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It's actually a very funny profile.
Earlier in the year, they said that Nairo could make history by being the only rider to ever have become Colombian National TT champion and have won the Giro dell'Emilia xD
There was some other nonsense as well.
Rather disappointing start of the season by Bennett. He's hasn't been looking good in the positioning game. If he, and QuickStep, just needs to to get the leadout going, I don't know, but it hasn't been working very well so far.
Everyone wants to fight to sneak into the back of that DQ train and thats not something Sam would be used to
Poor guy! First Irishman in the green jersey, and people constantly mix up his identity with others.
First some journo got him and George Bennett mixed up - understandably.
Now various fans think he's Peter Sagan - also understandbly.
https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/...the-green-jersey-at-the-tour-de-france-466246
First some journo got him and George Bennett mixed up - understandably.
Now various fans think he's Peter Sagan - also understandbly.
https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/...the-green-jersey-at-the-tour-de-france-466246
I didn't think the climbing today would be outside Sam's comfort zone, but I guess I underestimated Bora's climbing legs. Very lucky with Sagan's dropped chain, or there'd be a big gap in the jersey standings.
Is Sam better off going for green, or a stage win? Either would be great, and there's a case to be made that the 2 aren't mutually exclusive. But he has tended to be more a stage-hunter down the years than a jersey-winner; the biggest race of the 6 he has a jersey from is the BinckBank Tour last year.
Is Sam better off going for green, or a stage win? Either would be great, and there's a case to be made that the 2 aren't mutually exclusive. But he has tended to be more a stage-hunter down the years than a jersey-winner; the biggest race of the 6 he has a jersey from is the BinckBank Tour last year.
That's an interesting question, I think his "problem" is that he's better than most sprinters in the mountains, but not as good as Sagan or van Avermaet or van Aert, so as long as they are there, green is difficult for him. But in a true bunch sprint against Ewan he hardly as a chance either. So he does have both qualities and thereby none.
Right now I think the question is hard to answer for him. If Buchmann is amazing in the mountains, the team support for him may increase and that for Sagan decrease. If Emu is bad, support for Sagan will be freed. If DQS can do something with crosswinds during 10/11 he will see where he stands regarding green. During the next two stages he will just try not too suffer too much.
I think today, his problem was that it was hills first, then crosswinds, so Bora hammered on the hills, and Quickstep didn't have the wherewithal to get him back in, but they also had to keep some guys with Alaf.
On future stages on the rest of the route, where there will be crosswinds, there won't be hills first. So it'll suit Quickstep doubly to get on the front and hammer, and drop other riders, be they GC or sprinters.
I can't see Bennett beating Sagan for green in such a hilly edition the tour. Green is so hard for a pure sprinter to win if there is a rival who can also climb. Cavendish couldn't beat Thor Hushovd until the TdF changed the points rules and made a sprinter friendly route, and Cavendish was a more dominant sprinter versus his rivals than Bennett is (with van Art and Caleb stealing stage wins). Plus Cavendish had a team dedicated to sprints whereas Bennett's objectives probably come second to Alaphillipe's. Hushovd was a lone wolf going for points and Sagan has an entire team helping him.
I think the only people that could have beaten even this off form Sagan for green are probably EBH and van Art, and neither have been allowed to contest it. Maybe Trentin who seems okay going uphill? But I'm happy for Sagan to win it given the dedication and respect Bora have shown towards winning it.
A long way of saying Bennett needs to focus on stage wins, because if Sagan stays upright, green will not be feasible for Bennett barring a miracle run of sprint victories and exceeding expectations on a lumpy route.
I get what you’re saying about the route, but looking ahead, there’s only the Puy Mary stage where the intermediate sprint comes after some decent sized hills. Bora put in a ton of effort yesterday, for ultimately relatively little return. Bennett has looked a lot sharper than Sagan whenever they’ve sprinted together.
All that said, I’d prefer see Bennett win a stage than green, IF it’s an either/or choice.
I'll take your word for it on the location of sprint points. I was going off a possibly throwaway remark from UK commentators. Bora's move yesterday could be taken as slightly desperate (although I dont think so). If Bennett has any interest in green then Allaphillipe dropping out of the GC picture today can only be a good thing.
Interesting take.. I see it completely the opposite. I feel like Sagan blew his chance yesterday. Bennett will likely beat him in every head to head at the intermediates and any sprint where they both make it to the finish together and the 50 points for a stage win would probably put beyond sagan's reach.... Sagan needs to rely on dropping bennett (basically same as yesterday) and to me it doesn't seem as though there's too many stages left where he's going to be able to do it.
Don't take my word for it, go to steephill.tv or procyclingstats or some other site and check them out for yourself.
This is stage 14, 3 categorized climbs before the sprint. Sagan will probably go in the morning break and take the sprint uncontested (Alaphilippe will probably go in the break too and try to push him for it). But he isn't (IMO) climbing well enough these days to go for the win on a stage like this, here 5 years ago he would have maybe had it marked down.
But most of the mountain stages look like this;
Where the sprint happens before there are any obstacles, so if Sagan wants green this year, he will have to actually outsprint Bennett a couple of times.
Personally, I think the ultimate would be if they could get to the Champagnole stage with the jersey still in question (preferably with Sam holding a small lead) and there might actually be late-race green-jersey-related fireworks for the first time since, ummmm... 1984?
Armchair cyclist
Moderator
Excellent day for Bennett (if he makes the cut off time). Sagan didnt seem to get much assistance from Bora to get into a breakaway. He'll need at least one intermediate split after a climb to have a hope in hell.
My logic is that one intermediate split is 20 points over Bennett, which would likely be several top 3 stage results for Bennett in order to recoup it. Trentin still interested in competing for green Hushovd/Sagan style and he is 40 points down on Sagan, so clearly Trentin's team also think there is a route to victory without winning bunch sprints.
My logic is that one intermediate split is 20 points over Bennett, which would likely be several top 3 stage results for Bennett in order to recoup it. Trentin still interested in competing for green Hushovd/Sagan style and he is 40 points down on Sagan, so clearly Trentin's team also think there is a route to victory without winning bunch sprints.
Brilliant video of Sam refusing to believe his team mates that he'd won yesterday.
View: https://twitter.com/LeTour/status/1303373817771962368
View: https://twitter.com/LeTour/status/1303373817771962368
Great to see what looked like years of pent up doubt and frustration let out by Bennett yesterday. A sore one today though with Calen coming out from behind him and pipping him. I know it was a slightly uphill finish and that might favour the smaller rider, but it might give Caleb a mental edge in Paris if Bennett doesn't right that wrong before then.
Ewan and Bennett are good friends off the bike, and they've each beaten the other several times down the years. I doubt it'll weight on him very much, and just getting the TdF stage win moneky off his back will be the bigger deal.
He'll have a few good days in green now, and a chance to settle into the jersey. Sagan's never gone this deep into a Tour without being in the jersey, so it'll be interesting to see how he reacts.
So what do we think for the intermediate sprint tomorrow? It's 30k after a cat 4 (2.5k, 6 point Something avg) I assume Bora are going to drill it. Will Sam be able to hang on? Or regain if he's dropped? 20 points would be a bit of a disaster to cough up at an intermediate.
Stage 19 will be decisive. It's hard enough for Bora to drop Bennett, but not hard enough for Sagan to get Sunwebbed. It could well be a stage for the break but I'd imagine Bora will do everything to prevent that.
Of course, there's no guarantee that Bennett will drop.
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