Tour de France Tour de France 2024, Stage 7: Nuits-Saint-Georges > Gevrey-Chambertin, 25.3 km (ITT)

[Netserk]

Full GC:

 

[jmdirt]

Really, a good ride for the top guys.

 

[SorelyBoy]

Vingegaard is looking ridiculously good for a guy who has just recovered from a horrendous accident and has had no chance to do the usual tune up at a Dauphine or Tour de Suisse. He can’t be human. If I’m Pogacar I’d be relatively happy at this point in the race, but I’d have a nagging concern that Vingegaard might be ready and waiting for me by the time we hit the high mountains.

 

[mountainroad]

The TT was dominated by the top four GC guys, who all finished within 37 seconds of each other, head and shoulders above everybody else. Truth be told, I think that is the real story of this stage.

This is really good for the race as a whole. None of the big favorites have crashed out; nor have any of them imploded and fallen completely out of contention.

Pog looks good, but doesn't have it in the bag by any means.

In spite of the sense by many that he is past it, Rog did a great TT and is still very much there. This is good for somebody with a nack for accumulating time bonuses, like Rog.

Remco won, as expected, but he didn't obliterate everybody else by 1-2 minutes or something ridiculous like that. His physique is different and he's climbing better, which could mean that he's dialing in the balance to be a credible GC threat in the TDF.

Jonas isn't at his best and never was going to be in this Tour. Coming off of injury and racing with Visma's B-team as his support, it was always going to be an uphill battle. He can manage an uphill battle though and may improve as the race progresses.

Top four guys coming out of the first time trial close enough and in good enough shape to trouble each other in the stages to come = good TDF.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

I have historically criticised the 2009 Tour having almost all of the top 10 from the same 4 teams thanks to a garbage course allowing the TTT to predominate all the way to the end. Now we don't even need a TTT to result in that.

Apparently this is a good thing, because having the same big names winning every race and make everybody else irrelevant paupers is apparently what we want. A repetitive, predictable spectacle is somehow easier to sell to marketing executives, and then they will put more money behind it because the outcomes are easier to work out for them so there's less risk involved as far as they are concerned, and then you end up with people arguing it's a good thing because the sport is making money even though all of the additional money is concentrated into the hands of the few who need it least.

Just like how, back in the day, teams from the Swedish, or Turkish, or Greek leagues were a dangerous banana skin for the big league teams in European football competition, rather than makeweights there to give the illusion of it being anything other than a money-making exercise for the same big 10-15 clubs that already make more money than everybody else.

We're actually going backwards in terms of variety. I mean, Campenaerts and Küng are the only genuine TT specialists in that top 10, you know, the kind of riders who would target these stages as their best chance to win, not ride them hard because they need to for the GC. The ITT is so marginalised now, though, that which TT specialists are there even to say were absent? Apart from Ganna and Tarling who's still probably too young for the Tour in the team's eyes, who even is there?

One of the things that first drew me to cycling was the cast of thousands. But the advertising execs don't want to have to explain to people why they should care about certain riders. Better to just have the same six riders win every race and then market them to the moon, because that'll be an easier catch to the casual fan. I get it, the cast of thousands is both an attraction and an impediment to the novice fan. Like how Patrick Winterton on Eurosport wintersport coverage loves the mass start events, not because they provide better spectacle but because he can just focus on the athletes at the front of the field and doesn't have to know anything about the lesser athletes. Stages for the baroudeur are eroded to nil. TT specialists get nothing to play with, so the benefit of being that kind of rider has eroded away to the point where there aren't really any of them, they all either convert to sprinter/leadout types or they learn to climb well enough to become GC men. We're headed for a future of two types of stage: flat stage for sprinter, stage with hills or mountains for GC rider, and ne'er the twain shall meet.

 

[Oldermanish]

There is almost no chance Jonas and team were unprepared for this ITT. They would have known how they wanted to take each corner, the exact times they want to hit and their time checks, the exact wattage they wanted Jonas to produce in each section. The other three riders were better today.

I agree Jonas appears less confident in the downhills. He can hardly be faulted for that, but it may cost him a third bowl.

Jonas did very well considering his already amazing recovery mode.
I still think the effort to rebuild to get him to the Tour lacked any rest period; we may start to see the cumulative effect of what it took to get him on the road.

 

[Froome]

Shocking to see that Vingegaard only lost 3" to Pogi in the last section.

Both were fading in the last section.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

Both were fading in the last section.

I think both Pog and Vingo started a bit too fast. Then they lost time to Remco on the most uphill section (which wasn't expected).

 

[houtdffan]

May I have some of the drugs you're smoking?

not as strong as the ones you were smoking

he literally said he heard a pop. The NBC crew highlighted the flat

 

[saunaking]

After teh Giro Pog was the greatest of all time and in a league of his own but I always pointed to the Giro field and how he had no real competition

Of course he is a top rider but with more equal competition he doesnt look so way out ahead

the human thing was for Roglic

 

[Carols]

All the Angst about the Remco mechanical that wasn't LMAO!!!

 

[Netserk]

There is almost no chance Jonas and team were unprepared for this ITT. They would have known how they wanted to take each corner, the exact times they want to hit and their time checks, the exact wattage they wanted Jonas to produce in each section. The other three riders were better today.

I agree Jonas appears less confident in the downhills. He can hardly be faulted for that, but it may cost him a third bowl.

Not being unprepared is different to being optimally prepared.

 

[Red Lobster]

Was Pogacar riding a front wheel with a significantly deeper section than Remco, Roglic, Vingegaard? Looked pretty crosswindy and if so that probably ended up hurting him - negated much of the advantage and left him battling the bike more?

 

[danielovichdk2]

Pog didn't look good today. Expected him to ram it but it seemed he didn't have the edge.

Remco looked fine
But the real winner is Jonas, which has come out of the first week with little loss.

Mauro doesn't know what to do. He might start doping again just to get by.

 

[Unchained]

We're actually going backwards in terms of variety. I mean, Campenaerts and Küng are the only genuine TT specialists in that top 10, you know, the kind of riders who would target these stages as their best chance to win, not ride them hard because they need to for the GC. The ITT is so marginalised now, though, that which TT specialists are there even to say were absent? Apart from Ganna and Tarling who's still probably too young for the Tour in the team's eyes, who even is there?

So this all the time? The world champion in the individual time trail discipline wins the stage, the field is comprised of national champions, grand tour winners and previous stage and overall TDF winners ( multiple) and the field is inferior because Filippo Ganna stayed home? The parity in pro bike racing is on high in history!! There are dozens of riders capable of winning on any given day. The talent, power and skills have never been this deep in the existence of racing. Today's times were outstanding on any level, but judging them relatively makes the accomplishment that much more profound.. This was not a stand alone scheduled ITT, instead it's a TT after racing a week through the mountains!! I know every party needs a wet blanket..
The field is outstanding, racing accordingly. The quality of racers and equipment, never better. Wool jerseys, ham sandwiches, down tube shifters, no helmet, hairnet, 18mm tires glued on..all unable to be compared to modern racing.. Apples and oranges.. Even the gearing thought of as essential and effective @10 years ago, currently makes no sense.
Your description of the TT being " marginalized " would surely be disputed by riders who have lost major gran titles because of a TT that lost them the race..
Your statement " who is even there? " floors me.. Who is not there? This is as good as it gets!!!!

 

[Le Grand Doop]

remco
pog @ 11
rog @ 25
vingo @ 26

I have never won an award in my sad life.

Can I get one for this, please?

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

I think today's TT bodes well for Vingo, but especially for Remco. The latter's climbing in the high mountains remains a question mark, however. Visma should be very happy after these first 7 stages. UAE are as advertised: a super-team led by the best all-around bike racer in the world. Roglic looks solid.

Overall, I'm happy as a cycling fan. A week's worth of racing in the bag, and the Tour's still wide open. The next few stages appear rather pedestrian though. I don't see much GC action until Stage 13. I hope I'm wrong.

 

[AmRacer]

I think today's TT bodes well for Vingo, but especially for Remco. The latter's climbing in the high mountains remains a question mark, however. Visma should be very happy after these first 7 stages. UAE are as advertised: a super-team led by the best all-around bike racer in the world. Roglic looks solid.

Overall, I'm happy as a cycling fan. A week's worth of racing in the bag, and the Tour's still wide open. The next few stages appear rather pedestrian though. I don't see much GC action until Stage 13. I hope I'm wrong.

This Sunday.

 

[RobertCrawley]

I think today's TT bodes well for Vingo, but especially for Remco. The latter's climbing in the high mountains remains a question mark, however. Visma should be very happy after these first 7 stages. UAE are as advertised: a super-team led by the best all-around bike racer in the world. Roglic looks solid.

Overall, I'm happy as a cycling fan. A week's worth of racing in the bag, and the Tour's still wide open. The next few stages appear rather pedestrian though. I don't see much GC action until Stage 13. I hope I'm wrong.

I cannot imagine Remco staying with Tadej and Jonas in the big hills, but I've been surprised (pleasantly) by so many things in this Tour so far. It would be great for the Tour if Remco was within striking distance on the last day -- shades of Fignon/LeMond.

 

[Peyroteo94]

I cannot imagine Remco staying with Tadej and Jonas in the big hills, but I've been surprised (pleasantly) by so many things in this Tour so far. It would be great for the Tour if Remco was within striking distance on the last day -- shades of Fignon/LeMond.

Last TT is tailormade for Pog. He is racing at home.

 

[AnotherArmChair]

I expect Sunday to show bigger gaps than the TT

 

[Gigs_98]

The era of super-doms is apparent.

 

[Tim Cahill]

Pogacar's pacing plan a bit off I think, small margins but he was 15th fastest in the final split. Slower than precocious Belgian talent and Tre Valli Varesine specialst Ilan Van Wilder, Adam Yates, Vlasov.

Roglic fastest descent of the GC, only Kung and Oliveira faster.

Kévin Vauquelin is a serious guy, 6th and he's on Arkea, hopefully he stays there for variety.

 

[KZD]

Great TT today from the so called big4 that were on a league of their own.

Remco shows once again that he is the best time trialist in the world and gets his first stage win at the Tour and dare I say it won't be his last Still, the mountains yet to come will be the ultimate test for him.

Pogačar does a really good defence of his maillot jaune and is still looking in prime position to take the overall win despite the slim margins against his main rivals.

Roglič doing really well too with his usual conservative pacing plan, managing to take third at the end and keeps himself in the fight for the overall win.

Vingegaard doing a great effort in a day that most would have expected him to lose at least some ground, if his shape improves during the Tour, he can still win a third Tour.

Very good rides from Campenaerts and Vauquelin, finishing less than a minute behind Remco is impressive for both. Almeida solid.

The biggest disappointments were Ayuso and Van Aert, the first keeps doing inconsistent performances in TTs despite of the hype around him and the latter really seems to have lost some of his TT capabilities.

 

[AnotherArmChair]

Pogacar's pacing plan a bit off I think, small margins but he was 15th fastest in the final split. Slower than precocious Belgian talent and Tre Valli Varesine specialst Ilan Van Wilder, Adam Yates, Vlasov.

Roglic fastest descent of the GC, only Kung and Oliveira faster.

Kévin Vauquelin is a serious guy, 6th and he's on Arkea, hopefully he stays there for variety.

He is very good ...imagine teams are looking for their cheque books already...wouldnt be surprised if Vino and the Chinese aren't looking for his number