Away from all the racing, the big news this week was the release of the second season of Netflix's Tour de France docuseries, Unchained.
I'll admit, I've only seen the first episode. My colleague, Adam Becket, has watched all 320 minutes of it, and thinks it's a "thrilling must-see", so I'll certainly be binge-watching the rest over the weekend.
My favourites scenes in these sorts of documentaries are those that take place outside of the bubble of bike racing, the moments that show a rider in the comfort of their own home, doing something mundane like the rest of us do.
For that reason, I found myself spellbound during episode one by the footage of Thibaut Pinot, France's sweetheart, tossing a bagful of croissants into a lake.
It wasn't so much the action itself, but rather the memory it jogged of Pinot's farewell Tour. The former Groumapa-FDJ rider retired at the end of last season, following an emotional send-off at his home Grand Tour, and has slipped out of public consciousness this year. Seeing him back on my screen was a delight, even if he was just feeding some fish.
That said, and I'm not an expert, I have some questions about Pinot's feeding technique. First of all, he seems to do exactly what my mum told me not to do on childhood outings to the duck pond: he throws entire hunks of bread into the lake. Unless the fish he's feeding are human-sized, surely tear them up a bit, Thibaut?
And secondly, just how many fish is he feeding? Pinot turns up with three sack fulls of croissants and bread, and lobs the entirety of their contents into the water. By the end of the scene, the lake looks like a giant, murky minestrone soup. Are we talking a four-figure number of fish? Surely not five figures? Or is there a select group with the appetite of a bear? If I run into the Frenchman at the Tour this year, this will be the first question I ask him.
Check out a snippet of the scene below. Also across social media this week, Yves Lampaert spends an evening building a Lego tractor, Alison Jackson enjoys some crisps, and one rider dares to wheelie on a fixed-gear track bike.
1. For lunch they're having coq au vin and a glass of red wine
Is Pinot fishing with croissants the most French thing ever? 😂 pic.twitter.com/dKuLp0G5HgJune 11, 2024
2. Yves Lampaert is, after all, "just a farmer's son from Belgium"
We challenged #TourdeSuisse overall leader @yveslampaert to build a Lego John Deere 😁 pic.twitter.com/HbAy2US9gOJune 10, 2024
3. Shoe pastry anyone?
I'm not sure about Q36.5's nutrition plan tbh #tds2024 pic.twitter.com/ahePgl8DTVJune 10, 2024
4. Big congratulations to Lizzie Deignan, who has taken one step closer to becoming Queen Elizabeth III
5. SD Worx-Protime love winning so much that they'll celebrate for anyone over the line
Nice to see that Christine and Lotte are so happy for Ruby. 😉Pic by @swpixtweets pic.twitter.com/LSmom6zwFNJune 9, 2024
6. This is either the look of a man who means business, or one who has just realised he left his rucksack at the pub
7. Here's a lesson in cyclists' math from Alison Jackson
8. Demi Vollering's dog, Flo, has done more miles on the bike than me this year
9. A wheelie? On a track bike? Now that's real flair
10. These new helmet designs are starting to get out of hand
11. This set-up may not be aero, but at least it'll get some nice shots
👀 New YouTube team in town, @AlpecinDCK?Looks like it's time to step up our game... 🫣 pic.twitter.com/w8U9uV9K72June 13, 2024
12. And finally – please excuse the poor word play – a Cofidis rider got just what he Wanty'd when a fan stepped in to give him a push at the Tour de Suisse
Always ready to help 🚴🫷#TourdeSuisse pic.twitter.com/mHRjTxYUcKJune 10, 2024
