Le Tour 2018 stage 15: Millau - Carcassonne 181,5 km

[SKSemtex]

100 days in green for Sagan

 

[TourOfSardinia]

This is where Dan M should have attacked

 

[franic]

Re:

tbh I think Mollema was already cooked and he just had nothing left

This. They could have tried almost anything and he would have still won. Cort and Valgren were by far the two strongest

 

[Alexandre B.]

Calmejane had brain damage today.

 

[Salvarani]

100 days in green for Sagan

Legend

Greatest rider of his generation

 

[postmanhat]

Re:

tbh I think Mollema was already cooked and he just had nothing left

Yeah. It looked like he thought about briefly, but knew he didn't have the legs to carry it off. Could only sit behind and hope Cort spontaneously combusted, taking out Izagirre

 

[spalco]

Well, tomorrow's stage won't be any less exciting at least.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Re:

Well, tomorrow's stage won't be any less exciting at least.

This was a pretty good stage, actually.

 

[franic]

Re: Re:

Well, tomorrow's stage won't be any less exciting at least.

This was a pretty good stage, actually.

Ironic?

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re:

Calmejane had brain damage today.

Actually, Valgren more or less said that his brain must be damaged. So thats pretty accurate.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Re: Re:

Well, tomorrow's stage won't be any less exciting at least.

This was a pretty good stage, actually.

Ironic?

Uh, no. The first hour was great, we had a lot of action on the climb and a somewhat interesting finale as well.

 

[spalco]

Re: Re:

This was a pretty good stage, actually.

Really? The fight to get into the breakaway was interesting, but after that literally nothing happened.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Calmejane whining afterwards that Skujins wouldn’t work with him. Is he actually some kind of moron?

 

[Leinster]

Re:

Calmejane whining afterwards that Skujins wouldn’t work with him. Is he actually some kind of moron?

Skujins chasing and Mollema sitting on might actually have been a better chance of Trek winning the stage, tbf.


But yeah, Calmejane’s nuts if he thought he was getting anything out of Toms.

 

[Charon]

Withdrawal of Pauwels (broken collarbone)

 

[Squire]

Re: Re:

Well, tomorrow's stage won't be any less exciting at least.

This was a pretty good stage, actually.

Ironic?

Uh, no. The first hour was great, we had a lot of action on the climb and a somewhat interesting finale as well.

I agree. I like these medium mountain Tour de France stages, where a big breakaway fights for the win and where there's no chance for the sprinters' teams to strangle the race. A lot of fascinating dynamics in these tactical battles. Not every stage can/will have plenty of GC action.

 

[yaco]

I remember the 2016 Vuelta stage won by Keukeliere for Mitchelton Scott which featured two cat 2 climbs near the end - Cort was the protected rider and couldn't get over the climbs.

 

[Broccolidwarf]

Cort outclimbing Pozzovivo, Calmejane, Soler, Izagirre etc.. alright then

Called it pre-tour

Both him and Valgren have completely changed their focus, after the classics season was over, and shed a bunch of weight for the tour, Vuelta, Worlds and Lombardia

 

[Broccolidwarf]

Cort outclimbing Pozzovivo, Calmejane, Soler, Izagirre etc.. alright then

Kazakhstani power, baby

Nope, viking power

 

[Broccolidwarf]

Re: Re:

This would be a great place to shoot a Western.

Not a spaghetti western. Thats in Italy.

Whats a French western?
The hero wears a yellow hat?

Baguettey Western

oh, the snowflake generation in the UK would have you in jail for a comment like that

Yawn...

“Snowflake generation”, Christ.[/quote]

Yeah

But don't worry, comments like that, usually comes from someone with one foot in the grave

 

[Robert5091]

Chapeau Nielsen! 2 consecutive wins for Astana - Vino will be pleased.

Tough for Pauwels - the finishing crash I assume. Shame no one went with Dan M - too far out and too long a descent probably.

Otherwise National Rail in the UK should contact SDB. One of their trains seems to be missing.

 

[Broccolidwarf]

Re: Re:

Cort must have devastating blackmail material on those two clowns.

They could have not done much anyway

When Izagirre attacked and Mollema left a gap, he came back at much higher speed to the other two who had slowed down.

Perfect moment to keep going, either they don't get on your wheel or Cort cooks himself bringing you back.
Basic move that any junior would know to make.

Even that move was too advanced for Mollema, apparently.

I know the guy started cycling very late and missed most formative years, but FFS he's been a pro for years he should at least have a grasp of the basics.

Dude, when a sprinter murders a climber and a GC contender op a cat. 1 climb, the notion that they could drop him on the flat is silly.

They had just as much chance today, as Fuglsang and Quintana would have with Sagan in the same situation.

The only real dangers were Calmejane and Skujins, but the first murdered himself, by trying from much too far out, and against 3 pairs of 2, that would logically all work to catch him, and, and the second apparently didn't quite have the legs, after exploding on the climb.

 

[Broccolidwarf]

I think today was a missed opportunity, for some of the guys set back in the GC.

Martins attack could have worked, if he had gone away from the bottom of Pic de Nore, where it is steepest, and he then had 2 guys in the break waiting for him, half way up the climb, where the percentages drop.

Fuglsang could have done the same.

Obviously, in hindsight, Corts win is more valuable, than possibly climbing to 7th or 8th on the GC, but both Martin and Fuglsang taking 2-3 of minutes today, could have put them back in podium contention.

I think that was absolutely possible - Martin put a minute into Sky on half the climb, all by himself, had that been him and Fuglsang, with 3-4 of their teammates waiting half way up, they could have made stuff happen

It seems Fuglsang lacks courage, and Martin lacks a plan..... or maybe, it's a DS problem in both instances, with leading DSs, who are both very light on experience, in managing a GC contender in the Tour?

I miss Riis as a DS - he always made the most elaborate plans.... they didn't always work, but they always made for good racing

 

[Alexandre B.]

Moscon out of the race.

 

[Red Rick]

Re:

Moscon out of the race.

He did the least anyway, maybe after Poels. He'll barely be missed.