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I'd be happy for Pogacar to get the KOM but I want Carapaz to hang on for the stage win!
If Pog is sick, I wish I was sick like that!
He's cruising up a 7-8% climb at 22kph! Riding past dropped riders like they're standing still.
Carapaz taking a look back at Tadej then just putting in the biggest dig you've ever seen. I love Richard Carapaz
Heartbreak for Carapaz 🙁
Juan Ayuso - crosses the finish line and collapses.
Tadej Pogacar - crosses the finish line, chills out, wanders around high fiving.
Beaten Pantani’s record up the Alpe…
Cracking stage that given that there's minimal GC battles going on.
the weakening of his team might have some impact on the race. Firstly I think it gives breakaways a bigger chance today and tomorrow as UAE have less firepower to bring Tadej to the final. Secondly, it leaves Del Toro in a weaker position to defend his podium place so I'd expect Red Bull to try and widen the gap up to Remco as well as Decathlon doing their best to get Seixas into 3rd.
Tune in again tomorrow for more top notch predictions
So are we allowed to use the terms unbelievable, inhuman or out of this world yet?
So are we allowed to use the terms unbelievable, inhuman or out of this world yet?
Haven't we been using those terms for the last 3 or 4 years?
That said, if he is on anything, he's doing a very good job of hiding it or the anti-doping tests over the course of the years and years that he's been doing this sort of thing at every race he's been to aren't worth a thing.
Ben Healy is getting stronger and stronger. He'll be up to speed by Sunday, when it's too late, no Mountains either.
Tomorrow though. 5500m elevation. Giro called, want their stage back.
I'm going Pidcock attacks going over the galibier, but ultimately another Slovenian win.
Tomorrow though. 5500m elevation. Giro called, want their stage back.
It was this stage that was used as the Etape du Tour last weekend. From the various videos I've seen, it looked brutal!
Mads had the ride of his life today for that intermediate sprint. Adam looked good for the km on the front with Pog. We were all watching Carapaz, but it was Martinez who lost today was behind Carapaz on pog’s final attack and did’t come around early enough to go to the sprint finish and was obviously annoyed
black short blinder played today. Had it occurred to people that perhaps he prefers the pad? Or is nursing a saddle sore? Lots of reasons not to wear the yellow race suit (which is an all in one top sewn to the shorts). Not just that he might have GI issues.
Nice of those idiots on the climb to obstruct and negate the three way attacking each other smash fest that Kuss Martinez and the wonderful Carapaz were doing.
Also love the way Sean refuses to interrupt or deviate from the boring sentence he's waffling to actually tell us what's happening on the screen.
Its amazing to see Pantani's Alpe record setting bike:
I remember watching it (on TV) and it doesn't seem that long ago!
Nice of those idiots on the climb to obstruct and negate the three way attacking each other smash fest that Kuss Martinez and the wonderful Carapaz were doing.
It was a mess. Also, I've never seen so many Moto's as I have this year. There were at least 10 surrounding the leading group of 3 plus Pog up the Alpe weaving all over the place - must have been a nightmare for the riders.
Also love the way Sean refuses to interrupt or deviate from the boring sentence he's waffling to actually tell us what's happening on the screen.
Lol, Kelly was banging on about how Poogaaarchaar might have a hard time catching the lead riders and by the end of his sentence Pog had overtaken Kuss and Lenny!
It was this stage that was used as the Etape du Tour last weekend. From the various videos I've seen, it looked brutal!
Yes having done the previous 2, the route of this one put me off somewhat
idiots on the climb
Einer Rubio was drafting cars in the convoy at full chat, when a fan stepped (was pushed?) in front of the UAE car that Einer was behind. The car had to stop dead or run the fan over. He never stood a chance: straight into the car, smashed the back window with his face. 20 stitches to the face and out of the race
I do feel that where fans are expected in big numbers, there should be barriers for the WHOLE climb
I do feel that where fans are expected in big numbers, there should be barriers for the WHOLE climb
That's 30km of barriers for Alpe d'Huez though, it's impractical, if not almost impossible given the sheer number of people up there.
The Tour organisers have a really difficult job balancing rider safety with public access. I agree, the climb was absolutely insane; it looked dangerous, the riders were routinely blocked by motos and fans but I'm not sure there's an easy answer of "oh just barrier it" or trying to do some kind of ticketed access. There'll have been fans up there for days before the race was due, there'll almost certainly still be people there next week cos they simply won't have been able to leave!
Same carnage again today no doubt although today's stage only uses the last 3km.of the main climb cos the route comes in off the Sarenne.
Carapaz is going to have to go early to get mountains points, he's only one point above Pogacar who'll probably win the stage again ( 🥱 ) and scoop up a load of points there so Carapaz needs to be in the top 3 or 4 over every other climb leading up to the finish.
I see juan ayuso sneaking into the break there. It’ll be a testament to the tiredness of the peloton’s legs if he’s allowed to stay there
Fantastic from Mads Pedersen. To get over a HC climb, work in the front group and then get the intermediate is a pretty phenomenal effort. I think mathematically, he could technically still lose it to Philipsen but it'd require JP to win both the intermediate and the final tomorrow and MP not to score at all.
That's been a good competition.
Hopefully Carapaz can hang on for the polka-dot, he did a great effort on the first climb.
I see Visma have said that the entire adh climb should have barriers, they thought it was too dangerous
How many KoM points are still up for grabs ?
How many KoM points are still up for grabs ?
- Hors Catégorie: 20-15-12-10-8-6-4-2 points
- Category 1 climbs: 10-8-6-4-2-1 points
- Category 2: 5-3-2-1 points
- Category 3: 2-1 points
- Category 4: 1 point
So for today as of now when they have the Galibier and the Sarenne to do, that's 40 points total. Not sure if the finish line has points as well... ?
Also as of now, Carapaz has 121 points after the summit of the Telegraphe and before the Galibier
Paret-Peintre is dropped and won't score, neither will Pogacar, the rest of the points were taken by the breakaway.
So I think that's it for the KoM?
Pog looks like he's decided it's time to go ...[/spoiler]
Today is looking brutal...... Survival mode for so many
Today is looking brutal...... Survival mode for so many
GCN have a video released today where Ollie Bridgewood ride the Etape (this stage). He did it in 7hrs, today's winner did 4.52.
That means that Ollie would have missed even the cut off point for the slowest sprinters by a substantial margin. The speeds that pros can do is just ridiculous.
That was a cracking stage.
That was a cracking stage.
Wasn't it - the finish was a real nail-biter and the terrain to get back to AdH quite stunning and adding real drama.
I've driven down that road where Kuss had his moments, and it is indeed quite hairy.
will be good to see how the standings look once they've updated
My BIL did 12 and a bit last weekend on the Etape. He said it was the hardest ride he's ever done.
The speeds that pros can do is just ridiculous.
Tadej climbed AdH at pretty much my average speed across an entire road ride😭
