Today was all about Stage 11 of the Tour de France. Woke up super early, my time zone is totally wrong for Europe, so the coffee pot was working overtime. Grabbed my laptop, tablet, and old phone – I like having all my screens going at once. Can’t miss a thing, right?
Getting Ready for the Big Show
First things first, I logged into my streaming service – you know the one, everyone uses it. Picture was a bit fuzzy at first, had to mess with the wifi router for like ten minutes. Classic morning struggle. Finally got a decent stream going. Started scrolling through my usual cycling news sites to see the chatter before the stage kicked off. Gossip about who was feeling strong, who looked tired yesterday, the usual stuff.
The Race Kicks Off!
The start was frantic, as always. Riders trying to form breakaways right out of the gate. Kept switching screens: the main broadcast feed on the laptop, the tracking map on the tablet showing their speed and positions, and live text commentary on my phone. My breakfast sandwich got cold, totally forgot about it.
Middle of the stage is when it got really good. The big climb started. Could see the peloton breaking apart. Kept refreshing the live timing page constantly.
Towards the end, it became a proper battle. A small group was leading. I was trying to figure out who had the legs. Jonas Vingegaard looked good, but so did Pogacar. Then bang – someone attacked on the last little climb before the finish! The group split again!
The Final Dash and the Big Winner
The sprint finish… man, it was tight. Leaned right into the laptop screen trying to see who crossed the line first. The camera angle wasn’t great. Refreshed the official race timing site like a maniac. Felt like forever waiting for the results to pop up.
Finally, the confirmation flashed up: Jonas Vingegaard took the win! Just pipped Pogacar at the line after that late attack. Massive result for him. Couldn’t believe how close it was.
Wrapping Up the Day
After the finish, watched all the replays they showed, listened to the interviews with the main guys. Took notes in my little cycling notebook – who performed, who didn’t, time gaps in the overall race. Checked a couple of extra news sites for different takes. Honestly felt a bit wiped out, all that concentrating!
Overall? Crazy exciting stage. Early mornings are worth it for racing like that. Vingegaard looking strong, but Pogacar isn’t giving an inch. What a show. Now, time for a nap!
