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

[saganftw]

i will go against everybody, ineos to control the stage because they will want a win and they will want to drop van aert for good...carapaz wins because pogacar lets him

 

[HelloDolly]

Break to win

Chaves, Mollema or Porte

 

[staubsauger]

Would've thought that UAE leans away the yellow jersey to someone like Ben O'Connor today and that Ineos agrees to this. Because O'Connor obviously might be strong enough to keep it until the Pyrenees, but lose enough time there finally.

But 8 minutes is a huge amount of time. If I was EF I wouldn't let him go that far away, because Uran hasn't looked that convincing either. Astana & Lutsenko gonna be in defence mode anyway from here on. So they just can't afford to shut down these kind of moves if UAE & Ineos agree not to chase them.

Quintana has ambitions for polka dots. Poels showed them as well yesterday, but he's just too inconsistent. Kuss could be Jumbo's new (Co) leader, given Vingegaard fell yesterday. Guillaume Martin isn't out, but probably to close on the general classification to contest. Although his time trial is so miserable that not only Pogacar & Carapaz, but even Lutsenko & Uran might not bother. Gaudu bothers though.

Tao Geoghegan Hart could be given a free role from here on as well. Because IMHO Carapaz doesn't need a full train to finish 2nd. So what counts for Jumbo & Kuss counts for Ineos & Hart as well.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Van der Poel DNS. Leaves to prepare for Olympics

 

[MrTea1976]

I'd like some more flat/crosswind stages about now.

 

[BlueRoads]

Van der Poel DNS. Leaves to prepare for Olympics

Hadn't expected that yet already. Of course it makes sense for him and the team must consider his stunt a full success. Still feels a bit .

 

[gregrowlerson]

Hadn't expected that yet already. Of course it makes sense for him and the team must consider his stunt a full success. Still feels a bit .

Yeah I would have thought that he'd at least race until after the first rest day.

 

[Tim Cahill]

Makes sense for VDP to leave now, this race got a bit out hand and he looks knackered, today doesn't look any easier.

Piddles must be rubbing his hands together watching it.

It was a brilliant, memorable backfoot defence of yellow though, really lit up the race as expected.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Makes sense for VDP to leave now, this race got a bit out hand and he looks knackered, today doesn't look any easier.

Piddles must be rubbing his hands together watching it.

It was a brilliant, memorable backfoot defence of yellow though, really lit up the race as expected.

He actually looks completely fine and he also said yesterday he didn't force himself and still feels good.
He was only momentarily knackered after the 250km stage.

I don't think Pidders is rubbing his hands together. He would be if VDP did the full 3 weeks. Now there's plenty of time to recover and he only did 1 mountain stage.

 

[BigCoward]

Assuming Carapaz had given up on the win he can race more within himself and not take daft big risks anymore, and should be able to secure second. He looks the second strongest by far.

 

[Netserk]

Would've thought that UAE leans away the yellow jersey to someone like Ben O'Connor today and that Ineos agrees to this. Because O'Connor obviously might be strong enough to keep it until the Pyrenees, but lose enough time there finally.

But 8 minutes is a huge amount of time. If I was EF I wouldn't let him go that far away, because Uran hasn't looked that convincing either. Astana & Lutsenko gonna be in defence mode anyway from here on. So they just can't afford to shut down these kind of moves if UAE & Ineos agree not to chase them.

Quintana has ambitions for polka dots. Poels showed them as well yesterday, but he's just too inconsistent. Kuss could be Jumbo's new (Co) leader, given Vingegaard fell yesterday. Guillaume Martin isn't out, but probably to close on the general classification to contest. Although his time trial is so miserable that not only Pogacar & Carapaz, but even Lutsenko & Uran might not bother. Gaudu bothers though.

Tao Geoghegan Hart could be given a free role from here on as well. Because IMHO Carapaz doesn't need a full train to finish 2nd. So what counts for Jumbo & Kuss counts for Ineos & Hart as well.

It would have been easier to let Van Aert take yellow yesterday. I think Pogi keeps it to Paris.

 

[Red Rick]

Is it "taking yellow too early" week again?

 

[will-10]

There's no-one left close enough on GC to lend the jersey to who wouldn't be a threat for a top 5 to the rabble of guys racing amongst themselves for the podium.

 

[staubsauger]

It would have been easier to let Van Aert take yellow yesterday. I think Pogi keeps it to Paris.

In that case he wouldn't have put 3 minutes into Carapaz even! But I tend to agree with you.

Fuglsang apparently lost time on purpose yesterday to hunt stages. Might be a candidate today as well.

 

[Netserk]

In that case he wouldn't have put 3 minutes on Carapaz even! But I tend to agree with you.

Fuglsang apparently lost time on purpose yesterday to hunt stages. Might be candidate today as well.

They could have let Van Aert go when he attacked earlier in the stage, yesterday Pogi chased him.

 

[titan31]

Ya, seems unlikely he loses it now unless the teams leave a group go 20 mins up the road and someone like SKA or Asgreen takes it. At this point too, it actually probably becomes easier as anyone who attacks from the group, the other teams will chase.

 

[ppanther92]

MvdP and Roglic out. Sensible for both, I guess.

 

[staubsauger]

They could have let Van Aert go when he attacked earlier in the stage, yesterday Pogi chased him.

Oh yes, the move containing Tao as well that went after Poels wasn't it?

 

[ppanther92]

Why is Demare so bad btw.?

 

[Red Rick]

Why is Demare so bad btw.?

He crashed hard in one of the first 2 days.

 

[ppanther92]

He crashed hard in one of the first 2 days.

Ok, missed that. Thanks.

 

[Netserk]

Stage has started. 17 km of flat to start with, Côte de Domancy starts with 128 km to go.

 

[Netserk]

ISN keeps a steady pace on the flat, leading the peloton from the start. It will allow Woods and Martin to attack uphill.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Is it "taking yellow too early" week again?

Yup, Addy Engels will point out that this is a ridiculous risk by Tadej to take the jersey as early as stage 8. Letting your rivals gain time on stage 8, then working on the front all day and taking it on stage 9 is a far better use of resources.

 

[Carols]

Oh my MVDP and Roglic gone. Thanks to both of them for making the first week an interesting one. MVDP out did himself and earned a fan. Primoz was gracious as always despite the set backs caused by others,