# Tour of Catalunya *Spoilers!*



## Adam4868 (25 Mar 2019)

Starts today it's on Eurosport 2.45 ish .
Some big names for this,Yates brothers,Mas,Bernal,Valverde,Bardet. Presume Froome is going to ride for Bernal ? There's no TT in this race so should be some fun for the climbers.


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## roadrash (25 Mar 2019)

looking forward to this ive never been a fan of time trials in stage races


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## roadrash (25 Mar 2019)

hmm Richie porte riding this, he has to be one of the most ulucky pro cyclists ever. nice to see gorilla griepel riding this race


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## roadrash (25 Mar 2019)

if that time gap is right 4mins 37 secs, with 29 km to go then that's some ride from Thomas de gehdt


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## rich p (25 Mar 2019)

CK...shut the fark up


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## roadrash (25 Mar 2019)

if only he would..


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## roadrash (25 Mar 2019)

bloody hell the gaps growing


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## roadrash (25 Mar 2019)

degendt has a 2 mins 40 sec lead


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## rich p (25 Mar 2019)

roadrash said:


> degendt has a 2 mins 40 sec lead


Quite some ride by TdG!


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## roadrash (25 Mar 2019)

Wasn't it , surprised they let him take as much time as he did, I mean its not like he doesn't have form for this sort of thing


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## Adam4868 (25 Mar 2019)

Great win by Degendt,that man must really like his own company ! One of them riders you all ways think,I should of had a couple of quid on him !


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## Flying_Monkey (25 Mar 2019)

With no TT, he could actually hold this until the end, if his team is strong enough. But it means the race is going to explode now, attacks all over at every opportunity. Anything could happen. Excellent.


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## Adam4868 (25 Mar 2019)

rich p said:


> CK...shut the fark up


There was a bit of a Twitter spat/handbags from Tao geghen Hart against Kirby today.Forget what it was that was said.


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## Adam4868 (25 Mar 2019)

Flying_Monkey said:


> With no TT, he could actually hold this until the end, if his team is strong enough. But it means the race is going to explode now, attacks all over at every opportunity. Anything could happen. Excellent.


Nice thought and I agree it'll make for some excitement.But I seriously doubt he can hang on for the win I'd say it will be settled stage 3/4 in the mountains.


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## rich p (26 Mar 2019)

Adam4868 said:


> There was a bit of a Twitter spat/handbags from Tao geghen Hart against Kirby today.Forget what it was that was said.


Interesting! A player revolt!


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## rich p (26 Mar 2019)

Adam4868 said:


> There was a bit of a Twitter spat/handbags from Tao geghen Hart against Kirby today.Forget what it was that was said.


https://mobile.twitter.com/taogeoghegan
I often don"t get Twitter . TGH"s tweet about fake news and pedestals is referring to what?


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## Adam4868 (26 Mar 2019)

rich p said:


> https://mobile.twitter.com/taogeoghegan
> I often don"t get Twitter . TGH"s tweet about fake news and pedestals is referring to what?


I think maybe his original tweet has been deleted,I read it yesterday.Heres the jist of it @rich p





Doull even chipped in for "team support"


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## mjr (26 Mar 2019)

Adam4868 said:


> I think maybe his original tweet has been deleted,I read it yesterday.Heres the jist of it @rich p
> View attachment 459294
> 
> Doull even chipped in for "team support"


Bit insulting to muppets IMO!


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## rich p (26 Mar 2019)

Do we know of which rider/agent he was speaking about?

Is there an army of people out there in the ether who take screenshots of Twitter, just in case they get deleted?

I feel most sympathy for me (obvs!) but also for poor Matt Stephens and Brian Smith having to tolerate the twunt.
Ironically, Matt S is a far better commentator than CK anyway.


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## Dogtrousers (26 Mar 2019)

I like CK. So there.


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## roadrash (26 Mar 2019)

@Dogtrousers .. go and stand in the corner facing the wall ,until you see the error of your ways


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## Adam4868 (26 Mar 2019)

Dogtrousers said:


> I like CK. So there.


I'm glad someone else does,I've got him as my screensaver...


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## Adam4868 (26 Mar 2019)

rich p said:


> Do we know of which rider/agent he was speaking about?
> 
> Is there an army of people out there in the ether who take screenshots of Twitter, just in case they get deleted?
> 
> ...


No I don't.know who he was talking about,thought it was just a bit of a storm in a teacup.


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## johnblack (26 Mar 2019)

Adam4868 said:


> No I don't.know who he was talking about,thought it was just a bit of a storm in a teacup.


He was waffling on about Warren Barguil leaving Sunweb for Fortuneo last season and basically being down to his agent.


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## Adam4868 (26 Mar 2019)

Back to business,sprinters day today ? Or what there is of sprinters in this race.


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## rich p (26 Mar 2019)

I'm on grandchild duty so I'll record it in case it's interesting


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## Adam4868 (26 Mar 2019)

Highlights later tonight for me.


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## roadrash (26 Mar 2019)

watch it this afternoon for me


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## johnblack (26 Mar 2019)

Recorded and watch on +30 speed until 5k out, unless anything of note happens


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## rich p (26 Mar 2019)

johnblack said:


> Recorded and watch on +30 speed until 5k out, unless anything of note happens


Me too. I've been known to doze off during a FF and wake up with the biathlon on.


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## johnblack (26 Mar 2019)

rich p said:


> Me too. I've been known to doze off during a FF and wake up with the biathlon on.


God I love the biathlon, I have a massive crush on Dorothea Wierer.


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## roadrash (26 Mar 2019)

froome down in a crash, back on his bike with a bit of roadrash


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## mjr (26 Mar 2019)

Apart from that crash (inside the last 20km I think), it's looking like a bunch sprint, so record and FF is deffo the right option (or have it in the corner of the screen while working, like I have today).


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## mjr (26 Mar 2019)

Good win. Lots of riders dropped though.


Spoiler













Froome still riding in, 5km to go, 5 minutes after the bunch.


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## rich p (26 Mar 2019)

Good win for Matthews to beat ValvPiti et al on that tough finish. He's a classics contender and a second win of the yer for Sunweb.
James Knox with another good finish in that field, to come in 6th


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## rich p (26 Mar 2019)

Mountains tomorrow could change the GC


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## Adam4868 (27 Mar 2019)

Didn't get chance to really watch yesterday's stage.Just saw the win for Matthews and Froomes roadrash ! 
Think today's stage is queen stage ? Anyway yeah I reckon change of gc today.Hell do well to hang on in the mountains.


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## roadrash (27 Mar 2019)

should be good viewing today, I wonder if we will see Quintana have a good go , he looked good in paris nice, better than he has the last couple of years, what have the yates brothers got up their sleeves (apart from their arms)


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## Adam4868 (27 Mar 2019)

I guess we can be sure that Froomes riding for Bernal now.13 mins down,what happened in that crash ?


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## roadrash (27 Mar 2019)

didn't see the actual crash , just saw them getting back up , nob ed Kirby said a touch of wheels


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## mjr (27 Mar 2019)

Adam4868 said:


> I guess we can be sure that Froomes riding for Bernal now.13 mins down,what happened in that crash ?


Not much but it's hard for a bunch of bruised riders to catch a sprinting peloton.


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## Adam4868 (27 Mar 2019)

mjr said:


> Not much but it's hard for a bunch of bruised riders to catch a sprinting peloton.


Pah ! 13 minutes for Froomey,walk in the park...


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## mjr (27 Mar 2019)

Adam4868 said:


> Pah ! 13 minutes for Froomey,walk in the park...


No, I'm pretty sure he kept riding all the time, including through any parks.


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## mjr (27 Mar 2019)

15km to go for the breakaway, peloton +2:47, Movistar train on the front.


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## mjr (27 Mar 2019)

Final climb is 11.4km avg 7.7%, max 18%. Break lead by 2:30 with 1km to its start.


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## mjr (27 Mar 2019)

Bit of excitement at 11km to go as one rider in the break rides into the back wheel of another but rescues it.

Lead down below 2mins, Matthews popped off the back by 30s more.


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## mjr (27 Mar 2019)

7.4km to go. Weening (Roompot) off the front alone. Peloton +44s led by the Sky train, Movistar just behind. De Gendt is struggling and is another 40s back.


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## mjr (27 Mar 2019)

6.3km to go. Weening passed by the Sky-led remnants of the peloton and is trying to join the back of it. I don't think he will. Nope, he's gone as the road tilts right up. De Gendt is 1min behind. Valvpiti is also some 37s back, chasing. Quintana in front group.


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## mjr (27 Mar 2019)

2.2km to go, lead group of Quintana, Bernal, Martin (yoyoing), Lopez, Yates. Pinot group +45s, De Gendt +2m


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## mjr (27 Mar 2019)

2km to go and Lopez catches back up to Quintana, Bernal and Yates. Those last three are 3 seconds apart on GC at the start of the day.


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## mjr (27 Mar 2019)

Martin's tried to go past them but been recaptured.


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## mjr (27 Mar 2019)

Spoiler



Yates takes it. Now the wait to see if De Gendt can get over in time to keep green.






Edit: yes, I think he has.


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## mjr (27 Mar 2019)

New GC:


Spoiler










How spiky is stage 4? Enough to change those gaps?


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## roadrash (27 Mar 2019)

im knackered just watching that


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## roadrash (27 Mar 2019)

I wonder how many times adam yates can say "yeah" in an interview


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## rich p (27 Mar 2019)

I thought Quintana was losing his wheelsucker tag but it seems not. He's an irritating rider to watch.
Great ride by Yates and gutsy one by Dan Martin.


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## roadrash (27 Mar 2019)

Got to agree about Quintana ,hes really frustrating to watch, I did say he looked different to the past couple of years, but as this proves ...what do I know,
Brilliant ride from Dan Martin, he just wont give up. loved the way nob ed Kirby and matt stevens presumed it was Simon Yates until about 4km to go.


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## Adam4868 (27 Mar 2019)

Just watched,great finish.Felt for Bernal he put a bit too much in there.Quintana....jesus hes irritating !


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## Adam4868 (27 Mar 2019)

I didnt read this thread ! Glad its not only me,was feeling guilty about Nairo but hes frustrating to watch.Thank feck he didnt take the stage.Yates great win,perfectly timed.Dan Martin classy ride lit it up for.a while

p.s cant be doing with seeing either of the yates twins being interviewed,its that pseudo Bury/Aussie twang !


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## roadrash (27 Mar 2019)

yeah, its like yeah , I mean yeah …………………………..yeah


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## 400bhp (27 Mar 2019)

rich p said:


> I thought Quintana was losing his wheelsucker tag but it seems not. He's an irritating rider to watch.
> Great ride by Yates and gutsy one by Dan Martin.


He is an utterly terrible tactician. He cannot sprint at all yet he does nothing and makes the race so negative. Him and Bernal should have been up the road and buried not only Yates but Martin.

I don’t get him.


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## Adam4868 (27 Mar 2019)

I can only think he didn't fancy a one on one with Bernal.How could he think letting the rest of them back would benefit him ? At worst if they worked together he would of had a second place.Bad move.


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## Flying_Monkey (27 Mar 2019)

Martin is a frustrating rider to watch in terms of tactics, for all his other abilities. It's one of the things that defines his career, he's always almost in the right place and the right time, but somehow just not quite. He just doesn't seem to know when to go or where to be.


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## Adam4868 (27 Mar 2019)

Flying_Monkey said:


> Martin is a frustrating rider to watch in terms of tactics, for all his other abilities. It's one of the things that defines his career, he's always almost in the right place and the right time, but somehow just not quite. He just seem to know when to go or where to be.


At least he'll have a go,I remember him winning a great stage think it was the tour last year.He rides more on his instinct I think.So if it doesn't work at least it lights the race up a bit.


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## Flying_Monkey (27 Mar 2019)

BTW, I watched this on a Spanish feed and both the captions and the commentators kept refering to Adam Yates as Simon Yates until 1.5km to go when they suddenly realised!


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## Adam4868 (27 Mar 2019)

Flying_Monkey said:


> BTW, I watched this on a Spanish feed and both the captions anr the commentators kep refering to Adam Yates as Simon Yates until 1.5km to go when they suddenly realised!


They did here aswell !


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## Adam4868 (28 Mar 2019)

I almost forgot to mention,a admirable ride by de gendt to stay top of the GC yesterday.I said the same a couple of days ago but I'm thinking "he can't last today ! " Another big stage that I'm sure Yates wants.Should be some attacks today in the mountains.Ill go for a Bernal win today.Cant seeing him playing cat n mouse again.


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## roadrash (28 Mar 2019)

I would love to know what bernal was saying to Quintana yesterday, ….whats Colombian for.. f@!!"@< wa@!!!?"!


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## Adam4868 (28 Mar 2019)

roadrash said:


> I would love to know what bernal was saying to Quintana yesterday, ….whats Colombian for.. f@!!"@< wa@!!!?"!


I thought we were friends ?


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## rich p (28 Mar 2019)

roadrash said:


> I would love to know what bernal was saying to Quintana yesterday, ….whats Colombian for.. f@!!"@< wa@!!!?"!


Did you see him having a chat? I fully expected Yates to offer Quintana his blunt opinion.


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## roadrash (28 Mar 2019)

well the last few km was fekin brilliant,


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## rich p (28 Mar 2019)

Lopez is an exciting rider. He done well


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## Adam4868 (28 Mar 2019)

Yea just watched ,Lopez certainly has some "kick" on him ! Well deserved win today that might take him the whole way ? Looking at this race it should be a good Giro this year.


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## roadrash (29 Mar 2019)

well that was a well deserved win for mad max schapmann, what happened to bernal , carried his bike for the last couple of hundred metres and over the line

wilko kelderman came down heavy with about 10k to go , full speed and slid into crash barrier

ouch


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## Adam4868 (29 Mar 2019)

Mechanical for Bernal but within the 3 k so no time loss 

View: https://twitter.com/TeamSky/status/1111663069237837828?s=19


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## Adam4868 (29 Mar 2019)

View: https://twitter.com/chrisfroome/status/1111677347936256005?s=19


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## rich p (30 Mar 2019)

In the absence of the top tier of sprinters, Michael Matthews gets his second stage by a whisker from Bauhaus.
The latter stages were enlivened by Lopez tying to distance his rivals in the GC but he went a bit too early for it to stick. Admirable effort and initiative again though.


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## roadrash (30 Mar 2019)

lopez has some serious speed for the initial kick when decides to go it alone.


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## Adam4868 (30 Mar 2019)

Only just watched last 20k,I hope Lopez can hold on and win this He's shown some 'guts' in this race.Where was Greipel ?


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## roadrash (30 Mar 2019)

griepel abandoned , didn't start today


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## Adam4868 (30 Mar 2019)

Looked nice in Salou aswell.Remember going there when I was about 17 and getting ill on Pernod.Still can't stand the smell !


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## Adam4868 (31 Mar 2019)

Nasty crash,looks like Bardet is out.


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## roadrash (31 Mar 2019)

Bardet doesn't look good..


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## roadrash (31 Mar 2019)

quite a few casualtys from that crash


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## roadrash (31 Mar 2019)

Warren barguil carried away from the crash,


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## Adam4868 (31 Mar 2019)

No let up today !


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## roadrash (31 Mar 2019)

Even Quintana is having a go after doing nowt on the climbs on previous days


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## Adam4868 (31 Mar 2019)

roadrash said:


> Even Quintana is having a go after doing nowt on the climbs on previous days


Saving himself for the last day !


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## roadrash (31 Mar 2019)

both yates brothers attack together


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## Adam4868 (31 Mar 2019)

Virtual race leader


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## roadrash (31 Mar 2019)

Bernal is stuck to lopez like a limpet


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## roadrash (31 Mar 2019)

95 kmh down the hill


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## roadrash (31 Mar 2019)

lopez struggling now


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## Adam4868 (31 Mar 2019)

Lopez isn't finished yet


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## Adam4868 (31 Mar 2019)

Some ride by Formolo though


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## Adam4868 (31 Mar 2019)

Still anybody's this race 4k to go


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## roadrash (31 Mar 2019)

yates caught , brave effort that was.


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## Adam4868 (31 Mar 2019)

How fast was he caught ! Looks like mas will take second.
Great win by Formolo


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## roadrash (31 Mar 2019)

brilliant ride from formolo to take the stage, ….that was the best days racing ive seen for a while


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## Adam4868 (31 Mar 2019)

Lopez close but a well deserved winner.Some great riding there today.


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## mjr (31 Mar 2019)

Good final stage but Eurosport showed the stage winner and the team classification winner, then left before the GC podium. Daffodils.


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## roadrash (31 Mar 2019)

they seem to do that a lot, ….b@st'rds


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## Adam4868 (31 Mar 2019)

So did I "Do you know what day it is ? Do you not think you should be visiting your mum rather than sitting watching cycling all day !"
Yes dearest.


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## Dogtrousers (31 Mar 2019)

8th on general for WGG's Guillaume Martin 
Yay!


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## rich p (31 Mar 2019)

Excellent aggressive riding again. 
Good winner and good challengers...mostly!


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## themosquitoking (31 Mar 2019)

Every stage of that race was pretty good.


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