Morning all,
Day 3, another day ticked off, Alaph in yellow, lovely stuff.
The day starts at 12:10 local time, what's on today's agenda?
The Tour says au revoir to Nice and heads to Sisteron via the Alpine foothills. If this was the in third week of the Tour it’d be a good day for the breakaway but a sprint finish looks likely.
The Route: 198km north, the first part to Grasse is a classic training loop for many of the peloton’s Monaco residents, and for those with an imperial streak, more famous as the Route Napoléon. Normally it’d be good terrain for a breakaway to go and take the mountains points but yesterday’s stage has put the jersey out of reach for a raid today, win every climb today and there’s seven points on offer while Benoît Cosnefroy and Anthony Perez are tied on 18 points each. Instead the big goal for the breakaway is to take time and try to hold out for the stage win. The problem is the final 80km suit the peloton and the sprinter’s teams who all want to set up the finish for themselves.
The Finish: the main road up the valley into town, there’s a roundabout with 2km to go that the Tour’s roadbook says you can take both sides but the first rule of race previews is bin the roadbook and it’s quicker if taken on the left and then a slight rise in the road before big boulevard finish in tow
The contenders?
The Contenders: a rematch between Jérome Cousin and Nils Politt? Surely not, more likely a second chance for the sprinters and another dragstrip finish. When Cousin beat Politt here in 2018 it was André Greipel who won the bunch sprint two seconds later and he’d make a nice winner but time passes fast. So the same names again as Saturday, but who to pick? Caleb Ewan (Lotto-Soudal) is the fastest on paper but his Lotto-Soudal team have la scoumoune, they’re unlucky so far. Sam Bennett (Deceuninck-Quicktep) and Elia Viviani (Cofidis) the other obvious picks with the Irishman ahead because his leadout train is solid. Cees Bol (Sunweb), Giacomo Nizzolo (NTT) and Alexander Kristoff (UAE Emirates) should be clos
And as ever, yesterday.
All yellow? Brave.
Kristoff again perhaps then? Or more likely, Sam Bennett I think.
I hoping for a De Gent crazy attack that sticks today. It won't happen but I can hope 😆
Sisteron, sounds like Mysteron, means it must be a red jersey winner so Pinot. 😆
DQS have a lot of incentive to keep things in control today with a yellow jersey and Sam Bennet to get to the line.
I’d quite like a good old fashioned sprint shootout today. There are lots of GC/breakaway stages coming up!
Thanks for doing these posts.
Boring transition stage then.
Cousinis in my velogames team, long hard day for him!!!
those Monks were cool (if you were on ITV4, Eurosport may not have covered them)
I've finished a multi day ride in Sisteron - our last day was from méouge and started with something like 7k at 10% average (off road), but ended with a descent into Sisteron then a stop at the ice cream shop. Doubt the peleton will be heading there.
this bit terrifies me.....60kph shoulder to shoulder and then a traffic island comes up. But it's also like a flock of birds, individuals but a single thing at the same time.
That was one hell of a move, young man is quick.
And now an interview. I'd be unable to speak after having got through a gap that small unscathed, scraping my pedals off the barriers
coming from that far back and not exactly in a straight line was amazing! i keep watching the replay over and over and in the interview he said he deliberately dropped back for a rest before finding his way through, what a risky but brilliant move
Amazing sprint! Breathtaking move past Sagan and around Bennett.
I spotted Alaphillipe in the rain wearing a LIDL pacamac.
unexpected rain and a detour to the centre aisle of dreams?
very much Cav-esque.
That was an astonishing sprint!
very much Cav-esque.
Very much this. Exactly what I was thinking as I watched it. Brilliant riding nonetheless.
That was a cool sprint!
https://twitter.com/itvcycling/status/1300516204923191297?s=20
Starting from that far back was a pretty risky move. It shows incredible cool-headedness from Ewan.
Starting from that far back was a pretty risky move.
Aye - he looked to be on the wheel/waiting for a kick from somebody just in front & left of him, who then got baulked badly so he went for it alone. Very impressive pace
Thanks OP for posting these.
Great finish. It looked like he had an Mariokart style power up. I love the way he dodges the cheeky elbow from Bennett.
Thanks for doing these daily updates Lunge, really helps build excitement for the racing. Shout out to Inrng as well , his daily post are part of my breakfast routine.