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

[tobydawq]

Sagan’s own fault for continuing the fight for Green. If he’d stopped chasing intermediates ten stages ago, he wouldn’t have spent the whole Tour marked

Lol, nobody would have expected him to do that.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Because he is a better TT’er than all of them, it would take at least 2-3 guys working in concert to do it.

also good luck getting one of GVA and Trentin to work for the other in that situation

 

[BlueRoads]

I don't even think Kragh Andersen was so smart (he was smart enough, though), but he really went for the win and was not afraid of losing.

 

[Leinster]

If he could not win in Paris, a sprinter with just one stage win in The Tour is not that heroic at all, even with the green jersey on.

We've seen multiple green jerseys won without a single stage win, let alone with "just one." Bennett's had to fight tooth and nail to hang onto his jersey.

 

[dicanio_michael]

Sunweb is the second best team behind Jumbo. Quickstep totally failed big time. They used to be doing what Sunweb did here.

 

[Vroome.exe]

DQ wasn’t interested in pulling him back, as today was about denying Sagan points.

Mitchelton only had 1 guy, and he was never going to catch Kragh.

Sagan was never going to beat Bennet in a sprint. He was a clear favorite, I don't understand how a team targeting stage wins can give up an easy win.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Sunweb is the second best team behind Jumbo. Quickstep totally failed big time. They used to be doing what Sunweb did here.

They clearly only wanted to protect the green jersey and essentially have it in the pocket now...

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Kragh Andersen is an amazing rider to go solo though, motorpacing or not, the other guys dont deserve jackshit today IMO.

I knew he was gone once he had 200 meters. That wasn't my point. I just can't wrap my head around the fact that this is the biggest race on the planet, and they still don't know how drafting impacts the race. Nothing against SKA or his win. They did the same in the final of his first stage win, not with him, but with Kamna, who was motorpaced for miles. I've seen it many times this Tour.

 

[Broccolidwarf]

Sagan was never going to beat Bennet in a sprint. He was a clear favorite, I don't understand how a team targeting stage wins can give up an easy win.

Outside Bora and DQ, nobody was going to the line in that group.

It was never going to be a sprint.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Lol, nobody would have expected him to do that.

well being predictable brings predictable consequences. If Sagan can’t bring himself to do the unexpected, he has to expect that opponents will respond on that basis. he decided to spend almost the whole Tour trying to break Bennett’s grip on Green, so of course Bennett and DQS try to stop him.

 

[Simurgh]

DQ wasn’t interested in pulling him back, as today was about denying Sagan points.

Mitchelton only had 1 guy, and he was never going to catch Kragh.

Bennett looked incredibly strong today and didn't have a problem following Sagan at all, beating him at the intermediate and here at the finish. He managed to follow Sagan's pace up that last incline, when the latter tried to reel back Avermaet I think it was. It might be, that DQS even after Bennett proved himself capable of following Sagan without problems preferred to forego the chance of a stage win. I just don't get why they didn't think "Bennett can follow Sagan, let's go for the stage". No doubt that Søren had the legs today, and that no one could follow him at the decisive moment, but I don't get why they (DQS, Michelton & CCC) effectively gave him a gap of 40 seconds, before they started a(n uncommited even) chase, which by then it was too late. Give the Kraken a foot, and he eats your legs, they should have known that after Lyon.

 

[IndianCyclist]

I hear you, Salvarani, I just don't understand why Bauer, one of Avermaet/Trentin and Devenyns didn't try to pull him back before it indeed was too late.

bcos all of them wanted to win by themselves

 

[Red Rick]

Sagan’s own fault for continuing the fight for Green. If he’d stopped chasing intermediates ten stages ago, he wouldn’t have spent the whole Tour marked

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

 

[BlueRoads]

Sunweb is the second best team behind Jumbo. Quickstep totally failed big time. They used to be doing what Sunweb did here.

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...

 

[RedheadDane]

And most importantly; Denmark is once again pulling away from Norway in the TdF stage win fight.

 

[yaco]

Thats just Mitchelton tactics, they have always refused to do any work for some reason.

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.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Sagan was never going to beat Bennet in a sprint. He was a clear favorite, I don't understand how a team targeting stage wins can give up an easy win.

There was no easy stage win there because as soon as Kragh is chased down, if he even can be, a dozen of the other classics guys would be lining up to go. Not one rider in that group was going to ride to the line with Bennett Because they are not insane.

 

[spalco]

Sunweb is the second best team behind Jumbo. Quickstep totally failed big time. They used to be doing what Sunweb did here.

DQS got two stages and the green jersey, that's not dominating but at least ok.

 

[Brullnux]

Sunweb is the second best team behind Jumbo. Quickstep totally failed big time. They used to be doing what Sunweb did here.

They have a couple of stage wins and a green jersey

 

[Salvarani]

I hear you, Salvarani, I just don't understand why Bauer, one of Avermaet/Trentin and Devenyns didn't try to pull him back before it indeed was too late.

You have a split-second to react in these type of situations and it is not easy. If someone doesnt do it. It is over.

I dont think they didnt react because they didnt want to. It is just a game of not having to close every attack and getting in the winning move yourself.

SKA took advantage of the situation. There had been some attacks that were closed down, before he attacked. He just attacked at precisely the right moment when they slowed down. Thats all about reading the race and picking that right moment to go. It was a text-book example on how to do it. When Trentin looked back and saw nobody had followed or responding to Kraghs attack, he was gone.

 

[tobydawq]

well being predictable brings predictable consequences. If Sagan can’t bring himself to do the unexpected, he has to expect that opponents will respond on that basis. he decided to spend almost the whole Tour trying to break Bennett’s grip on Green, so of course Bennett and DQS try to stop him.

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

 

[movingtarget]

Superb win but predictable as soon as the lead got to 10 seconds in a hurry with no one chasing. Sunweb have a had a great race.

 

[Leinster]

I don't even think Kragh Andersen was so smart (he was smart enough, though), but he really went for the win and was not afraid of losing.

He made his move knowing Arndt was in the group to counter if they chased him. And once he got a gap he poured it on 100%. It's important to be smart, but it also really helps to have the legs.

 

[Broccolidwarf]

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

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

 

[RedheadDane]

DQS got two stages and the green jersey, that's not dominating but at least ok.

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.