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Last (and only) time the Tour was at Col du Granon, it looked like this:
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1986, Bernard Hinault trying to win his 6th Tour de France and he lost the Maillot Jaune to Greg Lemond that day. Presumably upset by this insult to their national hero, the Tour de France has never been back...until now.
After yesterday's amuse-bouche of Alps, today serves up the main course with a similar second helping tomorrow. Another short one, 151km but with 4000m of climbing, most of it loaded into the second half.
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The absolutely stunnning Lacets de Montvernier comes first - a relatively new addition to the Tour, the first time it was used was only 2015 and spectators were banned from it as it's so narrow.
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The Telegraphe/Galibier double is a common enough sight on the Tour and then there's this monster to finish off:
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Today is being earmarked as Pogacar's first big test although so far he's got top marks in every other test he's done. He is now down a couple of riders though including key climber George Bennett so it remains to be seen if Vingegaard, Roglic, Thomas and Yates can do much to chink this armour.
It's a big day for the mountains competition too with loads more points now so there's likely to be a secondary battle for that. Simon Geschke is the current leader.
This is out of Kamna's league and he'll likely drop out of the GC today although his ride yesterday was excellent.
I'm gong to uess Ineos will send Martinez up the road if possible (if he just had one bad day and is fit to go, that is), possibly up the lacets. THat way either he's got a chance to stay away and contest the stage win, or can dro pback on galibier and help pace the rest.
Tibopino to make a futile attack - I really want him to do well and get a stage win but I can't see it happening today, they wil be too much on edge to let him go after he waits just a little bit too long
I have a suspicion Bardet might go on the Galibier
Really beginning to feel like it is two teams JV and Ineos vs one man, Pogacar... Trouble is from his performance so far, i think he may well actually be up to the task if he can stay fit and well. He seems to not really need a team and is happy to stay in the wheels of his rivals until he sees fit to then go and attack. Interesting to see if Vingegaard is up to matching him.
I do hope that Ineos and JV teams do go on the attack repeatedly with different riders, i think it is their best chance, keep rotating riders to attack, hoping Pog cannot cover every move.
Current fantasy league standings can be seen here with a swap around of the top 2 places following yesterday's stage.
Mid-table is very packed at the moment, I imagine this week will see some wholesale changes to the positions.
He seems to not really need a team and is happy to stay in the wheels of his rivals until he sees fit to then go and attack.
This is what I reckon is scuppering them all, he just doesn't seem to give a hoot about the "normal" way to ride a grand tour. It's not like they can stop him sitting on and twiddling his way up a mountain, I reckon teh only way to beat him is a proper shit or bust tactic from one of the other top 10 GC riders, by going all out an quite possibly blowing their chances for the good of the team, or is Pog so confident in his abilities that he knows if this happens then thats just one less GC rival to kill off in the last week, also bearing in mind it finishes on an ITT and he's shit hot at that too.
Can Kamna hang on? hope not as he is doing my velogames team damage, but sure we will see some heroic suffering from him today
GC took it easy yesterday. I think that today Pog and Ving will distance the rest in the final but not by much.
UAE are down to 6. We are going to have a chaos stage with pog being isolated early at some point. Just not sure when, probably not today but tomorrow looks horrible and it is more and more likely as the week goes on.
Mid-table is very packed at the moment
One expects to be joining this packed pack very soon following my nosebleed atop the standings 😂
i think the hungry hungry pog monster will think attack is the best form of defense.
The first proper stage, and I'm really looking forward to this. JV and Ineos have to go early and go hard, and put Pog - or more accurately UAE - into trouble. Get Pog on his own, then attack like crazy. If it turns into a Ineos/UAE train then I'll be well annoyed.
It's like to see a mad long breakaway the sort of thing Vanarvemat (sp?) or Cummings used to do.
a good day for Romain Bardet would make the race interesting!
MvdP Vs WvA 😀
go boys go!
LOL
1986, Bernard Hinault trying to win his 6th Tour de France
Depends who you ask, Bernard would say he wasn't... 🙂
Best Tour ever!
JV must be sending riders up the road to help with attacks later on the climbs
I wonder if WvA is up road because if he gets X amount of green jersey points today, that is pretty much the competition sown up, then he can concentrate on being a good domestique (until Paris..) and not having to keep worrying about gaining too many more points?
JV must be sending riders up the road to help with attacks later on the climbs
Maybe they've just decided they're not going to be beating Pog so just told everyone to have some fun
engines for the false flat to the final climb after an attack on the Galibier....
Coming up to the Lacets de Montvernier now, big breakaway of 20 riders at nearly 4 mins.
oooooo yellow is unzipped, thats not normal (now zipped up)
Jumbo look strongest @ the moment, Martinez out the back
MdvP has stepped off 🙁
ving and rog attack!
MdvP has stepped off 🙁
Yep, just coming through on ITV4 commentary now. Poor MvdP, hope he's better soon.
Pogacar still sitting there comfortably in about 4th / 5th place in line behind UAE.
Ooooh !
<sits up>
Pidders struggling
Talk about a group of hitters, 3 Jumbo inc Vingegogogo & Rog, Pog & G have attacked from the main group
Roglic must be riding for Vingegogogo
OK they've got him isolated now - time to turn the screw.
Suddenly we see why Christophe LaPorte was "dropped" at the foot of the Telegraphe, he sat up to conserve energy and meet Vingegaard on the Galibier and act as a domestique for this.
Didn't catch how the Pogacar mini group was formed. Now it is formed, I hope that G can stay in contention 🤞
Some interesting races within races across the mountain. Not sure how it will unfold leading into the final col of the day 🤔
wow, Rog attacks, Pog counters! G struggling to keep up but makes it eventually
Didn’t catch how the Pogacar mini group was formed. Now it is formed, I hope that G can stay in contention 🤞
He's suffering. Unfortunately the 2-up from JV are hurting G more than they're hurting Pogacar.
oh bollocks I have a meeting
They're riding UP the Galibier at 25mph!!
Edit: OK, it's not the hardest part of the climb by any means but it's still insane
THIS IS MAGNIFICENT
Oh my. This is a bike race.
Where are G's climbing buddies??
use G pog
FANTASTIC. Marc Soler makes a MASSIVE effort to get up to Pog's group, then Rog attacks JUST before Soler gets on the back. BRILLIANT
Groupo compacto!
pidders hanging on
Glad to be watching live!
did Vin & Rog blow themselves out a bit
com' on pidders hang in there!
With all the talk of "marginal gains" I'm amazed that some times (Ineos!) wear dark shirts. Must be a nightmare on a hot sunny day like today. I'd want a near-white back.
At some point soon, JV are going to get reinforcements in the shape of WvA and then Pogacar is really going to get the attacks hitting him.