The week after a Grand Tour is usually a bit of a fallow one, and this has been the case in the days following the Giro d'Italia, as everyone decompresses and tries to work out what to do with their time now they can't watch cyclists struggling in the rain in Italy.
The less said about a rather tepid Giro the better - the last word goes to Ed Pickering of Rouleur, who wrote: "It’s one thing having suspense to the end; it’s another to kill the racing for two and a half weeks in order to get it." But it's fine, because we can quickly move on.
The Critérium du Dauphiné is here to take your attention away from Sunday, then it will be the Tour de Suisse, and then it's practically time for the Tour de France, just a month away.
A fallow week it might have been, but that does not mean the social media machine stops - it never stops. First, there was the wrapping up to go with the end of the Giro; it ended with a heartwarming moment as Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers) helped his old friend Mark Cavendish (Astana-Qazaqstan) to his final stage with at the Italian Grand Tour. Cue pandemonium on Twitter.
Also this week, Trek-Segafredo announced it will be known as Lidl-Trek from the end of the month, so that meant lots of fun with brightly coloured kits and products from the budget German supermarket chain. Julian Alaphilippe showed off his unusual training methods ahead of the Tour, Chiara Consonni had fun at RideLondon, and Pierre Rolland lost a bike to the depths. All this and much, much more.
1. Mark Cavendish was rather happy to get his first win of 2023, and his final ever Giro d'Italia stage win, at the last opportunity
YOU get a Cav hug! YOU get a Cav hug! #Giro pic.twitter.com/inLJDhdyy4May 28, 2023
2. Some of the thanks has to go to Geraint Thomas, who helped an old mate out. Cycling is pretty simple sometimes.
3. Geraint Thomas was very gracious in defeat to Primož Roglič, as is the other Geraint Thomas on Twitter
I'm always classy in defeat, but I'll win monopoly soon enough. #imnotthecyclist https://t.co/pVRTz45zwLMay 28, 2023
4. Ryan Gibbons of UAE Team Emirates didn't have much riding on the penultimate stage of the Giro, so could enjoy his cable car ride
🚠 Have a nice trip @RyanGibbons23 👌. A dopo! #Giro #WeAreUAE pic.twitter.com/lvZh2K9vndMay 27, 2023
5. Not having a good time the day before was Carlos Verona, who got taken out by an AG2R Citroën car while in the break on stage 19...
Rodaba tranquilamente el último de la escapada subiendo Valparola y el coche del @AG2RCITROENTEAM me ha ATROPELLADO!! 🤬Suerte que era subiendo y no bajando. Golpe en codo, cadera y espalda y sobre todo mucha frustración. A recuperar mañana y a conquistar Roma con @FndoGaviria !May 26, 2023
6. Meanwhile, Marc Madiot gave up the day job to help his Groupama-FDJ team out
Le patron s'est retroussé les manches sur ses routes mayennaises 😎 pic.twitter.com/heRLO53OvMMay 26, 2023
7. She might not have won a stage, but Chiara Consonni had fun in Essex at the RideLondon Classique
Having fun before 2nd stage of @ridelondon 🎠✨🇬🇧 pic.twitter.com/5F2hEagmpUMay 27, 2023
8. Also having fun was Pfeiffer Georgi, who helped her teammate Charlotte Kool to two stage wins and the overall at RideLondon
9. Julian Alaphilippe and Marion Rousse are one of cycling's super couples, and the Soudal Quick-Step man and Tour de France Femmes director have a cool way of spending time with their child
10. Derek Gee had a standout debut Grand Tour, and it's good to see him celebrated
Bravo @IsraelPremTech 👏@MattRiccitello 10 years apart pic.twitter.com/rGXbwO6l6rMay 31, 2023
11. Poor Pierre Rolland - it's never nice to lose a bike. You don't have to understand French to see what happens here
Quand tu veux faire ton Instagrameur mais que ton vélo en a décidé autrement… 😂😂😂#giant #velo #cycling #gravel @noretfrance Spéciale dédicace à : @FFLose & @DansLaMusette 😄Je rassure tout le monde : je l’ai récupéré et il est sain et sauf 😮💨🙏🏻 pic.twitter.com/kQUZt30ugoMay 29, 2023
12. Nope, this isn't anything crude, but a celebration of Richard Carapaz's first pro win for EF
Dick is back!May 30, 2023
13. Charlie Quarterman is missing his friends from the Giro
Nothing like a good macroeconomics exam and a head cold to bring me back down to earth. Strangely didn’t see any of those other giro chaps in the exam hall, not sure what happenedJune 1, 2023
14. It's Lidl time. Is Richard Carapaz secretly riding for the new Lidl-Trek?
Is Carapaz celebrating this annoucement? This could get confusing. pic.twitter.com/T33xIrQzytMay 30, 2023
15. Elynor Backstedt-Calvert is already ready for the German supermarket chain...
16. If the kit looks like this, I will be delighted
omg is this real??? pic.twitter.com/64oTBNMZlUMay 31, 2023
17. However, Mads Pedersen, graphic designer, has other ideas
Try and beat this #LidlTrekKitDay https://t.co/56M8hCCxFTJune 2, 2023
18. Peter Sagan, four weeks away from his final Tour de France, is very much doing his own thing. Yeehaw.
19. Finally, happy Pride month.
