Tour de France 2020 | Stage 19 (Bourg-en-Bresse - Champagnole, 166.5 km)

[tobydawq]

Did you watch the race - No-one spent more time at the front of the group than Bauer - Problem was Bauer had just been back to the car to collect bottles and was working up the group to when Anderson attacked.

Why the hell would he be collecting bottles with 16 ks to go?

 

[tobydawq]

So essentially you are annoyed by him doing the right thing?

Yes.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Didn't I say that I understood why Bennett did what he did, yet was annoyed anyway?

sure, i just think the annoyance would be better targeted at Sagan. although personally Im not annoyed because that fight provided about half the entertainment in the whole race

 

[F_Cance]

Did you watch the race - No-one spent more time at the front of the group than Bauer - Problem was Bauer had just been back to the car to collect bottles and was working up the group to when Anderson attacked.

Bauer told Wegmann this morning that he is racing for a new contract. No surprise that he tried everything

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Didn't I say that I understood why Bennett did what he did, yet was annoyed anyway?

I can vouch for this man. He did say it!

 

[Berflamand]

I really don't get the people criticising DQS today?

They now have the green jersey in the bag along with two stagewins.

The difference on the line between Bennett and Sagan after a hard finale would not have been much and Sagan could have very well taken the upper hand. If they are sprinting for the stage win this would mean Sagan would take back 20 points (or even more if somebody else managed to squeeze themselves between the two) and the fight would not be over. Just imagine Bennett having a flat tire or something like that in Paris 5km from the line.

In my opinion the risks outweigh the possible benefits and they made the right call not going for the stage win but focussing on Sagan.

 

[tobydawq]

Hey, I just remember that I have SKA in the CQ game! Wuhuuu! Best stage ever!!!

 

[gunara]

Sagans own fault for being in the worst shape hes been in any Tour by a country mile

But thanks to it race for green have been more interesting

 

[Eyeballs Out]

Having watched it again the strongest rider won

 

[dicanio_michael]

Your're right, Sunweb was DQS 2.0. But I don't think Quickstep failed so much, they will very probably have green and two stage wins. And they were also going for the Giro this season, more than some other teams...

Yes, but giving up stage win like that was never their style. If they want to protect the green jersey, Bennet should not attack and wait for bunch sprint.

Whats harm of doing that. Perhaps Ewan would win, but no way this would give Sagan more points than now. It just shows Bennet not confident of beating Sagan, which is really weird.

 

[Salvarani]

I really don't get the people criticising DQS today?

They now have the green jersey in the bag along with two stagewins.

The difference on the line between Bennett and Sagan after a hard finale would not have been much and Sagan could have very well taken the upper hand. If they are sprinting for the stage win this would mean Sagan would take back 20 points (or even more if somebody else managed to squeeze themselves between the two) and the fight would not be over. Just imagine Bennett having a flat tire or something like that in Paris 5km from the line.

In my opinion the risks outweigh the possible benefits and they made the right call not going for the stage win but focussing on Sagan.

I agree.

People just want to see the teams and riders disregard the smartest thing to do for them, because by their accounts "it is boring" or "it ruins the race".

The saying "don't hate the player, hate the game" comes to mind.

 

[Brullnux]

I suppose when we're used to a team having a million stage wins, two stage wins are indeed going to feel like a failure.

Quickstep win like three or four stages normally, their best was when Kittel went mad in 2017. This year they have two plus the green jersey which they haven't won in how long? And maybe a third win sunday. Not the best Tour but certainly not a failure.

 

[RedheadDane]

Interesting detail about the Ewan "group", which - as you can see - wasn't quite a group by the end.

144	EWAN Caleb	Lotto Soudal			8:17
145	FRISON Frederik	Lotto Soudal			8:41
146	KLUGE Roger	Lotto Soudal			9:59

 

[Leinster]

I suppose when we're used to a team having a million stage wins, two stage wins are indeed going to feel like a failure.

We're not used to Quickstep winning jerseys, either. Other than Alaf's KOM 2 years ago, they've generally dominated the stage wins tally, but let others collect all the laundry in Paris.

 

[tobydawq]

Quickstep win like three or four stages normally, their best was when Kittel went mad in 2017. This year they have two plus the green jersey which they haven't won in how long? And maybe a third win sunday. Not the best Tour but certainly not a failure.

Their last green jersey was Boonen in 2007.

 

[Red Rick]

But thanks to it race for green have been more interesting

It stopped being interesting when he couldn't drop Bennett on a cat 4 on stage 16

 

[Broccolidwarf]

I suggest a new nickname for Kragh:

“Mr. Andersen”

 

[Volderke]

DQS rode a very good Tour. They killed themselves every day for the green jersey. They still can get a win on the Champs elysees.

Anyway, I am still in disbelief how badly the tactics were between e.g. Trentin and GvA, and what Stuyven, Naesen and Rowe were thinking when SKA went. Maybe they couldn't, but they had almost 3 minutes on the peloton with16-17K to go, so the only thing they should have done is to save the legs a bit instead of pulling (after they got 2 minutes) and follow the attacks (rookie mistake = trying to attack first).

 

[Anderis]

A typical intermediate stage in this year's Tour- BORA works, Sunweb wins.

 

[Salvarani]

You have to be more than a pure sprinter to win it now. Cavendish won 27 stages, but he only once won the green jersey. It says a lot.

Sagan has been incredible but he is entering the later stage of his career.

I think Bennett is a worthy winner this year.

 

[Unchained]

Race was perfect..the move was crazy good..one stage win already and nobody responding? Oh well.
watching a guy ride an individual TT away from the best bike racers in the world..and get his second victory in the TDF was great to watch.
Andersen and Sunweb should be proud, of the wins for sure,but the way these races were won was fantastic..

 

[yaco]

Why the hell would he be collecting bottles with 16 ks to go?

Bauer started collecting bottles with around 17 kms to go which was clearly shown on the coverage - It took him a while to collect the bottles because the road was winding and I guess he was receiving instructions from the DS - the cut off for bottles was 15km.

 

[Volderke]

Bauer started collecting bottles with around 17 kms to go which was clearly shown on the coverage - It took him a while to collect the bottles because the road was winding and I guess he was receiving instructions from the DS - the cut off for bottles was 15km.

seems not a good idea to get bottles just before the last bump in the road where action was expected, to have something to drink for the next 10 minutes.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

I really dont know how people are proposing that DQS could have got a stage win from that break. What do they think happens if Devenyns somehow brings back Kragh, something he probably can’t do anyway? It would just be ten classics guys going one after the other and everyone else sitting on Bennett waiting their turn

 

[yaco]

Lotto Soudal should have pulled Ewan out of the TDF after the second week - He's not climbing well,already got two stage victories and he is riding the Giro - By continuing on in the TDF it must jeopardise his chances in the Giro.