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Tour de France Tour de France 2024 stage 17: Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux - Superdévoluy, 177.8 km

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Absolutely no question Alpecin keeps (or brings it back) together for the intermediate sprint, for which Philipsen will get a full lead out. For them this is basically a 114km flat stage.

What happens after that is very hard to predict but those who are targeting the stage need to wait until 115km in to try to form a break.

Is there any reason why Philipsen can not go in the break.
 
Philipsen is not winning the green jersey by just winning intermediate sprints when Girmay gets 2nd or 3rd. They'll have to be way more creative. Like hoping Philipsen can make the break on Thursday and Girmay is hurt so he can't. And even then it will be hard.

I agree. I just think their best chance of doing this is a full on team sprint for the intermediate, where other team members (MVDP etc) can take some minor positions if Biniam is at hurt as it seems. But you might be right.
 
Absolutely no question Alpecin keeps (or brings it back) together for the intermediate sprint, for which Philipsen will get a full lead out. For them this is basically a 114km flat stage.

What happens after that is very hard to predict but those who are targeting the stage need to wait until 115km in to try to form a break.
What might be interesting would be to really test how fit Girmay is after his crash by trying to get Jasper in the break with a couple of teammates to help keep that group together until the intermediate to try and get a full 20 point swing on Girmay if he can’t make the break as well.
 
They should IMO. Try to get Van Aert, Tratnik or Kelderman in.

I haven't had 10 minutes of hope for Kelderman win before inevitable 11th place from breakaway all Tour

They don't have to admit defeat yet (we know what happened last year, although it looks a lot less likely to occur this time around), but they risk leaving the race with only one stage win, if they don't try something different.

GSYJs-NW4AAjZKV
 
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I agree. I just think their best chance of doing this is a full on team sprint for the intermediate, where other team members (MVDP etc) can take some minor positions if Biniam is at hurt as it seems. But you might be right.

The points the difference between 1st, and minor places is too small for that imo. You don't make up a 35 points gap with that strat. They need to think about the box, basicallt try to drop Girmay somewhere so that Philipsen can at least take 1 intermediate where Girmay doesn't score. I think it's basically impossible if Girmay isn't really hurt as he's simply the better climber technically.
 
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As said above Noyer at 7.5 km and 8% is no joke and is really perfect for Pogacar to launch an attack which we know he can hold to the finish. But he is riding for the double and with the final three stages beckoning he will hold fire. Small chance Visma try something. More likely a break to win.

He was supposed to ride defensively on Sunday, and look what happened.
With Pogacar you never know. Also it's not such a huge effort if he goes close to the top.

But the likeliest scenario for a Pog win is no break again and than he kinda wins by default probably.
 
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