A wonderful final stage and a nail biter, for sure! I definitely love the new format, and even like the wildfire shortened format this year.
the crash of Jonas Vingegaard, who, it seems, may call it a career
It's tough to imagine Vingegaard retiring while still at the top, but he's definitely talked about the strain of racing at the top and having a "life" beyond just cycling. Luckily, pro teams are becoming more flexible in training for the riders, and if Jonas can find a convincing alternative to get him to the Tour ready to compete, I think his team will accept that plan. It worked for Remco this year, and we know Tadej chooses his own plans, so hopefully Jonas can find what works best for him. Luckily for cycling, the youngsters are showing up ready to race. France can jump from Alaphilippe (himself a jump from Thomas Voeckler and he from Laurent Jalabert) to Paul Seixas (an actual GC contender!). The White Jersey competition - Seixas, del Toro, Ayuso - shows the future of cycling is here, and even Tadej won't reign forever. I hope Jonas stays around a while longer, but if the passion is gone, he needs to find a way to enjoy his millions he's earned being a great cyclist.
Surely they can do better than what they do now. Which is nothing.
They actually do a ton, but you can't barricade 100+ miles of road nor staff it with marshals and police. They can do more, but they definitely - logistically - are doing a LOT. I'd extend the barriers from the finish on many big climbs and, since many climbs are repeats from prior Tours, I'd make sure the worst points en route for crowd control were addressed using the prior times through as a good judge of what needs fixing.
Julian Alaphilippe
Always enjoyed his spirited riding. In his prime (and before tough injuries), he was sure to animate all sorts of races - from the World Championships to the Grand Tours. A definite favorite of mine.
