this post was submitted on 05 Jul 2024
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Stage 7 of the Tour de France 2024 (racecenter.letour.fr)
submitted 4 months ago by [email protected] to c/procycling
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The first Time Trial of the Tour.

Evenepoel should be the main favorite, but Pogacar did some serious performances at the Giro, and Vingegaard on past Tours has dominated the discipline.

The difference between Pogacar and Vingegaard could shape the Tour. If the later is able to recover time, it will be interesting, but if Pogacar gains even more time, the Tour could be almost over.

Cicone starts at 16.44 and with two minutes between them until Pogacar starts at 17.00

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 months ago (4 children)

Hey y'all, so, what are these time trial skills, exactly? Keep your head down, pedal hard? What else?

Thanks!

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 months ago (1 children)

It also takes a lot of skill to be able to corner right while being in the extensions. It's a very different skill, because you don't have easy access to the brakes. Calculate that corner wrong, and you're off the road, or in the fence.

But if you're Tom Pidcock, it's less of a problem

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Gotcha, thanks.

And that Pidcock video... oof.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 months ago

World Champion Cyclo cross rider

World Champion cross country mountain bike rider

and one hell of a descender

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago (1 children)

"keep your head down". I challenge you to go out on your bike and ride looking directly down for even one minute, let alone 29. The focus to hold a precise body shape when utterly exhausted, against all self-preservation instinct, is a mental skill that even the greatest struggle with. Go watch Dan bigham go toe to toe with Philippo Ganna on the track. Ganna is 10 times the athlete, but it's close because Dan has laser focus and unparalleled attention to detail.

That’s before we even touch cornering which is every bit as skillful as motorsport and can make many seconds of difference easily on a course like yesterday.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Thanks, I didn't mean to make light of the skills they have at all. This gives me a better idea of what to watch for during these ITT stages.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago

To be honest I don't think you can really see when they're doing it right unless you've got professional aerodynamics experience. ITT is terrible to watch on TV (but great in person).

I find even highlights a pretty hard watch. Wish they would do KOM segments or a flying kilo for sprint points to spice it up for some of the 95% of riders that don't have anything at stake.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago

Used to watch this race when it was streamed for free. It was the only sport I enjoyed watching because of the announcers and scenery.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago

The GC of this Tour is one of the most interesting I can remember for a long time. There are close battles for the overall win, the podium and the top ten and lots of riders are looking very strong. It seems a lot of people have already written off Roglic but he looked great today and could make some gains in the later weeks if Evenepoel's inexperience or Vingegaard's questionable fitness start to affect them.