#LeTour

[apisonadora60]

Le Tour de France

[maxinedoddart]

TDF 2023-6: James

Stage 6 was packed with action. It was the tussle between Jonas and Tadej - and a great stage for UK's James Shaw -Here is my take on the day in words and pictures...

STAGE 6: TARBES – CAUTERETS-CAMBASQUE If Stage 5 was about Jai and Jonas, today was about the Tadej Pogačar comeback, would there be one? He seemed to have no answer to Jonas’s attack yesterday. Was that a temporary blip or a sign of continued recovery from his recent wrist injury? Setting the scene Stage 6 was the second and last day in the Pyrenees. It was a short stage but packed with…

[warumichradfahre]

Ich will heute etwas über Nils Politt schreiben. Nein, ich kenne Nils Politt natürlich nicht und ich habe auch noch nie mit ihm persönlich zu tun gehabt. Und mache hier auch gar nicht den Ansatz, das zu behaupten. Aber Nils Politt beeindruckt mich. Momentan natürlich vor allem während meines Tour de France Konsums. Er fährt ja seit dieser Saison für das UAE Team Emirates. Und ist in der Tour unglaublich präsent. Der Kapitän des Teams, Tadej Pogačar, ist ja gerade der Führende der Tour und das ist er sicher auch aufgrund der exzellenten Arbeit seines Teams und vor allem auch von Nils Politt, der in vielen Etappen seinen Chef mit schneller Führungsarbeit im Feld einerseits schützt, andererseits aber auch das Tempo immer so hoch hält, dass die anderen Teams mitfahren und viel Energie aufbringen müssen. Ich finde, er fährt exzellent. Ich habe Nils Politt zum ersten Mal bei der Tour de France in Düsseldorf 2017 gesehen, damals fuhr er für das Team Katusha Alpecin. Beim Tourstart in der NRW Landeshauptstadt war ich damals bei der Teamvorstellung und mit meinem Freund Roger bei der ersten Etappe, dem Einzelzeitfahren, dabei und habe da auch Nils Politt angefeuert. Seither ist er jedes Jahr bei der Tour dabei gewesen und hat zwischenzeitlich auch große Erfolge gefeiert. Auf der Tour de France Seite zu ihm sind die alle aufgeführt. Ich habe Nils Politt schon mehrfach auch bei der Schmitternacht gesehen. Das ist ein Radrennen in Hürth Stotzheim, das meistens am Freitag nach der Tour de France ausgetragen wird. In den letzten Jahren hat Nils Politt dort regelmäßig gewonnen. Aber er ist auch während der gesamten Veranstaltung immer sehr präsent. Wenn alles gut geht wird Nils Politt auch bei der Schmitternacht am nächsten Freitag starten. Ich werde natürlich hinfahren und ihn anfeuern. Denn ich bin Fan. Meinen Zubringer zur Schmitternacht findet Ihr hier. Würde mich über Mitfahrerinnen und Mitfahrer freuen.            

[weshipyourride]

Why do we love the Tour de France?

Before even the first pedal stroke of stage 1, the 2024 edition of the Tour de France has already surprised us. The grandest of the Grand Tours is historically a July road classic. Its name, which literally means "tour of France," traditionally culminates in a largely ceremonial stage parading through Paris.

But this year the Tour de France will start in June. It will contain a “gravel stage.” It will spend the first two stages in Italy. And the final stage will be a potentially GC-determining individual time trial in Nice, France instead of a casual parade down the Champs-Élysées in Paris.

Photos by @ashleygruber @jeredgruber

Putting aside the fascinating structural changes that will make this Tour unique, the sheer competition from this extensive cast of talented riders and the story lines (that Netflix has so "eloquently" elevated) will undoubtedly make for 21 of the most riveting stages of bike racing, like only the Tour de France can provide. Will 2024 serve as the Pogačar-Vingegaard rubber match to break the 2-2 tie? Will Mark Cavendish sprint to his record-breaking 35th stage win in his last Tour?

The Tour chatter in the Bikeflights internal chat threads is heating up. Many of us have our Tour de France fantasy teams strategically set for stage 1. Because after all, we’re not just an official service of the Tour de France, we’re also big fans.

“I love the Tour, for it puts my daily drama into perspective," said Bikeflights President William Alcorn.

Customer Experience Lead Lifan Irwin finds watching the Tour to be an inspiration beyond simply being a cyclist, saying, “I’m not inspired specifically to ride to be honest, but more to strive for goals, and I find it a great motivator to keep rolling."

Some, like Customer Experience Associate Briana Valorosi use the Tour to indulge in a cycling discipline she otherwise doesn’t participate in, saying, "It's inspiring to see the superhuman strengths of these riders, and to spectate a sector of cycling that I don't personally engage in. I'm a mountain biker, but I have so much respect for these road riders and the way they continue to carry forth this historic event!"

Vice President Sue George similarly likes to view the Tour from the perspective of her preferred cycling discipline.

"My favorite riders are the mountain bikers! It's impressive how many of the current best riders have the skill sets and mindsets to race at the highest level on both dirt and pavement," she said.

Customer Engagement Manager Gordon Wadsworth relishes in the Tour’s ability to raise cycling to the consciousness of non-cyclists for at least one month per year.

“Most of all I love that cycling becomes a trending topic within more than just my small community. For the month of July everyone I know asks me about the Tour. And it’s delightful," he said.

But as a competitive cyclist himself, he can’t help viewing it through a competitive cyclist’s lens, saying, "As an athlete I love seeing my sport executed to perfection. I love the current phase of cycling being a confluence of heart and science," Gordon said.

Gordon summed up his feelings, saying, "To me it brings together incredible racing action, brilliant scenic beauty and true life stories like few other sports endeavors. When an entire country is the stadium the visuals never stop coming."

Customer Experience Associate Patricia Schwager can trace her pursuit of cycling to the Tour and quality time with her grandfather.

"I remember watching the Tour on TV as a kid with my grandfather. It definitely had an impact and is one of the things that inspired me to get a road bike and start racing bikes," she said.

And Customer Experience Associate Garrett Bonenberger, another Bikeflights Team member firmly in the mountain bike camp, couldn’t hide his bias when talking about watching the Tour, saying, "I always enjoy watching the different stages … seeing if someone will attempt to jump the peloton on a mountain bike again."

Regardless of the perspective on the Tour, the grandest and most exciting bike race in the world will no doubt give us plenty to talk about and be inspired by long after stage 21 ends.

[illiana-mystery]

Oh, John, you're too cute.

[sparrowstarsandsorrow]

How the average loner spends his nights alone

[emilynightshade89]

Willem Dafoe + text memes

The Prequel: pt. 1

[forestduck]

Feb 21, 2020 - Judith Letour Flight Aesthetic. Discover (and save!) your own Pins on Pinteres...

[tadejpogacar]

via marcelkittel instagram story & Letour twitter | 05.11.2023

[remcocoa]

Did you see this video? It has a contribution to the hands (and neck) collection at about 19 seconds in:

https://x.com/LeTour/status/1811067052796334369

i did! (it's already in the draft 👀)

for everyone's viewing pleasure:

[maxinedoddart]

Tour de France 2023: Stage 21 - A Capital Race!

Wow! What a climax to these incredible three weeks. A capital race in Paris.. Thank you for following along!

STAGE 21: SAINT-QUENTIN-EN-YVELINES TO PARIS CHAMPS-ÉLYSÉES Last time to Paris as the Olympics will be on this time next year. It feels right that this astonishing Tour should finish in the capital. It’s been a capital race!  Vingegaard is the overall winner., with Pogacar in second place, the Yates twins third and fourth. A great achievement from a British perspective. Victor Campanaerts won…

[marcelskittels]

Anthony Turgis, Neilson Powless, Tadej Pogačar, Jonas Vingegaard, Jasper Philipsen & Mads Pedersen. ‹ Tour de France 2023 - Stage 9 › 📸 by Tim de Waele/Getty Images & LeTour twitter

[weshipyourride]

2023 Tour de France Recap

With the ink just about dry on the 2023 Tour de France results, we’re looking back on what were 21 stages of exciting bike racing that both satisfied and exceeded our high expectations.

The Tour got off to an interesting start in Bilbao, Spain, as the first two riders to cross the finish line of stage 1 were identical twin brothers, Adam and Simon Yates, who ride for rival teams. But the real excitement would come, day after day, from the general classification (GC) rivalry that first blossomed in 2022 between Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingagaard. Stalwart TV commentator Phil Ligget repeatedly called the rivalry one of the best in the history of the Tour, and considering the duo’s average age is just 25 years old, we could be watching this battle for the next decade.

But the Tour wasn’t strictly a young person’s realm. Those of us decades removed from our 20s can find solace in the fact that five stages were won by riders in their mid-30s, not to mention Mark Cavendish who, before his untimely exit, was legitimately contending for a stage win at age 38. We also enjoyed watching cycling legends like Peter Sagan and French hero Thibaut Pinot, who were pedaling through their final Tour de France prior to retirement.

In fact, the cagey sprint veteran Cavendish, affectionately nicknamed the “Manx Missile,” added an extra level of excited tension to the sprint stages as he vied for a Tour de France record breaking 35th career stage win. His primary rival, Jasper Phillipsen, perhaps looking ahead to toward his own potentially legendary status, showed no reverence for the record and outsprinted him for the win in the first four sprint stages. Unfortunately, Cavendish’s pursuit of the record came to an abrupt halt on stage 8, when he got caught in a small crash in the peloton and suffered a broken collarbone. As it stands, Cavendish continues to share the Tour de France stage win record, at 34, with icon Eddy Merckx.*

Undeniably the focus ended up being on the two youngsters at the top of the GC. By the close of stage 6, Vingegaard and Pogacar were sitting at 1 and 2 respectively, separated by a mere 25 seconds. After stage 9, Pogacar shaved eight more seconds from the lead. And by the finish of stage 12, Pogacar had clawed back another eight seconds to bring Vingegaard’s lead to a negligible nine seconds.

Then came stage 16, the lone individual time trial and an uncommonly hilly 22.4 km (13.9 mile miles) route between Passy and Combloux. Starting in reverse order of the GC standings, Pogacar was second to last to start and turned in a time that was more than a minute faster than the fastest time of the day. Vingegaard would have to virtually match Pogacar’s time to hold onto the yellow jersey.

In a performance that even shocked himself, Vingegaard smashed Pogacar’s time, adding an extra 1:38 to his GC lead, decisively winning the stage and keeping a firm grasp on the yellow jersey.

If the time trial was Vingegaard’s statement of intent to hold onto yellow all the way to Paris, stage 17 was the exclamation point at the end of the sentence. With the help of his Jumbo-Visma teammates, Vingegaard tested Pogacar’s limits up the final climb, Col de la Loze. Seven and a half kilometers from the summit Vingegaard attacked, and Pogacar uttered his now famous line over the team radio, “I’m gone. I’m dead.”

That decisive stage resulted in an insurmountable 7:35 deficit for Pogacar, and Vingegaard could feel comfortable wearing yellow.

By stage 21, as the Tour rolled into Paris, all the awarded jerseys were uncontestable. Vingegaard wore yellow (GC leader), Pogacar wore white (best overall rider under 26-years-old), Phillipsen wore green (points leader) and Giulio Ciccone wore polka-dots (best climber). What is normally a largely ceremonial parade stage until the sprint on Champs-Élysées became a little more exciting than usual as Pogacar attacked, stringing out the peloton and making the riders work a little harder than they had been anticipating.

The final GC results gives both Pogacar and Vingegaard a claim of two consecutive Tour de France wins, the former winning 2020 and 2021 and the latter in 2022 and 2023.

Is it 2024 yet?

Bikeflights Takes On The Tour

Bikeflights staff took in the excitement of the 110th Tour in various ways as we fit in 21 stages in 23 days between our own riding, racing and serving our customers.

Customer Experience Manager Gordon Wadsworth and his wife Emily took advantage of daily recaps to keep up with every stage.

“Emily and I really enjoyed catching up in spurts together via the 30-minute highlights. We would watch a few stages in a row every couple of days. This year’s Tour was so dynamic and exciting! Lots of new players, and some classic heroes! The Puy du Dome stage finish was probably my favorite for its almost slow motion excitement. What a ride!”

Partnerships Director Michael Potter’s tactic for keeping up was to stick to watching the mountain stages, and he was thoroughly impressed.

“I think the GC battle between Jonas and Tadej was incredible and lived up to the hype we all heard in the lead up to the race. I forgot there were other GC ‘contenders.’ Jonas's time trial almost didn't seem possible. Then to see Tadej crack the next day. That was huge.”

Customer Experience Associate Sunny Singh is just plain in awe of the athletes competing in what many consider the most difficult sporting events in the world.

“My biggest impression is that I can't believe humans are capable of going so hard for so long on a bike. It’s wild to think about.”

Vice President Sue George got a unique perspective of Tour coverage as she was on a bike tour in France herself.

“It was especially fun to watch the last few hours of each stage in real time while in France after we finished each day of our own bike tour, which sometimes took us up Cols that have been in other editions of the Tour. During the two weeks we were there, the heat was especially brutal, and I really don't know how they raced so hard in the hottest part of every day, day after day, for 21 days,” George says.

She also got a perspective on the gravity of Thibaut Pinot’s pending retirement that those watching outside of France may not have grasped.

“After each stage, French TV would interview Thibaut Pinot, who was riding his final Tour. I knew he was a star among French cycling fans, but never realized how beloved he is. It was fun to see him put in some great efforts during the Tour and to learn more about him and get his perspective every day.”

Ship Team Manager and Jumbo-Visma superfan Nicole Chretien is thrilled with the results, but laments that it has to end.

“I really do hate when the Tour de France ends,” she says.

Don’t worry Nicole, we’ve got five stages of the Tour de France Femmes left!

Bikeflights is proud to be the Official Bicycle Shipping Service of the Tour de France.

Photos shot and provided by Jered and Ashley Gruber of Gruber Images. Thank you for your dedication to the sport and capturing these amazing moments in time. 

*Although it was declared that this Tour would be a farewell for Mark Cavendish, his untimely exit inspired Astana Qazakstan Team Manager Alexander Vinokourov to declare that Cavendish is welcome to postpone retirement and return to the 2024 Tour. We eagerly await the Manx Missile’s decision.

[sprocketblog]

1970 Cycles Jacques Anquetil gold commuter step-thru frame stashed away in a #Porto shop. Anquetil was famous as the first #TDF rider to win the tour 5 times in a row, in 1957 and from 1961 to 1964! 🇫🇷

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[illiana-mystery]

It's Sunday!