2019 Tour de France, stage 12: Toulouse>Bagnères-de-Bigorre

[Leinster]

Re: Re:

Another point in favour of Alaphilippe not losing too much time to Thomas is that Ineos have been crap at TT'ing the entire season. Can Thomas circumvent that tendency?

That's a fair point, short of Bernals during Suisse(for him) and Gannas national. I cant think of an impressive one

The TTT at this very Tour? Yes it’s a slightly different discipline, but I still doubt that there’s any issues with their engines.

 

[Broccolidwarf]

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The Danish "experts" think Alaphilippe will lose yellow tomorrow.

I think he will lose less than 15 seconds to Thomas.

15 seconds? That seems crazy. Thomas should be challenging for a podium spot tomorrow.

So should Alaphilippe. The route is perfect for him.

Well, experts like Rolf Sørensen predicted a Julian Alaphilippe-attack today (I mean, wtf?!) and the ever brilliant Henrik Juul predicted a similar situation to that of 2013. That was the 1st time I watched the studio this year - why does that old man still have a job?

They are dreamers, not experts.

Henrik Juul is definitely over the hill, and has been for years.

Whenever there is a DS or rider in the studio, they eye him with scepticism, every time he speaks.

As for Soerensen, he didn't predict it, he merely said it was a possibility, if Alaphilippe had overall designs (which clealy he does not), because the stage suited him.

 

[DenisMenchov]

Kragh Andersen hasn't showed anything so far. He can be a good bet for a TOP 3 finish. Alongside Wout and Geraint.

 

[Sciatic]

Re: 2019 Tour de France, stage 12: Toulouse>Bagnères-de-Bigo

Regardless of their journalistic integrity, race announcers are also going to be at least somewhat concerned about entertaining and "hooking in" viewers.

So it would be unlikely to hear them say, during the pre-race show, "absolutely nothing is going to happen in this stage today, it's going to be completely passive riding." That's not really the thing to engage your audience, no?

 

[Mayomaniac]

Re:

Kragh Andersen hasn't showed anything so far. He can be a good bet for a TOP 3 finish. Alongside Wout and Geraint.

Küng could also be a podium candidate.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re: 2019 Tour de France, stage 12: Toulouse>Bagnères-de-Bigo

Regardless of their journalistic integrity, race announcers are also going to be at least somewhat concerned about entertaining and "hooking in" viewers.

So it would be unlikely to hear them say, during the pre-race show, "absolutely nothing is going to happen in this stage today, it's going to be completely passive riding." That's not really the thing to engage your audience, no?

Fair point, but I genuinely think that in those instances I gave (especially concerning Sørensen), he really wants something to happen so badly that he just sometimes completely ignores common sense and the logic of a race like TdF. Dreamer, extremely optimistic etc. Don't think he says what he does to attract or keep viewers at all. Its a bit annoying as he creates unrealistic expectations.

 

[tobydawq]

Re: 2019 Tour de France, stage 12: Toulouse>Bagnères-de-Bigo

Regardless of their journalistic integrity, race announcers are also going to be at least somewhat concerned about entertaining and "hooking in" viewers.

So it would be unlikely to hear them say, during the pre-race show, "absolutely nothing is going to happen in this stage today, it's going to be completely passive riding." That's not really the thing to engage your audience, no?

Fair point, but I genuinely think that in those instances I gave (especially concerning Sørensen), he really wants something to happen so badly that he just sometimes completely ignores common sense and the logic of a race like TdF. Dreamer, extremely optimistic etc. Don't think he says what he does to attract or keep viewers at all. Its a bit annoying as he creates unrealistic expectations.

Imagine if he had become a sports director

 

[Valv.Piti]

I have thought about that lots of times. Given how he commentates the races, I think he would be pretty horrible at that most times (managing GC teams at GTs at least), but it would be pretty fun I guess. What EF did the other day would be a very common occurrence in the crosswinds. Totally overeager at times. But he loves action as much as we all do, but its just obvious he was an opportunist as a bikerider contrary to a GC-rider.

 

[Broccolidwarf]

Re:

I have thought about that lots of times. Given how he commentates the races, I think he would be pretty horrible at that most times (managing GC teams at GTs at least), but it would be pretty fun I guess. What EF did the other day would be a very common occurrence in the crosswinds. Totally overeager at times. But he loves action as much as we all do, but its just obvious he was an opportunist as a bikerider contrary to a GC-rider.

I still maintain, nobody calls a 1 day race (or stage in terms of the stage win) better than Soerensen.

But, in terms of GC teams in GTs, you have a point..... though as another poster said, it IS the commentators responsibility to make the race dramatic - even when it is boring..... otherwise we'd just be watching the race with silence.

I'd love to hear Riis and Soerensen together, I think it would be non-stop jabs (of the good natured kind).

 

[gregrowlerson]

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This looks like a real snoozefest. Break fight it out while the peloton soft pedals home 8 minutes in arrears.

What a great prediction!

Also, is this the first time that we have seen a "TTT" finish? Ineos finished with all eight riders one after each other, emphasising further the GC boredom of this stage.

22 Dylan van Baarle (Ned) Team Ineos 0:09:35
23 Luke Rowe (GBr) Team Ineos
24 Michal Kwiatkowski (Pol) Team Ineos
25 Jonathan Castroviejo (Spa) Team Ineos
26 Wout Poels (Ned) Team Ineos
27 Geraint Thomas (GBr) Team Ineos
28 Egan Bernal (Col) Team Ineos
29 Gianni Moscon (Ita) Team Ineos