Tour de France Tour de France 2021, Stage 19: Mourenx – Libourne, 207.0 km

[Breezy1985]

Can anyone give me a breakdown on why Quickstep and Alpecin let this breakaway succeed?

It was held below 1 minute for ages without Quickstep doing much up front, I go make a cup of tea, come back and it's six minutes and the peloton, including entire quickstep team, has sat up. Wtf?

Even assuming they had to do it on their own couldn't quickstep have bridged 50 seconds with line of sight like that? And why did they let it get away in the first place? Is there something wrong with Cavendish?

Probably not something wrong with Cavendish but maybe he called that the pace was too much to constantly closedown and catch after 3 weeks of a tour

 

[dgodave]

Stop showing that mansard roof! I hate mansard roofs...... Always a danger watching Le Tour.

 

[BlueRoads]

Can anyone give me a breakdown on why Quickstep and Alpecin let this breakaway succeed?

It was held below 1 minute for ages without Quickstep doing much up front, I go make a cup of tea, come back and it's six minutes and the peloton, including entire quickstep team, has sat up. Wtf?

Even assuming they had to do it on their own couldn't quickstep have bridged 50 seconds with line of sight like that? And why did they let it get away in the first place? Is there something wrong with Cavendish?

Actually for Quickstep the story is really bigger when Cav wins on the Champs E. If he doesn't his Tour has still already been an endless success. The team is probably tired as well and looking at the length and the hopes of other teams today they might already have said from the beginning they won't do everything to get the sprint today.

Alpecin might have thought they cannot control the break alone and DQS should be first to chase.

That's my guess, despite having watched almost nothing of this stage.

 

[70kmph]

Bad day for Hobbitses wait for the Champs Elysee, tears and hugs for all the fanboys is coming

 

[Mayomaniac]

Why is Ballerini already attacking with over 40kms to go?

 

[spalco]

In 10 or so kilometers someone might start showing cards.

That was a very precise prediction.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

If it hadn't been a 200 km stage, DQS would probably have gone for a bunch sprint, and maybe also if the break had been brought back, but with Ballerini up there they can now relax, since Matthews won't score any points either.

Of course it's also possible that Merckx either managed to spook Cavendish earlier or decided to pay him that increased salary, Cav's been looking for, out of his own pocket. We'll know that for sure, if Cav fails to overtake Mørkøv in the last meters on Champs-Élysées, because he drops his chain too early for once.

 

[burning]

That climb is really hurting a lot of riders

 

[Leinster]

Even assuming they had to do it on their own couldn't quickstep have bridged 50 seconds with line of sight like that? And why did they let it get away in the first place? Is there something wrong with Cavendish and Van Der Poel?

Ummmmm...

 

[Faserr]

Rutsch attacked 4 times

 

[Leinster]

Why is Ballerini already attacking with over 40kms to go?

Most of the solos that have worked in the Tour so far have been from about that range, haven't they? The first attack that gets some proper separation tends to carry on.

 

[gregrowlerson]

Outside of this year can you imagine at any point Cav could say "I'm only 8min down to Froome" on stage 20?

I've been saying for a while now that grand tours are far too back loaded

 

[dicanio_michael]

If it hadn't been a 200 km stage, DQS would probably have gone for a bunch sprint, and maybe also if the break had been brought back, but with Ballerini up there they can now relax, since Matthews won't score any points either.

Of course it's also possible that Merckx either managed to spook Cavendish earlier or decided to pay him that increased salary, Cav's been looking for, out of his own pocket. We'll know that for sure, if Cav fails to overtake Mørkøv in the last meters on Champs-Élysées, because he drops his chain too early for once.

As a QS fans, I don't want Cav to break this golden record in the middle of the week. It must be Champs Elysees or never. It is okay he never win a stage and the records remains 34. It is already legendary.

Patrick must have thought the same.

 

[Lequack]

Mohoric's cadence is so slow he looks like in slow motion.
Kirby: "He already has a stage win, he's getting greedy"
Meanwhile about Cavendish with 4 stage win: "He could use another maybe"

 

[Kangaridoo]

Mohoric about to save the tour for Slovenia!

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Motoric must have slept better last night. Him and Politt are the guys the others shouldn't give a gap to, so unless they can keep cooperating, they won't see him again.

 

[Leinster]

Mohoric pulled that basically-30s gap out quickly. Looks like another solo.

 

[JosefK]

Motoric must have slept better last night. Him and Politt are the guys the others shouldn't give a gap to, so unless they can keep cooperating, they won't see him again.

Wait till he wins the TT tomorrow.

 

[sir fly]

Mohoric's cadence is so slow he looks like in slow motion.
Kirby: "He already has a stage win, he's getting greedy"
Meanwhile about Cavendish with 4 stage win: "He could use another maybe"

History doesn't recognize greed.

 

[F_Cance]

sure, raided team rider killing it with Sayar cadence

 

[glassmoon]

In the bag.

 

[luckyboy]

Another thrilling breakwaway batt- ah it's a long range solo from the break again...

 

[BlueRoads]

Oh I hate that situation... 8 guys can't catch one rider because everyone is afraid to lose... and don't want to see that hereby they have lost already.

 

[saganftw]

its over,pack your bags, lets go home

 

[Red Rick]

GG