General Sports Thread

Hmmm I hope he is clean . Sadly when things like this happen in sport . I begin to suspect .

 

Grand Tour cyclists are about the most comprehensively tested athletes in sport. Essentially they are all superhuman, although freaks like Pogačar come on the scene every so often. He counted himself lucky to even be on his first Tour de France, but he’s been challenging for a podium place from the start, and won 3 stages including the Time Trial. If he was doping, he’d have been caught by now.

It’s his 22nd birthday today, it is incredible what he has just done.

 

Thank you .

 

It’s why they are ahead of the curve with the roids they take

 

Yeah right, and the moon is made of green cheese.

 

yes, us grand fatter cyclists are superhuman. That is what you said isn’t it?

 

The performance they go through is incredible. Frightening. Just for an unrealistic comparison, but a comparison just the same...

I went out for a ride this evening. I rode for 58km at an average speed of 30km/h (that’s right at the top of my game). It had some up hill and down hill sections but clearly nothing like they do. I’m lighter and fitter than I’ve been for over 20 years (nearly at my wedding weight!) but they do an average speed of 40km/hour with an average stage length of 165km and they do that 21 days out of 23!!!

That’s 30% quicker than me and for nearly 3 times the distance.

It’s mental.

 

Big here in the Netherlands not many hills.

 

Yes, my boss is Dutch. Keeps telling me how far and fast he cycles.... I just think “ok then flat road boy, bring your bike over here”

 

We're more the steady, take it easy on the scenic route and take enough refreshments for a picnic or BBQ.

 

Imagine doing just under 3,500 km in 3 weeks, with just 2 rest days! And that included, in this Tour, stages in the Alps, the Pyrenées, the Massif Central, the Vosges, and the Jura. There was one stage where they had to climb Grand Colombier 3 times by different routes. Another stage where the last 7 km had an average slope of 20%. Just mental, as you say. One descent from a summit had the leaders clocking 97 kph, that’s 60 mph, on twisty turny mountain roads with no barriers between them and drops of thousands of feet.

I know I’ve been banging on about Tadej Pogačar, but in a sport where most yellow jersey contestants don’t come into their prime until their late 20’s or early 30’s, he is unbelievable. To win your very first TdF at 21 years old, it beggars comparison really. I just can’t think of an equivalent in any other sport.

A quick word about Sam Bennett, the Irishman who won the green jersey for the best sprinter. He completed the dream finish by winning the final stage on the Champs-Élysées already wearing the green jersey he had worn for the last couple of weeks.

 

Just finished watching “Lance” on the iPlayer, which is an enthralling account of Lance Armstrong’s drug-assisted rise to fame, his battle to overcome testicular cancer, his incredible dominance of world cycling, and his betrayal of teammates, culminating in his own downfall. His view seems to be that at the time he was racing, doping was so widespread that he had to join in to stay level with the pack. But then no one else ever won the Tour de France 7 times in a row.

Well worth a watch:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p08qzcqr/lance-part-1

 

I may have seen it Chilcs as I’ve seen a couple of docs on him. Is it a few years old? Fascinating stuff. There was one where a reporter followed him around as a guest. Incredible.

 

No this is a brand new one. Really well put together too.

 

cheers , I’ll get on it.

 

Nice to see someone else win the GP. Extraordinary race by CLC hauling the tractor to 6th and miles ahead of his teammate.

 

Evidence that @davecg69 is in the same Golf league as Justin Rose

https://www.skysports.com/watch/video/sports/golf/12078996/roses-shocker-off-the-tee

 

I always knew there was a professional golfer inside me trying to get out ......

 

I get great joy in watching pro golfers really mess up. Being a keen golfer myself makes me realise that they're not robots. I watched a video the other day of someone on the European tour 6 putting, he got further away with every putt

 

Only 6? Pah! Lightweight
My pet hate is bunkers .... current record is 11 out of one .... I’m nothing if not stubborn