Just about sums it up for TJV
I don’t usually watch the last day with much interest, but today will be special 
A lot of rather thinly veiled innuendo in the French press today (and over the last week tbf), and Roman Feillu has been openly sceptical about WVA, Rog and Pog.
I really, really hope he is/they are wrong.
1 Like
WVA was this good literally since childhood, so it’s not really a surprise he is also this good on the world tour stage.
It’s sad that any great success in this sport comes with doubts. Of course, especially with successes that surprise anyone, including all the experts. So I totally understand it. I think for now we can just celebrate the results as is and hope the WADA is doing their job and everybody was clean.
1 Like
I’ve only been watching the Tour for a couple years. Is the French contingent always this salty? The baseless innuendo, the long and pointless camera coverage of Pinot off the back when there’s a GC battle happening at the front, giving Most Combative to Alaphilippe instead of Carapaz, is it all par for the course?
Pretty much - they have their “Great French Hope” who’ll shine brightly for a while then fade so then it becomes a matter of sniping at the rest of the field. Think along the lines of the English football team and the British (English) press.
2 Likes
In a word, yes.
There’s no doubt the doping scandals of the last 25 years (especially with Lance) have ingrained a huge amount of scepticism in the French press. They are also desperate for a French winner (for reasons which @bobw explains well).
And the ‘most combative rider’ award might as well be renamed the ‘most French rider to feature near the front’ award 
1 Like
I think we are all are worried they could be doping. I have watched cycling for a long time and when you have an outlier you get worried.
WVA since he is doing stuff never seen.
Pog since he is doing stuff never seen.
I was worried Quintana doped last year when he set the record for fastest climb. Following day he showed he wasn’t by coming back down to earth and losing time. WVA never had an off day and POG had the fastest climb over riders from 2003 after working his ass off the day prior. I’m happy for these guys but 1% of me thinks it’s suspect.
I remember being happy for Landis only to have that ripped away
4 Likes
Correct. If we have learned anything over the last 30 years, it is that if something seems unbelievable, it usually is.
As for WVA, as noted, he has shown his ability for a long time. The biggest reason I am not raising a huge eyebrow for his performance is that I think he is just hit a huge purple patch of fitness. He had been going so hard for so long…and then he was forced into a long period of rest. Between his injury last year and COVID, he was on a massive taper.
Now if he continues his dominance into next year, then I’ll let my cynicism rise back up.
All a Philippe was on a similar purple patch last year…he caught lightning in a bottle and was on a tear, but has come back to his “normal” levels this year.
1 Like
Nope. I take it for what it is — entertainment.
I’ll save my cynicism for things that actually matter, like why during the largest stage for cycling, no rider, no team, no sponsor, no race organiser, or no governing body has made even a symbolic gesture regarding racism in cycling, when most other international sports have already done so.
Yes, when you have an outlier, you get worried.
Hope Sagan gets his win today! 
3 Likes
Might be coming today:
3 Likes
This is my feeling. I, in the words of Moulder, want to believe but I came across an article in a MMA subreddit with an interview with a ped supplier talking about athletics and he asserts that pretty much no one is clean just smart and ahead of anti doping.
Article is here.
That being said if everyone is dirty then this year is still amazing.
2 Likes
Guess Pog was smarter than Rog. 
In conjunction with that, and briefly mentioned earlier in this thread, the state of women’s cycling is an absolute insulting embarrassment.
Why the &$%#*! am I worried about a bunch of million dollar men doping in order to secure more wealth and glory when the sport is doing almost nothing to advance the other half of cycling?
Cycling really is old school but def not in a good way.
9 Likes
That more than 6 watts per kg for almost an hour. That’s seriously fast at the end of a 21 day race - but he’s probably at his peak fitness ever.
I think 2020 will actually result in a step change in performance because these guys have trained without racing and have had a lot more rest.
Thats me hoping we are done with doping which I’m so tired of. I wonder if there’s any way to level the field.
100% agree. I think one of the real problems with cycling is it’s a difficult sport to monetize - I’m sure many of the TDF teams run at a loss.
Justin Williams and L39GION might have a thing or two to say about that. It’s difficult to monetise with the current/long-standing business model which provides wealth & security to only a very small number of entities.
2020 was a disastrous year for many people and organisations, but it also provided an immense opportunity to re-think and re-format ‘business as usual’ into something better. Unfortunately, cycling didn’t do that.
I’m off the Tour wagon today, has Sagan won yet? 
1 Like
The riders really need to figure out a way to get a say in the sport.
2 Likes
Definitely not going to get Pogacar’s from the TT. Just full gas by feel, no HR or power.
2 Likes
Which adds to my skepticism. If I were JVM I would have roglic, dumulon, WVA post their power data.
Pog does have his pre bike change power though.
2 Likes
1 Like