Tour de France 2019 General Thread

c.p.w.g.w

MPFGLB wrote: »

Just saw the profile for stage 20

It is possible that if you were fairly fresh and not too far down on GC ie Mikkel Landa you could win the Tour on that stage alone

Did you mean stage 19?

Stage 19 could finish a couple of GC contenders...looks horific

neris

Deleted User wrote: »

Whats been going on with Kwiatkowski ? He's nowhere to be seen this tour, must be illness.

Wouldn't be surprised if ineos are keeping him fresh for later in the week and to see him drilling it on the front

Angliru

jimbobaloobob wrote: »

Hard to know. I've had money on bernal to win since December but looking at the way Pinot could ride the other day makes me think If he can do the same it's his to gain and win this tour.

Quintana I think is one who loves the wet and the cold, Bernal might be another. Contador hated the heat even though he probably raced in it a lot more than most in the peloton. I'd imagine Quintana is the same. I'd imagine someone like Kruiswijk will struggle in the heat. Bernal looked grand last year and was arguably the strongest climber in the whole race.

Froome is someone who always seems to find a different gear when it is boiling hot. The sight of him on a bike is mad anyway but seeing one of the palest guys in the peloton thriving in the heat is so mad. Maybe he's just so used to it from growing up in Africa.

MPFGLB

c.p.w.g.w wrote: »

Did you mean stage 19?

Stage 19 could finish a couple of GC contenders...looks horific

No Stage 20 with a 35 KM HC climb with 4,450 vertical metres at the finish

c.p.w.g.w

MPFGLB wrote: »

No Stage 20 with a 35 KM HC climb with 4,450 vertical metres at the finish

OMG...my legs are sore reading that...obviously misread the stage profile

retalivity

Pinot is a man who hates the heat as well, much prefers cold and rain

Tim76

Stage 20 looks like a monster.

The ski resort of Val Thorens last hosted a TdF stage finish back in 1994 (2nd highest elevation for a finish in the history of the Tour) and it was won by a Columbian. Here’s hoping Bernal can repeat that feat.

harringtonp

Angliru wrote: »

Quintana I think is one who loves the wet and the cold, Bernal might be another. Contador hated the heat even though he probably raced in it a lot more than most in the peloton. I'd imagine Quintana is the same. I'd imagine someone like Kruiswijk will struggle in the heat. Bernal looked grand last year and was arguably the strongest climber in the whole race.

Froome is someone who always seems to find a different gear when it is boiling hot. The sight of him on a bike is mad anyway but seeing one of the palest guys in the peloton thriving in the heat is so mad. Maybe he's just so used to it from growing up in Africa.

That figures for those South American riders. As a young lad, having spent 2 months in Ecuador and 3 in Bolivia (and 6 weeks in Peru), the higher grounds in these countries is often damp and fresh (wouldn't go as far as cold but rain in the teens can feel cold). Quito is at 2800m, La Paz varies in height from 3200m to 4000m (the rich live lower, the poor higher). Didn't get to Colombia but the impression I always got was that terrain wise, its not far off Ecuador. And most of these South American riders from what I can see are high plains indigenous people

W.B. Yeats

Folks-
Myself and 2 buddies are heading to watch stages on Friday Tignes and Sat Val Thorens
We aim to pitch ourselves up on the mountainsides for the final climbs - that's the plan.
Has anyone any advice on logistics on the day?
Having a look at various websites the roads will be closed but we aren't sure how long beforehand... the advice online goes from full day closures to 2 hours before the caravan.
In our heads we were thinking of renting bikes over there and doing a bit of cycling to get ourselves up the mountains and over the closed sections but aren't sure due that's going to work practically.

Thanks in advance!

jack01986

W.B. Yeats wrote: »

Folks-
Myself and 2 buddies are heading to watch stages on Friday Tignes and Sat Val Thorens
We aim to pitch ourselves up on the mountainsides for the final climbs - that's the plan.
Has anyone any advice on logistics on the day?
Having a look at various websites the roads will be closed but we aren't sure how long beforehand... the advice online goes from full day closures to 2 hours before the caravan.
In our heads we were thinking of renting bikes over there and doing a bit of cycling to get ourselves up the mountains and over the closed sections but aren't sure due that's going to work practically.

Thanks in advance!

Not sure about road closures but the last time the Tour went over the Col d'Iseran we were able to get a chairlift up from the village (Val d'Isere) and cycle down on mountain bikes to one of the switch backs. They were climbing up the opposite way that time so you'd be catching the descent. The climb to Tignes isn't that long but there is a couple of very wide switch backs near the start just after crossing the dam that would be a good place to set up camp if you could get a spot.

equivariant

MPFGLB wrote: »

No Stage 20 with a 35 KM HC climb with 4,450 vertical metres at the finish

Epic way to decide the tour.

Just looking at 18, I wonder if Alaphilippe gets to the top of the Galibier without getting dropped, will he attack the descent. He is probably the best descender of the lot. Remember Froome stealing about 30s on a descent a couple of years ago.

Dr. Bre

My guess is Alaphilippe won’t even finish in top 5 . Thursday to Saturday is brutal! There is 5 riders within 2.30mins of him. Would I get good odds on him not finishing top 5?

MPFGLB

Dr. Bre wrote: »

My guess is Alaphilippe won’t even finish in top 5 . Thursday to Saturday is brutal! There is 5 riders within 2.30mins of him. Would I get good odds on him not finishing top 5?

You probably would in France

equivariant

Dr. Bre wrote: »

My guess is Alaphilippe won’t even finish in top 5 . Thursday to Saturday is brutal! There is 5 riders within 2.30mins of him. Would I get good odds on him not finishing top 5?

Well I'd agree that he will either podium or will blow completely and lose a bunch of time.

Paddy The Pirate

What a sprint, the overspeed he had in the last few metres was so impressive !

EC1000

Dr. Bre wrote: »

My guess is Alaphilippe won’t even finish in top 5 . Thursday to Saturday is brutal! There is 5 riders within 2.30mins of him. Would I get good odds on him not finishing top 5?

Well I put a fiver e/w on him last night at 4/1 on the basis that surely he cant finish outside the top 4!!

Lusk_Doyle

EC1000 wrote: »

Well I put a fiver e/w on him last night at 4/1 on the basis that surely he cant finish outside the top 4!!

A fiver e/w??? Hardly worth it at all!

griffin100

I see Vino is questioning JA’s time trial performance.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/lefevere-anyone-suspecting-alaphilippe-of-doping-in-tour-de-france-doesnt-have-a-brain/

There’s something wrong when an unrepentant cheat is questioning your performances.

EC1000

Lusk_Doyle wrote: »

A fiver e/w??? Hardly worth it at all!

I'm not going to make paddy power's year but enough for a small interest!

Shedite27

Aliphilippe didn't even make the boards.ie "who will win" poll

Angliru

Probably not the right place for it but Dumoulin is set to join Jumbo-Visma next season. I'd assume Roglic might leave but even so they've an insanely stacked team. Kittel is another one who'll sign if he wants another crack at the sport.

TheBlaaMan

https://twitter.com/faustocoppi60/status/1153770025502818304?s=19

Angliru

Angliru wrote: »

Probably not the right place for it but Dumoulin is set to join Jumbo-Visma next season. I'd assume Roglic might leave but even so they've an insanely stacked team. Kittel is another one who'll sign if he wants another crack at the sport.

I listened to Kittel talk on ITV in the first week and it was a good piece. He was in the commentary booth and the chat flowed. He's got a baby on the way and to me he sounded like he's in a good place. I got the impression Katusha was a bad move for him.

Sunweb don't have the team to support Dumoulin and lets be honest a lot of stars aligned during the giro in 2017 and that team was better to support him that what they have now so a move makes sense. A fully fit and in form Dumoulin at this tour would need a much better team and another ITT I think to have had a chance.

EDIT: I just remembered they that Kelderman was a DNS today, not sure what happened there but he'd been pretty anonymous for 2 weeks and I've a feeling he should have not been there since his crash in march and only one race since.

Zakarin also moving but to where ? He's not a GT winner so where does he go and in what role?

neris

Zakarin was never a GT contender he'd be a good domestique but was probably only put in as a leader coz he's a ruskie. Wonder would Astana be his next team

letape

Shedite27 wrote: »

Aliphilippe didn't even make the boards.ie "who will win" poll

It’s totally unexpected that he is where he is after the TT and Pyrenees. Last year in the TT he lost to Froome by 3:41 and to Thomas by 3:26 or so.... that alone was enough not to consider him a likely winner.

harringtonp

letape wrote: »

It’s totally unexpected that he is where he is after the TT and Pyrenees. Last year in the TT he lost to Froome by 3:41 and to Thomas by 3:26 or so.... that alone was enough not to consider him a likely winner.

I can't remember but was he anywhere near GC last year and had he any GC aspirations ? Riders won't go all out in the TT unless they have good reason.

harringtonp

Retrospectively I do wonder why Sam Bennett and Peter Sagan could not have been both in this tour.

- Sagan's main target is the green jersey and he is running away with it. Sam would not be any threat here.

- The team may have put a man or two on the front on flat stages to help bring the break back so Sagan can have a go at the sprint. This would have worked for Sam too.

- Apart from the stage he won in the first week, Sagan is usually finishing around 4th/5th in sprints. Enough to keep ahead in the green jersey race but far from stage glory.

- Bora have GC aspirations and are not providing a sprint train. Both Sagan and Sam can surf wheels and could find their own path without getting in each others way.

Tim76

harringtonp wrote: »

I can't remember but was he anywhere near GC last year and had he any GC aspirations ? Riders won't go all out in the TT unless they have good reason.

Can’t remember where he ended in the GC but he def took KOM. Different focus this year once he got in yellow but I was very surprised with his TT performance.

Chips Lovell

He was 33rd overall last year. He'd nothing to ride for in that TT, so you're not comparing like with like.

MPFGLB

Deleted User wrote: »

I listened to Kittel talk on ITV in the first week and it was a good piece. He was in the commentary booth and the chat flowed. He's got a baby on the way and to me he sounded like he's in a good place. I got the impression Katusha was a bad move for him.

Sunweb don't have the team to support Dumoulin and lets be honest a lot of stars aligned during the giro in 2017 and that team was better to support him that what they have now so a move makes sense. A fully fit and in form Dumoulin at this tour would need a much better team and another ITT I think to have had a chance.

EDIT: I just remembered they that Kelderman was a DNS today, not sure what happened there but he'd been pretty anonymous for 2 weeks and I've a feeling he should have not been there since his crash in march and only one race since.

Zakarin also moving but to where ? He's not a GT winner so where does he go and in what role?

Oomen, Kelderman ,Roche & Kemna are as good as any team out there (when fit) to support Dumoulin ... And no way was the team in 2017 better ...out right wrong

Really annoying when poor comms by Hatch & Kirby is 1. Believed and 2. spouted back verbatim

Most of what Kirby & Hatch say on 'weak' teams is redundant

Dumoulin is not leaving cos of team...the is leaving becasue of money

Sad really that Ineoa & JV will have all the top riders....not much chance for the rest with the smaller budgets .Plus we wont see some top riders ride against each other .Very bad for the sport