Tour de France 2020 | Stage 11 (Châtelaillon-Plage to Poitiers) - 167.5km

Inquitus

Mefistofelino wrote: »

If that extra 12.5% fine was around in Kelly & Vanderarden's time, they'd still be paying back points to this day.

The Tashkent terror would surely be the man in the most debt, Mr Abdoujaparov's sprinting is legendary!

Diarmuid

Good to see Sam still in green but Sagan can feel hard done by. No reason for relegation. A gentle nudge like that is little more than an massage.

Edit autocorrect

Weepsie

dave_o_brien wrote: »

I disagree with your view on WVA's line. He only changed line when forced to by an elbow.

I don't think what Sagan did was *that* bad, mind. I think the punishment is appropriate. It just sounds like he reacted like a bit of a kn*b, which sounds about right from his reputation.

Using the road markings as a marker though, you can see he definitely drifts from left to right into Sagan's path. It's not much, and it's very likely not deliberate given the power and speed he was putting out, but he wasn't going straight,

Unless of course that line is at an angle .

happytramp

So only 30 points available at the finish tomorrow. Should help Sam limit his losses if he gets dropped by Sagan. Hopefully he can get the jump on him in the intermediate to limit it further.

retalivity

Great pic of the 4 of them

Weepsie

Great pic for Campagnolo and Roval too

letape

^^^^ great picture alright. Tan wall tyres alive and well.

Mefistofelino

Ewan's legs!

eeeee

Don't know if it's the angle of the pic but Sam's head is as low pretty much as ewan there, I thought Ewan's smallness would leave him much lower. I feel like he used to be much lower? And way over the front end.

CramCycle

cunavalos wrote: »

Its arguably a more dangerous manoevre that the one that got him disqualified in 2017 but is the lack of a crash/injury a mitigating factor?

It was way more dangerous, I still say that the 2017 DQ was uncalled for, Mark hooked his arm going for a space that wasn't there and crashed.

CMcsporty wrote: »

Thats a little presumptuous!
Not like Sagan doesnt have history either!

.
We can all recognise good sporstmanship and an elbow out of the way!

Those camera lenses make it look worse than it was, Cavendish barged up and when he nearly knocked Sagan his arm came out.

Richard Hillman wrote: »

Sagan has a lot of speed going up the side and Van Aert is veering slighty right (have a look at the road line and you'll see he is moving away from it).You could argue that if he doesn't give a nudge he could get cornered in towards the barrier.

It's slight but look at everyone else at the front, WVA had the straightest line of anyone in the top 20

Refractions wrote: »

I don't know if he's actually any faster than Sam, just a cuter hoor of a bike racer. Sam needs wing mirrors in his shades as Ewan tends to use him as his leadout man.

100%, Sam is by far the stronger sprinter in my opinion, Caleb just is just great at being in the right place to get the best out of being the next strongest

Weepsie wrote: »

The gap was there though. He was halfway through it before van aerts line changed. Ewan squeezed himself through a very similar tight one in an earlier stage too

It was barely there, the issue is Peter struck out with his head.

dave_o_brien wrote: »

I disagree with your view on WVA's line. He only changed line when forced to by an elbow.

I don't think what Sagan did was *that* bad, mind. I think the punishment is appropriate. It just sounds like he reacted like a bit of a kn*b, which sounds about right from his reputation.

I think the initial elbow was fine, so was his line. Its when he struck out with the head that looked like an intent to cause a crash (although I doubt it was).

Weepsie wrote: »

Using the road markings as a marker though, you can see he definitely drifts from left to right into Sagan's path. It's not much, and it's very likely not deliberate given the power and speed he was putting out, but he wasn't going straight,

Unless of course that line is at an angle .

You and me are looking at different videos

eeeee wrote: »

Don't know if it's the angle of the pic but Sam's head is as low pretty much as ewan there, I thought Ewan's smallness would leave him much lower. I feel like he used to be much lower? And way over the front end.

He is in a lead out train and for an earlier launch, possibly just not the day for it.

cunavalos

eeeee wrote: »

Don't know if it's the angle of the pic but Sam's head is as low pretty much as ewan there, I thought Ewan's smallness would leave him much lower. I feel like he used to be much lower? And way over the front end.

Yes he was definitely using a very low aero position up until late last year. There was speculation that while it was a faster position (aerodynamically) there were issues with power transfer as he had too much weight over the front end and the back end was moving around too much.

https://cyclingtips.com/2019/09/caleb-ewans-sprint-position-is-the-best-so-why-isnt-everyone-using-it/

Finnrocco

Sam didn't really get a great throw at the line, look at Sagan.

If the team was purely setup for Sam to win stages, there would be a back door man, a team mate to sit on Sams wheel and not let anyone else on it.

Means Ewan would be another bike length off Sam starting the gallop and having to come round a slower moving rider.

I cant recall but I know some sprinters in the past used a team mate like that.

Macy0161

Deleted User wrote: »

They discussed them being mates on The Cycling Podcast last night - they even live in the same apartment block!

Finnrocco wrote: »

I cant recall but I know some sprinters in the past used a team mate like that.

Sam was actually the "victim" of DQS doing this with Viviani in the Giro two years ago iirc! He was outright blocked a couple of times.

Weepsie

Sagan was quite possibly avoiding some prat with a selfie stick who didn't think to pull it back until after the sprinters passed

Mefistofelino

Finnrocco wrote: »

Sam didn't really get a great throw at the line, look at Sagan.

If the team was purely setup for Sam to win stages, there would be a back door man, a team mate to sit on Sams wheel and not let anyone else on it.

Means Ewan would be another bike length off Sam starting the gallop and having to come round a slower moving rider.

I cant recall but I know some sprinters in the past used a team mate like that.

Are we still doing phrasing?

Swaine55

Can someone explain the tactics here please?

Sagan is attempting a breakaway today but 2 members of the DQS team keep on his wheel whenever he attempts it. Assuming Sagan will need numerous riders to join the breakaway anyway, what different does it make if Bennett's teammates are part of the breakaway or not? All that matters is that Bennett does not also join the breakaway (from Sagans point of view)... no?

Chips Lovell

Swaine55 wrote: »

Can someone explain the tactics here please?

Sagan is attempting a breakaway today but 2 members of the DQS team keep on his wheel whenever he attempts it. Assuming Sagan will need numerous riders to join the breakaway anyway, what different does it make if Bennett's teammates are part of the breakaway or not? All that matters is that Bennett does not also join the breakaway (from Sagans point of view)... no?

It means you could kill the break. Quickstep guys will sit on and do nothing. That will disrupt the rhythm of the group because everyone has to go around them to pull through. And, more importantly, nobody will want two guys who haven't done a tap of work arriving at the finish with fresh legs, which means the rest of the break may not commit to it.

MPFGLB

Swaine55 wrote: »

Can someone explain the tactics here please?

Sagan is attempting a breakaway today but 2 members of the DQS team keep on his wheel whenever he attempts it. Assuming Sagan will need numerous riders to join the breakaway anyway, what different does it make if Bennett's teammates are part of the breakaway or not? All that matters is that Bennett does not also join the breakaway (from Sagans point of view)... no?

DQS riders were making sure Sagan did not get in the breakaway so were chasing him down and making sure he didnt win the stage


Sams team mates in the break could have taken the intermediate points from Bora oreven the win

A team has to cover several possibilities and everything is fluid

Swaine55

Ah great makes sense, I underestimated the disruption it has on others in the break having to cycling around them, and how unappealing the break would appear to the other teams, very interesting. Slowly becoming hooked on this.

Itziger

What are the chances that the sprinters get to the end here? If they don't go hard on that Cat 2....

I'm guessing Sagan has a better chance than Sam.

TRANQUILLO

letape wrote: »

^^^^ great picture alright. Tan wall tyres alive and well.

Nothing else will do. Have a lovely set of tan walled vittorias on my tarmac sl7.

They really contrast well with matte black.

dastardly00

Itziger wrote: »

What are the chances that the sprinters get to the end here? If they don't go hard on that Cat 2....

I'm guessing Sagan has a better chance than Sam.

I think there is a great chance that the sprinters will contest for the win on Stage 11 :pac: