Tour de France 2019

tim_noone · Post by **tim_noone** » Sun Jul 21, 2019 4:32 pm

Chester Perry wrote:You have been away haven't you - Sky ended sponsorship - Ineos took that over - same team and set-up, possibly a bit bigger budget - first raced as Ineos in Tour of the Alps and Tour de Yorkshire this year

With the fairies....

thanks for that.

scouseclaret · Post by **scouseclaret** » Sun Jul 21, 2019 6:44 pm

Chester Perry wrote:Another great day of racing - this is really becoming quite fascinating

Nice as it was seeing Brits winning every year, with Sky/Ineos no longer being so dominant, it’s a much more exciting race.

Mind you, can’t help thinking that Chris Froome is lying on a sofa somewhere thinking “I would have pi55ed this”!

jdrobbo · Post by **jdrobbo** » Sun Jul 21, 2019 10:10 pm

I wish Froome were able to participate but my goodness, it’s making things interesting.

Devils_Advocate · Post by **Devils_Advocate** » Sun Jul 21, 2019 10:20 pm

Brilliant this year and best its been for nearly 10 years without a team totally dominating the race. Reminds me of when Wiggins was just starting to surface and the Schleck brothers and Contador were battling it out in the mountains

Tricky Trevor · Post by **Tricky Trevor** » Sun Jul 21, 2019 11:19 pm

I posted earlier that I hadn’t been enjoying it this year. That was because all the top guys teams were saving themselves for the Pyrenees. The last two days have been epic. Lots of splits. Different teams sending guys down the road. Three recovery days to come but the Alps could be extraordinary. Alaphillipe climbing on his own and Ineos, Jumbo & FDJ all supporting there team leader. Shame Movistar couldn’t make it 4 handed to drag him back.

Colburn_Claret · Post by **Colburn_Claret** » Sun Jul 21, 2019 11:46 pm

Thomas is doing brilliantly, but he is missing Froome and vice versa. You dont win the Tour without a top class domestique. You look at the top riders that were with Sky, Richie Porte, Landa. Thomas's biggest problem is the team behind him. Still a great team, but lacking.
Bernal apart, Ineos haven't got the strength in depth of the old Sky teams.

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Mon Jul 22, 2019 12:38 am

What price the loss of Burnley born Rod Ellingworth who left them in April - absolutely core to Sky from the beginning - losing him and Froome has been a huge miss

TheFamilyCat · Post by **TheFamilyCat** » Mon Jul 22, 2019 6:48 am

Colburn_Claret wrote:Thomas is doing brilliantly, but he is missing Froome and vice versa. You dont win the Tour without a top class domestique. You look at the top riders that were with Sky, Richie Porte, Landa. Thomas's biggest problem is the team behind him. Still a great team, but lacking.
Bernal apart, Ineos haven't got the strength in depth of the old Sky teams.

I posted something similar earlier up the thread. I can’t really criticise Ineos’ team selection because, let’s be honest what do I know compared to Dave Brailsford but their team does lack climbing quality. You can add Henao, Nieve and Uran to the list of their previous quality climbing domestiques.

Tricky Trevor · Post by **Tricky Trevor** » Mon Jul 22, 2019 1:35 pm

Ineos are expecting an improved final week, in the Alps, from Wout Poels. Alaphillipe has shown it can be done solo but you are relying on no mechanicals or punctures. It’s knowing which wheels to follow and which to let go.

claret wizard · Post by **claret wizard** » Mon Jul 22, 2019 1:36 pm

It's been exciting hasn't it. Still think Dimension Data should have Cav there. No one seems to be falling out the back on time limits this year. No dominant sprinter in the field. Di Data hardly mentioned at all in any commentary, not getting into too many breakaways. Think Cav could have been challenging on a couple of stages. Big mistake by that team, well, team owner.

Tricky Trevor · Post by **Tricky Trevor** » Mon Jul 22, 2019 4:11 pm

claret wizard wrote:It's been exciting hasn't it. Still think Dimension Data should have Cav there. No one seems to be falling out the back on time limits this year. No dominant sprinter in the field. Di Data hardly mentioned at all in any commentary, not getting into too many breakaways. Think Cav could have been challenging on a couple of stages. Big mistake by that team, well, team owner.

Not disputing your Cavendish point but his replacement as DDs sprinter, Giacomo Nizzolo, abandoned on stage 12 after a prang on stage 11.

Dodobdobodobo · Post by **Dodobdobodobo** » Mon Jul 22, 2019 4:48 pm

Wout Poels has been poor this year my his own standards. If he lifts his game I’m sure G can still end up winning. Pinot is looking stronger than anybody at the moment but my monies still on G

Winstonswhite · Post by **Winstonswhite** » Mon Jul 22, 2019 7:00 pm

I still think Thomas will win too. JA will blow up, I’m sure he will and let’s just hope Geraint has had his bad day and Ineos really show their strength this coming week.

Garnerssoap · Post by **Garnerssoap** » Mon Jul 22, 2019 8:16 pm

Got an each way on Bernal - quite pleased with him at the mo. I too think Geraint will come good (and he is still second after all) Pinot is like a man possessed but if ineos can isolate him they have the old one two. Plus he still descends like a girl

Tricky Trevor · Post by **Tricky Trevor** » Mon Jul 22, 2019 8:59 pm

Garnerssoap wrote:Got an each way on Bernal - quite pleased with him at the mo. I too think Geraint will come good (and he is still second after all) Pinot is like a man possessed but if ineos can isolate him they have the old one two. Plus he still descends like a girl

Pinot has a good squad to protect him but I’ll still go for G. Apart from Saturday, when he was supposedly under the weather, he has looked so cool and controlling. Last years win has certainly boosted his confidence.

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Tue Jul 23, 2019 1:01 pm

Hoping for cross-winds today leads to some of the most exciting racing you will ever see

TheFamilyCat · Post by **TheFamilyCat** » Tue Jul 23, 2019 1:12 pm

I’d be surprised if any of the major players got caught out again.

Lord Rothbury · Post by **Lord Rothbury** » Tue Jul 23, 2019 1:15 pm

Excuse my ignorance but why are cross winds such a factor? Surely it’s the same for all riders.

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Tue Jul 23, 2019 1:40 pm

to hide from the wind riders go to the side of the rider in front - the road is a finite width so that limits the number of riders behind the leader and then splits happen, the wind makes it impossible to get back on the group in front if they ride hard

claret wizard · Post by **claret wizard** » Tue Jul 23, 2019 4:14 pm

The rider that is slipstreaming is doing at least 50% less work than the rider in front. In some instances this can rise to 80% in the peloton. So gaining aerodynamic advantage is always on tge riders mind. Even more so when big cross winds are in play. The echelons that form across the roads being testament to that. If the tace splits then making up those gaps is really hard. Hard enough that earlier this tour it blew up the teams support roders and then the main riders and they still didn’t close it up.

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Wed Jul 24, 2019 7:48 pm

Not good for Ineos - Luke Rowe and Tony Martin have been kicked out of the Tour for clashing during todays stage - must admist only saw Martin push Rowe off the road - huge loss for Thomas

TheFamilyCat · Post by **TheFamilyCat** » Wed Jul 24, 2019 8:04 pm

From the footage shown on tv that seems incredibly harsh (I accept three may be more still unseen).

I wonder if they would have taken the same action if it was a DQS or FDJ rider involved.

I’ve not seen any mention of a right of appeal.

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Wed Jul 24, 2019 8:06 pm

That was my first thought too

Winstonswhite · Post by **Winstonswhite** » Wed Jul 24, 2019 8:17 pm

What an absolute ******* joke. That decision stinks. Soooo dodgy!

Local cricketer · Post by **Local cricketer** » Wed Jul 24, 2019 9:00 pm

Sounds like both teams are going for a joint appeal

TheFamilyCat · Post by **TheFamilyCat** » Wed Jul 24, 2019 9:31 pm

I guess Dave Brailsford will be scouring footage for similar incidents that have gone unpunished.

scouseclaret · Post by **scouseclaret** » Wed Jul 24, 2019 11:00 pm

TheFamilyCat wrote:I guess Dave Brailsford will be scouring footage for similar incidents that have gone unpunished.

Not only Thomas’s road captain, but Kruijswijk’s too. Clearly the Tour organisers don’t want to pass up their best opportunity of a French winner for 30-odd years!

jdrobbo · Post by **jdrobbo** » Wed Jul 24, 2019 11:15 pm

Team INEOS and Team Jumbo-Visma have tonight released a joint statement, following the disqualification of Luke Rowe and Tony Martin:

We believe this is a very harsh decision by the race commissaries and against the spirit of what has been such a fantastic race to date. It was the sort of incident that merits a fine and a warning but certainly not expulsion from the race - a ‘yellow card’ but not a ‘red’. Luke and Tony recognised it for what it was - a minor spat on the road at the end of a sweltering day in the saddle. It didn’t affect any other rider and it didn’t disadvantage any other team. They rode to the end of the stage together where they both shook hands. There was no ill will and they clearly still have a lot of respect for one another. We believe it is unjust that their Tour could come to an end over something like this at this point in the race.

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Wed Jul 24, 2019 11:55 pm

The offences of both - including Rowe pushing Martin while his behind Thomas

https://twitter.com/kd2357/status/1154080597146554369" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

claret wizard · Post by **claret wizard** » Thu Jul 25, 2019 6:27 am

scouseclaret wrote:Not only Thomas’s road captain, but Kruijswijk’s too. Clearly the Tour organisers don’t want to pass up their best opportunity of a French winner for 30-odd years!

My first thought.

burnley007 · Post by **burnley007** » Thu Jul 25, 2019 6:50 am

Embarrassing decision

tim_noone · Post by **tim_noone** » Thu Jul 25, 2019 10:14 am

And they're off.... Great scenery and some tough climbing today.

Tricky Trevor · Post by **Tricky Trevor** » Thu Jul 25, 2019 10:35 am

I take it they lost their appeal?

depechedingle · Post by **depechedingle** » Thu Jul 25, 2019 10:38 am

More to the incident than footage shows and explained on Eurosport this morning, Rowe put his hand in the face of Tony Martin.

Whatever our thoughts on the validity of the expulsion of the both, it certainly benefits the two French riders no doubt!!!

TheFamilyCat · Post by **TheFamilyCat** » Thu Jul 25, 2019 10:40 am

Both teams tweeted that they were going to appeal but i’ve not seen any news confirming that they did or that the appeal has been unsuccessful so not sure if they actually did.

Will be interesting to see if Ineos and Jumbo Visma work together now and try to take the top three places; they will both suffer for having a key man down so will need to rethink their strategy. I’m sure both teams would now love to see no Frenchmen on the podium.

Tricky Trevor · Post by **Tricky Trevor** » Thu Jul 25, 2019 11:49 am

TheFamilyCat wrote:Both teams tweeted that they were going to appeal but i’ve not seen any news confirming that they did or that the appeal has been unsuccessful so not sure if they actually did.

Will be interesting to see if Ineos and Jumbo Visma work together now and try to take the top three places; they will both suffer for having a key man down so will need to rethink their strategy. I’m sure both teams would now love to see no Frenchmen on the podium.

Rowe interviewed on Eurosport. Said they had appealed but it had less than a 1% chance of succeeding. He was in a car on route to the airport.

TheFamilyCat · Post by **TheFamilyCat** » Thu Jul 25, 2019 11:55 am

Yes heard that - it was the first reference i’ve heard to the appeal.

tim_noone · Post by **tim_noone** » Thu Jul 25, 2019 1:06 pm

Couple of riders off .....doing a descent around a bend with a very small wall at the Bridge section.good fortune they didn't go over the top!Long way down.... : (

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Thu Jul 25, 2019 1:51 pm

and now it begins - exciting few hours left

Tricky Trevor · Post by **Tricky Trevor** » Thu Jul 25, 2019 2:36 pm

I think they are handing this to Alaphillippe. If he loses 2 mins on the Galibier he will make 1 of them back on the descent. I’m shocked that no team tried to crack him on the D’Izoard. If he came back then they would have done for him on final climb.

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Thu Jul 25, 2019 2:59 pm

A lot of fear with the next 2 days to come Trevor - today will be about making him tired in the legs and this final climb is going to be fast I think

TheFamilyCat · Post by **TheFamilyCat** » Thu Jul 25, 2019 3:05 pm

Tricky Trevor wrote:I think they are handing this to Alaphillippe. If he loses 2 mins on the Galibier he will make 1 of them back on the descent. I’m shocked that no team tried to crack him on the D’Izoard. If he came back then they would have done for him on final climb.

On the other hand, if they gain two minutes on the Galibier they will know they will gain again on the final two stages, regardless of how much he makes up on the descent.

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Thu Jul 25, 2019 4:10 pm

Bernal probably the favourite now - after that - Thomas should make podium

Tricky Trevor · Post by **Tricky Trevor** » Thu Jul 25, 2019 4:15 pm

TheFamilyCat wrote:On the other hand, if they gain two minutes on the Galibier they will know they will gain again on the final two stages, regardless of how much he makes up on the descent.

I don’t want to put any spoilers up but Bernal will not be buying Thomas a pint tonight. Dreadful, selfish decision.

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Thu Jul 25, 2019 4:28 pm

Movistar are going to make the next 2 days very very hard

Winstonswhite · Post by **Winstonswhite** » Thu Jul 25, 2019 4:37 pm

What happens on the final day if say there’s 20 seconds between the top five? Which is perfectly feasible at the moment

TheFamilyCat · Post by **TheFamilyCat** » Thu Jul 25, 2019 6:07 pm

If Pinot or Alaphilippe ride and win it on the last day I’m sure the French will say it’s fair game and the tricolors will be flying.

If Thomas does it....

Tricky Trevor · Post by **Tricky Trevor** » Thu Jul 25, 2019 7:34 pm

Winstonswhite wrote:What happens on the final day if say there’s 20 seconds between the top five? Which is perfectly feasible at the moment

Doesn’t happen. They are gentlemen and all acknowledge that final day is a parade apart from the stage win, for the sprinters to put on a show.

TheFamilyCat · Post by **TheFamilyCat** » Thu Jul 25, 2019 8:25 pm

Tricky Trevor wrote:I don’t want to put any spoilers up but Bernal will not be buying Thomas a pint tonight. Dreadful, selfish decision.

Don’t you think he had team permission to attack? Had he dropped the rest and bridged to Bernal it would have been a master stroke.

I think they’ll be encouraged that JA couldn’t hang on when they attacked, particularly with summit finishes to come. The attacks will come earlier tomorrow.

Tricky Trevor · Post by **Tricky Trevor** » Thu Jul 25, 2019 8:35 pm

TheFamilyCat wrote:Don’t you think he had team permission to attack? Had he dropped the rest and bridged to Bernal it would have been a master stroke.

I think they’ll be encouraged that JA couldn’t hang on when they attacked, particularly with summit finishes to come. The attacks will come earlier tomorrow.

It probably came from the car but was a mistake. Bernal could have had another 30 secs if Thomas hadn’t fired them up. I worry for G. the way they closed him down so easily.
The last two HC climbs are more to his liking though. Long, power climbs with gentler slopes.