Peloton Perspectives

Simmons, at 21-years-old, finished his first Tour de France in 2022 with a highly respectable performance having done his first grand tour, the Vuelta, in 2021. A couple of lean years followed, a DNF in the 2023 Tour and no Grand Tour at all last year, so that we are seeing a bit of a comeback for the Mighty Quinn.

Jacques was in a grand mood, both he and Paret-Peintre came out of Velo Club Annemasse, the famed developmental club that still organizes the 89-year-old Annemasse-Belgarde Elite race.

Pogačar had tremendous power coming out of his buttocks and hips as one can see in his unorthodox sprinting and attacking style. He just slams his rear quarters around in an almost circular motion, wiggling up the road with devastating force.

Newly muscled and “explosive” Jonas Vingegaard and team were constantly aggressive, most entertaining it should be said, trying to…and this is where the questions arise, exhaust Pogačar and his team over the opening days

Sneaky Simon Yate appeared out seemingly nowhere to take the stage after having been given an armchair ride in the breakaway to the final climbs. Yates is known to be a shy, reticent character, one that needs convincing of his winning abilities. Maybe that shyness is why he never seems to be noticed in the races until it’s too late, as in the recent Giro where, although sitting in third, he had never been part of the conversation until that brilliant, Giro winning attack.

It was during the sprint into Amiens on Stage 4 that the first signs of Van der Poel’s fatigue became visible

I had a chance to speak with the Campionissimo, charming and effervescent as ever, and after we bonded over having shared Alejandro Torralbo as a mechanic (he’s currently with UAE) Contador gave me his take on the recent “polemica” at the Giro d’Italia

Carapaz’s EF Education-EasyPost team blasted into the base of of the FInestre, blowing the race to pieces and in short order, only Carapaz and Del Toro, both isolated with no teamates, seemed to be left to contest the Pink Jersey fight.

The emergence on the big stage of Isaac Del Toro – whom, it should be noted won the Tour de l’Avenir at 19 and the Vuelta Asturias last year at 20, so no complete surprise – was a delight, especially as his somewhat nasty character was clearly on display.

His supreme confidence was on display the entire race, from putting teammate Sylvan Didier on the front to command the race for the first 200-kliometers to his general demeanor in the peloton.

Three-months ago, Jonas Vingegaard believed he was on the verge of death after his horrific high-speed crash in Spain.

Cycling is, and always has been, a professional sport. Which means it is a business, an entertainment business that, like boxing, thrives on super champions who inspire awe

Pogačar didn’t get the memo, as they say, and launched his team out of the blocks on Saturday, driving them as though the hounds of hell were at their heels.

Tadej Pogačar says that “he’s like a goldfish” in his ability to forget any bad races and turn his focus to the present, a trait he shares with Bruce Lee among other great achievers. A sort of relentless positivity. He’s going to need that skill now to forget how his entire first-half Tour strategy has gone so wrong.

Evenepoel burst out of the start house in perhaps the most exciting start to a TT that I’ve ever seen. Sprinting in and out of the turns, he attacked that race with everything he had.

The Grand Depart in Italy was a great success by all accounts. Explosive racing, plot lines already determined, fantastic crowds and of course, Italy itself, that most magical place

The Junior edition of the famed professional classic was first organized in 2004 and won by Geraint Thomas, with Mads Pedersen and Tom Pidcock other notable winners. 17 cobblestone sectors are packed into an 111-kilometer race with the finish, just as the pros, on the famed Roubaix Velodrome.

The widely discussed chicane at the entrance to the famed-dreaded-popular Arenberg Forest cobbles was a non-issue, VdP was dropped off in perfect position where he did his thing and destroyed what was left of the peloton leaving only a small group in contention.

None of which intimidated our American boys as they took the start for the 120-kilometer Stage 1. Captained by the experienced Otis Engle who expertly guided the team through the movements of the peloton, the team worked perfectly to place Barry and Streif in good position at the entrance to the finishing circuits.