Tour de France Tour de France 2022: Second rest day thread

[Unterlenkerfahrend]

Why no fuglsang in the poll?

 

[spalco]

It was one of the best starting weeks in a while imo.

Obviously the battle for yellow isn't so exciting as other aspects of the race, but technically it's still open, and you can't blame Pogacar for immediately proving he's the strongest.

 

[Bolder]

I just don't see any cracks in Pog's armor right now. He doesn't need a team around him, either. You can see that only Majka can actually be of use on a climb of more than 6%. McNulty and Bennett are not really mountain doms and Soler is good but not great. They'd have done better to bring Ayuso and tell him to save energy for 3/4 select stages.

So with that, unless Pog collapses, team tactics aren't going to beat him.

Vingegaard looks good for 2nd. After that, I have no idea who's strongest, although Thomas has the best TT. Riders like Bardet will lose minutes to him.

Sadly I don't see where Roglic will take back the 2 minutes he needs to get back into the conversation.

 

[RedheadDane]

I think Roglic will win this Tour. He only lost time in Arenberg, because he had to put back in his dislocated shoulder.

He should be the strongest climber in this race. Probably, his mountain shape is even a little bit better than in last year‘s Vuelta.

From tomorrow on, Primoz will be in his favourite Alpine mountains. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday will suit him very much. Plus, he has Jonas as a domestique. These two were unbeatable in the Dauphine, few weeks ago.

Yes, of course. The guy who is second in GC, and has already proven himself - by being second last year, while being the replacement - is a domestique...

Why no fuglsang in the poll?

Winning back over half an hour? Now that would be epic!

 

[Rackham]

Why no fuglsang in the poll?

Why no Fausto Masnada? I'm sure he'd get a vote. Or two.

 

[Faserr]

all tests negativ

A.S.O. - UCI announcement on the results of the 10 July Covid-19 testing campaign

www.uci.org

 

[topcat]

Obvious podium: Pog-Vin-G. However surprises are still possible. Vingegaard can be a threat in the Alps. I wonder if UAE isn't too generous in its efforts. Gaudu might make the top 5.

Stage 11 to Granon is underhyped and will be crucial. Stage 12 to Huez is overhyped. Hopefully no top riders will test C-positive or crash out, but I have a bad presentiment.

all tests negativ

A.S.O. - UCI announcement on the results of the 10 July Covid-19 testing campaign

www.uci.org

Covid's gone. Now let's find something else to worry about.

 

[roundabout]

No positive tests so far? I am positively (sorry) surprised.

I am sorry you don't believe in miracles.

 

[Unterlenkerfahrend]

Did they really do PCR? The odds of them all being negative after we already had riders leave the race must've been astronomical.

 

[tobydawq]

Lol at all tests being negative.

Oh well, I won't complain the least about it.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Did they really do PCR? The odds of them all being negative after we already had riders leave the race must've been astronomical.

Yeah, somehow the Tour never finds any positives with their rest day covid tests, unlike other gts...
It's just smoke and mirrors.

 

[F_Cance]

there is no way that not a single rider is positive right now.

 

[Jns]

Yeah, somehow the Tour never finds any positives with their rest day covid tests, unlike other gts...
It's just smoke and mirrors.

Was this outcome really that unlikely? This was obviously not the first covid test for the riders since the start of the TDF. All the teams do very regular testing and they have implemented strict protocols again. Riders or other staff of the team who are positive, are identified early on and sent home.

 

[search]

Did they really do PCR? The odds of them all being negative after we already had riders leave the race must've been astronomical.

in his podcast yesterday, Ralph Denk from Bora said that they do antigen tests in the Tour, not PCR (UCI rules allow both). With those you're a bit on the safer side, of course

 

[Kaptain Kool]

Good to see that we finally have peloton with the courage to keep COVID at bay.
Pogacar will win the race easily. The other 2 spots on the podium will be taken by a never-ending rotation of Jumbo-Visma riders. I look for J-V to focus more on the Team GC, too. It's within their reach.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

I'm surprised that noone has mentioned Mas yet. Obviously not to win the Tour, but in my opinion he's the favorite to take the last step on the podium.

 

[frisenfruitig]

I'm surprised that noone has mentioned Mas yet. Obviously not to win the Tour, but in my opinion he's the favorite to take the last step on the podium.

You think he's going to beat Thomas and Yates for that spot? Also Mas is kind of invisible most of the time so not that surprising no one mentions him tbh. He's just kinda there in the back following but you won't really see him do anything that will attract attention.

 

[Zoef-Lightning]

1. Thomas
2. Vingegaard
3. Pogacar

Based on what arguments ?

 

[Lequack]

 

[Zoef-Lightning]

These tests are only there to make it official that there are no positive riders. The protocol is designed in such a way that only superspreaders are designated as positive. Everything for the Tour. The health of the riders is not an issue for the UCI.

One of the consequences will be that in the second part of the Tour, the teams will not send home their riders who are positive, even with symptoms.

 

[Netserk]

I'm surprised that noone has mentioned Mas yet. Obviously not to win the Tour, but in my opinion he's the favorite to take the last step on the podium.

Favourite for fourth.

 

[CyclistAbi]

Jonas was unbeatable at the Dauphine. Roglic needs to improve a lot. I hope he does but so far this TdF we haven’t seen this even if there has been only one inconclusive mountain stage. Not saying it won’t happen but I think your optimism might be misplaced even allowing for his shoulder problem? We will see.

Not to say Jonas wasn't or isn't in great shape or if he can or can't win this Tour edition. It's on him now and Danes. But he was beaten at Dauphiné.

P.S. Likely he just left the win to Rogla. As he targeted Tour.

 

[fox]

Not to say Jonas wasn't or isn't in great shape or if he can or can't win this Tour edition. It's on him now and Danes. But he was beaten at Dauphiné.

P.S. Likely he just left the win to Rogla. As he targeted Tour.

Vingegaard was not beaten. He had to wait for Rogla. Vingegaard definetly the better climber. Rogla is the domistique now, not the other way around.

 

[CyclistAbi]

Vingegaard was not beaten. He had to wait for Rogla. Vingegaard definetly the better climber. Rogla is the domistique now, not the other way around.

And what about the day before the last stage? Point being Jonas didn't wait for Pogi on TDF 2021 either. For one day. But still it was a stage race.

 

[Pinot's goat]

I'm surprised that noone has mentioned Mas yet. Obviously not to win the Tour, but in my opinion he's the favorite to take the last step on the podium.

If he had not crashed at the Dauphine then I would say yes but now I would say Thomas > Mas.