Tour de France 2020 | Stage 20 ITT (Lure - La Planche des Belles Filles, 36.2km)

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Krzysztof_O

Krzysztof_O

Jul 7, 2013
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The last test of the Tour: hybrid time-trial. Primoz Roglic is on pole-position: given his form, TT abilities and course specificity, he should be able to keep his healthy one-minute advantage over Pogacar. He was flying uphill on a similar course at TT WC in Norway. Pogacar will probably lose some time to Roglic on a flat part but will try to gain time on a last climb. It will be difficult given how comfortable Roglic looked in their duel on Loze. I'm rooting for Tadej but I realize that he will need some favourable circumstances to win the Tour (i.e. his great day coupled with a weaker day by Roglic, crash or a mechanical problem). May the best man win! My prediction for today: Roglic victory in this TT and the whole Tour.
 
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Libertine Seguros

Libertine Seguros

Feb 20, 2010
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Mayomaniac said:
I wouldn't mind that, we'd see more special setups in an ITT like this one.
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Problem would then be any mechanical or crash would completely ruin the TT unless an exception was made for those circumstances, and then if you allowed that exception there would be lots of incredibly suspiciously-timed mechanicals and incidents that necessitated bike changes.
 
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Leinster

Jun 10, 2017
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Mayomaniac said:
I wouldn't mind that, we'd see more special setups in an ITT like this one.
Click to expand...
I think we will see a few interesting compromise setups. At the same time, while I’m completely against the principle of bike swaps, I am totally happy to have them, as there is always the likelihood of the botched bike swap, and I can then point at the bike swapper and laugh at his misfortune.

Even if a rider is starting on a TT bike with the intention of riding it to the finish, I think they ought to have a road bike with clipons as their reserve; if you get a flat in the final 3rd of the race, a road bike is what you’d ride from that point anyway.

And I’d have the road bike in its lowest gear. Not like Campanaerts at the Giro last year.
 
Mayomaniac

Mayomaniac

Apr 10, 2019
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Libertine Seguros said:
Problem would then be any mechanical or crash would completely ruin the TT unless an exception was made for those circumstances, and then if you allowed that exception there would be lots of incredibly suspiciously-timed mechanicals and incidents that necessitated bike changes.
Click to expand...
Yes, that's the main reason why you can't ban bike changes.
 
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Bolder

Jun 25, 2015
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Mayomaniac said:
I wouldn't mind that, we'd see more special setups in an ITT like this one.
Click to expand...


I like the bike change permission -- just adds another element of tactics (and another chance to screw things up...)

I wonder how Carapaz will do; if he's not cooked from his Alps efforts he could go quite well.

I would love to see Dumoulin win, but I think Roglic is going to try to stamp his authority on the Tour. I also really, really hope that Porte can keep it together, not crash and not flat and hold 4th place, at least. He's totally converted me from somewhat ambivalent to admiration this Tour.

Even though the GC battle has been mostly devoid of action, there have been some great story lines -- Alaf calling stage 2 win, Porte and Mas surprising, Sagan and Bernal's implosion, Superman's resurrection, WVA's incredible riding, Carapaz, Hirschi, THE KRAGHEN!

(sadly what was not unexpected is the complete disintegration of any French hopes)
 
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Lequack

Lequack

Jul 10, 2014
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Domoulin fanclub is ready

EiRA2EDWkAARyNR


EiRA2EDXsAI0IsD


EiRA2EBWkAQK9my
 
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BlueRoads

BlueRoads

Jan 4, 2020
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Bolder said:
I like the bike change permission -- just adds another element of tactics (and another chance to screw things up...)

I wonder how Carapaz will do; if he's not cooked from his Alps efforts he could go quite well.

I would love to see Dumoulin win, but I think Roglic is going to try to stamp his authority on the Tour. I also really, really hope that Porte can keep it together, not crash and not flat and hold 4th place, at least. He's totally converted me from somewhat ambivalent to admiration this Tour.

Even though the GC battle has been mostly devoid of action, there have been some great story lines -- Alaf calling stage 2 win, Porte and Mas surprising, Sagan and Bernal's implosion, Superman's resurrection, WVA's incredible riding, Carapaz, Hirschi, THE KRAGHEN!

(sadly what was not unexpected is the complete disintegration of any French hopes)
Click to expand...

I actually thought Pinot will make it to Paris, which of course he does now, but I thought top 12 would be a given.

About Porte and Mas, I don't want to take anything away from them, but there was a bunch of guys who I think could have been as good as them but dropped out or were out of the GC because of crashs, so I can't be really enthusiastic about their high placing, especially not with Mas (he did very well in terms of positioning, though). Porte at least overcame that shock moment, okay.
 
Pantani_lives

Pantani_lives

May 3, 2010
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About the KOM: Carapaz can take the flat part slowly, change bikes just before the climb and then go full gas. It would be hilarious if he had the fastest climbing time, but finished outside the time limit for the stage. :hearteyecat:

If Pogacar and Roglic care about the KOM they should also change just before the climb. They're sure to remain 1 and 2 in the GC, but there's another a stage win at stake for them.
 
RedheadDane

RedheadDane

May 5, 2010
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Bolder said:
I like the bike change permission -- just adds another element of tactics (and another chance to screw things up...)
Click to expand...

I like the fact that there are some pretty clear rules; bike has to come from the car, and max five second push.

gregrowlerson said:
Besides, some on the forum have spoken of their desire to nuke this climb, so in this case better to be safe and sorry :D
Click to expand...

You want to be both safe and sorry?
 
DFA123

DFA123

Nov 7, 2010
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Libertine Seguros said:
Problem would then be any mechanical or crash would completely ruin the TT unless an exception was made for those circumstances, and then if you allowed that exception there would be lots of incredibly suspiciously-timed mechanicals and incidents that necessitated bike changes.
Click to expand...
Just make it a rule that you can only change to the same type of bike.
 
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