Tour de France 2023: starts 1 July - this Saturday

[prettybird]

I thought we should start a new thread for this year's TdF, rather than recycling () last year's thread.

If nothing else, it irritates me by saying that it starts on Friday

The MN league is called Mumsnet Marauders. 113428518 works to get your Velogames team into it.

Really exciting.

Ooh found you!
Last year I was stuck on the sofa BFing twins so watched loads in real time, this year struggling to get to watch the highlights as I can't get the wee beasts to bed.
My ITV crush has been dampened somewhat by the updated '90's aesthetic. I can accept the floppy hair but the dangly earring is a step too far <sigh>

DH is scouring the internet for interviews about Jumbo... apparently a bike was thrown at the end of today and someone went off in a car, not on the bus 😬

Very enjoyable so far - much better than last year's grand depart, when it was totally flat and nothing happened!

A sprint tomorrow, keeping my fingers crossed for Cav 🤞

@Dinneronmybfpillow ooh just been reading about it on Velo. I'm a big Jumbo Visma fan so hoping it's onwards and upwards for them from tomorrow.

Anyone else missing the multichoice questions around the ad breaks on the itv highlights programme?

Yes! I was really confused at first by the one word appearing on the screen. Did I miss some instructions somewhere?

Loved the finish, the overhead shots in the highlights were spectacular.

Itv live today only starts at 2 but the stage started at 12. Did they mess up the time zone?

Eating an end….. 🤞

Nearing and end not eating 😳😊

Just watched the highlights. Another good day.

Enjoyed that. Still weaving around the back of the peloton MN League. Just need Vingegaard to start to deliver for me - and of course Cav And Alaphilippe to score me some points (he keeps doing good work but never enough....)

Cav says that as far as he is concerned, there are only 5 sprints he can compete for (for example, the new uphill finish in Limoges is not suitable for him). So today, tomorrow, Paris and two others (must check them out).

He seemed pleased with his performance today and says that Renshaw being an adviser is helping.

They got up some speed today
And that was before the sprint finish

I am busily not looking up today's stage until the highlights but I did look up my fantasy league position and it's not going very well ...

Despite having Vingegaard in my team, I dropped a place in the league

My fault for having chosen 2 sprinters in my team and Bernal for under-delivering

I have Vingegaard too but rest of my team are seriously underperforming, however none of them have fallen off just yet so there's always hope. (Hope I didn't jinx anyone).

Also, it was quite a stage
I am really enjoying watching

todays race highlights will not disappoint

Looking forward to it

I had to miss the last 2km of the Tourmalet as I had to take ds' girlfriend to a nail appointment (I'd offered but hadn't realised the time conflict ). Took over half an hour to get there and back because of road works and an accident we think en route. Fortunately she only rang me to pick her up at 5.10 - so after it had finished

Just watching the highlights on ITV4 and can’t believe how the spectators are allowed to narrow the road so much and get in the way of the cyclists! It must be SO annoying for the competitors 😳😳

And a confetti cannon in Pog's face 🙄 I get quite twitchy watching some of them when they have flares/run alongside. They must be thinking "oh, piss off!"

I agree - I know how I feel at the end of a much shorter ride getting exhaust fumes up my nose so confetti and smoke must be so much worse! Cant believe there hasn’t been an accident yet although I noticed a couple of cyclists pushing the spectators aside - good race by ‘Pog’ 😎😎

I agree re spectators - it definitely seemed like the person setting off the flare just at the exact time Pog made his break could have been a momentary distraction for Vinnegaard - it was for me!

Had to drop off as got behind with the results!!! Not only am I missing the multichoice competition with dh but where's Chris boardman? Enjoying the race though