Tour de France Tour de France 2021, Stage 17: Muret – Saint-Lary-Soulan Col du Portet, 178.4 km

[Pirazziattacks]

Pogacar should win it in a powerful ruthless way to end this Tour GC once for all, so the next stages can be fought by breakaway heroes

Honestly I hope he does so we'll at least get some racing between the podium contenders instead of Pogacar personally neutralising all attacks.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Please no more breakaway victories. I want to see Pogacar win.

 

[Cookster15]

i think ineos will go all out on this, they have really nothing else left...if not shame on them

Could be. They have nothing to lose. I noticed Porte finished in the autobus again so maybe he is saving strength to provide a launchpad for Carapaz and a genuine shakeup (that is my heart as much as head) ?

But more likely is the Pog stamps his authority to put a MTF win alongside his TTs (yes he will likely win the final one as well).

Dark horse is the enigma Uran. He is still lurking. Could deliver a big TT but not a MTF win.

 

[glassmoon]

OK Jonas, time to seal that 2nd overall for good. I believe in you!

 

[spalco]

By "winning" I'm assuming you mean first amongst GC contenders? Because if you think the break has no chance to take this, you may be in for a disappointment.

Don't you think Pogacar wants to win a stage other than the TT(s?)? He doesn't have many opportunities left this year.

 

[Amazinmets87]

Don't you think Pogacar wants to win a stage other than the TT(s?)? He doesn't have many opportunities left this year.

How is that the point of contention? Obviously I think Pog want to win. That doesn't mean we won't see a winner from the break...

 

[glassmoon]

Don't you think Pogacar wants to win a stage other than the TT(s?)? He doesn't have many opportunities left this year.

I really hope Pog/Jonas will go and Uran + Carapaz will battle for 3rd GC 2+ mins behind...

 

[Bolder]

I really hope Pog/Jonas will go and Uran + Carapaz will battle for 3rd GC 2+ mins behind...

I'd be onboard for that scenario. I hope Wout/Kuss can hang until at least 2/3 up the final climb, not to push the pace (that's Ineos' job right now, I think) but to make sure Jonas is well looked after as far as any attacks/nutrition/hydration. That is going to be a beastly MTF but if the weather's bad it could also mean relatively small gaps...

 

[oropa]

With Peyresourde only at Km 130, an early breakaway would have plenty of flat roads to get a decent gap, but probably Portet is just too hard to see a breakaway winner... a decent climber would need something like 5 minutes at the base of the Portet, at least, I reckon

 

[Lequack]

Pog: "why are we sprinting?"

 

[Lequack]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1415190599251238916

View: https://twitter.com/ProCyclingStats/status/1415190599251238916

 

[spalco]

How is that the point of contention? Obviously I think Pog want to win. That doesn't mean we won't see a winner from the break...

Well, how the stage turns out, largely depends on Pogacar, no? If he really wants the stage win, then the chances of any break are much diminished. No break can win in this stage unless UAE, Ineos, maybe EF/JV let them.

 

[MrTea1976]

Either today or tomorrow, Froome will be in the break. I'd expect to see Ineos try for both stages, one with Porte or Thomas and one with Carapaz.

Vingegaard might take today.

 

[IndianCyclist]

Massive breakaway. UAE to only control first part. The middle game will be on Ineos/JV. If they donot pace then breakaway will win. Otherwise Pogacar for the win. Dude can outsprint the leftover sprinters

 

[sir fly]

Wonder how intermediate will shape the breakaway efforts.
Considering Bling's getting closer to Cavendish there might be some restless kilometers.
Tomorrow as well, although with some obstacles.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

110km before the first big climb... that's gonna be interesting

 

[TourOfSardinia]

Quintana day

 

[Netserk]

110km before the first big climb... that's gonna be interesting

Should be easy to keep the gap small for the peloton if the captains want the stage win in play. I'll be disappointed if J-V don't use the team to set up Vingegaard today: Teunissen to help keep the break in check on the flat, Kruijswijk and then Van Aert to pull on Peyresourde and Azet, and finally Kuss to launch Vingegaard in the first half of Portet. I just hope other teams will pull on the flat too.

 

[Red Rick]

I still think the breakaway wins because once it's gone Ineos/Jumbo/UAE won't chase the flats at all and if they don't have the firepower to drill all the climbs very hard.

 

[Eclipse]

The main thing that has to happen for fun GC action is for Pog to make himself an irrelevance.

If he is going to close down RC/JV himself we are going to have a horrid couple of days but if he clears out early the others will actually start racing and if we can get some proper separation today we can have some fun options tomorrow

 

[Red Rick]

Also I see 0 reason for Jumbo or EF to be aggressive. Ineos has to go for it, but they're much more interested into drilling the climbs than chasing the breakaway

The only way I see the GC guys win if Pogacar has his team keep the break in check.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1415190599251238916

View: https://twitter.com/ProCyclingStats/status/1415190599251238916

Great picture

 

[Bonimenier]

Should be easy to keep the gap small for the peloton if the captains want the stage win in play. I'll be disappointed if J-V don't use the team to set up Vingegaard today: Teunissen to help keep the break in check on the flat, Kruijswijk and then Van Aert to pull on Peyresourde and Azet, and finally Kuss to launch Vingegaard in the first half of Portet. I just hope other teams will pull on the flat too.

Be prepared to be disappointed. Only thing Vingegaard has to do is follow Carapaz and Uran.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1415190599251238916

View: https://twitter.com/ProCyclingStats/status/1415190599251238916

African born British runners are having a rough year, just ask Mo Farah.

 

[dercuforever]

How is that the point of contention? Obviously I think Pog want to win. That doesn't mean we won't see a winner from the break...

his team "just" have to control the break into 5min range before first climb, then ineos will ride on front, then Pog can go on the last climb.