TdF - Stage 21

[tenacious1]

Too bad we had to come home from the beach. I won't get to watch this stage.

[tenacious1]

Well, considering I forgot I had Pinot and have been hopefully watching Kwiatkowski's progress -- or lack there of -- for at least two weeks, I think you get the bragging rights.

I will say Kwaitkowski is fun to watch since he just keeps attacking even when it might not be the best plan.

Wasn't MrTamborineman asking about Kittel? I hope he saw yesterday's stage.

So many went out from crashes in this year's tour that it will make the Vuelta a better race. We'll have Horner, Froome, Wiggins (maybe), Cav  , Contador (maybe, but probably not), Quintana?, Talansky?, Gilbert, Hushvold?, Cancellara?, Ted King? -- who else am I missing?

[tenacious1]

What crash?

Okay -- found it on the feed. He ended the race almost an hour behind the second to last finisher. I'll bet he has a few stories to tell.

[ihop]

My predictions were way off!  Enjoy the bragging rights!

[ihop]

I asked D'Kid last night: "What would you do, now that the Tour de France is over? Delete the app and reload it when La Vuelta comes around next month, or just leave it?"

She voted "Leave it"

 

DD is thankful it is over, "Finally, you will pay attention to me!"   

[tenacious1]

It appears the celebrations of the winners are over already and kicking the losers while they are still down has started.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/blogs/robert-millar/robert-millar-coming-up-short-at-the-tour-de-france

[tenacious1]

Garmin for the Vuelta:

Talansky’s time off the bike means that he will not line up at the Vuelta as Garmin’s main GC threat. Ryder Hesjedal and Dan Martin are the team’s provisional leaders and according to Vaughters, Talansky pushed for a position on the team in order to pay back his teammates for the support they had provided in the past.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/talansky-to-race-vuelta-a-espana

 

[Mrtambourineman]

Well, considering I forgot I had Pinot and have been hopefully watching Kwiatkowski's progress -- or lack there of -- for at least two weeks, I think you get the bragging rights.

I will say Kwaitkowski is fun to watch since he just keeps attacking even when it might not be the best plan.

Wasn't MrTamborineman asking about Kittel? I hope he saw yesterday's stage.

So many went out from crashes in this year's tour that it will make the Vuelta a better race. We'll have Horner, Froome, Wiggins (maybe), Cav  , Contador (maybe, but probably not), Quintana?, Talansky?, Gilbert, Hushvold?, Cancellara?, Ted King? -- who else am I missing?

I was, but I didn't get to watch the stage.  I'm glad he made it through the mountains for a strong finish.  His performance this year has given me a new perspective on the green jersey competition - I didn't appreciate that the green jersey winner wasn't a pure sprinter (i.e., you need to be able to climb mountains decently), which Kittle seems to be.   

[tenacious1]

Post race interview with Kittel said he was considering targeting the green jersey next year. So maybe he can climb better if he has the right incentive. http://velonews.competitor.com/2014/07/news/marcel-kittel-target-green-jersey-future_338781


FYI -- green jersey points are also awarded at intermediate sprints within the stages but the finish line points typically earn higher points than the intermediate sprints.

[ctjim]

I'm kinda glad Ji Cheng took LR; he was involved Peraud's crash on the C-E and I worried that he wouldn't make it

He actually got lapped on the C-E !
I bet that last lap of his was fun, dodging the mayhem.

[tenacious1]

This belongs here. 

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/voigt-waves-farewell-to-the-tour-de-france

[tenacious1]

Speed skating and cycling teams to be joined   

Since speed skating is HUGE in the Netherlands it's probably not a bad thing to be tied to them.

Will Mollema stay or go?

[ctjim]

This belongs here. 

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/voigt-waves-farewell-to-the-tour-de-france

There was one final flourish, with a cameo role in the final stage of the race as Voigt powered clear of the peloton during the opening lap on the Champs Elysees. Not that he was gifted that right.

"I think a few people expected that I would show myself off the front, like it was me against the peloton one last time. It wasn't a gift though. I had to go full gas and make it happen. There was some talk about the bunch letting me lead onto the Champs Elysees but it was clear to me that it wasn't going to just happen. Plus I didn't want a present. All my life I didn't get gifts, if I wanted something I had to work for it."