Tour de France 2020 | Stage 8 (Gazeres-sur-Geronne - Loudenvielle

[Libertine Seguros]

kuss is clearly a huge loss to jumbo and rog, if he does not come back from today's bad form.

It's alright, it's just it wasn't an MTF so he didn't feel the need to work very hard. He'll be fine come stage 15.

 

[Luthor]

Laughable. It was a great race today. It’s only a crap day if you’re a die hard PeeNo fan. And if you’re one you should be used to these results. Standard fade for him.

I'm not a fan of either but Dumo and Pinot being in GC contention would have made the race more fun. Apar from Pog's attack, it was kinda lacklustre that the rest of GC favorites haven't made any gaps. Roglic and Quintana should have followed Pog, they might regret it later.

 

[roundabout]

I suspect JV are surprised a bit that Dumoulin wasn't a little stronger (guessing saving Kuss for tomorrow). I get criticism of Roglic for not attacking but I really think the third week is going to be absolutely decisive.

Really much more interesting Tour at this point than I thought it would be. Today was a fascinting stage.

Tomorrow should not be particularly complicated to control up to last 4k of the M-B. And those arw steep enough that if the race explodes, any help would be very limited

 

[KZD]

Jumbo should give more freedom to Van Aert from now on.
If they fail to win the yellow jersey at least they can win the green.

 

[HelloDolly]

So were all the moaners entertained ?

Early reports said the speed of GC on final climb very very fast

 

[Lequack]

Roglic and Quintana could've gained at least 30 seconds or more on everyone if they worked with Pogacar the frist time. But instead the gained nothing.

 

[Fergoose]

Horrible to lose do many good riders as contenders, but really great to have so much GC depth in the field that we can lose so many great GC riders and still have 8 within 13secs and 10 within a minute. That is pretty unprecedented after such a hard ridden finale.

Pinot's body language rolling in the final 3kms on stage 1 was so terrible he seemed to have either known that physically it was over, or mentally quit.

But for Alaphillipe we might have been sitting here in a fortnight's time thinking the JV train was impregnable. Someone get that man a cigar!

 

[Leinster]

I think Roglic's popularity despite being dull is the same reason for Dumoulin's - just a new face challenging Ineos dominance. Froome was, by a massive distance, the most entertaining GC rider of the last ten years; that will become more and more clear as other much more boring riders win using Sky tactics.

Froome's 2016 win deserves a lot of respect; the attacks on the Peyresourde and in the crosswinds were 2 of the best "panache" moves we've seen in a TdF in recent years.

BUT, based on J-V today, we are not going to see more riders win "using Sky tactics," because "Sky tactics" aren't tactics, they're cracking a nut with a sledgehammer. This year, on today's evidence, it doesn't look like any team has a sledgehammer, so they all have to come up with a better way to open the nut.

 

[Salvarani]

bernal is not explosive. he always comes back at his speed. maybe he learned a bit from the froome yoyo.

not sure anyone was going to get rid of him here. they may attack away, get a gap, but he generally pulls back up.

i just hope he doesn't win like this. i already think last year was a bit of a fluke win. and there appear to be riders that are much more exciting and deserving.

Bernal struggled but I wouldnt be surprised about him "getting better" compared to his rivals, as the race goes on.

 

[Billie]

Congratulations Nose Peters.

The new Fedrigo.

'Le Nez de l'Isère'

 

[huangho]

+25:00 Pinot

 

[HelloDolly]

I suspect JV are surprised a bit that Dumoulin wasn't a little stronger (guessing saving Kuss for tomorrow). I get criticism of Roglic for not attacking but I really think the third week is going to be absolutely decisive.

Really much more interesting Tour at this point than I thought it would be. Today was a fascinting stage.

Kuss was dropped

They would not have used Dumoulin unless necessary

 

[Libertine Seguros]

So were all the moaners entertained ?

Early reports said the speed of GC on final climb very very fast

The net outcome vs. expectation was pretty so-so, but the means of getting there was far better.

 

[Jagartrott]

Well, that was the inverse of a tactical masterclass from JV. They burn their second contender for the overall, then their prime contender gifts 40 seconds to perhaps his most dangerous rival. JV shouldn't have pulled that hard, burning all their domestiques, and Roglic should've been glued to Pogacar's wheel.

 

[roundabout]

Roglic and Quintana could've gained at least 30 seconds or more on everyone if they worked with Pogacar the frist time. But instead the gained nothing.

Yeah. It made sense for them to work togethet

 

[Luthor]

bernal is not explosive. he always comes back at his speed. maybe he learned a bit from the froome yoyo.

not sure anyone was going to get rid of him here. they may attack away, get a gap, but he generally pulls back up.

i just hope he doesn't win like this. i already think last year was a bit of a fluke win. and there appear to be riders that are much more exciting and deserving.

People complain so much about Roglic but Bernal is the epitome of boredom.

 

[Broccolidwarf]

I just dont know how you can watch Roglic today or in last year's Giro and go yes, there's an active, exciting rider. Last year's giro he had the excuse of not being that strong. This week? Had the opportunity to put time into Bernal, and has let it slip. It's passive, and it doesn't make for thrilling viewing. Engaging I guess, but only because it's giving other people a chance (a la Carapaz)

I never said he was "an active, exciting rider"

There are many other reasons to like a rider, it is entirely individual and arbitrary.

 

[Big Doopie]

It's alright, it's just it wasn't an MTF so he didn't feel the need to work very hard. He'll be fine come stage 15.

only it basically cost them dumo.

i don't think it was a strategy to have him drop so soon.

 

[75Driver]

well, my personal favorites took a hit today.

pinot out.


ala out.

Yikes, glutton for punishment having those two heart breakers as personal favs.

 

[Salvarani]

Jumbo should give more freedom to Van Aert from now on.
If they fail to win the yellow jersey at least they can win the green.

Umm, no.

If anything he is the most consistent rider they have and in super-form. That will very important now to help Roglic. As it seems he is the strongest out of him and Tom.

It is also maybe a bit of asking of too much to go for both. Might blow up in your face. He gotten 2 stage wins. His TdF is a success already.

 

[bob.a.feet]

Alaf's attack was a pure anarchist move. Didn't benefit himself in the slightest but ripped the race open.

 

[yaco]

Expect another breakaway to take the stage tomorrow - Think if Quintana keeps in touch for the next week, he can do some damage in the third week.

 

[Rollthedice]

People complain so much about Roglic but Bernal is the epitome of boredom.

I can think only of one rider who attacks when he doesn't have the legs, Nibali.

 

[JosephK]

Alaf's attack was a pure anarchist move. Didn't benefit himself in the slightest but ripped the race open.

Yep. It was his raised middle finger as a final show of defiance.

 

[Big Doopie]

the only thing i may have gotten right in pre-tour podium picks was pog in second.

however, he may end up on the very top step. how exciting would that be? a 21 year old.