2019 Tour de France, stage 21: Rambouillet > Champs-Élysées

[luckyboy]

Sagan vs Ewan at stage finishes: 192pts vs 242pts

Sagan vs Ewan at intermediates: 124pts vs 6pts


There are all sorts of caveats to add (Sagan would race differently if he wasn't miles ahead, Ewan would lose some energy, Ewan was focussing on stage wins at his first Tour...) but there's definitely a chance he can challenge if he goes for some intermediates next year.

 

[rick james]

Re: Re:

Poels literally acting like taking the yellow with the team on the penultimate mountain stage is a strange natural occurence

my god does everything in cycling offend you...if never seen someone hate this sport so much

A fine scots man

 

[Pricey_sky]

Just caught up on the stage, Ewan with a nicely timed sprint to land the win.

Great scenes with Bernal and his family at the finish.

 

[sir fly]

Not my anthem but the audience chorus gives goosebumps.

Big day.
Congrats.

 

[Lequack]

It's been suggested the last stage should be a Robaix-Paris cobbled stage and raced properly. And I agree.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Re: Re:

Oh my Anglo saxons and the shame


bloody post 2012 fans

 

[boneshaker]

Re:

Sagan vs Ewan at stage finishes: 192pts vs 242pts

Sagan vs Ewan at intermediates: 124pts vs 6pts


There are all sorts of caveats to add (Sagan would race differently if he wasn't miles ahead, Ewan would lose some energy, Ewan was focussing on stage wins at his first Tour...) but there's definitely a chance he can challenge if he goes for some intermediates next year.

Moreover Sagan usually picked Viviani's wheel. Most times it was a mistake.

 

[Pricey_sky]

Re: Re:

Oh my Anglo saxons and the shame


bloody post 2012 fans

Just one of a long, long, long line of reasons why I never read the Daily Fail.

 

[SafeBet]

Egan Bernal with a 4 language speech on the podium. Doesn't top G's speech from last year but good enough I guess. This kid will have tons of fans everywhere.

 

[RedheadDane]

Re:

Egan Bernal with a 4 language speech on the podium. Doesn't top G's speech from last year but good enough I guess. This kid will have tons of fans everywhere.

Did he remember the names of all his teammates?
Spanish, English, Italian, and...?

---

I think DQ forgot a very important part of Sprinting 101… their sprinter, but damn! Ewan's fast!

 

[Pantani Attacks]

Re:

It's been suggested the last stage should be a Robaix-Paris cobbled stage and raced properly. And I agree.

Yeah, the Champs Elysees stage is the most pointless thing ever.

 

[rick james]

Re: Re:

Oh my Anglo saxons and the shame


bloody post 2012 fans

do you know anything about that paper?

 

[Armchair cyclist]

Re:

It's been suggested the last stage should be a Robaix-Paris cobbled stage and raced properly. And I agree.

You are aware that "Paris"-Roubaix starts in Compiegne, not Paris?

And that the distance from Roubaix to Paris is 235km without any detours to go over any cobbles?

And that Troisvilles, the southernmost of the cobbled sectors in that race, is 190km from the Champs Elysees?

But for that, a great idea.

 

[carton]

Re: Re:

Egan Bernal with a 4 language speech on the podium. Doesn't top G's speech from last year but good enough I guess. This kid will have tons of fans everywhere.

Did he remember the names of all his teammates?
Spanish, English, Italian, and...?

---

I think DQ forgot a very important part of Sprinting 101… their sprinter, but damn! Ewan's fast!

"French" -just a couple of memorized lines with a sprinkling of Italian mixed in, but rather good ones.

Just thanked them all for their support and belief. Only thanked "G" by name, for the opportunity he gave him.

 

[RedheadDane]

Re: Re:

Egan Bernal with a 4 language speech on the podium. Doesn't top G's speech from last year but good enough I guess. This kid will have tons of fans everywhere.

Did he remember the names of all his teammates?
Spanish, English, Italian, and...?

---

I think DQ forgot a very important part of Sprinting 101… their sprinter, but damn! Ewan's fast!

"French" -just a couple of memorized lines with a sprinkling of Italian mixed in, but rather good ones.

Just thanked them all for their support and belief. Only thanked "G" by name, for the opportunity he gave him.

French, of course…
And remembering "G" - as in; the guy next to him on the podium - is still better than "G", who managed to forget Froome.

 

[Captain Serious]

Why don't they finish more stages during prime time tv times i Europe? Traffic logistics?

 

[jaylew]

Ewan clearly fastest man at the Tour and top dog this year overall with multiple wins in both GTs + the Champs win. He's stepped up his game. Or is it just a better team for a sprinter?

 

[hayneplane]

Re: Re:

Oh my Anglo saxons and the shame


bloody post 2012 fans

do you know anything about that paper?

The Mail is a major reason why British newspapers are a sick joke with their far right bias and sloppy attention to detail. In the 1930s the owner and family were ardent backers of the fascist movement and bigged up Hitler and Oswald Mosley.

 

[Lequack]

Re:

How the hell did so many Colombians get to Europe? every grand tour you see them...

https://twitter.com/futbolablog/status/1155579209076695040

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Re:

Ewan clearly fastest man at the Tour and top dog this year overall with multiple wins in both GTs + the Champs win. He's stepped up his game. Or is it just a better team for a sprinter?

He was clearly the fastest man at the Tour and of course is top dog at the GTs with five stages. But the thing is that the Tour this year had far from the best sprinter line up compared to some other races. He was equal with Ackermann at the Giro and wasn’t clearly the best in the races where a bigger selection of top sprinters was involved. There are a lot of very fast guys at the moment and who is the best changes from race to race and from stage to stage. That said, Ewan certainly has bragging rights and Groenewegen, who was probably the most common pick for fastest man three weeks ago, is looking at the possibility that he might be marginalized on a very GC focused team.

 

[Pricey_sky]

Re: Re:

Oh my Anglo saxons and the shame


bloody post 2012 fans

do you know anything about that paper?

The Mail is a major reason why British newspapers are a sick joke with their far right bias and sloppy attention to detail. In the 1930s the owner and family were ardent backers of the fascist movement and bigged up Hitler and Oswald Mosley.

Probably best to nip this conversation in the bud, rather than take it any further.

Thanks.

 

[Lequack]

 

[DanielSong39]

Re: 2019 Tour de France, stage 21: Rambouillet > Champs-Élys

At the end of the day pro cycling is a business and if having a meaningless sprint stage at the end is what brings in the most revenue, why not.

All props to Ewan though, he survived the mountains better than the rest and earned the victory. I expected guys like Groenewegen, Viviani, and Sagan to be faster but that's why they settle it on the road.

 

[jaylew]

Re: Re:

Ewan clearly fastest man at the Tour and top dog this year overall with multiple wins in both GTs + the Champs win. He's stepped up his game. Or is it just a better team for a sprinter?

He was clearly the fastest man at the Tour and of course is top dog at the GTs with five stages. But the thing is that the Tour this year had far from the best sprinter line up compared to some other races. He was equal with Ackermann at the Giro and wasn’t clearly the best in the races where a bigger selection of top sprinters was involved. There are a lot of very fast guys at the moment and who is the best changes from race to race and from stage to stage. That said, Ewan certainly has bragging rights and Groenewegen, who was probably the most common pick for fastest man three weeks ago, is looking at the possibility that he might be marginalized on a very GC focused team.

The sprint lineup wasn't weak at all. You're always going to have a few guys missing. Anyway, I agree that this doesn't suddenly make him the fastest guy in the world as there isn't a lot of separation at the top these days, but you'd have to say he's the top sprinter of 2019 so far.

 

[Cookster15]

The reason the Tour de France is the biggest cycling race in the world is it transcends the sport of cycling and is globally known by nearly every person on the planet with access to TV, Radio or can read. The Paris sprint stage on the Champs-Élysées is part of this appeal. It might be meaningless to cycling fans but we should be thankful what it delivers in the big picture. Had Lemond not won the 89 race by 8 seconds it is doubtful many outside of cycling would remember it either. Just my opinion.

As for Caleb, its all about confidence. He is tiny, he does not have the horsepower, but he will get huge confidence from this. Thoroughly deserved and great to see.