This. I think that is the main issue.the problem with the TDF compared to vuelta and giro, is that riders fear losing more than they hope to win. it is just too important to be top ten.
Even for Tour standards, I have to add. The race itself is still exciting, the racing action was really bad.This has been a horrible first week.
Bad stage design. Should have ended at the highest incline mountain
Exactly. If Roglic starts to fade ever so slightly in the third week, they'll kick themselves in the head for not striking the iron while it was hot.This. I think that is the main issue.
Today I don't understand Jumbo. Roglic is hot. He should take time whenever he can I guess. I might be proven wrong later but more times than not riders regret it later.
comparing this to previous years it actually is much better.This has been a horrible first week.
By my count they've already done 3/2 of the rest daysDepending on your definition there is now 1/3 of the mountain stages done.
I don't think the design was the problem. IMHO. I know some forum members in here think that almost every stage is a bad design. But is just not the stages only but the riders. Put the same finish at the Vuelta to see what happens.Bad stage design. Should have ended at the highest incline mountain
This. I think that is the main issue.
Today I don't understand Jumbo. Roglic is hot. He should take time whenever he can I guess. I might be proven wrong later but more times than not riders regret it later.
That gap was to a peloton that had long since settled into Sunday stroll rhythm.Looking at the way Lutsenko destroyed his break companions and is still increasing the gap to the peloton now I'm not sure he would have been caught anyway.
They're so wannabe Sky it's making me cringe.Exactly. If Roglic starts to fade ever so slightly in the third week, they'll kick themselves in the head for not striking the iron while it was hot.
Porte wouldn't try anything if he had a DS committee consisting of Jacky Durand, Vino and the ghost of Frank Vandenbroucke.I honestly don't understand why none of the secondary GC teams try something on a stage like today.
People like Porte, Mollema, Bardet, Mas, Martin, etc.
A lot of GC captains are riding injured, and not putting pressure on them in the first week, will allow them to recover without losing time.
Yea, because Peyresourde stages with descent finishes have opened huge time gaps in recent years? Fingers crossed it's better than 2016...Because most of the guys probably has a lot of respect for Saturdays stage. Why put in an extreme effort to gain only 20s-30s today. With that stage coming up, where you can lose 10 minutes on a bad day.
The stage finish design was fine, Mont Aigoual after Lusette is fine. The issue was taking the tempo round from Le Vigan that cut the start of the steeper col out, and refusing to add any lead-in climbs, in an area where they almost had to work harder to find flat roads than they would have done to create an infinitely better stage where the riders weren't all just hitting Lusette completely fresh.Bad stage design. Should have ended at the highest incline mountain
