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Posted
12 hours ago, Txzen said:

A little strange UAE let the yellow go - my guess is with the loss of two of their mountain dudes they didn’t want to spend matches today. Agreed that Jonas and Tadej look closer than ever, minus that TT performance. 

Jonas was no match for him at Crit Du Dauphine. We'll see....

Posted
14 hours ago, Txzen said:

Agreed that Jonas and Tadej look closer than ever, minus that TT performance. 

The stage prior, Tadej made an attack and Jonas responded.  After the race, Jonas noted that he had his best ever one-minute performance and that he is more explosive now.  Just wondering if that new explosiveness comes the cost of his ability to recover.  Something kept him from putting in the TT that was expected. 

Posted
1 hour ago, Jerry Callo said:

Something kept him from putting in the TT that was expected. 

 

The speculation is they had an equipment fuckup on both he and Jorgenson.

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Posted

Man, I’m just not seeing what a lot of people are seeing and talking about saying aside from the TT, Jonas can stay with Pogi.  On stage 10 I saw Pogi finally get fed up with Matteo’s toothless accelerations and showed Visma what an earnest attack with teeth looks like. Yes, Jonas was able to get back on his wheel after being gapped, but it looked to me like he was making a hard effort to get there. I think if Tadej had taken off and gone hard again just as Jonas caught up and relaxed, he could have dropped him and put at least another ten seconds or so into him. No one else seems to see it that way, so I’m not trying to be “right.”  Just how it felt watching it live. Haven’t watched any replays. 
 

I understand what Visma is trying to do, and I agree with the strategy. They worked it to perfection in 2022, hitting Pogi with coordinated attacks on the Galibier from Roglic and Jonas, even G joined in for a couple of hard accelerations. Pogi also had to watch Kuss in case Jonas went with him to be launched into a significant attack. They assaulted him repeatedly with legit attacks to make him actually burn those matches, rather than swatting flies like Mondays stage 10. Gradient and altitude were a factor that day, too. They were able to finish him on the Col du Granon. Anyway, it’s a good plan, but they’re going to have to find a way to hit him harder if they want to compete for the GC. I like Matteo, but him and Jonas are the only Visma riders Tadej needs to chase if they attack. Maybe Visma is saving something, and despite the UAE team situation, I don’t see anyone hurting Pogi. He’s just a legend. I do hope Visma, Healy, Remco, or someone makes a real challenge of it. The Pogacar domination era is fascinating historically, but not so interesting to watch when a grand tour is decided so soon. 

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Posted
30 minutes ago, Whitewater Horn said:

Man, I’m just not seeing what a lot of people are seeing and talking about saying aside from the TT, Jonas can stay with Pogi.  On stage 10 I saw Pogi finally get fed up with Matteo’s toothless accelerations and showed Visma what an earnest attack with teeth looks like. Yes, Jonas was able to get back on his wheel after being gapped, but it looked to me like he was making a hard effort to get there. I think if Tadej had taken off and gone hard again just as Jonas caught up and relaxed, he could have dropped him and put at least another ten seconds or so into him. No one else seems to see it that way, so I’m not trying to be “right.”  Just how it felt watching it live. Haven’t watched any replays. 
 

I understand what Visma is trying to do, and I agree with the strategy. They worked it to perfection in 2022, hitting Pogi with coordinated attacks on the Galibier from Roglic and Jonas, even G joined in for a couple of hard accelerations. Pogi also had to watch Kuss in case Jonas went with him to be launched into a significant attack. They assaulted him repeatedly with legit attacks to make him actually burn those matches, rather than swatting flies like Mondays stage 10. Gradient and altitude were a factor that day, too. They were able to finish him on the Col du Granon. Anyway, it’s a good plan, but they’re going to have to find a way to hit him harder if they want to compete for the GC. I like Matteo, but him and Jonas are the only Visma riders Tadej needs to chase if they attack. Maybe Visma is saving something, and despite the UAE team situation, I don’t see anyone hurting Pogi. He’s just a legend. I do hope Visma, Healy, Remco, or someone makes a real challenge of it. The Pogacar domination era is fascinating historically, but not so interesting to watch when a grand tour is decided so soon. 

I'm a Jonas fan, but I agree with you.  I just don't see him being able to do anything significant to make this a race, barring Tadej having a uncharacteristically bad day or getting unlucky.  I think Visma is the stronger team now, but not strong enough to do what they did in 2022, when they were truly dominant.

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Posted

These short intense attacks where we've seen Tadej shine so far are exactly what he is best at.  I feel like Jonas' strength is the long sustained grinds up climbs that take 45 minutes.  We haven't seen much on the course yet that really suits Jonas' biggest strengths.  Tadej is the clear favorite for good reason but I think it's way too soon to count Jonas out.  His best days are ahead.  

The spectator at the finish getting slammed into the barrier was fun to see!

Posted
25 minutes ago, G650 said:

Also most combatitive today should go to the security guy that executed a perfect form tackle on that runaway spectator.

It was a thing of beauty. Glad he neutralized that dumbass before he could ruin the day for any of the riders. 

Posted

Hope it doesn’t linger. This is sizing up to be a great Tour. 
 

Into my favorite valley tomorrow - stayed twice at a cycling lodge in Saint-Savin, just by Argeles-Gazost. Two trips there - did the Soulor (beautiful high alpine scenery) and Hautacam (unrelenting, ever changing gradient from Hell) twice. 
 

There are such beautiful little towns here, none in any guidebook. On the way back from the Soulor, we did a little jog through the same route the tour is taking thinking it was a shortcut to the lodge. It was a mistake and it added a little climbing we really didn’t want. But we passed through the town of Bun. A nothing town, blink and you miss it. Still remember the sound of my freewheel echoing off the old stone walls of the buildings as we whizzed through. Beautiful. 
https://maps.app.goo.gl/ZYQBY33qVNGc6u6k7

Hoping for fireworks tomorrow. 

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Posted (edited)


Soulor-Aubisque. An impossible road with a precipitous drop and a few short, dark and very wet tunnels. 
 

Saint-Savin and the magical valley. 
 

First trip up Hautacam in 2011 when I was young, beautiful, and quite a bit more fit than currently. Apparently this photo was taken with a potato. 

Spoiler

IMG_7049.thumb.jpeg.50ad9c025b37fec41ddbd688439d21c7.jpegIMG_7048.thumb.jpeg.2ae24e8b9eb7261d46a5003175fa486f.jpegIMG_7050.thumb.jpeg.3ee2badc878e6967241cb4ffc6cc7f3b.jpeg

Spoiler

IMG_7053.thumb.jpeg.bad76d41194a7f69e40f3734f973959e.jpegIMG_7044.thumb.jpeg.4e460f64e5b0ade3d8b5980504cb9bae.jpeg

 

Spoiler

IMG_7047.thumb.jpeg.dedf14c243c562bc577501d56d9c4369.jpeg

 

 

Edited by Txzen
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Posted
23 hours ago, Your Mom said:

We haven't seen much on the course yet that really suits Jonas' biggest strengths.  Tadej is the clear favorite for good reason but I think it's way too soon to count Jonas out.  His best days are ahead.  

Well, so much for that.  
Tadej is just incredible to watch. 
 

Posted

About what I expected. Tadej is on a completely different level. God tier cycling  Jonas had a brief window to be at that level, but he’s declined while Pogi has progressed.  And Visma blew up their own team today.  

 

Posted

12k from the top? That was nuts. And yeah, he looked like he went deep at the end. 

Interesting that the top 10 on the stage is drawing heavily from the white jersey standings. Will be cool to see those youngsters develop. 

Posted
2 hours ago, Txzen said:

12k from the top? That was nuts. And yeah, he looked like he went deep at the end. 

Interesting that the top 10 on the stage is drawing heavily from the white jersey standings. Will be cool to see those youngsters develop. 

Absolutely. That’s my favorite part of this years race so far. 

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