Tour de France Tour de France 2021, Stage 18: Pau – Luz Ardiden, 129.7 km

[ontheroad]

I thought Poels would have attacked on the beginning of this climb, especially since Bahrain were riding earlier.

He will not likely get any points on the final climb today now so you would think that he really needs to go for maximum points on the Tourmalet in the hope that someone attacks from the front of the peloton in an attempt to win the stage and take the 40/30 points away from Pogacar.

 

[Rollthedice]

Sometimes it's ok to let me hear the fans cheering or the wind blowing or even riders cursing in whatever language.
Cycling is cycling, they don't need to make it a sitcom.

Sometimes? I mainly watch with ambient sound and rely on my eyes (and limited knowledge) to identify who's who and of course the great comments from this forum.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

UAE is keeping the breakaway close. Tadej not satisfied with yesterday, he wants to win solo.

 

[BlueRoads]

Jens asked his "contacts" and the Bahrain plan was to keep the break in check and attack with Poels on the Tourmalet...
Okay... hasn't happened so far. We'll see.

 

[burning]

What on earth is going on in British Eurosport?

 

[Rollthedice]

Netflix docu director sent Superman Lopez up the road.

 

[Leinster]

Netflix docu director sent Superman Lopez up the road.

And Ineos are like "no you don't..."

 

[Eclipse]

Netflix docu director sent Superman Lopez up the road.

Expecting to see the whole team on the front chasing him down shortly

 

[burning]

Expecting to see the whole team on the front chasing him down shortly

I thought that only happens in Portugal.

 

[jarvo]

The Ineos train to nowhere has left the station

 

[TourOfSardinia]

Team INEAO different day same ...

 

[burning]

The Ineos train to nowhere has left the station

I would wager that is to put Uran in difficulty, not necessarily to win the stage.

 

[Leinster]

Trek don't really believe Ellisonde can win this stage, do they?

 

[woodburn]

I didn't realize Luz Ardiden had only been climbed eight times and just once since 2003. I grew up on it being main part of Tour in mid 80s.

Hope crowd leaves those guys some space on way up.

 

[Fantastico]

So Lopez and Quintana could not follow the Gaudu group?

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

ASO sticking with their utter fiction gradients. 12% at this tour is little more than a false flat if you believed the graphics.

 

[Leinster]

Formolo gone, that's early.

 

[glassmoon]

Trek don't really believe Ellisonde can win this stage, do they?

No one does...

 

[Leinster]

ASO sticking with their utter fiction gradients. 12% at this tour is little more than a false flat if you believed the graphics.

That hairpin does feel about 12%. It nearly ruined me.

 

[Eclipse]

What a weird tour for Ala.

The organisers teed him up for success which he got, but he immediately became inconsequential and has only been randomly active in hopeless endeavours ever since

 

[jarvo]

surprised to see the mountain goat Colbrelli distanced this early

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Name a better duo than Gaudu and Madouas.

ASO sticking with their utter fiction gradients. 12% at this tour is little more than a false flat if you believed the graphics.

They are trying to keep Sepp Kuss engaged.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

That hairpin does feel about 12%. It nearly ruined me.

A few climbs so far they've had the gradient of each group up on the screen at times and they were all 12% or more on each occasion. Maybe every group is always in a hairpin... It's really just childish, but if they think double digit gradients are so impressive you'd think they'd find some more interesting climbs to actually provide them.

 

[BigCoward]

Did the eurosport commentator just pronounce it 'loos arzizen'?

 

[MartinGT]

Brian Smith been on the Tennents Super?