Tour de France Tour de France 2022: Stage 17 (Saint-Gaudens – Peyragudes, 129.7k)

[Eclipse]

As long as Vingo has van Aert for the descents, Pogacar can't take advantage.

Yah, that's why UAE's biggest task today is perhaps not letting him go up the road in the first place, and if he does go early they need to try get him back / force him before the final descent.

 

[42x16ss]

Mcnulty should be able to stay with Pogi for a while too.

Jonas wont have that help either when it goes hard. Laporte, Benoot and Van Hooydonck wont go long on climbs.

Kuss needs 3 miracle days this week and Van Aert has to play superman again.

Indeed, lots of pressure on McNulty now. Bennett getting Covid and Soler struggling is leaving UAE short

 

[Potomac]

UAE weakened, Ineos should risk a big move and really test Vinnie

 

[titan31]

Mcnulty should be able to stay with Pogi for a while too.

Jonas wont have that help either when it goes hard. Laporte, Benoot and Van Hooydonck wont go long on climbs.

Kuss needs 3 miracle days this week and Van Aert has to play superman again.

Depending on how they feel and as long as Pogacar doesn't attack that far out, I can see Laporte and Benoot get over the first two climbs grand and should get to the foot of Azet. Benoot is a decent enough climber in general.

They'll probably need WVA in the break though to guarantee he's there on the descent off Azet and that should limit Pogs attack so that Kuss is there on Peyraguades.

 

[Jumbo Visma Fan :)]

Everybody is forgetting that the best climber in the world is Pyrenean Sepp Kuss. He will come up in the clutch for Vingo.

 

[spalco]

Yah, that's why UAE's biggest task today is perhaps not letting him go up the road in the first place, and if he does go early they need to try get him back / force him before the final descent.

His form being what it is, Van Aert can very likely stick with the GC group until the end himself.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Majka looks really hurt. I bet he won't finish the stage today - if he even actually starts.

 

[Jumbo Visma Fan :)]

Indeed, lots of pressure on McNulty now. Bennett getting Covid and Soler struggling is leaving UAE short

Apparently Majka has a painful knee, so McNulty might need to do longer pulls the next two days, or become the number one dom. Funny it’s going to be a battle of the Americans that could decide the Tour for Pogi or Vingo.

 

[tobydawq]

Outside of Majka, UAE have no one to destroy with. Pogacar will be by himself quite early here if they take it up then. I'd be expecting they'll go on Col d’Azet unless Pogacar really wants to try attacking on Aspin.

And now Majka is injured. Amazingly bad luck for UAE this race.

 

[titan31]

His form being what it is, Van Aert can very likely stick with the GC group until the end himself.

I doubt he sticks with the group once Pogacar goes. He needs to be in front to counter that imo.

 

[Eclipse]

His form being what it is, Van Aert can very likely stick with the GC group until the end himself.

Haha, it's one of the most freakish performances I've seen but if Wout is with the group we will at least see Pog get rid of him.

 

[spalco]

Haha, it's one of the most freakish performances I've seen but if Wout is with the group we will at least see Pog get rid of him.

We will see. I say, he'll stay with Vingo until the start of the last climb.

If Pogacar goes early, it could still be smarter to let him go, and use Van Aert on the descent before dropping him.

 

[42x16ss]

Apparently Majka has a painful knee, so McNulty might need to do longer pulls the next two days, or become the number one dom. Funny it’s going to be a battle of the Americans that could decide the Tour for Pogi or Vingo.

So it's McNulty, Bjerg, an underdone Hirschi and an injured Majka supporting Pogacar. Not promising

 

[Eclipse]

So it's McNulty, Bjerg, an underdone Hirschi and an injured Majka supporting Pogacar. Not promising

There's always other teams

 

[hayneplane]

Was that the day the #FreeLanda movement took root?

2015 Giro when he was clearly stronger than Aru but was held back by the team

 

[BigCoward]

They should go all in on the first climb and see if they can get it down to pog and JV one on one.

 

[Red Rick]

They should go all in on the first climb and see if they can get it down to pog and JV one on one.

I can see them try to make a move that desperate on the Aubisque tomorrow. But not today.

The Aubisque descent is also quite spicey

 

[tobydawq]

Majka DNS

 

[roundabout]

Wellens out

https://twitter.com/x/status/1549703826613194753

View: https://twitter.com/Lotto_Soudal/status/1549703826613194753?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet

 

[ontheroad]

Pogacar will try something but his chances are minimal. He needs at least 90 seconds before the TT to give himself a chance and that just ain't happening. Vingegaard has looked the strongest rider in the race and Pog hasn't shook him off his wheel for this entire tour or even looked like doing so. The only chance of a GC battle remaining open is if Vingegaard crashes or suffers bad luck or if Ineos were to try a tactical ambush with the strength in numbers they have whilst Vingegaard opts to focus purely on Pog's wheel.

Other than that I'd just enjoy the last few mountain stages as we will look back and realise that the GC on this tour was settled on Stage 11. We still have a KOTM battle to settle but everything else looks done and dusted.

 

[roundabout]

Majka DNS

Figures. It was a pretty sudden jerk

 

[Jumbo Visma Fan :)]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1549709432317157377

View: https://mobile.twitter.com/TeamEmiratesUAE/status/1549709432317157377

Official team statement.

 

[T-Nielsen]

Figures. It was a pretty sudden jerk

Nothing wrong with a sudden jerk, but sadly he has also hurt his knee.

 

[Eclipse]

Man what a double dose of misfortune that mechanical was

 

[roundabout]

Wonder if people could now be feeling brave enough to try and attack Pogacar for 2nd