Just a few days to go so I thought I’d start a thread. Shame that Froome and Thomas have missed out but very understandable given their rides in the criterium du dauphine 2020.

Was in France last year, when Pinot and especially, Alaphillipe, really looked like bringing the yellow jersey home for the French (my goodness do they love this event).

At this stage, can’t see past Team Jumbo Visma and Roglic.

Really looking forward to it. Hope Bernal, Quintana and Yates go well.

I'm a layman about this event, however there's talk of a lot more climbs this year, that might explain why some of the time trial specialists have been omitted, Bernal was awesome last year, and he could repeat his triumph, but he'll be carrying the pressure on his shoulders this time, and not everyone can cope with that expectation.

It's no great surprise that Froome (injuries and lack of form) and Thomas (well off the pace the other day) have been left out, you can't pick a team on sentiment, and Ineos rightly have taken the decision on merit, and not on giving Froome a grand send off.

Strange year with 3 grand tours so compressed. Can’t see past Roglic or Bernal for France, although I heard a comment that the course has been designed for Alaphillipe.
Opposition could be weaker for Vuelta & Giro giving Thomas and Froome good chances. Ineos could strike gold again.

Alaphillipe's form wasn't great in the Dauphine. Roglic was by far and away the best in that race until he crashed - will be interesting to see the impact that has had.

With so little racing for all the riders this year, I think it will go right to the wire; the lack of preparation, I think leaves everyone susceptible to having a bad day.

Sepp Kuss was supremely impressive in the CdDauphine, after Roglic had crashed out. Will be interesting to see how he goes too.

Experience suggests you do not want to be starting the tour in top form - that should come in the final week, it is easy to peak to soon in this event and teams are essential - it will be in the interests of Ineos for other teams to carry yellow far into the race and ride with them saving their legs, though they have some exciting talent in that team with 2 grand tour winners - there is always the 2 positive Covid tests in a team in a week and your out joker card to play - Imagine that happening to Alaphillipe in yellow late in week 2 - to help Ineos out of a hole, that would lead to some strange (possibly dangerous) circumstances

Carapaz for a place
Winner - I’d wait to see the news of whether Bernals fit. Although there don’t seem to be some of the massively high mountains just feel he can crack Roglic but by no means certain.
I do like the romance of a Pinot win and he didn’t look too far off in the criterium maybe a little each way.
The covid rule looks potentially harsh for any gamble but then again they can go over the bars at any point in the race - I still have nightmares about bundles disappearing in an instant on both wiggo and froome.

To those that know about the sport is Alaphillipe at 4/1 for King of the mountains priced correctly ?

claretonthecoast1882 wrote: ↑

Tue Aug 25, 2020 1:41 pm

To those that know about the sport is Alaphillipe at 4/1 for King of the mountains priced correctly ?

With a lot of mountains it could well be the overall winner who takes the polka dot but there’s worse bets at 4/1 however he didn’t look the best in the criterium.

And we’re off yay
Tricky conditions
Congrats to Lizzie. Great win

Garnerssoap wrote: ↑

Sat Aug 29, 2020 3:26 pm

And we’re off yay
Tricky conditions
Congrats to Lizzie. Great win

She was going very well on Thursday(?) until she got pushed in a ditch and had to abandon.

Plenty of falls today on very slippy roads around Nice.

Backing the bike handlers today:

Sagan, wout and Viviani all have bets on

Wow, that was some crash

Peloton says enough is enough and slow it all right down - very sensible really given the way it has gone so far

Alexander Kristoff takes stage 1 and the yellow jersey after another major crash with 2.9km to go. All riders involved get winners time

Outstanding finish to today’s race. Bread and butter for Alaphillipe: he’s going to be hard to dislodge this year.

Criminal that Alaphillipe was allowed to break away with such a weak response.

That won’t happen again.

Great stage today.

I can only assume that Ineos and JV don't see Alaphillipe as a genuine GC threat.

Yates claims to be chasing stages but I wonder if his ambitions stretch a bit further than that.

That would be very naive thinking; it looks as though the course is setup perfectly for him.

I agree. Over the very highest mountains, as seen last year, I don't think he can keep up with the best climbers but the course this year is very different.

Today’s third stage (Nice: Sisteron) uses the Route Napoleon. Stunning way to travel north from the south coast.

Fantastic finish by Caleb Ewan today. Felt a bit sorry for Sam Bennett getting done just at the end though.

Roglic looking strong
Carapaz flopping
My ability to feed my family depends on Bernal coming good when we go higher.
Apologies if anyone listened to me.

Garnerssoap wrote: ↑

Wed Sep 02, 2020 11:35 am

Roglic looking strong
Carapaz flopping
My ability to feed my family depends on Bernal coming good when we go higher.
Apologies if anyone listened to me.

Bernal was never going to fare well in such a sprint, Ineos must be quietly happy that Jumbo Visma are making such a show of themselves (it is a powerful looking train that JV have) allows their riders to save a lot of energy riding in their tail, still have to worry that the overall course is deliberately not suited to those that thrive on torturous climbs. It will be interesting to see how the internal politics at Jumbo Visma plays out in week 3 if their main guys are jostling around yellow.

We need some excitement of the kind that wind and echelons bring.

After 130km, today's stage is definitely in the running for being the most boring stage ever! Hoping for something to happen in the final 60km!

Update - 40km left and still nothing happening!

Now only 25km to go and still nothing happening!

Wout van Aert is in some form

Winstonswhite wrote: ↑

Wed Sep 02, 2020 4:41 pm

Wout van Aert is in some form

Alaphillipe given a 20 second penalty for taking a bottle inside the last 20km. Schoolboy error by someone.

Yates now in yellow.

Happy days.

Yates in Yelow and Mitchellton Scott leading the teams. Who would have thought......BC?

Shangalang

Would love to see Yates win the overall race would be another great achievement for British cycling come on Yatesy

exciting day today as the Green Jersey competition demolishes the rest - Sagan really wants it again it seems

Don’t understand why carapaz chased pogacar today - surely should have left it to roglic

Was a great stage. Brilliant that Yates is in yellow still but Jumbo are looking a real machine. Roglic is a TdF winner in-waiting, but my god, how well the likes of Bennett, Dumoulin, Kuss and Van Aert have supported him.


Great ride from Quintana today too.

Roglic would be my favourite now but have a feeling Bernal has come in short and is building into the race. TTs could be crucial.

Pogacar is a good rider to watch. Just seems to attack at will. And he beat Roglic in the National time trials. Probably too soon for him this year at 21 and got caught by the winds tother day.

Nice stage in the Pyrenees today

jdrobbo wrote: ↑

Sat Sep 05, 2020 10:01 pm

Was a great stage. Brilliant that Yates is in yellow still but Jumbo are looking a real machine. Roglic is a TdF winner in-waiting, but my god, how well the likes of Bennett, Dumoulin, Kuss and Van Aert have supported him.


Great ride from Quintana today too.

Might be wishful thinking but it looked like the jumbo team did themselves in to set Roglic up to smash the isolated field - except he didn’t .
If that wasn’t the plan then jumbo just disintegrated around him in the high mountains
It’s the hope that kills you

Personally I don't think teams should be allowed to have their team jerseys in yellow in the tdf. It becomes quite confusing on the aerial shots when you want to spot the race leader.

SPOILER.
Have to feel for Hirschi. Led for so long and then if he’d held his sprint for another 20yds he’d have won it. He’s going to be very entertaining in the years ahead.

I personally felt that he should’ve dropped back in about 600m earlier. Great race.

huw.Y.WattfromWare wrote: ↑

Sun Sep 06, 2020 4:10 pm

SPOILER.
Have to feel for Hirschi. Led for so long and then if he’d held his sprint for another 20yds he’d have won it. He’s going to be very entertaining in the years ahead.

I think looking at the young riders coming through now then it’s going to be very very entertaining- as long as everyone is clean.

Three riders, 21,22,23, all in the top 4 today and others like Evenepoel. All good

Team Sunweb just marvellous today!

After the last few days Marcel Hirschi is my new favourite rider. He will have a great career in the Spring classics.

So Bernal blows up and has now left so all over for Ineos this year.

The Jumbo train goes on but can Pogacar overhaul his compatriot? I personally think he’s used too much energy in the last couple of weeks but I guess we’ll find out today with the Queen stage taking place.

Penultimate day Time Trial currently coming to an end now - Pogacar has got Roglics lead down to 25 seconds at the start of the climb!

Have to feel for Roglic. So many days he could have rode them into the ground but today from changing bikes, he looked so ungainly on the new bike, he was cooked. He crossed tge line with his arms and legs golden brown and his face grey. I hope he hasn’t lost it to illness.
Fair play to Pogajcar, he has ridden most of the race solo and looked classy all the time.

That was an absolutely phenomenal achievement for Pogajcar today, what an amazing watch.

Got to feel sorry for Rogic if he feels I'll, but the one day he hasn't had the protection of his superb team, is the day it goes south for him. Pogajcar as more or less won the whole thing as a solo rider with his team offering far less support than that available to Rogic.

Finally, chapeau to the brilliant commentary of Rob Hatch on Eurosport seeing the stage home, supported by co commentary of Brian Smith and Bradley Wiggins. Rob is an excellent commentator and a fellow Lancastrian, though his football team of choice is dubious in these parts.

Great days racing though and cruel to basically lose the Tour de France in the last 20 miles of 3 weeks racing.

What a come back. Fantastic to see but feel devastated for Roglic.

Astonishing twist - don't think anyone saw that coming. Painful to watch Roglic at the end.

Absolutely mindblowingly brilliant!!!!