Tour de France Stage 3

CramCycle

Can't see another thread so here ya go, not as detailed as others in the past though.





Pretty flat (for a tour stage) until the last 50km, where it goes up and down over a few Cat 4 and Cat 3 climbs.

Live on TG4 and ITV4 after 1.10, enjoy, suggestions for a poll welcome

Brian?

Prediction:

Sagan, Bossan-Hagen, Wout Van Aert. In that order.

cunavalos

Was in the process of typing up preview so will just paste some additional stuff here.

Today looks to be a stage for the puncheurs with an undulating route that comes to life with a classics style final 50km culminating in an uphill sprint of 500m at 8% which should be enough to see off the pure sprinters.While venturing into the Champagne vineyards the riders tackle Côte de Nanteuil-la-Forêt (1.1 kilometres at 6.8%), Côte d’Hautvillers (900 metres at 10.5%), Côte de Champillon (1.8 kilometer at 6.6%), Côte de Mutigny (900 metres at 12.2%) and Côte du Mont Bernon (1 kilometre at 5%).

One interesting aspect of the stage are the bonus seconds on offer at the top of the Cote de Mutigny 20km before the finish. We are likely to see a bit of GC action here as first over the summit will receive eight seconds, the runner-up five seconds and the third-placed finisher two seconds in addition to the bonus seconds at the finish line. Mutigny will also see an opportunity to drop a few of the sprinters and test Fuglsang's recovery after Saturdays crash.

To give an indication of the finish here is google maps screenshot of 200m before the finish. Note how the road narrows so positioning will be vital with potential for further crashes but although an uphill finish the 3km rule still applies so hopefully that will minimise the risk but the infamous 3 second rule does not apply on Stage 3 so time gaps greater than 1 second between riders over the line will be counted




My prediction is for Alaphillippe to win the stage and van Aert to go into yellow but there are so many candidates from the sprinters Sagan, Ewan, Matthews, Cobrelli to the classics guy van Avermaet, Alaphillippe, van Aert and not forgetting Valverde and Dan (who I am going to guess ends up out of position entering the final ramp).

Cyclingstage.com view the group of favourites as follows
*** Peter Sagan, Julian Alaphilippe, Wout Van Aert
** Greg Van Avermaet, Michael Matthews, Matteo Trentin, Tim Wellens
* Maximilian Schachmann, Alejandro Valverde, Sonny Colbrelli, Alberto Bettiol

Racing gets underway shortly after 11am with stage finish expected shortly after 4pm our time.

Taxuser1

very tricky finale. the ride is fast into the last climb of the day which is on a very narrow road with a narrow tricky descent before the final kick to the finish. hard to imagine Alaphilippe not being in position for this but so will a host of others, Valverde, Dan Martin, and my own outside pick, Kasper Asgreen who will likely be on lead out duties for Alaphilippe but could be very close to the front when the pressure is on. I think there'll be an incident or two today. very tough finale!

Decuc500

It's hard to bet against Sagan on this type of finish but I think Caleb Ewan can win here.

Taxuser1

Decuc500 wrote: »

It's hard to bet against Sagan on this type of finish but I think Caleb Ewan can win here.

Tim Wellens is gone up the road in the break so it won't help Ewan. He's one rider who would have guided Ewan up and over the finish. The 16% 1 km climb with 13 kms to go would have killed his chance I think, maybe that's Lottos thinking.

I even think Sagan will be stretched thin today.

DKmac

Terpstra?

Inquitus

I think Lotto can probably hang onto the Jersey, Mike Teunissen has 40 seconds in his back pocket, and the rest of the team has 30 seconds, so unless a break gets given enough rope I would expect them to defend it, perhaps as far as the La Planche des Belles Filles on Thursday.

It's great seeing a guy like Teunissen in the yellow jersey. No ambition or expectation of it coming in to the race, he must still think he's dreaming.

Lumen

Chances of Wiggo getting deliberately run over before the end of the tour are shortening after he referred to the Wanty-Gobert DS (Hilaire Van der Schueren?) as "Jabba the Hutt" after he wouldn't speak to him.

eagle eye

Van Avermaet was talking up.his chances for today. Said he has scouted the stage and sees this as his stage.

I think Van Aert might be the man today.

dastardly00

Wiggins on the motorbike is brilliant. He's started chatting to the rides now

Taxuser1

dastardly00 wrote: »

Wiggins on the motorbike is brilliant. He's started chatting to the rides now

They're not that good looking.

nak

Taxuser1 wrote: »

They're not that good looking.

Wout's got lovely hair

2smiggy

what time would they be hitting the hilly parts, might head away early from work today

dastardly00

2smiggy wrote: »

what time would they be hitting the hilly parts, might head away early from work today

The breakaway are about 3km/h average ahead of the fastest predicted schedule. About 3.15-3.30pm will see them starting the climbs.

Pointed out Dan Martin to my eldest there, her face when she noticed he was in white shorts

MPFGLB

Diary

https://www.independent.ie/sport/other-sports/cycling/nicolas-roche-i-slammed-on-and-winced-as-the-bike-came-flying-towards-me-38290798.html

Kelly nearly dropped a F bomb there "Ride like ffffff .... hell on the front" :pac:

dastardly00

This is a good last 20 km

Cameraman on the Moto shouting allez at Alaphilippe there.

CramCycle

Turned away for a few minutes and then I thought I was looking at a different race, it is a bit of Crack now, what happened to Tim, he was a minute ahead and now he has disappeared

CramCycle

CramCycle wrote: »

Turned away for a few minutes and then I thought I was looking at a different race, it is a bit of Crack now, what happened to Tim, he was a minute ahead and now he has disappeared

Hopped off his bike after taking the points, had a mechanical of some sort the whole way up.

dastardly00

CramCycle wrote: »

Turned away for a few minutes and then I thought I was looking at a different race, it is a bit of Crack now, what happened to Tim, he was a minute ahead and now he has disappeared

His lead disappeared on the steep climb. It seems like he had some sort of mechanical issue as he jumped off the bike as soon as he reached the summit

TheBlaaMan

CramCycle wrote: »

Turned away for a few minutes and then I thought I was looking at a different race, it is a bit of Crack now, what happened to Tim, he was a minute ahead and now he has disappeared

Mechanical as he crested the last classified climb in the lead.......he was cooked in any case.

CramCycle

That explains that, some lead at the minute

Wow that went down fairly sharpish 30 seconds now.

CramCycle

CramCycle wrote: »

That explains that, some lead at the minute

They have to sort out their timings on the road, they are rubbish this year

dastardly00

I'd say he's going to hold on

CramCycle

he will indeed

Brilliant attack and a very deserving winner there.