Tour de France 2020 | Stage 5 (Gap - Privas, 183 km)

[sir fly]

Déjà vu ...

 

[Pirazziattacks]

They almost need to start handing out time bonuses with the combative prize.

 

[RedheadDane]

When's the intermediate?
Aah, okay.

 

[Gigs_98]

You know, If I had explained my friends who don't care about cycling the concept of breakaways on flat stages it would have been something like "you know, you can get on TV and the sponsors want the exposure, so every stage there is a break of the guys who want that".
If they had then asked me "yeah but like, what if nobody wants" I would have had no idea what to answer. Now I do.

 

[TomLPC]

This has real potential to be the worst stage of all time

Tomorrow should be good though maybe

 

[bob.a.feet]

Mood today

https://twitter.com/x/status/1301131212052865026

View: https://twitter.com/fcbliebe1900/status/1301131212052865026?s=20

Not to sound like a grandad, but they'd want to be spending less time with the hip-hop dance moves and more time bike racing.

 

[tobydawq]

Okay, now Ewan partipates in the intermediate sprints. Maybe a bit late for that...

 

[TomLPC]

Not to sound like a grandad, but they'd want to be spending less time with the hip-hop dance moves and more time bike racing.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Cofidis continue to be useless.

Also the lack of a breakaway evidently had nothing to do with the intermediate sprint.

 

[BlueRoads]

Ewan is Messi on a bike.

Nothing against Sagan, but I'm happy the fight for green is on.

 

[fuiers]

Ewan has such a massive end speed. From these sprinters I reckon he is the favorite for today.

 

[yaco]

Have to think if Ewan is going for intermediate sprints then the peleton feels Sagan is vulnerable to retain his green jersey.

 

[Eyeballs Out]

If the smaller teams are no longer prepared to be "flat-stage-break-fodder" (i.e. where the sprint teams give a small break about a minute and a half when 10 minutes wouldn't be enough) then all I can say is...

"Fantastic. What took you so long ?"

 

[Mayomaniac]

Cofidis continue to be useless.

Also the lack of a breakaway evidently had nothing to do with the intermediate sprint.

From what I've heard Viviani showed up in Bananito shape at the training camp after the lockdown, that's why he's so bad atm.

 

[virenque216]

Sagan clearly doesnt have enough top end speed to challenge Ewan or Bennet at the moment. Bora should try to put the hammer down on that Cat.4 hill 17km from finish. I know it isn't that steep but they should do something otherwise Sagan is fighting for 4th or 5th place at the end. Maybe fast pace 20km for home will weaken Ewan more. Sagan getting green this year by infiltrating in to early breakaways in mid mountain stages sounds terrible.

 

[sir fly]

Ewan has such a massive end speed. From these sprinters I reckon he is the favorite for today.

Being light makes acceleration easier.

 

[RedheadDane]

Cofidis continue to be useless.

What are you talking about? They have Martin! The newest one.

 

[fuiers]

Sagan clearly doesnt have enough top end speed to challenge Ewan or Bennet at the moment. Bora should try to put the hammer down on that Cat.4 hill 17km from finish. I know it isn't that steep but they should do something otherwise Sagan is fighting for 4th or 5th place at the end. Maybe fast pace 20km for home will weaken Ewan more. Sagan getting green this year by infiltrating in to early breakaways in mid mountain stages sounds terrible.

If I remember correctly Sagan did not have this tight competition for intermediate sprints in recent years. He used to take those easy. Now Bennett is so eager and he is clearly in much better position to get a stage wins. Ewan should get along with that train since he clearly is fastest sprinter in Tour this year.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

What are you talking about? They have Martin! The newest one.

As a team, not in the way of individual performances. Laporte leading out with Viviani miles behind him was fairly pathetic.

 

[Cinemaniak]

I may not be the best informed member here about Belgian cycling, but has anyone ever wondered why Wout van Aert isn't riding for Lotto-Soudal?? I know they have Ewan, but he's exactly the kind of rider they need considering their objectives and background.

 

[Jspear]

I may not be the best informed member here about Belgian cycling, but has anyone ever wondered why Wout van Aert isn't riding for Lotto-Soudal?? I know they have Ewan, but he's exactly the kind of rider they need considering their objectives and background.

I’ll let someone else truly informed answer but how much of their budget did Gilbert take?

 

[fuiers]

I may not be the best informed member here about Belgian cycling, but has anyone ever wondered why Wout van Aert isn't riding for Lotto-Soudal?? I know they have Ewan, but he's exactly the kind of rider they need considering their objectives and background.

Who knows what happens after next year. His contract with Jumbo covers next year.

 

[RedheadDane]

As a team, not in the way of individual performances. Laporte leading out with Viviani miles behind him was fairly pathetic.

Laporte is the greatest! Viviani just gotta keep up.

 

[sir fly]

Who knows what happens after next year. His contract with Jumbo covers next year.

Leaving Jumbo doesn't look like a smart move to take at the moment.
Seems they've found a formula to push curves closer to the asymptote.

 

[Broccolidwarf]

I'm actually quite happy we don't have the token pointless break.

It's not like it's less boring, to watch 3 Pro Tour riders carry out a 3 hour exercise in futility, than what we are seeing now.

This way, there is a chance for some action later on, when we get to the climbs.