Tour de France 2023 spoilers Warning in OP

eagle eye · 20-07-2023 8:46pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120873477#Comment_120873477

That's a crazy post. Wout not up to his usual standard yet he best everyone else besides JV and Pog. How is that poor form?

Then Pog smashed that time. Again how is that poor or struggling?

What JV did was truly unbelievable.

dastardly00 · 20-07-2023 10:05pm

Just finished watching the highlights of today's stage. Even though I already knew the result... I still got anxious wondering if the breakaway would make it 🤣

Did anyone see the antics of Jasper Philipsen with about 80 km to go. Pascal Eekhorn attacked from the peloton, and Philipsen rode after him, blocked him and nearly forced him off the road. What an absolute d**k. It would have been brilliant if he got DQ'd, or docked enough green jersey points such that he couldn't mathematically win that classification.

Squidgy Black · 20-07-2023 10:10pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120877568#Comment_120877568

Would’ve loved to see Eenkhoorn win it in the end just for that, was just stupid carry on from Philipsen.

Weepsie · 20-07-2023 10:11pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120877568#Comment_120877568

Yeah, and makes me question his sprints a bit more. fully knew what he was doing in them

Mr. Cats · 21-07-2023 8:30am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120877201#Comment_120877201

Well it’s possible I suppose that Pog was at 100% in the TT but then just completely fell apart the next day. It’s more likely though that it was the accumulated fatigue that led to the collapse on Wed. In my view that fatigue also contributed to the size of the gap between him and VG in the TT on Tuesday. You just had to have eyes in your head to see that Pog was not his usual self in the TT.

As said in my “crazy post” 🙄 I still think JV would have won the TT as he had a phenomenal day. My point was that the gap shown in the average speed chart is misleading though as Pog would have been closer if the fatigue wasn’t impacting him so much and hadn’t made bad choice on bike change, and that anyway average speed is a bad metric.

So not so “unbelievable” a performance by JV as you not so subtly put it.

retalivity · 21-07-2023 8:46am

He didn't look good at the end of the TT, and not just tired, even though he destroyed the field except JV.

Pale, gaunt, the missing visor, shades of Rog on le Planche de Belle Filles

CrowdedHouse · 21-07-2023 8:47am

Interestingly in an interview with Shane Stokes earlier in the race (11th July), Sean Kelly suggested Pog fading was a possibility

https://velo.outsideonline.com/road/road-racing/tour-de-france/sean-kelly-predicts-tadej-pogacar-might-run-out-of-gas-during-this-tour-de-france-he-might-start-to-suffer/

Squidgy Black · 21-07-2023 9:59am

Another breakaway vs the sprint teams stage, Philipsen and the rest of Alpecin will be keen to prevent a repeat of yesterday but I’d be surprised if there isn’t a much bigger breakaway today.

Macy0161 · 21-07-2023 10:02am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120877568#Comment_120877568

Absolute dick move - all he had to do was sit on, no need for that carry on. I really don't see what's different between Alpecin blocking the road and LouLou disrupting the chase though - Alpecin got sh!t for it, LouLou praised. Both legit for me.

gipi · 21-07-2023 10:13am

The ITV commentary suggested that Philipsen gave Eekhorn a bollocking because of the manner of his pass out of the peleton - he rode onto the grass verge and cut back onto the road to avoid a parked van. Had it gone wrong, it might have caused a pile up.

retalivity · 21-07-2023 10:23am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120878649#Comment_120878649

Dont think Alpecin will chase this, they'll prob put MVDP and/or Soren Kragh Andersen in the break

tobefrank321 · 21-07-2023 11:12am

Given that Philipsen seems almost unbeatable in the final sprint, most teams don't seem too bothered about doing the chasing down.

We could even see a breakaway having a good chance in Paris if its only Alpecin doing the chasing.

It must be incredibly demotivating for other sprinters when a Philipsen, Kittel or Cavandish appears unbeatable. It makes them look bad.

Lets see how today and Sunday play out. Another breakaway today could have a great chance.

Its a pity Bennet and Demare aren't competing this year.

Raoul Duke · 21-07-2023 1:18pm

Carlton Kirby has ruined these shots of the churches by revealing that the ringing bells are just a sound effect. I probably barely heard the bells before, but now there's this veneer of fakeness that I can't ignore.

retalivity · 21-07-2023 1:43pm

If this group is gone, thats the stage. Seriously strong

mewso · 21-07-2023 1:48pm

Strong break but none of them will be happy to see Pedersen there.

dahat · 21-07-2023 2:30pm

Break still 50/50 on wether it stays away with 80km left, mad stuff.

When it gets to 30 seconds or so left I’m hoping someone like MDVP launches across the gap.

retalivity · 21-07-2023 2:41pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120879984#Comment_120879984

There you go, MVDP plus 30 others!

dahat · 21-07-2023 2:45pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120880064#Comment_120880064

Philipsen 100% riding for him today now it seems.

dahat · 21-07-2023 2:49pm

Is that Pidcock there as well?

eagle eye · 21-07-2023 2:52pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120878375#Comment_120878375

I think you are underestimating the quality of the TT's done by both Pog and JV. There's not many, if any, that would have beaten Pog's time. What JV did was at a completely different level to what anybody has ever done.

odyssey06 · 21-07-2023 3:11pm

Disappointing tour for Girmay continues ... the break is away without him :(

Morris Garren · 21-07-2023 3:23pm

By Sunday evening, the quotient of the phrase 'quite frankly' will begin to reduce on the GCN/Eurosport TV commentary-- quite frankly. Its remarkable how so many rudimentary moments, quite frankly, demand that the phrase be used. It is an appaling pain in my ear-hole... On the other hand I will probably miss all the cutural/historical musings of JHB which tends to lighten up some of the more pedestrian sections of the race.

Poor old Simon Clarke is having an awful job sitting on the wheel of 'Victor The Inflictor'-- what a cool nickname 😎