It was like they read all the posts here and decided they'll show us fireworks just to realize, after burning all the doms and destroying Tom, that for some reason they don't want the yellow jersey.
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It was like they read all the posts here and decided they'll show us fireworks just to realize, after burning all the doms and destroying Tom, that for some reason they don't want the yellow jersey.
I fully expect a cameo later in the race with the guy with the weak bladder from the Giro.
No it's not. It is three weeks long. As it is every year. In fact, every GT is about three weeks long. 21 stages. Every. Single. Time.
I hate this kind of nonsenseical babble. It's the exact same thing football clubs say after every season. "It's been a long and hard season." No it hasn't, you've played the exact same number of games as last year and the year before that. It doesn't really mean anything when people say stuff like that.
Oh, almost forgot. I couldn't watch the stage live today, so I was a bit behind with all the action. The traditional full interview translation (though they have been pieces from it here already)!
Reporter: Primož, you responded to the first attack of Tadej Pogačar, but then when he attacked the second time you only stayed with the yellow jersey. Was it a tactical decision not to go with the attack?
"Yeah, ah, it is silly for me to always go after him. You know, he is good, let him go, there are plenty of others who can chase him, why would I try to catch a Slovenian. Tadej showed he was really strong today and deservingly rode away."
Reporter: For a while you were in virtual yellow, but it seemed like you still don't want to take it for now.
"big smile Huh. Yeah, yeah, it is quite fine the way it is! After all, it was only the first mountain stage and there are a lot of climbs left to ride."
Reporter: Yesterday you promised you will tell us a bit more about how you like these stages in the Pyrenees. Especially since tomorrow the finish is in a town that you like quite a lot (Laruns - where he won the stage in 2018).
"Yeah, I have always liked the Pyrenees, I really enjoy here and we will see how things unravel tomorrow!"
Reporter: Primož, you responded to the first attack of Tadej Pogačar, but then when he attacked the second time you only stayed with the yellow jersey. Was it a tactical decision not to go with the attack?
"Yeah, ah, it is silly for me to always go after him. You know, he is good, let him go, there are plenty of others who can chase him, why would I try to catch a Slovenian. Tadej showed he was really strong today and deservingly rode away."
Reporter: For a while you were in virtual yellow, but it seemed like you still don't want to take it for now.
"big smile Huh. Yeah, yeah, it is quite fine the way it is! After all, it was only the first mountain stage and there are a lot of climbs left to ride."
Reporter: Yesterday you promised you will tell us a bit more about how you like these stages in the Pyrenees. Especially since tomorrow the finish is in a town that you like quite a lot (Laruns - where he won the stage in 2018).
"Yeah, I have always liked the Pyrenees, I really enjoy here and we will see how things unravel tomorrow!"
I thought it's still a long way to go. Don't get so hiped up if you don't understand the words.
There is no way Roglic had the legs to go after Pogacar that second time. If he had, he'd be a minute clear of everyone (a larger gap than Pogacar got going solo) and a near certainty for victory in Paris.
He was probably wise not to risk going deep into the red and he is still my favourite to win, but it seems really unlikely that Roglic is going to be comfortable victor.
He was probably wise not to risk going deep into the red and he is still my favourite to win, but it seems really unlikely that Roglic is going to be comfortable victor.
I think Pogačar vs. Roglič for the win is becoming a reality more and more. Pogačar is very good in TT also.
It's a climbing ITT. Bernal is very good at those as well. And others. After 3 weeks, we'll see because going in the offensive early in the Tour might take a toll in the ITT.
I'm actually kind of rooting for Quintana, and i could see him do it too. But Pog is looking fine as well. The good thing is that it's wide open. Though i would have liked Buchmann, Pinot and Dumoulin to still be in the running.
It is no more cilmbing TT than the San Marino was last year. It is basically 15km flat, 15 km false flat (around 3-4%) and then last 6km climbing. It is definitelly not a MTT.
Don't forget Pogačar already defeated Roglič this year in climbing ITT. He has better regeneration also for last week.
Feels like he is repeating the mistakes from last years Giro. He is trying to defend a non existent advantage. It would make sense to ride like this if he had a 2min advantage but that´s not the case. He is making it more difficult for himself.
It's not a true climbing ITT. It could also have guys blow up if they go too hard in the first 30 km. I can see this ITT being really good for Roglic, Pogacar, Dumoulin, Soler, Valverde, Uran, LL Sanchez, maybe Castroviejo, maybe Van Aert. Not sure about Bernal. This is not a climbing ITT.
Roglic was capable of spinning in the saddle to cover almost anything including Tadej and Nairo. No, if he wasn't covering Nairo as well he had no reason to go and it served the use of making the other guys chase. He never looked stressed although that is difficult to keep up if his team doesn't last deeper into the stage. We'll see tomorrow but the variable fitness of everyone is still not known. The battle should be between Nairo, Roglic and maybe Tadej based on the current GC. All it takes is one crash to change all of that, too.
Big Doopie
BANNED
there's quite a lot of flat before, no? it is definitely not an MTT.
and the gradients of the mountain are reasonable for the most part. kind of a power climb most of the way.
generally power GC guys do very well on such a course. i would be surprised if bernal does not drop a fair amount of time. he may end relatively well placed -- but that will be because at that point very few riders will be going all out.
however, if bernal is the freshest, then, i agree, all bets are off.
In my opinion Roglič (and his team) is riding smart and are being patient. Why should Roglič take the maillot jaune, at for example stage 6, and to do that at all costs? Today was stage 8, most of the GC favorites already eliminated, Roglič still being in great position. The remaining favorites didn't get dropped yet, that easily, but the accumulated fatigue is building up. All this was done on week 1, and still one stage left, before the rest day.
P.S. If they want maillot jaune, that badly, they will likely take it tomorrow, on stage 9. But they likely won't do it at all costs. No special need for doing that.
P.S. If they want maillot jaune, that badly, they will likely take it tomorrow, on stage 9. But they likely won't do it at all costs. No special need for doing that.
What? If they didn't want to take the jersey today, or didn't want to drop other rivals, then why the hell ride so hard and kill off your own riders? Makes completely no sense. The only thing they managed to do, was do the work for Pogacar, a rival who was in fact "out of contention" and they allowed him to take back a significant chunk of time, and on top of that lose the tactical advantage of having a second leader by killing off Tom with this tactic. Had Wout/Robert/Tom not hit the gas, Tom would still be in the top 5. Not to mention they needlessly wore down their own domestiques, as if those guys have endless energy reserves and won't suffer down the line for all the work they're doing now.
Likely to inflict fatigue.
P.S. Pogačar had to go all in, it's not like he had a choice. And Pogačar would need to repeat the same attack again, to be aligned with Roglič. And at the same time not to get dropped or to have a bad day.
P.S. Pogačar had to go all in, it's not like he had a choice. And Pogačar would need to repeat the same attack again, to be aligned with Roglič. And at the same time not to get dropped or to have a bad day.
Dave Brailsford must have had a little chuckle into his coffee yesterday watching JV. Looks like Roglic would sooner help Pogacar get on the podium, bit of Slovenian teamwork to come in the next weeks.
Which contenders have been eliminated? Pinot and...?
Roglič dropped everyone but Pogačar and Quintana and refused to capitalize on it. It's not about taking the yellow jersey at all costs, it's about taking time on your rivals when you can and not assuming the balance of power is going to remain the same throughout the whole race. You can take the yellow jersey and then allow a breakaway to take it from you, but regardless, what merit does this tactic have when you're still pulling from the peloton every day despite not having the yellow jersey?
Real reason might be Roglic feeling *** during the 2019 Giro and maybe wrongly attributing that to taking pink super early.
YELLOW! Now it's just keeping it for 12 more stages. JV not nearly as strong as expected 
Looking forward to the post race interview from bajbar.
Looking forward to the post race interview from bajbar.
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