Teams & Riders Offical Wout Van Aert isn't a Belgian Pozzato?

[CyclistAbi]

And lets say JV succeeds and puts a minute into Pogi. On the stage 5. They are still behind.

 

[glassmoon]

Loosing the yellow jersey because of littering would be a truly epic Rabofail though

 

[CyclistAbi]

If Vingegaard could cope another option is to snap the elastic with Rogla and to let Pogi chase. As likely Pogi will be glued to Rogla. All in all if JV doesn't try anything on stage 5. Then in my opinion they would throw away a good opportunity to gain some time. We'll see.

 

[Red Rick]

What is this weird implication that there's nobody in the race other than Jumbo and Pogacar? Pogacar will find allies in his group anyway, and if a group with say MvdP and Vingegaard or Roglic gets dropped you have a massive problem.

Your best hope is literally that Pogacar gets a mechanical or crashes, and you don't need to pace the race for that to happen.

 

[QueenStagiaire]

I think you need to pace the race for the crash/mechanical plan to work because the forum will explode if they start to pace after a Pogi mechanical

What is this weird implication that there's nobody in the race other than Jumbo and Pogacar? Pogacar will find allies in his group anyway, and if a group with say MvdP and Vingegaard or Roglic gets dropped you have a massive problem.

Your best hope is literally that Pogacar gets a mechanical or crashes, and you don't need to pace the race for that to happen.

 

[CyclistAbi]

What is this weird implication that there's nobody in the race other than Jumbo and Pogacar? Pogacar will find allies in his group anyway, and if a group with say MvdP and Vingegaard or Roglic gets dropped you have a massive problem.

Your best hope is literally that Pogacar gets a mechanical or crashes, and you don't need to pace the race for that to happen.

You could play it safe but in that case in my opinion you can crash or get a flat just as easily as Pogi. If Pogi would be to stay behind. He might find some allies. But the majority of chasing effort would be on his shoulders. If lets say he would have Roglič or Vingegaard on his wheel. And the other one at front. That would suit JV. Time gained wouldn't be race defining one. But it would for sure help tactically. In the future stages.

We'll see.

 

[CyclistAbi]

All in all it's not like they have a choice. Pogi can (and will) easily join van der Poel or Ineos. While JV is (would be) playing it safe.

 

[Boes]

Tbh, Vingegaard is going to need 3 WVA's to limit his time loss to Poggy.
Vingegaard's 60 kg's will have him bounce from one cobble to the other and I wouldn't be suprised if the cobbles are the end of Vingegaards GC ambition.

I hope WVA can ride his own stage and end up being second to MVP as it should be.
#FREELANDA erm #FREEWVA

 

[Red Rick]

One important thing though is that the 2015 amd 2018 cobbled stages did very little damage, and in 2010 it was mainly down to crashes.

If its dry it shouldnt be that selective. Roubaix is all about attrition and they do less cobbles tham they do in Roubaix before they even hit Arenberg

 

[Bolder]

One important thing though is that the 2015 amd 2018 cobbled stages did very little damage, and in 2010 it was mainly down to crashes.

If its dry it shouldnt be that selective. Roubaix is all about attrition and they do less cobbles tham they do in Roubaix before they even hit Arenberg

It's going to be warm and dry. The only analogue we could hope for is the semi-Strade Bianche stage in the Giro last year. Now THAT was entertaining. However, this is a far easier parcours.

I would be very surprised if every GC contender makes it through safely. There will be a few untimely punctures and crashes, hopefully no one lands on a knee or breaks a collarbone.

To bring this thread around, Wout really should be off the leash and given Laporte as a dom. This stage should be his for the taking; I don't think MvdP is in as good a shape for some reason, and he'll be marked really closely because he's targeting it so intensely. And teams are getting wise to how to beat him, which is basically just make him pull and pull and pull. Or maybe he'll just do one of his 60 km to go suicide attacks and blow up.

My sentimental favorite is Sagan, though.

 

[Rackham]

For what it's worth, Merijn Zeeman has 'nuanced' Vingegaard's comments about WvA working for GC tomorrow on the cobbles: Jonas Vingegaard zegt dat Wout Van Aert zal helpen in de kasseienrit, Merijn Zeeman nuanceert | Wielerkrant.be

My opinion? TJV wouldn't (shouldn't) be publicly discussing real team tactics anyway, so I'd take all their statements with a huge pinch of salt. Including for the cobbles stage.

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

For what it's worth, Merijn Zeeman has 'nuanced' Vingegaard's comments about WvA working for GC tomorrow on the cobbles: Jonas Vingegaard zegt dat Wout Van Aert zal helpen in de kasseienrit, Merijn Zeeman nuanceert | Wielerkrant.be

okay so I guess about a 99% chance that he has to work for Rog and/or Vinge

....as the pavé sectors are harder than usual. My money's on another Rabofail. No way both Rog and Vingegaard will finish s.t. as the first GT specialist to cross the line.

Which will be interesting for the team dynamic if WVA doesn't win today's stage. Now you know he wants a stage win badly.

 

[KZD]

okay so I guess about a 99% chance that he has to work for Rog and/or Vinge

....as the pavé sectors are harder than usual. My money's on another Rabofail. No way both Rog and Vingegaard will finish s.t. as the first GT specialist to cross the line.

Which will be interesting for the team dynamic if WVA doesn't win today's stage. Now you know he wants a stage win badly.

I think Roglić should be one of the best GT riders in the cobbled stage. Vingegård is a bit more of an unknown but riders like Benoot or Laporte are in the Tour to protect him.

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

I think Roglić should be one of the best GT riders in the cobbled stage. Vingegård is a bit more of an unknown but riders like Benoot or Laporte are in the Tour to protect him.

I was going by the article Rackham just posted. Reading between the lines, WVA will have to drop back if one of the GC leaders is looking at a deficit. My interpretation only.

I think the chances of that happening are pretty high. But even if I underestimate their abilities in that regard the stage is a dangerous one and essentially a lottery.

It of course depends on if INEOS, Bora , UAE etc. drill it at the front or not.

 

[Red Rick]

Green jersey is already so locked up its not even an excuse anymore.

There are no good reasons for WvA to have free role tomorrow

 

[roundabout]

Can Van Aert win green without scoring big points on the cobbled stage? Perhaps.

Is the green locked up? No, there are 5 possible sprint stages still left so scoring points on stages were purer sprinters can not would not hurt.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Yeah LMAO id rather have Dylan freaking Groenewegen here. Next chance, Paris.

 

[dutchdescent]

Chapeau!

 

[Peyroteo94]

Great ride but show to Pogacar that his leaders are not good enough to win this tour. This could be epic

 

[roundabout]

Ok, it's stage 4 and green is almost safe.

 

[skippo12]

So far he is 4/4. Would guess that he will easily surpass Sagan´s PB of 7 podium finishes. Can he get in the 10-11 range.

 

[markene2]

There is no reason why he cant win the tour now, just be selfish tomorrow also and take 2 minutes on every other gc guy

 

[jmdirt]

Congrats WvA!

 

[skippo12]

There is no reason why he cant win the tour now, just be selfish tomorrow also and take 2 minutes on every other gc guy

Already forgot the Dauphine? Even if he is in the best shape of his life he won´t be able to stay with the best in the high mountains. Taking 2 minutes or even 5 wouldn´t change that.

 

[Valv.Piti]

There is no reason why he cant win the tour now, just be selfish tomorrow also and take 2 minutes on every other gc guy

Yes, lets tell the best rider in the world to wait for Roglic and deny him a stage win in the Maillot Jaune. Im sure that will pan out great for you when you want to renew with him.

I'd just ignore Roglic tomorrow at this point if I was Wout tbh. *** it, just go for it tomorrow again and let the other guys help, Hoydonck, Benoot and Laporte are some of the worlds best at this terrain anyways.