Tour de France 2020 | Stage 2 (Nice Haut Pays - Nice, 186 km)

[Leinster]

Why didn't Pogacar wait for him?

Why didn't they both wait for Kristoff? Blatant disrespect of the jersey.

 

[JosephK]

Poga had a flat tire today but no crashes. Quietly finishes in the bunch. Not a bad day, today.

 

[Alexandre B.]

Collarbone seems fine for Schachmann.

 

[movingtarget]

Is anybody excited by Porte? The other two, yes.

Porte finishes more grand tours than Pinot.........that's saying something.

 

[janraaskalt]

Aru and Martinez today's main GC losers. Kämna lost 10 minutes in the end. That late crash must have been worse than it looked. A shame about his and Dani's crashes.

I don't think even Aru believed in his GC chances.

 

[bajbar]

maybe but they didn't had a helper with them if for exemple Dumo or Roglic had a puncture....

The first part of the team did a great job (Martin, Jansen, Gesink), Bennet also did a good job, considering he fell twice yesterday. But I expected more from Van Aert (who did have to help Dumo a bit), but especially Kuss (who does have a a bit of having a certain warm up time in the race). It did look like neither Primož nor Tom had interest in going for the stage or placing, but having no teammates on the last downhill is very risky. Something to work on. You cannot afford mistakes.

 

[Leinster]

2nd and 3rd

Regardless, they still left out their best hope

RIght you are.

Or rather, 3rd and 2nd in order.

So on logical progression, who's got money on Arndt for the win tomorrow?

 

[roundabout]

Gaudu finished. Well done after such an awful start of the stage.

 

[Lequack]

Lol at Ala tightening his helmet before the sprint. Big props to him. Everyone knew he was the big favorite and he still won.

Unlike all these other guys who claim to be riding for stages, he actually goes for it every chance he gets though I guess Yates at least tried.

It seemed he was looking for even more things to tighten haha.

 

[JosephK]

Not sure

The first part of the team did a great job (Martin, Jansen, Gesink), Bennet also did a good job, considering he fell twice yesterday. But I expected more from Van Aert (who did have to help Dumo a bit), but especially Kuss (who does have a a bit of having a certain warm up time in the race). It did look like neither Primož nor Tom had interest in going for the stage or placing, but having no teammates on the last downhill is very risky. Something to work on. You cannot afford mistakes.

Great points. Today was not a disaster for TJV, but if they are to win the TDF, they will have to be stronger. I wonder whether the effects of yesterday's bad weather will start to show up in the next few days with more riders taking ill.

 

[Andy262]

Only thing that really surprised me about that was how low down the climb Ala attacked. Left himself a fair bit of work.

Feels like this really could be a tour of surprises. Maybe Movistar will get there *** together.

 

[BlueRoads]

Well, that was a very nice stage. And Hirschi, showing nothing all season, convincingly second

 

[Broccolidwarf]

Worst Sacha Baron Cohen project ever,

You literally made me laugh out loud dude - thanks

 

[Faserr]

Ala is good for the tour. Happy for him. I don't think his climbing legs are as good as last year, but he finished this off with style.
Kristoff looks dead

 

[Broccolidwarf]

The first part of the team did a great job (Martin, Jansen, Gesink), Bennet also did a good job, considering he fell twice yesterday. But I expected more from Van Aert (who did have to help Dumo a bit), but especially Kuss (who does have a a bit of having a certain warm up time in the race). It did look like neither Primož nor Tom had interest in going for the stage or placing, but having no teammates on the last downhill is very risky. Something to work on. You cannot afford mistakes.

The big GC teams, like Ineos and Jumbo, have riders they tell to take it easy in the first week, to conserve energy for week 3.

I'd assume both Castroviejo and Kuss are in that category.

 

[Red Rick]

The big GC teams, like Ineos and Jumbo, have riders they tell to take it easy in the first week, to conserve energy for week 3.

I'd assume both Castroviejo and Kuss are in that category.

Contadors team used to do that, his domestiques were told to take it easy in the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd week

 

[movingtarget]

Gaudu finished. Well done after such an awful start of the stage.

The time trial behind the team car might have helped.............Nibali would have been thrown off the race.

 

[bajbar]

Primož was asked after the finishing line if they decided to not go with Alaphilippe and Yates or couldn't. He gave a little smile and said "Let's just say we are happy with the situation and how things went". He was also happy that he recovered well enough from that crash that he could climb with the rest and said that he is feeling better every day.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Porte finishes more grand tours than Pinot.........that's saying something.

Porte is also the least exciting race contender since Leipheimer. He makes Haimar Zubeldia look like Aleksandr Vinokourov. He makes Tadej Valjavec look like Vincenzo Nibali. He makes Adam Yates look like Simon Yates.

 

[ppanther92]

Alaf is a pretty remarkable rider. He basically said he'd win this stage; everyone knew he was going to attack on the final climb; he was towing Hirschi and Yates; had to calculate his sprint to bluff Yates off his wheel; and still won. He can win Stage 4 if he's climbing like last year; but I think that one of the big GC guys is going to attack on the last climb. Anyway, awesome to win the stage and the yj...

2011 Gilbert vibes. Everyone knepw where he would attack but he still pulled it off.

 

[SafeBet]

Well, that was a very nice stage. And Hirschi, showing nothing all season, convincingly second

Hirschi was clearly coming into form lately. He was often climbing with the best during the Dauphine.

But yeah, he was dreadful before the lockdown.

 

[Gigs_98]

Quoting your last date?

Dude...

 

[movingtarget]

Porte is also the least exciting race contender since Leipheimer. He makes Haimar Zubeldia look like Aleksandr Vinokourov. He makes Tadej Valjavec look like Vincenzo Nibali. He makes Adam Yates look like Simon Yates.

Most people didn't realize Zubeldia was actually in the race unless they scrolled through the results later. He was on another level.

 

[HelloDolly]

Well, that was a very nice stage. And Hirschi, showing nothing all season, convincingly second

If you were watching your cycling you woud have seen Hirschi was good in Autralia and good at the Dauphine

That was his privilege, as the youngest rider in the group with the least in the way of GC aspirations.


We gave Sunweb some stick in the buildup for leaving Bling at home, but 2 2nd places so far suggests maybe they have, dare we say it, a strategy?

Sunweb are backing Ces Bol for sprints so I guess that would have been a conflict with Matthews ambitions or maybe they need someone to win in Italy for the sponsor?

Benoot s the leader but he is not going well at alland retired from the Dauphine so bringing him to the Tour was maybe a mistake

SK Anderson, Hirchi & Roche are trying for stages and maybe KOM

 

[bob.a.feet]

Dude...

I fear my penis theory may have gotten the forum into a risqué mood. I do apologise.