Tour de France 2020 | Stage 4 (Sisteron – Orcières-Merlette, 160.5 km)

[Red Rick]

"You're in the train until the end, to ride Tom's spare bike."

Ducrot suggested earlier this weekend that all of Movistar always rides Valverde's spare bikes lol

 

[ice&fire]

Unfortunately this is a single climb stage, but a repeat of last year action from Movistar derailing Ineos train on the way to the Tourmalet would be welcome. I don't care if they fail, but someone not in the two dominant teams has to try something.

 

[Broccolidwarf]

So who picked Vuillermoz as a stage winner?

 

[DJ Sprtsch]

Start. 10 seconds later we have the break.

 

[BlueRoads]

"Yeah, just go, we will follow later"

 

[Faserr]

Start. 10 seconds later we have the break.

They organise the breaks in a whattsapp group in the morning.

 

[Oliver]

Go Benoot!

 

[Broccolidwarf]

Start. 10 seconds later we have the break.

When both Ineos, Jumbo, DQ and EF shut down every subsequent attack, there is not much the other teams can do.

 

[Jagartrott]

Pretty meh break, as suspected. For the main teams, easy to control, so they block any attempts for others to go or the peloton to speed up.

 

[Lequack]

Roglic first day without a bandage on his arm

 

[Red Rick]

LMAO peloton doing 19 kph on the flats

 

[F_Cance]

Why does the le Tour always have to be this boring

 

[TourOfSardinia]

Break

+ 216 Q.Pacher B&B Hotels

 

[Broccolidwarf]

3 minutes, that's the gap DQ would allow.

Alaphilippe wants to win today

 

[Broccolidwarf]

De Gendt in 3rd position in the peloton.

I think that's the first time in years I have seen him, not either in the break or at the back of the peloton.

 

[Lexman]

De Gendt in 3rd position in the peloton.

I think that's the first time in years I have seen him, not either in the break or at the back of the peloton.

don't understand why he's in front of the bunch, he should have with the attackers, why should he ride to bring them back? orders from the team car? for not having made the attack?

 

[Broccolidwarf]

Nothing will happen until 109 k to go.

The intermediate sprint is at the foot of the first climb, so we may see someone use that as a launch pad for a break.

Otherwise, the GC action will start with around 40 k to go, according to Rolf Soerensen who rode the route.
The last 20-25 k run in to the foot of the final climb, is up and down, left and right, with occasional steep ramps.

 

[Breezy1985]

Today’s daily newspaper Le Parisien wonders if a famous sentence from French Emperor Napoleon will apply to Julian Alaphilippe: “If I cross Sisteron, nobody will stop me until Paris.” Napoleon made that statement on his way back from Elba island to reconquer power in the capital of France in March 1815 and he made it.

 

[Broccolidwarf]

don't understand why he's in front of the bunch, he should have with the attackers, why should he ride to bring them back? orders from the team car? for not having made the attack?

De Gendt is too big a rider for that kind of disciplinary action

 

[broppo]

i put a tenner on vuilhermoz x 401 lol, and polit 5 bucks x 201 before the start. i am crossing my fingers.

 

[Anderis]

De Gendt in 3rd position in the peloton.

I think that's the first time in years I have seen him, not either in the break or at the back of the peloton.

I think he was at the front of the peloton a lot, often chasing breakaways for his main sprinter, be it Ewan or Greipel, in the last several years?

Btw. it's funny how my Van Garderen, Aru, Porte prediction got much more reactions when it was for a mountain stage than for a flat stage.

 

[Rollthedice]

Today’s daily newspaper Le Parisien wonders if a famous sentence from French Emperor Napoleon will apply to Julian Alaphilippe: “If I cross Sisteron, nobody will stop me until Paris.” Napoleon made that statement on his way back from Elba island to reconquer power in the capital of France in March 1815 and he made it.

“Ah, no difficulties can ever daunt me,' replied d'Artagnan: 'my only fear is, of impossibilities. '

 

[Broccolidwarf]

10 teams are riding

i put a tenner on vuilhermoz x 401 lol, and polit 5 bucks x 201 before the start. i am crossing my fingers.

People tend to forget, that a couple of years ago he was viewed as the heir apparent to Bardet, but then all the injuries started.

 

[BlueRoads]

Today’s daily newspaper Le Parisien wonders if a famous sentence from French Emperor Napoleon will apply to Julian Alaphilippe: “If I cross Sisteron, nobody will stop me until Paris.” Napoleon made that statement on his way back from Elba island to reconquer power in the capital of France in March 1815 and he made it.

Why do they have to put that pressure on him? I mean, they have serious contenders for the GC, Pinot, maybe even Martin, maybe, maybe even Bardet. Do they want to break him, too?

 

[Broccolidwarf]

By the way the peloton is forming up, many teams with most riders in a line, it is clear this is a stage many have designs on.... not a lot of riders, except for sprinters and their primary lead outs, have a day off.