Tour de France 2026 peloton

[ReturnofthePan]

Chains are being greased and oiled as I type. Crush barriers being erected. “Special” sauces are being prepared…. all for the biggest push bike race in the world.

Is the MN peloton pumping some air in our tyres?

🚲
I have no expert comment but am looking forward to it.

I'm shaving my legs so that I will be aerodynamically efficient on the sofa from which I will watch it

I am going to miss Gary Imlach though

Always miss Gary Imlach. One of the finest ever sports commentators imo.

I'm really going to miss the ITV4 coverage. For those of us without subscription tv some of stages, including today's, will be broadcast live on S4C (available on iPlayer) with Welsh commentary, and Channel 5 is showing highlights.

Is there a mumsnet velogames league this year?

Really sad it's not on ITV anymore. Has anyone got a VPN to watch it? Thinking of trying that...

Watching the highlights. Great look in Barcelona.

And I’ve seen nothing of today - out from 11am to just now. Highlights for me tomorrow morning.
I luckily have access to my mates app for bikes and he has access to my sky sports for every other sport.

yes not seeing Gary and having his dry and sardonic wit will be a real loss to the experience.

Olinguito I have not seen or heard of a velo team at all. TBH I wouldn’t miss it now.

We watched the Channel 5 highlights tonight, not a patch on the old team on C4/ITV but better than nothing. Watched with friends, we were split between half wanting Pogacar to get his 5th win and half wanting Vingegaard to break the Pog dominance.

Found the structure of the team time trial really interesting, much better than a straight team trial.

Well wasn’t that brilliant?? As Orla said, doing a personal close protection job until he crossed the line.
and such generosity! Or am I being quite the naive one?

Found the highlights on Channel 5 a bit irritating to be honest and not sure about the presenters. Miss Gary Imlach as well. Hopefully he’s a mumsnetter and will see all the appreciation on the thread!! 😂
Looking forward to the race unfolding though and excited for it to be in UK next year

I know someone who took part, back in the day. They only managed about 6 stages. They ended up with piles from riding over the cobbles in Belgium.

Hello all

Looking forward to the best three weeks of the year

I thought it was an excellent stage! Thrilling finish.

We've got tnt, which is a luxury, but im breastfeeding a newborn so im chained to the sofa 🤣. Love the breakaway team, their analysis and discussion is interesting.

Wow 🤣 not a problem i had thought of!

I miss the theme tune. I miss Gary. I miss it all … it wasn’t the same on C5… I might try watching in Welsh (does S4C do English subtitles?)

Yes, on TV platforms I believe.

S4C page on subtitles
https://www.s4c.cymru/en/access-services/page/english-subtitles

There is a daily recap podcast For the Love of Cycling with several of the old team - Ned Boulting, David Millar, Pete Kennaugh. And Lizzie Deignan.

i think I read that SC4 only has a handful of the early stages and some at the end. Better than nothing.

I have to confess I'd forgotten Le Tour had begun! 🫣 My excuse is that I live in one of the 2027 host areas and our club has been involved in a load of "one year to go" activities over the last couple of weeks. I've been so busy thinking about next year I forgot about this year! Mind you, the riders should be grateful as inclusion in my fantasy team is usually the kiss of death.

I miss the old team, it’s just not the same with the studio team or the commentators.
I thought it was lovely that Tadej let his team mate win today, shows great team spirit.
I am team Tadej all the way, if he doesn’t win I want anyone other than than Jonas to win, just cannot warm to him at all.
I am also disappointed that this year I am working for the first 2 weeks so will only see highlights whereas the last 2 years I managed to watch everyday.

Awww! Poor Jonas! I think they all seem like sporting, lovely guys

I really feel blessed to have lived through a glorious time for cycling in general and for UK cycling in particular, on the track and on the road. To have enjoyed the downfall of big bullying cheat, Lance bloody Armstrong, to have enjoyed Peter Sagan's antics, to have witnessed every one of Mark Cavendish's TdF stage wins, to have seen, with tears in my eyes, Lizzie Deignan win the first Paris Roubaix for women, with an 80km solo breakaway, her hands bloodied by the jarring of the cobbles (isn't that picture of her in the showers afterwards iconic?), watching Laura Trott and Victoria Pendleton win so many golds, to have wept at the strength of Katie Archibald, and to see Vingegaard and Pog looking after each other and now duking it out. I know it's boring to see Pog so much better than everyone; but he seems like a lovely guy, so respectful to the other riders and to the tour.

Happy days

Yeah, I think Jonas comes across as a nice guy too. It's just that Pogi has such an engaging, outgoing personality that Jonas seems a bit, I dunno, dour maybe, in comparison. There are quite a few "big" personalities in the pro peleton but Jonas isn't one of them which maybe counts against him. But I think he seems like a decent type of bloke.
Has anyone in England figured out how to watch the Welsh coverage today?

@MrsAvocetiPlayer seems to be restricting certain parts. Last night’s highlights are on but the live coverage from today isn’t currently available.
S4C is on the iPlayer under “Channels”.

I regretfully stumped up for the TNT sports subscription, couldn't bear to only have highlights. The way a stage unfolds over the hours on the road never ceases to fascinate!
The Del Toro stage win was a lovely moment indeed, and I look forward to many more over the next three weeks.