Best race since â89
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Another super stage today.
When I was a youngfella back in the 80âs the Nissan classic used pass right outside my door as they were doing their circuit up Patrickâs hill and down around st Lukes, think they used have to do it a few times, it used to be on after the Tour de France so you had all the big names and all the fantastic team colours whizzing around the narrow streets not long after seeing them on tv on the tour,if you were lucky youâd get a water bottle or a hat, it was a magical time for cycling
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The only time it has ever come down to the final day
Be some craic if there was less than five seconds in it going into Sunday - itâs a possibility
Still couldnât see how the lead would be overturned even with a tiny margin, the sprintersâ teams set too high a pace on the Champs Elysees
A time trial on the final stage would have been good this year
Jan Janssen won the Tour on the final day in 1968 by 38 seconds. He won a time trial. The only day he wore yellow in the race.
The last road stage is a ceremonial stage, there is a convention that no one attacks the leader. This convention hasnât been tested of course.
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I didnât know that about the 1968 Tour
In the 1990 Tour of Britain Robert Millar went into the final stage 1 second down on Michel Dernies
From memory he tried to attack but it was unsuccessful and I think he may even have lost time
I was at the final days of the first two Tours of Britain in 1987 and 1988 - both were 50 or 60 laps around Westminster
Is The Pirate the greatest cyclist of all time?
Remember the Nissan Classic going past my grandmothers house a few times, youâd have no appreciation for the speed they are going until you see them in real life.
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Just another junkie sadly.
Theyâre all junkies.
Bob Millar was winning the Vuelta with a day or so to go. The Spanish ganged up on him and Delgado won.
Something similar happened to Fignon when he lost the Giro to Moser. The TV helicopter was conveniently behind Moser in the final TT.
Used go down to Cork to watch it. The cars getting stuck up Paddyâs hill and the smell of burning clutches.
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Didnât Lemond beat Fignon on last day time trial.
I disagree wirh Sidney that they should have one on.the final Sunday though. Time trials are a terrible bore. Watching the lads race laps around the Champs Elysee is great. Would be interesting if Alaphillipe did crack which would leave Bernal five seconds ahead of team mate Thomas.
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I disagree with the concept of a time trial on the final day
Just observing that on this occasion it wwould have been very exciting
But thatâs usually not the case and you canât know in advance
They got lucky in '89 that it was so close
Pippa is commentating on the early shift on itv4âs coverage, she gives great analysis. Had a great story how a once imperious Hinault was vulnerable in 86 and they attacked him with both barrels for all the pain he had put them through in previous Tours
Hinault was devious in '86 though
He promised LeMond heâd work for him after LeMond had worked for him in '85 despite being the stronger rider
Hinault went back on his promise
That arm in arm ride at the top of Alpe dâHuez was just LeMond being polite - he should have throttled him
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Was watching the Tour on Spanish TV today. Delgado and Indurain were the panellists. Indurain looks fit enough to still ride the Tour.
Richard Moore wrote a good book about the â86 Tour, âSlaying the Badgerâ.
The 30 for 30 on it is excellent.
Hinault was a fascinating character as was the team owner.
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Do you remember Delgado missed his start time for the prologue on the '89 Tour and basically lost the race there and then
Karma
He nearly lost the '88 Tour too after being caught for a masking agent I think but was let off