Tour de France Tour de France 2021, Stage 9: Cluses – Tignes, 144.9 km

[lenric]

Yeah I think Pogazilla tomorrow might launch his ultimate thermonuclear attack

 

[Amazinmets87]

Yeah I think Pogazilla tomorrow might launch his ultimate thermonuclear attack

Assuming he does, is the MTF (very long, low gradients) ideal for him?

 

[sir fly]

Assuming he does, is the MTF (very long, low gradients) ideal for him?

I think it was Wednesday when we stopped asking whether something's ideal for him.

 

[railxmig]

It looks like even the politically correct sections of the forum slowly stops playing the game. Interestingly, if you ignore the Slovenian Armstrong then the GC situation is seriously interesting. You have a Belgian flahute with slight Merckx implications having around 3mins on the main GC bunch including an agressive Equadorian who's showing good form. He also has a very good teammate in Vingegaard who also seems like riding for himself. if Van Aert will keep where he's right now he may end up very high in GC. With Ventoux and especially Portet (no descent) it may be a hard task to fend off the likes of Carapaz but a top 7 or even top 5 may not be that impossible? Also an interesting ingredient to this GC soup is Lutsenko, who on paper is a slightly more mountainous Van Aert and like him is a bit less predictable. Also wonder, how far will G. Martin advance in GC if he'll be going for breakaways. Yea, if you ignore Pog and made E. Mas loose hours so Movistar won't be Movistar then this could be a very tense, interesting race.

Also, the rest day poll should be about who'll end up 2nd and 3rd.

Assuming he does, is the MTF (very long, low gradients) ideal for him?

I think Carapaz is very good on lower gradients -> Courmayeur 2019, Leukerbad 2021 and an interview held either after the Courmayeur stage or after winning the Giro?

 

[Netserk]

It looks like even the politically correct sections of the forum slowly stops playing the game. Interestingly, if you ignore the Slovenian Armstrong then the GC situation is seriously interesting. You have a Belgian flahute with slight Merckx implications having around 3mins on the main GC bunch including an agressive Equadorian who's showing good form. He also has a very good teammate in Vingegaard who also seems like riding for himself. if Van Aert will keep where he's right now he may end up very high in GC. With Ventoux and especially Portet (no descent) it may be a hard task to fend off the likes of Carapaz but a top 7 or even top 5 may not be that impossible? Also an interesting ingredient to this GC soup is Lutsenko, who on paper is a slightly more mountainous Van Aert and like him is a bit less predictable. Also wonder, how far will G. Martin advance in GC if he'll be going for breakaways. Yea, if you ignore Pog and made E. Mas loose hours so Movistar won't be Movistar then this could be a very tense, interesting race.

Also, the rest day poll should be about who'll end up 2nd and 3rd.

Depending on how tomorrow goes, I think at the latest after Ventoux Van Aert tanks the GC and focuses on stages and prep for the OG.

 

[Savant12]

Pog to the mechanics “Just the big chain ring, don’t need the little one”.

 

[houtdffan]

Going to be hard for Pog to have a Merckx like win here. That's for Wednesday

 

[JosefK]

Another beatdown coming on stage 9, courtesy of Pog. One can never have enough insurance (time) on rivals. Best to get a 10-minute gap on the next GC threat. Also, I detected a bit of a chip-on-the-shoulder from Pogi in his post-race interview. Seems he may feel his team is getting "dissed." Proper punishment is in store for the doubters.

 

[topcat]

Pog to attack, Uranium the best of the rest.

 

[IndianCyclist]

breakaway for the win.
Rest of GC too tired and scared to attack the new patrone of the peloton as another spanking would be too much. they will wait till Pyrenees

 

[movingtarget]

A real Cannibal will want to take this stage and Pogacar probably will. A 10 minute gap by Paris looks like a given. There are plenty of other stages where he can rest up but he will want this one I think. Don't see the break surviving. At least the Green jersey could become an actual competition...............

 

[JosefK]

A real Cannibal will want to take this stage and Pogacar probably will. A 10 minute gap by Paris looks like a given. There are plenty of other stages where he can rest up but he will want this one I think. Don't see the break surviving. At least the Green jersey could become an actual competition...............

Agreed. The following day is a rest day, so stage 9 will probably be a horror show. Few will survive.

 

[solo80k]

This one for the break.

 

[TourOfSardinia]

At least Team Anglos won at football

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Teuns will win this stage.

I do hope that Pogacar decides that he wants to win it, but unfortunately I think he'll leave it for others today

 

[mangart]

Teuns will win this stage.

I do hope that Pogacar decides that he wants to win it, but unfortunately I think he'll leave it for others today

Probably yes, but ... it's a rainy (Pogi) stage and Pogačar won both the 9th stage at Vuelta2019 and the 9th stage at Tour2020. If he's superstitious, then ...

 

[MartinGT]

Gonna be a similar stage as yesterday judging by the weather. Ben O'Connor ftw from the break.

 

[Pantani_lives]

I predicted Pogacar for today, so he can't possibly win.

They will probably give twenty minutes to a breakaway. Someone from Bahrain will win. Fred Wright perhaps? Wright said Fred.

 

[MartinGT]

Rogo DNS

 

[Eclipse]

Assuming he does, is the MTF (very long, low gradients) ideal for him?

When you're the best of the GC riders on the flat stuff and the best of the GC riders on the steep stuff I'm not sure the middle ground really poses much of a problem.

 

[Netserk]

Rogo DNS

Just so anyone else understands it correctly, It's Primož Roglič (Rogla) who won't start, Rigoberto Uran (Rigo) will continue.

 

[Nirvana]

I don't know what will happen but i'm sure that Demare will finish dead last alone but somehow inside time limit.

 

[MartinGT]

I don't know what will happen but i'm sure that Demare will finish dead last alone but somehow inside time limit.

He will have Froome for company

 

[Nirvana]

He will have Froome for company

If he's not alone he can't use his "tricks" and he'll end up like in Chambéry.

 

[staubsauger]

I don't know what will happen but i'm sure that Demare will finish dead last alone but somehow inside time limit.

Demare's gonna hang on, no doubt about it!