Le Tour '19 Stage 20: Albertville > Val Thorens 59km

[This Charming Man]

Re: Re:

Wait, what?!

This Tour just went from great to **** in a matter of a few hours. Isn't it at all possible to do something else than this?!?!

Im just lost for words. Depressed. God damn man, why do this Mother Nature

This year’s tour is the sporting equivalent to the Game of Thrones wrap up

Please it's not that bad............

Sorry but it is. Finally a year with a possible French winner and end to sky/Ineos. Only to have Pinot climb off w an injury and JA lose the jersey to sky due to stage nullification to weather is the most uninspiring end to this tour. Yah JA was going to lose it at some point but with a decent and final climb eliminated no one knows what could have happened - Bernal mechanicals or crashes, aj closes on the decent and holds on final climb, others waiting and go into the red on the final climb to make the podium selection tighter for saturday. And all other variations. Yah right decision for safety. But most disappointing end to the most intriguing tour in ages.

Alla Phillioe woulda been crushed

 

[yaco]

This was always going to be a breakaway stage - Ineos will just ride tempo up the climb - The battle will be for the stage win, KOM and possibly minor spots in the top five.

 

[Scarponi]

Re: Re:

Wait, what?!

This Tour just went from great to **** in a matter of a few hours. Isn't it at all possible to do something else than this?!?!

Im just lost for words. Depressed. God damn man, why do this Mother Nature

I think you'll find man and his greed did this...global warming

Omg hahahahhahahahaahhaahhah deadset. Storms in the mountains have never happened before “man” give me a break

 

[Max Rockatansky]

Re:

Back in 94, Rodriguez sat on Ugrumov's wheel the entire day and only went around him in the sprint.

Pantani had a blistering attack to finish third. It will be interesting to compare Pantani's time to Bernal and co' tomorrow

Pantani crashed hard on that stage and had to chase for around 30 minutes. He attacked with an injured knee at 5.5k to go and put 1:30 into Indurain, Virenque and Zülle.

 

[brownbobby]

Re: Re:

Wait, what?!

This Tour just went from great to **** in a matter of a few hours. Isn't it at all possible to do something else than this?!?!

Im just lost for words. Depressed. God damn man, why do this Mother Nature

This year’s tour is the sporting equivalent to the Game of Thrones wrap up

Please it's not that bad............

Sorry but it is. Finally a year with a possible French winner and end to sky/Ineos. Only to have Pinot climb off w an injury and JA lose the jersey to sky due to stage nullification to weather is the most uninspiring end to this tour. Yah JA was going to lose it at some point but with a decent and final climb eliminated no one knows what could have happened - Bernal mechanicals or crashes, aj closes on the decent and holds on final climb, others waiting and go into the red on the final climb to make the podium selection tighter for saturday. And all other variations. Yah right decision for safety. But most disappointing end to the most intriguing tour in ages.

I suppose these things could have happened, who knows...but more likely Allaphilipe ships big time on the final climb to Tignes and ends up off the podium and completely out of the running.

Of course it’s a real shame, but the shortened stage could still produce fireworks....it’s unlikely but JA and his team will fancy his chances better over 59k and 2500m than 135k and 4500m

 

[Pantani_lives]

Alaphilippe gets dropped. Thomas attacks, Bernal isn't allowed to react. In the final km Steven K jumps from behind Thomas' back and wins the Tour by one second.

 

[wirral]

Re:

This was always going to be a breakaway stage - Ineos will just ride tempo up the climb - The battle will be for the stage win, KOM and possibly minor spots in the top five.

I am really not sure about this analysis.

Ineos will want to despatch Alaphilippe out of the back. This will ensure the overall victory and move Thomas up to second.

Also Landa and Uran will try to go in the break which will not be allowed. This will mean the break never gets any significant time or takes too long to get away and, bang, you are then on the climb.

I see this as a win for one of the GC guys, probably Bernal. He will then win the KOM despite not targetting it in the slightest. He may gift the win to Thomas. But alternatively he will be happy to take it himself as it would be his first Grand Tour stage win.

 

[VayaVayaVaya]

Have they changed the start time? To see the action in the US, at what ungodly hour do we need to get up?

 

[bob.a.feet]

Re:

Have they changed the start time? To see the action in the US, at what ungodly hour do we need to get up?

I think it will start at 14:30 French time

 

[gregrowlerson]

Would it have been logistically possible to have had an ITT up Tignes this morning (stage A), followed by the shortened road stage to Val Thorens (stage B) in the afternoon? Those fans who were in Tignes may then have been able to see the riders race, plus we still would keep more of the climbing in the race. The best solution would probably be to make stage 21 a mountain stage, but you cannot take away the finish in Paris when friends/family/fans etc have already planned to be there on Sunday.

 

[jarvo]

Re: Re:

Wait, what?!

This Tour just went from great to **** in a matter of a few hours. Isn't it at all possible to do something else than this?!?!

Im just lost for words. Depressed. God damn man, why do this Mother Nature

This year’s tour is the sporting equivalent to the Game of Thrones wrap up

Please it's not that bad............

Sorry but it is. Finally a year with a possible French winner and end to sky/Ineos. Only to have Pinot climb off w an injury and JA lose the jersey to sky due to stage nullification to weather is the most uninspiring end to this tour. Yah JA was going to lose it at some point but with a decent and final climb eliminated no one knows what could have happened - Bernal mechanicals or crashes, aj closes on the decent and holds on final climb, others waiting and go into the red on the final climb to make the podium selection tighter for saturday. And all other variations. Yah right decision for safety. But most disappointing end to the most intriguing tour in ages.

Alaphilippe was losing the jersey for several days. Only the fact that mtf have not been a thing in this tour has meant he has kept hold of it. To suggest that suspending the stage yesterday at the top of the penultimate climb meant that Bernal took it easier from him is ridiculous. They had been descending for a good few minutes before the cancellation and the gap hadn’t changed between the two. An exhausted Alaphilippe was more likely to crash on the descent taking too many risks to make up time than Bernal was. Also that final climb I think Alaphilippe would’ve shipped another minute or so to Bernal and have dropped to 5th or 6th overall.

 

[gregrowlerson]

Basically we now have a situation where if Bernal doesn't have a bad day, then the race is over. Then again, he could well do. And the time gaps are not massive.

Still, we have lost a lot of the spectacle due to Mother Nature. For me, Moviestar and Jumbo are the big losers. Krujswick may have pulled back some time on Tignes, and he and/or Landa may have planned to attack from long range today.

Thomas may have lost out also, but I think that he is the rare rider who will - at least in the aftermath - be happy with his teammate winning. Particularly if he is able to end up alongside him on the podium.

Bernal has gained obviously, though he may well have won the race anyway (and by a bigger margin). Alaphalippe is the biggest winner for mine. This reminds me of Evans in the 2013 Giro, where without those mountain cancellations, he likely wouldn't have finished on the podium.

 

[canarydan23]

It's so gutting.

Friday morning was the most excited I'd been about a TdF in years and years. Now I doubt I'll even bother watching it live.

 

[Laplaz]

Re:

Would it have been logistically possible to have had an ITT up Tignes this morning (stage A), followed by the shortened road stage to Val Thorens (stage B) in the afternoon? Those fans who were in Tignes may then have been able to see the riders race, plus we still would keep more of the climbing in the race. The best solution would probably be to make stage 21 a mountain stage, but you cannot take away the finish in Paris when friends/family/fans etc have already planned to be there on Sunday.

That would have been nice tbh, great idea

 

[rick james]

Re:

Alaphilippe gets dropped. Thomas attacks, Bernal isn't allowed to react. In the final km Steven K jumps from behind Thomas' back and wins the Tour by one second.

For Queen and country...Best of British to win

 

[VayaVayaVaya]

Re: Re:

Have they changed the start time? To see the action in the US, at what ungodly hour do we need to get up?

I think it will start at 14:30 French time

Anyone know the updated finish time estimates? I’m on the west coast of US and trying to debate if I should wake up at 5 to watch or if I should sleep to a normal hour like 7 or 8 and watch the replay or if I could wake up at 6 or 7 and still catch the important part.

 

[F_Cance]

less than 2 hours

 

[bob.a.feet]

Re: Re:

Have they changed the start time? To see the action in the US, at what ungodly hour do we need to get up?

I think it will start at 14:30 French time

Anyone know the updated finish time estimates? I’m on the west coast of US and trying to debate if I should wake up at 5 to watch or if I should sleep to a normal hour like 7 or 8 and watch the replay or if I could wake up at 6 or 7 and still catch the important part.

If you got up at 6 you could probably catch most of it

 

[Broccolidwarf]

With such a short stage, with only 1 climb and no decents, there is not going to be any changes amongst the real GC riders - the only one who might lose time today is Alaphilippe.

 

[broppo]

the KOM should be interesting, bardet is still viewed as the favourite by the bookies, but I don't see him finishing in the top 8.

 

[wawando]

Re: Re:

Wait, what?!

This Tour just went from great to **** in a matter of a few hours. Isn't it at all possible to do something else than this?!?!

Im just lost for words. Depressed. God damn man, why do this Mother Nature

This year’s tour is the sporting equivalent to the Game of Thrones wrap up

Please it's not that bad............

Sorry but it is. Finally a year with a possible French winner and end to sky/Ineos. Only to have Pinot climb off w an injury and JA lose the jersey to sky due to stage nullification to weather is the most uninspiring end to this tour. Yah JA was going to lose it at some point but with a decent and final climb eliminated no one knows what could have happened - Bernal mechanicals or crashes, aj closes on the decent and holds on final climb, others waiting and go into the red on the final climb to make the podium selection tighter for saturday. And all other variations. Yah right decision for safety. But most disappointing end to the most intriguing tour in ages.

What??
This is the best thing that happened to Alaphillipe and the worst for Thomas: Ala would loose minutes on the last climb and Thomas would be on the wheel and attack at the end as the last 4km to Tignes where perfect for him...
Today short version favours Alaphillipe too...

 

[rick james]

Re: Re:

Wait, what?!

This Tour just went from great to **** in a matter of a few hours. Isn't it at all possible to do something else than this?!?!

Im just lost for words. Depressed. God damn man, why do this Mother Nature

This year’s tour is the sporting equivalent to the Game of Thrones wrap up

I'm still really bitter about that TV show, that last season ruined something what could have been amazing

 

[RedheadDane]

Re: Re:

Have they changed the start time? To see the action in the US, at what ungodly hour do we need to get up?

I think it will start at 14:30 French time

Anyone know the updated finish time estimates? I’m on the west coast of US and trying to debate if I should wake up at 5 to watch or if I should sleep to a normal hour like 7 or 8 and watch the replay or if I could wake up at 6 or 7 and still catch the important part.

If you got up at 6 you could probably catch most of it

Or just accept that sleep is for the weak!

 

[Vasilis]

It’s funny to me how people are complaining that we know who will likely be the winner. Oh no! After three weeks, we know who the winner is two days before the end! The race is ruined!
Of course, we will never know what would have happened if Pinot didn’t need to abandon and the landslides didn’t happen and it feels weird how the jersey changed hands, but if Pinot had taken the jersey today (and for example not lost 1:40 in the crosswinds) we would have known the winner too and no one would have said a word about it.

 

[Broccolidwarf]

Re:

It’s funny to me how people are complaining that we know who will likely be the winner. Oh no! After three weeks, we know who the winner is two days before the end! The race is ruined!
Of course, we will never know what would have happened if Pinot didn’t need to abandon and the landslides didn’t happen and it feels weird how the jersey changed hands, but if Pinot had taken the jersey today (and for example not lost 1:40 in the crosswinds) we would have known the winner too and no one would have said a word about it.

It's funny to me, that you don't realise what today and yesterday could have meant to the GC - without mother nature ruining it all