Official Tour de France 2021 thread

[Biffer]

Could be an interesting finish again today. Breakaway with Alaphillipe, Bosen Hagen, Greipel and 9 others now 10 minutes ahead of the peloton. Will DQS try to chase them down to give Cav another shot at a stage win? Or will they look at today as a recovery day after yesterday's stage and look to one of the other sprints?

[S/Lt_Phillips]

Could be an interesting finish again today. Breakaway with Alaphillipe, Bosen Hagen, Greipel and 9 others now 10 minutes ahead of the peloton. Will DQS try to chase them down to give Cav another shot at a stage win? Or will they look at today as a recovery day after yesterday's stage and look to one of the other sprints?

It's looking like the breakaway will have it - 11+ mins away with 75km to go. And Cav isn't wearing a skinsuit like the one he wore a couple of days ago, suggesting he's not up for a sprint (hardly surprising after yesterday)

[Biffer]

Could be an interesting finish again today. Breakaway with Alaphillipe, Bosen Hagen, Greipel and 9 others now 10 minutes ahead of the peloton. Will DQS try to chase them down to give Cav another shot at a stage win? Or will they look at today as a recovery day after yesterday's stage and look to one of the other sprints?

It's looking like the breakaway will have it - 11+ mins away with 75km to go. And Cav isn't wearing a skinsuit like the one he wore a couple of days ago, suggesting he's not up for a sprint (hardly surprising after yesterday)

Hadn't noticed that. Atm there are two teams well organised at the front of the peloton (UAE and Ineos) who don't have riders in the breakaway group but it doesn't look like they're even trying to maintain the gap, let alone pursue.

[Biffer]

Of course when I typed that, I'd forgotten Pogacar was in Team UAE, so they'll be entirely happy with the situation.

[S/Lt_Phillips]

Of course when I typed that, I'd forgotten Pogacar was in Team UAE, so they'll be entirely happy with the situation.

Is that the first flat/transition stage of this year's TdF that the breakaway has got the win? On the Giro, it seemed the breakaway was managing to stay away on just about every stage.

Anyway, as you say, a rest for DQS today, but they're sure to be on it tomorrow - last chance before more mountains. And a chance of crosswinds apparently, so could be a good one to watch.

[duke]

Another win for Cav

[Kawazaki]

Cavendish wins again.

Equals Merckx's record of 34 stage wins.

With this team around him he will win at least a couple more stages before the Tour ends. His lead out man could have won this stage himself.

[Margin__Walker]

Amazing effort.

Can see from the interview after just how in the red he was after that stage. Some performance again though. He's spent a good chunk of his career as the fastest guy in the field, but what really seems to set him apart is his race sense and positioning. He just makes good decisions all the time in those final kilometres.

Chuffed for him and you can tell he's not celebrating too hard yet. He's going all in for the outright record.

[Big D]

Cavendish wins again.

Equals Merckx's record of 34 stage wins.

With this team around him he will win at least a couple more stages before the Tour ends. His lead out man could have won this stage himself.

Unreal. Hopefully he gets through the mountains unscathed.

[Kawazaki]

Amazing effort.

Can see from the interview after just how in the red he was after that stage. Some performance again though. He's spent a good chunk of his career as the fastest guy in the field, but what really seems to set him apart is his race sense and positioning. He just makes good decisions all the time in those final kilometres.

Chuffed for him and you can tell he's not celebrating too hard yet. He's going all in for the outright record.

There was a piece about him after his first stage win and the pundits commented that Cavendish doesn't have the highest peak power outputs amongst the sprinters, not even that close to the top either. What he does have though is a small body which means less drag and more energy at the end of the stage. I think his race craft is, as you point out, also top notch.

Some quotes from Eddy Merckx popped up during the stage regards he felt about Cavendish closing in on his stage record and, to be honest, they were fairly dismissive and disingenuous. He pointed out that his wins were across all types of stage and that had he been inclined to do so, he could have got 100 stage wins if he'd wanted to. Bit salty.

[Big D]

Amazing effort.

Can see from the interview after just how in the red he was after that stage. Some performance again though. He's spent a good chunk of his career as the fastest guy in the field, but what really seems to set him apart is his race sense and positioning. He just makes good decisions all the time in those final kilometres.

Chuffed for him and you can tell he's not celebrating too hard yet. He's going all in for the outright record.

There was a piece about him after his first stage win and the pundits commented that Cavendish doesn't have the highest peak power outputs amongst the sprinters, not even that close to the top either. What he does have though is a small body which means less drag and more energy at the end of the stage. I think his race craft is, as you point out, also top notch.

Some quotes from Eddy Merckx popped up during the stage regards he felt about Cavendish closing in on his stage record and, to be honest, they were fairly dismissive and disingenuous. He pointed out that his wins were across all types of stage and that had he been inclined to do so, he could have got 100 stage wins if he'd wanted to. Bit salty.

One could point out to him that Cav hasn't (yet given suspicion around cyclists) failed drug tests once never mind 3 times.

[Margin__Walker]

Amazing effort.

Can see from the interview after just how in the red he was after that stage. Some performance again though. He's spent a good chunk of his career as the fastest guy in the field, but what really seems to set him apart is his race sense and positioning. He just makes good decisions all the time in those final kilometres.

Chuffed for him and you can tell he's not celebrating too hard yet. He's going all in for the outright record.

There was a piece about him after his first stage win and the pundits commented that Cavendish doesn't have the highest peak power outputs amongst the sprinters, not even that close to the top either. What he does have though is a small body which means less drag and more energy at the end of the stage. I think his race craft is, as you point out, also top notch.

Some quotes from Eddy Merckx popped up during the stage regards he felt about Cavendish closing in on his stage record and, to be honest, they were fairly dismissive and disingenuous. He pointed out that his wins were across all types of stage and that had he been inclined to do so, he could have got 100 stage wins if he'd wanted to. Bit salty.

Yeah, he's never going to put out more watts than peak Kittel etc, but he never needed to being so small.

Merckx clearly not bothered then....

Clearly Merckx is the GOAT etc, but let's not pretend he didn't pad his total with some nice short TTs here and there that were formalities for the dominant rider of the time. Despite the nay sayers whinging about Cav being lucky with the field he was up against, he's clearly the greatest sprinter of all time.

[Biffer]

I’ve rarely been as happy for a sportsman as I am for Cav. Fantastic stuff.

[dpedin]

Yeeessss! The Cav wins another stage. Just got back from golf and watched the highlights - that was some ride and he needed some serious elbows to make sure he maintained position in the last few kilometres and stop the other guys ruining his train. So, so chuffed for him.

[SaintK]

Gracious Cavendish

“I don’t think I can ever be compared to the great Eddy Merckx, the greatest male road cyclist of all time,” he said, “but I think to equal him with the record number of stage victories, for people who don’t follow cycling a lot, is something they can understand and put into perspective. If that inspires them to get on a bike, because a British rider has done that, then it’s the biggest thing I can take from it.”

Mealy mouthed Merckx

Merckx, speaking to the Italian media, was less impressed. “Of course there’s a difference between us,” the Belgian, now 76, said. “I won 34 Tour stages by winning sprints, in the mountains, in time trials and going on the attack on the descents. Let’s not forget the five yellow jerseys I’ve got at home plus the 96 days I wore it. Does that not seem much?”

[Big D]

Good stage today.

Carapaz may get stick for not taking his turn but I think he only had one big effort in him without burning all his matches.

[Kawazaki]

.

Wrong thread

[Openside]

Good stage today.

Carapaz may get stick for not taking his turn but I think he only had one big effort in him without burning all his matches.

That was TDF at its very best!!

[Blackmac]

Amazing effort.

Can see from the interview after just how in the red he was after that stage. Some performance again though. He's spent a good chunk of his career as the fastest guy in the field, but what really seems to set him apart is his race sense and positioning. He just makes good decisions all the time in those final kilometres.

Chuffed for him and you can tell he's not celebrating too hard yet. He's going all in for the outright record.

There was a piece about him after his first stage win and the pundits commented that Cavendish doesn't have the highest peak power outputs amongst the sprinters, not even that close to the top either. What he does have though is a small body which means less drag and more energy at the end of the stage. I think his race craft is, as you point out, also top notch.

Some quotes from Eddy Merckx popped up during the stage regards he felt about Cavendish closing in on his stage record and, to be honest, they were fairly dismissive and disingenuous. He pointed out that his wins were across all types of stage and that had he been inclined to do so, he could have got 100 stage wins if he'd wanted to. Bit salty.

Yeah, he's never going to put out more watts than peak Kittel etc, but he never needed to being so small.

Merckx clearly not bothered then....

Clearly Merckx is the GOAT etc, but let's not pretend he didn't pad his total with some nice short TTs here and there that were formalities for the dominant rider of the time. Despite the nay sayers whinging about Cav being lucky with the field he was up against, he's clearly the greatest sprinter of all time.

It could just as well be argued that the likes of Kittel, Bennet et al, were lucky that illness and injury took five years out of Cav at the height of his career

[Big D]

Not to be for Cav but we'll done to WvA who has had a good tour.

Congrats to Pogacar and Cav for their jersey wins and the guys who took the other podium places.

[Kawazaki]

Philipsen with some very erratic swerving across blocked Cavendish. A pity.