Tour De France 2020 with SPOILERS

[SWSteve]

It’s certainly an impressive show from JV and I didn’t catch the first half of the stage, but the only attack by a GC contender (Yates) was a one minute test of the JV train which TD dealt with easily. It was heading for a 350m sprint from the bottom of the climb. Bernal is obviously sick or his back is playing up.
Porte has looked as good as he ever has this late into a GT.
Pogacar has to try from further out surely on the Col de la Loze.?

guessing the lack of expectation on Porte is helping. He is riding great, and seems at ease in any interview

 

[Adam4868]

guessing the lack of expectation on Porte is helping. He is riding great, and seems at ease in any interview

Porte at 35 means there's hope for Froomey ? There again Valverde in his 60s means there's hope for anyone....

 

[roadrash]

There again Valverde in his 60s means there's hope for anyone...

 

[Mike_P]

Wiggle with a bit of own goal sending out promotion email of
"SiS: fuelling the INEOS Grenadier cycling team"

 

[Foghat]

For some reason am enjoying seeing Karl Sagan and Egon Ronay (or, more to the point, Ineosky bullschitter-in-chief Dennis Brailsworth) getting hammered in this Tour.

More satisfying, though, is witnessing van Aert's outstanding ability and performance. Outsprints many of the top sprinters, outclimbs many of the top climbers, can out-time-trial many of the top time-triallists if he puts his mind to it. Sprints straight too. All after having ripped a great big hole in his leg last year. And with humility. What a rider.

 

[mjr]

Roglic can't afford not to try today, the Alps are coming next week..... even Sunday has Bernal written all over it

Yes but I don't think that happened quite as you meant it!

There is a conversation on Spanish Tv regarding safety...
One commentator says there should be much more regulation...
No ass on the frame aero tucks...
Neutered sprints...
Wider roads are next?
Is this really what cycling needs?

Are you sure that was a commentator and not the Vuelta race director? More checks, wide roads, snoozefest stages... He'd probably like a TTT first stage just to give Jumbo the yellow from the outset!

 

[Ridgeway]

Yes but I don't think that happened quite as you meant it!

Yup, really didn't expect that. Had honestly expected something of a reverse of what happened but i guess that's bicycle racing.

A climb that Bernal will want to forget...

If it's any consolation to him though he did it in around 50mins and it took me 1hr 25mins when i did it 3wks back i'm sure that'll make him feel better

 

[Ridgeway]

I think the mundane was what all the non Sky/Ineos fans have been saying for the last few years, "oh not the Sky/Ineos train dictating the race again" some how the shoe was one the other foot yesterday and we didn't all like it, me included.

Me thinks there's already been a phone call to Matt Winston. Ineos is not only missing power but also tactics since the sad departure of Nico P. and this guy seems to have the tactics book at present.

 

[matticus]

I can't see how tactics would have helped Ineos in this race.

(Sunweb have raced smart - but they're not in the GC race! They can have 5 days off and still look good.)

 

[Ridgeway]

Agree they wouldn't have but then again trying to do what you've always done when you don't have the capability needs rethinking.

 

[Adam4868]

I feel for Bernal,totally bonked yesterday.Watching his interview he's brutally honest about just not being up to it.Nothing.to do with tactics if you haven't the team/pace to go with Jumbo.There on another level at the moment.Although for all the sky/Ineos haters I'm not sure what the difference is,as in do you like controlled racing or not ? Bernal hasn't.looked happy/comfortable since coming back,I really hope he bounces back stronger.Maybe in the Vuelta later ? Anyway back to the race it's Roglics to lose but it's far from over.

 

[matticus]

I thought Pog was unlucky not to be given a 2-second gap on the line over Rog! It was pretty plain to see.

 

[rich p]

It's been a strange year for racing, conditioning and training for obvious reasons, so we should expect some riders to have dealt with it better than others.
Bernal is using this race as a build up to next June's Tour

 

[mjr]

I can't see how tactics would have helped Ineos in this race.

Maybe select either G or Froome to advise the younger leaders and help keep Jumbo guessing? I think Jumbo were expecting that and to have to try using Dumoulin and Kruiswijk to mark the likely decoys. Not sure who would have been the second marker after Kruiswijk was out, but it turned out not to be necessary with Ineos's tactics looking as fragile as land after their sponsor's fracking.

 

[Adam4868]

Maybe select either G or Froome to advise the younger leaders and help keep Jumbo guessing? I think Jumbo were expecting that and to have to try using Dumoulin and Kruiswijk to mark the likely decoys. Not sure who would have been the second marker after Kruiswijk was out, but it turned out not to be necessary with Ineos's tactics looking as fragile as land after their sponsor's fracking.

Hindsights a wonderful thing,Froome really wasn't race fit.Looking at Thomas in the Tirreno Adriatico he would of been a worthy plan B.Feck he deserved it...Instead they banked things on Carapaz.Wouldnt be suprised if they pull him out to focus on a later race.Sivakov has obviously been struggling,don't know if it's his early crash ? But hey ho it didn't work.Id of liked a battle in the third week but it's not to be.Jumbo so far have been unbreakable,totally dominating the peloton.Great riders in that team who are more than willing to sacrifice their race for Roglic...remind you of anyone