This week, we’re asking a controversial question: is the Tour de France still the ultimate test of human endurance? We dive into the history of the race, comparing the epic 14-hour stages of the past with the high-speed, high-intensity racing of today.
We also have the latest news from the Giro d’Italia Women, including a controversial fine for race contender Marlen Reusser. We’ll check out Tom Pidcock’s latest MTB win and discuss the mind-boggling number of speeding fines issued by San Francisco’s new speed cameras.
Plus, we have the first-ever video reply to a bodge, your comments, and the caption competition!
Link to the @camelbak Strava Podium Challenge 👉 https://gcn.eu/cbstr
⏱️ TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Welcome to the GCN Show!
00:44 This Week in Cycling: Wins, Crashes & Controversies
01:47 LEAD STORY: Is The Tour de France Still The Ultimate Endurance Test?
02:40 A Look Back: The Brutal 14-Hour Stages of Early Tours
06:55 How TV Changed The Race Forever
08:10 What IS The Ultimate Endurance Test Today?
10:21 CYCLING SHORTS (News Roundup)
10:23 Giro d’Italia Women Recap & Controversy
11:19 Penny Farthing Racing Is A Thing!
12:12 San Francisco’s 132,000 Speeding Fines
13:21 Limited Edition GCN Merchandise!
14:54 Tom Pidcock Wins MTB World Series Round
16:16 New Gravel Bikes from Pinarello
17:05 Using Your Helmet As A Tourniquet?!
18:33 HACK/BODGE OF THE WEEK (With a video reply!)
26:48 Caption Competition
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20 Comments
Do you think the Tour de France is still the ultimate endurance event? Should there be longer & more epic stages in the race?!
Let us know in the comments! 👇
Nit picking, but the broken cable "hack" person wrote that he/she didn't use a "wired" computer, so didn't use a spoke magnet anymore, but many wireless computers use spoke magnets and wireless pickups. They probably meant they use a GPS-based computer. The person also mentioned cable rust which begs the question why not just use decent stainless steel cables that don't rust? The problem with relying on a splice is that most cables that break do so near the head, due to shifter design flexing the cable there, or at some rub point such as at a BB cable guide. You can't fit a spoke magnet in those places.
#captioncompetition This week's caption competition is a little on the nose
Kind of humorous, but I do miss the "Covid Shield'. Kind of a backdrop to my winter here in Massachusetts, back then. The "Hack/Bodge" intro of which way to do the slash always had a good laugh from me.
Now for something nearly completely different. It is so striking that the loss of skin when crashing predominantly is in areas which are covered by the shorts or shirts, maybe elbows excluded. Can you not push the cycling wear industry to offer some protection against abrasion, like aramide fibre pads in critical areas? Would not prevent broken wrists or collarbones, but most of the nasty, painful wounds which keep you busy for weeks. I would pay gooooood money for such road cycling wear. Or are macho male cyclists rather proud of their scars? At least I am not. Good job by the way, love your show!
What about adding a stage in the Tour de France were cyclists have to ride city type bicycles. Bicycles that have an upright riding position, limited gears, and flat pedals. Perhaps this will not only test the cyclists skills and endurance, but will also make the Tour more exciting and accessible to the average viewer.
So glad the limited edition camel back TDF bottles are in stock, thanks to this video I’ve just ordered 2 🙌🏻
clickbait fgas needs to get rid of that coffee machine…..
Re-The Hack/Bodge of the week debate Saddle pack stabilizer IS a Brilliant little product available very cheaply from a Popular sian Online App/Store…
I have been using the same on My Bike*packing adventures for the last 2 Years 😁🚲. They are Also threaded to hold a bottle cage each side that provides better bottle carrying leaving the frame for large frame bag storage 👍 Good old AliExpress 😉.. 23:14
The tour has the fastest and greatest cyclists alive competing. A lot of of those ultra marathon etc guys are not the fastest or best athletes. They're just the ones crazy enough to attempt the distances.
There is a need for a select few days with those epic 6 hour stages that were common a decade ago. These 3.5 hour stages might make for good TV but there is no stretching people to their limit. Weekend cyclists can do back to back 3.5 hour days. Pros probably ride more than that on an average training day. At least make it challenging. So yeah, slightly longer stages would be great with one or two really long stages. That would be great.
There's the penny Farthing hill climb world championship in Eastbourne on the 10th August. I invite you to join us and I can lend Simon and Dan bikes.
Ben's bodge/ hack is commercially available from Rhino. Do not be tempted to use them for hanging water bottles (tempting bolt holes provided), they stress the aluminium and snap after a week's riding
Its should be the ultimate test of riding put in a few more murderous mountain stages high speed time trials and flat stages keep it about 4250 kms and let the men be sorted from the boys if it keeps going this way it will be 3000 kms and done in 75 hours
Baltimore, Maryland has had speed cameras for years. Same with Washington, DC.
22:05 i'm not certain that is a bike. it may just be gubbins on wheels!
Caption: Pros before nose!
U.S. cities have had speed cameras for years. Maryland and Washington DC among many others.
Longer stages would be good. But they should go back to more and longer time trials. There's a reason it's called the race of truth.
Wow!! Just wow! That 'Paul' pic of the perfect gubbins is astonishing! And fully co-ordinated. He isn't the owner of said bike, I think you said, but the real owner deserves applause. and sympathy, for his hard work, and Paul definitely deserved his 'Hack' award.