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

[Lequack]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEugjHTfBME

 

[Izzyeviel]

Looking at the Strava data of several riders. Most call it 'stage 8, Tour de France'

Tadej: 'Afternoon Ride'

 

[Tim Cahill]

That has to be the most star-studded grupetto I've ever seen.

 

[limak_]

Looking at the Strava data of several riders. Most call it 'stage 8, Tour de France'

Tadej: 'Afternoon Ride'

It's just a default name and he hasn't changed it.

 

[gregrowlerson]

Bit disappointed by Richie Door.

Porte. Sounds like Portal, which is kind of like a Door.

 

[Anderis]

Fun fact: Cavendish today finished ahead of past GT winniners Froome, Roglic and Thomas. On a tough mountain stage.

You can add Majka and that's 18 GT podiums behind Cavendish.

 

[VeloMaster]

Have to laugh at Horner's comments earlier that UAE tactics sucked because they left Pogacar unprotected.
[/QUOTE]

You'd better listen more closely: Uncle Chris Horner said the exact opposite: that UAW had no business chasing in the first place, b/c "who cares if Wout is in yellow?" It's even the title of yesterday's commentary.

 

[gregrowlerson]

Overall time gaps are crazy. Not sure that anyone should be critical of Mas, Uran etc, when looking at the names behind them, and more so the time gaps.

 

[Anderis]

The TdF level seems to be very low this year.

There are only 14 riders left within 10 minutes of Pogacar, after just one mountain stage. Out of these 14, only maybe 6 or 7 would even be considered GC riders before this race, so by the end of the race the gaps can be ridiculous.

 

[VeloMaster]

GC

How/when did Bilbao -- speaking of TBV -- sneak into top 10? Never saw him all day.

 

[Bonimenier]

Porte. Sounds like Portal, which is kind of like a Door.

Une porte also just translates to a door.

 

[Escarabajo]

The TdF level seems to be very low this year.

There are only 14 riders left within 10 minutes of Pogacar, after just one mountain stage. Out of these 14, only maybe 6 or 7 would even be considered GC riders before this race, so by the end of the race the gaps can be ridiculous.

Henao to fight for the Podium! LOL.

 

[Andre]

It would have been much more fun if WVA had been in yellow today.

 

[HelloDolly]

If only Bahrain had brought Padun

he could have challenged Pogacar in an all out man o man middle east show down .

 

[Bonimenier]

If only Bahrain had brought Padun

he could have challenged Pogacar in an all out man o man middle east show down .

Middle East?

 

[Rackham]

Middle East?

Bahrain versus UAE, I assume.

And after 8 stages, only 4 teams have won in this Tour: DQS, Alpecin, UAE & Bahrain.

Except that Pantani was the best climber ever capable of single-handedly destroying the race. Who would do Pantani this year? Pogacar would have to crack terribly.

Roglic.

There's going to be a stage with thunderstorms next week & a breakaway like Pontarlier 2001. Roglic will be in it & regain 30 minutes. Then, in the Pyrenees, Pogacar will crack & a rejuvenated Roglic puts over 8 minutes on him.

That leaves Pogacar with merely a minute advantage & we know what will happen in the final TT.

Believe.

 

[VeloMaster]

Alaphilippe - I’m done with that guy. Never liked him anyway but just when I think he might make a podium he lays a turd. Overrated!

You don't like him -- fair enough. But "overrated"? That's a ridiculous statement about one the best road racers of his generation.

 

[Nick2413]

A couple things...

1) Pogacar is on a legendary doping regimen. What are the odds that he eventually gets caught, and how does it happen? LA was more believable than this guy. Does the Tour save blood samples for the future? Or do they just pretend that this is a legitimate performance?

2) The GC "contenders" in this Tour are the worst I've ever seen. I don't even know who I would consider to be a contender for the podium after Pogacar. Whoever wins 2nd in this Tour will end up being an hour behind Pogacar, unless Pogacar starts to sandbag it to try to quell the doping comments. I'm actually surprised that UAE doesn't tell Pogacar to stop making it look so obvious, like pretend to be tired at some point.

Not sure if this talk is allowed outside the clinic or not but I think it speaks for itself that everyone is thinking about it. Also even with Roglic/GT injured I think the field isn’t that weak but rather Pog is so much stronger.

 

[Kaptain Kool]

Yeah, I don't buy the weak field argument. Outside of Bernal, what top GC riders are missing?
It's kind of like 2014 in which Quintana didn't ride and Froome and Contador crashed out of contention early.
IMHO the field is actually stronger than the Froome era.

 

[Mex_17]

Not sure if this talk is allowed outside the clinic or not but I think it speaks for itself that everyone is thinking about it. Also even with Roglic/GT injured I think the field isn’t that weak but rather Pog is so much stronger.

Sorry, I'm new here. What are we allowed to talk about, and where? I mean, Pogacar's performance is hilariously blatant doping. Is there somewhere where we're allowed to discuss this?

As for the GC, can you name who is the favorite to be #2 on the podium? I can't. Alaphillipe could have been #2 if he had tried for GC, instead of riding for Cavendish. Carapaz? I can't remember a less competitive Tour.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

A couple things...

1) Pogacar is on a legendary doping regimen. What are the odds that he eventually gets caught, and how does it happen? LA was more believable than this guy. Does the Tour save blood samples for the future? Or do they just pretend that this is a legitimate performance?

2) The GC "contenders" in this Tour are the worst I've ever seen. I don't even know who I would consider to be a contender for the podium after Pogacar. Whoever wins 2nd in this Tour will end up being an hour behind Pogacar, unless Pogacar starts to sandbag it to try to quell the doping comments. I'm actually surprised that UAE doesn't tell Pogacar to stop making it look so obvious, like pretend to be tired at some point.

He clearly did get tired. Enormously so. Tired of waiting.
Also, best to delete your post and move it to the clinic section.

The Clinic

The Clinic is the only place on Cyclingnews where you can discuss doping-related issues. Ask questions, discuss positives or improvements to procedures.

forum.cyclingnews.com

 

[Mex_17]

Yeah, I don't by the weak field argument.

At the start of the race, the field seemed decent enough. But it's one week into the Tour, and the GC is completely over. Part of it is Pogacar's "amazing performance", the other part is all the other GC guys have been injured and/or terrible.

It's been a completely non-competitive Tour, since the time trial, which I don't remember, even back in the Froome days.

All that's left is watching for stage wins, points, and KOTM. Tour organizers can't be too happy with this edition.

 

[Mex_17]

He clearly did get tired. Enormously so. Tired of waiting.
Also, best to delete your post and move it to the clinic section.

Ok, I'll move over to Clinic.

Thanks, everyone!

 

[dacooley]

Are stages like this won without clinic innuendos? I don't find this particular Uran-Mas-Lopez-Lutsenko field comparable to what we were viewing in Armstrong, Contador or Froome era. Though, I realize futility of looking back at the past and trying to compare the past and the present. Yet, gotta note, Pogacar smashed the opposition with more 80's-like margins. 90's look quite conservative in contrast to the yesterday's supreme demonstration. While watching the stage at time there seemed to be just 1.5 grand tour riders in the race. I'd call it a rift of eras in a way. The old big guns were crashing or are on the verge of retiring like froome, nibali and valverde, bertal is absent and by and large there is no one who might have a potential to put up a fight against pogacar. nonetheless, that's a reason by no means to think it's the way of race we are doomed to watch over next 5-6 or 10 years.
In 1997 ulrich was said to be a tour winner for years to come. after the 1999 tour armstrong still seemed a way behind to pantani when it comes to climbing as well as in 2012 wiggins and froome appeared flukes in comparison to real climbers contador and schleck. The time is utterly changeable. But as of now, Pogacar is a king.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Very poor competition if you ask me. Some people were saying that the competition was bad at the Giro. But this one takes the cake!

The competition includes Nibali, Froome, Roglic, Thomas, Quintana, Lopez, Valverde, Chaves and Yates as well! Not too shabby, huh?