2024 Pro thread

[dereksmalls]

Cav beat the time cut by a couple of minutes, assisted by a group of his team mates. He looks fscked.

The strange thing about Cav (historically) is that his terrible climbing ability has been more than matched by his incredible resilience. In his heyday he would still struggle in at the very back of the gruppetto at best or more likely trailing minutes behind even the other sprinters... and then he'd dominate the late race flat stages even more than he did in week one.

Maybe this effort will fire him up to give one last full blast go at Tuesday's stage. On the sprint days after his win it's looked like he's let himself get squeezed out of position on the run in much more easily than he usually would have.

I doubt I'd be able to get over those hills everyday and calculate exactly how much time is needed to make the cut. As long as he recovers, doesn't catch COVID, stays away from Geraint who is riding whilst +ve (so irresponsible, the tour should pull him out IMO) anything can happen

[Miller]

To me it felt like Remco accepted being third today and not going all out after being dropped, just enough to keep a gap down to the rest but not obliterating himself like the two others.

Agreed. Remco is quietly having an excellent tour. His game management, so to say, is top notch. I don't think he'll have a bad day and that 3rd on podium looks secure.

[maquisard]

Even if we look at teenagers, their numbers blow out the numbers from kids 20 years ago. The competition from the ground up is just at a much higher level, then you throw in all the science, technology and nutrition on top of it.

100% agree with this. I was riding the Col du Joux Plane the other day from Samoens and in the evening went back and watched the 2006 Floyd Landis stage in which he attacked and took back time into Morzine. It looks like a totally different sport to the one that is racef today.

So easy to look at Pogacar's time and say he must be doping, but it really is a very very different sport to the 1990 and 2000s. The EPO and blood doping era did increase performances, but it also equally stifled innovations.

[CrankAddictsRich]

To me it felt like Remco accepted being third today and not going all out after being dropped, just enough to keep a gap down to the rest but not obliterating himself like the two others.

Agreed. Remco is quietly having an excellent tour. His game management, so to say, is top notch. I don't think he'll have a bad day and that 3rd on podium looks secure.

There's a peice of me that thinks it might even be possible that we see a day when Jonas completely cracks in the third week and Remco steals a bunch of time from him... as long as he stays smart and doesn't blow himself up.

[Karvalo]

Don't know why almost everyone on WW is such a Pog hater.

I don't know what posts you think you're reading

Almost everyone? Hater? Seriously?

[kbbpll]

My observation overall, team tactics and all considered, is that the race is dominated by one or two superhumans. Of course this has been going on for decades. But on today's stage for example the bulk of riders were 5-20 minutes behind. I mean, these are the top professionals in the whole sport. Even in the top 5 overall, 3rd-5th place are 5-11 minutes behind. I know there are many various explanations, but for the casual fan such a lack of competition gets boring.

[howaboutme]

My observation overall, team tactics and all considered, is that the race is dominated by one or two superhumans. Of course this has been going on for decades. But on today's stage for example the bulk of riders were 5-20 minutes behind. I mean, these are the top professionals in the whole sport. Even in the top 5 overall, 3rd-5th place are 5-11 minutes behind. I know there are many various explanations, but for the casual fan such a lack of competition gets boring.

I don't think it's a lack of competition. You are describing a snapshot in time after 2 weeks of very hard and exciting racing. Pog didn't gain that time in 1 instance. They don't have 50k time trails anymore, nor do they have TTT's (I hope they bring it back). It is very hard for someone to gain that amount of time in a short instance unless there's a bonk. This year's race is exciting if you take it 1 stage at a time. It will still be exciting. Unfortunately, a casual fine will likely find cycling boring except for the last 100m of a sprint stage. This is a niche sport. You are either pationate about it or you are not.

[ND4SPD]

Tour de France 2024 Stage 14

The data shows that Pogačar did 6.85 ᵉW/Kg for 27:50 min. For sea level normalized, it is 7.16 ᵉW/Kg. It is possibly the greatest climbing performance of all time.

https://lanternerouge.com/2024/07/13/po ... -stage-14/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6OccoFV2Wc

Tour de France 2024 Stage 15

Pogačar did 6.98 ᵉW/Kg for 39:50 min, which is by far the greatest climbing performance ever, taking into account conditions and the stage difficulty. Sea normalised power for this historic effort is 7.27 ᵉW/Kg. Pogačar’s adjusted altitude score was 696, which means this performance was equivalent to pushing 6.96 ᵉW/Kg for 60 minutes at sea level.

https://lanternerouge.com/2024/07/14/gr ... -stage-15/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUfW1qJbOTc

[Jaisen]

Tour de France 2024 Stage 14

The data shows that Pogačar did 6.85 ᵉW/Kg for 27:50 min. For sea level normalized, it is 7.16 ᵉW/Kg. It is possibly the greatest climbing performance of all time.

https://lanternerouge.com/2024/07/13/po ... -stage-14/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6OccoFV2Wc

Tour de France 2024 Stage 15

Pogačar did 6.98 ᵉW/Kg for 39:50 min, which is by far the greatest climbing performance ever, taking into account conditions and the stage difficulty. Sea normalised power for this historic effort is 7.27 ᵉW/Kg. Pogačar’s adjusted altitude score was 696, which means this performance was equivalent to pushing 6.96 ᵉW/Kg for 60 minutes at sea level.

https://lanternerouge.com/2024/07/14/gr ... -stage-15/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUfW1qJbOTc

Yep and also from the article: Jonas did 6.85 ᵉW/Kg for 40:58 min. His altitude score was the second highest in history with 685. Remco pushed 6.53 ᵉW/Kg for 42:41, Evenepoel’s performance still is the third best in the 21st century.

Plus if we look at Stage 14, the first 13 riders to finish all beat the previous record on that climb.

ETA: For a little humour, keeping in mind Jonas performed spectacularly, I saw this on Reddit peletonmemes:

The feeling when Jonas attacks and you are on the limit:

[repoman]

Indeed, quite incredible performances today.

This really is a whole new level - but is is important to point out it is a combination of factors, physiology + cycling technology, it isn't just athlete alone.

People can cope all they want, but it's advances in drugs and doing weird things like inhaling carbon monoxide and god knows what else.
Today was truly absurd for just that last climb alone, but you combine Pogs entire season into the discussion and it becomes beyond ridiculous.
I hope no one ever mentions Landis' stage 17 or anything from the past anymore lmao

[spud]

Indeed, quite incredible performances today.

This really is a whole new level - but is is important to point out it is a combination of factors, physiology + cycling technology, it isn't just athlete alone.

People can cope all they want, but it's advances in drugs and doing weird things like inhaling carbon monoxide and god knows what else.
Today was truly absurd for just that last climb alone, but you combine Pogs entire season into the discussion and it becomes beyond ridiculous.
I hope no one ever mentions Landis' stage 17 or anything from the past anymore lmao

Inhaling carbon monoxide? You can't be serious...

[raisinberry777]

Inhaling carbon monoxide? You can't be serious...

https://escapecollective.com/exclusive- ... de-recipe/

[howaboutme]

The feeling when Jonas attacks and you are on the limit:

That was definitely the flex of the decade in the sport. Can anyone think of another one even close?

[ND4SPD]

The feeling when Jonas attacks and you are on the limit:

[maquisard]

Inhaling carbon monoxide? You can't be serious...

https://escapecollective.com/exclusive- ... de-recipe/

Again - as previously discussed. That article is a bit of a mess. Whilst interesting the conclusions drawn are nonsense.