The Friday Thing #809

Well, here we are again.

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The Friday Thing #809 is a short one due to a cycling related injury I sustained this week that makes typing difficult, so this is being written almost entirely by dictation using the power of AI.

It's hard to believe that I have not written about the Tour de France already during the last few weeks. It's been one of the best tours in over 20 years with two protagonists who are clearly different from the rest of the field. Over the last few days Jonas Vingegaard has proven he's the best rider this year and will go on to win the tour this weekend in Paris. His performance on the individual time trial and then the remarkable climb on stage 17 set him apart. I had planned to write about this in detail, but the aforementioned injury has curtailed my ability to do this but – more importantly i think this incredible writing from Rouleur Magazine does a far better job than I could.?

As soon as Jonas Vingegaard waited to roll down the start ramp today, it was clear he would do something special. Licking his lips and puffing air in and out of his cheeks, Vingegaard looked alive. The opening few pedals strokes were fast and aggressive as he sprinted towards the first corner and railed it with speed and bravery. As he tucked into his aero position, he found his rhythm: a slow yet powerful cadence. It felt as if you could almost see the watts being pushed through the pedals, his body was rock solid, slicing through the air with every bone and muscle movement visible through the bright yellow of his skinsuit.

There was no change at the foot of the final climb, no seconds wasted, or risks taken by switching to a road bike. Vingegaard’s wide, gold visor covered his eyes as he roared up the ascent: a faceless assassin with no pain etched on his face. It was pure focus as he pressed on through the crowds of fans that lined the road. Today was not about them, it was not about the dramatic duel between two rivals that some might have dreamed of seeing until the bitter end of the Tour. It was about victory for Vingegaard. That final, definitive proof that he was the better rider.

I love those two paragraphs. They’re so beautifully written that you feel you’re there in the middle of the crowds lining The Alps.

I love all kinds of sports, especially those that combine competition and strategy. And there is just so much great sport to watch at the moment that I'm using multiple screens to simultaneously track the cycling, The Ashes cricket series, The Open golf tournament (from near my hometown) and Formula One. And then of course there is the women's football World Cup in Australia and New Zealand that just kicked off. If you haven't seen this advert for the French women's team then you're missing a treat, so this is my second thing to share this week.

That’s all for this week – I hope you enjoy both of these. I’m off to rest up and listen to:

?Cheers & happy Friday.

-Steve?