Furiaceca

Fuder not bear ,gambler not tipster

[Furiaceca @Furiaceca4]

Mass adoption-best digital joke

[Cycling Predictorspt @Cyclingpredpt]

Tour de France Femmes🇨🇵 Stage 1
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Célia Gery
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Vos, LKopecky
⭐️⭐️⭐️Wiebes ,Le Court, Rüegg
⭐️⭐️Koch, Vollering, Pieterse, Bredewold
⭐️Balsamo, ZBackstedt, ELB, Niewiadoma, Blasi

The 2026 Tour de France Femmes opens with a very interesting opening stage, finishing in Lausanne. It isn't a completely flat day, with several climbs throughout the route, before the finale on the Côte de Saint-François.

The final climb is 2.6 km at 4.6%, but those average numbers don't tell the whole story. The middle section is the hardest, with roughly one kilometre averaging around 6.8–7%. After that, the gradient eases, and the final 600 metres are almost a false flat.

Because of that profile, the big question is whether Lorena Wiebes can survive the climb. I think she definitely can, but it will depend entirely on the pace. If the favourites hit the steep section full gas, she'll have a much harder time. We saw something similar last season in stage 1 where the pace was so high that Wiebes never really had a chance to contest the finish.

Interestingly, Lausanne has some similarities to the stage of 2024 Tour de Romandie Feminin Femmes won by Elisa Balsamo. However, this approach is different. The roads are different, the climb itself is different, and I actually think this version is more demanding than the 2024 finish. Wiebes' chances will depend heavily on how aggressively the peloton races that decisive climb.

My pick for the stage win is Célia Gery. I think this is a great opportunity for the French rider. The finale suits her extremely well, even if the flatter final metres make things a little more difficult. Gery has been in outstanding form throughout the season, and we shouldn't forget her victory at Brabantse Pijl, which featured a finish with some similarities, even if it wasn't identical. I think she has everything it takes to win this stage.

Overall, it's a very open stage.

Marianne Vos is, as always, one of the main favourites. She has raced very little this season due to illness and personal circumstances, so it remains to be seen what condition she's in. But this kind of uphill finish is exactly the sort of terrain that suits her, and if she's anywhere near her best, she'll be fighting for victory.

Lotte Kopecky is another major contender. She has repeatedly shown she can win uphill sprints. This climb it's a profile that suits her well, and she should be right in the mix.

Keep an eye on Kim Le Court as well. She hasn't had the easiest season, but she showed much better form at the Tour de Suisse. This type of finish is perfect for her, and she has every chance of delivering a big result.

The same applies to Noemi Rüegg. She also thrives on this kind of uphill sprint. We already saw her win the opening stage of the Vuelta Femenina before her race unfortunately ended with a fractured collarbone. If she's really back to full fitness, she's definitely one to watch.

Also within the FDJ-SUEZ team, Franziska Koch could also be an option, although I expect the team to back Célia Gery. Still, Koch is another rider who handles these punchy finishes extremely well.

Puck Pieterse is another explosive rider perfectly suited to this kind of stage. She'll probably need to make her move on the steepest part of the climb if she wants to create a decisive gap before the flatter finish.

Finally, keep an eye on Demi Vollering. This type of uphill finish suits her very well, and if she's in good condition, she should be among the best riders.

#TDFF2026

[𝐂𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐔𝐥𝐭𝐫𝐚 𝐎𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 @thecasualultra]

⛈🇦🇷 Back in 2024, more than 86,000 River Plate fans completely lost it when torrential rain poured down during a match at the Monumental. Pure South American football atmosphere. 👏🔥

[Cycling Predictorspt @Cyclingpredpt]

Tour de France Femmes🇨🇵 GC
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Demi Vollering
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Ferrand-Prévot, Reusser
⭐️⭐️⭐️Blasi, Niedermaier, Niewiadoma
⭐️⭐️Van der Breggen, Wlodarczyk, Kerbaol, ELB
⭐️IHolmgren, NBlack, Berthet, De Vries, Le Court

The Tour de France Femmes is back, and once again we have a fascinating route. It's a demanding race with plenty of climbing, although it's not a route built around multiple summit finishes. In fact, there is only one true mountain-top finish but what a finish it is: the legendary ascent of Mont Ventoux.

We'll also have the decisive finale in Nice, featuring the now well-known Col d'Èze, which could play a major role in settling the general classification. Before that, there are several challenging medium-mountain stages that could prove decisive, especially for GC riders who are more suited to punchy terrain. Overall, I don't think this route particularly favors the pure climbers.

The race also includes a 21-kilometer individual time trial in Dijon. While it's not completely flat and features a two hill sections, it's still very much a time trial, and the climbs aren't difficult enough to significantly reduce the advantage of the specialists. Riders like Marlen Reusser should be expected to gain valuable time there.

My overall favorite is Demi Vollering. After Pauline Ferrand-Prévot surprised everyone by winning last year's Tour, another upset is certainly possible, but I believe this year's route suits Vollering much better. There's only one genuine high-mountain summit finish the ascent of Mont Ventoux. The rest of the race consists largely of rolling and medium-mountain stages that play perfectly to Vollering's strengths. Add in a favorable time trial, and this looks like an excellent course for her. She's explosive, versatile, and consistently one of the strongest riders on this kind of terrain.

Of course, you can't overlook Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, last year's champion. She's followed almost the same preparation as she did twelve months ago, so it'll be fascinating to see whether she can peak at exactly the right time again. She hasn't raced since the Vuelta, and while she's more than capable of winning, I don't think this course suits her quite as well. The biggest concern is the time trial, where she could lose significant time to riders like Vollering and Reusser. With only one major summit finish, she'll have fewer opportunities to make those losses back in the mountains. Even so, after what she achieved last year, it's impossible not to consider her one of the top favorites.

Marlen Reusser is another major contender. She's had a unlucky season, but winning the Tour de Suisse showed she's coming into form at exactly the right time. The time trial is a huge advantage for her, and much of the route suits her characteristics very well. Mont Ventoux may be a little too demanding compared to some of her rivals, but across the rest of the race she has every chance of fighting for the podium or even the overall victory.

Another rider to watch is Paula Blasi. After winning the Vuelta Femenina, she's been one of the revelations of the season. She isn't among the very best time trialists, but the rest of the route suits her extremely well, making her a serious contender for the general classification and maybe she will also improve her time trial skills like she did with all of the others.

Antonia Niedermaier is also a very strong candidate. She's an excellent time trialist and handles rolling terrain well, even if she lacks the explosive sprint of some of her rivals.

That said, Niewiadoma can never be underestimated at the Tour de France Femmes. She always performs well in this race. The time trial isn't ideal for her, but the rest of the course suits her aggressive racing style.

Finally, there's Anna Van der Breggen. She's always a rider to respect, but having already raced the Vuelta and the Giro before arriving at the Tour, the accumulated fatigue could become a factor.

#TDFF2026

[Cycling Predictorspt @Cyclingpredpt]

PostNord Tour of Denmark🇩🇰 Stage 3
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Wout Van Aert
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Laporte, SKAndersen
⭐️⭐️⭐️Kubis, Foldager, Teutenberg
⭐️⭐️HPedersen, Cotê, Kamp, TKopecky
⭐️Plowright, Sheehan, Del Grosso, MKopecky, TAerts

The queen stage of the Tour of Denmark and will almost certainly decide the overall classification. As tradition dictates, the finish in Vejle, features a demanding circuit packed with short, steep climbs making this a perfect stage for explosive puncheurs that have endurance.

My pick for the stage is Wout van Aert, who has already won the opening two stages. Van Aert looks to be in excellent form. He only just held on for victory today another meter and Plowright might have pass him, as he clearly had the stronger finishing speed. The difference was positioning, where Van Aert was simply perfect.

Tomorrow's finale suits Van Aert much better. It's a finish that plays directly to his strengths, as well as those of his teammate Christophe Laporte. A Visma one-two is certainly not out of the question, although Laporte will almost certainly be riding in support of Van Aert from this point onward. This stage is another great opportunity for Van Aert to build confidence ahead of the Vuelta a España.

That said, controlling the race won't be easy. As we've already seen over the first two stages, plenty of teams are willing to attack, and we should expect an aggressive race. One rider who will almost certainly try something is Søren Kragh Andersen. He was the only rider able to follow Van Aert's decisive move on Stage 1 to the front group. Racing on home roads, the former Danish national champion has the experience and attacking instincts to make a real impact.

Lukáš Kubiš is another rider to watch. He's been in excellent form, has a strong sprint from reduced groups, and possesses exactly the kind of punch needed for this finish.

Anders Foldager is another excellent contender. This type of finale suits him perfectly, and the young Dane has all the qualities needed to deliver a big performance on home soil.

Tim Torn Teutenberg also deserves a mention. While he doesn't appear to have quite the same top-end sprint he showed in the past, he's climbing well.That makes him a genuine contender on a stage like this.

Three riders who impressed me on Stage 1 were Henrik Pedersen, Pierre-André Côté, and Thomas Kopecký. All three were among the strongest riders in the finale and will be eager to prove that performance was no fluke.

Keep an eye on Alexander Kamp as well. The Danish rider was active today, and this finish suits his characteristics. If he gets clear with a late solo attack, he could be very difficult to bring back.

I'm also curious to see what Jason Plowright can do. He has shown that he can survive short climbs when he's on a good day, he's clearly in excellent form, and after coming so close to victory today, he'll be highly motivated.

Finally, it'll be interesting to see whether riders like Tibor del Grosso, Toon Aerts and Riley Sheehan can bounce back after disappointing performances on Stage 1.

#PNDKR26

[Furiaceca @Furiaceca4]

@centregoals @JacobsBen Pls send giani to jail

[Cycling Predictorspt @Cyclingpredpt]

Tour de l'Ain🇨🇵 Stage 3
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Markel Beloki
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Bravo, Meehan
⭐️⭐️⭐️Mariault, Arsac, Poels
⭐️⭐️ACepeda, Cisneros, Conci, Bouchard
⭐️Buck-Jones, Eiking, Ghebreigzabhier, Moniquet, CHamilton

The third and final stage of the Tour de l’Ain is the queen stage and the toughest of the race. While none of the climbs are exceptionally steep on their own, the sheer amount of climbing makes this a brutally demanding day. The riders will tackle seven categorized climbs, plus some uncategorized ascents, meaning fatigue will play a huge role.

The key climb of the day is the Col de Menthières, 9.8 km at 6.2%. After the summit, the riders face a descent before entering a relentlessly rolling finale. First comes a 2.3 km climb at 6%, followed by a series of short uncategorized climbs before the race finishes on a gradual uphill drag.

My pick for the stage is Markel Beloki. He was already my pre-race favorite for the general classification, and after his impressive Stage 2 victory, he has only strengthened that status. Beloki launched his winning move well before the finish, attacking on the flatter section after the main climb, and nobody could bring him back.

Considering both the accumulated climbing and the strength he showed yesterday, Beloki looks like the strongest rider in the race. He has everything needed to win again and secure the overall title. One of his biggest advantages is his ability to time-trial and maintain high speed on flatter terrain. If he gets even a small gap after the final climbs, it will be extremely difficult for riders like Jamie Meehan and Henrique Bravo to bring him back. They are lighter climbers, but on rolling roads and flat sections Beloki has a clear advantage, as he already demonstrated in Stage 2. Plus it is also possible for Beloki to drop them on the mountains although i am not fully convinced if he will drop Henrique Bravo.

#TourdelAin

[Cycling Predictorspt @Cyclingpredpt]

PostNord Tour of Denmark🇩🇰 Stage 2
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Erlend Blikra
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️WVA, Laporte
⭐️⭐️⭐️Crabbe, Teutenberg, Walscheid
⭐️⭐️BOliver, Kubis, Plowright, Foldager
⭐️Van Uden, Menten, MKopecky, Kockelmann, FTricht

Stage 2 of the Tour of Denmark features a few rolling sections, but nothing comparable to the climbs we saw on Stage 1. Overall, this is a day that should suit the sprinters, and everything points towards a full bunch sprint.

The finale takes place on urban roads and it looks technical, making positioning and lead-outs particularly important. Teams with well-organised sprint trains will have a significant advantage heading into the final kilometre.

My pick for the stage is Erlend Blikra.

Although there are a few false-flat sections in the closing kilometres, the final run to the line is completely flat, with even some slight downhill stretches. That should suit Blikra perfectly. In terms of pure speed, I believe he is the fastest sprinter in the field, and if he is delivered in a good position, he has an excellent chance of taking the stage victory.

That said, Wout van Aert is an obvious contender. He looks highly motivated and has been sprinting well.

Visma also have Christophe Laporte as another strong option. If the team decides to back him instead of Van Aert, Laporte has both the speed and experience to fight for the win.

It will also be interesting to see how Lidl–Trek approach the stage. They have Tim Torn Teutenberg, who is a very capable sprinter but has recently spent much of his time working as a lead-out rider. However, he is currently their best-placed rider in the general classification, so the team may decide to let him sprint for both the stage and the time bonuses.

On the other hand, they also have Max Walscheid, another rider with a strong sprint. It will be interesting to see which option Lidl–Trek choose.

Finally, keep an eye on Tom Crabbe. If he can stay well positioned in the closing kilometres, I believe he is one of the fastest riders in this field and has every chance of delivering a strong result. The main concern is his lead-out train, which is not among the strongest in the race. If he can overcome that and arrive at the final sprint in a good position, he will be a serious contender for victory.

#TourofDenmark

[𝐂𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐔𝐥𝐭𝐫𝐚 𝐎𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 @thecasualultra]

There are people who will tell you with a stone-cold face that England has the best atmosphere in world football 😂😅

Watch & enjoy this class video of River Plate! 🤩

[Wall Street Mav @WallStreetMav]

Argentina is showing former socialist countries how to do it.

President Milei has cut the government in half. He stopped printing pesos to pay their bills.

He got rid of rent control, which resulted in thousands of units coming onto the market and rent prices declining 40%.

Millions of people are escaping poverty in Argentina due to Milei.

[Furiaceca @Furiaceca4]

@TeleFootball Giani to jail asap

[Cantona Collars AKA Larry @Cantona_Collars]

Infantino has too many votes tied up from traditionally smaller footballing nations to ever be removed.

I never thought I'd say this, but maybe it's time for UEFA to break away from FIFA.

CONMEBOL would almost certainly follow. And if Europe and South America walked away, the other confederations would be under huge pressure to do the same.

Take UEFA and CONMEBOL out of FIFA and what's left isn't the World Cup people tune in to watch.

[Martyn Ziegler @martynziegler]

EXCLUSIVE: Fifa's president Gianni Infantino is planning to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors under a scheme that could potentially earn him tens of millions of pounds.
Investor discussions held with figures close to the Trump administration, say sources.

https://t.co/KM6YfUqKYq

[Cycling Predictorspt @Cyclingpredpt]

Tour de l'Ain🇨🇵 Stage 1
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Tord Gudmestad
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Hobbs, Tesson
⭐️⭐️⭐️Dainese, Isidore, Pollefliet
⭐️⭐️MMilan, Delle Vedove, Gonov, Donnenwirth
⭐️Michielsen, Van Rees, Hardouin, Goszczurny, AGeorge

The opening stage of the Tour de l'Ain is expected to end in a bunch sprint. While the finale includes a few false flats, there is nothing difficult enough

My pick for the stage is Tord Gudmestad.

Decathlon arrive with three fast men: Gudmestad, Isidore, and Gianluca Pollefliet. Isidore is better suited to slightly hillier finishes, while Pollefliet is another capable sprinter who has already shown promising results. However, I expect the team to back Gudmestad. He appears to be the quickest of the three and has spent much of the season playing a crucial role as Tobias Lund Andresen's lead-out rider. After helping set up so many victories for his teammate, this looks like the perfect opportunity for Gudmestad to race for himself and take the win.

Noah Hobbs is the rider I see as his biggest rival. Once again, EF have not brought a particularly strong lead-out train, but Hobbs has already shown that he does not necessarily need one to be competitive. With relatively few elite sprinters in the field, he has a genuine chance of taking victory.

Jason Tesson is another strong contender. TotalEnergies have brought a solid squad, and Tesson is a rider who is usually very consistent in races of this level. If the sprint comes together as expected, he should be right in the mix.

Alberto Dainese also deserves a mention. He has been one of the disappointments of the season so far, failing to win a race or even come particularly close. However, the level of sprinting competition here is not especially deep, making this a good opportunity for him to finally deliver the result many expected from him this year.

Keep an eye on Matteo Milan as well. He impressed earlier in the season at the UAE Tour, where he finished third on one stage. The younger brother of Jonathan Milan, he showed plenty of promise last year, although he has yet to make a similar impact this season. This race could provide the breakthrough performance he has been looking for.

Finally, it will be interesting to see what Astana's Alessandro della Vedove and Lev Gonov can do. Both possess a good turn of speed and could be outsiders if they find themselves in the right position heading into the final sprint.

#TourdelAin

[Tarmac @tarmacycling]

🇫🇷 #TDFF2026 - Preview

🗓️ 01/08 au 09/08

[SIR1⭐️ @sa10nee]

Paolo Maldini has just dropped a bombshell in a recent interview, explaining why he and Leonardo are resigning from their roles as the Italy national team’s technical director and advisor just 10 days after signing their contracts.

Paolo Maldini 🗣️: “One of my biggest mistakes was ever accepting the role in the first place. Italian football has fallen so far, and it’s all because of the federation. When we were appointed, we drafted a three-man shortlist to take over as manager of the national team. Pep Guardiola was obviously our first choice, while Andrea Pirlo was our third.

We negotiated well with Pep, and we reached an agreement with him. However, when we informed the federation about our agreement, they told us they couldn’t afford to pay him and said we needed to find a cheaper option.

We then reached an agreement with Andrea, who we believed would have been a good choice to lead us back to the glory days since the federation couldn’t afford to pay Pep. But President Malagò went against the appointment, using his association with a Russian brand as an excuse.

This is a sad day for Italian football because it has fallen lower than ever before, all due to the incompetence of the federation. We will continue to remain a low-level football nation if Malagò is still the federation’s president. That is the truth. We both tried our best, but believe me when I tell you that we can’t be saved again.”

[Velon CC @VelonCC]

Van der Poel at his very, very best 🔥

Mathieu Van der Poel produced one of the best attacks of his career to win Stage 21 of the Tour de France in Paris, hitting a 1min power of 704w (data from Wahoo).
______
🇫🇷 #TDF2026

[Domestique @Domestique___]

🇧🇪 Philipsen hails 🇳🇱 Van der Poel's dramatic Champs-Élysées triumph

🗣️ “Mads [Pedersen] went early and he wanted to overtake Mathieu [van der Poel], and I just had to make sure he couldn't take the win, that Mathieu could hold, or either I surpass him in the final.”

📰 https://t.co/RYicKKW3OV

📸 Cor Vos

[Roadman Podcast @Roadman_Podcast]

The Tour de France makes €100M+ annually.
The riders get €2.3M total.
And that's just the beginning of cycling's broken power structure.

Here's how cycling accidentally created a feudal system:

ASO (the race organizer) sits at the top of the food chain.
If ASO excludes your team from the Tour de France, your sponsorship deals are worthless.

The UCI is supposed to be the governing body.
But they're actually below the race organizers in power.

ASO literally pulled the Tour de France out of the UCI WorldTour system in 2017 when the UCI tried to assert authority.

The message was clear: "We run this sport, not you."

Compare this to football:

FIFA controls the sport, not individual tournament organizers
Teams qualify for the World Cup based on sporting merit
Tournament organizers can't just exclude teams they don't like
Revenue sharing is structured and transparent

In cycling, it's the opposite:

Race organizers control everything.
ASO can exclude any team for "customs fraud or indecent appearance" (actual rule).
No collective bargaining for riders.
Teams beg for wildcard invitations.

The power structure literally goes:
Race Organizers (ASO, RCS Sport)
UCI (supposed "governing body")
Teams/Riders (completely dependent)
National Federations (almost powerless)

This creates the strangest business dynamic:

The people who create the content (riders) have zero negotiating power.

The people who organize the platform (ASO) capture 98% of the value.

That's pro cycling!

The numbers are shocking:

Tour de France revenue: €100M+
Total prize money: €2.3M
That's a 40:1 ratio in favor of organizers.

Compare to football's World Cup:
FIFA revenue (2019-2022): $7.6B
Prize money: $440M
That's a 17:1 ratio - still heavily favoring organizers, but far more balanced.

The result?

Cycling teams operate at a loss.
99% of pro cycling teams lose money annually.
Riders have no job security.
Sponsors get inconsistent ROI because teams can be randomly excluded.

Meanwhile, ASO just announced record revenues of €550M.

We do see this inequality in other areas and it always leads to conflict:

App stores vs. developers (30% platform fee)
Spotify vs. musicians (tiny royalty rates)
Amazon vs. sellers (increasing fees, arbitrary rule changes)

In cycling, riders are starting to realize:

You can't negotiate individually with a monopoly.
The UCI is captured by the organizers.
The only path forward is collective action.

Every industry with powerful platforms faces this same dynamic.

The question is: Will content creators organize before platform owners capture all the value?

In cycling, that organizing is about 20 years overdue.

[Patrick Brok @patrickbrok]

De overwinning van MVDP met de legendarische stem van Rob Hatch.

Mooier wordt het niet 🥲🔥

#TDF2026