Gravel Grinding in the TdF!
 

Stage 18, retro Cino/Eroica style!

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...bbc32a1f31.jpg

Makes you think that they should add a jersey - why not give points to those that forego the help of mechanical support and fix their own problems on the road? How about a 5 minute bonus if you fix your own flat? A 5 hour bonus if you pull a Eugène Christophe and fix your own frame?

In the Merckx era, there were stages with "white" roads and much less was made of them.
I think one has to go back to the early 60's to see bikes with spares and a pump. Then, in stages where support was expected to be delayed.
If a rider had to make his own repairs today, bye bye through axles. Pretty telling the mechanic that could not remove a through axle early in the tour this year.

Nice!

I don't hesitate one bit to ride my modern carbon road bike on dirt/gravel/mellow single track.

I think I see @northbend in the lead.

Always

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...6faa6c81cf.jpg

That thru-axle incident was a freak occurrence, seems that there was an object stuck between tire and frame, jammed up the axle so it couldn't slide out.

But for sure never could have happened with a QR axle!

Not sure if you’re referring to Porte’s flat. Mavic support was on it pretty quick, but apparently didn’t have what he needed so he had to wait for the team car to work it’s way up. The marginal gains get tossed quickly when any front wheel isn’t every front wheel any more.

Standardization would help!
major players are close, but not all onboard.

the evolution was slower decades ago.
early 70’s everyone used 120 mm rear spacing then 6 cogs came in to get that 13 without sacrifice.

Index, but there was a friction option

then, 7, then 8- Shimano and Campagnolo rarely on equal spacing on the run up to11
11 was pretty close...

are the Campag teams running 12 now?

EXCEPT when he's riding sweep, to make sure the frail, broken bodies of us mere mortals don't die alone and forgotten out there somewhere on the blistering, dusty prairie. ;)

(Yes, I'm in that picture, too. I remember that day and always will)

More Gravel!

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...65174d65e6.jpg

Gotta say that was fun to watch. The entire Tour has been crazy this year with some seriously steep climbs and non-stop agressive, hard competition thanks to the rule that if any rider tests positive for Covid the tour will be called and the leader declared the winner. Been one of the most entertaining races to watch in awhile.

Looks like the rider in the Calvert and Crossland jersey is falling off the back. Let's hope he's able to make it to the finish within the elimination time.

All the wheel changes I've seen with disc-equipped bikes have been slow. This must be a matter of the sponsors pushing the disc brakes, because I can't imagine the disc brakes offering enough of an advantage to justify the problems they introduce. Somebody like Alaphilippe might be able to push the limits enough to get an extra few seconds on a descent, but the guys with rim brakes don't appear to have had a problem keeping pace with everyone else. I remember GCN doing a piece on disc brakes and I think they found that you could descend noticeably faster, but I'm pretty sure that's only true if you're on your own. In a pack I would expect the late braking to be nullified by the need do more or less what everyone else is doing, especially if some of the other riders are using rim brakes. I can't brake any later than the guy in front of me does.

Had to look really closely to find the khaki shorts ... :)

Agreed. The organizers should come up with an excuse to dock Sagan 50 points in the green jersey competition early in the second week every year. That definitely added some spice. I like the placement and profile of the time trial this year too. I don't like the idea of strong time trialers being able to dominate year after year. I have anger in my stomach over the way Cadel Evans beat Andy Schleck in 2011. I love having a year like this where the best climbers rise to the top and then the last day before Paris they say, "One last mountain. No one sucking your wheel. As fast as you can climb it. No reason to leave anything in the tank." I think it's going to be pretty awesome. Of course, without a traditional ITT we wouldn't have what to me is the best moment in TdF history with LeMond's win in '89.

So, you still think @scozim was trying to kill us?

Andy, the Caveman said it better than I could. The riders are rare that are, at once, il Capo and Super Domestique. Matt is a combination of LeMond and Roll. Or should I say, LeMond and Roll combined are like...

Yeah, as I recall just after the lunch stop that day I was struggling in the wind and Matt dropped back to pull me back into the peloton before rejoining the breakaway. You're quite right. It takes two men combined to be the Matt Pendergast of professional cyclists. :thumb:

So dramatic :lol: