  

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G650

G650 14430

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5 hours ago, Knoxtnhorn said:

De Gendt is a stud.  

I'm not sure who I'm rooting for right now.  I'm so used to just rooting against Sky, and there aren't any Americans, Aussies, or Canadians doing anything.  

Crazy that there have been so few crashes and abandons.

Thomas The Ghent is a fucking animal. Love that guy, he's like a non douchebag Jens Voigt.

 

I mean, I always wish Doom and Unmitigated Failure upon Sky myself, but even they aren't that terrible this year. Leave Froome home and let Dave Brailsford jump in front of a train, and they could even be likeable.

 

Lots of great characters this year. Pinot tops for sure. Alaphillipe to go far. Bardet is one of my favorite humans in general, his writing for Rouleur has been great. Richie Porte finally got past stage 9 this year, really pulling for him to have some success, especially after that 2017 crash. Personally I could give a fuck about cheering for an American, but you could pull for Uran, he's on EF Cannondale which is American and he is one of the funniest and chill guys in the peloton. Trek obviously American too so another plus for Porte if you are so inclined. 

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G650

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11 hours ago, idigTexas said:

I love a sneaky stage like  that.  Who do you think has it won?  I'm not ready to declare anyone the victor just yet, though Thomas certainly helped his cause. 

Ah, just being slightly hyperbolic. But I say the chances of G winning are over 90% now. There are basically four contenders left now, G, Bernal, Kruijswijk and Quintana. Pinot the only one of the idiots that got caught out that has the slightest prayer of coming back.

 

I love that kind of stage, just frustrated most people I am cheering for have the tactical nous of a flea 

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G650

G650 14430

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4 hours ago, Knoxtnhorn said:

Just caught up.  That was fun for a flat stage.

He's prob too far back, but I suppose I'm rooting for Uran.  He's on an American team, and I've always liked the Colombian riders.

Sorry to have to tell you, but Uran got caught out in that stage.

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Knoxtnhorn

Knoxtnhorn 6262

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2 hours ago, G650 said:

Sorry to have to tell you, but Uran got caught out in that stage.

Yeah, I know.  That's why I stated that he's already probably out.  

Great.  Just looked at the GC standings.  I don't want a frenchie or anyone connected to Sky/INEOS to win, so I guess I'm screwed.

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G650

G650 14430

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7 hours ago, Knoxtnhorn said:

Yeah, I know.  That's why I stated that he's already probably out.  

Great.  Just looked at the GC standings.  I don't want a frenchie or anyone connected to Sky/INEOS to win, so I guess I'm screwed.

I like Rigo too, but this stuff always happens to him.

 

You can pull for Kruijswijk or Nairo.

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Mrs Whiggins

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He might just do it, tomorrow will be interesting. He can handle the "hill" at the end, but if other teams attack, can his team respond?

 

To the person who mentioned Bardet--when he first appeared on the Tour, I was really rooting for him and I still do but, bless his heart, he seems to suffer from the oddest mishaps and tactical difficulties at the most inopportune times.

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Napoleon

Napoleon 8811

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6 hours ago, Knoxtnhorn said:

Just caught up.  That's Lance Armstrong level of ridiculousness.  

One can win both the King of the Mountains (last year) AND individual time trial this year?  I call b.s.

ACTION MOVIES: "You've got to fight fire with fire."

PROFESSIONAL CYCLING: "You've got to fight drugs with drugs."

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Napoleon

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This year's Tour drug:

Ketones, the stamina booster sparking Tour de France debate

a51c6ecb7b316ea229dd1f9e432c27a3b5be3adc

 

Paris (AFP) - The Tour de France is again embroiled in a debate over what cyclists put in their bodies after Dutch team Jumbo acknowledged they were using a dietary aid believed to boost stamina.

The team responded to questions from Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf by saying they were using drinks based on a substance called ketones, which occur naturally in the body.

Jumbo team manager Richard Plugge says the use of ketones is nothing unusual and is widespread among Tour de France riders.

"It's a food supplement, like vitamins," he told De Telegraaf.

Ketones are "supplementary fuel for the muscles," said Jean-Jacques Menuet, the doctor for a rival team, Arkea-Samsic.

Jumbo won four of the first 11 stages on this year's Tour de France.

Mike Teunissen won the opening stage before Jumbo romped to victory in the team time trial the next day. Dylan Groenewegen won stage six in a sprint and Wout Van Aert took stage 10 on Monday.

On the Tour's rest day on Tuesday, Ineos team principal Dave Brailsford described Jumbo as "the most improved team over the past three years."...

 

https://sports.yahoo.com/ketones-stamina-booster-sparking-tour-france-debate-140802243.html

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G650

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7 hours ago, Knoxtnhorn said:

Just caught up.  That's Lance Armstrong level of ridiculousness.  

One can win both the King of the Mountains (last year) AND individual time trial this year?  I call b.s.

I'll preface by saying I'm not going to saying any cyclist is 100% not doping,  but I think people are leaping to conclusions because they had an entirely different expectation and the impulse is to say something is up rather than one had the wrong idea.

 

Today will tell you what is going on with Alaphillipe. He has always been a very good time trialist, he win the Paris Nice TT two years ago in fact, so it's not out of left field. He is not a high mountains guy though, so that's where you need to look.

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Captain Ron

Captain Ron 13107

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On 7/15/2019 at 11:58 AM, G650 said:

Welp, Tour is over. Fun while it lasted.

 

1 hour ago, G650 said:

Well, now it's getting interesting 

 

Over or interesting? Which is it?

 

I'm just playing. But Thomas blowing up today wasn't what I expected. I think this race is Alaphillipe's to lose now. I don't know that he has what it takes to take this race by the throat, but he just has to limit his losses.

Still a week to race and a lot can change. I think that this race is going to keep up the surprises. It's gonna be a wild last week.

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