Great sportsmanship as smiling Pogačar congratulates Vingegaard on taking yellow (+ reaction to one of the great Tour stages); Meltdown over 20mph speed limits; Magnus Cort being weird; Man with TWO bikes on M62; Mountain porn + more on the live blog

(Relating back to yesterday chat) Der Teufel spotted! Didi Senft is jumping up and down and waving his trident in his time-honoured fashion at 10km to go on the Col du Granon.

This version might be easier

It's an asymmetric conflict, and the cyclists are the ones being massacred...

The Great Reset is an imaginary conspiracy theory invented by white/right wingists to allow them to feel victimised by the wokists.

As you say bring it on!

I still remember the crushing disappointment of learning it was just a conspiracy theory and that _they_ weren't stepping in anytime soon

imaginary conspiracy theory

-  is that a conspiracy theory about the existence of a conspiracy theory ?

hirsute wrote:

imaginary conspiracy theory

-  is that a conspiracy theory about the existence of a conspiracy theory ?

"Conspiracy theory" has completely lost its original, plain meaning. For instance, I believe a "conspiracy theory" about 9/11. The alternative conspiracy-free explanation is that a bunch of people independently decided to hijack planes that day, and were very surprised to find others with the same plans on the same planes as them!

Secret_squirrel wrote:

The Great Reset is an imaginary conspiracy theory invented by white/right wingists to allow them to feel victimised by the wokists.

As you say bring it on!

Oh, the Great Reset is real enough, it's a project of the World Economic Forum ... where the conspiracy theory comes in is due to the hidden agenda some people believe lies behind it.

https://www.weforum.org/great-reset/

Simon_MacMichael wrote:

Oh, the Great Reset is real enough, it's a project of the World Economic Forum ... where the conspiracy theory comes in is due to the hidden agenda some people believe lies behind it.

https://www.weforum.org/great-reset/

Pffft! I can't see anything about eating the rich

The Great Reset is the overarching principle of IT support - a very subtle concept.  In a simpler form it's familiar to many people as the mantra "first turn off, then back on".

don simon fbpe wrote:

Don't live in Wales? Don't worry about what's happening in a foreign country, it doesn't affect you.

But I just came back from a week's holiday near Barmouth!

My profound sympathies.

Did you manage to find a comfortable holiday tree?

Hopefully you managed to avoid Abersoch or Cheshire by the sea as it is known now.

SimoninSpalding wrote:

My profound sympathies.

Did you manage to find a comfortable holiday tree?

Hopefully you managed to avoid Abersoch or Cheshire by the sea as it is known now.

We didn't go as far as Abersoch, so I can't comment on that. Personally, I found Barmouth to be a nice area, but too busy and noticeably car fumey. We stayed in Dyffryn Ardudwy - just up from the nudist beach.

Unfortunately, half our party came down with COVID at the beginning of the week, so we had to move to separate bedrooms branches.

Incidentally, why doesn't Harlech have a pub?

I does, doesn't it? There's one on the bottom road.

Isn't there a certain irony in slagging off Abersoch as being a town to avoid when visiting Wales?

don simon fbpe wrote:

I does, doesn't it? There's one on the bottom road.

Isn't there a certain irony in slagging off Abersoch as being a town to avoid when visiting Wales?

Never been to Abersoch, so I have no idea if it's nice or not. I was very impressed with the beaches around that area - looked like something out of a mediterranean holiday brochure with sunshine, golden sands and surprisingly few people. I think Barmouth suffers from being too touristy or maybe it just reminds me of seaside towns like Weston-super-Mud (which I try to only visit when my work insists, but I've got a couple of relatives there too).

A lot of the towns are very touristic, Barmouth caters for a crowd. Some of the beaches are stunning and that drive up to Harlech is lovely. I was in Paorthmadoc a couple of weeks ago, that place has changed. It's probably difficult to find places that aren't overrun with tourist, which is why I tend to stay in secluded fields off the beaten track.

don simon fbpe wrote:

A lot of the towns are very touristic, Barmouth caters for a crowd. Some of the beaches are stunning and that drive up to Harlech is lovely. I was in Paorthmadoc a couple of weeks ago, that place has changed. It's probably difficult to find places that aren't overrun with tourist, which is why I tend to stay in secluded fields off the beaten track.

I would apologise for adding to the tourist numbers, but I guess that a lot of businesses there are more than happy to see tourists. It did amuse me going round Harlech Castle that it was Owain Glyndŵr's last stand against the English invaders and yet there we were (of course, those castles were built during an English invasion). Found some Welsh rum from the gift shop too (https://www.penderyn.wales/2020/01/22/siddiqui-rums-from-penderyn-distillery/).

Respectful tourists are most welcome. Many of the villages are not geared for modern day mass tourism though, just look at Llanbedr. There needs to be a push for quality and not quantity as is currently is. I'm looking at doing a tour of Wales and documenting Welsh castles as opposed to english (Edward 1) castles in Wales.

don simon fbpe wrote:

Respectful tourists are most welcome. Many of the villages are not geared for modern day mass tourism though, just look at Llanbedr. There needs to be a push for quality and not quantity as is currently is. I'm looking at doing a tour of Wales and documenting Welsh castles as opposed to english (Edward 1) castles in Wales.

Excellent. I think it's time for domestic holidaying to become more popular especially considering how damaging plane travel is.

Probably not a good idea to drop the independence bomb here then.

don simon fbpe wrote:

Probably not a good idea to drop the independence bomb here then.

As long as the bridges still work, I'm not too bothered.

As an aside, I was kind of hoping England would declare independence from the Tories and have Nicola Sturgeon in charge.

hawkinspeter wrote:

I would apologise for adding to the tourist numbers, but I guess that a lot of businesses there are more than happy to see tourists. It did amuse me going round Harlech Castle that it was Owain Glyndŵr's last stand against the English invaders and yet there we were (of course, those castles were built during an English invasion). Found some Welsh rum from the gift shop too (https://www.penderyn.wales/2020/01/22/siddiqui-rums-from-penderyn-distillery/).

Penderyn have recently opened a distillery in Llandudno - well worth a visit and tour. You get free samples at the end.

The Larger Cyclist wrote:

Penderyn have recently opened a distillery in Llandudno - well worth a visit and tour. You get free samples at the end.

Their whiskys are quite highly rated, so they must be doing something right.

For clarity I mentioned Abersoch because of this article I read. When I was a kid growing up in Shropshire, Abersoch was only noted for the youth hostel where our DofE trips were based.