• The Cycling News forum is looking to add some volunteer moderators with Red Rick's recent retirement. If you're interested in helping keep our discussions on track, send a direct message to @SHaines here on the forum, or use the Contact Us form to message the Community Team.

    In the meanwhile, please use the Report option if you see a post that doesn't fit within the forum rules.

    Thanks!

2023 Tour de France route rumors

Page 65 - Get up to date with the latest news, scores & standings from the Cycling News Community.
I think the weather on Puy de Dome will be key. We know Ving does pretty well on the hot days and we know Pog seems to hate them. The Puy de Dome stage has the chance to be the most miserably hot, sunny day of the Tour. Add in some wicked gradients and it could be the stage the makes the Tour a one rider race.

However if they get a freakishly cold or cloudy day on the volcano, who knows, maybe Pog handles it. But the weather that day will matter
 
I think the weather on Puy de Dome will be key. We know Ving does pretty well on the hot days and we know Pog seems to hate them. The Puy de Dome stage has the chance to be the most miserably hot, sunny day of the Tour. Add in some wicked gradients and it could be the stage the makes the Tour a one rider race.

However if they get a freakishly cold or cloudy day on the volcano, who knows, maybe Pog handles it. But the weather that day will matter
One of the best performances ever from pogacar was in a hot day. Spandelles+hautacam.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sandisfan
It's all in relative terms so you quickly go into semantics.

The idea he's not as good in the heat is easily valid cause nearly all of his most dominant performances have been in rain or colder weather, often when other riders do suffer from the cold. When he got dropped hard on Ventoux it was hot, and Pogacar also underperformed his expectations in the heat in Tokyo.

And it may not just be heat, it may be the adaptation to going from cold to warm weather, or the adaptation going from hot dry weather to hot humid weather or something like that. In the Tour last year he was prepared for heat and it was hot for 3 weeks.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Krzysztof_O
I think it's been more his lack of teammates and his style of full gas racing meaning like at the Tour he's been more fatigued in the heat - the stage up the Hautacam last year, Pogacar was dropped from sheer exhaustion it seemed.
Pogacar was exhausted on hautacam, and he still did 6.1 w/kg. He did that after 17 stages, in one of the most fastest tour ever, and after doing 6.15 w/kg during half an hour on col spandelles. One of his best performances. Forget about vingegaard. Pogacar was more fast 2 min than thomas on that stage.
 
3rd and 4th favourites likely to not start (Remco and Rog) and the 2 favourites are so overwhelming, there is some great value odds where both could easily crash out, get covid etc. Yates at 80-1, Hindley and Carapaz about 30-1
That is how I am going to bet it if Remco and Rog aren’t starting. Just grab a couple of the next tier at really good value as Jonas and Pogacar will each be close to even money
 
Does anyone apart from Démare actually think he'd be able to win a Tour stage this year?

I like the guy, but I can't seem him beating all of the other fast sprinters, and if that isn't realistic, then there's no point of risking possible drama if him and Gaudu can't get along. Also since Gaudu has been plan A all year, I think it would be premature to jump ship just because of a bad performance last week.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Red Rick
Does anyone apart from Démare actually think he'd be able to win a Tour stage this year?

I like the guy, but I can't seem him beating all of the other fast sprinters, and if that isn't realistic, then there's no point of risking possible drama if him and Gaudu can't get along. Also since Gaudu has been plan A all year, I think it would be premature to jump ship just because of a bad performance last week.
They've seen Pinot's training numbers and decided he's gonna win the Tour de France.

Nah but Demare sounds like IPT
 
Does anyone apart from Démare actually think he'd be able to win a Tour stage this year?

I like the guy, but I can't seem him beating all of the other fast sprinters, and if that isn't realistic, then there's no point of risking possible drama if him and Gaudu can't get along. Also since Gaudu has been plan A all year, I think it would be premature to jump ship just because of a bad performance last week.

Yes, I do.
I'm not saying I would have taken him... but that's mostly due to the profile of the Tour. I think he would have had a chance as good as most sprinters. Of course he's used to his whole train... but most could probably used for Gaudu as well. I think he's often underrated and overlooked in comparison to other sprinters. And I'm saying that as someone who's absolutely bored by his riding.
 
Yes, I do.
I'm not saying I would have taken him... but that's mostly due to the profile of the Tour. I think he would have had a chance as good as most sprinters. Of course he's used to his whole train... but most could probably used for Gaudu as well. I think he's often underrated and overlooked in comparison to other sprinters. And I'm saying that as someone who's absolutely bored by his riding.
I just think Gaudu deserves full support after his performance last year and with the small amount of ITT km. That's a shame for Démare, but this year he hasn't looked like someone who can challenge the best.
 

TRENDING THREADS