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2020 Pro Cycling Thread: Spreading Corona with La Caravane du Tour


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15 minutes ago, Whitewater Horn said:

So was Van Aert! What a devastating tempo before pulling off to let Kuss rip their legs off and get Roglic in position to get the win and time bonus. It has to be A little concerning for Alaphilippe and Bernal that they were alone when shit got real. 

Seriously, a 78kg rider was lining everyone the fuck out up that hill. Lol.

Amador was hanging on for dear life in 3rd wheel at that point. When Sepp hit the front Kwiato and Amador were shelled.

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17 hours ago, Whitewater Horn said:

So was Van Aert! What a devastating tempo before pulling off to let Kuss rip their legs off and get Roglic in position to get the win and time bonus. It has to be A little concerning for Alaphilippe and Bernal that they were alone when shit got real. 

Alaphilippe shouldnt be surprised tho

It's basically the Ineos Jumbo show.  ARK has been kinda quiet tho?

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2 hours ago, 52-80 said:

It's basically the Ineos Jumbo show.  ARK has been kinda quiet tho?

So far. I’m not going to sleep on Quintana. It’s going to be interesting to see if Barguile is going to work for Nairo. He’s already over five minutes back and Nairo is only 17 seconds back with the other GC players, so that leadership “question” should be answered there. I don’t think they have the depth to threaten Ineos or Jumbo, but Quintana can be in play for stage wins. If Barguile loses a couple of more minutes, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him get in some breakaways to hunt for a stage win. Always plenty of interesting things to watch in the Tour. 

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1 hour ago, Whitewater Horn said:

What stupid way to lose the lead. Guessing Matty, Yates, and the Aussies don’t mind. “Cheers then, mate!”

question is... how?  like, did they misread the map or something?  whos gonna take the blame for that one?

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They didn’t misread the map. They knew it was inside the 20k, but felt like the speed of the peloton made it unsafe to pass a bottle and waited for a more ideal spot. Lefevere is blaming a team mechanic, but also knows they have to accept it. Still, Alaphilippe has to have better awareness of stuff like while being in the lead. 

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Just started Stage 6.  Trying not to read spoilers.  Question.  I saw where Julian A was penalized for taking a bottle within the last 20K.  I could have sworn Froome did the exact same thing about 5 years ago w/o a hint of punishment.  He was cracking going up a hill and he got food.  I seem to recall the announcers basically saying it's usually just overlooked.  ???

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19 hours ago, Knoxtnhorn said:

Just started Stage 6.  Trying not to read spoilers.  Question.  I saw where Julian A was penalized for taking a bottle within the last 20K.  I could have sworn Froome did the exact same thing about 5 years ago w/o a hint of punishment.  He was cracking going up a hill and he got food.  I seem to recall the announcers basically saying it's usually just overlooked.  ???

Never know how/when/who/what they will enforce.

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16 hours ago, G650 said:

Waaiers today!

 

Can't believe the same people always get caught out in crosswinds.

That happened quickly and it was a damned exciting stage to watch. Yet another reinforcement of the rolling chess match that is road racing. It’s not enough to just be strong and on good form. Once again we see who had the situational awareness inside the race to position themselves accordingly and be in the right place when the opportunity for splits arises. It’s fascinating to watch it happen in real time and the chaos it causes. 
 

Before that happened, it was fun to see that well planned and brutally executed strategy by Bora to eliminate the possibility of a bunch sprint and get Sagan to the intermediate sprint to take maximum points. Except for the actual intermediate sprint itself. Oops. I wonder what Pete said to Trentin. 😂

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What happened to Allaphilippe?  I was busy and only halfway paying attention today.  I know Pinot was hurt.

Also a ?  When Kuss dropped, could that have been a strategy.  You "rest", let the team drive Roglic, you pick up the slack tomorrow.  I only ask because Roll and TJ made it sound like a big deal that he couldn't keep up.

 

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No, they admit it definitely wasn't the strategy. Kuss was cooked from the crosswind yesterday, he is a grimpeur, not a rouleur.

 

Not ideal for Jumbo, but Roglic clearly the strongest in the race so far and if they regroup tomorrow they will still be in prime position.

 

Pretty stoked to see Yatesy scrapping so hard though, its not a given he can't hold that jersey. Longshot, but not impossible.

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Yeah, that was brutal to watch him get that far and then be in the position where sitting up and getting in the chase group to save energy for the sprint was the inevitable choice. Still, aside from being Swiss, this kid won a sprint stage and rode of the front on a mountain stage in the Pyrenees - very Cancellara-esque. What a talent!

Also, what redemption for Pogacar after losing time on Stage 7. What a smart ride that kid did today, no pun intended. 

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Yeah, the door is closing on Bernal. I think he has to put some time in on Grand Columbier Sunday or he is probably screwed. The Col de la Loze will be the only other opportunity for him to put in time, and I think he needs a minute + before the TT.

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For the sake of the race, I hope to see Bernal bounce back and put up a fight, but that shot of him a couple of minutes after crossing the line was not promising.  He looked utterly spent and crestfallen. I was calling bullshit on Ineos coming to the front, only to once again be shredded by Kuss when he took his turn to move forward and set the tempo. On the other side, Roglic looked like he measured his effort and even held back some. In those last 500 meters of the Puy Mary, Pogacar was doing all he could to hold the wheel. Roglic looked like he could have stood up on the pedals and left him behind if he wanted.  
 

If Bernal doesn’t have a significant response soon, the only real GC battle will be between Primoz and Tadej. And COVID testing, of course. Still, pretty compelling race so far and excited about young talent showing out in this race. 

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2 hours ago, tx ind said:

exciting stage, looks like bernal is a step behind the 2 slovenians

Yep this. I thought today was fantastic. The stage win by Martinez was really great.

Jumbo-Visma approached this year's tour like Sky/Ineos has the last few years. They assembled a team built to win the GC. Ineos doesn't appear to have that team now.

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I'm not nearly as tied in as you guys, but I do enjoy watching the Tour every year.  I pull for Quintana. Alway liked him since he came on the scene a few years ago IIRC when Froome was winning.

I also enjoy the Tour website that tracks the route and tells you about the history of the little villages they pass through.  Really cool.  France is a country that needs further exploration away from the main draws.

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46 minutes ago, Mach 1 said:

I'm not nearly as tied in as you guys, but I do enjoy watching the Tour every year.  I pull for Quintana. Alway liked him since he came on the scene a few years ago IIRC when Froome was winning.

I also enjoy the Tour website that tracks the route and tells you about the history of the little villages they pass through.  Really cool.  France is a country that needs further exploration away from the main draws.

which site? thx

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2 hours ago, Mach 1 said:

France is a country that needs further exploration away from the main draws.

That’s true of most places, but Europe was the first part of the world I got to explore while living there in my early 20s. Some of the best advice I got from the Welsh locals before I started exploring was to be a traveler and not a tourist. I’m so glad I made it a point to meet people and get their suggestions on where to go and what to see, especially in France. They are very proud of their country and are eager to show it off to those eager to learn and explore. I didn’t even go to Paris until my third trip to France. It’s a shame that so many Americans believe the bullshit stereotypes and put downs we’re fed growing up,  especially someone like me who grew up in rural Texas surrounded by people who had never traveled or lived abroad. I love that place and there’s still so much more I want to see. 

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1 hour ago, tx ind said:

Really? He’s hilarious.

 

Bobke has always rubbed some people the wrong way. He’s actually toned it way down since working with Liggett. 
 

That was fun watching Bora and Sagan trying to make a genuine effort to get some significant points back in the green jersey competition. Races within the race like the battle between Bennett and Sagan make stages like today so much more interesting. And it’s always cool to see someone win their first Tour stage. 

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I'm not nearly as tied in as you guys, but I do enjoy watching the Tour every year.  I pull for Quintana. Alway liked him since he came on the scene a few years ago IIRC when Froome was winning.
I also enjoy the Tour website that tracks the route and tells you about the history of the little villages they pass through.  Really cool.  France is a country that needs further exploration away from the main draws.

Even when I’m not as up on the teams/riders I always watch.

There is almost always some drama and crashes and the scenery is like watching a live travelogue.


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