Tour de France Tour de France 2022: Stage 18 (Lourdes – Hautacam, 143.2k)

[Savant12]

I think Vingo will win the stage. Either UAE take it up again and Vingo takes it or Jumbo ride to drop the remaining UAE riders and Vingo takes it.

 

[staubsauger]

And the worst part is that there will be rain and much lower temperatures tomorrow

Like Jojo Levesque sang back in the day "It's just a little too late!"

 

[Unterlenkerfahrend]

Pogi and Vingegaards dream last night:

Spoiler

Geschke's dream last night:

Spoiler

 

[Skijumper Roglic fan]

If he does not have it today, Pogi will have his super day (a la PDBF or Grand-Bornand) on Saturday. On such a day, he could drop Jonas by three minutes. Pogi can do this. Remember 2020 and 2021…

 

[RedheadDane]

I think most of all, Vingegaard has to attack. 2:18 mins before the final TT might not be enough. He should have three minutes of an advantage.

How bad a time trialist do you think Vingegaard is? Even Rodriguez didn't lose 2:18 to Hesjedal in the final ITT of the 2012 Giro.

 

[Lequack]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWJjIQT5C5o

 

[Didinho]

Phil Gil posted on his insta that the first 5km uphill will be difficult and maybe the most important of the day.
For a breakaway, yes. For GC, nope. Too far out untill the Aubisque.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Oof, the last statement is questionable imo, considering Pogacar already has two Tour victories, and I don't think you can really say right now he's gotten weaker over time this year compared to Vingegaard - he has been the more attacking rider after all. I do agree with the rest though.

That's a fair assessment - and one I considered adding to my post as well. Pogacar has definitely spent more energy than Vingegaard chasing seconds in the early parts of the race, and we don't know how he would be going now if he had played it a bit more conservative - but for the sake of entertainment, I'm glad he didn't!

I do think that Pogacar was better than Vingegaard early on in the race and that Vingegaard has the slight upper hand now, though.

 

[Salvarani]

Wonder if it will be Mikkel or Mikel Bjerg making an appearance today.

 

[tobydawq]

Pogi and Vingegaards dream last night:

Spoiler

Geschke's dream last night:

Spoiler

I don't get it.

 

[tobydawq]

How bad a time trialist do you think Vingegaard is? Even Rodriguez didn't lose 2:18 to Hesjedal in the final ITT of the 2012 Giro.

What a weird comparison. Hesjedal wasn't exactly a TT king, and the route was significantly shorter.

Then again, 2:18 should be comfortably enough, I agree.

 

[Jumbo Visma Fan :)]

I think most of all, Vingegaard has to attack. 2:18 mins before the final TT might not be enough. He should have three minutes of an advantage.

I hope for an epic stage. Sadly, the first part of the stage is flat. From Aubisque on, we might see some good racing.

Bora, Bahrain, Astana need their stage win. Vingegaard and Pogacar want to win the Tour. That might become a good stage (I hope).

Vingo will not lose 2:18 to Pogi on that TT. I don’t know where your getting that from.

 

[roundabout]

According to Gazzetta, Caruso DNS.
First time he doesn't finish a GT in his career (this is his 16th GT).

COVID the culprit here as well

 

[Unterlenkerfahrend]

I don't get it.

Geschke needs to "win" on Aubisque (like Rasmussen) to basically secure the Polkadot (if Pog and Vingegaard don't get too much points there already). Riis on Hautacam is self explanatory I guess?

 

[Christomir]

is Benoît Cosnefroy capable of winning this from a breakaway (to give some joy to the locals at last)?? Or is the climbing way too hard for him?

 

[tobydawq]

Geschke needs to "win" on Aubisque (like Rasmussen) to basically secure the Polkadot (if Pog and Vingegaard don't get too much points there already). Riis on Hautacam is self explanatory I guess?

Riis really was a handsome man.

 

[tobydawq]

is Benoît Cosnefroy capable of winning this from a breakaway (to give some joy to the locals at last)?? Or is the climbing way too hard for him?

No chance in a million years.

 

[Christomir]

No chance in a million years.

OK

 

[SarahtheDane]

So, Chris Froome is effectively 25 in the GC?!

 

[KZD]

So, Chris Froome is effectively 25 in the GC?!

It would be cool to see him winning today

 

[Eclipse]

is Benoît Cosnefroy capable of winning this from a breakaway (to give some joy to the locals at last)?? Or is the climbing way too hard for him?

It feels frankly impossible to see this go to the breakaway given the GC situation.

 

[madthebad]

I can bet my house that Pogi will put in a long range attack today maybe even as early as Col d'Aubisque if he wants to blow up the race. McNulty is cooked after yesterday so he doesnt have any other option really. Probably he'll have to pull out a " Froome" to win this Tour.

 

[Earns1985]

Just hope for Geschke, that this will go to the breakaway. It would be such a cool story if he wins with 36 the mountain jersey as first german rider ever!!

That being said, I believe that Vingegaard and Pogacar will score points at least at the last climb. This means that he has to score at the Aubisque to stay in the jersey.. If Pogacar puts an "Angry Pogacar" already at the Col de Spandelles or even already at the Aubisque it will get really hard for him..

 

[meat puppet]

Uhm, McN will not be cooked but full on. Had his own pillow and all during the rest day.

Hoping for a legendary stage in the best #movementforincrediblecycling fashion. Be interesting to see if either of the teams will put bodies in the break.

 

[Pirazziattacks]

Riis really was a handsome man.

All that gear and he couldn't fix his hairline (or were the two related?). I'll never not be amazed by Riis, it's hard to imagine being able to go from a level that plenty of enthusiasts can reach to inhumanly strong in the space of a few months.