Pogačar or Vingegaard? Spoiler Alert

[mwinfrance]

There is also a lot of gruntle being dissed over this years route.For a "tour de France", this year's route is a wiggly line diagonally through the mountainous middle of the country missing out 90% of the country, but making a final dog-leg to finish in Paris so that the money from all the teams backers gets spent in the hotels and restaurants there. It's as if you drew a route from Bristol to Leeds, added a non racing part ( where the riders and bikes are transported by coach and car from Leeds to Hatfield and then they rode / raced again from Hatfield to Marble arch.Then called it the "Round Britain Race".

https://www.letour.fr/en/overall-route
A lot of french regions are , with good reason well hacked off .

Then there are the non mainland French departements etc..( Overseas France - Wikipedia )who get no look in at all ..hot there yes, but some short legs each year in one or more of them, would go a long way to not making them feel like second class citizens..which is how they are treated most of the time.

 

[Jameshow]

Its amazing how divided a country France is when you see the riots of this week and the tdf and supporters in the countryside.

 

[mwinfrance]

Its amazing how divided a country France is when you see the riots of this week and the tdf and supporters in the countryside.

different worlds.
plus
police municipal = town cops = not too bright, frequently racist
police nationale = like British police = tends to attract excitables, remind themselves of USA cops, frequently racist
gendarmes = basically police outside of large towns = bright , move around a lot, a few racist ,
motorcycle police national = most would nick their grannies for a promotion ( in the words of one of my gendarme mates ..he is right ) they did the shooting.
as per usual..police national screw up..gendarmes are brought in to deal with the reaction..clean up the mess.
then there are the ninja turtles...always up for a fight..if it moves, hit it..

"Other side" are kids from the ghettos ( yes we have them ) often discriminated against, main source of income "dealing" ( hence a 17 year old with no licence , no job, was driving a brand new merc )..brought up in a religion where mum cannot say no to a man, often that includes her own son..male kids never hear "no" at home..time they reach 14 it's too late, they do as they like, they meet a cop who doesn't like their attitude, they get beaten up or shot for talking back...then riots.

To them "it's us against the whites / non muslims"..
Picture from the Guardian today.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/jun/30/france-racist-police-violence-riots-nahel
Looks like Palestine.

As one kid I knew in the south said to me ( paraphrased from the french ) " here in France we run wild, cos back home* in Algeria, Tunisia, Moroco if we make a wrong move, speak the wrong way, we can disappear, or worse" ..he was born here, *but to many, home ( au bled) is North Africa.

The Tour doesn't interest them at all..football does..rap does..it's a "way out" if you are a kid from the ghettos. I know places that are very like Banlieu 13.

Back to Tour de France..that was a little background, by way of explanation.

 

[Jacob]

Have been watching the tour all day - I've got a horrible cold.
Exciting stuff!
Day time ITV4 ads are a bit tedious though. Unfamiliar territory. Old people stuff. All about funeral arrangements, pet rescue, life insurance, pensions, cremations, equity release, etc.
The cremations are "guaranteed", not sure what for - that you'll go off like a blast furnace and not smoulder like a wet blanket?
Wouldn't be much use getting your money back at that stage of the game, either way.
Wouldn't be so bad if they had something useful to promote, like remedies for toenail fungus and constipation .

 

[mwinfrance]

The remedy for both is...drink a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda in a glass of warm water for constipation as soon as you wake up..
and two table spoons of the stuff in a footbath of warm water. for the fungus
If the fungus persists mix a table spoon of bicarbonate of soda into a glass of water and apply it to the affected areas each day for a week.Change shoes and socks daily.
You can also paint a solution of lysol 50/50 with water on the affected area and over the rest of the feet. fungus does not like alkalis ( even weak ones ) nor lysol or similar.

 

[Noel]

Looks like it'll still be 34 wins along with Merckx. Disappointing as he had the speed but as mentioned earlier he needs a good lead out. All over now but what a great career for the Manx Missile.
Also, good shout @mossym , Philipsen gets another win today.
Puy de Dome tomorrow, will be interesting, me money is still on the man from Slovenia but Vingrgaard is strong, although last few days have shown there is not a lot between them.

 

[Jameshow]

Looks like it'll still be 34 wins along with Merckx. Disappointing as he had the speed but as mentioned earlier he needs a good lead out. All over now but what a great career for the Manx Missile.
Also, good shout @mossym , Philipsen gets another win today.
Puy de Dome tomorrow, will be interesting, me money is still on the man from Slovenia but Vingrgaard is strong, although last few days have shown there is not a lot between them.

Pederson?

Sad about Cav a great sprinter and rider who has matured and mellowed over the years.

 

[Noel]

Pederson?

Sad about Cav a great sprinter and rider who has matured and mellowed over the years.

Indeed, Mads Pedersen, it was Philipsen who beat Cavendish the other day and it was Pedersen who beat Philipsen by a valve stem yesterday.

Wonder if Cavendish had an issue on S7? He's usually out of the saddle at this point:

Edit- had gear issues, "had to sit down to get back to 11..."
Pity.