# TdF2021 - ALLEZ! **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** bicycling-cycling\ **Created:** [June 22, 2021, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tdf2021-allez/944839 "2021-06-22T14:42:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2021, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tdf2021-allez/944839/61 "2021-06-29T12:15:56Z")
Horner’s first comment on NBCSN yesterday was essentially, ‘Sagan doesn’t mind throwing shoulders and bars for position and Ewan was caught between Sagan and the barrier’. Now, is that throwing shade on Sagan? It’s not exactly absolving him of any blame for Ewan going down and taking Sagan with him. Maybe I’m just being harsh on Horner. I notice he didn’t try it again this morning in pre-race commentary; just said that the crash was Ewan’s fault. So perhaps he changed his mind after watching several replays. Symbolic protest this morning and back to racing. Glad Roglic and Geraint are still in it. Though it’s going to be an uphill battle for both to stay in the top seed. Ewan is out. This is the break that Cavendish was looking for. ---
**Author:** ![Drsunflower1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drsunflower1/32/12711_2.png) [@Drsunflower1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drsunflower1)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2021, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tdf2021-allez/944839/62 "2021-06-29T12:45:04Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > This is the break that Cavendish was looking for. My thought exactly. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2021, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tdf2021-allez/944839/63 "2021-06-29T12:58:27Z")
I’m wondering whether there is something to this protest with respect to cycling becoming more dangerous for the riders and who to blame. Can this really be laid at the feet of the tour organizers and UCI? How much of this is simply the teams and riders putting pressure on themselves to take bigger chances when dealing with terrain rather than taking a safe, more cautious, approach to racing. It seems like winning at all costs is a decision the riders are making on the course because while UCI and route planners are responsible for the roads they choose, it’s the riders that make the decisions about what risks they are willing to take. ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2021, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tdf2021-allez/944839/64 "2021-06-29T13:20:54Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > Horner’s first comment on NBCSN yesterday was essentially, ‘Sagan doesn’t mind throwing shoulders and bars for position and Ewan was caught between Sagan and the barrier’. Now, is that throwing shade on Sagan? It’s not exactly absolving him of any blame for Ewan going down and taking Sagan with him. No, that’s not throwing shade on Sagan. Riders are entitled to their sprint line, and if you try to push them off of it you should expect them to push back. Sagan in particular is unlikely to move over to make space for you out of the generosity of his heart. Ewan had gotten himself a bit boxed in. That was his problem, not Sagan’s. He needed to sit behind Merlier till Sagan kicked and then he could have swung left around both of them - probably too late, because that corner was really fricking close to the line. That’s a positioning error on Ewan’s part. Winning sprints isn’t just about who has the highest 15-second watts. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2021, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tdf2021-allez/944839/65 "2021-06-29T13:22:35Z")
Fair enough. Perhaps I was judging Horner’s phrasing unfairly. ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2021, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tdf2021-allez/944839/66 "2021-06-29T15:17:12Z")
Stage 4 has a much happier ending than Stage 3. Script was a bit cliche, but sometimes the tried and true storyline is the most satisfying. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2021, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tdf2021-allez/944839/67 "2021-06-29T15:23:28Z")
I look forward to watching the anti-climactic events play out. Thanks for not giving away the ending. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![gregorio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/fbc32d/32.png) [@gregorio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gregorio)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2021, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tdf2021-allez/944839/68 "2021-06-29T15:27:47Z")
There’s another Tour de France happening concurrently with the big show. Lauchlan Morton from EF Pro Cycling is riding the route solo and attempting to beat the peloton to Paris. He’s riding all the stages **and** the transfers where the peloton would be bussing or flying between stages. You can read about it and follow his dot here: [The Alt Tour | Rapha](https://www.rapha.cc/us/en_US/stories/the-alt-tour) Morton has done some pretty epic rides on the “alt calendar” as EF calls it. Lots to view on the EF youtube channel. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2021, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tdf2021-allez/944839/69 "2021-06-29T15:33:11Z")
Okay. I think this is what the word “Epic” is truly meant for. ---
**Author:** ![Drsunflower1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drsunflower1/32/12711_2.png) [@Drsunflower1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drsunflower1)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2021, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tdf2021-allez/944839/70 "2021-06-29T15:55:57Z")
> [@Gorsnak](#): > > Stage 4 has a much happier ending than Stage 3. Script was a bit cliche, but sometimes the tried and true storyline is the most satisfying. You mean Cavendish winst in the end 😉? ---
**Author:** ![Precambrianmollusc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/precambrianmollusc/32/63_2.png) [@Precambrianmollusc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Precambrianmollusc)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2021, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tdf2021-allez/944839/71 "2021-06-29T15:57:00Z")
"5,500km and climbing over 65,000 metres in just 23 days. " They are going to need a bigger word ! ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2021, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tdf2021-allez/944839/72 "2021-06-29T15:57:13Z")
> [@Drsunflower1](#): > > You mean Cavendish winst in the end 😉? Bastard. ---
**Author:** ![Drsunflower1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drsunflower1/32/12711_2.png) [@Drsunflower1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drsunflower1)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2021, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tdf2021-allez/944839/73 "2021-06-29T16:14:06Z")
Oh gosh sorry should’ve blurred. My apologies! He’s nearing the great Eddie Merckx for the record number of stages won. Three to go! ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2021, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tdf2021-allez/944839/74 "2021-06-29T16:16:57Z")
Do we need a formal spoiler policy in this thread? Might be a good idea. I mean, some days I watch live, some days I watch in the North American evening. On days when I watch live, it can be fun to chat about events as they unfold, but obviously knowing the end result takes a lot of the suspense out of the race. How best to balance these things? ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2021, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tdf2021-allez/944839/75 "2021-06-29T16:21:45Z")
Now I’m curious to watch and see if Sagan was in the hunt. > [@Gorsnak](#): > > How best to balance these things? I’m in the same boat. I say leave each to his/her conscience about how they want to share during the weeks. Maybe weekends are for play by play posting? Thoughts? ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2021, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tdf2021-allez/944839/76 "2021-06-29T16:29:31Z")
Well, if it’s just _my_ preferences we’re talking about, I’d suggest using spoiler tags on results prior to early evening in North America on weekdays, and nothing on weekends. I sometimes sneak some streaming in at the office, particularly on sprint days when I only need to watch for 10 minutes to see the main action, but big mountain stages I’ll save for after work. I also enjoy coming up with meaningful but cryptic unspoilered comments. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2021, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tdf2021-allez/944839/77 "2021-06-29T16:32:06Z")
Seconded. ---
**Author:** ![Drsunflower1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drsunflower1/32/12711_2.png) [@Drsunflower1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drsunflower1)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2021, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tdf2021-allez/944839/78 "2021-06-29T16:51:06Z")
Sounds like a good idea. I’ll do my best. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2021, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tdf2021-allez/944839/79 "2021-06-29T21:52:33Z")
Two riders broke away and the various teams put the brakes on the peloton to let them go. What’s the rational for that in this kind of stage? The joy of the hunt?? ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2021, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tdf2021-allez/944839/80 "2021-06-29T21:55:44Z")
Touching tribute to Paul Sherwen: > **[Paul Sherwen Project launches to carry on legacy of its namesake - NBC Sports](https://sports.nbcsports.com/2021/06/25/tour-de-france-paul-sherwen-project-launch-uganda/)** > > The late Paul Sherwen was a world-renowned Tour de France commentator and supporter of Uganda. Now, The Paul Sherwen Project will help continue his legacy. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tdf2021-allez/944839.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tdf2021-allez/944839.md?page=5)