• The Cycling News forum is looking to add some volunteer moderators with Red Rick's recent retirement. If you're interested in helping keep our discussions on track, send a direct message to @SHaines here on the forum, or use the Contact Us form to message the Community Team.

    In the meanwhile, please use the Report option if you see a post that doesn't fit within the forum rules.

    Thanks!

Tour de France 2020 | Stage 9 (Pau - Laruns, 153 km)

Page 34 - Get up to date with the latest news, scores & standings from the Cycling News Community.
Jun 14, 2014
1
1
3,510
Visit site
I suppose its all opinion but do you not think Bernal seemed stronger today than yesterday and in the Dauphine while Roglic seems weaker than the Dauphine? Realtive to each other

I suppose its all opinion but do you not think Bernal seemed stronger today than yesterday and in the Dauphine while Roglic seems weaker than the Dauphine? Realtive to each other

Crazy decision for Roglic not to take time on Bernal when he is still undercooked. Even Quintana is being left in the game....crazy. if Bernal is within a minute going into third week he will surely fancy his chances!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Brumdog66
I suppose its all opinion but do you not think Bernal seemed stronger today than yesterday and in the Dauphine while Roglic seems weaker than the Dauphine? Realtive to each other

No Bernal looked the same both days. Dropped slightly but remained calm and worked back up sometimes with help. See my issue is if Rog is weaker than in the Dauphine it is because he is failing but if Bernal is weaker its because of a master plan to peak in week 3
 
Nobody or very close to it will come out Covid-positive. The chance of contracting the virus is extremely low for any of the riders, just calculate how many in say 1000 spectators might be infected give the current case numbers in France, still very few. And while some are asymptomatic those who are actually sick will likely not stand on any climb. Then, the time of exposure to any given possibly infected spectator is very short, a few seconds at most. A lot are actually wearing masks, the vast majority isn't yelling into the faces of the riders and is keeping a reasonable distance. Not to forget all that is happening under open-air as well. E.g. there have been a good amount of demonstrations, for different reasons, going on in Germany, with people not caring about distancing or wearing masks, yet they haven't caused any real spike of corona infections whatsoever.

Ya right. Not sure I’ve read a more pathetic response to a post about COVId. I’d rather have “no chance” vs “very little” which is 100% opinion based and usually reserved for a blimp whistle. Not surprised as reading makes me think opinions are born from empty brain syndrome. As long as the French bozos are on the hill there is a chance. I’d like to see a permanent V in front of the riders on mountains so those yahoos constantly harassing the riders are permanently kicked to the curb. The only thing missing yesterday was a Borat impersonator running around in a green wedgie suit.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Andy262
The ride by Hirshi was spectacular. Chapeau.

Pogacar looks like Superman. But I am expecting to fade some. It is near impossible to keep it like this for 3 weeks. He is going to be tested in the 3rd week if he continues like this. But He is awesome for the race.

I am glad to see Bernal recovering. We'll see if he has it in the next 2 weeks.

Some saying that Quintana is fading or coming back to doing the same. I hope not. But if that is true he is handling it very good. He hasn't lost that much. I thought that his new level of fitness was useful for recovery like he used to. If that is true he can give us something on week 3.

After the first week I am still sticking with my pre-race favorites: Roglic and Bernal.
 
I was rooting for Hirshi, he was smart to get caught, rest, give it a shot. Great stage.

Yep, JV had Bernal in the ropes and let him go before today. Mistake. And when JV drops, that's like flies. Ineos is being Sky-ed and Pog is using the pull. One big team crushes the course, two give opportunities. Pog is making the best of it, remora-like, and he places darts that give him time.

Great stage. As it turns out, that design worked.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Big Doopie
Congratulations to Tadej Pogačar, for winning stage 9. His very first Tour stage win. Well deserved, based on his performance demonstrated in the last two stages. Congratulations to Primož Roglič, for taking maillot jaune. I will forever remember this day, as such events don't only produce memories one never forgets, connecting neurons, they alter the DNK!

Hirschi was close and likely sad at the end of the day. I am sure he will try again in the future and eventually succeed. Not sure what to think about Aru. Obviously there are some sort of deep issues involved and hopefully he and his team will be able to figure it out in the future. Something is just way off, affecting him rather severely.

JV did a good job today, for Roglič. I feel that they still have some room to improve in the following stages and will do just that. As for Roglič, he is racing smart and being patient. He knows that he will need to respond to whatever attack he will be confronted with. There is really no special reason, on why he would need to initiate attacks ATM. Pogačar likely wouldn't do that, at this point, if he wouldn't have had a bit of bad luck with the puncture(s). As for Bernal getting the strongest in week 3. Well yeah, everybody expects for that to happen, including Roglič.

P.S. Looking back, when GC contenders attacked more, they could usually still afford a bad day. Today, being a GC contender, you can't afford that anymore. And truthfully, a lot of attacks that looked good on TV had origins in some "spices". In my opinion it was a good first week, we could enjoy watching it. Including stage 6, that pissed off a lot of people. But tell me, getting pissed off about something, that isn't always a bad thing. Especially after you get calmed down, by a stage like stage 9 (and 8 and ...). GT race is a relationship, it's not just bells and whistles. You sometimes have to work for it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Carols and sworks
when bernal acctually beats roglic head to head ONCE I will shut the F up, also nobody is claiming Roglic will become some sort of beast in the third week when he finds his form
"(Bernal) is more likely to improve for a year of racing and seems to be improving his shape while Roglic's shape either remains the same or gets worse"

That was the quote I said was nonsense the idea that Bernal has improved more in a year but Rog has gone backwards or not improved. No evidence to support this whatsoever. I never made definitive statements this Brumdawg guy did and you defended him by talking about the future when he was talking about this year
Sorry they were meant to be 2 distinct statements. Bernal is more likely to improve for a year of racing (think this is fair as he is younger). And their shape (or race fitness) trajectories appear to be going in opposite directions, to me at least although its just speculation.
 
Nope.
1995, 7th stage. Indurain goes from far out and takes a minute on a LBL parcours, pulling Bruyneel to stage victory. That's a huge 30 minute effort, a day before the ITT so he wasn't riding defensively to save his legs:

View: https://youtu.be/_ryt-mRh3jI?t=3780


1994, 1st mountain top finish. Pantani attacks and Indurain is isolated. He decides to pull for the next 25 minutes and all but Luc Leblanc are dropped. Indurain already had the race lead after obliterating everyone in the ITT, but he still went on to put the icing on the cake in the mountains. That's some panache.

View: https://youtu.be/F5Sbg4X6ruY?t=1414

1991. After Lemond lost contact with the lead group on the Tourmalet, he got back before they reached the Aspin. But meanwhile, Indurain, your most boring rider, attacked from the lead group in the descent. He smartly waited for Chiapucci and together they tackled Col d'Aspin. Chiappucci the stage and Indurain his first yellow jersey, with panache.

View: https://youtu.be/qfTApLhGOZU?t=722


And that's exactly what Roglic failed to do in the first week: crush his opponents while they were weak. If Roglic now has any bad luck (puncture, crash, off-day), he will regret not having tried a bit harder to drop Bernal or to follow Pogacar on the Peyresourde.

ps: I am not a Roglic hater. I just feel he could ride a bit better, tactically. He is doing OK but OK could translate in "not enough" when evaluating the race in Paris.
disclaimer: I agree 1992 and 1993 were borefests. But Indurain can't be held responsible for those parcours designs with long ITT and less mountains, while they knew exactly what Indurain's talents were.

And in the 2 Tours that he won that are not highlighted here, he may have been racing a little more boringly because he had already won another race beforehand. And it wasn't the Dauphne.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Volderke
Bad Google Translation:
Two very tough days in the Pyrenees, but always proud of your effort. We will continue fighting in the two weeks that remain in this @letour_es
. We #RodamosJuntos! # TDF2020


jA9w0SH.png

First Pinot, now this. Those anti huggers will be feeling as uncomfortable as Zakarin on a descent!
 

TRENDING THREADS