Tour de France Tour de France 2021, Stage 8: Oyonnax – Le Grand-Bornand, 150.8 km

[Krzysztof_O]

The weather in the Alps will be cold, rainy and roads will be slippery. Hopefully we'll be able to watch the dramatic action (if it happens).

 

[Barnacle Bill]

Looking forward to this one.

And looks a perfect stage for Cav in current form yet I'm seeing odds of over 1500:1. Time to clean up.

 

[tobydawq]

Looking forward to this one.

And looks a perfect stage for Cav in current form yet I'm seeing odds of over 1500:1. Time to clean up.

Also 4000:1 on the overall. Same as Froome

 

[Eclipse]

I am worried because I am optimistic. It feels like after yesterday there's so many good ways this could play out.

Bora could put the heat on from the get go to try make the Green Jersey a contest.
Another really strong break could get away that dares UAE to chase them.
Other teams can animate from a long way out with suitable terrain
There are riders (Carapaz) who will surely attack

Can't wait to see the way it all disappoints

 

[tobydawq]

Why would it disappoint?

 

[BlueRoads]

There will be blood and carnage, I'm sure.
These are crazy times and I think unexpected things will happen over the weekend.

 

[Eclipse]

Why would it disappoint?

The frequent caginess of first weekend mountain stages and the inevitability of teams covering themselves has conditioned me to expect even promising days to fizzle!

I hope for madness

 

[IndurainsTdF1994]

Pogi decides enough is enough, and takes yellow. Uran moves into top 3.

 

[gregrowlerson]

I am worried because I am optimistic. It feels like after yesterday there's so many good ways this could play out.

Bora could put the heat on from the get go to try make the Green Jersey a contest.
Another really strong break could get away that dares UAE to chase them.
Other teams can animate from a long way out with suitable terrain
There are riders (Carapaz) who will surely attack

Can't wait to see the way it all disappoints

Come on man, don't go all Red Rick on us.

 

[bambino]

I am worried because I am optimistic. It feels like after yesterday there's so many good ways this could play out.

Bora could put the heat on from the get go to try make the Green Jersey a contest.
Another really strong break could get away that dares UAE to chase them.
Other teams can animate from a long way out with suitable terrain
There are riders (Carapaz) who will surely attack

Can't wait to see the way it all disappoints

It is all about a) who is in the break and b) what will Ineos do in the peloton. If we get mediocre break without GC threads and/or WVA/MVDP/JA, and Ineos decides this is too early to burn lot of matches (other than late attacks), we might be up for borefest of Saturday.

 

[gregrowlerson]

Also 4000:1 on the overall. Same as Froome

Practically giving money away

Slightly more seriously, I reckon Sagan at 1000-1 is not bad as far as crazy long shots go because, well, it's Sagan. He can (or could) climb, at least a little. If he got into the breakaway and the gc took the day off like they did in 2018....

I'm telling you there's a chance.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

images from VDP's hotel room last night

 

[ice&fire]

After what we saw yesterday from UAE, I doubt Pogacar has any incentive to blow up the race and take yellow early.

 

[HelloDolly]

Israel startup in break today en masse

and Pello

 

[Kangaridoo]

I think Lotto Jumbo will ride the stage conservatively to maintain a pace high enough to drop Van Der Poel and maintain Van Aart in the leaders group to seize yellow. If he survives the next 2 days he can recover a bit and his no GC story becomes a bluff.

A break will fight for the stage and nothing will happen in the GC because both Jumbo and UAE are happy with a moderate pace to maintain a break at a reasonable time difference.

 

[Twice.]

I think Lotto Jumbo will ride the stage conservatively to maintain a pace high enough to drop Van Der Poel and maintain Van Aart in the leaders group to seize yellow. If he survives the next 2 days he can recover a bit and his no GC story becomes a bluff.

A break will fight for the stage and nothing will happen in the GC because both Jumbo and UAE are happy with a moderate pace to maintain a break at a reasonable time difference.

This would be indeed ideal for both Jumbo and UAE but unlikely that Ineos will let that happen?

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

funny people still call em Lotto Jumbo, when Lotto hasn't been part of the sponsorship for a good 3/4 years anymore.

Poor Visma

 

[saganftw]

ineos has to do something right? and with right people, so carapaz to attack hopefully this time not 150m from the top and if that happens, pogacar might accidentally end up in yellow

because of hard stage yesterday, i fancy another break to win, lets go with quintana

 

[MrTea1976]

I want to see LRP in the break.

 

[DanielSong39]

Breakaway for the win
Not much action in GC apart from attrition, there's another hard stage tomorrow
Is today the day G drops?

 

[T-Nielsen]

I want to see LRP in the break.

Downhill finish...

 

[Red Rick]

Come on man, don't go all Red Rick on us.

Remember when I said yesterday would be good, and then later I said it's probably just a breakaway win.

Me spidey senses are tingling once again.

I think a crazy break might just happen again, because realistically speaking everyone should be out to go to war against the UAE, but if the magical break does not happen, then I expect a relatively boring stage until the last few kms of the Colombiere.

 

[HelloDolly]

I want Movistar to bring on their A game tactics today

 

[Eyeballs Out]

Looks a perfect stage for Izaguirre. Even the weather looks perfect

 

[Eclipse]

Alright let's have a nice hard start to the stage!

allez