All roads lead to Aigle: Pro Cycling 2020

[Lobachevsky]

amazing tour

[Lobachevsky]

the next generation of rivalries in team ineos should be interesting

[Ray de Galles]

What a surprisingly gripping Giro this has been and two exciting TT finishes in Grand Tours this year, even if today didn't match the TDF's.

Why was TGH in a white topped skinsuit today?

[ursus arctos]

Best young rider jersey

[longeared]

White jersey for best young rider, Hindley should have worn it but TGH took it over while Hindley was in pink. Obviously he's won it by right now.

Wiggins got it right on comms when he wondered if either rider would get this chance again. TGH only got to do this race at all because he wasn't perceived to be good enough for INEOS to take him to the Tour - he just missed out (can't remember who to) and was diverted to support Thomas in this - he wasn't specifically held back to target this race in any way. What they'll do with him now I have no idea, he's won a Grand Tour and now has to take his chance in selection against Thomas / Yates / Bernal / Sivakov / Carapaz / Porte / Martinez.

[longeared]

Still, he's come a long way since I saw him towards the rear of the peloton as the 2017 Tour of Britain passed through Clumber Park.

[Ray de Galles]

Best young rider jersey

Duh, of course it is! I forgot about all the other jerseys in the drama of the last few days with the pink one changing hands so much.

[Billy Casper]

Biggest outsider to win a Grand Tour since when?

Oscar Pereiro in the 2006 TdeF? Although even he'd finished tenth a couple of times before.

[ad hoc]

To complete an annoyingly good day for the Frack Squad, Carapaz has taken red in Spain

[delicatemoth]

he's won a Grand Tour and now has to take his chance in selection against Thomas / Yates / Bernal / Sivakov / Carapaz / Porte / Martinez.

I wouldn't expect Porte or Yates (it is Adam they've signed, isn't it? If it's Simon I take that back) to be put up for GC rides, and possibly not Thomas either. Barring injury I'd anticipate Bernal and Carapaz each getting a leadership, leaving one for the others to fight over.

Terrific stuff from Hart in seizing his chance, chapeau.

Great to see Hugh Carthy doing well, I do like British riders who evade the clammy clutch of the Gross Chapel.

[longeared]

Penny for Egan Bernal's thoughts at the events of the last hour.

Forgot to say that I particularly enjoyed the bloke who hugged TGH from over the barrier while twice shouting "FUCKING GC, MAN" on live television.

[Billy Casper]

[Billy Casper]

Here he is at the Tour de Yorkshire in 2017. The group was about ten seconds behind the lone leader (and eventual winner) Serge Pauwels.

[delicatemoth]

Eek, Movistar will be in mourning after missing their most important target.

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

Penny for Egan Bernal's thoughts at the events of the last hour.

Forgot to say that I particularly enjoyed the bloke who hugged TGH from over the barrier while twice shouting "FUCKING GC, MAN" on live television.

He was funny once. Then when he started trying to photobomb the official photos the guys from the likes of Gazetta Della Sport were taking (even doing the rabbit fingers thing that twats do behind Tao's head) I was praying for the Polizia to come and shoot the prick.

[Felicity, I guess so]

Finally caught up last night. Giro was great even if the frakkers won it in the end. I was willing Almeida to cling on.

All the more bizarre that Eurosport started messing around with the highlights, having them on at midnight etc to prioritise the Vuelta. As did ITV4- did they think Froome was in with a chance?

[ad hoc]

The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao.

[delicatemoth]

I apologise to this thread and its denizens for previously defending Kirby. It won't happen again.

That was a good stage though. Carthy's attack was optimistic and cost him the energy which might have enabled him to stay with the front two.

[Ray de Galles]

Yeah, been too busy all day to comment earlier but really loved the constant attacking and counter-attacking up that final climbs, The finish to yesterday's stage was a belter too.

[Ray de Galles]

Dull stage today though, Sam Bennett first across the line but relegated afterwards for barging giving the win to Ackermann :

https://twitter.com/nielshurkmans/status/1321850980917514246?s=21

[longeared]

Some fine Vuelta weirdness in the offing as they've announced next year's edition will begin with a time trial starting from inside Burgos Cathedral.

[longeared]

Fucking hell, Hugh Carthy. Carapaz back in red too, by about eight seconds over Roglic. The Angliru is still a ridiculous climb though.

[elguapo4]

Yeah, that was gruelling just watching it. I think I'd find it hard to walk up some of those gradients.

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

That looked brutal. So Tuesday's ITT is Roglic's chance for redemption for what happened at the Tour, this time with him in the role of riding away from the GC leader behind him.

[Ray de Galles]

Yeah, that was a great watch today - especially the final climb. Though Conrad's reaction to Carty's win appears to confirm my suspicions of recent weeks that he's his grandfather.