Since the Giro starts before the tour ends, there’s no way he’ll win the green Jersey and compete in the Giro as Well.
As for the virus, make them race with face masks
- no eating no drinking during stages😅
I’m a little unsure if the tour Will finish, even more so with the Giro, But pretty certain that there Will be no Vuelta this year. And I seriously doubt that World Championships is a good idea with the normal setup - maybe if only World tour riders are allowed to enter

another wild card that the CdD and other races have shown is the nerves/ crashes in the bunch and if for any reason they think it might get shortened due to COVID then things get worse. Usually the first week of the Tour is full of nerves and crashes so this year could be more about taking care of the contenders for the first weeks or so to allow a chance to go for the win... what if even the sprinters get the idea they need to get the points early in case it doesn't reach Paris???? I hope I am wrong, I really hate to see crashes and GC contenders knocked out due to crashed or held up because of crashes to become out of contention. So yeah there are so many wild cards this year beyond just the riders on form.

Tour ends Sept 20 (at the latest if it's totally completed) and the Giro doesn't start till Oct 3. Feel free to discuss the 'compete' part though!

Obviously confused about the dates this season. Maybe I was Thinking ITT worlds? - don’t know...

Yes world's ITT was supposed to be same weekend as end of TdF....not sure what will happen now with World's

I hope that doesn't happen, but ya, that's quite reasonable speculation.

It doesn't sound like Roglic's feeling all that perky. Let's hope he shows up feeling close to 100%, but his final prep for the TdF hasn't been ideal.

"I honestly thought that I would feel better by now after the crash on Saturday at the Critérium du Dauphiné. Let's see what the upcoming days bring. I'm staying optimistic."

https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/primoz-roglics-tour-de-france-remains-in-doubt-despite-return-to-training/

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"Human existence is based upon two pillars: Compassion and knowledge. Compassion without knowledge is ineffective; Knowledge without compassion is inhuman." Victor Weisskopf.

If he was confused and delirious getting into the Team car, I don't think that bodes well.

In NHL, NBA, NFL, the player can be pulled off to the sidelines to properly assess while the game goes on. In cycling, there is no time. Either you put the "player" back on the field pretty well instantly or the game is over. They put him back on the tarmac but doubtful there was any concussion protocol vetted for.

Having said that, maybe I am reading too much into this. If he had a real concussion, it is doubtful he would be back to training a few days later. It sounds to me like he will have a chance to try again for the Giro win and Dumoulin starts as team leader...let's see

I think Roglic is by far the favorite.
He easily handled Bernal in recent races and we know he can ride a good time trial.
He has a strong team except Kruijswijk is out which is a big blow.
The only question about Roglic is if has recovered from the crash.
I never cared for Froome and Team Sky, so looking forward to something different this year.
Would love to see Quintana be a contender, he has worked so hard over the years, but his time trial is severely lacking.
He would have to gain a lot of time in mountains and so far he just only just keeping up with the others.
You can't count out Pinot, he almost won it last year, would be the first Frenchman since Hinault.

I must say when I was watching the Italian classics then the Dauphine the stark difference in the spectators. Almost every roadside spectator in Italy was wearing a mask and keeping to the side of the road. I barely saw any masks in the Dauphine and worse, spectators doing their usual running along and yelling at the riders right in their faces. I fear for the riders in the tour.

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808 > NYC > PDX > YVR
2024 Races: Taupo

"I must say when I was watching the Italian classics then the Dauphine the stark difference in the spectators." that is an interesting point as well. I have no idea about travel restriction in France? are they permitting people into the country and if so from which countries? Just one more thing that is a wild card: spread of COVID.

I was watching a track meet in Monaco. There were thousands in the stadium and every single person without exception is wearing a mask.
I stark contrast to here in SoCal, I am seeing almost no runners or cyclists wearing or carrying a mask.

Pulling for Pinot big time this year. He has a real chance, but I fear the big mistakes he always seems to make during a 3 week race. If I have to predict winner, gotta go with Bernal.

I feel the same way about about Pinot. If there is a rider with Panache, it is him.

All of the predictions seem so dependent on non-racing, non-fitness factors. Bernal the favorite? Sure, until Ineos spins out two CV-19 positives. Such a wild card! I agree with other posters - if I'm running a team without a solid shot at the jersey under 'normal' conditions, I'd push it early, and try to hold the jersey when (if) the race shuts down. But think of the dynamic if Ineos and Jumbo are thinking the same thing. The first few stages could be insane. I'm just hoping for excitement and uncertainty and fun. We can go back to logical predictions in 2021 (or 2022). But this year? I'm hoping for bizarre approaches layered onto weird leaders on top of different teams. Bring on the 'wow, that wasn't what I expected'...

I bet Alaphillippe is thinking that if he can grab the yellow early and hang on, then he needs to puta call to Macron to shut down France....that should cover it. Or Pinot is leading and Macron shuts down France. Or Bardet. Marcron's probably got a deal going with all these guys..."Boys, just get in the lead enough stages into this thing and I'll make sure the entire country gets shut down quickly"

Why is this pink? Given the Thibault Pinot fan club TTT at the Dauphiné, this is practically a given.

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I supposed that given the intra squad Team France TTT squad could not take back the Dauphine on that final uphill TTT, they may need to recruit help from Macron :-). But it would be cool if any of those three French riders could take it on the tarmac with the full line up of 21 stages with no Covid related shortenings or rivals getting booted or landslides cutting off key mountain stages!!!

I might be proven to be a clown, but I reckon Tom Dumoulin is a big chance.

It's the only way a French guy is going to win 🤣

I think Roglic shows up for Dumoulin domestique duty. Remember in 2018, Roglic attacked on Aubisque (up and down), burnt his legs for a 19 second gain (really fun stage to watch) but the next day he had nothing left for the ITT. Dumoulin won that TT, Froome was just one second behind to take back third on the podium. Thomas took no risks and sealed his yellow.

If Roglic is good to go, does he know when and how many matches to burn. Will be interesting to see what happens on the Planche de Belle Filles Time Trial (this sounds like it should be like Welsley College during the Boston marathon, but I have only seen fat drunken fans on this climb, not beautiful women haha). 500m climb in 6 km, so if there was a TT to hhelp Pinot and Bardet limit losses this is a good one aside from a Ventoux or Alpe d'Huez TT. I think last time the TdF used this route in a road stage it was won by Fabio Aru who weighs nothing.

Dumoulin is saying his team is there to win a Grande Tour, not a shortened 10 day race:

https://www.cyclingnews.com/...d-if-race-is-halted/

He does not view the winner of a shortened race a Tour De France winner.

We don't now how Roglic has healed from his crash and we don't know how Bernal's back is doing.
But assuming they both are doing ok I am going to put my money on either Roglic or Dumalin.
I have no idea why so many are considering Bernal a shoe in, in all of the races leading up to the tour Bernal was sucking of Roglic's fumes.
And it isn't like last years Giro where Roglic ran out of steam, last year he was hot from February all the way through the first week of the Giro s we are talking about 3 months, now he has only been on top form for a month so he absolutely can hold that form for another 3 weeks.
And at the end of the Dauphane you could see TD's form coming along, on that last stage that Kuss won, TD put in a huge acceleration in the final 2k where he proceeded to drop Pinot and a number of other top climbers.
Even with the absence of Kruijswijk that team is insanely strong.

I want anyone but an Ineos rider to win the tour. I do think Bernal should be the favorite as last year's champ until proven otherwise. I think either Roglic or Tom D will have a great tour (but not both). As for Pinot, he doesn't have the killer instinct needed to win the TDF. He'll end up pouting about some misfortune and abandon the race at some point.

I would have gone with anyone but Ineos "other than Froome"....would have loved if he was on form after is accident. Will need to wait till Vuelta or if he's just gonna be a super domestique at Israel Startup Nation for Michael Woods next year.