Forum menu
They're riding this Flat Chat. The speed is huge ATM.
How long can this last ??
Just caught a bit at lunch just now 😯
Can't wait for the highlights later, I might actually just record and watch the whole stage 😀
Oh dear.. Luke Rowe dropped from the Yellow Jersey group already.!!! Kittel looks like he's on his knees already..
Game over for George Bennett and Dan Mclay by the sound of it.
Guardian site has Kittel dropped from what was the Green Jersey group. Any confirmation?
What a huge tart!
Can't see it yet..
If Kittel is out the back of that group and the winds hit later on, I can see him missing the time cut the way SunWeb are driving it..
Kittel 1m37 back already with 40+ riders for company
Bennett in particular a shocker, 4m40 down with McLay and Pichon
Peloton lined out quite badly already
gah. the good ship quickstep holed dragging that spud Kittel up the hills.
Judging by the faces Kittel is pulling and that QuickStep seem to be suffering a dose of the runs.. I wouldn't be too shocked if Kittel doesn't make it through the next couple of days, assuming he makes it to the end of today. He looks massively uncomfortable.
Sunweb driving at the front with the whole team..
I guess it's likely to get to a point soon when LeFevre has to decide if he'd rather have a green jersey or a potential podium. It's looking increasingly likely that they are going to struggle to manage both.
#EDIT: Here's where the transfer market comes into play too, a green jersey and WorldTour points for Kittel doesn't help quickstep if he's off to Katusha next year. Then again a podium for Dan might not help them either if rumours about Dan moving on are also true.
Feels like I'm watching the last 20k of the stage.
So what's Fuglsang been saying about Aru?
Edit... Bennett abandoned.
Kittel 3'19" off already with more than half the stage to go.
If his group splinters, he may not be riding tomorrow.
Also, will Bauer and Martin be expected to contest the intermediate sprint? 😉
Time cut today, probably be about 10% of 4 hrs as the speed is high? So about half an hour? Should be ok. Edit.. may be more generous than that too as it's a 2 stage.
Ah shame that Bouhanni looks like he's going to make it.
Pretty good bridge by Bouhanni. Not sure that he'd be able to contest the sprint after that effort but who knows.
Depending on crosswinds Kittel will probably make it today, but it doesn't bode well for tomorrow and Thurs if he is recovering from illness. He'll need all his strength just to make it round in the inevitable autobus.
suspect QS are nursing him over the lumps and the gap will stabilise in the last hour as they up the pace for one effort on the flat.
shame cav got squashed as this is just the kind of tough stage where he could've picked one up.
Job done for Matthews at the intermediate sprint. Not sure his team would be too pleased if he'd missed that one!
looks like orica scott fancy it
Crosswind carnage!!!
Oh dear, looks like Dan Martin has missed out. Price paid for having men pacing Kittel? Looks like Landa is out the lead group too (Froome the only Sky rider). Can't see Bardet either.
Landa! Dropped?
QS you useless bastards. I hope Dan Martin eats kittel's pudding tonight.
Bardet there. Uran [s]not[/s] there. Can see one other Sky rider,[s] might be[/s] is Landa.
If Kittel has a tummy bug i'd not be wanting his pudding!
Eddy Boss or Matthews...? Looked like Matthews. Got to say well earned by Sunweb.
Ooof 50s lost for Dan Martin.
45kph average into a headwind.
That'll hurt tomorrow!
Going to be a fast start the next couple of days too as Sunweb go for the sprint points and try and set up Barguil for KOM points.
Can Matthews really win green? Even if he picked up the intermediates the next three days and won on Friday, I think Kittel would get it if he won in Paris. But can he make it over the mountains? Intriguing.
Very good day for Sunweb. It's a shame that Dan Martin lost some time though.
Wonder if the sight of Kittel rolling over the line with most of his team will help Dan Martin make up his mind as to where he wants to go next year.
As Chris Boardman just pointed out, Quickstep put all their eggs in the wrong basket today.
i don't think they did, in the real world dan martin isn't going to jump 5 places in the next 2 days, it was too big of a task really, however, keeping hold of the green and nursing kittel over the line is more important
Can Matthews really win green?
Quick follow up on this.
So Kittel has a 29 point lead. Assuming he wins the intermediate and the stage in Paris and gets 70 points, that takes him to 99 points clear.
So the next 3 days there's potentially 3 intermediate sprints that Matthews can mop up with Kittel not scoring. So that's 60 points to Matthews. There's also the stage win on 19 which, if Sunweb ride like they did today, he could pick up 50 points on as it looks a fair bit harder than the flat classification would suggest with a pair of cat 3 to get over before the intermediate. So a max of 110 points available if he cleans up on the next 3 stages. Oh and there are also points available in the ITT down to 15th so could possibly pick some up there too.
It'll probably go down to the sprint in Paris. Sagan would have it all wrapped up by now 🙂
Assuming he wins the intermediate and the stage in Paris and gets 70 points, that takes him to 99 points clear.
he's got to make it to Paris and with the [s]gastrointestinal issues[/s] shits knocking around the camp may not be so straight forward 😉 .
[quote=mrblobby ]So Kittel has a 29 point lead. Assuming he wins the intermediate and the stage in Paris and gets 70 points, that takes him to 99 points clear.
You seem to be assuming that Matthews won't pick up any points there. I doubt he'll pick up all the possible points available elsewhere though and realistically stage 19 probably will be a bunch sprint, so suspect it will come down to the final sprint. Probably still advantage Kittel, though there's a good chance Matthews will be wearing the jersey when they arrive in Paris.
Well yes, he probably will. I was just playing with the points to see what was possible. Whether Matthews could win it before Paris, which he can. Or whether a win on the champs alone would seal it for Kittel, which it won't.
Think it really hinges on stage 19 and whether Sunweb can drop Kittel early and get themselves a sack full of points.
I think Kittel would get it if he won in Paris. But can he make it over the mountains? Intriguing.
Handy that they have a KOM classification to push the pace for then I guess. If they get Bargeuil and and similar riders to push the pace, Kittel could easily explode over the next few days. But a few minutes over the cutoff won't do it, he'll need to be 10+ I'd guess for them to boot the green jersey (although maybe it'd leave Greipel to win in Paris which would be nice).
As Chris Boardman just pointed out, Quickstep put all their eggs in the wrong basket today.
You don't enter a grand tour as a GC candidate with Kittel in the team and expect proper support. Jungels got good support in the Giro for the young rider classification but half the team was there for Gaviria and he rode a lot of the mountain stages alone.
Yes, will be interesting. It definitely feels like the advantage is with Matthews at the moment. He could have it all wrapped up before they get to Paris. Though I think most likely he'll still need some points in Paris if Kittel wins there. Surprising really given that most thought it was all over when Sagan got the boot.
Degenkolb supposedly hit Matthews after the finish...
https://twitter.com/NBCSNCycling/status/887350911458324480
I was slightly (ok, a lot) dissapointed to see Mathews pin Degenkolb in in the last 200... So close John, so close.
Great ride,
Not sure if he 'pinned' him in. Still think there was space to play with on barriers, he didn't put him into them.
I don't care TBH, John did a good ride, that's all I care about.
Crazy stage. This Tour has certainly kept everyone on their toes.
Matthews definitely drifted across the road, but I'm not sure it was dangerous. Degenkolb is a right nob for smacking Matthews though.
QS you useless bastards. I hope Dan Martin eats kittel's pudding tonight.
From what Martin was saying at the finish, it sounds like half the team (the ones dropped with Kittel) had been sick. Hopefully he doesn't get wiped-out by it as well. 😕
Not sure if he 'pinned' him in. Still think there was space to play with on barriers, he didn't put him into them.
I didn't see any issue with the sprint - looked fine to me.
I'd like to see Dan Martin with stronger support from a team. I suspect he's maybe not quite at the Froome level but surely wouldn't be far away, plus he's always entertaining.