Tour de France 2020 | Stage 6 (Le Teil - Mont Aigoual, 191 km)

[markene2]

Pogacar to win this one

 

[Brumdog66]

MAL if the break doesn't make it think astana could be the only GC aggressive enough

 

[Eddy Evenepoel]

I fear Alaphilippe will blow up tomorrow, give up and lose 10 minutes so he can get in breaks instead the following stages.
When he lost the yellow in a way like this I can see his ambitions to fight for the GC being killed.

 

[Keram]

Wout Van Aert will lead peloton in last 5k and then sprinting for the win from first position

Anyway I dont expect big fireworks but some guys will crack.

 

[Rollthedice]

I fear Alaphilippe will blow up tomorrow, give up and lose 10 minutes so he can get in breaks instead the following stages.
When he lost the yellow in a way like this I can see his ambitions to fight for the GC being killed.

I read somewhere that he'll hit 100% shape in the third week when he will... well, try to win le Tour.

 

[Lequack]

Finishing climb

 

[Keram]

Finishing climb

It is like 34 km at 4% if my math is correct. Some serious climbing

 

[topcat]

I read somewhere that he'll hit 100% shape in the third week when he will... well, try to win le Tour.

Yes Ala is definitely sand bagging. He's lulling them all into a false sense of security. He's going to attack Col de la Loze like Pantani.

 

[Simurgh]

A day for the break I think, with GC action comparable to Orcieres-Merlette, which means a bloated favorites group. Pinot, Buchmann too injured to do anything else than pray and hope to hang on, Bernal isn't strong enough to make a difference (yet), Pogacar might launch a speculative attack, but won't burn some of his matches this early in the race. Landa, Superman-Lopez, Nairo will live to fight another day.

 

[Pithek]

This is a very good one for a strong guy in mountain (col de la lusette is difficult) and also good on wheeler ...
Roglic or Pogacar. I bet they could finish together.
Not enough tough for big climber like Quintana or Bernal.

 

[Lexman]

Pogacar or MAL they have nothing to lose....

 

[BlueRoads]

A day for the break I think, with GC action comparable to Orcieres-Merlette, which means a bloated favorites group. Pinot, Buchmann too injured to do anything else than pray and hope to hang on, Bernal isn't strong enough to make a difference (yet), Pogacar might launch a speculative attack, but won't burn some of his matches this early in the race. Landa, Superman-Lopez, Nairo will live to fight another day.

I don't know if there is going to be a break. The breakaway-whatsapp group of the peloton does not seem to work very well. It's always the same, people write stuff, but then nobody really feels responsible and takes the initative to say "that's it, that's the way we do it", and somehow things just taper off and the next day there's no break...

 

[Zoetemelk-fan]

As an old petrol head, interested in motorsports in general for nearly 40 years, it really hits me deeply - I mean they're literally within Parc National des Cévennes in the very closing stages of the stage - that they so arrogantly bypass the infamous Peyregrosse - Mandagout course. What a spectactle it could've been just before the final climbing!
Just imagine the peleton split into atoms just right before starting the the final climb(s).
So close, but no cigar

 

[Breezy1985]

This stage will be boring but important for the GC. JV are gonna sort out a lot of the 2nd level GC guys and probably a surprise big one ( hopefully not Tibo ) I reckon we will have 9 riders still realistically close to yellow after tomorrow

 

[Pithek]

This stage will be boring but important for the GC. JV are gonna sort out a lot of the 2nd level GC guys and probably a surprise big one ( hopefully not Tibo ) I reckon we will have 8 riders still realistically close to yellow after tomorrow

Clearly yes.
Big intensity imposed by Jumbo.
And 7/8 guys remaining until the finish (unless Pogacar attacks)

 

[Red Rick]

It is like 34 km at 4% if my math is correct. Some serious climbing

Damn I didn't realise it was that hard tbh, as in it's harder than Aubisque east side which was the final climb of the 2018 Tour.

And the best part is @Gigs_98 what I talked about earlier, a team that really, really wants to go for it nukes it on Col de Mourezes already.

 

[Blanco]

A day for the break I think

I don't think so. I have a feeling that Adam Yates wants to wear that jersey couple of more days. Also Astana and UAE could be interested as well.

 

[75Driver]

I fear Alaphilippe will blow up tomorrow, give up and lose 10 minutes so he can get in breaks instead the following stages.
When he lost the yellow in a way like this I can see his ambitions to fight for the GC being killed.

Alaphilippe was never truly in the GC fight. I doubt he’ll lose 10 minutes but he will go for stage wins when he can. He’s not an overall contender for GC.

 

[75Driver]

Damn I didn't realise it was that hard tbh, as in it's harder than Aubisque east side which was the final climb of the 2018 Tour.

And the best part is @Gigs_98 what I talked about earlier, a team that really, really wants to go for it nukes it on Col de Mourezes already.

Me either because 4% is minor but over 34 clicks it’s another world.

 

[Red Rick]

I don't think so. I have a feeling that Adam Yates wants to wear that jersey couple of more days. Also Astana and UAE could be interested as well.

With Alaphilippe losing yellow he'll probably want to try and win this one.

 

[Eddy Evenepoel]

Yes Ala is definitely sand bagging. He's lulling them all into a false sense of security. He's going to attack Col de la Loze like Pantani.

I would probably get erected if that happens, but it’s not...

I'm starting thinking DQS did the illegal feed on purpose so Ala doesn’t have to defend his jersey tomorrow -> so he can lose 10-15 minutes -> spend rest of the tour going in breaks whenever he wants -> win a few more stages -> don’t kill himself during the tour -> win WC

 

[TomLPC]

Best chance we have of a good race i think is if Alaphilippe is ultra pissed off and goes in search of his 20 seconds, otherwise I'll go with Roggers in a reduced sprint.

Not enough road for people likely to launch a proper long range attack i think, i.e Quints/Landa/Bernal, hopefully I'm wrong

 

[Gigs_98]

Damn I didn't realise it was that hard tbh, as in it's harder than Aubisque east side which was the final climb of the 2018 Tour.

And the best part is @Gigs_98 what I talked about earlier, a team that really, really wants to go for it nukes it on Col de Mourezes already.

Dude you're too hyped again. Nobody's gonna nuke it on the Mourezes

 

[Laplaz]

The 18 bonus seconds would be enough for Ala to be in yellow again. Also for Porte. So I'm going for Richie in yellow.

 

[zenoiz]

My prediction:
Absolutely nothing happens until the bottom of the Mourèzes. At the base of the climb, Pierre Rolland attacks; contrary to everyone's belief he doesn't blow up, quickly gains two minutes and rides himself in virtual yellow. Halfway up the Lusette Adam Yates gets worried and starts pulling hard, towing the better half of the peloton with him. When Rolland finally gets reeled in, Guillaume Martin puts in a fierce attack, only to be countered by Thibaut Pinot who isn't appreciating all the attention Frenchmen that are not him are getting. Meanwhile, Egan Bernal, Superman Lopez and Dani Martinez hook bars and crash in an uphill corner, requiring a joint team train of Ineos, Astana and EF to get them back into the group of contenders. Team JV, which so far had nothing better to do than listen to the background muzak on race radio, then deploys their train on the front and starts drilling it. Richie Porte briefly appears on the front as well, threatening to attack, but gets taken out by a spectator who was disregarding the social distancing rules while taking a selfie. Nothing much happens further as most are cooked from their previous efforts and misadventures. When the TJV train is finally done with its work, we pass the flamme rouge. Sepp Kuss leads out Primož Roglič for the sprint, Roglič launches with 200m to go, but Julian Alaphilippe, who had been shaking his legs and tightening his shoes for the past 2 km while sitting in Roglič's wheel, comes perilously close to overtaking the race favorite. Then seemingly out of nowhere, Wout Van Aert, who had refused to get dropped after his turn in the TJV train, zooms past and nabs the win. In post-race interviews, Wout explains that his whole team had focused on getting Primož the win and the bonus seconds, but when he noticed Alaphilippe getting close, he didn't want to take any risks and decided to make up the 6 bike lengths to snatch the win and seconds...