Tour de France Tour de France 2023, stage 10: Vulcania - Issoire, 167.2k

[RedheadDane]

No, cause since you replied to it, the evidence is still here.

Exactly! Deleting your post won't help you, young man!

 

[Aimar16]

It's not about them being suitable. It's about the chance to gain GC time and have an outside chance of a stage/helping a teammate.

I doubt they would want to waste energy on that

 

[dobrien]

I see only chaos in this stage!!
GC contenders better be ready.

I'm with you; these are the types of days which can really turn a race on its head. I think it's going to be a hard day.

 

[ChewbaccaDefense]

This is the type of transitional stage where classic riders and breakaway specialists have a chance. Les trois magnifiques (Van der Poel, Van Aert and Alaphilippe) haven't won a stage yet, so they should seize this opportunity. Other candidates are Bettiol, Cort, Girmay, Campenaerts and Madouas.

I'd say Pidcock, but he done f**ked up, and got himself a place in the top 10. No break for you!

 

[ppanther92]

None of these stages are suitable for them. Gall is probably waiting for stage 14 where the serious KOM points will be handed out.

Gall will now conservatively target a top 10 in GC. Doubt he will go on much KOM raids.

 

[Gigs_98]

Gall will now conservatively target a top 10 in GC. Doubt he will go on much KOM raids.

He has in fact already said he will no longer focus on the KOM and instead try to get a gc top 10. Completely ridiculous decision if you ask me but it is what it is.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Smart decision if that involves going into breaks and trying to ride GC the G Martin-way, I could see him way up there in the end if it pans out. Bet you there's a lot more money in that than KOM.

 

[laarsland]

He has in fact already said he will no longer focus on the KOM and instead try to get a gc top 10. Completely ridiculous decision if you ask me but it is what it is.

Blame on that lies on O'Connor for completely blowing up.

 

[Gigs_98]

Smart decision if that involves going into breaks and trying to ride GC the G Martin-way, I could see him way up there in the end if it pans out. Bet you there's a lot more money in that than KOM.

Really didn't sound like that. More a "I can't go into breaks grabbing kom points anymore because I need to conserve energy". We'll see what he will actually do, but the interview with Austrian television didn't make me very optimistic.

Also, because he was originally preparing to ride the giro I kinda fear that his shape will decline over the next two weeks. That's what usually happens with riders who make a late schedule change to ride the Tour instead of the Giro.

 

[hfer07]

If either Jumbo or UAC decide to ride the stage hard and proper, the terrain is good enough to create serious headaches if one of the leaders is not feeling 100% after the rest day.
Hope we get to see another battle between Poga & Vinge

 

[Izzyeviel]

Jonas to launch it on the Tourzel and catch up with Wout again.

 

[Peter von]

No... I dont think so. Not gonna happen.

They are not gonna pull to control Van Aert or reel him back, if he as gotten into the breakaway.

It is more likely they will try to put someone in the break, as well.

Tomorrow is a day where it will be extremely hard to control and cost a lot for a team to pull all day. They will probably hope a break goes as soon as possible and preferably riders who are far behind, so they dont have to control. Give the break a lot of time and cruise to the finish.

Others may see it as a good opportunity to claw back some lost time... and it is a stage-win up for grabs, plenty of riders/team should see it as big opportunity.

Depending on what happens it could be a very hard day.

I think you are most likely correct.

And yes forming the break could take 80 k of hard riding on a stage like this.

 

[BigCoward]

I'd say Pidcock, but he done f**ked up, and got himself a place in the top 10. No break for you!

He's tiny, he could sneak into the break without anybody noticing.

 

[pelotonIQ]

Best case scenario for UAE is that Wout goes in the break and tires himself out even further in hopes of winning a stage.

 

[yaco]

There is no excuse for there not being 15 or 16 teams in the break - You've got teams without any wins or teams whose GC rider will not win a stage, so there is no use riding in the peleton.

 

[ppanther92]

He has in fact already said he will no longer focus on the KOM and instead try to get a gc top 10. Completely ridiculous decision if you ask me but it is what it is.

Yes. Heard the interview in Austrian TV as well. While he said its a honor to have the team devoted to him finishing top 10, I think its very much team pressure. But well, it is what it is. KOM plus stage win is a way nicer goal if you ask me though.

 

[danielovichdk2]

This has Magnus Cort written all over it.

 

[Peter von]

Yes. Heard the interview in Austrian TV as well. While he said its a honor to have the team devoted to him finishing top 10, I think its very much team pressure. But well, it is what it is. KOM plus stage win is a way nicer goal if you ask me though.

yeah I would have liked Gall to either do GC from the start or to do stages and maybe KoM.

I guess they are doing it for the UCI points or something?

on the plus side the best way for him to do GC atm would be a nice break away on... maybe Saturday or Sunday, probably won't earn him enough KoM points, but maybe stage.

 

[stetre76]

As @Gigs_98 and @ppanther92 already said - Gall is now focusing on GC and/or a stage win if the chances are right
In my opinion that's a bit of a contratiction though - if he climbs up in GC they won't let him go for a stage win. Unless he climbs in GC by getting into a break and therefore also get a stage win...

But the KOM jersey has no priority anymore - a mistake in my opinion, as this would guarantee him a spot on podium in Paris

 

[Phoi]

Yes. Heard the interview in Austrian TV as well. While he said its a honor to have the team devoted to him finishing top 10, I think its very much team pressure. But well, it is what it is. KOM plus stage win is a way nicer goal if you ask me though.

I guess they think Bora did with Kämna in Giro: they just want him to have the experience as team captain for GC to check out how he can deal with this pressure and prepare him for greater goals.

 

[SafeBet]

No need to watch the stage... FirstCycling already knows who will win: Caleb Ewan.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1678671971381399553

View: https://twitter.com/53x11Podcast/status/1678671971381399553?s=20

 

[ppanther92]

I guess they think Bora did with Kämna in Giro: they just want him to have the experience as team captain for GC to check out how he can deal with this pressure and prepare him for greater goals.

Might have made sense though if he tried from the beginning then. Because dropping 5min on stage 2 cause you want to go for KOM is suboptimal for GC ambitions, I guess.

 

[Peter von]

As @Gigs_98 and @ppanther92 already said - Gall is now focusing on GC and/or a stage win if the chances are right
In my opinion that's a bit of a contratiction though - if he climbs up in GC they won't let him go for a stage win. Unless he climbs in GC by getting into a break and therefore also get a stage win...

But the KOM jersey has no priority anymore - a mistake in my opinion, as this would guarantee him a spot on podium in Paris

He needs to do quite a bit of climbing up the GC to be barred from break aways atm though, certainly for Jumbo/UAE to care, so I guess he might be allowed to go in at least one cheeky break away and leap frog some riders and go for the stage.

Yeah KoM competition would suit him quite well this year I reckon, but that is also a bit of a lottery because sprinting for KoMs sometimes burn the matches that mean you cannot compete for the stage win.

And yeah, just seems like unnecessary stress to put on him (kinda-)mid-tour.

 

[MrTea1976]

Bahrain and EF are going to flood the break with riders.

 

[DenisMenchov]

View: https://youtu.be/1BHA7VwAKko