Giro 2024

[prettybird]

Starts this Saturday

I've submitted a team in to Fantasy Velogames. Last year's team code for Mumsnet Marauders doesn't seem to work . Before I set up a new one mini-league, has anyone else done so and/or have a league number for me to join?

Even though I watched some of the Basque Tour and Paris-Roubaix, I was shocked at how few names I recognised

I've dropped back to fifth

Bloody G not delivering

I seem to be establishing myself firmly in the middle of the peloton - although at least I still have a full team!

Still enjoying it. Good time trial today.

See I have slipped to second place. Big day in the mountains today.

It's been really enjoyable race despite Pog's dominance. I may have had a slight tear in my eye when Alaphillipe won the other day and for Ganna yesterday.

Yes - I was cheering them both on even though Ganna is not in my team

Wow - the mountains are beautiful today. Just enjoying the highlights

Couldn't dork out why I'd dropped from 5th to 6th but then realised that Radical Sandwiches had joined our league, inserting themselves into 4th place and pushing those of us previously 4th and below down a place

We were cheering Alaphilippe on but he couldn't hold out . Unsurprisingly he got the combative award.

We've had this before haven't we? It seems jolly unfair to jump in after the race has started.

Should we make it clear in future that the league is closed after the commissioners car sets off on stage one?

I don't mind too much - as long as it's one of "us"

But I would have appreciated some warning that whoever it is has only just got round to joining our league

Looking forward to today's double mountain stage. Looks like I'm firmly entrenched in the top half as opposed to the middle of the league at 5 out of 10.

Famous last words of course

As expected, I ended up 5th - at least in the top half of the peloton

Milan was impressive on that final stage - to have got so close despite having to expend so much energy to get back into it after the mechanical at the start of the final lap (and his team being low down in the GC meaning that the team car was way back).

Cav is going to have his work cut out to win the single stage he requires at the Tour if both Merlier and Milan are there

Lessons I've learnt: make sure that the domestiques in my team are from teams that have a chance of doing well, so that they have a chance of earning points each stage. Poor Lewis Askey suffered in my team for being in FDJ.

At least i ended up still with my whole team and they did all earn at least a few points

My team are still riding 🥴…. Must give a bit more thought to my TDF team 🤔

Delighted (and surprised) to take the pink jersey this time. See you all for the tour.

Yes, I thought that it was really good. Gorgeous scenery, cool racing, nice interviews and discussion. Nice TV for the last few weeks. I did really well in the Vuelta league last year because I had Kuss in the "domestiques from good teams" rule! Looking forward to TdF. I wonder who will be the GC contenders - especially if Vingegaard is still out.

https://www.procyclingstats.com/index.php is a pretty good website, although the injuries statistics are pretty alarming. I wonder if cycling is going to get a rugby type reckoning. It just gets faster and more dangerous, so maybe. I was impressed by the riders strike for safety this week.

I'm going to miss it - I always feel a bit lacking in cycling once a grand tour finishes. At least Springwatch started tonight so I can watch wildlife instead for a bit.

Dauphine starts 2nd June. Evempoel and Roglic are on the start list.

I have entered a team

My team's in the league too.

New league member Harry Tuttle is my partner - hope that's ok. Looking forward to some decent coverage of the race on ITV4.

I didn't get round to entering a team but I was SO happy to see Gee finally win a stage . It looked like he was going to be second again