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

[BeachBum]

Nibali was out there trying to attack to gain time from stage 2 in 2014

YES! Was wondering when somebody would bring up Nibali. Attacked in Stage 2 (which he won) and a few days later put 2 minutes into every remaining contender in stage 5. None of this 'waiting for the proper time' dreaming.

It would've cost Jumbo very little to attack and find out Bernal's true condition today.

 

[BlueRoads]

I doubt there are any riders out there who know that some crazy person by the name of [RedheadDane] exists (not gonna use my real name). Sure, on occasion I might have interacted with a few of them on social media, but there are so many fans an followers out there, they probably forget about it again.
Sure, there might be a few people out there who get to know riders on a semi-personal basis, but for the vast majority that's not the case.



They're riding in a way that suits them, which just happens to be more entertaining.

But anyway; I really just don't see a point in being angry about something that literally don't affect me in any way.

I lied. I don't like Evenepoel and I am still not entirely sure about Alaphilippe. But I think it's a weird conception (not just by you, by all the cycling world) that riders don't have to care whether the spectators are happy. For sure they should not do something they don't like or that does not feel right just to make us happy! But pro-sport is totally entertainment! That's really why they get payed. If there is absolutely no show... well, there are not many like you who say "I'm watching every bike race, no matter what".

But to not care how much action there is is definitely a healthy life-style!

 

[Red Rick]

According to some riders statements after today's stage, we keyboard warriors know nothing about racing a bike. They were all at their limit. It's just a coincidence that 30 dudes have exactly the same limit.

How many times can a people interview Higuita?

 

[sir fly]

Oh, Buchmann was not at his limit. He said "ich freue mich auf die richtigen Bergetappen!" (I am looking forward to the real mountain stages!)

Real like proper (as this wasn't one), or like the right one?

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Have you seen how Contador named his bike line?

I was hoping for Clinic12, I must admit.

 

[BlueRoads]

Real like proper (as this wasn't one), or like the right one?

like "proper", if I did not misunderstand him completely

 

[Brumdog66]

If the team and himself expected that, they would be attacking these stages like crazy, trying to get a gap. Instead, both the team and himself seem to be rather sure he will be dancing around Bernal like in Tour de l'Ain, casually rising the pace and riding away from everyone at will. And so far, nothing has proven us otherwise. But I do think they will put more effort on Saturday. Hard pace on Bales and the Peyresourde and then a small group (or ideally an attack by Rogla going solo) rides away in the last couple of kilometers before the downhill, where differences should stick.

You could argue that they rode Merlette hard becuase it was an easy finish and didn't ride today because the Lusette was actually a far more dangerous climb. The only person he has to drop to gain 10 seconds from a bonus is Alaphillipe.

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

There is a certain irony though, in that normally that point is used with regards to riders like Simon Gerrans or Louis Meintjes, who are perceived as maximising their results through negative racing. While there is some distaste for them finding success through that route, there is at least an understanding of why they do it (well, maybe we should go back in time to someone like Leipheimer rather than Meintjes, because Leipheimer's TT weapon meant he could actually use his tactics to win things, whereas Meintjes topped out at being a placement rider) because they aren't paid to entertain us, they're paid to win bike races. But that just makes Jumbo today all the more perplexing, because you would think that allowing such a slow tempo when tomorrow's stage is a flat one is a higher risk strategy - it gives up the opportunity to benefit from the bonus seconds at the top of the climb that Roglič would be favourite for, it keeps more opposition close at hand, it allows more opponents to benefit from domestiques for longer - than setting a more aggressive tempo would have been, especially perplexing when they had so much success at the Dauphiné with their tempo-setting strategy.

They had one GC guy to ride for at the Dauphiné. Now they have two, one of whom isn't all that hot atm. Kuss could have possibly dropped Dumoulin.

Would have been possible to ride like that if they had backed Rogla 100% from the start, though.

 

[ice&fire]

Oh, Buchmann was not at his limit. He said "ich freue mich auf die richtigen Bergetappen!" (I am looking forward to the real mountain stages!)

He might be surprised when he discovers that the real mountain stages have at most two hard climbs, the trains will make it to the last 5km of the MTFs and all we will see will be half baked accelerations to take 30 seconds like last year. The exception was Bernal, who took 1 minute on Iseran because nobody knew where the finish was.

 

[jmdirt]

I always like it when a break succeeds!

 

[Escarabajo]

People get mad at MTF, but after today what are we to expect from Saturday stage?

Yes, Ok, not everything should be MTF but to put two descends in a row in a weekend is a big risk. You need to make sure that at least in one of them there is going to be clear separation among the favorites and at this point we are not sure is going to happen.

We'll see what happens.

 

[Koronin]

I doubt there are any riders out there who know that some crazy person by the name of [RedheadDane] exists (not gonna use my real name). Sure, on occasion I might have interacted with a few of them on social media, but there are so many fans an followers out there, they probably forget about it again.
Sure, there might be a few people out there who get to know riders on a semi-personal basis, but for the vast majority that's not the case.



They're riding in a way that suits them, which just happens to be more entertaining.

But anyway; I really just don't see a point in being angry about something that literally don't affect me in any way.

I semi agree with you. They know there are large number of fans watching. They know they are entertaining fans. I think it depends on the individual rider as well. Valverde has said a few times when asked about routes and how they look that the map of the route is only useful for riders as far as what the layout is, but it's up to the riders whether or not a race or stage will actually be entertaining or not. He's said that it's up to them to make things entertaining, but it's not always going to happen for multiple reasons. He has specifically said that it's part of his job to make sure his friends and fans enjoy watching him race. Of course he's also made the comment a few times that are fans are just friends he has not yet met. One of his young teammates seems to have a similar view. At the start of the lock down he realized he had a few followers that he didn't personally know and said something about apparently some of Valverde's fans were being nice and following him. He thought a great idea during the lock down was everyone getting to know each other better so that we would all be friends instead of some of us just being fans.

 

[Gigs_98]

Or maybe Roglic just wasn't feeling great today either and this whole stage was big bluff (including Kuss/Dumoulin interviews) to keep opportunists out of attacking.

I don't think that's the case but it's possible. Would make nobody testing their rivals legs even more stupid though.

 

[CyclistAbi]

Congratulations to Alexey Lutsenko, for taking the win on stage 6. Well deserved.

As for JV not making a move. Indeed it seemed everything is set up for that, for it to happen on stage 6. Yesterday, when i was thinking about it, i could see it happen. Personally, i felt it is way too early. Hence today, i must say i am rather happy, it didn't happen. Stages 15 and up, there it is where it would ideally happen. There is a big chance JV will make a move sooner. Could have happened today, likely if the breakaway wouldn't be as strong as it was. If JV would make a move today, there was a rather slim chance of securing the bonifications. Bernal, and most of other favorites, would likely finish in the same time. IMHO good call on JV side!

Some people could i guess be disappointed, but this is GT racing, tactics is important part of it. First week is not over yet, we have seen a dramatic stage 1, some good sprinting and stages 2 and 4 didn't disappoint. Competition for green jersey is open ...

 

[Leinster]

YES! Was wondering when somebody would bring up Nibali. Attacked in Stage 2 (which he won) and a few days later put 2 minutes into every remaining contender in stage 5. None of this 'waiting for the proper time' dreaming.

It would've cost Jumbo very little to attack and find out Bernal's true condition today.

Let's be clear.

Nibali was going for a stage win into Sheffield, where he got a gap over the top of a short hill, and distanced everyone on a descent.

During stage 5, the wet cobbles shattered the field, and through good positioning, Nibali stayed in front.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKLXAcUcBg4


This was not equivalent to today; if some of J-V's rivals for yellow had shown signs of weakness, then maybe that would have been an acceleration. But unless Dan Martin makes a miracle week-3 comeback, I didn't see anyone obviously suffering, that they'll later regret not working over when they had the chance.

 

[Leinster]

I don't think that's the case but it's possible. Would make nobody testing their rivals legs even more stupid though.

Refer to my earlier post;

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When they saw Ineos going to the front, they probably thought "Well thank you," and when they saw the pace Ineos were setting and nobody else attacking they definitely thought "thank you VERY much."

JV didn't even have to bluff. They just had to sit behind Ineos and if anyone went past, just say "hey, weren't you at the Dauphine? That was a fun race, wasn't it. Y'know, Sepp hasn't been on the front all day today."

 

[Pirazziattacks]

Michele Scarponi pointed out after the 2012 Giro that he and Basso had seen Hesjedal struggling at the back of the heads of state group in week 1, and done nothing about it as they figured he'd drop back as he was clinging on for grim death. Of course, Hesjedal tends to ride himself into form, and by the time they actually did get round to attacking him he was more than strong enough to respond. If Scarponi had told Niemiec, or Basso had told Szmyd and Caruso, to get on the front and absolutely drill it on those stages, Hesjedal is dropped and eliminated.

Jumbo didn't need to be sending Rogla out on a solo exploit or anything, but it was patently obvious Ineos' tempo was not them going all out to string out the bunch and drop people. While Roglič is in strong form it is absolutely in their interest to eliminate as many contenders as possible. Getting on the front and burning a few matches to reduce the bunch from 50 to 15 in size isn't glamorous, but it means far fewer people to watch in future stages. After all, it wasn't like Ineos were burning their guys running the tempo they did, because they were all still happily tapping away on the pedals all the way to the line, so you don't even have the excuse of making the rivals burn their domestiques. Enric Mas crashed and Sérgio Higuita was dropped at one point, you could test them out, and maybe just asking Kuss or Gesink to tap out at 90% for a couple of kilometres would have been sufficient to rid the bunch of some of the chaff and mean they have fewer people to keep an eye on later.

And if they did take the maillot jaune, they could always just ship it to a breakaway, you know? That used to happen all the time. Hell, one of the guys that did try and do something on the stage - Jesús Herrada - got to lead a Grand Tour in that exact same circumstance, to relieve some of Simon Yates' domestiques from péloton controlling duties.

The favourites at that Giro made so many mistakes- not pushing Hesjedal and others early, letting Hesjedal just ride away from them without even putting in a real attack at one point, Purito not attacking until it was too late etc. Which is to say I fully support these tactics and hope we end up with complete outsiders like Hesjedal and De Gendt on the podium.

Which of course is something Ineos would never allow to happen. JV obviously haven't learned anything from the Sky train. Roglic, Kuss and co are on form now. Why wait? Every day off is a chance for Sivakov to recover and Carapaz to improve his form. The longer Pintot, Landa, Quintana, Pogacar, Bardet and others remain so close on GC, the harder the race could be to control and the more cards other teams have to play. Caruso at 41 seconds for example.

 

[RedheadDane]

Okay, I'll change my statement a little bit from yesterday; there might be riders who are doing things primarily from entertainment purposes, but they're not not attacking just to bore people.

 

[IndianCyclist]

The difference with this JV team is that they have the out and out favorite who has dropped everyone on the climbs and who TTs second only to his teammate. Also they have the strongest team. They can afford to wait for the TT. Their only enemy appears to be luck and stupidity.

 

[cellardoor]

I think the problem with the stage was that Quickstep put a man in the break.

 

[tobydawq]

Upon reading just a few comments in this thread I kind of wish Red Rick will find his button.

People, why do you have ridiculous expectations all the time?

 

[gregrowlerson]

General Rule: The more disappointing a cycling stage, the more entertaining the CN forum.

I have not been disappointed (well, not twice)

 

[Cannavaro]

I think Roglic is more confident with 10-30 minute efforts, which does not mean that he is bad at the longer ones, but his strength are the shorter ones. If you ride a strong pace from the bottom of Lusette that means an effort of around 50 minutes. Of course he is capable of doing it, but there is no reason for Jumbo to bring Roglic into an unpleasant situation at the moment. They tested their rivals on Orcierès Merlette and nobody was really weak, so if you want somebody to drop on Lusette, just let Kuss cruising at 5.8 W/kg is not enough.

 

[Red Rick]

It's amazing to see that the excitement about the route before the race and now the narrative everywhere is how there's barely any good mountain stages only to not criticize the riders.

 

[Eddy Evenepoel]

That Movistar DS, Chente something, should be DS for all teams. Screaming to the riders “show that you have balls! Show that you have balls!”

(Reference to the Giro-episodes of the Movistar documentary from last year)