I didn’t post a rest day roundup thread here but ITV4 did a great job of a highlights programme well worth a watch – ITV Hub or it’ll be on at 1pm today in advance of live coverage at 2pm.
Also a “best of” gallery here: https://www.letour.fr/en/image-gallery/best-of-photos-de-la-2nde-semaine
Onto Stage 16 – today has a teaser of the Pyrenees with two 1st Category climbs coming in the final half before a long descent to the finish line in Foix.
The profile is going to make it tough to get a breakaway established early on – too flat for climbers to get away but any of the big diesel engines managing to escape will then be suffering on the climbs later.
Last time here (2017), Warren Barguil won from a breakaway that also contained Nairo Quintana; Barguil of course no longer in this year’s Tour due to Covid but that long descent to the finish has all sorts of hallmarks of Tom Pidcock and Matej Mohorič (him and his dropper post winning on similar ‘flat – hills – descent’ terrain on Milan San Remo earlier this year).
Jumbo-Visma are looking a little depleted now so it’s unlikely that Wout van Aert will be allowed to be Wout van Aert, he may have to be content with super-domestique duties rather than super-attacking ones.
Question is of course if Pogacar will want to use the steep slopes of the later climbs to test Vingegaard’s lack of teammates…
Mohoric has been my biggest dream team let down, a paltry 6 points. MvdP has done loads better and he was ill and has went home. Had been hoping for at least a stage win by now, so finger out please.
Mohorič targeted Milan San Remo as his big race of the year so he may not be in form now. Some of the riders are struggling in the extreme heat and he may be one of them. It’s been a hot race since stage 2
I’d really like to see Fred Wright pull it off today, could be one for him if he can get into the break and stay in touch on the climbs.
Piddcock is in the top ten and only 8 mins back. He’s not a threat to Vinegard or Pogacar, but the other teams in the top ten will want to protect their riders ranking position.
The other riders won’t let him get in the break either as that would force the peloton to keep them in check. Without any top 10 threats in the break the peloton may let them head off and win the stage
Froome could be a good shout, he’s a very good descender so the finish may suit him. A stage win would be amazing after he nearly died!!!
I wonder why the graphics show the green jersey in the break but not the polka dot. There was some discussion (on Eurosport) about the hierarchy of the jerseys with it being perceived that the mountains classification carried more kudos than the points.
Bearing in mind he has Points jersey pretty much sown up, surprised they are still letting WvA still go off and play, and it seems more than just having a man out front, as then he’d be trying to save energy and sit at back of the breakaway not chasing everything..? The team is down in numbers, so i’d thought he’d have been the one to drag Jonas along on the flatter early section?
If Pidcock took the lead on the final descent i could see it benefitting Pogacar maybe more than anyone. He’d be able to hold the wheel,how much the others would is debatable.