THEMOVE - Great day for the French ft. Pauline FERRAND-PREVOT | Tour De France Femmes 2024 Stage 6 | THEMOVE

Episode Date: August 16, 2024

THEMOVE team recaps Stage 6 of Tour de France Femmes and talks to special guest, 12x Elite World Champion and 2024 Olympic Champion, Pauline FERRAND-PREVOT. Buycycle:  Unlock free seller protection when you sell a bike on buycycle with the code: THEFEMMES. https://buycycle.com/en-us?&utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=brand&utm_content=wedufemmes&utm_country=us Roka: THEMOVE listeners get 20% off. Just go to https://www.ROKA.com and enter code THEMOVE at checkout. Wahoo: Wahoo’s cycling products are trusted by the pro peloton. We see Wahoo’s ELEMNT BOLT GPS bike computer on the handlebars of many Tour Teams. Now you can save 20% on select full-price products by using the coupon code THEMOVE2024 at checkout. Honey Stinger: Head on over to https://www.honeystinger.com/themove to check out all of their products including my favorite, the waffle. Our listeners can get 25% off your first order at Honey Stinger dot com by using the code THEMOVE  

I have to tell you something. Okay, tell me. I also wait for you like for so long. When I was a kid, I was a big fan of you. And the two of us went to Reims, the city I was living before. And I think I wait three hours in the front of the bus to get a bottle of US Postal. And I was waiting like this and I didn't want to leave, you know. And my parents they say

okay Pauline maybe you should go because you will never get one and one of your mechanics gave me one and I kept it like forever ready

because I was so happy it was like yeah it was a dream so now every time I see a kid you know

I get bored because I can remember that the feeling you know i had when i had one of yours it was maybe not yours but there was a team so no it's i think one of my best memories so that's cool that's awesome thank you for that oh good morning everybody welcome back to the move podcast talking about stage six of the Tour de France Femme Avec Zwift. Our good friend Mel Hinkappy. Mel, what did we do today? Stage six. Premièrement, tout mortaux. Premièrement, tout mortaux.

I mean, I love, I just love, I love, every day I love that. It's the best. I love it. I love it. Before we... We're going to talk about the action of today. We're going to talk about tomorrow. We have talked about this for a few days. We do have a very, very special guest today that will be on shortly. Whenever she comes on, we're bringing her in.

This is a big deal and we're super excited. We might be in the middle of something, but we can't leave this one just like waiting in the Zoom wait room, I feel like. No, no, we're not making it. That'd be one and done for the move. The world is at our fingertips, so we are ready. A great win from Cedrine Carboul. First French win in three years. And a tough win. Cagey. Aggressive.

Fearless. By a young rider. By a 23-year-old rider who clearly is not afraid to go downhill. I love that stuff. Like, just risk it. Let's go. Send it. Before we get into all the action, we got to do a little business.

Allie, what do we got first? But speaking about our winner, Cedrine Cabal, everyone's always looking at these bike races and seeing the winners and what bikes they're riding. She was riding Orbea. So if you want to upgrade your bike, sell your bike, buy a used bike, go to Bicycle. And they actually have 380 Orbeas. She was riding an Orbea today. So congratulations to Sedrine. Huge win. But I think we all have space for a new bike and you can list your old one for sale. And Bicycle's pleased to bring you this limited time offer of free seller protection with the code The Femme.

T-H-E-F-E-M-M-E-S. So that's pretty awesome. And they will approve your bike and it will be viewed by thousands of riders in not only the U.S., but also Europe. And I think the best thing about it is you don't really have to deal with anyone and not all of us like dealing with people every day. But Cedrine didn't either, right? I don't know who that would be. Cedrine didn't have to deal with anyone and not all of us like dealing with people every day. But Sedrine didn't either, right? I don't know who that would be. Sedrine didn't want to deal with people. She just sent it down the hill.

So check out Bicycle and upload your bike and use the code THEFEM for free seller protection. You can go downhill like her on that Orbea. I listed a bike the other day. It took under three minutes to list. So check it out. That's awesome. Awesome.

Did you tell your husband you sold his bike? I literally listed it yesterday morning. Yes. Yesterday morning. I don't know. I, uh, I, honey, I left the garage open. A couple went missing. You keeping the money. Is that how that goes? Yeah, I doubt it. She's probably taking the money and buying something else. Yeah. That's what I'm saying. I don't know what happened to that bike. Also today brought to you by Roka. Rob and his crew down in our hometown of Austin, Texas. Just, I think, making the coolest shades out there.

We're seeing them a lot here in this Tour de France fam of X-Swift. Obviously Demi's right up there. We'll see what tomorrow holds. Tomorrow and the next day hold for her, but she looks great in her Rokas. They've reinvented the category, not just on the sports side, but the casual side. By the way, I brought mine.

If you're watching, this is the new Bandera. Ladies, come on. These are great. And I find myself riding in these. Yeah, I just like, you know what? I don't ride that much. I don't need to look that serious. Screw it.

I'm just going to ride in these because the lens is great. It has all the same stuff. Doesn't fog. Scratch resistant, super light. It's got the rubber on the inside. When I start sweating my face off, by the way, Rob and crew, I'll be back in Austin Monday. It's 105 degrees, so I'll be sweating. But they just changed the category.

And of course, my readers, the 2.0s, I'm up to 2.0. Same technology in the prescription glasses. Move listeners get 20% off go to roca that's roka.com roca.com and use the code the move at checkout roca.com code is the move 20 off awesome sweet uh i mean today's uh also not a short stage right this this um this tour is is uh weighted towards the back end right we're getting getting to the meat of the race it's going to decide the overall classification but what a win for a young rider and and a and a small team like it's i love i love that we talked about it during the men's tour, like having these teams that nobody expects or maybe expects that, that there's an outside chance they win a stage.

It's great to see these, these young riders on, on smaller teams get big wins. Well, and she was so impressive because she was already fourth going into the day and that, I mean, we weren't really talking about her very much at all. And, but she's been quietly sitting there and then to see her attack today and go for it on the descent. But what I thought was really cool was the way she held them off in the chase to the, to the finish line. I mean, she had about 35 seconds, I think it was at the, at the bottom of the descent. And you, when you see Grace Brown chasing and Canyon there, and she's so close in DC, you expected the gap to come down pretty quickly by herself, but they, it didn't. Right. Well, I mean, we did talk about, like, we did talk gap to come down pretty quickly by herself, but they, it didn't.

Right. Well, I mean, we did talk about, like, we did talk about her a lot last year. She was the best young rider in the 2023 version of the Tour de France-France-Movex Zwift. Um, she also won the inaugural Tour de Normandy, um, which is exciting. Um, she, and she, this is where I was, i was most impressed with the way she carried her momentum over the top of that climb and she just completely sent it down that descent and there was bumps and craziness and she just like handled it so well and but into that flat finish that was really difficult and challenging we do also need to know that she was the 2023 french national time

trial champion so girl has a motor she was sitting in fourth overall best young rider from last year. And, um, you know, these fun facts, she's also a dietitian and a nutritionist. And also it's not a fun fact. It's just a straight up fact, uh, moved up a second on GC, right? Just 16 seconds, 16 seconds down. Well, isn't there a part of us that's like. Well, she's clearly riding well. She's riding well.

And then you just get that big win on a team like that. And we talk a lot about what the vibe is at the dinner table. That dinner table be rocking. Like what a perfect win to roll into the last two hard days. I mean, when it takes pressure off. I mean, so now there's no pressure on this team and it's huge for them. So the momentum is high on their team. But I mean, I also think that, you know, it was interesting in the last part of the race,

the teams that were chasing in that in the finish because Canyon didn't have that many people left and they weren't the ones driving the chase. It was Grace Brown. And, you know, without Grace having been up there chasing so hard, I would have been interested to see if maybe she would have taken the leader's jersey by a second or two. Yeah. She had time bonuses at the line and we did mention it, but the first French win in three years. Yeah. Can you imagine if it had been the first French like yellow jersey? Can she climb like if, if, or these climbs the last two days just too long too high too hard i think she proved last year she can climb and looking at when she's had like durango durango bad weather

tour de normandy best young rider last year and those are some long climbs i'm i'm thinking she has a good chance to to get a podium like a gc podium she has no responsibility in the race she's got her stage win. If I'm her or her team or her director, hey, just follow the leaders. Just stay up front. Don't minimize your losses if you are starting to get dropped or get dropped.

No pressure. That gets you, if you can climb, you have no pressure, no obligation in the race. You can see a path to the podium. Well, I think the other person that's in a similar situation is Puck. You know, I mean, she's taking all the pressure off. That's right.

They're both young riders. There's a huge amount of momentum on their side. So I think the next few days or next few next couple of days are going to be really exciting seeing what what these young women can do. And you mentioned, Ali, about the nutrition and that she's a nutritionist. It's clear that they're all paying very close attention to their nutrition strategies because these are young kids, basically. Or not kids, but they're really young athletes. We can say that.

We can say it. But they're young and they're surviving this really well. And Puck is looking really good. Same with Cedrine today. And they're, you know, like puck is looking really good. Same with, uh, Cedrine today and we'll see what happens. But I think like that third spot on the podium is pretty open. I would feel like within those next, within the top 10 right now. Yeah. And, um, Cedrine, like I read a lot of articles and interviews with her from the last several years and that's what I was super impressed with her course, her education while she's racing at this high level.

But also her love for the bike. She's, of course, been riding a bike forever. She's French. She's been racing bikes since she was five years old. And it turns out like it's such a you know, this happens to us a lot. But, you know, therapy for her. But she says, I love to fight, but I like to fight on my bike better. So I loved that quote from her just to show that her raw ability to really want to get her energy out and her emotions on the bike. But she did make sure her education was important. And she made a huge step up the last couple of years. And I think we're going to be seeing a lot more of her. Not to cut into that parade.

Our special guest is on Zoom and this one, we, we can't leave. Uh, we can't leave in the waiting room. So, um, we refuse to leave her in the waiting room. Yes. We're not doing it. I will start bowing down and right now. All right. Our special guest today is Pauline for ran pre-vote. Now this is, this, we've been teasing this out. This is a big damn deal for the move on a lot of levels. And we have so much stuff to talk about Pauline. First of all, uh, thank you for doing this. Um, uh, I, I will tell you, I watched, uh, the Olympic mountain bike race and you were so good and won by so much that I almost got bored. I think it was about, I think it was three minutes, but boy, for you to, to, to be a French woman, to, to win in Paris. Um, by the way, just, you should know.

I also watched three years ago, um, when it didn't work out for you. So I watch a lot of your race. I don't want to get creepy. I don't want to be weird, but I'm a big fan. Um, but, uh, just, just before we get into other stuff, I mean, how great was it to, to win gold in your home country? No, yeah, it was an amazing feeling for sure. You know, I prepared for that race like for so long and, uh, yeah, the last three times I did Olympics, I, yeah, the last, uh, three times I did Olympics, I, yeah,

I was not good, completely not good. So, um, I wanted to win that one, you know, in Paris. And,

um, yeah, you know how it is. It's, I, I have put so much work together to, to reach that goal, that to finally make it.

And also in France, it was like, like a dream day for me. The, the atmosphere at the race not just y'all's race but also the men's race which also had a french story um and it was interesting to see the outcome there and but the public like they were it was like being at a music festival they were were, the energy was, I can't imagine for you what it was like going around there. But, you know, I was so focused that I even didn't really hear anything, you know. And it just, when I saw the finish line at the end, that's, I saw all the crowd, you know, and I saw, yeah, I really realized it was a lot of people. But I think, you know, I was like kind of a robot during the race. And I just kept my own pace and just tried to make it until the finish.

So, yeah, it was a strange feeling. But, yeah, I even didn't know it was so much people. I was in the crowd watching and you could hear where she was on or where you were on course because the noise just went all around the course. And I mean, obviously there was a helicopter too, but we were all thinking it had to be incredible. So to know that you didn't even hear it, that's how focused you were. That's pretty wild. I know you looked so smooth. It was amazing. Yeah. You look so smooth. Like you weren't putting out any effort. And I was telling my husband blaze. I'm like, is she even trying? Like you're just riding away. But fun fact,

Pauline, um, in 2015, at the age of 23, Lance, you'll like this in the history of cycling. She was the first person ever to simultaneously hold the world road title, world cyclocross title and world cross country mountain bike title.

And then I think you went in and won marathon worlds worlds too, actually. Yeah, but it's nine years ago already. So well, it's I think also, you know, what was possible before it's it's not anymore. I mean, to combine everything now, I think it just, you know, the level is just so high everywhere that it's, in my opinion, impossible to now be at the top everywhere. You know, you need to choose and you also need to prioritize. And yeah, it's also why, you know, I want to come back on the road and to stop MTB.

I know I can't do both anymore and if i want to win tour de france i need to focus on on this and yeah to commit you know so and then that's that was actually my next question so in and i don't think this is breaking news you have stated that that winning the tour de france fam of x swift is your number one goal for 2025. I didn't know if, so, so what I just heard you say is that you will focus exclusively on the road. So that means no mountain bike races. That's that is huge. I mean, especially for this race, right? You imagine the buzz and the excitement that you will bring to this uh with the also will bring

expectation on your part which i have a feeling doesn't bother you um but uh and and i also i'm assuming you know a lot of these these athletes right so you you you're not going into this goal blind right you know how you compare you know how you can compete. I suspect you have a feeling or you know that you can win the Tour de France family of X-Swift. Am I right? Yeah. No, but you know, it's also for me, like it's a new motivation, you know,

and I didn't see myself to continue on MTB, you know, and if I have to wait like the next Olympics, it's like new motivation you know and i didn't didn't see myself to continue on mtb you know and if i have to wait like the next olympics it's like four years you know and you need to do the same same workup same races same training you know and i need something new and um yeah i also need the challenge because i'm not done recycling it. So, um, so I think it's a good one. And, um, so the goal is to win it, but doesn't mean that I will, I will win it. You know, I just want to do the best and to, um, yeah, to do my best to, to try to win to reference. So it's a big challenge, but yeah, I mean, I also like this. So yeah yeah a big challenge and a big change new team yeah new teammates really everything's new new equipment um uh now i i we all know and most

people or a lot of people know that perhaps you have a look at some of the equipment since dylan is your longtime partner so that this is you're going to keep it in the family right the visa melissa bike uh family so this is but there'll be a lot of change right and uh i'm excited uh i mean i know we got to get through this year and we got two more days but this is going to bring especially pauline being french in this race this is i mean look we just talked about in pauline if you i don't think you were listening but um you know cedrine winning today the first french stage winner in three years now we're talking to pauline who's talking about coming to the to the race and winning the overall as a french woman these are very different things yeah and i think it also for the the tour de france in general the fact that it's so important

to a rider of Pauline's, you know, level to come back and make this change to try and win it is huge. Yeah. It's going to be awesome.

Yeah. Yeah, you know, I realized it after the Olympics because everyone was now asking me, but, okay,

so we are going to see you next year at Tour de France. It was, you know, like for French people, it's, it's really huge and it's um i think the only the only race they know you know if you have someone in the in the street they don't know anything about cycling but they know about Tour de France so yeah for a French woman it's i think it's also huge. And yeah, to be able to try to win it and to be the best, it's really a big motivation for sure.

I can't imagine the crowds that are going to be there. I was going to say for the country of France, I mean, maybe you could bring back Jeannie Longo. But outside of that, this is the this is the ultimate in terms of generating buzz and excitement for the home and the host country um i do have a question though because all of us cyclists sitting up here we're looking at you on the zoom and clearly you know we've been in too many hotel rooms and we're like oh pauline's in a hotel room and i said are you in a hotel and she says i'm at i'm she says, I'm telling the listener what she said.

I'm already back at an altitude camp. I don't, shouldn't we not be on a beach or on a yacht or somewhere sipping rosé? What the hell are you doing at an altitude camp? I have thoughts and opinions on this. No, but I had one week break. I was in Paris and I just wanted to do something, to go running, to go on the bike. And after a big goal, I've been working so much for that one

that you feel like, okay, I did it. And I don't want to have this depressed feeling, you know, like what I'm going to do now. So I need to have a new challenge and new goal. And we have the World Championship MTB in three weeks time. So it's a nice one and it's not official yet but i have asked the federation to do the world the world world championship in zurich well you know you i mean i don't want to i don't want to get anybody in trouble but sounds like you just made that official so we appreciate that if i were if i'm anybody else in else in this race that we're currently watching

that will be in the race next year, I'm shaking in my boots. I don't know how you translate that to French, but if that type of motivation. I don't know. No, I don't know either. You know, je ne sais pas. The good one. Okay, well, now we got, no,

things are getting real now. Things just got real spicy. And, um, you, you were, I'm super excited to have Pauline on the show. I mean, I tell you, I, you know, I had one pulling and I appreciate you finally writing me back this morning because I watched the race and look, I'm not, I'm not some creep. All right. I'm not some weirdo. Right. But I follow a few folks and I follow, I watched the whole race. Um, uh, the U S coverage here on Peacock, uh, and NBC was incredible. You could watch specific sports and specific events and you could watch the whole thing. So I watched

the entire women's mountain bike race. And of course you just destroyed them. So I grabbed my phone. I think I even DM do. I was like, I'm going to be the first one. I'm going to DM her before the race is over, not competitive or anything. Well, I just, I want, I want it to be first in line. I said, you know, send like, Oh my God, it was amazing. Congratulations. And I waited and waited and waited. And you, and you left. I have to tell you something. I also wait for you like for so long. When I was kid, I was a big fan of you and you,

the tour de France went in Reims the city I was living before and I think I wait three hours in the front of the bus to get a bottle of US Postal and I was waiting like this and I didn't want to leave you know and my parents they say okay Pauline maybe you should go because you will never get one

and one of your mechanic gave me one and I kept it like forever ready because I was so happy. It was like, yeah, it was a dream. So now every time I see a kid, you know, I get bored because I can remember that. The feeling, you know, I had when I had one of yours. It was maybe not yours, but I was a team.

So, no, it's, I think, one of my best memories. Oh, that's cool. That's awesome. Thank you for that. No, you're welcome. And thank you for writing me back. I got the, you know, the, I got the reply today, but I woke up to that reply. I was, I was excited. Yeah. Well, Hey, this is, I mean we can't get ahead of ourselves. We're talking we're talking to you about 2025. We also are talking about and actually, OK, let's talk about 2024 because, you know, this field, you know, the two stages that are left. If you this is a question for you, Pauline, if you had to guess what happens the next two days, who wins the overall, does

Nia Adoma hold on? Can Demi recover? Is there some surprises? You're watching the race. Like what, what happened? Tell us what you think happens. Yeah, I think, um, I think Kazia is really good. She's a really good bike rider, but I think Demi is a bit better in longer climbs.

So if Demi can recover for Alpe d'Huez, she can really still win the Tour de France. And I think she's a really good fighter. So if she starts full gas from the bottom, she can really close the gap, I think. Okay. Yeah. Well, that's exciting. Yeah. I hope that happens. I do too.

I like sitting on the couch drinking coffee when people start to climb full gas because they're a minute down. That just makes for good bike racing. And I cannot wait. I don't think any of us can wait no we can't just sit on the couch 12 months from now drinking our coffee because you know it's early over here right you know the we watch y'all early in the morning and um so we can't wait 12 months from now we'll be sitting on the couch drinking coffee watching but we get a watcher at worlds uh and it sounds like the world's road race maybe yeah yeah no no no no no no there's no maybe no you just revealed it no who do i need to speak to let's make it we are making this happen this is this a world premiere. This is a world scoop.

Yeah, I mean, I love it. It can be a good comeback on the road, you know. It's also a hard work. With the shape I have now, you know, I just keep this shape for a few more weeks and we can already have an idea of what I can do on the road, no? Well, you've been world champion before. Why not do it again? Yeah.

12 years. After. No. 10 years after. Sorry. 10 years. Well. Can be good.

No. I think it's going to be great. We're excited about it. Yeah. We're not disagreeing. We know we agree. Yeah. We,

we can't wait. Pauline. Thank you so much. You rock. We're all big fans. Thanks to you. We are huge, huge fansine thank you so much you rock we're all big fans we are huge huge fans thank you so much I know those altitude camps are boring so don't get too bored up there still five weeks

to go it was raining the last four days so hopefully now it's getting better yeah it's also you know what I prefer it's all these parts preparation training hard eating well going to bed early so it's it's what i like the most so it's um yeah it's cool i'm so i'm so graceful grateful uh that i don't have to raise you by the way what you just alluded all of those things you just said, I love it too.

And at least I did love that. And I would refer to that as the process. I always loved the process, all of the things you laid out. And there's a lot, there's many, many more things that go into the process. But sometimes, you know, you get to the race and you have the result that you dreamed of and you wanted it. It makes everybody happy, but it doesn't feel the same as the process. The process actually for me, and I, and I think I'm hearing you say this, the process

actually feels better than the result. Exactly. You know what? We're going to be friends for a long time. I want to be her best friend though. So I just want a response to my DMs. You can join me guys I don't know don't tell us where you are

because all these fucking weirdos will come out there but wherever you are it better be some e-bikes if I'm coming I'm not riding with you come on alright Pauline thank you best of luck

thank you so much. Yeah. You too. Thanks. And thank you. We appreciate you. Merci. Merci. Au revoir. Bye bye. Bonne week.

No, everybody, everybody calm down back there up here. She's yeah. I can't calm down. You know that though. She's a boss. Like I don't want to race. I would, I don't want to race her. I don't even want to ride with her. I love the e-bike comment oh no i would need straight up me yeah an e-bike with backup batteries because i'd be on full power what the discipline the focus to just jump straight in off i mean you imagine the high of winning in paris and we I mean, and it's like, no, now it's time to get back to business world scoop. Yeah. I mean,

I, by the way, if anybody at the French Federation says, ah, man, let's wait. You're crazy. She has to race the worlds.

Yeah. I think so. I think so. 100%. World champion 2015. All right. We'll do a little bit of business and then we'll talk about tomorrow's stage uh today's show brought to you by honey stinger i've been involved with this brand for

for a very long time this is obviously it seems like business it really isn't this is a personal connection for me i synced up with the whole team there in 2008 and helped them evolve and develop products uh primarily the uh the waffle the stinger waffle it was what i raced with forever i raced with a much crappier junkier less healthy version um but when i when i joined up with stinger you know we made the organic stinger waffle which has been a game changer there's now a whole ton of uh flavors and varieties out there and, and as a parent of five, it's great for the kids. Like don't let your kids grab all this crap in the pantry. I don't have a stinger waffle.

And by the way, they're going to love it. They're not going to yell at you that they don't love it. Game changer. Also, I think some of the best race and training fuel out there. Head on over to honeystinger.com slash the move. Check out all their products, including my favorite, the waffle. Our listeners get 25% off your first order at honeystinger.com by using the code, the move. The code is the move honeystinger.com 25% off. And then Allie, Wahoo.

That's my favorite time. Wahoo. Yeah. we're thankful that Wahoo is a sponsor of the show as well. Wahoo bike computers are definitely proven in the Peloton, used by so many world tour teams, getting blinged out in gold for Olympic medalists and such like that. But something that we were noticing today when we were all watching the race, like you're looking at a rider who likes to drink a bowl and you're going, she doesn't know that descent. And she was railing it. Yeah. I mean, i looked up her pro she's from breast which is in the the north northwest of france so very far from where they were it's not like she was i mean maybe she went and previewed this route but the way she descended uh yes she's looking at that this is what george you know it's fun like george always called bullshit when i would say that they're doing this that for sure i mean if you don't know the roads that mapping feature is is and by the way it is totally accurate 100 and i mean i

use the wahoo gps computer roam um it's a little bigger really good mapping uh features and definitely the riders are using it because i know that and um it's a little bigger, really good mapping, uh, features and definitely the riders are using it. Cause I know that. And, um, it's helping even in sprint finishes, et cetera, because that roundabout, you need to know what side to go. And, you know, if your radio gets broken, you know, you don't know. Good thing you have your Wahoo. Um, but, uh, and also speedplay pedals, uh, arrow advantages, uh, really good when you have knee injuries, extra float. I've been using speedplay since 2009. Um, I know I beat you you have knee injuries, extra float. I've been using speed play since 2009. Um,

I know I beat you on that. I am older years. I know, but why? Why? Who's cycling products are trusted by the pro Peloton. We see why? Who's element bolt GPS.

I use the room by computer on the handlebars of world tour teams. Now you can save 20% on select full price products by using the coupon code, the move 2024 at checkout. So during the tour de France, go to wahoo fitness.com slash the move and enter the move 2024 to save 20%. And you could also just send it like, we might get ourselves in trouble. Like all of a sudden

people start writing and like you know i i'd never been there i just you guys told me to trust the computer people not hitting the brakes you know people sending pictures from the hospital like guys you told me to look at the computer i know but listen you still have to use the brakes still use the brakes i mean you know the you have to use the brakes and the future said green was using the brakes today you just you just know how much brake to use let's look at tomorrow's stage because this is this is nasty longest stage of of this tour de france fam of x swift uh what is it 3100 meters of total vert. For you folks who think in feet, that's just under 10,000 feet. Actually, it might be just over.

Never flat. You look at this profile and... It starts with a 15K climb. It's gradual, but that is going to be a hard start. Yeah, nobody likes that. It's going to be a crazy day. The real racing starts now. And the Col de la Croix de la Serra is a 12K climb that averages 5.1%,

but there are pitches up to 20%. So, I mean, that's going to be a tough climb. It's constantly changing grades, so good for pitchy climbers, but also we could see some motors be able to, you know, keep that momentum. Are you going to wake up early to see it? This one, you have to watch all of it. And the athletes know that this isn't it, right? The next day is even harder, right?

So in the back of their minds, they're thinking, God, I could do this again tomorrow. And tomorrow's even harder. But this is when the race for the overall, and I think it's shaping up to be an incredible race. Pauline just talked about it. Um, I mean, Demi Voller has, she has no, she has no choice, right? Well, if you look at the finish tomorrow, it's all uphill for the last, where does that start? Like 20, 30 K to go or so. Yep. So, I mean, it's a great opportunity for her tomorrow too. Well, even if it's, it's, it's, it's, uh, she doesn't need all the time tomorrow, right? She knows that she has Alpe d'Huez on Sunday.

That's the most storied climb in the, in the history of the tour and certainly in that country. Um, so she, she just needs some time back. And also when you get, even by getting some time, I always bring things back to the dinner table. You're like, okay, now we're rolling. We have a line of sight to, to get the rest of the time back. Yeah. Compare and contrast to a day where she gets no time back, right? If Neodoma stays with her and looks strong and rides a smart race, which I would caution Neodoma to be very conservative.

She has to be conservative tomorrow. There's no reason to not be conservative. But you imagine if she doesn't gain time, she's like, I have one day left. I know it's Alta West. That's a lot of time. And then there are these wild cards. I mean, who's to say that Carball at 16 seconds down

and a big talent can't. Can't try and go for it. Yeah, Kristen Faulkner. Yep. We did watch Faulkner and Voss struggle a little bit today, but that's what I'm thinking with this so much climbing. And if you're more of a time trial as pure power rider and you just stay at your pace, you could do quite well.

But you have some of the climbers too, like that Gaia Riolini. And if she goes and she's a minute 40 down or a minute 50 down who's going to chase her and you know canyon's going to have to do a lot of work and you know if they can get it to where they've had to do too much work maybe there's an opportunity for demi to get a you know a little bit back and i agree she just has to get a little bit you know if she can and the opportunity is there but it should be interesting to see what the teams do. Yeah. And the finish is two category, uh, two climbs, um, and they're back to back and there's only 2k of descending in between. So basically the last 16 K, um, into the finish, there's 14 K of climbing. I think we can all agree. We just count that as one climb.

There is a little downhill in the middle. It might be two to three minutes in total descending time. You just count that as one climb. I mean, if you add more for the jersey of the climbing jersey, then right. You know, it's point. Right. There are thunderstorms in the area and in the forecast that that which you're starting to get. This is the time of year when I know you're starting to get this is the time of year when i know we're still in summertime but things start to shift in europe uh being that we're

three weeks later um you can all of a sudden get up at these elevations you can get some cold it feels cold it's not that you wouldn't think it's cold but it feels cold for these riders um and those thunderstorms are in the forecast for tomorrow and Sunday. Ooh. Okay. Well, that should be interesting. It's just always,

it's a little X factors. Man, I don't know about y'all. I'm still, I don't know. I should just, we, I'm still buzzing from Pauline.

I know. It's really hard. It's hard to talk after that. I hope Anna's not listening. Cause I, let me tell you something. You are a little bit fid Anna's not listening. Let me tell you something. You are a little bit fidgety right now. I'll tell you what.

You thought I wasn't going to behave. Let me see. We're all talking about, well, guess what's going to happen in 2025? Guys, we have to talk about 2024. 2024 is not going to disappoint. It sucked seeing Demi go down, but this is shaping up. If she can pull this off, it's the ultimate win. It's a win that you proved that you totally deserve.

So I'm excited for them to duke it out. Yeah, I saw her post on social media, a photo yesterday, and Damie said, no one touched me. So she's got some fire in there. Her namaste is a little ignited into some fierce, do not touch me today. So she's ready to rock and roll. She got some no-mas-te. No-mas-te. She got some no-mas-te.

That's what I have usually. Anna, this is funny. I'm talking about Anna. Anna, for y'all who don't know, that's my wife. We love Anna. Some of them. But so she was, she teaches yoga here in Aspen. So I think, well, today, today's her last class.

So she was, she gets excited for these and wants to do a great class and plan the, whatever it's called, the flow. And I always fuck around with her. I'm like, you know, why don't you start with some namaste? Like just, you know, she says you need a little yoga. I need a lot of yoga. I went and got Rolfed yesterday. My back. I don't know. Yeah. She says she can help you with that.

Yeah, I know. Maybe Pauline says she can help you with that. Yeah, I know. Maybe Pauline will teach class every now and again. Pauline. Oh, God. What? Nothing. Golly. Y'all, I'm kidding.

I'm kidding. It was exciting to have her on. Yeah, I'm glad. I slid into her DMs. I was curious, too, and I didn't want to ask her cause I didn't want her to be on the record. I was curious what she thought of the course. I, it just didn't, I ride mostly mountain bikes, especially in the summer. And when I was watching, uh, the course there in Paris, I thought, eh, like it didn't seem

like a, uh, uh, there were sections that were good, but overall I was like, this seems like a pretty basic, basic course. And I didn't want to ask her that cause I didn't want her to get in trouble, but I don't know. Maybe she loved it. Clearly she loved it. She had no problem. I don't think she even breathed hard. It would have been a better course. I would have won by five minutes. I love that she had that bottle from you though that was a great story i know that was

really cool and i didn't i also didn't want to um ask her about this but she did make a neat comment years ago many years ago when nobody was um sort of not to get on my box but nobody was backing me up she was when she was breaking out uh they asked said, if you could ride with anybody in the world, who would it be? And she said, nobody's going to like this answer. And I don't care. It's Lance Armstrong. I love it. I mean, and that was nobody said that at the time. So it's sweet. It was so cool to, um, to actually talk to her. Well, for her to say that was one of her biggest moments waiting in line to get a bottle from you. And that meant so much as a as a young girl and that now that's kind of why she makes sure she gets bottles to the kids too i i love that it's you know it's awesome it keeps passing it on and it's so cool

and look this is that's a good point and here's the thing like cycling a few years ago they have these zones and you can even see it in the profiles of where you can throw away bottles. I get it if you're throwing away a wrapper from an energy bar or something, but you get fined if you throw bottles. I think that's the worst idea. Look, don't chunk it in a river. But if you're riding along in the tour, men's tour, women's doesn't matter.

And there's a group of kids right there and you're done with your bottle. Throw that bottle out there. You see, these kids will sprint like Hussein bolt to grab the bottle. I think that's about like littering and they have the caravan going through throwing out all kinds of stuff. It's just like advertising stuff. Whereas getting it from an athlete would mean so much to those kids by the side of the road. I think it's, I agree. Y'all will remember this because it surely was the same in the women's peloton.

And, you know, by all accounts, feed zones aren't the same anymore. But in our days, you know, you had a designated feed zone. The soigneurs would stand there with a musette bag, which are all branded and labeled for the team. And so there was a huge line of people of soigneurs handing up the musettes. And it never failed. Like 500 meters later, there was a whole nother line of people that knew that the rider would be taking all their stuff out and they were going to get rid of that musette bag. And they're just standing there like waving their arms. Like, ah, I love that. Like, I think we should be doing that. Yeah. Yeah. That's, you know,

random musings by the move there was i did see and we're wrapping up but that todd a when he gave a bottle to a fan like 5k to go to the tour this year they end up doing a video with the child and he's a super fan and he's actually like rides his bike all the time wants to be a racer and that bottle changes like he has it on a like in podium, like glass case at home. And you saw Demi there at the start in Holland after the time trial. People come, kids coming over, girls and boys, you know, just waiting. Can I get a picture?

Can I get something signed? These are life-changing for young kids. Well, what's for Pauline with you? No, we heard it right there. And when she told that story, I immediately thought of Demi right after the TT with those kids sitting there. It was awesome. So, all right. Well, hey, bike race starts tomorrow.

Get up early. We're up early. Up early. Up early. I will be up early. Everybody, thanks for tuning in. And also, make sure to like and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts on Apple, Spotify, iHeart, etc, etc. Thanks for tuning in.

Bye!