Recent content by hayneplane

If a merged team ended up with neither of those riders on the books for next season then it would be a very unattractive team for race organisers and unworthy of world tour status.

It does feel like an apology ride to me to take pressure off the UAE early stage domestiques.

I would not be surprised at all if Visma end up pacing in the break with Campanaerts and Van Aert and in the peloton with Affini and Benoot, saving Kuss and Yates until Hautacam.

The tables have been turned in a way now and there is now huge expectation on Visma and Jonas to set a searing pace on all the climbs and attack from halfway up Hautacam. It has now gone from being a very good day for Jonas if the pair cross the line together to being a damaging day...

Sagan was disqualified for far less and at a time when he was the number one superstar in the sport. It was a very reckless move from THJ but to be getting hate messages and threats on social media is a disgrace that any decent person should condemn.

Based on Stage 10 then Girmay might survive if no huge attacks from top 10 GC riders or MVDP. Is this a 50 point stage for Green? Gregoire, Hirschi, Alaphillipe, Asgreen (if not stuck on team duty) should be viewing this as their best chance of the race for a stage win from the break.

He should go from several km out like in Dauphine to get Vingo to fear going ultra deep to stay in the wheel at risking of cracking

There hasn’t been any mountain remotely comparable to Galibier in length and gradient so far this race to make a meaningful comparison.

Tadej Pogacar has a chance today to write another page in TDF history as if he wins the stage he will be the first rider in the entire history of the race to win 3 times on Bastille Day.

Not worried at all about tomorrow just excited. It promises to be the kind of chaotic racing that Tadej thrives on.

There is a 100% chance he makes multiple attempts to get in the break but not sure his shape is good enough to rate his chances of being in the break of the day quite so highly.

I agree that the shorter climbs encourage more riders to think they have a chance and can ride high power 8-12 minutes uphill than can sustain it 20-25 minutes on a cat 1 or HC climb. The mountain train tapping out a gap controlling rhythm is much easier to do on the multi high mountains than...

Tudor/EF/Bahrain/Groupama should have had this stage marked out weeks ahead. Vauqelin probably doing too well in GC to try and get in the early moves but should try from the last couple of climbs to see who chases. Red Bull should try and get 1 of their GC cards up the road as at +3 minutes...

It won’t stick but I expect the yellow jersey to float off the front in a group at least once during break formation and cause panic behind.

We only really had 7 this year. Yesterday was an active rest day.