Tour de France 2021 La Course by Le Tour de France, Brest-Landerneau, 107.7 km., Saturday June 26th

[Red Rick]

It partly seemed like Vos ran out of legs, partly that she misjudged the finish.

She did blew up on the steep part already, but I'm surprised she didn't regain her sprint fully with the amount of waiting around they did.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

"She's never won La Course"

Try again, Orla, try again.

 

[Red Rick]

I don't really get Van der Breggen stopping once she caught Cille. She looked like the one with the best legs.

Doesn't want to forever be the last winner of La Course.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

It partly seemed like Vos ran out of legs, partly that she misjudged the finish.

I wondered if she just played better poker than most, at this point in her career she doesn't tend to go as well as the specialists on longer climbs and has stopped contending races like Flèche Wallonne, but she was looking imperious on the earlier times up the climb today and in less trouble than the Deignans of this world, just wonder if she was actually going deeper than it looked and had less left in the tank from the steep bit than it seemed, because ordinarily in that kind of finish of a group of 8 like that you'd feel Vos is the favourite going in. But you did point out Demi had the better positioning (I thought when Vos cut her off when Anna went to the front that may have been the end of that, though!).

 

[Red Rick]

I wondered if she just played better poker than most, at this point in her career she doesn't tend to go as well as the specialists on longer climbs and has stopped contending races like Flèche Wallonne, but she was looking imperious on the earlier times up the climb today and in less trouble than the Deignans of this world, just wonder if she was actually going deeper than it looked and had less left in the tank from the steep bit than it seemed, because ordinarily in that kind of finish of a group of 8 like that you'd feel Vos is the favourite going in. But you did point out Demi had the better positioning (I thought when Vos cut her off when Anna went to the front that may have been the end of that, though!).

I think she was quite obviously completely dying in Annas wheel on the steep section

 

[Netserk]

For a hilltop finish, it's fairly good. I expect them to ride the full ascent full gas this afternoon, so maybe an attack can stick, but the best case for that is a rider getting away alone in the last km.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

If she hadn't been so impatient that she took it up because of the fear of the Lizzie group coming back, Lippert could have had a podium here. As it was, she got made to lead out from way too far and didn't give herself enough time to recover before the sprint was taken up for real. 8th from 8 in that group sprinting is so totally not where she is at.

 

[Netserk]

If she hadn't been so impatient that she took it up because of the fear of the Lizzie group coming back, Lippert could have had a podium here. As it was, she got made to lead out from way too far and didn't give herself enough time to recover before the sprint was taken up for real. 8th from 8 in that group sprinting is so totally not where she is at.

I know it was doomed with AvdB ready to close everything down, but if not for her, I think it was the right spot to attack. After that point, it's all about the sprint.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

If she hadn't been so impatient that she took it up because of the fear of the Lizzie group coming back, Lippert could have had a podium here. As it was, she got made to lead out from way too far and didn't give herself enough time to recover before the sprint was taken up for real. 8th from 8 in that group sprinting is so totally not where she is at.

Yes, and if she had to attack, she should have done it immediately when the tempo went out of the group.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

I know it was doomed with AvdB ready to close everything down, but if not for her, I think it was the right spot to attack. After that point, it's all about the sprint.

Sure, but as you say, not necessarily for Liane since she was alone in that group and once the course started to flatten out, she would be better served in a sprint from that group of 8. She was looking so comfortable following the moves.

 

[MartinGT]

"She's never won La Course"

Try again, Orla, try again.

OMG really she didn't say that?

 

[Red Rick]

For a hilltop finish, it's fairly good. I expect them to ride the full ascent full gas this afternoon, so maybe an attack can stick, but the best case for that is a rider getting away alone in the last km.

It's weird in a way that I'd expect the easier part to make attacks way harder to stick but then in AGR it wouldn't prevent *** from coming back after the much, much easier Cauberg.

But then I expect much more parity in a men's peloton, and gaps in 3-4 minute power on an 8% climb will probably be relatively much smaller than those a 1'20 climb where no matter how hard you go on that climb you can still hammer it home for about 2 minutes.

 

[Breezy1985]

Marty seriously thought Deignan was close to that leading group. Bless him #fanboy

It was very annoying and we can all look forward now to 21 days of commentators talking about Cav while the real contenders fight out for the win

 

[Samu Cuenca]

OMG really she didn't say that?

Yes, she said about Van der Breggen. I don't know whether Lloyd he didn't know either, or if he was jsut too polite to correct her. Of course she was saying it to make VdB appear to be an even more gracious leader, so it doesn't bother me too much.

 

[Netserk]

It's weird in a way that I'd expect the easier part to make attacks way harder to stick but then in AGR it wouldn't prevent *** from coming back after the much, much easier Cauberg.

But then I expect much more parity in a men's peloton, and gaps in 3-4 minute power on an 8% climb will probably be relatively much smaller than those a 1'20 climb where no matter how hard you go on that climb you can still hammer it home for about 2 minutes.

Well, it's not at the end of a 250 km classic. Cauberg in 2006 had Boonen/Freire/Bennati in the first five over the top of the climb. It's a matter of whether MvdP will wait for the sprint or not and how high the pace set by the last doms will be.

 

[Netserk]

Yes, and if she had to attack, she should have done it immediately when the tempo went out of the group.

Rewatching it, you are right. It was a bit too late, and a bit half-hearted.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Rewatching it, you are right. It was a bit too late, and a bit half-hearted.

Yes. She stayed at the front for too long for anyone to be surprised when she ultimately went, but it's easy to hesitate a bit in a situation like that, if you think someone else is going to pick up the pace again right away.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

FdJ getting their money's worth.

 

[yaco]

Brown showed her inexperience by needlessly chasing down attacks in the last 3km - Play it cool and you get a podium.

 

[pmcg76]

So CUL actually tried to sprint and got second ahead of Vos!! Has she been practicing or is this an undiscovered talent?, you have to try.