Le Tour 2019 stage 15: Limoux - Foix Prat d'Albis 185 km

[hfer07]

Re:

Disappointing tactics from Bernal, but a great result for him.

then what could have been done when Pinot took off while G couldn't? Bernal reacted correctly because he had to cover that attack for G. The problem is that Ineos LACKS structure - coming all the way from DS management to the riders themselves- IOW they don't possess the SKY approach in this Tour.
BTW - the last week is when the hard mountains are coming and it'd be unwise by Ineos to Sacrifice Bernal 100% for G when he's not even yet in yellow, let alone not being able to attack properly yet....

What if Bernal finds himself in a position to counter when Ala is gone, Pinot & Landa Team up while G just follows tempo?

 

[Publicus]

Re:

Thomas saying he could have gone earlier but didnt want to chase down Bernal

He should have followed Pinot’s attack and it wouldn’t have been an issue.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

TonTon must be so happy.

Pinot is really doing it. He's going to win the TDF if he keeps this form. There's no ITT. There's no super Ineos. He really can do it.

 

[Salvarani]

I like to see how Landa will go in the 3rd week.

If Ala cracks. Pinot don’t need much more, if he can drop Thomas and Bernal. How much has he left in the tank though?

 

[djconnel]

Agree: Pinot's my guy right now, but Egan Bernal is second. Thomas third.

Alaphllippe has too much panache and too little team. I think he'll hang on for fourth. He's not going to collapse completely: he was strong at the end of three weeks last year in the GPM.

It's fun when people debate about tactics: who attacked, who didn't, but really on a climb like this you can only do what you can do. Following wheels helps a bit but it's mostly about physiology and motivation. Sky/Ineos have been riding to their power meters for 9 seasons now.

 

[tobydawq]

Re:

S. Yates wins, first one to grab more than one stage in this Tour.

No.

 

[Unchained]

Agree w Dekker..Pinot really looks good.
Personally I am impressed with Roman Kreuziger..he is riding solid..Valverde is not crumbling

 

[Midnightfright]

Agree Pinot is the favourite now. Very exciting. I hope he measures his efforts as well. I would hate to see a repeat if last years Giro

 

[Kwibus]

Re: Re:

Disappointing tactics from Bernal, but a great result for him.

What would’ve been better tactics?

Disappointing in the sense he wouldn't help Pinot when he ****** the elbow and then had the nerve to flick the elbow to Buchmann and follow wheels. Doesn't need to be another Quintana.

I mean I really dislike wheelsuckers, but this is just a silly post. It's obvious that they were on their limit trying to follow Pinot.

 

[Midnightfright]

Re: Re:

Disappointing tactics from Bernal, but a great result for him.

What would’ve been better tactics?

Disappointing in the sense he wouldn't help Pinot when he ****** the elbow and then had the nerve to flick the elbow to Buchmann and follow wheels. Doesn't need to be another Quintana.

I mean I really dislike wheelsuckers, but this is just a silly post. It's obvious that they were on their limit trying to follow Pinot.

Yeah it's not wheel sucking when you arent able to do more. The fact he was dropped shows he wasnt able

 

[Singer01]

Re: Re:

Disappointing tactics from Bernal, but a great result for him.

What would’ve been better tactics?

Disappointing in the sense he wouldn't help Pinot when he ****** the elbow and then had the nerve to flick the elbow to Buchmann and follow wheels. Doesn't need to be another Quintana.

I mean I really dislike wheelsuckers, but this is just a silly post. It's obvious that they were on their limit trying to follow Pinot.

Is he supposed to work against his team leader to keep people happy?

 

[Escarabajo]

Re: Re:

Disappointing tactics from Bernal, but a great result for him.

What would’ve been better tactics?

Disappointing in the sense he wouldn't help Pinot when he ****** the elbow and then had the nerve to flick the elbow to Buchmann and follow wheels. Doesn't need to be another Quintana.

I mean I really dislike wheelsuckers, but this is just a silly post. It's obvious that they were on their limit trying to follow Pinot.

I thought he couldn't because he had Thomas behind as well. So it didn't make sense to pull at that moment.

 

[luckyboy]

Crazy finish to the stage. The best I can remember for some years at the Tour. Pinot looks amazing.

A shame we have a rest day and some crappy stages in Nimes and Gap instead of one more in the Pyrenees.

 

[bambino]

Re: Re:

Disappointing tactics from Bernal, but a great result for him.

What would’ve been better tactics?

Disappointing in the sense he wouldn't help Pinot when he ****** the elbow and then had the nerve to flick the elbow to Buchmann and follow wheels. Doesn't need to be another Quintana.

I mean I really dislike wheelsuckers, but this is just a silly post. It's obvious that they were on their limit trying to follow Pinot.

I thought he couldn't because he had Thomas behind as well. So it didn't make sense to pull at that moment.

And Thomas said he couldn't attack earlier because he would chase down Egan at the same time. I think Bernal was just on the edge to be able pull.

 

[Leinster]

Re:

S. Yates wins, first one to grab more than one stage in this Tour.

Whatever about TTTs, do ITTs not count any more either?

 

[Kwibus]

Re: Re:

Disappointing tactics from Bernal, but a great result for him.

What would’ve been better tactics?

Disappointing in the sense he wouldn't help Pinot when he ****** the elbow and then had the nerve to flick the elbow to Buchmann and follow wheels. Doesn't need to be another Quintana.

I mean I really dislike wheelsuckers, but this is just a silly post. It's obvious that they were on their limit trying to follow Pinot.

Is he supposed to work against his team leader to keep people happy?

Besides obvious tactical reasons as well, it only make pantanis post more ridiculous.

 

[Mayomaniac]

I have to say that the pacing of the last few stages has been pretty good.
A long and rather uneventful mountain stage to wear the riders down, then the ITT, then the big MTF and then a mountain stage that had the potential for action on the penultimate climb.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Re: Re:

Disappointing tactics from Bernal, but a great result for him.

What would’ve been better tactics?

Disappointing in the sense he wouldn't help Pinot when he ****** the elbow and then had the nerve to flick the elbow to Buchmann and follow wheels. Doesn't need to be another Quintana.

I mean I really dislike wheelsuckers, but this is just a silly post. It's obvious that they were on their limit trying to follow Pinot.

Is he supposed to work against his team leader to keep people happy?

I think at that point, Thomas was losing time and Alaphilippe was in the gap, and so it seemed like Bernal was in the position where Thomas was losing time to JA and therefore he was refusing the opportunity to gain time on a rival. Obviously Thomas' subsequent rallying after Alaphilippe was dropped and Poels got him back into his rhythm, that allowed him to limit his losses meant that Bernal's refusal to collaborate with Pinot was justified. At the time Bernal was refusing to take a turn with Pinot, however, it looked like Thomas may lose a packet and therefore it was in the best interest of the team for him to cooperate. This was why Pinot then went again to rid himself of Bernal, who rode back onto him once, but not a second time.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Also: can we please take note that the 120km mountain stage was pretty dull, and the 185km mountain stage was really good?

Perhaps a couple more of these and we can stop neutering mountain stages perpetuating the misconception that when it comes to the mountains, short stages are automatically good and long stages are automatically bad?

 

[Leinster]

Re:

I have to say that the pacing of the last few stages has been pretty good.
A long and rather uneventful mountain stage to wear the riders down, then the ITT, then the big MTF and then a mountain stage that had the potential for action on the penultimate climb.

I was disappointed with the Bagneres stage at the time, but in retrospect it’s impossible to separate it from the action since.

 

[tobydawq]

Re:

Also: can we please take note that the 120km mountain stage was pretty dull, and the 185km mountain stage was really good?

Perhaps a couple more of these and we can stop neutering mountain stages perpetuating the misconception that when it comes to the mountains, short stages are automatically good and long stages are automatically bad?

I don't think yesterday's stage was dull at all. I thought it was edge-of-the-seat stuff. Sure, the attacks did come very late on the final climb but the journey up Tourmalet was nerve-wracking because you just did not know what would happen. Additionally, everybody seemed to be very even and still thinking they could win the Tour, so they were afraid to go too early because they might lose everything. That certainly had more of a role to play in the lack of attacks than the length of the stage!

Also, I think yesterday's stage was ridden quite hard (Bardet and Yates were already spilled on the Soulor) which was felt by many today, even if you always act as if short distance stages are a walk in the park and they are only allowable if placed after a long stage. But it also works the other way around.

 

[Rollthedice]

Free Bernal. Actually I think he is the only rival of Pinot right now. And he is an amazing descender.

 

[Akuryo]

Re:

Free Bernal. Actually I think he is the only rival of Pinot right now. And he is an amazing descender.

The guy currently in yellow is a pretty good descender himself so how exactly does that help? Its not like any of the (other) favorites will gain time on Alaphilippe on a descent?!

 

[hrotha]

Pinot is still behind last year's winner, who might be on an upwards trend. I think Pinot didn't make the most of his superiority today, and things might be different in the Alps.

 

[Valv.Piti]

The Bagneres stage was always meant to be crap, but from there (including the ITT here), ASO got the pacing right of the stages with the time trial, the hard MTF and the tough, longer stage better suited to doing something from distance. There was no hiding on three consecutive days, it was all out efforts three days in a row and no thinking about tomorrow.

I really, really miss a proper queen stage in the Alps and this time around, they got the pacing hopelessly wrong on stage 18 over Galibier S which possibly will render it pretty insignificant, unfortunately. Unless someone has Andy Schleck legs, but nobody has, and they will wait for two pretty hard, but short and very mediocre stages on paper.