Imagine him sprinting for bonus seconds at intemediate sprints vs Remco just out of spite.
Still think he's much more of a rider for the hills and medium mountains. Yes, this was a serious MTF, but the opposition is fairly weak here given that Ayuso and especially Evenepoel don't seem to be near their best. Alaphilippe has won MTFs of this size in fields of this quality too, and, in a GT on the proper climbs, he's climbed with the best exactly once (Tourmalet 2019). Especially on a route where TT ability is meaningless, he's better off going for stages rather than trying to hang on for 9th on GC.
He's more or less at the level you would expect. He just needs to stay upright and he's ready to take his position in the Vingo train, behind Benoot and ahead of Sepp Kuss.
Bottom places of GC aren't incompatible with stage hunting anyway
Stage 6 could feature some unexpected gc action. It's harder than one would think and another +200km stage right after the queenstage.
This is the first time in his career that he's so much as finished in the top-10 on an actual MTF in a WT race. In fact, he's only done so twice outside the WT, and on one of those occasions he lost to Zimmermann and Knox. When you compare that to what he's done on shorter climbs, I think it's fair to say that big mountains haven't really been his speciality so far.
He's looking like an excellent replacement for Van Baarle at minimum, on this form. Ineos could still in theory, go well at the Tour. Rodriguez, Pidcock and maybe Martinez are all capable of a top ten?
Lol I completely underestimated that stage because the y axis is so *** by Albulapass.
If those guys are capable of a top 10, I would say Bernal is as well. That said, all 4 of them are questionable to even finish top 15. I'm sure someone from Ineos will finish top 10 but I'll be damned if I know who that will be.
Looking back, I'd forgotten how well he climbed at The TDU. Maybe they will give him a free role at the Tour until form decides who are the leader(s). I expect Pidcock to go well after staying relatively healthy during the spring. Rodriguez too, given that the Dauphine was his first race since Strade. Martinez seems the least on form, but maybe he has an issue?
Similar conditions? Can’t remember that race anymore. I can imagine that the rain has quite the impact on climbing time
Was the road in similar condition back then? It seemed to be a big section where the road was really bad, waiting for new tarmac.
It was an MTT. So 0 drafting. Today had been easy until the final climb, so I think today is more ideal for a super fast time than an MTT.
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