Le Tour '19 stage 19: Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne > Tignes 126km

[Red Rick]

What's the weather gonna be like?

 

[Laplaz]

Movistar has 3 riders in the Top 10. They HAVE to try some long-range attack.

 

[Bardamu]

Re:

Seriously Movistar has to go on the Iseran tomorrow.

That or it's Valverde's turn to hop in a breakaway and sneak minutes

Quintana needs to sneak into another breakaway and have 2 teammates ride him to the Iseran, from then on he'll have to ride himself into yellow.

 

[Bardamu]

If Thomas or Bernal attacks early, everybody will respond. Bernal might be strong enough to keep a gap, Thomas won't be.

 

[jaylew]

What Alaphilippe wouldn't give for some teammates who can climb the next couple of days. I wonder if they can put someone up the road who could help if he's dropped on Iseran? Going to be a tall order judging by the parcours and the fact that other teams are going to make it really hard for that to happen.

 

[Pantani_lives]

Re: Re:

Seriously Movistar has to go on the Iseran tomorrow.

That or it's Valverde's turn to hop in a breakaway and sneak minutes

Quintana needs to sneak into another breakaway and have 2 teammates ride him to the Iseran, from then on he'll have to ride himself into yellow.

Sending Amador ahead and jump to him just before the top of the Iséran would be better. He would need support in the long descent. However it's doubtful Quintana will still have the legs after his huge effort today.

 

[Bardamu]

Re: Re:

Seriously Movistar has to go on the Iseran tomorrow.

That or it's Valverde's turn to hop in a breakaway and sneak minutes

Quintana needs to sneak into another breakaway and have 2 teammates ride him to the Iseran, from then on he'll have to ride himself into yellow.

Sending Amador ahead and jump to him just before the top of the Iséran would be better. He would need support in the long descent. However it's doubtful Quintana will still have the legs after his huge effort today.

It looked like the first time Quintana truly did an effort was on the Galibier, until then he sort of freewheeled his way into the break, had others riding closing gaps. I think he'll be fine.

 

[bob.a.feet]

Pinot has to attack. If he waits, either Thomas or Bernal will and attack and if he chases he will be countered. It is not easy going against a two leader team.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Quintana again. Hopefully. Also hope that Alaphilippe will hang on. What a story it would be if he did indeed manage to win this Tour.

 

[Gigs_98]

Re: Le Tour '19 stage 19: Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne > Tignes 1

QS should send someone in the break just for that flat bit between the end of the descent and the start of the final climb. Other than that, Alaphilippe has to hope Mas is on a good day.

 

[sir fly]

Re:

What's the weather gonna be like?

Clearly moderate to considerable with the intervals...

 

[houtdffan]

Wish this stage would be longer. Not really a fan of back to back short mountains stages

Would rather a route starting in Briancon, crossing over the Montgenevre, Mont Cenis, before the concluding Iseran and Tignes

 

[masking_agent]

Alaphillipe won't be under attack again. There won't be any rider to "animate" the race. I don't see any aggression coming from Thomas nor Bernal nor Kruisjwik.

I think Alaphillipe will make a fool of them once again. He'll survive and go on to win this years tour and complete a sensational year of Deunceunik.

 

[IndianCyclist]

This is the now or never stage. Attack or forever keep ur peace

 

[Broccolidwarf]

Tignes is not hard enough to bother Alaphilippe, they will have to break him on l'Iseran.

Personally, I see him lose 1-2 minutes on l'Iseran, then make up most of it back the decent and the Tignes climb, and get across the line losing max 30 seconds.

We may very get a final 36 k climb to Val Thorens Saturday, where 6 riders are within 2 minutes of taking the yellow to Paris...... mano a mano, all the way to the end.

This is the tour that keeps on giving

 

[jaylew]

Re:

Tignes is not hard enough to bother Alaphilippe, they will have to break him on l'Iseran.

Personally, I see him lose 1-2 minutes on l'Iseran, then make up most of it back the decent and the Tignes climb, and get across the line losing max 30 seconds.

We may very get a final 36 k climb to Val Thorens Saturday, where 6 riders are within 2 minutes of taking the yellow to Paris...... mano a mano, all the way to the end.

This is the tour that keeps on giving

If Alaphilippe isn't with the main guys at the beginning of Tignes, I'm pretty sure he'll lose more time, not gain it.

 

[bob.a.feet]

Also I think Pinot is being underestimated after today. He was clearly the strongest in the Pyrenees and although he didn't go with Bernal today, he seemed comfortable reeling in Thomas's attack. He was never going to attack today, but tomorrow we'll see.

 

[Salvarani]

Sky duo looks the strongest after today... Their helpers not so much though, except for Van Baarle. The others are below their usual level.

Hope Pinot can have a really good day compared to the others in the coming days.

Ala is cracking but still fighting. How long will it last?


Wonder what tomorrow will bring. Who recovers best after day is the most interesting I guess. Someone should surely crack.

 

[Singularitarian]

The worst and most anticlimactic prediction ever: Team Wars Reloaded

1. Nairito sprints away from the get-go in full Vroom/Schleck mode... only to see Movistar to go to the front and pull hard on Iseran.

2. Then machINEOS go full *** on Iseran, leaving everyone and their dog&dom in the dust, trading attacks on each other, sprinting for bonus seconds... and even worse: repeat this the next day (with a possible Champs-Elyssees happy ending for a world class pursuiter who manages to escape and gain precious 2 seconds for the win... Egan immediately signs for Movistar, only to become another Nairo there, never winning anything big due to their team tactics)

 

[klintE]

Also I think both Pinot and Crushweek could be a bit confused when Bernal attacked - whether this is a bait or the real GC action.

 

[jaylew]

Pinot said he wasn't feeling terrific and couldn't go with Bernal

 

[Andy262]

Re:

Pinot has to attack. If he waits, either Thomas or Bernal will and attack and if he chases he will be countered. It is not easy going against a two leader team.

Hope Pinot has a good dig tomorrow. Will be gutted if he's not on the podium.

Fingers crossed for Alaphilippe. Great rider and personality and has lit up the tour. Sadly, I think two more days of this will be far too much for him.

 

[JosephK]

Re: Re:

Pinot has to attack. If he waits, either Thomas or Bernal will and attack and if he chases he will be countered. It is not easy going against a two leader team.

Hope Pinot has a good dig tomorrow. Will be gutted if he's not on the podium.

Fingers crossed for Alaphilippe. Great rider and personality and has lit up the tour. Sadly, I think two more days of this will be far too much for him.

Julian has far, far exceeded what might have been expected of him before the start of the tour. --I, too, have doubts that he can hold his advantage through the next two days. But maybe . . . just maybe.

 

[Koronin]

I'm much, much, much prefer Bernal or Pinot or even Steven K winning the Tour to Alpahilippe.

 

[Frihed89]

I haven't been at all impressed by Thomas, and I don't think I will be tomorrow. Bernal rode well at the end, but why did he wait? Did he think he could easily crack Alaphilippe? I don't think he will be an easy nut to crack, everyone else's contrary opinions notwithstanding. Quintana's epic performance today is a mystery to me. Either he strongly believes he can win the Tour, and he will, or else he figured everyone had counted him out and snuck in a ride that no one else was ready for. I don't think Alaphilippe will crack on this stage or any other. Time is on his side. There are no miracles. Bernal could win this stage, but not by enough.