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

[RedheadDane]

Are you allowed to ride without numbers? They are often covered, but Quintana has removed the jersey with numbers on it.

No. He removed the jersey without numbers on it. The numbers having flown off way back.

 

[Ricco']

Masterclass on how to change clothes on the bike.

Jai Hindley is at home frantically taking notes.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Giro 2013? Much longer timespan too.

TBF Giro being in May always means worse weather in the mountains, but yea, it is only two days here. We've had a number of days of bad weather in the Alps in June/July (that Dauphiné stage to Pipay-les-7-Laux a couple of years back springs to mind!!!), but not normally for the whole Alps. I guess you could maybe argue the back to back days with the race shortenings in 2019, but that was very different from this, this is cold and rain throughout, miserable start to finish.

 

[70kmph]

Poels got roasted

 

[Stelvio]

No. He removed the jersey without numbers on it. The numbers having flown off way back.

I think the bigger issue is that he is competing without a full kit (as in no jersey under the rain jacket).

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Is every podium contending team seriously just handing O'Connor a podium spot?

 

[Netserk]

Good development for Quintana's KOM lead. Will Woods keep his chasers behind him?

 

[Lequack]

Do the riderds have some waterproof shoes or do they need to ride in wet socks?

 

[RedheadDane]

I think the bigger issue is that he is competing without a full kit (as in no jersey under the rain jacket).

Oh, I just assumed he'd put a dry jersey on, and then a jacket.
Looked away for a while, focusing on the Giro.

 

[Lequack]

Kirby saying Higuita's glasses are so big he might do some welding later.

 

[Netserk]

Do the riderds have some waterproof shoes or do they need to ride in wet socks?

You'd expect them to use galoches.

 

[BlueRoads]

Is every podium contending team seriously just handing O'Connor a podium spot?

O'Connor with his obvious Scottish roots is just too good in this weather.

 

[Netserk]

Poels got 6 points on Pré.

Updated KOM standings:

44 PTS - Quintana
41 PTS - Woods
39 PTS - Poels

After Roselend:

49 PTS - Quintana
42 PTS - Woods
39 PTS - Poels

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Is every podium contending team seriously just handing O'Connor a podium spot?

I really don't know what the point of most GC riders in the race is at this stage.

 

[Netserk]

Uh, O'Connor can lose quite a bit of time on this descent.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

O'Connor with his obvious Scottish roots is just too good in this weather.

To be fair, you'd never imagine somebody from Perth to be at their best in this kind of weather. The kind of guys who are stereotypically seen as best in this weather are Belgian classics hardmen, and guys like Tim Wellens and Ian Stannard. But O'Connor has shown a few times that he is good at suffering when the weather is bad and can deal with it better than most.

 

[BlueRoads]

I wonder if Higuita is bullying Ben also because of Uran.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Dumoulin took about half a minute on this descent three years back in dry weather iirc, so O'Connor is not winning this stage then.

 

[Netserk]

Okay, a motorbike in between them helps O'Connor.

 

[RedheadDane]

To be fair, you'd never imagine somebody from Perth to be at their best in this kind of weather. The kind of guys who are stereotypically seen as best in this weather are Belgian classics hardmen, and guys like Tim Wellens and Ian Stannard. But O'Connor has shown a few times that he is good at suffering when the weather is bad and can deal with it better than most.

"Belgian classics hardmen, and guys like Tim Wellens..."
Here I was, thinking Wellens was a Belgian classics hardman.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

The second half of this descent features 10 hairpins in the span of 2.5 kilometres, that could hurt.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

"Belgian classics hardmen, and guys like Tim Wellens..."
Here I was, thinking Wellens was a Belgian classics hardman.

Tim Wellens is more than that when the weather is bad. He's like Dr. Wellens and Mr. Hyde when the road gets wet

 

[Zoetemelk-fan]

Just tuned in and haven't read the thread, so sorry if this topic has already been brought.

Last Le Tour-news for me was yesterday post stage interview with Sepp Kuss.
Directly asked about how he, with his rather vast GT experience, could help Vingegaard, the most deviant answer came from Kuss, not supporting the idea of helping Vinggaard, but on the opposite that everyone at the team could ride their own chance now.

Now that's what we're witnessing now, Vingegaard left completely alone.
Kuss' own ambitions obviously carry higher weight at TJV, but now out of sight of stage win, he should wait for Vingegaard, of TJV should not look like clowns.

Edit: oh Kuss rejoined just as I wrote.
But how much effort has he left for assistance after the escape?
Still stupic non-tactics by TJV.

 

[Salvarani]

O´Connor is cold. Or those big gloves not to his advantage.

 

[Netserk]

I don't think O'Connor will be a podium threat if he is cold and dropped on the descent for good.