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This is Defector, a new sports blog and media company. We made this place together, we own it together, we run it together. Without access, without favor, without discretion, and without interference.

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Defector

NYC: Come To Our WNBA Comedy Show On May 16

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Live Event

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Patrick Redford

UAE Team Emirates team's Slovenian rider Tadej Pogacar cycles to the finish line to win the 4th stage of the 111th edition of the Tour de France cycling race, 140 km between Pinerolo in Italy, and Valloire in France, on July 2, 2024. (Photo by Thomas SAMSON / AFP)

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Cycling

Tadej Pogačar Opens The Tour de France As Pugnacious As Ever

MOIRANS-EN-MONTAGNE, FRANCE - JULY 21: Yellow jersey of race leader Jonas Vingegaard of Denmark and Jumbo - Visma salutes White jersey of best young rider Tadej Pogacar of Slovenia and UAE Team Emirates at the start of stage nineteen of the 110th Tour de France 2023, a 172.8km stage from Moirans-en-Montagne to Poligny / #UCIWT / on July 21, 2023 in Moirans-en-Montagne, France. (Photo by Jean Catuffe/Getty Images)

110th Tour de France 2023 – Stage 19

This Year’s Tour de France Will Have No Paris Parade And No Precedent

<div dir="auto">
<div dir="auto">Corbin Smith is a writer and photographer from Vancouver, Washington. His work has appeared in Deadspin, The Daily Beast, and <em>Rolling Stone</em>. He is also the host of <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-pacific-northwest-insurance-corporation-moviefilm/id1712416222"><em>The Pacific Northwest Insurance Corporation Moviefilm Podcast</em></a> a podcast about movies.</div>
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Corbin Smith

People riding bikes around in a very small loop at the Ladd's 500 relay in Portland, Oregon.

LaddsLads

Life's Rich Pageant

The Beauty And Boredom Of 500 Laps Around The Same .148-Mile Loop

PADOVA, ITALY - MAY 23: Tadej Pogacar of Slovenia and UAE Team Emirates celebrates at podium as Blue Mountain Jersey winner during the 107th Giro d'Italia 2024, Stage 18 a 178km stage from Fiera di primiero to Padova / #UCIWT / on May 23, 2024 in Padova, Italy. (Photo by Dario Belingheri/Getty Images)

107th Giro d’Italia 2024 – Stage 18

Tadej Pogačar’s Domination Is A Terrifying Marvel To Behold

WAREGEM, BELGIUM - MARCH 27: Matteo Jorgenson of The United States and Team Visma | Lease a Bike celebrates at finish line as race winner during the 78th Dwars Door Vlaanderen 2024 - Men's Elite a 188.6km one day race from Roeselare to Waregem / #UCIWT / on March 27, 2024 in Waregem, Belgium. (Photo by Tim de Waele/Getty Images)

78th Dwars Door Vlaanderen 2024 – Men’s Elite

Wout van Aert’s Pain Is Matteo Jorgenson’s Opportunity

GUADARRAMA, SPAIN - SEPTEMBER 16: (EDITOR'S NOTE: Alternate crop) (L-R) Jonas Vingegaard of Denmark, Sepp Kuss of The United States - Red Leader Jersey final overall winner and Primoz Roglic of Slovenia and Team Jumbo-Visma cross the finish line during the 78th Tour of Spain 2023, Stage 20 a 207.8km stage from Manzanares El Real to Guadarrama / #UCIWT / on September 16, 2023 in Guadarrama, Spain. (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)

78th Tour of Spain 2023 – Stage 20

It Doesn’t Get More Satisfying Than Sepp Kuss’s Shocking, Absurd Vuelta Win

UNSPECIFIED, SPAIN - AUGUST 31: &lt;&gt; ahead of the 78th Tour of Spain 2023 on August 31, 2023 in UNSPECIFIED, Spain. (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)

78th Tour of Spain 2023 – Stage 6

Sepp Kuss Is Riding Into The Unknown

Team Bora ride during the first stage of the 2023 La Vuelta cycling tour of Spain, a 14,8 km team time-trial in Barcelona, on August 26, 2023. (Photo by Pau BARRENA / AFP) (Photo by PAU BARRENA/AFP via Getty Images)

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The Opening Stages Of The Vuelta a España Have Been A Big Mess

GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - AUGUST 06: Gold medal winner Mathieu Van Der Poel of The Netherlands reacts after the 96th UCI Cycling World Championships Glasgow 2023, Men Elite Road Race a 271.1km one day race from Edinburgh to Glasgow / #UCIWT / on August 06, 2023 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Dario Belingheri/Getty Images)

96th UCI Cycling World Championships Glasgow 2023 ‚Äì Men Elite Road Race

No Amount Of Pain Could Keep Mathieu van der Poel From His Masterpiece

PARIS, FRANCE - JULY 23: (L-R) Tadej Pogacar of Slovenia and UAE Team Emirates on second place and race winner Jonas Vingegaard of Denmark and Team Jumbo-Visma - Yellow Leader Jersey pose on the podium ceremony after the stage twenty-one of the 110th Tour de France 2023 a 11 5.1km stage from Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines to Paris / #UCIWT / on July 23, 2023 in Paris, France. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)

110th Tour de France 2023 – Stage 21

The Tour de France’s Best Rivalry Will Only Get Better

Jumbo-Visma's Danish rider Jonas Vingegaard celebrates on the podium with the overall leader's yellow jersey after winning the 16th stage of the 110th edition of the Tour de France cycling race, 22 km individual time trial between Passy and Combloux, in the French Alps, on July 18, 2023. (Photo by Marco BERTORELLO / AFP)

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Jonas Vingegaard Smoked Everyone Else In A Masterful Time Trial

SAINT-GERVAIS MONT-BLANC, FRANCE - JULY 16: Yellow jersey, race leader Jonas Vingegaard of Denmark and Jumbo - Visma and White jersey of best young rider Tadej Pogacar of Slovenia and UAE Team Emirates cross the finish line of stage fifteen of the 110th Tour de France 2023, a 179km stage from Les Gets les Portes du Soleil to Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc 1379m / #UCIWT / on July 16, 2023 in Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc, France. (Photo by Jean Catuffe/Getty Images)

110th Tour de France 2023 – Stage 15

This Is As Close As The Tour de France Has Ever Been

Movistar Team's US rider Matteo Jorgenson cycles in the ascent of the Puy de Dome in the final kilometers of the 9th stage of the 110th edition of the Tour de France cycling race, 182,5 km between Saint-Leonard-de-Noblat and Puy de Dome, in the Massif Central volcanic mountains in central France, on July 9, 2023. (Photo by Vincent Kalut / POOL / AFP) (Photo by VINCENT KALUT/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

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The Pain Is The Point

CAUTERETS-CAMBASQUE, FRANCE - JULY 06: Tadej Pogacar of Slovenia and UAE Team Emirates - White Best Young Rider Jersey celebrates at finish line as stage winner during the stage six of the 110th Tour de France 2023 a 144.9km stage from Tarbes to Cauterets-Cambasque 1355m / #UCIWT / on July 06, 2023 in Cauterets-Cambasque, France. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

110th Tour de France 2023 – Stage 6

Tadej Pogacar Strikes Back

BORA - hansgrohe's Australian rider Jai Hindley celebrates on the podium after winning the 5th stage of the 110th edition of the Tour de France cycling race, 163 km between Pau and Laruns, in the Pyrenees mountains in southwestern France, on July 5, 2023. (Photo by Anne-Christine POUJOULAT / AFP) (Photo by ANNE-CHRISTINE POUJOULAT/AFP via Getty Images)

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Jai Hindley Rips Open The Tour de France

French Christophe Laporte of Jumbo-Visma, Belgian Wout Van Aert of Jumbo-Visma, Danish Jonas Vingegaard of Jumbo-Visma, Belgian Tiesj Benoot of Jumbo-Visma and US' Sepp Kuss of Jumbo-Visma pictured in action during stage 21, the final stage of the Tour de France cycling race, from Paris la Defense Arena to Paris Champs-Elysees, France, on Sunday 24 July 2022. This year's Tour de France takes place from 01 to 24 July 2022. BELGA PHOTO POOL LEQUIPPE - UK OUT (Photo by POOL LEQUIPPE / BELGA MAG / Belga via AFP) (Photo by POOL LEQUIPPE/BELGA MAG/AFP via Getty Images)

The Defector Guide To The 2023 Tour de France

Dave McKenna

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Giri Nathan

TOPSHOT - Jumbo-Visma team's Danish rider Jonas Vingegaard wearing the overall leader's yellow jersey (C), Jumbo-Visma team's Belgian rider Wout Van Aert wearing the sprinter's green jersey (C) and Jumbo-Visma team's American rider Sepp Kuss (R) celebrate with champagne as they cycle during the 21st and final stage of the 109th edition of the Tour de France cycling race, 115,6 km between La Defense Arena in Nanterre, outside Paris, and the Champs-Elysees in Paris, France, on July 24, 2022. (Photo by Thomas SAMSON / various sources / AFP) (Photo by THOMAS SAMSON/AFP via Getty Images)

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What Can Hardcore Fans And Curious Newbies Learn From ‘Tour de France: Unchained’?

Lance Armstrong is seen on January 12, 2022 in Los Angeles, California.

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Lance Armstrong Is Suddenly Concerned With Fairness In Sports

VILLARS-SUR-OLLON, SWITZERLAND - MAY 01: Gino Mader of Switzerland and Team Bahrain Victorious celebrates the second place on the podium after the 75th Tour De Romandie 2022 - Stage 5 on May 1, 2022 in Villars-sur-Ollon, Switzerland. (Photo by RvS.Media/Basile Barbey/Getty Images,)

75th Tour De Romandie 2022 – Stage 5

Gino Mäder Had Too Much More To Give

Riders shake their heads in confusion as they pass a car on the race course.

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Cycling Race Canceled After Riders Call Out Organizers For Letting Them Compete In Open Traffic

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Derek Mead

Cyclists walk their bikes through a muddy portion of the 2023 Unbound gravel race

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I Got My Ass Kicked By America’s Dirtiest Bike Race

Primoz Roglic getting the push he needed.

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Primoz Roglic Got A Little Push From A Pal In His Quest For Redemption

Moments after disaster, when Bettio crashes.

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The Giro d’Italia Has Turned Into A Hazardous Slog

Slovenian Tadej Pogacar of UAE Team Emirates celebrates after winning the 86th edition of the men's race 'La Fleche Wallonne', a one day cycling race (Waalse Pijl - Walloon Arrow), 194,2 km from Herve to Huy, Wednesday 19 April 2023. BELGA PHOTO DIRK WAEM (Photo by DIRK WAEM / BELGA MAG / Belga via AFP) (Photo by DIRK WAEM/BELGA MAG/AFP via Getty Images)

CYCLING FLECHE WALLONNE MEN 86TH EDITION

Any Race With Tadej Pogacar In It Is A Race For Second

ROUBAIX, FRANCE - APRIL 09: (L-R) Race winner Mathieu van der Poel of The Netherlands, Jasper Philipsen of Belgium and Team Alpecin-Deceuninck and John Degenkolb of Germany and Team DSM (injured after being involved in a crash) during the 120th Paris-Roubaix 2023, Men's Elite a 256.6km one day race from Compiègne to Roubaix on / #UCIWT / April 09, 2023 in Roubaix, France. (Photo by Frank Faugère - Pool/Getty Images)