Tour de France Tour de France 2021, Stage 16: Pas de la Case – Saint-Gaudens, 169.0 km

[gregrowlerson]

This stage reminds me of the third last stage in the Alps last year: which was a horrible stage for gc.

However, I am less pessimistic for this year's corresponding stage.

In 2020 jumbo were crazy strong. 2021 UAE, not so much.
In 2020 there was Loze still to come. In 2021 the remaining climbs are not quite as scary.
In 2020 the time gaps were relatively small. In 2021, not so much.

There is also the Richard Carapaz factor. We know that he is willing to attack long range. Maybe he will try today (next 2 stages will likely just come down to the final 5-10 kms anyway). He may get help from riders that are not his teammates too, like Lopez.

 

[Red Rick]

This stage reminds me of the third last stage in the Alps last year: which was a horrible stage for gc.

However, I am less pessimistic for this year's corresponding stage.

In 2020 jumbo were crazy strong. 2021 UAE, not so much.
In 2020 there was Loze still to come. In 2021 the remaining climbs are not quite as scary.
In 2020 the time gaps were relatively small. In 2021, not so much.

There is also the Richard Carapaz factor. We know that he is willing to attack long range. Maybe he will try today (next 2 stages will likely just come down to the final 5-10 kms anyway). He may get help from riders that are not his teammates too, like Lopez.

I doubt it. Portet d'Aspet is 35km from the finish.

I think cool *** might have gone down if Jumbo or Ineos still had mulitple cards to play for GC.

 

[solo80k]

Break, no GC action

 

[glassmoon]

Race is over, Lachlan Morton already finished. Better luck next time for the others.

Question is, will they make the cut?

 

[Mayomaniac]

Yeah, it would be one thing if a team had multiple cards to play.
As it is now a long range attack right before the 2 hardest stages of the race is rather unlikely.

 

[Unterlenkerfahrend]

This stage reminds me of the third last stage in the Alps last year: which was a horrible stage for gc.

However, I am less pessimistic for this year's corresponding stage.

In 2020 jumbo were crazy strong. 2021 UAE, not so much.
In 2020 there was Loze still to come. In 2021 the remaining climbs are not quite as scary.
In 2020 the time gaps were relatively small. In 2021, not so much.

There is also the Richard Carapaz factor. We know that he is willing to attack long range. Maybe he will try today (next 2 stages will likely just come down to the final 5-10 kms anyway). He may get help from riders that are not his teammates too, like Lopez.

Baring an absolute crazy race situation, a Carapaz long range attack would be absolutely braindead, wasting his energy before two important MTF.
Mas, Keldermann, Uran, Lutsenko, O'connor are glued to each other this tour, they'll happily work together to chase him back on these 32km to the finish. Heck even Pogacar himself might contribute to a chase as a distraction so he doesn't fall off his bike out of boredom.

He'd need at least two satelite riders up the road to make this work, which at least would be semi-doable since it's Ineos. But I don't think they'll risk tiring him out for a 30 second gain.

 

[Red Rick]

Yeah, it would be one thing if a team had multiple cards to play.
As it is now a long range attack right before the 2 hardest stages of the race is rather unlikely.

Tbh in most Tours this stage would be a nothingburger but UAE has shown itself quite susceptible. It also doesn't help at all that Pogacar has 5 minutes.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Tbh in most Tours this stage would be a nothingburger but UAE has shown itself quite susceptible. It also doesn't help at all that Pogacar has 5 minutes.

If it came right after the Andorra stage with the rest day afterwards it could still be an interesting ambush stage because of fatigue.

 

[gregrowlerson]

If it came right after the Andorra stage with the rest day afterwards it could still be an interesting ambush stage because of fatigue.

Yeah it would have been better to have the rest day on Tuesday (which is what the Giro did).

 

[jfazendeiro]

Ineos longe range attack, if happens, will be on Tourmalet.

 

[sir fly]

If it came right after the Andorra stage with the rest day afterwards it could still be an interesting ambush stage because of fatigue.

Yeah it would have been better to have the rest day on Tuesday (which is what the Giro did).

Dayoffitis?

 

[Red Rick]

If it came right after the Andorra stage with the rest day afterwards it could still be an interesting ambush stage because of fatigue.

Andorra stage was tiring?

 

[saganftw]

should be bad weather in all 3 pyrenean stages, pogacar is getting +5 daily form buff

 

[Aimar16]

Why is the neutral zone so long?

 

[BlueRoads]

Some have a scarf. Geschke has his beard.

 

[sir fly]

Andorra stage was tiring?

Ask EBH.

 

[BlueRoads]

Why is the neutral zone so long?

"Sight too bad."

 

[BlueRoads]

That's the most beautiful scenery. sigh

 

[wheresmybrakes]

and the point of that neutral zone was..........

 

[sir fly]

The Alps were rainy and now the Pyrenees too.
At least Ventoux and Andorra were bright to watch.

 

[MrTea1976]

Thomas and Kwiatkowski for the break?

 

[Stelvio]

Why is the neutral zone so long?

Probably a combination of Andorra paying for hosting the start of the stage (in beautiful Pas de la Casa..) and no good place for all the buses to stop. But it is a bit odd.

Personally I'm more annoyed of the profile claiming that Pas de la Casa is located at 1300 metres just because they started the neutral there.

 

[Eyeballs Out]

Temperatures today look lower than the stage that O'Connor won when some riders seemed to have issues with the cold. They;ll be hoping it stays dry

 

[Lequack]

It's raining, time for Pogacar to attack.

 

[DanielSong39]

I have Asgreen for the stage, does it have a chance?