Cycling Thread: Bernal wins the TDF

[TedLavie]

Problem with la Planche is that favourites wait for the final kilometer to go all in. So yeah, final km is superb, but everything before is just boring. Hard to get conclusions from a 5km climb with parts at 20-25% for the GC. Thomas looked better than I thought. Pinot looked as good as I thought. Bernal was a tad disappointing. But nothing major so far.

Good thing is, Alaphilippe will probably fight to take back the yellow on Saturday or Sunday, which may give us a show

[PARROTHEAD]

54 minutes ago, TedLavie said:

Problem with la Planche is that favourites wait for the final kilometer to go all in. So yeah, final km is superb, but everything before is just boring. Hard to get conclusions from a 5km climb with parts at 20-25% for the GC. Thomas looked better than I thought. Pinot looked as good as I thought. Bernal was a tad disappointing. But nothing major so far.

Good thing is, Alaphilippe will probably fight to take back the yellow on Saturday or Sunday, which may give us a show

I dont agree. I loved the mountain struggles, with the all-out downhill speeds that follow and a gasping for breath on jelly legs finish at the end. With numerous names cracking. Keeps me in suspense. And since I hate sprinters. I love watching mountains crush them into pudding.

 

Edited July 11, 2019 by PARROTHEAD

[TedLavie]

2 hours ago, PARROTHEAD said:

I dont agree. I loved the mountain struggles, with the all-out downhill speeds that follow and a gasping for breath on jelly legs finish at the end. With numerous names cracking. Keeps me in suspense. And since I hate sprinters. I love watching mountains crush them into pudding.

 

Who cracked before the final km though? Tejay was probably the biggest name out there, and he was considered a top 15/20 contender?

Don't get me wrong, mountain stages are awesome. But with this specific climb, the race is limited to the final 1-2 kms. Alps and Pyrénées give more linear climbs which allow climbers to attack from further

[kempus]

2 hours ago, TedLavie said:

Who cracked before the final km though? Tejay was probably the biggest name out there, and he was considered a top 15/20 contender?

Don't get me wrong, mountain stages are awesome. But with this specific climb, the race is limited to the final 1-2 kms. Alps and Pyrénées give more linear climbs which allow climbers to attack from further

I know what you're saying. It's almost too extreme for anyone to gamble too much on it. I still enjoyed it though. Bardet losing 1.09 to Thomas. He looks done as a contender in this years tour.

[PARROTHEAD]

4 hours ago, TedLavie said:

Who cracked before the final km though? Tejay was probably the biggest name out there, and he was considered a top 15/20 contender?

Don't get me wrong, mountain stages are awesome. But with this specific climb, the race is limited to the final 1-2 kms. Alps and Pyrénées give more linear climbs which allow climbers to attack from further

Guys were cracking left and right the last five km or so. They wanted their bodies to be there for that final push, and so many were just flat busted. Alaphilippe surprised me with what he was able to muster up there at the end. I wasnt thinking he was going to keep within a minute of the new leader, but he found the push he needed. 5-6 new guys in the top 10 because of today? Or moved up heavily in there I forget which. For me, it fit my taste perfect. Some riders surprised me, some disappointed me, all fought hard just to make it to the line. After the first 5 days, I needed a day like this to get me amped up for whats to come. Cause like day 5,  absolutely stunning shots of castles, chateaus, vineyards and cathedrals. But the race itself was bland.

Edited July 12, 2019 by PARROTHEAD

[Mr Bad Example]

On 7/11/2019 at 10:24 AM, PARROTHEAD said:

TeChoke van Garderen dropped by the Peloton.

Every year it happens. Every year I love it more.

Tejay is the answer to "how would the US media have covered Tyler Farrar if he had GC ability?" 

[TedLavie]

Thibault Pinot !!! 

What a stage, what a finish. Awesome for De Gendt, for Alaf, for Pinot. 

I'm excited 

[PARROTHEAD]

De Gendt with the performance of a lifetime. When the last guy dropped off leaving him all alone. I thought there was no way he could keep that lead with less than a min lead and over 10k to go. Near 125 miles in the lead through 2 cat 3s and a half dozen cat 2s. Respect.

 

[kempus]

Pinot, Fuglsang and Uran ruined their TDF hopes with yesterdays stage. Ineos shredded them in the cross winds. Devastating for Pinot, in particular. Looking more and more like a shoot out between Thomas and Bernal. Van Aert is also a superstar in the making.

[TedLavie]

19 hours ago, kempus said:

Pinot, Fuglsang and Uran ruined their TDF hopes with yesterdays stage. Ineos shredded them in the cross winds. Devastating for Pinot, in particular. Looking more and more like a shoot out between Thomas and Bernal. Van Aert is also a superstar in the making.

I've been in mourning for a day now

It's over. Ineos is going to win handily. I think Thomas looks better and his form should go up whereas Bernal may suffer in the 3rd week. After all, he planned to be in form for the Giro originally.

Thomas is going to win imho. Then I believe everything is possible for the 2nd and 3rd place, for anyone between Bernal to Landa (save for Alaphillipe, Ciccone and Meurisse who will fall off once Pyrennées and Alps are climbed)

[kempus]

1 hour ago, TedLavie said:

I've been in mourning for a day now

It's over. Ineos is going to win handily. I think Thomas looks better and his form should go up whereas Bernal may suffer in the 3rd week. After all, he planned to be in form for the Giro originally.

Thomas is going to win imho. Then I believe everything is possible for the 2nd and 3rd place, for anyone between Bernal to Landa (save for Alaphillipe, Ciccone and Meurisse who will fall off once Pyrennées and Alps are climbed)

Thomas should be considered the favourite, but I wouldn't write Bernal off yet. In the mountains he will be stronger, imo. Depends how much time he loses on the TT.

[mse326]

On 7/16/2019 at 7:15 PM, kempus said:

Thomas should be considered the favourite, but I wouldn't write Bernal off yet. In the mountains he will be stronger, imo. Depends how much time he loses on the TT.

But will Ineos treat this like Froome-Thomas last year and let Bernal go for it on climbs? Or will they instruct him to hold back to help lead Thomas. If they didn't let Thomas go last year they were going to lose him. He had put his time in. Bernal isn't at that stage yet where he can dictate. They may be willing to order him to sacrifice himself. Particularly if they think Froome and Thomas will be back next year as strong as ever. We've seen with Movistar having 3 co-leads just doesn't work. And if Bernal wins there is no way you can instruct any of the 3 to hold back. You'd also have trouble telling Bernal he'll be racing the Giro next year if he wins this TDF.

Unless Thomas completely blows up I think they force Bernal to play a super-domestique role for Thomas. Next year would be a nightmare if they don't.

[Mr Bad Example]

3 hours ago, mse326 said:

But will Ineos treat this like Froome-Thomas last year and let Bernal go for it on climbs? Or will they instruct him to hold back to help lead Thomas. If they didn't let Thomas go last year they were going to lose him. He had put his time in. Bernal isn't at that stage yet where he can dictate. They may be willing to order him to sacrifice himself. Particularly if they think Froome and Thomas will be back next year as strong as ever. We've seen with Movistar having 3 co-leads just doesn't work. And if Bernal wins there is no way you can instruct any of the 3 to hold back. You'd also have trouble telling Bernal he'll be racing the Giro next year if he wins this TDF.

Unless Thomas completely blows up I think they force Bernal to play a super-domestique role for Thomas. Next year would be a nightmare if they don't.

If I'm Ineos, I'm hedging and not making Bernal work for Thomas unless absolutely necessary - that way you have Bernal engaged and there in case Thomas implodes, but not burning matches he doesn't have to. 

Movistar is down to 2 co-leads, as Landa is out of it, and Valverde has shown in the past he's more than willing to bury himself for Quintana. 

[Mr Bad Example]

I've been listening to podcasts but not watching - and man, it sounds like I'm missing a classic. 

Still, my first look at the standings - yes, Ineos is as usual the strongest team, and is in the driver's seat, but there are PLENTY of contenders in shouting distance - Krujsiwijk* 15" down on Thomas, Adam Yates quietly within 40 seconds, Quintana less than a minute back.....and let's remember, this is journeyman Geraint Thomas and unproven Egan Bernal, not unflappable Chris Froome - no one knows how they'll react when the pressure ratchets up. 

 

 

* I just looked at the name and I'm still not sure how to spell it. 

[kempus]

3 hours ago, Mr Bad Example said:

If I'm Ineos, I'm hedging and not making Bernal work for Thomas unless absolutely necessary - that way you have Bernal engaged and there in case Thomas implodes, but not burning matches he doesn't have to. 

Movistar is down to 2 co-leads, as Landa is out of it, and Valverde has shown in the past he's more than willing to bury himself for Quintana. 

@mse326 I agree with Mr Bad Example. I doubt they make Bernal work for Thomas, unless Bernal loses a big chunk of time himself. It's not really the Sky/Ineos way to attack climbs. They grind the other teams out with a relentless pace. I think Bernal will ride within that framework and not directly attack Thomas. He will absolutely go if Quintanta, Yates or any of the other big climbers attack though.