Tour de France Tour de France 2022: Stage 11 (Albertville – Col du Granon Serre Chevalier, 151.7k)

[Oldermanish]

Yes, today.

Vuelta under full attack by Movistar. His whole team was minutes back in...well , er minutes. They were totally unprepared and half the field went with the move.

 

[Red Rick]

Did Chris Froome ever crack in a spectacular way (while being dominant)?

Froome cracked at least once per GT he won. It was just never this spectacular cause he was never super isolated with 60km to go and never had to deal with such a coordinated series of attacks.

If it's Unipuerto yesterday I don't think Pogacar loses more than 30s and he easily gets 2nd on the stage. Froome meanwhile didn't even make the top 10 best climbers in some stages of GTs he ended up winning.

 

[Skijumper Roglic fan]

The forum goes completely mad, this thread has nearly 60 pages already…

I wrote „I fear the worst for Pogi today“, and it came true - I however thought that Primoz would bring his nightmare; it was Jonas, however.

Completely unexpected Granon stage result. Jumbo was super, they were even stronger than USPS in their best days in the mountains. Yesterday 151k, 4070 vertical meters. Today, 165k, 4600 vertical meters. Pogi has to go full gas to get closer to Jonas again.

This was Pogi‘s Joux-Plane, even little bit worse. He‘ll do anything he can to fight back. These days will decide if „Project 8“ will stay alive (eight TdF GC victories in a row).

Great for us: action and thrill, whereas it was boring last year.

 

[spalco]

Ahhh, I have to watch the stage quickly before today's stage starts, was absent yesterday and unfortunately spoiled myself already accidentially.

 

[TourOfSardinia]

Did Chris Froome ever crack in a spectacular way (while being dominant)?

La Vuelta that day
when Alberto & Nairo
made their magic.

 

[Rackham]

The forum goes completely mad, this thread has nearly 60 pages already…

I wrote „I fear the worst for Pogi today“, and it came true - I however thought that Primoz would bring his nightmare; it was Jonas, however.

Completely unexpected Granon stage result. Jumbo was super, they were even stronger than USPS in their best days in the mountains. Yesterday 151k, 4070 vertical meters. Today, 165k, 4600 vertical meters. Pogi has to go full gas to get closer to Jonas again.

This was Pogi‘s Joux-Plane, even little bit worse. He‘ll do anything he can to fight back. These days will decide if „Project 8“ will stay alive (eight TdF GC victories in a row).

Great for us: action and thrill, whereas it was boring last year.

With all the usual asterisks & caveats specific to that era, yesterday's stage was reminiscent of the Courchevel stage in the 1997 TdF when Festina destroyed Ullrich's Team Telekom & 'almost' put Virenque in yellow (they were so close to destroying Ullrich that day). The concept of a team assault in the mountains is often a fantasy for cycling fans but rarely ever happens (often because riders with co-leadership are usually unwilling to properly sacrifice their own chances).

Roglic was the catalyst for this demolition because his attack was entirely suicidal. Jonas V owes him quite a lot, for everything.

 

[MrTea1976]

Ahhh, I have to watch the stage quickly before today's stage starts, was absent yesterday and unfortunately spoiled myself already accidentially.

I misread spoiled...

 

[Skijumper Roglic fan]

The concept of a team assault in the mountains is often a fantasy for cycling fans but rarely ever happens

Exactly. Yesterday‘s stage in fact was what the fans expected from the Tour 2005. 2005, everyone hoped Ullrich, Klöden and Vino would do to Lance what JV yesterday did to Pogi…

 

[spalco]

So, cycling is a team sport after all, isn't it? Fantastic stage.

I honestly didn't think Pogacar had it in him to crack like that for a few more years at least, but every man has a limit.

 

[spalco]

What would have happened, if Pogacar didn't play Jumbo's games and let Roglic go? It would have been a big gamble, and I can't fault him for covering the attacks, but in hindsight it seems like a crucial mistake.

 

[Zoef-Lightning]

Because I think a bunch of people who don't know all the facts about how riders are going, who have mostly never raced or run a team, going over every tiny decision and criticizing it... is pointless. But I guess that's what people do on cycling forums. You may note that actual riders and DS's are far more reluctant to quibble about every little tactical move, and reserved their comments for higher-level issues.

I don't mean to single you out as much as point to this as an example of what's gotten pretty tiresome with regard to JV and their tactics the whole Tour.

Analysts, TV reporters, journalists.... and cycling enthousiasts have the full right to analyze the race tactics of teams? and, if necessary, to criticize them. Not only do they have that right, they have to do that to remain credible. Otherwise it's just supporters or casual viewers who don't know anything about course. Where do you get it from that there is only criticism of JV ?

 

[Salvarani]

What would have happened, if Pogacar didn't play Jumbo's games and let Roglic go? It would have been a big gamble, and I can't fault him for covering the attacks, but in hindsight it seems like a crucial mistake.

Roglic might have been invited back into the race or cracked on the last climb and they would have reeled him back.

Maybe Vingegaard would have gained some time also on the end of the last climb, but probably not minutes only seconds.

Maybe Pog would have just managed to keep the jersey even.

BUT Jumbo might have went all out smelling blood and he would have lost even more time today trying to cover attacks over the long climbs. Now JV just controlled it instead. Might have been a mistake from their side.

Vingegaard looked to be just on the verge of dropping a little bit today on Pogs last real attempt, but he managed to stay on in the end and Kuss could come back and controlled the last km.

Probably some breakaway stages coming up. Doubt much will happen.

Pog will probably need to gain back at least a minute before the ITT to make it interesting. Vingegaard will start to feel the pressure as the race goes on and Pog will have nothing to lose. Hopefully covid doesnt strike him or any of his remaining teammates. Could be an epic third week coming up if so.

 

[red_flanders]

Analysts, TV reporters, journalists.... and cycling enthousiasts have the full right to analyze the race tactics of teams? and, if necessary, to criticize them. Not only do they have that right, they have to do that to remain credible. Otherwise it's just supporters or casual viewers who don't know anything about course. Where do you get it from that there is only criticism of JV ?

To answer that question you’d have to show me where I said it was only JV.

What I’m saying is nuanced. Of course people can criticize any team, it’s just the level, the nitpicking of every tiny move or moment in the race, after the fact. Real-time decisions are much harder than they look from the outside.

 

[Cookster15]

The forum goes completely mad, this thread has nearly 60 pages already…

I wrote „I fear the worst for Pogi today“, and it came true - I however thought that Primoz would bring his nightmare; it was Jonas, however.

Completely unexpected Granon stage result. Jumbo was super, they were even stronger than USPS in their best days in the mountains. Yesterday 151k, 4070 vertical meters. Today, 165k, 4600 vertical meters. Pogi has to go full gas to get closer to Jonas again.

This was Pogi‘s Joux-Plane, even little bit worse. He‘ll do anything he can to fight back. These days will decide if „Project 8“ will stay alive (eight TdF GC victories in a row).

Great for us: action and thrill, whereas it was boring last year.

60 pages? Meh.

2011 Tour de France Stage 18 - Pinerolo - Galibier Serre-Chevalier 200.5km | Cyclingnews Forum

But yes yesterday was like Armstrong's Joux-Plane but worse. But Pog bounced back today and Jonas and JV don't have this wrapped up. Young Pog should improve further for the Pynenees so Jonas will need to step it up.