Stopped watching the Tour and don't miss it

[berserk87]

It's been an odd TDF. I get what the OP is saying about the blandness. Here are some observations, for and against that assertion:

This year's TDF is bland because:

1. The break seems doomed on any flat stage. Unless the stage has some significant climbs, the peloton has not missed the mark so far in reeling in the break. It's more fun when the peloton goofs at least once per grand tour.

2. Kittel seems to be a lock to win any flat stage (but for the one which Arnaud Dumaure won). That seems anticlimactic and dull, as compelling viewing goes.

3. There is a lingering sense that Froome and the Sky mafia are going to pull off another win, in the same ways as in prior years. A big part of the joy derived from sport is its unpredictability - this ain't it.

4. Porte got hurt, again; Sagan got the boot; Cavendish got smooshed; - some of my favorite riders to watch are not there.

This year's TDF is great because:

1. It's the closest TDF in history, with 4 riders being within 35 seconds of each other as of a few days ago.

2. Dan Martin's aggressiveness is awesome to watch. He's kind of nutty, and his teeth are kinda hard to look at, but he gives 100% all of the time.

3. On the few "classic strong man stages", the field is wide open since Sagan's departure. Michael Matthews won two of these, but VanAvermaet, Eddie B-H, John Degenkolb, Phil Gilbert were all mixing it up too.

4. The return of Cannondale as a factor has been fun to watch, after a year of having no results in any race that mattered (well, I am rolling in the Tour of California into this too, I guess).

There are other reasons for either side I reckon. I wanted to keep the yin and the yang balanced with 4 apiece.