Tour de France Tour de France 2023, stage 9: Saint-Léonard-de-Noblat - Puy de Dôme, 182.4k

[QueenStagiaire]

Vingegaard right now in an interview with Danish TV2:

"it will be the next 14 stages that decide the Tour".

- I guess if he is riding 2 more stages than Pogacar, he will be absolutely right!

Well, the two rest days are basically media stages, although interviews seem to have become less common, I‘d think that those are tough for him as well.

 

[HelloDolly]

It really was a spectacular win by Woods...the way he climbed those last KMs and how he kept going and closed the gap

Very exciting and he deserves the win though gutted for Jorgenson

 

[BigCoward]

Did you chek which stage it is? Or is he a rider who is just happy wearing the yellow a bit?

Did you check the gap to 3rd?

 

[Martinstranger]

This Tour looks like it will go right down to the wire, very little between the top 2 although psychologically Pog has struck a blow dropping Vingegaard twice now. Not a bad position for UAE having Jumbo riding in yellow knowing that Pog is breathing down their neck.

I believe they would prefer to be in front and not behind😉

Fantastic race this year until now. It could be epic in the rest of the race.
Just imagine if it all comes down to the time trial and we can see them Mano o Mano 😎

But let’s see when we hit the alps and higher ground🚵‍♂️

 

[Boehmand]

Skjelmose dropped almost 29 minutes today.

Makes me angry that he appears to have just given up on trying to ride GC, which could easily turn into a permanent decision.

 

[HelloDolly]

Skjelmose dropped almost 29 minutes today.

Makes me angry that he appears to have just given up on trying to ride GC, which could easily turn into a permanent decision.

He is very young yet and its his first Tour which is such a shock to the system

Hopefully he can go in a break and win a stage

 

[Boehmand]

He is very young yet and its his first Tour which is such a shock to the system

Hopefully he can go in a break and win a stage

But this is the Tour he should prove he can actually hack it as a GC rider.

Giving up and riding in the groupetto on stage 9, is simply not on.

 

[movingtarget]

The good old days with Sastre fighting against Menchov and Evans

Sastre was more of a pure climber than the other two who relied more on their TT to stay in contention. Sastre had some good rides coming from behind but it didn't always work that way for him.

 

[jono]

It really was a spectacular win by Woods...the way he climbed those last KMs and how he kept going and closed the gap

Very exciting and he deserves the win though gutted for Jorgenson

Jorgenson also had his stage win hopes last year dashed by a Canadian riding for IPT (with an assist to Woods).

 

[JosefK]

Skjelmose dropped almost 29 minutes today.

Makes me angry that he appears to have just given up on trying to ride GC, which could easily turn into a permanent decision.

Skjelmose suffered from a crash and lost time in the stages following. He's revamped his ambitions to hunt for a stage win, I think.

 

[ppanther92]

Sure...
It seems to be that when the pressure is on (now at the Tour, and to a lesser extend at PN) Jonas is not as good as everyone thinks he is (he should be). I actually liked Jonas last year, but now (after his somewhat lucky TdF win) there is some sort of a reputation of him being unbeatable on MTF so I am glad people get to see the pecking order.

He still is the best climber in the race. By facts, namely seconds. Pogacar looks good this year bit Vingegaard has a net gain on him on the climbing stages so far. The wide gap of those two to the rest of the field is anyway not under debate.

 

[Peyroteo94]

Pogi in 1.5 km gained almost a minute on the first human.

 

[QueenStagiaire]

Pogi in 1.5 km gained almost a minute on the first human.

The first humans were not very developed and could not ride bicycles, no surprise.

 

[Boehmand]

Skjelmose suffered from a crash and lost time in the stages following. He's revamped his ambitions to hunt for a stage win, I think.

I know, but this Tour was also supposed to qualify, if he has a future as a GC contender, and just giving up on stage 9, when he is back to feeling fine, seems "cowardly" (for lack of a less serious word).

He was far enough behind already, to get to hit breaks by the GC teams, so there was no need to give up completely on staying within reach.

 

[fbjim]

The climb is only a HC because of the super steep part.

that's like saying Telegraph/Galibier is only an HC because it's really long lol

 

[ppanther92]

But this is the Tour he should prove he can actually hack it as a GC rider.

Giving up and riding in the groupetto on stage 9, is simply not on.

Its very rare that you finish your first GT high. Not everyone is a Pogacar. Vingegaards first GC was 46th at the Vuelta, Froomes 83rd at the Tour (36th in the Giro as his 2nd GT) , Contador 31st at the Tour.

So maybe not be completely off pace but no need to worry yet.

 

[Peter von]

He still is the best climber in the race. By facts, namely seconds. Pogacar looks good this year bit Vingegaard has a net gain on him on the climbing stages so far. The wide gap of those two to the rest of the field is anyway not under debate.

Just playing devils advocate. But didn’t a big chunk of that gain come downhill and on the flat where Pogi was having Yates doing the chasing?

 

[Boehmand]

Its very rare that you finish your first GT high. Not everyone is a Pogacar. Vingegaards first GC was 46th at the Vuelta, Froomes 83rd at the Tour (36th in the Giro as his 2nd GT) , Contador 31st at the Tour.

So maybe not be completely off pace but no need to worry yet.

It's not his first GT.

 

[Salvarani]

It was a bit worrying for Vinge that Kuss dropped with S. Yates, two Ineos riders and Pog still there. A. Yates and Hindley further behind.

Kuss has already done a lot of work here in the first week, when he is usually taking it easy and rested for whats to come in the first part of the race. The route has sort of made that impossible though.

Kelderman seems to be able to drop a serious pace to get rid of many riders but only for a short while. Then dropping like a stone.

Vinge is more exposed to these attacks from Pog this year, if they cant set the pace for him and neutralize.

Van Aert was massive on stage 6... but he has not been in the same form as last year in the Tour, where he was dominating in the first week.

Something seems to be missing for them. Maybe they will turn it around. Still in the lead all things considered and the really high mountains yet to come.

 

[Peter von]

Skjelmose suffered from a crash and lost time in the stages following. He's revamped his ambitions to hunt for a stage win, I think.

This.

Also a good decision I think. Stage win is better than top 10 and the top 5 ship has sailed.

 

[HelloDolly]

But this is the Tour he should prove he can actually hack it as a GC rider.

Giving up and riding in the groupetto on stage 9, is simply not on.

Alot of riders need to ride the Tour a few times before they can even consider GC ... A first Tour is a monumental shock to the system

I only hope you never get a job as a DS ...too too hard

 

[ppanther92]

It's not his first GT.

Oh, finished the Giro as 40th last year. Look, exactly rhe range for future greatness as indicated by my examples

 

[ppanther92]

It was a bit worrying for Vinge that Kuss dropped with S. Yates, two Ineos riders and Pog still there. A. Yates and Hindley further behind.

Kuss has already done a lot of work here in the first week, when he is usually taking it easy and rested for whats to come in the first part of the race. The route has sort of made that impossible though.

Kelderman seems to be able to drop a serious pace to get rid of many riders but only for a short while. Then dropping like a stone.

Vinge is more exposed to these attacks from Pog this year, if they cant set the pace for him and neutralize.

Van Aert was massive on stage 6... but he has not been in the same form as last year in the Tour, where he was dominating in the first week.

Something seems to be missing for them. Maybe they will turn it around. Still in the lead all things considered and the really high mountains yet to come.

I think the problem here might be a bit that they seem to want to keep Kuss relatively close in the GC this year. Think for Vingegaard it would be good if Kuss was given some complete off days after which he can again destroy everyone. Even today he had to keep on riding.

 

[BigCoward]

Which is the best stage for pidcock to go thermonuclear downhill if he is with the leaders over the top?

 

[KZD]

One of the best Tour first week that I remember.

Deserved win for Woods, he has been unlucky during some moments of his career but in these super steep climbs he is truly in his element. Heartbreak for Jorgenson but he will have more opportunities to get a stage win in this Tour.

As for GC, I think this was a really good day for Pogačar, historically he seems to suffer more in the heat and was dropped by Vingegård in a relatively similar climb on stage 5 so this is a good sign still Vingegård managed to defend himself well, we have a race!

Great to see Simon Yates being third of the favourites after his crash yesterday and hats off to Pidcock, I knew that he could climb based on his win on the baby Giro three years ago but this was probably his best climbing performance in the elite rankings. I think he could suffer more in multi-mountain stages of the Alps but still top5 in looking possible, not just a top10. Rodriguez solid again while Hindley struggled a bit but he is still my pick for third place. Bad day for the French GC hopes, Gaudu qnd Bardet.