Le Tour 2018 stage 19:Lourdes - Laruns 200,5km

[Broccolidwarf]

Everything but the final podium is set in stone by now (baring someone crashing out):

Green: Sagan
Polka dots: Alaphilippe
White: Latour
Teams: Movistar

 

[del1962]

By all accounts G is a well liked rider in the peloton, think how he won P-N, so I doubt he is worried anout congratz on message boards.

 

[JosephK]

Re: Re:

I understand people being harsch on Dumoulin. But his tactics were logical.
The only chances of beating Thomas would be if Thomas badly cracked. He tested with 2 big attacks, Thomas looked like following easily. Right there it was clear 2nd place in GC was highest possible. So from then on Froome and Roglic were his opponents. Not Thomas.
Thus everytime Roglic attacked, Dumoulin responded / closed the gap. He wasn't racing Thomas anymore, he was riding for the best possible result left (stage win / 2nd place GC).

I fully understand the hatrid/comments for that. But they were not going to do any damage to Thomas GC. That fight was over as soon as Thomas responded to the first attacks.

I don't think Dumoulin could have done much more than he did. He had no team mates unlike Thomas and Roglic and Thomas was always going to grab the bonus because of his sprint.

I agree with this. Dumoulin has ridden a great Tour. A podium placing is a tremendous result after how hard he had to go in the Giro. Today, he was doing his best to hang onto second.

 

[python]

the stage went just about the way i wished - froome distanced and possibly out of the podium. nothing to do with anti-sky whatever as i am very happy for thomas. would love if dumo did better, but to be frank it was not in the cards given the strength thomas displayed...

great stage !

 

[Cookster15]

Re: Re:

32 seconds between 2nd and 4th

All we need now, is for Thomas to crash or have a flat on the TT, and the yellow jersey becomes a toss up between 4 guys.

I can’t see G going all out for the TT stage win. He already has 2 stage wins, he has a 2 minute cushion ahead of a 30km test, and he crashed on a shorter length TT in the Dauphine. He will have time checks, and can ride within himself and lose <1 min to Roglic or Dumoulin. No need to overcook any corners or risk shaving any curbs or barriers.

Pressure can do a lot to you..... I remember several instances of riders being in a great position before the final TT, and then bombing out completely.

I hope Thomas wins it, I'm rooting for him..... I'm just saying, all it takes is a technical, and a little loss of concentration, and everything can happen.

Surely it's anybodys guess who ends up 2nd, if Thomas pulls it off.

Thomas has no pressure the Tour win is in the bag. A TT win is a bonus only but you are right he needs to be careful not to fall and this might be what stops him winning the TT.

 

[Lequack]

Pic of the day:

 

[bambino]

It still looks like it is going to rain for the whole day tomorrow until around 5pm. Could still be interesting.

 

[pastronef]

@petercossins
Voeckler praises Sky's tactics, specifically their cool in allowing Landa/Bardet to gain 3min, at which point Lotto-Jumbo cracked and took up the pace-making. Portal called it perfectly once again #TDF2018

 

[Lequack]

@petercossins
Voeckler praises Sky's tactics, specifically their cool in allowing Landa/Bardet to gain 3min, at which point Lotto-Jumbo cracked and took up the pace-making. Portal called it perfectly once again #TDF2018

And letting Dumoulin do all the chasing for Thomas. Tactically very good of course, it's just not the racing that fans enjoy usually. I mean in contrast to Simon Yates in the Giro, who although he didn't win in the end, but the time he wore the pink jersey really showed dominance and aggressiveness, a true fan's favorite.

 

[pastronef]

Re:

It still looks like it is going to rain for the whole day tomorrow until around 5pm. Could still be interesting.

rain just in early morning. http://www.meteofrance.com/previsions-meteo-france/espelette/64250

 

[rlntlssly]

@petercossins
Voeckler praises Sky's tactics, specifically their cool in allowing Landa/Bardet to gain 3min, at which point Lotto-Jumbo cracked and took up the pace-making. Portal called it perfectly once ag
ain #TDF2018

And letting Dumoulin do all the chasing for Thomas.

Isn't that the exact same thing? Sky/Portal identified correctly the different tactical considerations teams had and used them to their advantage.

I think it's easy to ignore the human element of this. I just listened to tonight's Cycling Podcast, and there was a passage with the Katusha team, whose riding came in for quite a bit of stick both on this board and from the peloton. But they were four guys who had achieved almost nothing in the Tour, and by their riding today they managed to get Zakarin into the top 10. That might seem like nothing of interest to us, but imagine having ridden for three weeks, losing teammates and feeling like ****, and achieving nothing. Then, finally, you get the opportunity to do something proactive and make an achievement, small as it may be. Similarly we can laugh at Movistar's team classification thing -- but they will go home having achieved something and having stood on the podium in Paris. That isn't nothing, even if it's not what they came for.

That's one of the things I love about road cycling, that sets it above any other sport. The tactics and psychology are so complex and the narratives so multilayered. Those who get cross because the battle for first place isn't the only thing going on miss out, IMO.

 

[Lequack]

Another good one:

 

[Brullnux]

@petercossins
Voeckler praises Sky's tactics, specifically their cool in allowing Landa/Bardet to gain 3min, at which point Lotto-Jumbo cracked and took up the pace-making. Portal called it perfectly once again #TDF2018

Sky's tactics were very good, but tactics are easier when you have the strongest riders, and 6 that can make a selection of 25, 4 that can make the selection of 10.

 

[movingtarget]

Re:

Pic of the day:

Great photo.

 

[Jagartrott]

@petercossins
Voeckler praises Sky's tactics, specifically their cool in allowing Landa/Bardet to gain 3min, at which point Lotto-Jumbo cracked and took up the pace-making. Portal called it perfectly once again #TDF2018

Sky's tactics were very good, but tactics are easier when you have the strongest riders, and 6 that can make a selection of 25, 4 that can make the selection of 10.

Exactly. Imagine Dumoulin being in Thomas' position. Sunweb would have almost zero tactical choices except for begging and hoping other teams would help them out (like they did in the Giro 2017).

 

[Robert5091]

Sagan made it home - chapeau!

So what were the odds for G for Yellow & Alaphilippe for Spotty jersey at the start?

 

[SafeBet]

Re:

Multiple riders saying Roglic got away on the descent because of a motorbike. I didn't see it. Is that accurate?

What multiple riders?
And why should the motos help Roglic of all the contenders?

 

[Broccolidwarf]

Re: Re:

Multiple riders saying Roglic got away on the descent because of a motorbike. I didn't see it. Is that accurate?

What multiple riders?
And why should the motos help Roglic of all the contenders?

Nobody is saying it was intentional

 

[Robert5091]

Pic of the Day? Sky's car was so hot, somebody tried to make an omelete on it -

 

[Lequack]

44 Big Photos from Stage 19 (descriptions to come) — aso/flockton/corvos/bettini
http://www.steephill.tv/2018/tour-de-france/photos/stage-19/