France in Focus

As stated on the weather yesterday the cyclists are having a chaotic race this year, in a downpour.
From near lakes roadside to a quagmire on the pavours.

It's great to see women now allowed to do the race but they couldn't be doing it under worse conditions. The pavés are difficult even in fine dry conditions .... They're very courageous.

Blaze wrote: ↑Sun Oct 03, 2021 3:19 pm It's great to see women now allowed to do the race but they couldn't be doing it under worse conditions. The pavés are difficult even in fine dry conditions .... They're very courageous.

Yes and yesterday a young british woman won it, only saw it in one brit online news.

If you thought it was muddy yesterday.........difficult to tell the differerence in the first three riders from the front.

ajm wrote: ↑Sun Oct 03, 2021 5:44 pm If you thought it was muddy yesterday.........difficult to tell the differerence in the first three riders from the front.

Yes watched it through and admired their staminar to end with a sprint, pity the Italian had a punture then a fall he'd done so well for a long time.

When you think that this race started in 1896...
Nowadays, the bicycles weigh a few kilos, have gears, disk brakes, quite comfortable tires, etc...
No such things on the bikes 125 years ago ! And the weight must have been different...
A few hours of pure bravery...
Hats off for all the racers !

Yes, Doug. I thought Lizzie Deignan (née Armitstead) was magnificent and was worthy of far more reporting and not just on the sports pages. I watched bits of the men’s race yesterday and was exhausted after their six hours plus in the saddle. All that mud must have increased their weight!