There's a 'Great Summer of Sport' coming up!

[johncorrigan]

Thirty-three for the Manxman - classic performance from his team.

[gradus]

Thirty-three for the Manxman - classic performance from his team.

Fingers crossed for Cav.

[johncorrigan]

Sensational descending from Mount Ventoux this afternoon as some of these guys are hitting speeds of over 95 km/h. Even more impressive than being able to get up the slopes in the first place.

[EnemyoftheStoat]

Sensational descending from Mount Ventoux this afternoon as some of these guys are hitting speeds of over 95 km/h. Even more impressive than being able to get up the slopes in the first place.

Too right. Thank goodness it wasn't raining - and they didn't have to contend with the sort of surfaces we normally mortals face; that newly-resurfaced road looked lovely.

[johncorrigan]

Too right. Thank goodness it wasn't raining - and they didn't have to contend with the sort of surfaces we normally mortals face; that newly-resurfaced road looked lovely.

Agreed, EotS. These guys have nerves of steel.

[johncorrigan]

I'm going to miss the finish of today's stage...going to have to wait for the highlights, but at the moment looking set for a sprint finish - could Cav possibly equal the Eddie Merckx record this afternoon? It would have been unthinkable even two weeks ago.

[vinteuil]

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... yes he can!

https://www.lefigaro.fr/sports/cyclisme/tour-de-france/tour-de-france-le-depart-de-la-13e-etape-en-direct-20210709

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https://www.lemonde.fr/sport/live/2021/07/09/tour-de-france-2021-suivez-la-treizieme-etape-en-direct_6087709_3242.html

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[johncorrigan]

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... yes he can!

https://www.lefigaro.fr/sports/cyclisme/tour-de-france/tour-de-france-le-depart-de-la-13e-etape-en-direct-20210709

.

https://www.lemonde.fr/sport/live/2021/07/09/tour-de-france-2021-suivez-la-treizieme-etape-en-direct_6087709_3242.html

.

Cavendish the history maker. Brilliant performance by the manxman...hope he can negotiate his way through the mountains and give us another stage win on the Champs-Élysées.

[gradus]

Cavendish the history maker. Brilliant performance by the manxman...hope he can negotiate his way through the mountains and give us another stage win on the Champs-Élysées.

Bravo Cav, an astonishing achievement.

[alywin]

They'll probably have it on ten red button channels as well, as they have done for the last 2 Olympics, so you can watch every minute of every event should you be so inclined.

(Actually the red button coverage is much better than that shown on BBC1 or BBC2, as you get to see the actual events unencumbered by hours of pundits chatting to each other and the incessant replays of films about British competitors' life stories).

Oh, how I wish they had! But I fear the Red Button coverage has become a victim of the Red Button cuts :( I carefully retuned the TV prior to Wimbledon, assuming that we would have multiple RB channels as in the past, but we only got the one standard one. Haven't even bothered for the Olympics, as the Radio Times doesn't indicate that there's any more than coverage on one Red Button channel.

[LHC]

Oh, how I wish they had! But I fear the Red Button coverage has become a victim of the Red Button cuts :( I carefully retuned the TV prior to Wimbledon, assuming that we would have multiple RB channels as in the past, but we only got the one standard one. Haven't even bothered for the Olympics, as the Radio Times doesn't indicate that there's any more than coverage on one Red Button channel.

This isn’t the BBC’s fault. The Discovery Channel outbid the BBC for the rights to show all the streams for the Olympics after Rio. Eurosport (which is owned by Discovery) is showing the Olympics on its main two channels, and in 4K on its UHD channel, and in addition has 7 more channels showing live streams. Under this deal for tv rights, the BBC is only allowed to show two sports live at any one time; one on BBC1, and another on the red button. I believe the Eurosport/Discovery streams can be viewed online, but a subscription might be required. I get to see them as part of my virginmedia package.

BBC statement:

"We know that our audiences love the Olympics and we set a high bar for ourselves with our London 2012 coverage and since we began on Friday, there’s been lots of noise around our perceived lack of coverage for the Tokyo Games. Whilst we’d love to still have 24 live streams and our ‘never miss a moment’ offer from London and Rio in 2016, our new rights deal simply doesn’t allow it. In 2016 we announced that the IOC had awarded the pan-European rights for the Olympics to Discovery, meaning that free-to-air broadcasters across Europe had to carve out their own sub-licence deals with Discovery. The result for all European broadcasters was less coverage of the Games, and for us, it means that we’re allowed two live streams - one on BBC One and one that is available to play out on BBC iPlayer, red button and the BBC Sport website."

I also suspect that the BBC might not have a complete choice on what streams it can show, hence the other night Eurosport was showing the rowing finals live, while the BBC was showing a live stream of surfing. I would have thought the BBC would have preferred to show the rowing if it had a choice.

[johncorrigan]

Bravo Cav, an astonishing achievement.

Seems like a long while back now, gradus, but I watched the last few stages while on hols. Cav a bit unlucky not to break the record for stage wins but the Belgians really pulled out the stops to keep him off the front and keep Eddy Merckx up there; and you can't argue with the brilliance of Van Aert throughout this year's edition of Le Tour.

[johncorrigan]

My highlights of the Olympics so far. I missed a lot of week one as I was on hols so my suggestions are a bit limited.
Karsten Warholm smashing the world record for the men's 400m hurdles and tearing his vest apart. I noticed that Sidney McLaughlin didn't follow suit when she smashed the Women's record in her 400m hurdle final.
I loved the Chinese weightlifter, Li Wenwen who took gold against Great Britain's Emma Campbell (great performance by her). Li Wenwen was enormous and created screams that would have had Wimbledon players running for cover. After Li's winning lift she screamed and ran over and pulled her coach onto the stage - he was tiny next to the 21 year-old and he coyly waved to the assembled few - so funny. I loved her Mo-bot too! You can watch the final lift and hear some of the screams about 12 minutes into this - https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episod...ens-87kg-final
I've really enjoyed the weightlifting competitions.

I loved the highjumpers, Qatar's Barshim and Italy's Tamberi, deciding to share gold after both achieved the same heights with the same count-back - the celebrations were brilliant and great to see them put each other's medal round their necks on the podium.

Hard not to be attracted by 13 year-old Skye Brown and her bronze in the skateboarding. Amazing how she held it together.

My scariest moment was the Australian bike that lost its handlebars at 60 km/h in the team sprint - if he had been anywhere but at the back of the line of four that could have been really serious. It did make me wonder how much of the improvements in the velodrome were down to equipment rather than athleticism; while recognising the wonderful bike handling and fitness of the competitors, I should add.
Some great competition with more to come - missing the crowds, mind you.

[LHC]

My highlights of the Olympics so far. I missed a lot of week one as I was on hols so my suggestions are a bit limited.
Karsten Warholm smashing the world record for the men's 400m hurdles and tearing his vest apart. I noticed that Sidney McLaughlin didn't follow suit when she smashed the Women's record in her 400m hurdle final.
I loved the Chinese weightlifter, Li Wenwen who took gold against Great Britain's Emma Campbell (great performance by her). Li Wenwen was enormous and created screams that would have had Wimbledon players running for cover. After Li's winning lift she screamed and ran over and pulled her coach onto the stage - he was tiny next to the 21 year-old and he coyly waved to the assembled few - so funny. I loved her Mo-bot too! You can watch the final lift and hear some of the screams about 12 minutes into this - https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episod...ens-87kg-final
I've really enjoyed the weightlifting competitions.

I loved the highjumpers, Qatar's Barshim and Italy's Tamberi, deciding to share gold after both achieved the same heights with the same count-back - the celebrations were brilliant and great to see them put each other's medal round their necks on the podium.

Hard not to be attracted by 13 year-old Skye Brown and her bronze in the skateboarding. Amazing how she held it together.

My scariest moment was the Australian bike that lost its handlebars at 60 km/h in the team sprint - if he had been anywhere but at the back of the line of four that could have been really serious. It did make me wonder how much of the improvements in the velodrome were down to equipment rather than athleticism; while recognising the wonderful bike handling and fitness of the competitors, I should add.
Some great competition with more to come - missing the crowds, mind you.

The bikes used in the velodrome are supposed to be commercially available in advance of the Olympics. As these bikes are now custom-made for each rider with 3D printed materials, and apparently cost around £27,000 each, I doubt they are really available to the rest of us!

[johncorrigan]

I doubt they are really available to the rest of us!

Nor to the less well-off nations, LHC; and I suppose you could say that about a lot of the sports - sailing, rowing, equestrian spring to mind, along with the velodrome cycling.