#331
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__________________
“A bicycle is not a sofa” -- Dario Pegoretti |
#332
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__________________
Chisholm's Custom Wheels Qui Si Parla Campagnolo |
#333
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I don't think DQS had any inkling that they would be defending Yellow at the end of the second week. When you see guys like Morkov and Viviani riding tempo in a mountain stage you know that DQS was completely unprepared for their current position.
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"Progress is made by lazy men looking for easier ways to do things." - Robert Heinlein |
#334
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Greg |
#335
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Enric Mas is the only DQS rider that belongs in the selection on an Alpine climb, and he was quickly off the back on the first Cat1 yesterday. JA needs to pick one of GT or TP (prob GT) and follow that wheel like glue. It really sucks for him that 6 guys are still within 2:15- he can’t cover every attack so he will have to decide who is actually a threat and let Ineos and Jumbo cover the rest
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#336
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JA win would be awesome but he lacks a better team in the mountains. It's going to be hard in the Alps. But I hope he hangs on. Pinot looks good but I am not sure he has the mental strength and he does not like very hot temperatures and this is what is on the menu for this week. Would love to see a Hinault successor though, been too long.
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#337
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I foresee Alaphilippe holding onto the jersey until stage 18. He'll hold onto it over the next rolling stage, but could possibly gain time if someone gets caught out in the winds. The Alp stages are going to be fireworks. If he had a 3min lead then I would say he could hold on, and he would just need to ride tempo and limit his losses. The tour is pretty damn good without Froome there to dominate/dictate the pace of the race.
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#338
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This has been the most interesting/exciting tour for me in a really long time, I'm loving everything I've seen. I don't think I realized just how boring the whole thing with Sky being so dominant for so long was. Either that or it's more the whole thing with the whole Armstrong -> Contador -> Froome thing being a succession of dynasties where one team was too dominant. |
#339
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Expect a Yates-in-the-Giro style detonation in the Alps for Alaphillipe. He's an incredible racer, but this ain't his bag. Thomas put 30 seconds into him over basically a 2k attack. How's he going to withstand three days of stuff solo when it isn't just Ineos but multiple teams are going to be hitting him like pack of feral dogs.
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#340
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Could Barguil be a wild card? If he has the legs he'll probably be hunting a stage win but could he be the one to help JA in a tough spot? Last edited by galgal; 07-22-2019 at 11:50 AM. |
#341
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I think Stage 18 is probably just too much though. |
#342
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He did lead by 1'26" going into the Pyrenees and came out leading by 1'35", despite making a costly tactical error. Last edited by galgal; 07-22-2019 at 11:41 AM. |
#343
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The predictions of the tactical challenge of stage 18 are predicated on distance or elevation? Stage 14 was only 117 km but the Tourmalet is harder than any climb on Stage 18. Also, Galibier at 5.1% seems more suited to JA. Finally, the stage ends with a descent where a "classics" rider could gain back 10-15 seconds.
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#344
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#345
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Will JA crack on the Col d'Izoard?
I'm reading the finishing descent as 11.5 miles. If he's distanced on Galibier as he was on Stage 15 - and I think that's unlikely - he should be able to claw back at least 15 seconds on the descent. As for the distance, I think it's smart money to not underestimate the guy who won Milan-San Remo
Last edited by m4rk540; 07-22-2019 at 01:10 PM. |
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